Most Recent Additions:

Large files in a pdf format (like 100+ page exegetical studies) may or may not open on your computer, or they make take a long time to resolve; if that is the case, right click them and choose save as and save them to your harddrive.  They should open easily there using Acrobat Reader.  All HTML files should open easily; almost all files added after October 2008 should look, for the most part, accurate.  However, the Hebrew characters in older documents will be misrepresented (for many, this is not a big loss) and the format will not be true to the original document at time.  I write using WordPerfect and then change these documents into PDF and HTML files.  PDF files retain the formatting and graphics exactly as they appear in WordPerfect; the HTML format, not so much.

Doctrines from this point forward will be uploaded in WordPerfect formal.  MS Word is able to import WordPerfect text, albeit imperfectly.  WordPerfect office, in my opinion, is a much better product than MS Office.  There are many reasons for this preference, not the least of which is being able to have a Greek and a Hebrew keyboard which can be accessed in one keystroke (something that MS Word cannot do).  Also, a recent version of WP Office can be found very cheaply (for as little as $30).  The newest version can be had by a pastor or a student for around $100.  This new format will allow pastors to more easily incorporate this into their notes.

If you use WordPerfect and download the WP documents, they will download with an HTML extension (despite them showing a WPD extension online).  Manually change the extension to *.wpd and it will be exactly the wpd that I uploaded.

The additions below are in the order of their being uploaded, with the most recent uploads at the very top.

New files were added today: 2/7/2021

  Exegeted Books in a more logical order are found here.
  Doctrines listed in alphabetical order are found here.


  • Doctrine of the Client Nation, first assembled in 2010, is being updated to 2021 (some of the applications will be brought up to date).  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 2/9/2021
  • When asked about it, R. B. Thieme, Jr. said that he did not mind us sharing our notes from his class.  That is all that I am doing here.  What I have done with his 1972 Hebrews series is, hyperlink the doctrines and the corrected translation on pp. 1-2; and follow that with an easy-to-follow hyperlinked index.  My WP cried and died when trying to make this document into a PDF.  (HTML)  (WPD).  This project is not yet complete, but I am about halfway through.  You will agree, after viewing this document, that this is what notes ought to look like.
  • There are two excellent translations which are very hard to find online: the Christian Community Bible and the Heritage Bible.  Even though both of them are translations with the imprimatur (meaning, they are "Catholic" Bibles), don't let that frighten you off.  They are both interesting and well-translated English Bibles.  Some of their footnotes are excellent as well.  These are PDF documents.  I did not include the apocrypha.  Both can be found here.  Uploaded February 7, 2021.
  • Exodus 1–40 have been exegeted, translated and commented on. Exodus 1–31 have received a careful rewrite and with some more graphics and translations added. Exodus 1–11 have had the weekly Bible lesson notes integrated into the text and they have been indexed (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), meaning these chapters are essentially complete (at some point, I may go back and add in some notes from other commentators). Although the work on these chapters is extensive, it is not complete yet. So far, this chapter-by-chapter exegesis is 8600 pages long.  These chapters can be accessed through the (folder) or through the Links (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded January 4, 11, 23, 31, 2021  February 4, 2021.
  • There are a number of Herods in Scripture.  This doctrine will help you sort them out.  Herod and His Line (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 1/3/2021
  • In the book of Luke there are two High Priests functioning at the same time: Annas and Caiaphas.  This doctrine may give you some insight as to what is going on.  Annas and Caiaphas (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 1/3/2021
  • Basic Lessons for Luke #1-115 are uploaded.  Each week, I send out lessons in the book of Luke and the book of Exodus.  This is different from the chapter studies below.  Each lesson in the weekly studies is 4-5 pages long and designed to be read at one sitting in 10-15 minutes.  The lessons are sent out by email to whomever requests them.  Periodically, I upload all of the lessons to date and post them.  These first lessons in Luke serve as an introduction to the New Testament gospels and specifically to the book of Luke.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (those are the first 100 lessons with links to the next 15).  All of the weekly lessons to date (in Genesis, Exodus and Luke) can be found in this folder.  As these lessons are completed, the notes are transferred over into the chapter studies.  The weekly studies are designed for the average believer and Sunday School teachers.  The chapter-by-chapter studies are designed for research by pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, etc.  (1/1/2021)
  • So far, Luke 1–3 are essentially completed (3 original translations, full word-by-word Greek exegesis, translations taken from over 100 available, and a full commentary).

    Luke 4–8 mostly complete (3 original translations, full word-by-word Greek exegesis, translations taken from over 100 available, and a reasonable commentary).

    Luke 9–16 has been exegeted, translated (with 3 original translations) and interpreted (commentary is there, but sparse). 
    The entire Luke study is now 5000+ pages.  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Luke 3 uploaded 1/1/2021

  • Leviticus chapters 1-13 are now uploaded.    This is a word-by-word, chapter-by-chapter study, fully exegeted in the Hebrew, and drawing upon 45+ translations.  This includes 2 sets of original commentary and 3 original translations.  Leviticus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  You can also access via the parent directory: http://kukis.org/Leviticus/  The chapter just uploaded, Leviticus 13, is all about leprosy--how to identify it and what to do with those who have it.  The verse-by-verse commentary is light; but there are several important sections on the accurate science found in Leviticus 13.  It is, quite frankly, amazing.  This study is now 1900+ pages long.  Uploaded 12/22/2020.
  • Exodus 11  is now complete, apart from containing comments from other commentators.  I have completed the weekly study of Exodus through chapter 11 and have integrated those notes back into Exodus 1-11, uploaded 12/16/2020  Exodus 1-40 are all nearly complete.  These chapters can be accessed through the (folder) or through the Links (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD).  This document has also been indexed, which means that the topics found in those chapters have been added to the Old Testament Topics and Doctrines document (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (this is the document that I go to in order to see if I have posted a particular doctrine or topic already). 12/16/2020
  • Luke 1-16 are now uploaded.  It includes a complete, word-by-word exegesis, 3 original translations; original commentary; and I referenced 60+ other translations.  This includes some very difficult passages to interpret, including Jesus teaching, "Sell everything and give to the poor."  In Luke 13, Jesus discusses a current event, and then says that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.  In Luke 14, Jesus speaks to two very different groups of people, and delivers a number of parables which are carefully explained in the document posted.  I have increased the number of doctrinal terms included in Luke 14, and made these terms pair-wise hyperlinked, so that you can go back and forth between the text and the Dictionary of Terms.  Uploaded 10/29/2020, 11/7, 23, 30/2020  12/10/20  The entire Luke study is now 4900+ pages.  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)
  • The Greek lexicon is updated (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); the list of Doctrinal Terms is updated (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  11/30/20
  • I send out by email lessons in Exodus and Luke.  For some reason, Exodus lesson #133 was kicked back, after being sent and resent.  Therefore, I am posting Exodus Lessons 101-133.  Lessons #1-100 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPDLessons #101-133 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  10/13/2020
  • Luke 11 has just been uploaded.  It includes a complete, word-by-word exegesis, 3 original translations; original commentary; and I referenced 60+ other translations.  Uploaded 10/11/2020  322 pages.  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD
  • I just realized that I have not proofed my 3 original translations for the chapters in Exodus, so I am doing that now.   So far, Exodus1-10 and been proofed and a considerable amount of rewriting has been done in this chapters.  Uploaded 10/4-5/2020
  • Exodus 10 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is complete, apart from containing comments from other commentators.  I have completed the weekly study of Exodus through chapter 10 and have integrated those notes back into Exodus 10.  257 pages; uploaded 10/1/2020  Exodus 1-10 (folder) have now been indexed, which means that the topics found in those chapters have been added to the Old Testament Topics and Doctrines document (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (this is the document that I go to in order to see if I have posted a particular doctrine or topic already).
  • Doctrines taken from the first 100 lessons of Luke: 4 Biographies of Jesus (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); Canonicity and Ancient Manuscripts (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); Israel and the Church (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); The Promised Messiah (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); Posted 9/26/202.  If these topics sound interesting, then try the Luke study, listed below:
  • Basic Lessons for Luke #1-100 uploaded.  Each week, I send out lessons in the book of Luke and the book of Exodus.  This is different from the chapter studies below.  Each lesson in the weekly studies is 4-5 pages long and designed to be read at one sitting in 10-15 minutes.  The lessons are sent out by email to whomever requests them.  Periodically, I upload all of the lessons to date and post them.  These first lessons in Luke serve as an introduction to the New Testament gospels and specifically to the book of Luke.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All of the weekly lessons to date (in Genesis, Exodus and Luke) can be found in this folder.  As these lessons are completed, the notes are transferred over into the chapter studies.  The weekly studies are designed for the average believer and Sunday School teachers.  The chapter-by-chapter studies are designed for research by pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, etc.  (9/26/2020)
  • Socialism/Communism (a doctrine): Christianity faces two great international threats: socialism (communism) and Islam.  This recent study outlines the believer's place and involvement in the world, particularly in the United States, where socialism has gained such a foothold.  As a bonus, I will also present the actual difference between socialism and communism, something which is rarely understood.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  26 pages
  • Leviticus chapters 1-12 are now uploaded.    This is a word-by-word, chapter-by-chapter study, fully exegeted in the Hebrew, and drawing upon 45+ translations.  This includes 2 sets of original commentary and 3 original translations.  Leviticus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  You can also access via the parent directory: http://kukis.org/Leviticus/  This study is now 1676 pages long.  Uploaded 9/20,21/2020.
  • The List (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) has been updated 9/6/2020.  This is a list of a great many doctrinal resources, such as churches, online exegetical studies of books of the Bibles and doctrines.  I concentrated on church and links to pages with doctrines.
  • Doctrinal Terms and Concepts (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) has been updated.  This is a dictionary of doctrinal and theological terms with links.  9/6/2020
  • The Sin unto Death (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and The Priesthoods of Man and God (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) Updated9/6/2020
  • Leviticus chapters 1-8 are now uploaded.  This is a word-by-word, chapter-by-chapter study, fully exegeted in the Hebrew, and drawing upon 45+ translations.  This includes 2 sets of original commentary and 3 original translations.  Leviticus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  This study is now 1123 pages long.  Uploaded between 7/12 and 8/15, 22, 27/2020.
  • Basic lessons Exodus #1-125 are now posted online.  Lessons #1-100 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPDLessons #101-125 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  These are the lessons which I send out once a week.  Each lesson is designed to be read in 10-15 minutes over morning coffee.  This takes us to middle of Exodus 10.  Posted 8/7/2020
  • Exodus 38 and 39 and 40 are now uploaded.  The items necessary for worship are completed and brought to Moses.  Even though these chapters appear to repeat material given earlier in the book of Exodus, they are an important piece of the puzzle, and further proof that Moses wrote this material down while in the desert-wilderness with the children of Israel.  (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD) Posted 6/25 & 28/2020 and 7/5/2020.  The Exodus commentary is now nearing 8000+ pages.
  • Psalm 91 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is complete, with a full Hebrew exegesis along with a more thorough examination and references to 90+ translations and comments from 30+ commentators.  Includes 3 original translations and original commentary.  This is one of the most beloved and memorized psalms.  242 pages, and fully indexed. The updated Doctrinal Terms (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and the Old Testament Topics (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) are also uploaded.  Uploaded 6/12/2020.
  • Exodus 9 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is complete, apart from containing comments from other commentators.  I have completed the weekly study of Exodus through chapter 9 and have integrated those notes back into Exodus 9.  296 pages; uploaded 6/7/2020
  • The Doctrine of Tan and Tanniym (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  You may have read a translation of the Bible where there are dragons and sea monsters and other unusual animals.  These are the Hebrew words behind those animals. 5/6/2020
  • Luke 2 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is now online and more or less complete.  The Greek is fully exegeted, there are 3 original translations, there is a lot of original commentary (some dealing with topics in that chapter I have not seen elsewhere).  Included are samples taken from 100+ translations.  The only thing missing is extensive commentary from others.  391 pages; posted 5/3/2020. Some minor updating was done for Luke 3 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and uploaded 5/4/2020.
  • I previously had exegeted Psalm 12 back in 2007.  I went back and began to update it when it began to be taught at Berachah Church.  I have re-done/re-checked the basic exegesis and original translations, I have drawn from 90+ other translations; and have added the commentary in e-sword, and online commentary.   Now, this study of Psalm 12 is complete at 169 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 4/27/2020.  Old Testament topics (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and Doctrinal Terms (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) have also been updated.
  • The final group of doctrines from Exodus lessons 1-100 are uploaded.  The Doctrine of Free Will (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Inspiration and Canonicity (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The Doctrine of Redemption (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The Doctrine of the Slave Market of Sin (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The last two have some updates.  As an aside, I also updated some of the doctrines listed below.  All uploaded 4/23/2020.
  • I am continuing to bring doctrines in from the Exodus study and posting them. The Doctrine of Divine Good is now posted, with work from two pastor-teachers (James Allen and LG Merritt) and the related doctrine God Produces Good from Man’s Free Will, Sin, and Failures  (a doctrine original with me) (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The Doctrine of Circumcision is reposted with several additions from the study of the book of Exodus  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). The Doctrine of Socialism is reposted with some additional material  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All uploaded 4/22/2020. 
  • In doing exegetical studies, I have worked on a number of doctrines which were just posted.  The Doctrine of Moses (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (this contains 3 separate doctrines: the stages of Moses' life, Moses' conversion and spiritual life; and Moses as a type of Christ); the Doctrine of the Messiah (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (so far, this contains just the Messiah and the early Hebrew people), Typology (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (I appended this doctrine with Moses as a type of Christ and the Priesthood as a type of Messiah), the Doctrine of the Priesthoods (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (this contains 3 separate doctrines: The Priesthood of God; the Priesthood as a Type of Messiah; and "Christian" priesthoods); and the Name Hebrew (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (I have done this doctrine twice and put the two doctrines together).  Uploaded 4/21/2020.
  • Some minor updating done to the Sins of the Tongue doctrine.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 4/17/2020
  • Basic Lessons for Luke #1-75 uploaded.  Each week, I send out lessons in the book of Luke and the book of Exodus.  This is different from the chapter studies below.  Each lesson in the weekly studies is 4-5 pages long and designed to be read at one sitting in 10-15 minutes.  The lessons are sent out by email to whomever requests them.  Periodically, I upload all of the lessons to date and post them.  These first lessons in Luke serve as an introduction to the New Testament gospels and specifically to the book of Luke.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All of the weekly lessons to date (in Genesis, Exodus and Luke) can be found in this folder.  As these lessons are completed, the notes are transferred over into the chapter studies.  The weekly studies are designed for the average believer and Sunday School teachers.  The chapter-by-chapter studies are designed for research by pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, etc.  (4/3/2020)
  • Updated Exodus 13, 20-24, rechecking and redoing parts of the translation.  Subtitles also added in.  3/31/2020   4/1-2, 5/2020 (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD
  • Ecclesiastes 3 basic exegesis, 3 original translation, 90+ translations added; original commentary; and some traditional commentary have been added; 277 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 3/5, 10, 24, 27/2020.
  • Psalm links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) are updated; the Old Testament Topics (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (this is an index of what has been covered in the OT chapters) are updated; and the Doctrinal terms list (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is updated.  3/1/2020
  • I previously had exegeted Psalm 7.  I went back and re-did the basic exegesis, and included 3 original translations, every Hebrew word and its morphology, and drew from 90+ other translations   A lot of commentary has been added.  Right now, it is 218 pages and essentially complete.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 2/29/2020.
  • Psalm Links Document: The Links document to the psalms was very hard to follow.  I designed a new one and have posted it.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 2/20/20
  • Basic lessons Exodus #1-100 are now posted online.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) These are the lessons which I send out once a week.  Each lesson is designed to be read in 10-15 minutes over morning coffee.  This study takes us to middle of Exodus 9.  It begins with Moses being born and takes us to the midst of the plagues which God brought upon Egypt.  Posted 2/19/2020
  • I had some psalms mostly translated on my hard drive which I had not uploaded yet.  Most of them are fully translated with some commentary, but far from being finished.  Psalms 29  60  132  143  147  149  150  See http://kukis.org/Psalms/  At some point in time, I need to complete these psalms.  Also working on the Psalm Links document, which will be much easier to follow and find the posted psalms from.  Uploaded 2/18/2020
  • Updates for the book of Exodus.  I am continuing to move forward in the book of  ExodusExodus 1-8 (exegesis, 3 original translations, 3 sets of original notes, and a sampling from 90 other translations, some graphics; essentially complete);  Exodus 9-25 (exegesis, 3 original translations, 2 sets of notes, and a thorough sampling from 90 translations);  Exodus 26-37 (basic exegesis; 3 original translations, 10 other translations, 2 sets of original notes, some graphics) uploaded 12/30/2019, 1/6, 14, 16, 20, 24, 2/1/2020.  I also added many graphics to Exodus 28, which I think helps considerably.  I need to go back and consider adding graphics to the other chapters.  The exegetical study so far of Exodus is 7400 pages.   (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD
  • Updates for the book of Luke: Luke 1 is about finished (excess translations not culled out; commentators not consulted); Luke 2-8 posted with word-by-word exegesis, original commentary, 3 original translations, 100+ translations.  Luke 9-10 posted with word-by-word exegesis, original commentary, 3 original translations.  Since I had trouble interpreting a portion of Luke 10, I consulted 2 doctrinal teachers (Dr. Dan Hill and Steve Ellis) along with Gary North and I have included much of their work in my study (all attributed, of course).  However, when it came to the interpretation, I eventually took a different route than they did.  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) (Folder).  In all, the study of Luke is now in excess of 3300 pages.  12/9/2019.
  • I have updated The List  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) removing 2 churches from Texas and adding one.  11/13/2019
  • Luke 1 is specifically found here: (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  566 pages; uploaded 10/28/2019.
  • The weekly lessons of Luke #1-52 are now uploaded.  This is the entirety of Luke 1:1-80.  These are lessons which I mail out weekly (contact me if you would like to receive these each week).  All of Luke 1 is exclusive information, not found in the other gospels.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); uploaded 10/26/2019.. 270 pages.  Each lesson is designed to be read in 10-15 minutes, ideally over coffee each day.  If you use the WP document, then you will need to download it and change the extension to *.wpd.
  • Luke 5 is posted with 100+ translations sampled.  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  291 pages   10/14/2019
  • Notes from the Basic Exegesis study of Exodus have been transferred to Exodus 7 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  230 pages  10/5/2019
  • Luke 7, 8, 9 have been posted.  This is the Greek exegesis, 3 original translations, original commentary, and 16 specific translations.  They may be accessed through these links: (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  263,  278, & 318 pages.  Uploaded 10/3/2019.
  • Basic lessons Exodus #1-75 are now posted online.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) These are the lessons which I send out once a week.  Each lesson is designed to be read in 10-15 minutes over morning coffee.  This takes us to middle of Exodus 7.  Posted 8/21/2019
  • I am continuing to move forward in Exodus.  Exodus 24-31 (basic exegesis; 3 original translations, 2 sets of original notes, some graphics) uploaded 7/23,31/2019 & 8/5,9,17,24,31/2019 & 9/2/2019.  I also added many graphics to Exodus 28, which I think helps considerably.  I need to go back and consider adding graphics to the other chapters.  The exegetical study so far of Exodus is 6100+ pages.   (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)   I will probably next begin doing a few chapters of Luke.
  • I believe that the Heritage Bible is one of the most readable Bibles available.  It used to be online, but the university where I believe it was developed has apparently died out.  I managed to use the "Wayback Machine" to find this excellent translation, and have stored it here on my website.  Interestingly enough, it carries the Catholic Imprimatur, although I do not find that affecting its translation or its notes (I have only gone through a few books so far).  As an aside, given the man defects of the Catholic Church, their accepted translations tend to be pretty good and reasonably accurate, in my opinion.  All of the books are separate and in a PDF format.  I have also uploaded the Christian Community Bible, which can still be found online.  That is posted here. Uploaded 7/15/2019.
  • Each week, I send out 4-5 page lessons in Exodus; and once a chapter has been completed, those notes are transferred over to the chapter studies.  Exodus 1-6 now have those notes; Exodus 6 was uploaded 7/3/19  This is the 3rd set of commentary notes, which is essentially complete.  (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)
  • Exodus 19-23 (exegesis + 3 original translations + 90+ translations + 2 sets of original commentary) uploaded 6/27/19, 7/2,8,15,21/19.   Entire exegetical study of Exodus now at 5000 pages. (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)
  • Exodus 20, Exodus 21, Exodus 22 uploaded 6/13/2019.  Exodus 23 (uploaded 6/17/2019).  Basic word-by-word exegesis.  So far, the exegetical study of Exodus is approximately 4900 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)
  • Exodus 19 (exegesis only + 3 original translations) uploaded 5/30/19.  Entire exegetical study of Exodus now at 4000 pages.

