Theology & Bible

Theology & Bible helps Christians understand Scripture and the core teachings of the Christian faith. Explore Bible-based articles on biblical interpretation, doctrine, salvation, the Holy Spirit, baptism, communion, creation, and key themes across the Old and New Testaments. You’ll find thoughtful guidance for studying the Bible faithfully, applying God’s Word to life and ministry, and growing in theological clarity rooted in the gospel. Whether you’re a church leader, teacher, student, or everyday disciple, this hub equips you to know God through Scripture and live with conviction and hope.

January 15, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 21, 2018: A Prayer for an Obedient Faith (Daniel 9:4-8, 15-19)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Daniel 9 contains one of the most stunning prayers in all of the Bible. It is filled with praise for God’s character and with contrition for God’s people. Daniel was moved by the righteousness of God and emotionally owned the shame of Israel’s sins. What brought about such a moving prayer? Perhaps a

January 8, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 14, 2018: A Bold Faith (Daniel 3:19-23, 26-28)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The prophet Daniel himself took center stage in last week’s lesson. In this week’s lesson his three friends are at the center of the controversy. We move from food to fire. Another person who actually occupies a large portion of the first chapters of the book of Daniel is Nebuchadnezzar. It seems odd

January 4, 2018

Christian Standard

Beautiful in God’s Eyes

By Jim Nieman Zion National Park in southern Utah is a true wonder to tour and explore. As with so much of Utah, Mormon settlers named the area, and the name they chose aptly befits the beauty of the park. Zion can mean a place or refuge or sanctuary, or utopia, or Heaven. They felt that being in Zion brought them close to God. Christians can appreciate the names given to the various sandstone rocks, peaks, and formations in the park. Names like Cathedral Mountain, Angels Landing, Castle Dome, the East Temple and West Temple, the Great White Throne, and

January 1, 2018

Mark Scott

Lesson for January 7, 2018: A Sincere Faith (Daniel 1:8-21)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1–4 (January 7-28, 2018) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  I keep looking for a little dirt on Daniel, but I keep failing. Most every person in the Bible gives evidence of having feet of clay. But Daniel is pretty squeaky clean. God even says to the prophet Ezekiel that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were to strive to deliver Israel, they

December 25, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 31, 2017: Faith to Unite (Ephesians 4:1-16)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Historians would have to critique this, but perhaps the world is more polarized than ever. On the eve of a new year can we say that the world is united in anything but sin? Sadly, the church is not much better. The answer to the divisive tensions in the world, and to the

December 20, 2017

Christian Standard

In Season, Out of Season

This Christmas editorial from December 20, 1969, was written by Edwin V. Hayden, who served as editor of Christian Standard from 1957 to 1977. ___ By Edwin V. Hayden We observe, without being greatly disturbed by it, a growing tendency for Christmas to be observed as a season rather than as a day. For many it is a season of merchandising and merriment, merely extending what they have always done with the day. For Christians it is a season for becoming acquainted with Christ, and the more greatly that is extended, the better! It is hard to pinpoint Christmas, even as a

December 18, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 24, 2017: Faithful Seekers of the King (Matthew 2:1-12)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The Christ of Christmas is a ruler who would shepherd Israel (see Isaiah 40:11). But he would also appeal to faithful seekers from all over the world. The Bible cites many reasons why Jesus came””to save the lost (Luke 19:10), to serve and die as a ransom (Mark 10:45), to destroy the works

December 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 17, 2017: Faith to Persevere (Acts 14:8-11, 19-23)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Even by today”s standards their first missionary journey was incredibly successful. Paul and Barnabas traveled roughly 1,200 miles in two years and planted six new churches. Considering the rough terrain in Southern Galatia alone makes the trip nothing less than stunning. But it was not just geography that made the first journey challenging.

