The Background of the Book of James

The Book of James, along with Hebrews, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Jude, is considered one of the General Epistles or Catholic Epistles because they are not addressed to specific recipients. The original readers of the Book of James were likely Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Around 722 […]

Surrounded by a Great Cloud

Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” In classical Greek, the phrase “surrounded by a cloud” was used to describe the multitude […]

The Talmud

The Talmud is the most important collection of Jewish writings after the Bible, often referred to as the “Jewish Scroll of Wisdom.” After the hope for an independent Jewish nation was crushed by the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the Jewish people turned their focus to the study and compilation of […]

The Background of the Book of Hebrews

The Book of Hebrews (Greek: ΠΡΟΣ ΕΒΡΑΙΟΥΣ) is the 19th book of the New Testament, a letter written to Jewish Christians. It presents more difficult questions than any other book in the New Testament, and many of these questions have no satisfactory answers. For example, who was the author? Who were the original recipients? When […]

The Background of the Book of Philemon

The Book of Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters, yet it is still longer than most letters of its time. Philemon was not a hastily written note but a personal letter that Paul carefully crafted with subtle and deliberate wording. Paul’s purpose in writing Philemon was not to advocate for the “social gospel” or […]

Parchment

Parchment is an ancient material used for writing, made from sheepskin or calfskin that has been de-haired, treated with lime, and then softened and dried with pumice. These sheets of parchment were bound into booklets called codices. The best quality parchment, known as Vellum, was used for transcribing the most important books. It is said […]

Crete

Crete is an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the southernmost part of the Aegean Sea. It is one of the birthplaces of Mediterranean civilization. Crete is a mostly mountainous island, about 260 kilometers long from east to west, with a width ranging from 12 to 60 kilometers. Its area is 8,236 square kilometers, […]

The Background of the Book of Titus

The books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus were written by Paul to Timothy and Titus, respectively, but most of their content was intended for the churches that Timothy and Titus were pastoring. These three letters have many similarities in form, content, and historical background and are known as the “Pastoral Epistles” for their […]

Heretical Gnosticism

1 Timothy 4:3: “[They] forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” Gnosticism: “Forbidding people to marry” and “abstaining from certain foods” were teachings of early Gnostic dualism. The “teachings of demons” do not […]

The Background of 1 and 2 Timothy

The books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were written by Paul to Timothy and Titus as individuals, but most of their content was intended for the churches that Timothy and Titus were pastoring. These three letters have many similarities in form, content, and historical background and are known as the “Pastoral Epistles” for […]