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

  • Exodus 17 uploaded 5/26/19; Exodus 18 uploaded 5/26/19.  Basic word-by-word exegesis; two sets of original notes, 90+ translations.  So far, the exegetical study of Exodus is approximately 3600 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)
  • Basic Lessons for Luke #1-25 uploaded.  Each week, I send out lessons in the book of Luke and the book of Exodus.  This is different from the chapter studies below.  Each lesson in the weekly studies is 4-5 pages long and designed to be read at one sitting in 10-15 minutes.  The lessons are sent out by email to whomever requests them.  Periodically, I upload all of the lessons to date and post them.  These first lessons in Luke serve as an introduction to the New Testament gospels and specifically to the book of Luke.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All of the weekly lessons to date (in Genesis, Exodus and Luke) can be found in this folder.  As these lessons are completed, the notes are transferred over into the chapter studies.  The weekly studies are designed for the average believer and Sunday School teachers.  The chapter-by-chapter studies are designed for research by pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, etc.  (5/25/2019)
  • Exodus 14, 15, 16 have been updated with 90+ additional translations, uploaded on 5/15/19.  So far, the exegetical study of Exodus is approximately 3900 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF)   (WPD) Or access all of Exodus using the folder http://kukis.org/Exodus/ 
  • For those of you who want access to my WordPerfect notes, I have created a backup file, which I will update every year or so:.http://kukis.org/document_backup/   Each is a zipped file containing documents which I have been working on.  The zipped files may be as large as 100 mb, so downloading may take a little time to download.  I believe there are about 27 zipped files thus far.  For those who do not use WordPerfect, is is a superior and less expensive word processor than Word (and it will convert WP documents to Word documents, albeit imperfectly).  On ebay or Amazon, you should be able to find a recent version of WP for $30 or less (WP is now up to version X9 (19), and I would recommend that you get an X3 or above.

  • Genesis 33

    Jacob and his Family Return to Canaan/Jacob Meets Esau

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)


    20 years previous, Jacob escaped Canaan with his life, having just deceived his father in order to claim Esau’s blessings. When Esau found out, he was angry, threatening to kill Jacob at a later date.

    Here, the two brothers meet, both men separated from Isaac their father, and both men have apparently matured and put their past behind them. It was a congenial meeting between former rivals, despite Jacob’s apprehension the night before. In fact, Esau invites Jacob to join him in Seir, and Jacob appears to agree to this, but he goes in a different direction, remaining in the land promised to his father and grandfather.

    I this study, there are several examinations of Esau, determining as best as we can his thinking and motivation. Very few commentators give him any credit or respect. Speaking of commentators, most of them completely misunderstand Jacob wrestling the Angel of God in the previous chapter; and, therefore, they are confused about Jacob’s spiritual maturation level in this chapter.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. About 50 commentaries have been consulted.

    Complete at 259 pages. Uploaded 4/22/2019.

  • I am going to make all of my work available for download and update it every few years.  These are in a WordPerfect format, which can be opened in Word; but I strongly recommend that you get a copy of WordPerfect (12 or higher) (X9 is now the newest version) in order to open these documents up (you should be able to find an excellent version for under $20).  I write 3-5 hours each day, so I will try to update what is available every year or so.  All of the doctrines and exegesis which I have developed on my own or from other sources can be downloaded in this folder.  The folder is: http://kukis.org/document_backup/ and there are quite a number of files.  The chapter by chapter exegesis files have been added to this folder as well.  There may be several gigabytes altogether.
  •  [Living the] Christian Life  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); Çâlal   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD); Determining the Canon of the New Testament (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD), Commandments, Laws, Judgments, Ordinances and Statutes  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD), Christian Mechanics  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) all uploaded 4/1/2019. 
  • The Ages of Man, where we synch of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, etc. with various time periods and men in Scripture.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/29/2019
  • One word which is translated "guilt" is the Hebrew word 'asham.  It is examined in great detail here.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/29/2019
  • Five Stages of National Discipline (aka the 5 Cycles of Discipline).  These are the stages of discipline that a client nation to God goes through as it moves further and further away from God.  17 pages.  (HMTL)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • The Amarna Tablets  4 pages  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • The Doctrine of Aaron, father of the Levitical Priesthood.  12 pages.  (HMTL)  (PDF)  (WPD) Uploaded 3/28/2019
  • Genesis 32 is complete.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • After sorting things out with his Uncle Laban, Jacob nears the Land of Promise, where he will see a large encampment of angels. What Jacob is anticipating is meeting up with his brother Esau, from whom he has been estranged. This chapter is all about Jacob’s anticipation and worries. He gives a most marvelous prayer, and then he falls back to his customary manipulative behavior. Finally, because Jacob has spent so much of his life in conflict with Yehowah, he will find himself actually wrestling with the Lord for hours right before dawn.

    Readers (and commentators) can be easily confused by Gen. 32, because this is Jacob acting positively schizophrenic. On the one hand, he prays this most marvelous prayer to God; and on the other hand, he keeps trying to solve his own problems with human viewpoint solutions. In a sense, he finds himself in conflict with God—does he depend upon God or does he search for a human viewpoint solution to the problems in his life? In his own soul, Jacob cannot seem to decide, does he place his faith in God or in himself? He is wrestling in his own soul and God brings this point home by actually wrestling with Jacob in his real life. In any given circumstance, will Jacob be guided by his sin nature or will God prevail [= Israel] over Jacob’s sin nature?

