Olive Tree Blog
Author

Olive Tree Staff

Browsing
Historical

Excerpt: Prophecies About Timothy (WBC)

Timothy Prophecy

In his pastoral epistles, Paul makes a number of references to the prophetic experience(s) that Timothy underwent. While it may seem like a fleeting and peripheral issue to some readers, proper exegetical care may inform our interpretation. Below, we will examine the prophecies about Timothy and encourage you to draw…

Keep Reading
grace of God
Topical

Reminder: The Amazing Grace of God

Amazing Grace is more than a song – it’s a reality for all who have accepted Christ as their savior. If you need a reminder of how God does amazing things through unlikely people, Paul offers himself as an example. In the below lesson, we’ll examine Paul’s testimony from Galatians…

Keep Reading
ZIBBC clearing the temple
Historical

Why did Jesus Clear the Temple?

The image of Jesus as a gentle teacher surrounded by children is only partially correct. There is another side to Jesus – a warrior. He was the very definition of counter-culture, often speaking up for the voiceless or defending the Word of God from becoming warped by the religious elite.…

Keep Reading
Jude and 2 Peter
Historical

The Relationship Between Jude and 2 Peter

Jude and 2 Peter are two small-but-mighty NT books that often get overshadowed by the surrounding Hebrews, James, and Revelation. Upon first (and second, and third) reading, it’s apparent that there is some sort of link between the epistles. How are Jude and 2 Peter related? Let’s find out. The…

Keep Reading
testing God
Old Testament

Should We Put God to the Test?

Humans are fickle creatures in a broken world. Sometimes, when we feel a dissonance between what we know and what we see, our first inclination is to test God. Throughout the Word, we see moments where He takes our questions, our anger, and our faithlessness and remains faithful and patient…

Keep Reading
epistle New Testament letter
Historical

Letter Writing in the Time of Paul

The majority of the New Testament is made up of letters to infant churches, called epistles. But just how common were letters at this time? Could everyone read? Could everyone write? Did Paul and the other authors dictate to someone else or write them themselves? There are so many interesting…

Keep Reading
top bible dictionaries
Bible Study Tips

Top 10 Best Bible Dictionaries

A Bible dictionary is a helpful tool that illuminates your study by defining words and cultural ideas. Because the Bible you read is a translation, there are words, phrases, and concepts that need more context and definition. If you want to improve your understanding of the Bible, a dictionary is…

Keep Reading
Easy interlinear
Bible Study Tips

How to Use an Interlinear Bible

If you’re like me, you might be hesitant any time you’re offered a new way of studying the Bible. After all, you have your go-to study tools and resources. Why add another thing to your list? Here’s why – the Olive Tree Bible App includes functionality and ease-of-access that enhances…

Keep Reading
ancient genre consolation
Historical

The Biblical Genre of Consolation

The church in Thessalonica faced a crisis of faith, which has generally been reconstructed as being precipitated by the interaction between their existing teaching on death and the reality of losing beloved church members. Therefore, Paul saw fit to provide encouragement through proper teaching to the church. Interestingly, Paul uses…

Keep Reading
st Andrews expository commentary
New Testament

Romans 8 and the Problem of Evil

Why would a loving God allow evil in the world? This is a common (and necessary) question often asked of Christians, often called the “problem of evil”. R.C. Sproul briefly explores this topic in his expositional commentary of Romans 8:18-27. The following is an abridged excerpt from Sproul’s Expositional Commentary…

Keep Reading
Load More