A few years ago I went to Seattle to visit my in-laws during the Christmas holiday. We arrived on the 26th of December and my wife, children and I celebrated the feast of our Lord’s nativity with our family in Washington as if it was Christmas Day. For my children it was a fun...
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The first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel contains a genealogy for the birth of Christ. In all we read about the forty two generations that precede the birth of Christ. For me personally it is a reading that can be hard to pay attention to or find an application for in my life. Instead I...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… Few saints have been blessed with a vision of heaven while still in this life. Isaiah was one who saw heaven (Is. 6:1-8), as did Ezekial (Ezek. 1:1-28), and the Apostle John saw a new heaven-God’s eternal Kingdom revealed as a city (Rev. 21:1-25:5). When we read...
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From the Orhtodox Study Bible… The Bible and human history begin and end with weddings. Adam and Eve come together in marital union in Paradise, before the Fall, revealing marriage as a part of God’s eternal purpose for humanity in the midst of creation (Gen. 2:22-25). History closes with the marriage of the...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… Deification is the ancient theological word used to describe the process by which a Christian becomes more like God. St. Peter speaks of this process when he writes, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness . . . you...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… In the Old Testament account of creation, God created mankind and established a place for him called Paradise. He also gave ham a commandment regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: “And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, ‘You may eat food from every tree in...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… A major theme of the Book of Hebrews is the contrast between the earthly, or Levitical, priesthood, and the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek, which is fulfilled in Christ. The Levitical priesthood, established by Aaron of the tribe of Levi, is limited simply because those who fill it...
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From the Orhtodox Study Bible… St. Paul uses the term “works” extensively in his letters, and we encounter his use of the word especially in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. By this term, he means human activities which he generally classifies in two categories: (1) Dead works: These are (a) works which are...
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From the Orthodox Study Bible… Early in His ministry Jesus revealed the way to enter God’s eternal Kingdom. We must be “born again” (John 3:3), a birth from above brought about by water and the Spirit. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Christ states: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit,...
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