    This is one of the most misunderstood chapters in Scripture. Commentators try to present Jacob entering into spiritual maturity after seeing the angels at Mahanaim and then even more so after wrestling with the Lord. The key to understanding this chapter is actually just the opposite. Even though God allows Jacob to see the encampment of angels, that only takes Jacob so far in his confidence level (when he hears that Esau is traveling with 400 men, he becomes panicked). Jacob prays a wonderful prayer to God, but then, returns to his own way of doing things right afterwards. For this reason, God will meet with Jacob and face him off in a fight; and that experience will give Jacob the strength to meet face to face with his brother—but it won’t be long before he fails again. Experiences in life can only take a man so far, even if these experiences include direct contact with God.

    There are many chapter commentaries on the book of Genesis. This will be the most extensive examination of Genesis 32, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text. Every attempt has been made to make this both a complete and self-contained study. Therefore, all references, vocabulary, and related concepts should be found within this extensive study. Easy access links to more in-depth studies of some vocabulary words, concepts and doctrines are also provided. Uploaded 3/21/2019  395 pages

  • Basic Lessons for Luke #1-14 uploaded.  Each week, I send out lessons in the book of Luke and the book of Exodus.  This is different from the chapter studies below.  Each lesson in the weekly studies is 4-5 pages long and designed to be read at one sitting in 10-15 minutes.  The lessons are sent out by email to whomever requests them.  Periodically, I upload all of the lessons to date and post them.  These first lessons in Luke serve as an introduction to the New Testament gospels and specifically to the book of Luke.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD-ZIP).  All of the weekly lessons to date (in Genesis, Exodus and Luke) can be found in this folder.  As these lessons are completed, the notes are transferred over into the chapter studies.  The weekly studies are designed for the average believer and Sunday School teachers.  The chapter studies are designed for research by pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, etc.  (3/1/2019)
  • Basic lessons for Exodus #1-50 are now posted online.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD-ZIP)  (2/27/2019)
  • Updates: 90+ translations added to Exodus 9 (1/9/19), Exodus 10, Exodus 11 (1/17/19); Exodus 12; Exodus 13 (2/4/13); and notes from weekly Bible lessons transferred to Exodus 4 (1/9/19).  Exodus 5 (2/27/2019).
  • Exodus 16 uploaded on 12/27/18; Exodus 17 uploaded 12/30/18; Exodus 18 uploaded 1/4/19.  Basic word-by-word exegesis; two sets of original notes.  So far, the exegetical study of Exodus is approximately 3600 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF)
  • Word-by-word, verse-by-verse exegesis of Luke chapters 1-7.  Access via Luke Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Luke folder)  Uploaded 11/12/2018, 11/25/18, 12/14/2018, and 1/10/19.  
  • The Pronunciation of God's Old Testament Name  There has been a great deal of discussion over the centuries about the correct pronunciation of God’s proper name in the Old Testament (which is also called the Tetragrammaton).  In fact, one cult was seemingly built upon this notion.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses did not actually discover anything new about the pronunciation; but they did find out that wherever we find the word Lord in our Bibles, that stands in for YHWH.  This is never a secret in theological circles.
    We are going to examine several topics in this study: how the pronunciation of God’s name was lost to history; what about the fad of writing G-d rather than God; and what I believe is a reasonable guess as to the way that the ancients pronounced His Name.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 10/3/2018
  • The List is updated; one new church added; several "X-ed" out.  Also, I have included a personal testimony on God's geographical will.  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD). 9/23/2018
  • For those who have studied under R. B. Thieme, Jr., you have been blessed by his dynamic and substantive teaching over a period of 50 years at Berachah Church, I have a treat for you.   Someone--not me--has collected and organized some of Bob's notes.  I have saved them here in an 80 mb zip file.  You would place this either on your harddrive or on a storage drive and unzip it to any folder that you like ("Bob's notes" or whatever).  Then go to that folder and open "Index" in your browser.  That will give you easy access to his NT, OT notes, the doctrines that he developed, and the charts he drew.  It is my recommendation that, for the most part, you listen to his MP3 lessons from R. B. Thieme, Jr. Ministries; but this will provide you easy access to his translation of verses and his explanation of doctrines.  http://kukis.org/Notes/RBThiemeJr./   The person that I got this from said that he spoke personally to Bob, many many years ago at a conference and asked about sharing notes, and Bob said that was fine.  I think Bob's main concern was people taking the work that he did, repackaging it, and then selling it (either in book form or as a pay-for conference).
  • Ecclesiastes 2  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)   Pleasure, Production, Possessions and Progeny

    There is a key to Solomon’s reasoning and the conclusions which he draws (which conclusions theologians have struggled with for centuries). One of the early doctrines of this chapter is Through Solomon’s Eyes; and this introductory doctrine will clear up a great many problems of interpretation.

    Solomon began his great experiments in search of happiness in Ecclesiastes 1 and continues them into the second chapter. He tries pleasures of various kinds, building, and the accumulation of possessions. None of these approaches offer Solomon any happiness or contentment.

    In fact, his lack of contentment so disturbs him that he begins to consider his most fundamental point: wisdom vs. foolishness; surely wisdom is better. However, now at this point in Solomon’s life, even he is not certain of that axiomatic position. He believes himself to be wise, but is that really an advantage, he asks. After all, the wise man and the fool will both die; and, at some point, they will both be forgotten, as if they never lived.

    Furthermore, Solomon realizes that, no matter how much he produces in this life, he will leave it all to a man (his successor) who may be lazy and worthless. Several times in this chapter, Solomon concludes his life to be empty and chasing after wind.

    Topics which naturally arise from the material include: happiness through the accumulation of things; whether short-term stimulation be perpetuated into long-term contentment; the enjoyment of common earthly pleasures and how there is no lasting happiness to be found here; and the simple pleasures to come from the hand of God. We discuss pleasures and endeavors found today that Solomon was unable to tap into (such as, pot, CD’s, movies and iphones); and if indulging in those things bring any sort of lasting happiness. We discuss pleasure and the Christian way of life. We see how, through the study of Solomon and David’s marriages, how these foreshadow the welfare mother of today. We examine the lousy job that both David and Solomon did in raising their own sons. If fact, Solomon is so disappointed with his own sons that he is angry that one of them will inherit all that he has.

    We study a variety of topics in this chapter: contemporary spiritual teachers trying to be too contemporary or too cool; the faithfulness of the pastor with a small congregation; the fact that we will, at some point, interact with God’s justice, whether Jesus is our Savior or our Judge; crude comedians; the unhappiness found in the United States of America (which is the greatest and most blessed nation in human history); the pursuit of one’s vocational passion in life; modern-day building projects; consumerism today; comparing our wealth today to Solomon; the frantic search for happiness; attempting to manage our happiness with psychotropic drugs; the potential contentment of the contemporary believer in Jesus Christ; your work today and your legacy; and the minimal requirements for the believer today.
    eccles_links1.gif

    Ecclesiastes—the Meaning of Life (a graphic); from Prettygate Baptist Church; accessed September 7, 2018.


    Ecclesiastes 2 was written 3000 years ago. It could not be more up-to-date. Complete at 408 pages. Uploaded 9/14/2018

  • Exodus 02  The First 40 Years of Moses' Life Word-by-word Hebrew exegesis; 3 original translations; 90+ translations; and 2 sets of original notes. 

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  228 pages  Uploaded 9/6/2018

  • Exodus 11-15 uploaded on 8/14/18; Basic word-by-word exegesis; two sets of original notes.  So far, the exegetical study of Exodus is approximately 2800 pages.  (HTML)  (PDF)
  • Ecclesiastes Introduction (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped).

    Ecclesiastes is a unique book in the Bible, and people over the years have questioned its point of view, as, many times in this book, there are strikingly non-doctrinal statements made. Eccles. 9:2 comes to mind: All share a common destiny--the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. Or Eccles. 3:19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. (NIV) The humanist and the atheist might read these statements and think, that’s alright; maybe the Bible is right now and again! But for the Christian, these statements are quite another thing. Even the casual reader of Ecclesiastes, if he is a Christian, is going to come upon passages which don’t fit in with the rest of the Bible. However, all of this can be easily explained.

    We studied a few things in 1Kings 9 which, by themselves, do not mean much, but taken together, suggest that Solomon is veering away from God’s plan. However, when we come to 1Kings 11, there is no question that Solomon has become the proverbial prodigal son. [Solomon] had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD... (1Kings 11:3–9a; ESV; capitalized)

    There is no other book like Ecclesiastes in the Bible; and this may be the book which opens the door for some of your unbelieving friends.

    At this point, very incomplete, missing most of the links in the table of contents.

  • Ecclesiastes 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped). All is Vanity Under the Sun

    Ecclesiastes 1 begins with the author of the book, its title and its theme (as well as a preliminary conclusion). Solomon, at some stage in his life, began to move away from God’s guidance and God’s wisdom. We saw clues of Solomon’s departure from divine viewpoint in 1Kings 9; but this defection from the truth becomes much more apparent in the first 10 verses of 1Kings 11. The book of Ecclesiastes does not reference anything in Kings; we simply review these passages in Kings to understand how a man of Solomon’s great wisdom can go so far afield.

    In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon essentially tries to find happiness and contentment in the ecumenical world that he had established in his households, seeing that his wives and mistresses worshiped a plethora of gods. Surely, he thinks, we are all rational human beings; is there not a set of beliefs which we can all understand and to which we might all subscribe?

    We already know that Solomon was a pretty smart guy. His wisdom is testified to 1Kings 3:5–14 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) 4:29–31 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and exemplified in his writing of the book of Proverbs. See Proverbs Links (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) (Folder). But let’s say that you take a man of Solomon’s caliber and allow him to pursue the knowledge and philosophies of this world; and to seek happiness in what the world provides. What would be the result? That is the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had the desire as well as the means to seek happiness and wisdom right here on earth. If that can be done, then, why not? Why not allow every man to reach his full potential in this life? So Solomon made a serious search for the most modern solutions (of his era) and not be bound by the God of those shepherds so many centuries ago.

    In Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon begins by making a few simple observations to which every man of his era could agree. This is his kicking off point, which will, he hopes, lead him to some universal truths, concerning which, every man could also agree. Generations come and go, but the earth is forever; the sun rises every morning, and sets every evening; the winds blow, one day from this direction, the next day from that; and the rivers run into the ocean, but the ocean never fills up. Now, strictly speaking, the Christian or the scientist might quibble with aspects of Solomon’s postulates, but the exegete is not bound to force an agreement between Solomon’s statements here and the Bible elsewhere, because Solomon presents his findings and conclusions as a man under the sun. In fact, Solomon is forced to conclude on many occasions that everything is just a breath of breaths; it is all empty, translucent and transitory. So we are not forced to agree with Solomon at every juncture; we simply accompany him on his journey to find truth and contentment on this earth.


    His first experiment is recorded in the second half of Ecclesiastes 1, where Solomon is not simply wise, but he is able to pursue wisdom as no man had done before. No doubt, Solomon had one of the most marvelous libraries of the ancient world; and we might ask, just how many wise men did he invite to his kingdom so that he might pick their brains? But, in the end, he concludes, I have spoken to my heart saying, “Look, I have acquired greater wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My mind has seen great wisdom and knowledge.” So I applied my heart to know wisdom and also madness and folly. I came to understand that this also was an attempt to shepherd the wind. For in the abundance of wisdom there is much frustration, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. (Eccles. 1:16–18; ULLB)

  • Exodus 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD-zipped) has been updated with a second set of original notes.  6/21/18
  • 1Kings 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD-zipped). updated with information about the categories of wisdom possessed by Solomon.  This explains the wisdom spoken of found in this chapter, in Proverbs and in Ecclesiastes.  6/21/2018.
  • 1Kings 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped). God Appears to Solomon/Solomon’s Building Projects 

    This chapter begins with a very cohesive message from God to Solomon (and to all subsequent kings)—God begins confirming His promises to King David, but that leads into a solemn warning given to a man who is almost imperceptively going off course from the plan of God.

    What follows are a variety of topics related to Solomon’s building and his means to accomplish these projects, interspersed with mentions of Hiram and Solomon’s Egyptian wife. All of these topics are actually quite cohesive, although it would not seem to be to the casual reader. The NIV Study Bible does a very good job of pulling together a number of what appear to be random historical facts; and I will, in the addendum, explain why Hiram and Solomon’s Egyptian wife figure so prominently into this chapter.

    Further, it is easy to miss the big picture and to not completely understand the purpose of this and the previous 2 chapters. What takes place in these chapters is directly related to the joy and happiness of the people of God (1Kings 8:66: On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.—ESV); and I do not believe that any other commentator adequately explains why they are happy (at the end of 1Kings 8) nor do they understand how this is related to us as believers in the 21st century. At the end of this chapter, I will give you the big picture and tie the things of these 3 chapters together.

    There are some very important topics discussed in this chapter. Do personal interactions with God improve a person's spiritual life? Breathing and Bible doctrine. David and Solomon taking in the Word of God. Wealth is transitory and relative. Solomon’s Influences. We learn a lot about Solomon’s spiritual life in this chapter; although it is not clearly discussed.

    Basic exegesis, 3 original translations, and 90+ translations. 352 pages.  Uploaded 5/11/2018

  •  1Kings 8 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD—zipped).                             King Solomon Dedicates the Completed Temple

    We have spent two chapters on the building of the Temple and Solomon’s palace. In this chapter—clearly a follow-on to what came before—we witness the inaugural celebration of the Temple, with Solomon overseeing all of it, offering up the message and the prayer for that day.


