Fellowship What are you studying/reading in scripture currently?

I'm reading or researching through two books on Jesus' parables. Parables by John MacArthur and Parables by James Boice. I'm teaching in Sunday School as a fill in this week so these are two of my sources, plus a couple commentaries. Not all the parables, only the Parables of Wisdom and Folly; the 10 Virgins, the two sons, the wise/foolish builders, the unjust steward and the foolish landowner.

@dwb001

IRT Revelation, I recently read through the book. Some insights I came to about the book are this:

It seems to me that Revelation can be comprised of three major sections. The first section is Revelation 1-3. The second section is Revelation 4-11. The last section is Revelation 12-22. IMO, the book gets more symbolic as the book goes along. In fact, it gets so symbolic that John has to explain the symbolic parts or everyone would be completely lost as to the meaning. The middle section is my favorite part. Why? Because it seems to be based on concrete examples and tends to be the most straightforward IRT prophecy. The book as a whole is unique in the Bible, however, it may be because it varies so much in the degree to which it is symbolic. The whole talk of the dragon (Satan), the beast (antichrist), and the other beast (false prophet) would be completely unintelligible if we didn't have John and the rest of scripture explaining it.

I also think that the second section shows Dispensationalism to be extremely lacking. The reason I say this is because a "mark" is placed on the faithful, who is a group that is so numerous that "no one could number" (compared with 200 million people, which is a number of people that is numbered) who "come out of the Great Tribulation." I can't see a way to read that passage without saying that the number of Christians will be a lot of people (billions presumably) AND that there is a second group of people on who God will pronounce great judgment.

Revelation 1-3 seems to be about blessings and curses for the church, Revelation 4-11 seems to be about God working powerfully in His people and Revelation 12-22 seems to be mostly about a warning to the wicked and a promise to the faithful.

RonJohnSilver said:

I'm reading or researching through two books on Jesus' parables. Parables by John MacArthur and Parables by James Boice. I'm teaching in Sunday School as a fill in this week so these are two of my sources, plus a couple commentaries. Not all the parables, only the Parables of Wisdom and Folly; the 10 Virgins, the two sons, the wise/foolish builders, the unjust steward and the foolish landowner.

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Not a fan of Johnny Mac. For a Bible teacher he disagrees with the Bible an awful lot.

...and I just looked up James Boice, and he's reformed theology too, so I wouldn't waste my time.

ByTheSpirit said:

Trying to take a break from the back and forth debate type threads. What are you currently studying or reading about in scripture? A particular topic or subject? What led you to that particular theme?

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I am currently working on the 13th and 14th books. One is on the Security of the Believer, and the other is Confession of our Faith.
So I am working through my notes and material on these subjects. I took a break from my larger project regarding what is included in the Atonement... which will be a much larger work.

Our home Bible study group, which I teach, will start studying Zechariah after the new year. To prepare, I'm starting the book "God Remembers" by Charles Feinberg, my usual source commentaries (EnduringWord by Davd Guzik and SonicLIght by Tom Constable) plus the online series by Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Va.

ARBITER01 said:

To answer your OP, I've been looking at a section in Hebrews lately as I was reviewing some work I've been doing editing the NT,.....

36 For ye have need of patience, that after doing the will of GOD, ye may receive the promise.

37 "For yet a little while, The-One coming shalt arrive and will not delay.”

38 "But the righteous shall live by [My] faith,” “and if he draweth back,” “My soul hath no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those drawing back unto destruction, but of faith unto the saving of the soul.

In particular, I was looking at verse 38 and the different ways it was presented in the Greek manuscripts,...

Hebrews 10:38:
TEXT: "·but my righteous-one shall live by faith"
EVIDENCE: p46 S A H* 33 1175 1739 most lat most vg one cop(north) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV ("righteous people")
RANK: C

NOTES: "·but the righteous-one shall live by faith"
EVIDENCE: p13 Dc Hc I K P Psi 81 104 614 630 1241 1881 2495 Byz Lect two lat some vg syr(pal) some cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASVn NIVn? ("the righteous shall")

OTHER: "·but the righteous-one shall live by my faith"
EVIDENCE: D* two lat syr(p,h)

The OT text that this is quoting is from Habakuk,....

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

It looks like the more correct wording of this particular section would come from the later manuscripts, if the NT is to reflect the OT, like it does in the Syriac and Latin translation from the Greek. So,.... I place the papyrus section in first, with brackets on the later section to identify it as such,...

38 "But the righteous shall live by [My] faith,” “and if he draweth back,” “My soul hath no pleasure in him.”

Done

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I had a change given me by The Holy Spirit on this section of the NT text.

I went with the p13 papyrus text,...

NOTES: "·but the righteous-one shall live by faith"
EVIDENCE: p13 Dc Hc I K P Psi 81 104 614 630 1241 1881 2495 Byz Lect two lat some vg syr(pal) some cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASVn NIVn? ("the righteous shall")

But the text of Hab 2:4 has,..

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Which is correct, so I added the portion of the OT text that was the contention, and this was how it finally turned out,...

38 "But the righteous shall live by His faith,” “and if he draweth back,” “My soul hath no pleasure in him.”

Now it's finally done.

I'm currently doing a word study on rejoice. The words translated 238 time in the whole of scripture. Currently in the Hebrew, but the Greek is next.

hislegacy said:

I'm currently doing a word study on rejoice. The words translated 238 time in the whole of scripture. Currently in the Hebrew, but the Greek is next.

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That sounds very interesting! I'd love to hear what you are finding.

Recently, I'm trying to meditate on Matthew 6:19-34, seeking first the kingdom, and how it applies to pilgrimage through the valley of tears and turning it into a place of springs in Psalm 84 and to delight in Psalm 37 as a give and receive condition. I spent so much time trying to live up to life in the world as a Christian that I lost sight of the Father's mercy and gifts. I wound up unequipped.

ByTheSpirit said:

Trying to take a break from the back and forth debate type threads. What are you currently studying or reading about in scripture? A particular topic or subject? What led you to that particular theme?

Click to expand...

I am really into 1rst and 2nd Ephesians these days.
I am into 1rst Ephesians because Paul had an audience apparently so very fully opened to him.
He could pour out all the revelation that was in him concerning the church.

I am into the letter of Christ to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7 because
I believe it reveals what happened to the church there when they forsook the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
That was probably the beginning of thier drifting away from the Lord Himself as well.

Christ ever so faithful, frank, loving, and merciful speaks to this church again telling them
where their problem lies and about overcoming this drift away.

They probably were included in the departure from Paul's ministry when Paul wrote:
This you know, that all who are in Asia turned away from me, of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. (2 Tim. 1:15)