There are two main approaches to the Lord’s Prayer (LP). The Lord’s Prayer was meant to be prayed verbatim. The Lord’s Prayer was not meant to be prayed verbatim, but rather serves as a model prayer. Most of the church for 2000 years has opted for the first, while also affirming that it is also a... Continue Reading →
The thief on the cross: a close shave, or a miracle?
One thief on the cross cursed Jesus to the end, the other stopped and turned to him in faith: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Let's not paint a portrait of the repentant thief as the nice, sensitive member of the criminal gang, who felt badly about Jesus and reasoned that he... Continue Reading →
New Year’s Resolutions or New Covenant Miracles? [Studies in the New Covenant]
For many years, I made no New Year’s resolutions. My reasoning: Why make a big deal just because the planet has revolved around the sun to an arbitrary point in space? Why try to be a better persons on this one day when I should be doing it all the time? Are resolutions relevant to... Continue Reading →
Should Christians focus on Christ and the Spirit…or only on Christ?
Spiritual believers are Christ-centered, but that doesn't prevent them from speaking about the Spirit! Why has it become necessary to say this? It's because John MacArthur in his Strange Fire opines that all Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians remove Christ from the center of the gospel and replace him with Holy Spirit mania; rather, he finds references... Continue Reading →
“From Jerusalem to the Uttermost Parts of the Earth” – Have we Misunderstood Acts 1:8?
A missionary comes to your church to speak, and you absentmindedly turn to Matt 28:18 or Acts 1:8. Sure enough, this time he will speak about the Great Commission from Acts: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea... Continue Reading →
JETS review of my Thessalonians commentary
JETS review of Shogren ZECNT
“But the Greek REALLY says…” Why Greek and Hebrew are not needed in the pulpit, Part 3
In Part 1 and Part 2 I offered one individual's philosophy of Expository Preaching without Ancient Words: I use the biblical languages, virtually daily. [1] I cannot remember the last time I did not study the Hebrew or Greek when I was preparing a sermon. I cannot remember the last time I did use a... Continue Reading →
Review of my Thessalonians commentary
The Review of Biblical Literature just published its review of my Zondervan commentary: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf The only objection that I might offer is that he seems to have misread my study of the textual variants ηπιοι versus νηπιοι in 1 Thess 2:7. The fact that he say "nepioi" and read it as "epioi" was, ironically, the... Continue Reading →
Studies in Thessalonians series
These posts are based on my commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, available from Zondervan Publishing. 1 Corinthians and Thessalonians: My New Commentaries now available! The review of my commentary in the international Review of Biblical Literature: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf What books have I used to write a commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians? [Studies in 1 Thessalonians] What Would a Mother... Continue Reading →
Studies in 1 Corinthians by Gary Shogren
These posts are adaptations of my commentary on 1 Corinthians, based on my own study of the critical Greek text, the early church fathers and the best of contemporary scholarship. It is available in Spanish from http://www.clie.es, in English from Amazon and from Logos. Why you’ve never heard of the Second Corinthian Church [Studies in... Continue Reading →