    Despite the dates given in the chapter, we do not know exactly when this celebration occurred—most assume that it took place 11 months after the Temple had been completed. A few others have suggested that this service occurred after all of the building had taken place, based upon the first section of 1Kings 9 (which we will discuss in both chapters 8 & 9).

    Whereas the previous two chapters were filled with building terms and construction; this chapter is primarily one of praise and celebration to God, which many doctrinal things being taught by a very wise Solomon.
    kings_links5.gif

    In 1Kings 8, the Temple is open for business. The Ark of God is transported to the Temple and placed inside, and then Solomon leads a great worship service at the Temple, featuring one of the longest recorded sermons and the second longest prayer, all delivered by Solomon.

    We learn many things in this chapter, among them: the Hebrew people always had a sophisticated understanding of God; God’s essence was not something which evolved over time. What Solomon taught in this message was very similar to what Moses taught—we can in fact observe the many overlaps. Like all of God’s miracles, the manifestation of God’s Presence (His Shekinah Glory) was crowd-specific. All those who could see the Temple could see the manifestation of God. Also, we see in David and Solomon, very specific types of the Messiah.

    Complete at 636 pages. Uploaded 4/8/2018

  • The List if partially updated down as far as Nebraska.  The List (links to doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources) has been updated.  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD). 3/25/2018
  • Christianity is Based Upon Old Testament Yehowah Worship
    Also known as Old Testament Christianity; or the Continuity between the Old and New TestamentsThere is the confused notion by some that the Old Testament teaches Judaism and that the New Testament teaches Christianity. This is untrue. Orthodox Christianity is firmly based upon the Old Testament and Old Testament Yehowah Worship.  This doctrine compares the fundamental doctrines of Christianity to their origins found in the Old Testament.
    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Updated 3/25/2018
  • Additional notes added to Genesis 50 on 3/20/18 

    Genesis 50

    Jacob’s Burial; Joseph Allays the Fears of His Brothers; Joseph’s Death

    Exegesis, 90+ translations, notes from Genesis & Basic Exegesis

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD-zipped)

    193 pages

  • A new Bible Chart (#2) where 20 or so translations or versions of the Bible are compared side-by-side with regards to formatting and several other issues (accuracy, readability, availability, etc.).   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD--zipped); uploaded 3/13/2018
  • Jesus Christ, Our Mediator (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD--zipped).  The Doctrine of the Mediatorship of Jesus Christ.  8 pages; posted March 10, 2018.
  • The List (links to doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources) has been updated.  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD).  February 18, 2018.
  • The Uniqueness of God  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  3 pages; added February 18, 2017
  • Additional notes added to Genesis 49 on 2/14/18 

    Genesis 49

    Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons

    Exegesis, 90+ translations, notes from Genesis & Basic Exegesis.

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    268 pages

  • 1Kings 7 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).                                 Solomon’s Palace Completed;

    Temple Furniture Constructed

    This entire chapter is devoted to Solomon’s continued building projects (specifically the palace and homes for himself and his Egyptian queen); and to the manufacture of the furniture and furnishings for the Temple. As in the previous chapter, there are a great many technical building terms, and it is very easy to get lost in the language used (as well as in the possible problems with the text). For some people, massive building projects are no more interesting than genealogical lists; for others like myself, I enjoy the concept of these things being built and us being there by means of this literature; but I did become frustrated by the difficulties of the text.

    It may be helpful to bear in mind that most buildings have elements which are practical and others which are aesthetically pleasing.


    kings_links4.gif

    There is one controversy squarely dealt with—the diameter and circumference of the great basin are given, and this is seen by some as a great scientific confirmation in the Bible; and others as an example of a mathematical mistake made in the Bible. It is actually neither and this will be explained more fully—along with an additional related concept not found anywhere else.


    Quite frankly, there will be times when there is entirely too much slogging through this or that phrase. If you come to a difficult phrase and you think, I don’t really care what exactly this means; then you can easily skip over the opinions of 3 or 10 commentators who have tried to make sense of it, as they will all be gathered together in a box which may be easily passed over (just as the Hebrew exegesis can be skipped over throughout).

    There are a few other difficulties related to this chapter which have been sorted out (the altar in the Temple; the number of altars overall). On the other hand, I had tremendous difficulty translating some of the passages here. Much of this has been sorted out, with one very important different take on one verse (which appears to differ from all other translations).

    The Furniture of the Tabernacle (a graphic); from Pinterest; accessed January 26, 2018.

    God had Adam and the woman work with their surroundings to make them to their liking; something which is legitimate for us to do (within reason). Some of the topics included in this chapter are: the Temple/Tabernacle furniture and their significance; a comparison of the Temple and the Tabernacle; nationalism; and Idolatry and the Temple/Tabernacle Furniture.

    Complete at 489 pages. Some updates to 1Kings 6.  Uploaded 2/13/18

  • The Biblical View of Nationalism and Patriotism (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD--zipped

    In looking to find a short Biblical blurb on nationalism, which is a very Christian concept, I came across 2 or 3 articles which got this concept exactly wrong: Is an America-First Doctrine Actually Biblical? (from Relevant, which is, apparently, millennial Christianity, as far as I can figure out). The second article is Patriotism and Christianity, from Bible Studies—Transformed by the Truth (which is apparently the doctrinal arm of Christianity Today, which was once a fairly accurate magazine). These articles are clearly influenced by current liberal political thought, which have allowed those who know very little to define or set the parameters for their so-called Christian doctrine.

    The believer enjoying spiritual growth will transform his mind, so that we learn to think like God thinks (Rom. 12:2 1Cor. 2:16). That is very different from the way that the world thinks (Isa. 55:8). Too many churches today seem to want to pull in the millennials by trying to find points of intersection by which they might bring them into the fold. However, the points of intersection which I often see are not Biblical, but a distortion of various Bible passages.

    This article will attempt to correct the mistaken notion that somehow putting your nation first is an affront to Christian doctrine.  Uploaded Jan. 21, 2018.  24 pages.

  • The Divine Institutions (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD--zipped). Updated and uploaded Jan. 21, 2018  40 pages.
  • 1Kings 7

    Solomon’s Palace, Temple and Temple Furniture Are Completed

    Basic exegesis, 3 original translations; 90+ translations.

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    288

    1Kings 8

    King Solomon Dedicates the Completed Temple

    Basic exegesis, 3 original translations; 90+ translations

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    423

    1Kings 9

    God Appears to Solomon/Solomon’s Projects

    Basic exegesis, 3 original translations; 90+ translations

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    217

  • Additional notes added to Gen.47 and 48 12/7/2017

    Genesis 47

    Pharaoh Welcomes Joseph’s Family/The Famine Continues

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)


    Joseph brings his family into Egypt permanently in Gen. 47, introducing them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh assigns to his family the land of Goshen, which is apparently not too far from the palace of Pharaoh.

    The famine continues in the land, and Joseph continues to sell the available grain, eventually taking the people of Egypt and their lands for Pharaoh. The priests of the land were not subject to these payments. Joseph institutes what is essentially an income tax in perpetuity.

    Jacob, near the end of his life, makes Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan. This final section might have been better placed with Gen. 48.

    Basic exegesis; original 3 translations. Exegesis, 90+ translations, original notes from the basic exegesis, and notes from Genesis. 249 pages.

    Genesis 48

    Jacob Blesses the Sons of Joseph

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    In Gen. 48, Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons, but placing the younger brother before the older.

    Basic exegesis; original 3 translations. Exegesis, 90+ translations, original notes from the basic exegesis, notes from Genesis. 182 pages.

  • Exodus 9-10 initial exegesis uploaded 12/2/2017.
  • Exodus 9

    Livestock, Boils and Hail Plagues

    Word-by-word Hebrew exegesis; 3 original translations; original notes.

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    176 pgs

  • Exodus 10

    The Plagues of Locusts and Darkness

    Word-by-word Hebrew exegesis; 3 original translations; original notes.

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    161 pgs

  • 1Kings 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). God Appears to Solomon/Solomon’s Projects

    Basic exegesis, 3 original translations, and 90+ translations. 217 pages.  Uploaded 11/28/17

  • Genesis 31

    Jacob Leaves Laban’s Compound

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPDzip)


    Jacob has worked for Laban for 20 years and it has become clear to him that his work and his faithfulness are not really valued by his employer. Furthermore, God has told Jacob to take his family back to the land of Canaan. Genesis 31 is all about circumstances and dream from God which will guide Jacob to move his family back to the Land of Promise. Unfortunately, Jacob will use his tried and (un) true approach of deception and sneakiness. He convinces his wives to leave with him (which does not require much convincing); so they sneak out of Haran, having a 3-day

    genesislinks4.gif

    head start. However, Laban, when he sees that Jacob has left with his family, and that his deity figurines are missing as well, chases down Jacob and catches up to him in the hill country of Gilead (which is east of the Jordan River). The end of this chapter is their final confrontation where both men air out their grievances with one another, and then manage to find a way to go their separate ways, establishing a non-aggression pact (covenant) between them.

    The following studies and short doctrines are found in Genesis 31: The Doctrine of Envy; What God Achieved in Jacob's Life; Standards of Behavior Agreed to before the Mosaic Law; When Societal Norms Change; What about Jesus' warning not to judge?; When the most fundamental laws are changed; The Husband's Responsibility in Marriage; and Romans 8:28 in the Life of Jacob; The Wealth Inequality Movement and Socialism/Communism; Standards of Behavior Agreed to before the Mosaic Law;

    There are some important applications, which come about as a result of Jacob’s polygamous marriage. First, we have to determine just how sinful his polygamy was (if at all—many commentators think this is the worst thing ever that Jacob has done). But then we have some interesting applications. Let’s say you are in a polygamous marriage and 1 or more in the marriage believe in Jesus Christ. What happens next? Let’s say you are in a gay marriage, and 1 or both people believe in Jesus Christ—what then? Also discussed in this chapter, relating the envy of Laban’s sons and how this relates to the current 99% versus the 1% movement. Another topic which you may relate to is, what do you do when you have a bad job and/or a bad boss (as Jacob did). We also examine the problem of, When Societal Norms Change. A little speculation was done on, Was Laban willing to execute one of his daughters? We study, Human works in the plan of God; technology in Communist/socialist countries; will Rachel die the sin unto death; most of us are more blessed than we realize; and American society and homosexual attractions.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. About 50 commentaries are consulted. Complete at 620 pages.  Uploaded 11/9/2017
  • Basic Exegesis notes transferred over to Genesis 46  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Uploaded 10/4/2017.  Now 214 pages.

  • Genesis 30

    Jacob Sires More Children/An Agreement with Laban

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    Genesis 30 can be broken down into two sections: (1) The sons born to Jacob in Haran and (2) the labor agreement entered into between Laban (management) and Jacob (contract worker). Although there is an odd continuity between these topics, they would have more logically been separated into two chapters. In fact, both Genesis 29 and 30 are oddly divided. Jacob begins to sire children by Leah near the end of Gen. 29 and this is continued into Gen. 30, along with fathering children by Rachel and by the personal maids of Leah and Rachel. The final 6 verses of Gen. 29 should have been combined with the first 24 verses of Gen. 30, and a chapter assembled devoted strictly to the sons of Jacob.

    The latter half of Gen. 30 (vv. 25–43) outlines an agreement that Jacob and Laban came to regarding Jacob’s future wages; and both men try to cleverly improve on their part of the agreement.

    This chapter is often noted by critics of the Bible for two reasons: (1) Jacob marries more than one woman and is coerced into impregnating his wives’ personal servants; and (2) Jacob apparently has some odd breeding theories which he puts into practice (these theories would not have been unusual for his day and time). Proponents of gay marriage point to Jacob’s polygamous marriage and conclude, “If he can marry more than one woman, then two men can marry.” Critics point to Jacob’s breeding schemes and say, “This is stupid and unscientific and it is in the Bible!” These objections will be met head-on and explained within the exegesis of this chapter.

    There are two odd topics found in this chapter, which are closely related. Rachel attempts to use mandrakes in order to cause a child to be born to her; and Jacob cuts up branches and places them in the water of Laban’s sheep and goats, hoping to affect their breeding outcomes. Both of these schemes have caused commentators no little consternation over the years—why is this goofy stuff found in the Bible? As we will find, these two odd topics are very closely related and teach us a marvelous bit of doctrine. I believe that the development of this particular relationship is unique to this commentary.


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    Jacob’s Goats (a photo); from The Scripture Says.org; accessed September 15, 2017. Because of this incident, oddly-colored goats are often called Jacob’s goats in the Middle Eastern world.


    Also, I believe that this chapter is key to explaining why Joseph is so different from his older brothers. Why does he have personal integrity when they seem to have none? There are many clues in this chapter. This is also unique to this chapter, but the germ of this idea came from Milton Spenser Terry and Fales H. Newhall (two men you have never heard of), whose work is found in Whedon's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.

    Quite frankly, you will be hard-pressed to find another chapter in the Bible with as many applications to real life as will be discussed in this chapter.

    Complete at 433 pages.

  • Doctrine of the Pivot  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  The greatest flood disaster in the history of the United States occurred August 25–31, 2017.  What was quite amazing about this disaster is, although the flooding and damage from rain was horrendous, about 95% or more of the people in the Houston area continued to have electricity.  That was grace from God in a monumental disaster.

