Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Bethlehem is located about 9 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It was King David’s hometown (1 Samuel […]

Leaven

In the Bible, leaven is often used to represent things that are bad or unrighteous. Just like the Chinese proverb “do not fail to do good because it is small, and do not do evil because it is small,” the saying that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9) was a common proverb […]

The Census Under Caesar Augustus

In Luke 2:1-2, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of Rome, ruling the Roman Empire from 30 BC to 14 AD. To […]

An Introduction to the Concept of Sin

In Chinese, “sin” typically refers to a criminal act. However, the Hebrew and Greek words translated as “sin” in the Bible originally mean “to miss the mark” or “to fall short of the standard.” A person falls short of God’s standard, and this is what the Bible calls sin. The essence of sin is lawlessness, […]

Mary, the Virgin who Magnified the Lord

In God’s eternal plan, even after humanity was deceived by the devil and fell, God still sought a way to save them. He chose Abraham from all nations, and the Israelites became His chosen people. However, due to their idolatry and sin, they were conquered and taken into exile. After the Israelites repented, God allowed […]

The Gospel of John: Background and Characteristics

Early church fathers all pointed out that the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John in Ephesus late in his life, as a supplement to the other three Gospels. It was likely composed in the 80s or 90s AD. At that time, many Jewish Christians living in the Gentile world were facing challenges […]

The Gospel of Luke: Background and Author

The Gospel of Luke provides a detailed historical account of Jesus’ birth, ministry, passion, resurrection, and ascension. Of the four Gospels, it offers the most detailed description of Jesus’ birth and childhood. It is remarkably accurate in many of its details and includes at least six miracles and over twelve parables not mentioned in the […]

The Shema

Shema (שְׁמַע) is a Hebrew word meaning “Hear!” It appears in Deuteronomy 6, and its meaning is encompassed in the entire passage from verses 4-9: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all […]

The Gospel of Mark: Background and Author

The early church fathers widely recognized the Gospel of Mark as having been written by Mark in Rome. Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), a fellow worker with both Paul and Barnabas, and a close companion of the apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:13). The primary audience for the Gospel of Mark was Gentile […]

The Gospel of Matthew: Background and Author

The author of the Gospel of Matthew was a highly skilled writer. It was likely written between 50 and 70 AD, and early church fathers all agree that the author was the apostle Matthew. Although the Gospel of Matthew may not have been the first Gospel written, it is placed first in the New Testament. […]