Pastor's Blog

The Word Became Flesh  A Study in John ’ s Prologue, pt. 2 John 1:1-18 December 30, 2012 The Gospel of John is in many respects very different from the other three Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often grouped together and called the synoptic  Gospels. The word comes from two Greek words. One of these,  opsis , means to view . The other, syn , means together . The synoptic Gospels, then, view the life and ministry of Christ together, which is to say, they record many of the same events. John, however, written sometime after the other three, chooses to record a number of things the other Gospel writers omit, and to omit a number of things which they record.           I agree with Bishop J. C. Ryle ( 1 ) that the things that are peculiar to John ’ s Gospel are among the most precious possessions of the Church. They are among the most cherished truths of Scripture. None of the other Gospel writers has given us such a full account...

The Light Shines in the Darkness  ( audio ) A Study in John's Prologue, part 1 John 1:1-18 December 23, 2012     1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The first thing to note is how similar the beginning of St. John’s Gospel is to the beginning of Genesis. Surely you have noticed it. They both begin with the phrase, “In the beginning…” It is undoubtedly John’s intention to take our minds back to Genesis with its narrative of creation. In Genesis we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). John begins his narrative of Jesus Christ—his Gospel —similarly, with the same point of reference, “in the beginning.” In the beginning of what, you might ask? In the beginning of all things. At the point of the origin of the universe. And why does John wish us to think about that particular moment in history? In order to affirm several very remarkable things about our Lord Jesus Christ. W...

Article I Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Legislative power is the power to make law (from Latin, lex, legis ). It is significant that the first article outlines the process by which laws are to be made. This is clearly one of the most important functions of government. A just, free, and prosperous society depends upon the rule of law, impartially administered. Under the Constitution the legislative power is entrusted to Congress, which consists of two chambers:  the Senate and the House of Representatives. [1] We find here another division of power. In order for a law to be passed, it has to be approved by both chambers of Congress. Although both are involved in making law, they represent different interests—at least this was true under the original form of the Constitution. Originally, Senators were chosen by their state’s legislatu...