    In watching the reports of Hurricane Harvey, and seeing the eye of this massive hurricane and the mighty storms which are spun off, it reminded me of the Doctrine of the Pivot, which R. B. Thieme, Jr. taught; the pivot of mature believers and the spinoff of the reversionist believers.  This is where we are in this nation and where we are in the Houston area.  Posted 8/28/17
  • The Seed of the Woman  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The sin nature is passed down genetically by the man, as the man sinned against God knowing what he was doing.  The woman was deceived.  A child born from a woman only would not have a sin nature.  The fact that a virgin gave birth to the Lord was not simply a matter of fulfilling a prophecy; but it was also necessary so that the Lord was born apart from the imputation of sin.  This doctrine begins in Gen. 3; is found in Isaiah, in two gospels, and Paul speaks of it as well.  It is an amazing doctrine, which retains consistency over a period of 2000 years; and not fully developed until long after the completion of the New Testament.  Uploaded August 21, 2017.

  • Genesis 29

    Jacob Marries Both Leah and Rachel; and Sires Four Sons

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    Uploaded August 21, 2017.
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    In Gen. 29, Jacob arrives at his destination in Padan-aram, coming upon some shepherds who know Laban (Jacob’s uncle) and the Laban family. When discussing the use of the well, Rachel, Jacob’s first cousin, comes onto the scene, leading a flock of sheep. Jacob tells her who he is and she runs back to her family to tell her father. Her father immediately comes out to meet Jacob, to invite him into their home.


    A month goes by and Jacob is apparently helping with the sheep and Laban’s ranch, and Laban asks what he would like to be paid. Jacob suggests that he work for 7 years in order to marry Rachel, with whom he was in love. Laban accepts this offer.

    7 years later, Laban throws a wedding party for Jacob, and, at the end, Jacob goes to the bed of his new bride. In the morning, Jacob awakens to find that he has married Leah, the older sister, and not Rachel. He goes immediately to Laban and confronts him, and Laban gives him a phony excuse. Laban proposes that Jacob work another 7 years, and that he would also be allowed to marry Rachel. Jacob agrees to this. At the end of Gen. 29, Leah has given birth to 4 of Jacob’s sons.

    One dispute out there in the theological world is, how old is Jacob at this time? Whereas I expected this to be a very difficult question, it is not (as long at you are not expecting a specific and definitive answer). The issues here are not complex.

    An important topic of discussion is, Jacob’s spiritual growth or lack thereof. We know what Jacob was like—he was a scheming manipulator. However, before leaving the land of Canaan, Jacob had a meeting with God (Gen. 28). This certainly impacted his life. The question is, how much? In the theological world, there has been a lot of discussion of this. And, related to that question is, how much growth or impact does personal interaction with God do for us? That is, why doesn’t God appear to me and give me a spiritual boost?

    This leads us to consider the fact that there are some believers who somehow think that they got the short end of the stick, because they have been born into a time where they will never hear Jesus teach the sermon on the mount or one of His many parables; and we will never have some great vision of God where God speaks to us from heaven. On the contrary, that is what is amazing about living in the Church Age—we have all of that and more in our lives! Right now is the greatest time for the believer to be alive! We have it better than Peter and John did, who learned Bible doctrine directly from Jesus Christ. This will be one of the very important topics of discussion in this chapter, and one which few teachers discuss. Too many believers today are trying to recreate Pentecost; are trying to present our God as a God Who is doing many visible miracles today. Their approach to the Christian life means that they neuter themselves.

    Another issue of interest is, we know in this chapter that Laban intentionally deceived Jacob, so that Jacob ended up marrying both of Laban’s daughters. An unanswered (and often, unasked) question is, what part did Leah and Rachel play in the deception of Jacob? I attempt to answer this question (although that will require some speculation).

    It is also fascinating that the first 4 sons of Leah both parallel the events of the Exodus and the gospel message.

    Finally, the text of this chapter, combined with the narrative in later chapters, suggests to me how the book of Genesis was written. At a point in this chapter, I will give what I believe is a unique explanation as to how Genesis was compiled.

    Complete at 397 pages.

  • Genesis 28 Isaac Sends Jacob to the East/Jacob's Ladder (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). This is complete and uploaded (I have been working on this chapter off and on since 2013).  Uploaded July 19,2017.
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    In Gen. 27, it has been determined that Jacob will go east to marry a woman from their family rather than a Canaanite woman, as his brother Esau had married. Gen. 28 begins with his father, Isaac, giving him a blessing before he goes—a blessing which recognizes Jacob as being the line of God’s promise.

    Esau, his twin brother, takes notice of this and the importance of marrying someone from the family, so, even though he was already married to two women of Canaan, Esau then married a daughter of Ishmael (Isaac’s half brother). One thing that I have observed is, some commentators make an attempt to tell you why Esau was a terrible person and why Jacob was a pretty good guy; and so, God chose Jacob and did not choose Esau for the line of promise. This is simply incorrect and there are problems with both men. Twice in Scripture, God says, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” This verse is correctly explained within this chapter.

    Meanwhile, Jacob traveled north, going through Luz, where he had a dream-vision of angels going from earth to heaven and back again; and God is above all of this (this is often referred to as Jacob’s ladder). God speaks to Jacob and gives him the promises previously delivered to Abraham and to Isaac; and then God promises to be with Jacob wherever he goes; and that He would bring Jacob back to this land.

    When Jacob awakens the next morning, he is amazed at the place where he is, and renames it Bethel (which means, house of God). At the end of this chapter, Jacob makes a vow to God about tithing. Many commentators do not appear to get Jacob, and he is given far too much credit for his spiritual perspicacity. Remember, Jacob had only just left his family a day or so after he had gone to great lengths to deceive his own father in order to get a better blessing than his brother. He has not changed dramatically in the space of a few days. This chapter allows us, to a limited degree, to get into Jacob’s head. This study attempts to do that, without assuming too much.

    There are a lot of fascinating topics which are brought up in this chapter. Have you ever seen someone spell God as G-d or as G*d? This will be explained. Jacob has quite a wild vision, of angels going up and down some sort of ladder/elevator/escalator; after this vision, God tells Jacob what he needs to know. So, why the vision of the angels? What was that all about? Jesus suggests that one of His disciples might have a vision similar to what Jacob saw; so why did He say that? In this and the previous chapter, Jacob was blessed three times. What is that all about and what are we to make of it?

    There is a great deal of supplementary material covered in this chapter. Many have alleged that the Bible is filled with contradictions—therefore, many pages are devoted to taking some of these contradictions and explaining them; which set of doctrines is followed by The Uniqueness of the Bible. There are several other very important doctrines in this chapter: The Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments; Jacob's Clarifying Moment; and A Spiritually-Empowered Jesus Christ is our Spiritual Model. Also presented: a new understanding of the assembling, writing, and ordering of the book of Genesis.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 361 pages.

  • The initial Introduction to Exodus is now posted and can be accessed via Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  It is a compilation of the work of a dozen or so commentators along with my own work.  It includes an excellent overall summary and a chapter by chapter summary of the Book of Exodus.  113 pages. Uploaded on July 16, 2017.
  • Exodus 1-8 are all updated and uploaded; basic exegesis, 3 original translations, selections from 90+ translations, and notes transferred from original Exodus study.  Approximately 1500 pages.  Accessed via Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  Uploaded on July 10, 2017.
  • Genesis 1-45 are all updated with basic exegesis notes.  Gen. 1-28 are complete studies (although I will go back eventually and do some more updating).  See Genesis Links: (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder) Uploaded June 28, 2017.
  • Exodus 8 is uploaded; basic exegesis, 3 original translations, selections from 90+ translations, and notes transferred from original Exodus study.  230 pages.  Accessed via Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  Uploaded on June 27, 2017.
  • The basic exegesis (and 3 original translations) has been done for Exodus 5, 6, and 7.  Links to these chapters are found in Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  Uploaded on June 21, 2017.
  • Basic Exegesis Series; AKA Genesis Lessons #401-450 now posted.  This is all about the famine of Egypt and Canaan, and how the sons of Jacob go up to Egypt to purchase grain.  This is one of the great narratives of Scripture and these lessons are approximately 5 pages each, each lesson designed to be read in a 10-15 minute sitting.  These are not complex lessons; but they are more detailed than most which you will read. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  June 21, 2017.
  • Christianity is Based Upon Old Testament Yehowah Worship 
    There is the confused notion by some that the Old Testament teaches Judaism and that the New Testament teaches Christianity. This is untrue. Orthodox Christianity is firmly based upon the Old Testament and Old Testament Yehowah Worship.  This doctrine compares the fundamental doctrines of Christianity to their origins found in the Old Testament.
    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Posted 5/8/2017
  • 1Kings 6 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).                                     Solomon Builds the Temple

    1Kings 6 is all about the specifications and details of Solomon building of the Temple of God. In the previous chapter, the materials needed, the workmen needed, and how they were all gathered was at the forefront; in this chapter, it is putting all of these materials together to build the Temple, the Holy of Holies, the annex, and the courtyard. It took 7 years to build the Temple.

    This is a record—perhaps the earliest record—of the building of a religious structure in the ancient world, with specifications, designs, and finishing work all presented in a fairly careful narrative. The Temple was destroyed twice after this, rebuilt twice; and then destroyed for the third time. No doubt, this chapter was consulted for subsequent buildings of this structure.

    The Temple of Israel’s God was unique among all religious buildings in human history. No one thought that God lived there or was confined in any way by this Temple; and only a very small percentage of the people of Israel ever actually entered into the Temple.

    In this particular chapter, we will study the relationship between priests, prophets and kings (prophets, as we know them, did not arise until Israel decided to have a king—and there is a reason for that).

    Some of the important studies/doctrines in this chapter include: how New Testament Christianity is based firmly in the Old Testament worship of Yehowah; we compare Kings David and Solomon and why Solomon built the Temple and David did not; we study the difference between statutes, commandments and judgments; improvements which have occurred in the modern Catholic church (these are Orthodox Christian studies, not Catholic studies); Solomon, Solomon’s Temple, and the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ; we study the Ark of God and the Holy of Holies; and we study how Solomon it is type of Jesus Christ in the Millennium.
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    Solomon’s Temple – Illustrated (a graphic). Taken from ABC Parish; accessed April 13, 2017.

    Complete at 407 pages. Posted 5/8/2017
  • 1Kings 5 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).   Solomon Organizes the Builders for the Temple

    In 1Kings 5, Solomon and his father’s friend, King Hiram connect, both having genuine respect for one another. They will work together to gather and prepare the raw materials for both the Temple and (later) for Solomon’s palace. Most of this chapter is devoted to the negotiation between the two men and the number of men involved in this project.

    Some of the very important short doctrines covered in this chapter are: The Temple and the Line of Promise; Why Solomon Builds the Temple, and Not David; Hiram, Solomon and Self-interest; The believer and ministries of others; a discussion on trade and commerce between different countries; and at least two discussions built upon commentators who think that building the Temple was a mistake.
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    Photo of the Sagrada Familia from Google (including 360° photos); accessed March 6, 2017.

    When I begin a particular chapter, I never know exactly what I am going to cover or what information I will be conveying. It is a very organic process, based first on the material before me; and secondly, on where this material might lead me (sometimes, this is combined with things occurring out in the real world). This particular chapter led me on a number of interesting tangents. What about personal or doctrinal attacks on other pastors or upon other local churches? What about people who attend the congregation who are gay (who think that they are gay)? Also, I found this a good chapter to insert one of my favorite secular columns, George Will: Pencils and Politics. Also included is the fascinating list Genocides and Political Killings of the 20th Century.

