What did Paul mean when he used the word for “deacon” and the word for “benefactor” but also “church official” (in the Septuagint) in association with Phoebe’s service to Paul and to the Body of Christ? What was Paul assuming his readers would already know and understand, so it went without being said?
Tabitha: Disciple Delivered from Death
The disciple Tabitha's ministry, her presence, her generosity and reach were so important and widespread, that when she died the apostle Peter was summoned. The news of her being brought back to life spread like wildfire, igniting countless conversions throughout Samaria and Phoenicia.
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Evangelium: Eve, Part Two
A paradise lost, with more tragedy to come, all of God's prophecies proved true ... including the Evangelium
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‘Ezer Kenegdo: Eve, Part One
Her story reveals God’s great love and joy as the Lord anticipated the climax of God’s creative undertaking.
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Michal, Passion and Dignity
Embedded within the story of David, Israel’s most beloved king, and of whom the Lord said was a man after God’s own heart, is the tragic story of Michal, a Benjamite princess and daughter of king Saul.
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Herodias, Ambition to be Queen
Herodias used everyone in her life—including her young daughter—to further her own agenda. Yet God’s stance towards Herodias reveals a refreshing perspective on a woman otherwise so vilified in the retellings of her story.
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Prophet, Poet, and Judge: Deborah
What sets Deborah apart from perhaps every woman in the entirety of the scriptures—both the Hebrew and Christian Testaments, is the astonishing position she held in Israel.
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Prophet to the Nation: Huldah
The high priest had just discovered the long-lost scriptures in a shuttered room of the temple. The king tore his clothes when he heard God's Law for the first time, ever. They were a nation in crisis! Who should they turn to for counsel?
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Pastor in Philippi: Lydia
It is through such stories as Lydia’s that the scriptures convey the dignity God settled on women in first century Palestine, and on Lydia. In keeping with the Lord’s example, the apostle Paul also conferred dignity on women and on Lydia when she hosted the first church in Europe in her home.
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Delilah: Philistine Power
Was Delilah really a seductress who toyed with the trusting Samson’s heart, and finally succeeded in deceiving him? Was Samson really just a sweet, unsuspecting hero who got double-crossed by the love of his life? Or is there more to this account than past commentators have acknowledged?
