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.

December 14, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for December 20, 2015: Dedication of the Firstborn (Exodus 13:13″“15; Luke 2:22″“32)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the December 13 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  There is an old downward spiral to sin that goes like this: If you hesitate, you will contemplate; if you contemplate, you will negotiate; if you negotiate, you will participate; and if you participate, you will desecrate. But maybe we could say that with the coming

December 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Away in a Manger

By Lee Magness Luke tells us three things about the location of Jesus” birth: the town, the building, and the furniture. First, Luke emphasizes that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, mentioning the town four times (2:4, 6, 11, and 15). Bethlehem was a farming village, insignificant except for one thing””being the birthplace of King David. No, make that two things””Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Jesus, the “bread of life,” was born in the “house of bread.” Second, Luke tells us there was no guest room for Mary and Joseph when it was time for Jesus to be born (Luke 2:7).

November 13, 2015

Christian Standard

Wonder Bread

By Victor Knowles   Bread has been called “the staff of life.” I loved bread as a young boy. Some of the brands of bread I remember my mother buying were Sunbeam, Butternut, Roman Meal, and Wonder. I still love bread. Bread makes the world a better place. The first mention of bread in the Bible is in Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (New King James Version). The Romans perfected the art of making bread. The process of making bread begins by crushing grains of wheat. Jesus said, “I am the bread of

November 6, 2015

Christian Standard

The Cup of Thanksgiving

By Victor Knowles “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf”Â (1 Corinthians 10:16, 17). If there is ever a time to be truly thankful, it is when we gather around the Lord”s table to remember Jesus Christ. Our Savior instituted the Lord”s Supper during the Passover meal. The third cup in the meal was called “the

October 26, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for November 1, 2015: God Rescues Peter (Acts 12:1-24)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 25 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Rescue is at the heart of the gospel. Germane to the meaning of the word salvation is deliverance or rescue. The Bible often uses salvation in its most spiritual sense””redemption, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life (Colossians 1:13). But since salvation also includes the healing

October 19, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 25, 2015: Peter Defends His Actions (Acts 11:1-18)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 18 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Not everyone is happy with church growth. The wide embrace of the gospel can really mess with prejudice. When the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius”s house, God was turning a new page in the church”s history. The church would never be the same. Perhaps the

October 12, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 18, 2015: Peter Preached to Gentiles (Acts 10:1-44)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 11 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Reading the book of Acts is like throwing a pebble in a pool of water and watching the ripple effect. The circles keep getting wider. When Peter preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) that was the first ripple. When Peter confirmed

October 8, 2015

Christian Standard

The Honest Poet

By Mark S. Krause Is there anyone on earth today like Job, a person who is recognized as “blameless and upright” (Job 2:3)? One who “fears God and shuns evil”? A person of unblemished integrity? As we read daily about persons of influence caught in scandals, sometimes we wonder if there are any persons of integrity left on the earth. The book of Psalms is a rich source of insights for the person concerned about integrity. Although the newest psalm is more than 2,000 years old, the central issues of integrity have not changed. And while we do not readily

October 5, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 11, 2015: Saul Begins to Preach (Acts 9:19b-31)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the October 4 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  It is hard not to overstate the significance of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. His conversion story is told three times in Acts (9:1-19a; 22:6-11; 26:12-18). God used Peter to open the door of faith to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. But God would need a

September 28, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for October 4, 2015: Simon Is Rebuked (Acts 8:9-25)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the September 27 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The four lessons of October focus on the two most famous apostles (Peter and Paul) giving bold testimony. Three of the lessons focus on Peter”s bold testimony. Peter used Jesus” “keys” (Matthew 16:19) to open the door of faith to the Jews (Acts 2:1-47). Now

September 21, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 27, 2015: Standing Firm Against Opposition (Acts 7:1-53)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the September 20 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Opposition always hurts. It especially hurts when it comes from kin. Stephen found that out. The second internal challenge that the church faced (certain widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food) caused the church to select seven men to handle this oversight (Acts

September 14, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 20, 2015: Speaking Up for God (Acts 5:27-29, 33-42)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the September 13 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  The first internal challenge to the church had been put to rest (literally) through the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Interestingly enough though, the apostles were revered for their miracles, and the church grew (5:12-16). Luke continues the account of the early church by

September 7, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 13, 2015: Sharing with Sincerity (Acts 4:34″”5:10)

Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, and has held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This lesson treatment is published in the September 6 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  In Luke”s summaries of the earliest church, we see it at its best (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37). The gospel was being preached, people were being saved, a congregation was being planted, Communion was being celebrated, and giving was off the charts. Who would not want to

August 31, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for September 6, 2015: Praying for Boldness (Acts 4:23-31)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Dr. Mark Scott, who teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. Scott has also held preaching ministries in Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado. This treatment is published in the August 30 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Mark Scott  Lots of things qualify as “acts” in the Book of Acts””miracles, speeches, encounters, persecutions, and even prayers. Prayer is an act. Persecution against the earliest church made prayer a red-hot act. This is the second prayer in Acts in which we are told the

August 25, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Recognizing the Body

By Mark A. Taylor I first prepared the following as a Communion meditation for the church where I worship. It occurs to me that it considers a biblical challenge that Christians everywhere do well to remember. We don”t read far in Paul”s first letter to the Corinthians till we see this was a church with problems. “I appeal to you brothers,” he wrote, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and

August 24, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 30, 2015: A Plea to Return to God (Malachi 3:1-12; Matthew 7:12)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the August 23 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  During the past three months we have seen how various Old Testament prophets took God”s demand for justice to the people. We have considered Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. Though their careers spanned several hundred years, they preached a single message: the nation”s relationship to God called for faith and obedience. When the prophet Malachi came on the

August 17, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 23, 2015: A Demand for Justice (Zechariah 7; Isaiah 30:18-26)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the August 16 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  The people of Israel were taken captive to Babylon. After 70 years, God allowed a remnant of his people to return to the promised land. There they set about to rebuild the temple. Although this effort began with much excitement and devotion, the project slowed considerably (Haggai 1). The Lord sent Haggai and Zechariah as prophets to encourage the people to

August 10, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 16, 2015: A Call for Repentance (Ezekiel 18; Proverbs 21:2-15)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the August 9 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Even before Jerusalem fell in 586 BC, many of her finest people were taken captive to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel was among some 10,000 people who had been carried away (1:1). He had been selected by God to be “a watchman for the house of Israel” (3:17). The great eighteenth chapter of the book that bears his name underlines the

August 3, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for August 9, 2015: A Choice to Be Just (Ezra 7:1, 6, 21-28; Jeremiah 7:1-15)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the August 2 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Jeremiah is one of the best-known Old Testament prophets. He tried valiantly to save the people of Judah from falling to Babylon, but was unsuccessful. After King Josiah”s positive changes, the nation had again slipped back into sin. As Jeremiah warned, the Hebrew people were facing God”s certain judgment. Before the end of the book, events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem

July 31, 2015

Christian Standard

City Communion

By Daniel Schantz “I . . . am like a sparrow alone on a housetop” (Psalm 102:7). The city can be a lonely place, and on this Sunday morning you are utterly solo. Your husband is on the road, and the kids are at grandma”s house. You are a worship widow. You take a seat near the front of the auditorium, looking around to see if there is a familiar face, but you recognize no one. The lights in the auditorium dim, and the video screen flashes to life with lovely nature scenes””a yellow field of wheat against a blue

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