    Also discussed: Typology in the Old Testament and the Church Age; Free Enterprise and Trade Between Countries; Why God Allows Manuscript Errors; The Difference Between Teaching Mathematics and Teaching the Bible (and why most doctrinal churches only teach 3–4 times per week)

    Completed 3/16/17.  223 pages.
  • Updated: Doctrinal Terms (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) updated  5/8/17.  37 pages. 
    Old Testament topics (a document that tells which topics are covered in the various chapters which are posted)  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) Now 390 pages.
  • Classifying Various Bible Translations classifies about 100 English translations of the Bible.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Which are accurate?  Where are good reading Bibles?  Which offer a unique perspective?  All of these questions answered, in order to help you determine which Bible (s) to read.  This is a short chart, perhaps 2-3 pages.  Added February 20, 2017.
  • Extensive material added to Exodus 4 and Genesis 41 & 42.  Check Genesis Links: (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder) and Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  Uploaded on February 20, 2017.
  • There have been advances on the Genesis and Exodus chapter by chapter series.  Check Genesis Links: (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder) and Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (folder).  February 15, 2017.
  • Basic Exegesis Series; AKA Genesis Lessons #401-431 now posted.  This is all about the famine of Egypt and Canaan, and how the sons of Jacob go up to Egypt to purchase grain.  This is one of the great narratives of Scripture and these lessons are approximately 5 pages each, designed to be read one at a time.  These are not complex lessons; but they are more detailed than most which you will read. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  February 15, 2017.
  • Basic Exegesis Series; AKA Genesis Lessons #301-400. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  We begin these lessons by following Jacob, for the most part.  He cheats his twin brother Esau out of a blessing from Isaac, and then, because of the anger of Esau, finds that he must leave the land of promise.  Jacob works for his uncle Laban outside of Canaan, and marries Laban's two daughters.  In this set of lessons, we examine the doctrines of Hatred, Emotions, Heart, Emotional Revolt, Reversionism, the Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments, Christian Giving, Biblical Marriage, Alternative Forms of Marriage in the Bible.  We also examine many of the so-called Bible contradictions, the Uniqueness of the Bible, Why Moses Did Not Write Genesis, the Reasons Why Genesis was Written at the Time of the Events of Genesis, Humility, Jacob and Esau, Rape in the Bible, God's 6 Appearances to Jacob, Benjamin as a Type of Christ, and the Parallels between Jacob the Man and Israel the Nation. Some of these doctrines are unique to this study, and found nowhere else. Uploaded Jan. 11, 2017.
  • As some of you know, I send out short, weekly study in Genesis; and at this point, we are 420 lessons into this study.  Lessons #1-420 are now posted.  Genesis Lessons 401–500 HTML  Genesis Lessons 401–500 PDF   Genesis Lessons 401–500 WPD These first 20 lessons take us from Joseph as a teenage boy to Joseph in Egypt, first as a slave and then as a prisoner and then standing before Pharaoh.  I thought I had already posted this, but apparently, I did not.  Uploaded Jan. 11, 2017.
  • The basic exegesis has been completed for Genesis 47 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), Genesis 48 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), Genesis 49 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), and Genesis 50 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  The Hebrew dictionaries and the list of OT Topics covered has also been updated.  What has and has not been done can be found in the Genesis Links: (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder).  So far, every chapter in Genesis has been exegeted word-by-word with 3 original translations; and the first 46 chapters have a plethora of translations included.  Jan. 9, 2017
  • 1Kings 7 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Solomon’s Palace and the Temple Are Completed

    Basic exegesis and 3 original translations only. I had tremendous difficulty translating some of the passages here.  Not everything has been translated, but the Hebrew tables are in place.  168 pages.  12/11/16
  • 1Kings 8 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). King Solomon Dedicates the Completed Temple

    Basic exegesis and 3 original translations only. 177 pages.  12/11/16
  • Genesis 28 Isaac Sends Jacob to the East/Esau Takes an Ishmaelite Wife (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 12/3/2016.

    In Gen. 27, it has been determined that Jacob will go east to marry a woman from their family rather than a Canaanite woman, as his brother Esau had married. Gen. 28 begins with his father, Isaac, giving him a blessing before he goes—a blessing which recognizes Jacob as being the line of God’s promise.

    Esau, his twin brother, takes notice of this and the importance of marrying someone from the family, so, even though he was already married to two women of Canaan, Esau then married a daughter of Ishmael (Isaac’s half brother).

    Meanwhile, Jacob traveled north, going through Luz, where he had a dream-vision of angels going from earth to heaven and back again; and God is above all of this. God speaks to Jacob and gives him the promises previously delivered to Abraham and to Isaac; and then God promises to be with Jacob wherever he goes; and that He would bring Jacob back to this land.

    When Jacob awakens the next morning, he is amazed at the place where he is, and renames it Bethel (which means, house of God). At the end of this chapter, Jacob makes a vow to God about tithing.

    There is a great deal of supplementary material covered in this chapter. Many have alleged that the Bible is filled with contradictions—therefore, many pages are devoted to taking some of these contradictions and explaining them; which set of doctrines is followed by The Uniqueness of the Bible. There are two other very important doctrines in this chapter: The Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments; and A Spiritually-Empowered Jesus Christ is our Spiritual Model.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 209 pages.

  • Genesis 29 Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel and Sires Four Sons (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 12/3/2016.

    In Gen. 29, Jacob arrives at his destination in Padan-aram, coming upon some shepherds who know Laban (Jacob’s uncle) and the Laban family. When discussing the use of the well, Rachel, Jacob’s first cousin, comes onto the scene, leading a flock of sheep. Jacob tells her who he is and she runs back to her family to tell her father. Her father immediately comes out to meet Jacob, to invite him into their home.

    A month goes by and Jacob is apparently helping with the sheep and Laban’s ranch, and Laban asks what he would like to be paid. Jacob suggests that he work for 7 years in order to marry Rachel, with whom he was in love. Laban accepts this offer.

    7 years later, Laban throws a wedding party for Jacob, and, at the end, Jacob goes to the bed of his new bride. In the morning, Jacob awakens to find that he has married Leah, the older sister, and not Rachel. He goes immediately to Laban and confronts him, and Laban gives him a phony excuse. Laban proposes that Jacob work another 7 years, and that he would also be allowed to marry Rachel. Jacob agrees to this. At the end of Gen. 29, Leah has given birth to 4 of Jacob’s sons.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 269 pages.

  • Genesis 30 Jacob Sires More Children/An Agreement with Laban (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 12/3/2016.

    Genesis 30 can be broken down into two sections: (1) The sons born to Jacob in Haran and (2) the labor agreement entered into between Laban (management) and Jacob (contract worker). Although there is an odd continuity between these topics, they would have more logically been separated into two chapters.

    In fact, both Genesis 29 and 30 are oddly divided. Jacob begins to sire children by Leah near the end of Gen. 29 and this is continued into Gen. 30, along with fathering children by Rachel and by the personal maids of Leah and Rachel. The final 6 verses of Gen. 29 should have been combined with the first 24 verses of Gen. 30, and a chapter assembled devoted strictly to the sons of Jacob.

    The latter half of Gen. 30 (vv. 25–43) outlines an agreement that Jacob and Laban came to regarding Jacob’s future wages; and both men try to cleverly improve on their part of the agreement.

    This chapter is often noted by critics of the Bible for two reasons: (1) Jacob marries more than one woman; and (2) Jacob apparently has some odd breeding theories which he puts into practice (these theories would not have been unusual for his day and time). Proponents of gay marriage point to Jacob’s polygamous marriage and conclude, “If he can marry more than one woman, then two men can marry.” Critics point to Jacob’s breeding schemes and say, “This is stupid and unscientific and it is in the Bible!” These objections will be met head-on and explained in the exegesis of this chapter.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 272 pages.
  • As some of you know, I send out short, weekly study in Genesis; and at this point, we are 420 lessons into this study.  Lessons #1-420 are now posted.  Genesis Lessons 401–500 HTML  Genesis Lessons 401–500 PDF   Genesis Lessons 401–500 WPD These first 20 lessons take us from Joseph as a teenage boy to Joseph in Egypt, first as a slave and then as a prisoner and then standing before Pharaoh.  Uploaded Nov. 20, 2016
  • Genesis 31 Jacob Leaves Laban’s Compound (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded November 25, 2016.

    Jacob has worked for Laban for 20 years and it has become clear to him that his work and his faithfulness are not really valued by his employer. Furthermore, God has told Jacob to take his family back to the land of Canaan. Genesis 31 is all about Jacob moving his family back to the Land of Promise using his tried and (un) true approach of deception and sneakiness. He convinces his wives to leave with him (which does not require much convincing); so they sneak out of Haran, having a 3-day head start. However, Laban, when he sees that Jacob has left with his family, and that his deity figurines are missing as well, chases down Jacob and catches up to him in the hill country of Gilead (which is east of the Jordan River). The end of this chapter is their final confrontation where both men air out their grievances with one another, and then manage to find a way to go their separate ways, establishing a non-aggression pact between them.

    The following studies and short doctrines are found in Genesis 31: What God Achieved in Jacob's Life; Standards of Behavior Agreed to before the Mosaic Law; When Societal Norms Change; What about Jesus' warning not to judge?; When the most fundamental laws are changed; The Husband's Responsibility in Marriage; and Romans 8:28 in the Life of Jacob

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, and 3 sets of original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 354 pages.
  • Genesis 32 Jacob Returns to Canaan and Wrestles with God (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded Nov. 12, 2016

    After sorting things out with his Uncle Laban, Jacob nears the Land of Promise, where he will have a scheduled meeting with his brother Esau, from whom Jacob is estranged. This chapter is all about Jacob’s anticipation and worries. He gives a most marvelous prayer, and then he falls back to manipulative, human viewpoint solutions. Finally, because Jacob has spent his life in conflict with Jesus Christ, he will find himself actually wrestling with the Lord right before dawn.

    Readers can be easily confused by Gen. 32, because this is Jacob acting positively schizophrenic. On the one hand, he prays this most marvelous prayer to God; and on the other hand, he keeps trying to solve his own problems with human viewpoint solutions. In a sense, he finds himself in conflict with God—does he depend upon God or does he search for a human viewpoint solution to the problems in his life? In his own soul, Jacob cannot seem to decide, does he place his faith in God or in himself? He is wrestling in his soul and God brings this point home by actually wrestling with Jacob in his real life. In any given circumstance, will Jacob be guided by his sin nature or will God prevail [= Israel] over Jacob’s sin nature?

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 216 pages.
  • Genesis 33 Jacob and his Family Return to Canaan (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).
    Uploaded 11/6/2016

    20 years previous, Jacob escaped Canaan with his life, having just deceived his father in order to claim Esau’s blessings. When Esau found out, he was angry, threatening to kill Jacob at a later date.

    Here, the two brothers meet, both men separated from Isaac their father, and both men have apparently matured and put their past behind them. It was a congenial meeting between former rivals, despite Jacob’s apprehension the night before. In fact, Esau invites Jacob to join him in Seir, and Jacob appears to agree to this, but he goes in a different direction, remaining in the land promised to his father and grandfather.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 142 pages.
  • Genesis 34 The Rape of Dinah/The Slaughter of Shechem (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 11/6/2016

    Genesis 34 is a chapter where the plan of God moves forward, despite the actions of the people in the chapter (we will see this same sort of thing in Gen. 36, 37 and 38). God’s plan always moves forward, whether man is cooperative or not. This chapter also foreshadows the future. The sons of Israel (Jacob) cannot remain in the land because (1) they will either be subsumed by another family or (2) they will be destroyed by the people around them. Or, another way to say this, they will become corrupted and then destroyed. At the end of this chapter, Jacob bemoans his situation: “Levi and Simeon, you have made me odious to the people of this land, and they will gather together and destroy us because we are few in number.” And this is why God will have to remove them from the land.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 211 pages.

  • Genesis 35  Jacob’s Sons/The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Uploaded Oct. 28, 2016. 

    Gen. 35 is a chapter of milestones: (1) Jacob and his family move to Bethel; (2) Deborah, Rebekah’s maid dies; (3) God reappears to Jacob and Jacob worships Him; (4) Rachel bears Jacob’s 12th son but then dies during childbirth; (5) Reuben is intimate with one of Jacob’s mistresses; (6) the 12 sons of Jacob are listed; and (7) Isaac dies.

    What is remarkable is the great grace that God had given to both Jacob and Esau (recounted in this chapter and the next). How petty and ridiculous had been their undue competition and jealousies 20 years previous.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 208 pages.
  • Genesis 36  Nation Esau (Edom)  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) Uploaded Oct. 26, 2016. 

    This is the genealogy of Esau. Esau is Jacob’s twin brother, of whom God has said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Gen. 36 is Esau’s line, including the many rulers who have come from his loins. The line of Esau seemed poised to become great in the land.

    On the surface, Gen. 36 appears to be nothing more than a list of names, most of whom are lost to history and not found in the Bible again. However, there are a great many lessons that we can take from this chapter—contemporary and spiritual.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 183 pages.

  • Genesis 37 Joseph and His Brothers (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded Oct. 20, 2016.   Gen. 37 begins the final section of the book of Genesis, which centers on the life of Joseph (with the exception of Gen. 38). From the beginning, young Joseph is clearly at odds with his older half-brothers, who resent the favoritism of their father towards Joseph. Joseph has 2 dreams which particularly irritate his older half-brothers because they indicate that he would rule over them. When the brothers confront Joseph next, away from their father, they plot to kill him. Reuben convinces them not to kill him, but to simply throw him into a pit (hoping to rescue the boy later). Judah suggests that Joseph be sold as a slave and the other brothers agree to this.

    Because Joseph is sold to traders, his older brothers send back Joseph’s bloodied and torn tunic, to make it appear that he had been attacked and killed by a wild animal. Jacob is heartbroken to receive this tunic and mourns inconsolably afterwards.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 267 pages.

  • Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).   Uploaded Oct. 20, 2016.   Judah leaves his family and takes up with a Canaanite woman, having 3 children by her. Judah decides to choose a wife (Tamar) for his first son, but he dies. The wife is given to his second son in order to raise up seed for his deceased brother (aka, a levirate marriage), but then he dies. Then Joseph has to figure out what to do about Tamar.

