Showing results by author "Bill Creasy" in All Categories

Once thought to have been written by Paul, Hebrews is in fact written by one of Paul’s inner circle prior to A.D. 70, but no one knows exactly who. Addressed to Jewish Christians, our author examines several key issues from a Jewish perspective, drawing heavily upon the Torah for his support. In the marvelous chapters 7-10, our author sees Christ foreshadowed in the Tabernacle; the five great sacrifices of Leviticus; the priest Melchezedek from Genesis 14; and the Law itself. All, our author argues, are merely copies or shadows of the good things that were to come.

Timothy joins Paul and Silas at the beginning of the second missionary journey, A.D. 50-52. A young man from Lystra, Timothy is the “Macgiver” of the Bible—he can fix anything with duct tape and a can of WD-40! This very resourceful young man becomes Paul’s protégé, but on assignment to Ephesus, Timothy finds himself in deep water, well over his head. Paul writes 1 Timothy to offer Timothy guidance and encouragement.

Paul and Titus had worked together for many years, but in this letter Paul calls Titus to task. Left by Paul in Crete sometime between A.D. 63-67 to finish up the work they had started there, Titus has failed to complete the job. Paul writes this letter to give Titus a swift kick in the butt, telling him to complete the work quickly and to join Paul in western Greece as soon as possible.

The 4th of Paul’s so-called “Prison Epistles,” this personal letter to Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s writings, but it is perhaps the most self-revealing. Written from Rome during A.D. 60-62, Paul had met a runaway slave in Rome named Onesimus, owned by a man from Colossae named Philemon, an acquaintance of Paul’s. Under Paul’s tutelage, Onesimus had become a believer.

Traditionally attributed to the apostle John, 1 John is a very personal discourse on a variety of topics by one who had an extraordinarily intimate relationship with Christ. In this epistle, John discusses the appeal and challenges of emerging Gnostic beliefs in the early Church and the impact such beliefs have on a believer’s view of salvation. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as we explore this intimate epistle.

Like 2 John, 3 John emphasizes that love must be rooted in truth. This epistle is addressed to John’s friend, Gaius, whom John thanks for all the help he has given believers in need. He also warns Gaius to watch out for Diotrephes: the man is a snake and can’t be trusted! Like 2 John, this short 13-verse letter ends abruptly, with John saying that he’ll stop by for a visit to continue his discussion.

As a church born in the flames of persecution, the church at Thessalonica has several very important questions to ask Paul - especially about the Lord’s return - and Paul addresses these questions in 1 Thessalonians. Enjoy the rich discussion Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy brings to this book as he emphasizes Paul’s words of faith, hope, and love.

Peter and Paul were close associates, and Peter had read many of Paul's writings, some of which, he says “are hard to understand”. Peter was a commercial fisherman, not a scholar like Paul. Nonetheless, Peter has in mind in the early 60s to write an epistle addressing a number of important issues - but he doesn’t feel rhetorically equipped to do so. Enter Paul’s associate, Silas. Peter says, “With the help of Silas I have written this letter.” And what a letter it is!

A very short personal letter by John to “the lady chosen by God and her children”, 2 John may be addressed to a literal woman and her children, or perhaps to a specific church (the “lady”) and her members (her “children”). In either case, John emphasizes that love must be rooted in truth, a concept that we often ignore today. Amusingly, John ends his short epistle by saying: “I have much to write to you, but I don’t want to use paper and ink.” Instead, he says, I’ll be stopping by for visit soon!

Isaac survives, and our story continues with tales of Isaac and his twin sons, Jacob and Esau.

Every good story has a conflict, and our conflict enters the story here: Sin. In our class we define sin, not as an action that we commit, but as a condition we are in: “Sin is a condition of alienation and separation from God, that manifests itself in outward, sinful action.” And that condition has several inevitable consequences. We explore the nature of sin in this lecture.

Left to our own devices, humanity is incapable of resolving the issue of sin. God must do it for us, and here he introduces his plan.

Seventy-three of the 150 psalms are traditionally ascribed to David. As we read the "Davidic Psalms," we see deeply into David's heart as he struggles with God, with others and with himself. These psalms are deeply moving and often, brutally honest.

In the Bible’s longest soliloquy, Moses imparts his final thoughts to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy is not a “repetition” of the Law, but a retelling of it to a new audience, on the backside of 40 years of experience. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as we listen to Moses address a new generation of God’s people on the plains of Jericho.

Paul had a special love for the church and people of Philippi, a Roman military garrison town in northern Greece, known as Macedonia in Paul’s day. During his second missionary journey (A.D. 50-52) this was the first church he founded on the continent of Europe, and it is the home of Lydia, Paul’s confidante and very close friend. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as he explores the tone and content of this very affectionate epistle, written during Paul’s stay in Rome, A.D. 60-62.