December 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 10, 2017: Faith to Discern (Acts 13:1-12)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 50″“53 (December 10-31, 2017) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In this Advent month, our lesson today celebrates the coming of the gospel to the nations. The tidings of great joy would come to the island of Cyprus. A proconsul would receive the Christ of Christmas and a sorcerer would cry, “Bah, humbug!” In both cases great discernment would be necessary to understand

November 29, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 3, 2017: Faith in Jesus (Acts 3:11-21)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 46″“49 of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Jesus said to his disciples, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). The disciples said to Jesus, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Few things in the Bible are as important as faith in Jesus. Our lessons for this quarter focus on faith””the faith proclaimed by the early church, the example of faith evident in the life of

November 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 26, 2017: Remembering the Covenant (1 Corinthians 11:23-34)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 46″“49 of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  This past Thursday we remembered to thank God for the countless blessings we have. Today we pause to remember Christ”s sacrifice, which inaugurated the new covenant””a subject we have been studying for three months. The special way we do this is by participating in the Lord”s Supper, or Communion.  Marshall Leggett said that our lesson text

November 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Incarnation and Resurrection

By Teresa D. Welch Strips of cloth, angels, a man named Joseph, a bed, spices, an angel”s “do not be afraid” message, and a group rushing to tell others the good news. In the context of December, with decorated trees and carolers singing “fa-la-la-la-la,” you most likely associated those items with the story found in Luke 2: “And she [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed in him a manager” (v. 7). But these elements of the Christmas story also appear in a different story about Christ. The story of Christmas reminds

November 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 19, 2017: Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:14, 15, 18-29)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the November 12, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Technically a covenant (or testament) is not a book; it is an agreement in a relationship. And relationships change due more to people than events. This in no way denigrates the event of the cross, which signaled the change of covenant (Hebrews 9:16). But is the cross the key to the covenant shift or

November 9, 2017

Christian Standard

Unnoticed Hero

By Jessi Holland  With a daughter off at college and a son in the Navy, a mother with an empty nest started on an unexpected journey. Ruth Anne Shattuck offered to teach eighth-grade boys with her husband, Dan, at Chapel Rock Christian Church in Indianapolis. Soon after, they were asked to serve as sponsors on the church”s first youth mission trip to Portugal. The year was 1989.  “I was so ready to do this,” Ruth Anne said. “I”d been on a plane. I felt so prepared. I felt like the Lord wanted me to go on this particular trip.”Â Â  But

November 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 12, 2017: Promise of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:27-34)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the November 5, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The Bible has a love/hate relationship with old and new. On the one hand, God”s people were to ask for the ancient paths and old ways (Jeremiah 6:16), and even Jesus said that the old wine was best (Luke 5:39). On the other hand, Paul taught that if anyone is in Christ he is

October 30, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 5, 2017: Faithful God, Unfaithful People (Numbers 25:10-13; 1 Samuel 2:30-36)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the October 29, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In this Thanksgiving month we continue our study of our covenant with God. This month we will study how God”s people did or did not keep the covenant, how God planned to initiate a new covenant, how Jesus is the mediator of that new covenant, and how Communion reminds us of that new covenant.

October 25, 2017

Christian Standard

Discerning the Body

By Marsha Relyea Miles  If you were to worship with tribal Jesus followers in the jungle of Papua New Guinea, you might find yourself sitting on a rough-hewn log rather than a comfortable pew or chair. The typical church building has a thatched roof, woven bamboo walls, a dirt floor, and “windows” that are open to the jungle (no glass or screen); the church is graced with calls of tropical birds and shaded by giant palms and lush foliage.   Imagine this setting . . . the sultry, equatorial breeze wafts in, carrying with it the sweetness of exquisite rainforest flowers.

October 23, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 29, 2017: God’s Covenant with the Returned Exiles (Nehemiah 9:32-38; 10:28, 29)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the October 22, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  More than 500 years had passed since the events of last week”s lesson. The 10 northern tribes had been taken captive by Assyria (722 BC), and the two southern tribes had been taken captive by Babylon (586 BC). But God raised up Cyrus to send the exiles home (Isaiah 45:1). They came home in

October 16, 2017

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 22, 2017: God’s Covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:1-6, 8-10, 12-16)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in the October 15, 2017. issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In Florence, Italy stands the magnificent marble statue of King David. Michelangelo completed it in 1504, and it stands 17 feet high on top of its base. It is ginormous. But King David himself was taller still in regard to God”s covenant with his people. Five hundred years had passed since the events in

October 11, 2017

Christian Standard

Ordinary Sacredness

By Mandy Smith We know Jesus instituted the Lord”s Supper during the Passover feast, which Jews have celebrated for generations. Passover is an annual festival remembering God”s salvation of his people from slavery in Egypt. Like all celebrations of annual holidays, it takes much preparation and is a turning point of the calendar. So, as good Jews, Jesus and his disciples prepared and celebrated this feast together. But Jesus knew this Passover would be different from all he”d celebrated before, because he knew his death was imminent. The food is a central part of the Passover feast, but so are

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