    Exegesis from the Hebrew, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, original notes from the exegesis, from Genesis & Basic Exegesis. 228 pages.
  • Genesis 39 Joseph, Potiphar and Potiphar's Wife (HTML) (PDF) (WPD
    Exegesis, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, notes from Genesis & Basic Exegesis.  175 pages  Uploaded 10/3/2016.
  • Genesis Links   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  These links indicate that Gen. 1-46 have been uploaded, but in various states of completion (which are given chapter by chapter in this links document).  This is a nearly 10,000 page exegetical study of Genesis, which is still incomplete.  As long as God gives me the grace, I will continue to work on it.  Updated 9/26/2016
  • Genesis 40 Joseph, the Chief Baker and the Chief Cupbearer (HTML) (PDF) (WPD
    Exegesis, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, notes from Genesis & Basic Exegesis.  150 pages  Uploaded 9/26/2016.
  • Genesis 41 Pharaoh’s Dream and the Famine of Egypt (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  
    Exegesis, 3 original translations, 90+ translations, notes from Genesis.  302 pages.  Uploaded 9/26/16.
  • The Scientific Achievements of Ancient Hamitic Peoples  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 9/25/2016.  This is a list by Arthur Custance of scientific discoveries and achievements of the Hamitic peoples (I first saw this in Clough's Dawn of the Kingdom).  What was known in the early eras is quite amazing.  This is quite an amazing list, and when you read through it, you will see why both Clough and myself reproduced it.
  • 1Kings 5 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).   Solomon Organizes the Builders for the Temple

    Basic exegesis and 3 original translations only.  Uploaded 9/25/2016
  • 1Kings 6 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).                                     Solomon Builds the Temple

    Basic exegesis and 3 original translations only.  Uploaded 9/25/2016
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) is updated again, as of Sept. 9, 2016.  I noticed that the vocabulary would have been difficult for some believers, so I added a vocabulary chart.  Another verse is added as well.  Intercalation is where we find the 1st and 2nd advents of Jesus Christ presented without any intervening events.  However, intercalated (inserted) between these events is the Church Age.  Because the church age was a mystery age, hidden from the OT Jews, it is not referenced in the OT, but skipped over.  There are at least 30 OT passages in which this occurs.
  • Genesis 42 Joseph’s Brothers Come to Buy Grain in Egypt (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) 
  • Genesis 43 Jacob’s Sons Return to Egypt with Benjamin (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  For both chapters, the basic Hebrew exegesis completed along with 3 original translations; 90+ translations added in; notes from Genesis added in. Uploaded 9/9/2016
  • All links, notes and updates of Genesis can be gotten here:
    Genesis Links
    (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder)
  • Genesis 27 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) Jacob Deceives his Father Isaac

    Posted 8/29/2016
    genesislinks1.gif

    Genesis 27 is a deceptively simple chapter, where everything appears to be said and explained, but there are events, conversations, and motivations which are important to this narrative which are not clearly laid out. Gen. 27 appears to be simple and it appears to have all the relevant information given to us, but as we examine it more and more thoroughly, it becomes quite clear that there is a great deal of hidden and unspoken information.


    Isaac Blessing Jacob by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (Oil on canvas) 1642; from Web Gallery of Art; accessed August 7, 2016.

    Gen. 27 is rarely understood, despite its being about a fairly simple series of events. For this reason, few commentators have correctly explained all of what is going on. This chapter is all about words; it is all about the words that Isaac will say regarding his two sons. That is what the entire conflict is over. The key to understanding this chapter, the blessing given to Jacob and then the blessing given to Esau is the very fact that the words spoken by Isaac have power. They are meaningful, even when they are spoken in a gathering of only two or three.

    To understand Gen. 27, you have to understand that, when Isaac blesses Jacob, that blessing has meaning and power. Once it has been said, it is out there, already in effect; and it cannot be withdrawn. If Isaac could simply withdraw his words, then his words would have been meaningless in the first place. Extenuating circumstances do not nullify the words spoken by Isaac.

    It is clear that Jacob is one of the least deserving men of Scripture, who has received some of the greatest blessings of God. This is grace; this is the plan of God. It is men like Jacob who often give us very imperfect believers more hope than a man like Abraham.

    Jacobian narratives typically leave out a great many details which can often be supplied using a little logical deduction. Sometimes his narratives are accused of being contradictory not because they are, but because they leave out some details. Much of this narrative is helped along with a few details that may be deduced, and which help explain any questions about the accuracy of the narrative. At the end of this chapter, there will be a summary, where the motivations and actions of the principal characters are clearly laid out, so that everything that happens makes perfect sense. At the end, you will understand what each principal knows (and doesn’t know) and what motivates them to do what they do.

    This narrative is about the foibles of man, the free will of man, and the sovereignty of God; the actions of man playing out according to their volition; and the plan of God moving forward, despite the things which man does.

    As a personal aside, I have worked on this particular chapter on and off for 3 years (2013 to 2016). 505 pages.

  • Genesis 43  

    (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)   Jacob’s Sons Return to Egypt with Benjamin 
    The basic Hebrew exegesis completed along with 3 original translations; 90+ translations added in; notes from Genesis added in.  Posted 8/29/2016  Genesis 44-45 also posted.

  • In church today, Bobby was teaching the dual meaning of the words of Caiaphas the High Priest, and how Caiaphas proposed the killing of Jesus to the Sanhedrin; and yet, God the Holy Spirit used the exact words from Caiaphas to state the gospel of Jesus Christ, to prophesy that Jesus would die for our sins.  This is an excellent illustration of the "Dual Authorship of Scripture" (where the human author means one thing by the words that he writes; and God the Holy Spirit means something else, by using those same words).  Therefore, I have updated this doctrine with this additional passage.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 8/21/2016.
  • Genesis 46 Jacob’s Entire Family in Egypt (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) Posted 8/19/2016

    As Jacob (Israel) travels toward Egypt, he stops off in Beersheba to offer up sacrifices to the Revealed God, and God appears to Jacob and tells him that it is okay to be leaving the Land of Promise and moving to Egypt.

    A list of all the males descended from Jacob, along with the two females, are given. His wives are also named.

    Joseph meets his father Jacob after 20 years.

    Joseph gives his family instructions in case Pharaoh asks them about their livelihoods.

    Basic Hebrew exegesis, 3 original translations, and 90+ translations. The notes from Genesis are transferred over.
  • Genesis 45 Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brothers (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    Because Judah offers up himself for Benjamin (Gen. 45), Joseph, known to his brothers as the prime minister of Egypt, can no longer hide his identify from his brothers. He reveals himself to them. He explains to them how, despite their actions against him 20+ years ago, God had a purpose in all of it, which purpose is being fulfilled before their very eyes—delivering them and Egypt from the great famine.

    Joseph invites his entire family to live with him in Egypt because of the great famine. His brothers return to Canaan to fetch their father Jacob.

    Basic Hebrew exegesis, 3 original translations, and 90+ translations. The notes from Genesis are transferred over.
  • Genesis 1-40 are all updated (3 chapters did not need updating); Genesis 41-44 added 8/4/16.  Some of these are basic exegesis files; and some of them have the 90+ translations included.  To access, go to: Genesis Links  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (Folder) (which includes basic information about uploaded files Genesis 1-44).
  • Deuteronomy 16 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)    3 Feasts; Choosing Judges;Outlawing Idolatry

    Posted June 23, 2016.  In Deut. 16, Moses spends most of this chapter discussing the 3 feasts which require a gathering of the people of Israel to one place. Then, from the feasts, which represent communion with God, Moses speaks of choosing judges and officials throughout the new land, who, they themselves, represent God’s judgment to the people.

    Moses then speaks of idolatry, which is not allowed, and represents the greatest violation of the laws of God.

    Doctrines covered in this chapter: The Passover; the Feast of Unleavened Bread; the Feast of Weeks; and the Feast of Booths. Jesus as our Passover; the Asherah and Idolatry.
    deuteronomylinks.gif


    Important topics and discussions found in this chapter: the misguided JEPD theory (that the Law of Moses was not written by Moses but by a variety of people, aka Documentary Hypothesis); since the United States provides both the gospel and Bible teaching, a discussion about opening up our borders to all who want to come here; the forgiveness taught to the Jews in Scripture as opposed to century-old grudges held by Muslims; revolutionary equality before God (slaves were encouraged to come to the feasts); revolutionary concepts of justice (which we take for granted today); the Holy Spirit as the Divine Editor of Scripture; alleged similarities to contemporary heathen feasts; and how a good judicial system contributes and encourages prosperity in a nation.


    Deuteronomy 16:19 (NIV) (a graphic); from twitter.com; accessed June 20, 2016.


    Like nearly every chapter in Scripture, there are practical applications to our lives today; and there is clearly a connection between the concepts of justice found in this chapter and our judicial system that we have today in the United States. 247 pages.

  • If you are ordering lessons from R. B. Thieme, Jr. ministries, and you need a document that you can edit to keep track of what you have ordered and what you have listened to:                R. B. Thieme, Jr. lessons list that can be edited.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (DOC)
  • In case you want to see if Bob exegeted a particular passage or subject, it can be found here in several different formats. R. B. Thieme, Jr. All Lesson Summaries (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (DOC) 581 pages (6/21/2016)
  • Additional maps, text and/or formatting added to the following documents: Introduction to Joshua (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The Book of Numbers   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).  Introduction to Deuteronomy  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)Deuteronomy 2  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  6/19/2016
  • Exodus 4  (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  Uploaded 6/13/16 Basic Hebrew exegesis and original translations.

    Exodus 4 is simply a continuation of Ex. 3. Moses is still out in the desert speaking to God. When God tells Moses what He wants him to do, Moses objects, eloquently arguing that he is too inarticulate to speak before Pharaoh and bring him God’s message. God tells Moses that his brother is able to talk, so he will be the spokesman for Moses, who is the spokesman for God; and, oh by the way, Aaron is on his way right now to meet Moses.

    Moses and Aaron meet, then go to the elders of the sons of Israel and convince them that God knows of their difficulties and that He has visited the sons of Israel. 143 pages.
  • A verse-by-verse study of Exodus has just begun.  Right now just the bare-bones exegesis of Exodus 1-3 are posted (word-by-word exegesis, 3 translations, and very basic commentary).  Access is through Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD), which includes access to a 450 page exegesis of the entire book.  It will probably be several years before the complete exegesis of any chapter is posted.  6/9/16
  • The Levirate Marriage Arrangement (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 6/6/2016.  This is a fairly obscure marriage arrangement found in the Bible, which has gained some notoriety in, of all places, the gay marriage movement.  Gay marriage advocates made the argument, there are a bunch of weird marriage arrangements found in the Bible.  Since they are in the Bible, that means that Christians and Jews believe that such marriages must be from God.  Gay marriage is no more weird than any of these arrangements, so Christians and Jews should support gay marriage."  The distortions of the gay marriage movement have been already discussed in Marriage Alternatives in the Bible (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The custom of levirate marriage is discussed in greater detail, so that it is obvious that this sort of marriage was (1) probably not original with God and (2) of great benefit to women in the ancient world.  9 pages.
  • Documentary Hypothesis (also known as the JEPD Theory)  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD)  Many years ago, some theologians had been convinced that no one wrote during the era of Moses, and, therefore, they needed a theory to explain his writings.  The theory that was developed was quite convoluted, as in involved several sets of people or individuals who wrote at various times (hundreds of years after Moses was alive), the books which became the Pentateuch.  Later others wove these narratives together; and, ultimately, sold these writings as having come from Moses, hundreds of years later, even though they would have suddenly appeared on the scene.  This convoluted and preposterous theory is still taught today in many seminaries.  Although this doctrine has been posted on my website for many years, this is a major update with a great deal of additional material added.  This study is not for most people; but, if you have ever questioned the Mosaic authorship of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, this study may help to answer questions that you may have.  Posted 6/3/2016. 12 pages.
  • 1Kings 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).updated with information from Deut. 17 5/20/2016.
  • Deuteronomy 17 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)           Laws for Idolatry, the Death Penalty,a Higher Court, a King

    Uploaded 5/19/2016.  Deut. 17 is simply a continuation of Deut. 16, somewhat arbitrarily divided. Moses continues speaking to a number of mostly unrelated issues (although one can sense a train of thought): Moses speaks of the sort of sacrifice which is unacceptable, and, having spoken about the right way to worship God, he then speaks of those who are idolaters, who are subject to penalty of death for their idolatry. One must be careful here—Israel was not to execute someone merely on the
    deut17trans.jpg

    testimony of a single person. That leads, logically, to the courts, and how sometimes and issue might come before the court that was impossible for a judge to decide. He was given the option to take this case to a higher court, with the understanding that he must obey and enforce the decision of the higher court. That is essentially the exercise of executive power, which brings to mind the idea of a king—the next topic that Moses explores in this chapter.

    A reasonable question to ask is, since God knew that the Israelites would eventually demand a king, why did He not just let them have Moses and then Joshua as their first two kings? The exegesis of Deut. 17 will clearly answer this question.

    This same section has been criticized as having been added hundreds of years later, in order to justify the concept of a king in Israel (some people cannot accept the idea of prophecy in the Bible and they reject it every time they come across it). I will demonstrate that no one added to the Word of God here, and provide not only a doctrine lifted from Dr. Bob Utley, but provide additional logical arguments to show that adding a passage like this to the Bible would be impossible to do.

    There is also a question about the king and war horses. There is a verse in this chapter (Deut. 17:16) which seems to indicate that a king over Israel should not have a cavalry. This will be explained correctly; along with an excellent up-to-date application. I am unaware of any commentator explaining this verse correctly, let alone give it an application that we can all understand.

    Sometimes, in just a few words, Moses conveys some amazing truths. The book of Deuteronomy is a great advance on the concept of inspiration of Scripture; and what he says here in this chapter—and you will miss it if you simply read through the chapter—is he equates his own words with the words of God. This is the same Moses, in the book of Exodus, is so careful to distinguish what God says from everything else.

    How do you understand the laws found in the Torah, and apply them to client nation United States? Many believers struggle with this. What do we disapprove of? What laws do we follow? Are there laws that we can disregard in the United States today? Deut. 17 talks about a king, limiting his wives, gold and silver, and horses. Is there any application of this to today’s world? A discussion of this is begun.

