THE CURIOUS BELIEVERS

  When we say that a person is the “right-hand man” of their boss, we usually mean that he is the boss’s trusted assistant; therefore, they are not on the same level. Obviously, the boss holds a higher position than the assistant. Christ is said to be at the right hand of the Father (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55–56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1). Does this mean that Christ is merely the Father’s assistant, implying that they are not equal? If this is really the case, does it mean that Christ could not be considered God? In the time of the Jews during the biblical era, they did not think of it this way. Being “at the right hand of the Father” has something to do with the prophecy about the Messiah found in Psalm 110:1, “The LORD says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Based on this prophecy, the promised King (in other words, the Anointed One or simply, the Messiah) would sit at the right hand of God. The expression “at ...

HOW DID THE ORIGINAL READERS UNDERSTAND THE TERM  LOGOS ? During the time the Gospel of John was written, the term logos was familiar to both Jews and Greeks. It was widely used in philosophy and theology. To best understand what John meant by logos , we need to look at how people of his time understood the term. 1. Hellenistic Logos According to Greek philosophy, logos referred to the Di vine Reason that orders the universe —the rational principle or idea that governs and sustains all things. It was believed to be the power that brings order to chaos and keeps everything in harmony. For the Stoic philosophers, logos was the rational force that governed the cosmos. The founder of this school of thought, Zeno of Citium, even equated logos with Zeus, their supreme god who permeates all things.  It’s also worth noting that the English word “logic” comes from this same Greek root, logos . 2.  Jewish Logos (Word, Law, Wisdom) The Jewish understanding of logos shared simi...

There are many things in the Bible that remain mysterious to believers — the forbidden fruit, the Nephilim, fallen angels, Balaam’s talking donkey, Goliath, and many more! One of the things that caught my curiosity when I first started reading the Bible was Leviathan , the sea monster (Job 3:8; 41:1–34; Ps. 74:14; 104:26; etc.). What exactly is it? Is it just a legend, or was it once a literal creature? How was this monster understood in ancient times, and how should we understand it today? Let’s dive in and catch a sea monster! 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 Leviathan (Hebrew: Liwyatan ) is the name used in the Bible to refer to a mythical creature often associated with the sea and chaos. The origin of its name may come from a root meaning “the twisting one” (Arabic lawiya ) or possibly “coiled” (Hebrew liwya ). Leviathan was closely identified with Tannin , a term usually translated as “sea dragon” or “serpent.” Isaiah 27:1 reads, “Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Le...

  Many Christians today hold a common belief that studying about God is different from worshiping Him. Studying about God involves Bible studies, sermons, books, just to name a few. And worship primarily is about personal and church worship, songs, and instruments, among other things. There is some truth in this distinction of activities. However, because of these categories and labels, many of us end up choosing which one to prioritize. For instance, some think it’s fine to be late for the praise and worship part of the service, as long as they catch the sermon, believing that what truly matters is hearing the Word of God. This stems from a misunderstanding of how the Bible presents the relationship between theology and worship—between studying God and singing to and about Him. In Colossians 3:16 , we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts...