There is always room for improvement. In Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he congratulates them for their faith, but also encourages them to continue becoming even more holy. What makes 1 Thessalonians unique? This short letter provides a close look at the personal relationship Paul had… Read More

Suffering is hard. The author of this book encourages the Thessalonians to remain faithful in the midst of suffering. He also informs them about Christ’s return, the time when their suffering will cease. What makes 2 Thessalonians unique? As in 1 Thessalonians, the author thanks God that the Thessalonian… Read More

In this letter Paul writes to encourage Philemon, a wealthy believer, to model Christ’s love, compassion and mercy to Onesimus, an escaped slave. What makes the Letter to Philemon unique? More than any of the letters that Paul wrote, his letter to Philemon is a good example of the… Read More

Follow Jesus. The command resounds throughout the book of Hebrews—it’s in the description of Jesus as high priest, the account of faithful individuals in the Old Testament and the exhortation to imitate Christ’s example. What makes Hebrews special? Notwithstanding the fact that the author of Hebrews remains unknown to us… Read More

Faith is important, but what about action? The book of James explores the relationship between faith and deeds all the while explaining what a Christian’s life should look like. What makes James unique? James begins like a letter that is written to Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire (1:1),… Read More

Encouragement, warning and exhortation. These three books include all of the above and more. What makes 1, 2, and 3 John unique? Although 1 John is called a letter, it does not have many of the features of a typical Greek letter (e.g., it lacks the formal… Read More

Revelation was written to a church facing intense persecution. What did the author of the letter want the church to know? That Jesus is all-powerful, worthy of worship and is in control of the world. What makes Revelation unique? The word translated as “revelation” (1:1) comes from the Greek… Read More

Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. They mean that Luke took the parable Luke 10.30-35 and told it as a story with a direct message about correct behavior. Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. By this… Read More

The final nine books of the New Testament are written in a number of styles by different writers. The first eight (Hebrews through Jude) are often referred to as the “General Letters.” Some of these are clearly written in letter form, similar to the style of Paul’s letters. The… Read More

Who were these bandits who attacked the stricken traveler? There are two distinct terms in the Greek language of the New Testament. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke chooses the term “lestes,” which describes a violent member of a group. Before one can fully appreciate the story… Read More