    Doctrines covered in this chapter: the Death Penalty in the Mosaic Economy; the Doctrine of Separation; the Doctrine of the Priesthood; the Doctrine of Authority;

    Interesting discussions include: Global Warming as today’s Gaia Religion; Papal infallibility (there is claim that a verse in this chapter affirms this false doctrine); the Concepts of Inspiration and the Recognition of the Old and New Testament Canons as an organic process; How easy would it have been to change the Bible around later on in history (adding a few verses here and there); What is the place of the United States in today’s world; the title of Deuteronomy; and Applying the Torah to Modern Nations today.

    A sincere attempt is made with each chapter of the Word of God to find parallels in today’s society or in today’s political system. Since the Bible is the Word of God, we should expect to often find passages which have application to our lives here and now. 269 pages.

  • Marriage Alternatives in the Bible (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 4/19/2016.  The picture on the right has been distributed throughout the internet, to hundreds if not thousands of web pages. What it purports to do is list a number of different marriage configurations which are found in the Bible. Their purposes for this graphic are: (1) to shake the faith of thAlternate marriages in
                                          the Biblee believer; and (2) to sell gay marriage (which this movement has renamed marriage equality). What they are not interested in is truth. What the Bible really says about the alternate marriages listed is not of any interest to these people. No one is going to read this examination of alternate marriages in the Bible and say, “Oops, got that one wrong. Let me redo this graphic to reflect that.” The study which follows is for believers; this is an examination of these passages for any believer who saw this graphic and perhaps was a little shaken by it.  This doctrine has been updated with a better explanation of the Levirate Marriage from the viewpoint of the woman.  This is a strange custom in ancient societies, and it is rarely understood because it is explained from the male viewpoint.  When we look at this from the woman's viewpoint, this custom becomes much easier to understand.  I believe that this is a unique approach.
  • 1Kings 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).              Solomon’s Cabinet, Kingdom and Wealth
    kings_links2.gif

    1Kings 4 stands out because it is not really a continuation of the narrative of 1Kings 1–3, but gives an overview of the reign of Solomon. His chief officers and captains are named, along with their responsibilities. We also get a feel for the tremendous operation that the government of Solomon was. It was very well organized and quite large (because the population of Israel was large). We learn both of Solomon’s great wisdom and of the wonderful prosperity of that era.

    1Kings 4:25 (a graphic); from A Little Perspective; accessed April 15, 2016.

    Because Solomon’s wisdom is compared to that of other ancients, we take a brief look at some ancient wisdom literature. Afterwards, you should have an appreciation for the depth of the wisdom of the Scriptures as well as for the preservation of Scriptures from this same era.

    This would be such an easy chapter to skim through in 3 minutes and go directly to chapter 5, but this is quite an amazing and inspiring chapter. There were a number of times I was inspired to make observations and applications quite pertinent to the day in which we live. In fact, rarely do I come upon a chapter with so many applications to our lives today. For instance, why were Americans so happy in the 1950's and early 1960's, but are so miserable today, even though we have so much more stuff today than we did then? This study helps us to understand that. Another application to today is, what does a good leader do with his military during peacetime? This is something that liberal America deals with constantly, hoping to reduce the military footprint and shift all of the money over to the government to distribute.

    There is a very important question to discuss: How could Solomon be so wise and the country so prosperous, to all of a sudden, go to crap at the end of Solomon’s reign. What happened. What happened to Solomon’s wisdom; and why did this great nation enjoying great prosperity suddenly sputter and come to a halt?


    Solomon’s leadership teaches us a great deal about leadership in American today; what did he do that was right? How can we imitate Solomon today? 292 pages.

  • 1Kings 3 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded March 16, 2016.

    1kings3trans.jpg

    In 1Kings 3, God speaks to Solomon in a dream, and offers to fulfill whatever request that he has of God. Solomon asks for wisdom. God approves of his choice and tells Solomon that he will receive much more than that.

    The last half of 1Kings 3 is the famous court case of two women coming before Solomon, each claiming to be the mother of the same child.

    Solomon, in many ways, is defined by this chapter. He asks wisdom from God and receives it; and this gives us the opportunity to discuss what happened. In the future, Solomon will become a failure near the middle or end of his reign as king—so we have to figure out, if God gave him wisdom, how could he fail?

    We studied the doctrine of prostitution, which, interestingly enough, I could not find on any doctrinal site.

    We took the opportunity to discuss the nature of worship in Israel and why neither David nor Solomon brought the Ark of God to the Tent of Meeting, and placed it inside, as God originally designed it to be. 241 pages

  • The High Places  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) updated 2/28/2016.  Although we often associate the "high places" with heathen worship; it is not always used in this way.  9 pages
  • Proverbs 10 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Righteousness versus Wickedness; Wisdom versus Folly

    Chapter 10 begins a whole new section in the book of Proverbs. We think of proverbs as pithy, self-contained sayings which illustrate fundamental truths (often establishment truths). This is what we find in Prov. 10, a chapter primarily of antithetical distichs.

    Because of the nature of the proverb, it is much more difficult to organize Prov. 10 (although some sections of this chapter lend themselves to organization). There is no simple approach like, this is the section on wisdom, this is the section on love, etc. At no time did I come across a person who organized a chapter, and remarked, “Okay, I get it; that makes sense.”

    A word should be said about the concentrated study of the remainder of Proverbs: don’t. I found this one chapter to be quite exhausting. Footnote When it comes to the study of this material, you may want to limit yourself to a chapter at a time, or a particular topic, or, on occasion, a simple read through.

    Furthermore, whereas, a pastor might reasonably teach Prov. 1–9 as a cohesive unit over a period of months or years; that same pastor would not serve his congregation well to cover the rest of Proverbs in a similar fashion. With the remainder of Proverbs, it is better taught a chapter at a time, or taught from the standpoint of a particular subject area.

    Consider it a very rich food. It is wonderful in small doses, but it is not to be taken as the entire meal.

    I have introduced two new summary tables in this chapter. Each half of each verse has a message. If there were 3 or more commentators which had something interesting to say about the verse, I gathered them into a table. When it was possible, I ended the table with a list of illustrations from Bullinger.

    At the end of each verse—and proverbs really lend themselves to this approach—I have listed perhaps a half-dozen translations, some various commentators on the entire verse, and then complete the table with a list of some parallel verses (because there is generally a contrast of ideas in each proverb, parallel verses may speak to one half or the other of the proverb).

    If you wanted information or inspiration on a particular proverb, these tables would be the place to go for a quick summary (they may also be accessed at the Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines links).


    As in Prov. 1, I probably went overboard with the quotations of other commentators, registering over 800 footnotes. Someday, I will need to go back and weed some of these out and perhaps edit out as much as 100 pages. In any case, the idea is to provide as much relevant material as possible, so that you can read and understand each proverb.

    There are a plethora of topics found in this chapter as well as doctrines from the Word of God. Topics found: Advising the Pastor-teacher about teaching this portion of Proverbs; Wealth (the complications of; and believer and unbeliever and wealth); Work, the Work Ethic; work and the believer; European Socialism; Laziness and Television; Personal Integrity; Gay Marriage and the Believer; Hatred; Love Covers all Sins; True Knowledge; Laying Up Knowledge; Material Wealth; the Proper Use of Wealth; Life Comes with Rules; Believers and Verbal Sins; the Blessing of God; Hostility Toward Wealth; Lengthen Lives, Shortened Lives; and Expectations of Life. Doctrines presented: Antithetical Parallelism; Wealth; Diligence and Prosperity; Redeeming the Time; the Variety of Spiritual Gifts; Wealth and Poverty; Authority; Sins of the Tongue; the Way of God; and the Problem Solving Devices. Quite obviously, there are far more topics and doctrines found in this chapter as compared to most.

    There are four discussions in this study which are quite important:

    proverbs_links6.gif

    Gay Marriage and the Believer; Dealing with Sin in Your Home or Around the Church; the Varieties of Spiritual Gifts, and Life Comes with Rules. All of these discussions relate directly to your individual life and the things that you say and do when interfacing with friends, family members and business associates.


    Every attempt has been made to make this a self-contained unit where all the information you need to find on Prov. 10 are found in this document. 410 pages.

  • Liberalism, Conservatism and Christianity, updated 2/15/2015   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).  This doctrine covers such topics as Abortion, Anti-Semitism, Atheism, Change, Conservation and Nature, Education, Eminent Domain, Environmentalism, Evolution, Gay Rights, Homosexuality, Global Warming, Government Regulations, Guantanamo Bay Prison for Enemy Combatants, Homelessness, Income Inequity, Income Redistribution, Inheritance Tax, Islam, Islam and Child Sacrifice, Land Ownership—National, Land Ownership—Personal, Marriage, The Military, Missionary Activity, Morality, National Threats, Nationalism versus Internationalism, Nuclear Disarmament, Patriotism, Political Activism, Poverty, Racial Issues, Reparations, Revolution, Separation of Church and State, Socialism, Taxation, Taxing the Rich, War, The Work Ethic.  These issues are covered briefly, giving the general liberal position, the general conservative position, and then what the Bible says.  There is also a 29 page addendum where some of these issues are explored in more depth, as the format--side by side columns--does not lend itself to an in depth approach to each topic.  Everything is hyperlinked, so it is easy to go to whatever contemporary issue interests you.  Recently added: eminent domain, the family unit, gun control, transgender issues, and wealth inequality. 70 pages.
  • The Doctrine of Socialism  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  updated and expanded 2/15/2016.  We face several great attacks today on Christianity and the Laws of Divine Establishment: (1) Communism and socialism; (2) Humanism and modern American culture; (3) Islam.  A form of socialism is first found in the Bible (there is no new thing under the sun); in our American history (before the time of Karl Marx); and it appears that our country is heading toward socialism.  Therefore, it is important to understand what this ideology is all about and what does the Bible say about it.  A current news article about current conditions in socialist Europe has been added. 15 pages.
  • Miscellaneous Types in Genesis (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 2/11/2016.  In studying the book of Genesis, we have come across several types of Christ.  A "type" is a person, event or institution that looks forward to Jesus Christ, and portrays some aspect (s) of His Person.  These are never trivial parallels, but often reveal, in part, the unique aspects of the Lord's Person.  "You pore over the Scriptures [= the Old Testament] because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me," said Jesus to the religious types on the Sabbath (John 5:39; Berean Study Bible).  Abraham's servant and Melchizedek are both presented here as types.  Also included is a set of links to other types which have already been posted.  The study of the tremendous amount of typology found in the early books of the Bible often serves to confirm the Reality of Jesus Christ, His Divine nature, and His Divine purpose, to die for our sins.  Typology is difficult to study objectively and still reject the inspiration of the Bible.
  • Benjamin as a Type of Christ.  Benjamin in his birth was given two names, one by his mother who died; and one by his father who lived.  These names and his birth look forward to the Person of Christ and His two natures.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 2/11/2016.
  • The Doctrine of Rape (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 2/10/2016.  There is a great deal of confusion about rape and the Bible; and there are even those who think that, man was so primitive then, that raping a woman and then making her your wife was the order of the day.  This study dispels such notions; and refers to actual passages in Scripture which deal with rape.  There are two cultural differences in the Old Testament era which are often ignored: (1) Women were rarely raped in that era because women were not allowed to run around with men at an early age.  In fact, very often, women might find themselves promised to a man from a very young age.  (2) As a result, there is no word for rape in the ancient Hebrew.
  • Basic Exegesis Series; AKA Genesis Lessons #301-380. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  We begin these lessons by following Jacob, for the most part.  He cheats his twin brother Esau out of a blessing from Isaac, and then, because of the anger of Esau, finds that he must leave the land of promise.  Jacob works for his uncle Laban outside of Canaan, and marries Laban's two daughters.  In this set of lessons, we examine the doctrines of Hatred, Emotions, Heart, Emotional Revolt, Reversionism, the Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments, Christian Giving, Biblical Marriage, Alternative Forms of Marriage in the Bible.  We also examine many of the so-called Bible contradictions, the Uniqueness of the Bible, Why Moses Did Not Write Genesis, the Reasons Why Genesis was Written at the Time of the Events of Genesis, Humility, Jacob and Esau, Rape in the Bible, God's 6 Appearances to Jacob, Benjamin as a Type of Christ, and the Parallels between Jacob the Man and Israel the Nation. Some of these doctrines are unique to this study, and found nowhere else.  2/10/16
  • A verse-by-verse study of Exodus has just begun.  Right now just the bare-bones exegesis of Exodus 1 and Exodus 2 are posted (word-by-word exegesis, 3 translations, and very basic commentary).  Access through Exodus Links (HTML)  (PDF).  It will probably be several years before the complete exegesis of any chapter is posted.  1/31/16
  • Proverbs 1–9 Introduction A Father’s Advice to His Son: Become Wise (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).


    Word Cloud for Proverbs 1–9 (ESV) 

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    Although there is a lot of material from other commentators, there is also material in this introduction which is unique to this study, including Jesus Christ in Proverbs 1–9 and God in Proverbs 1–9.

    This document includes discussion of the vocabulary of Prov. 1–9, quite a number of outlines of these first 9 chapters (some simple and some quite complex), an overview of the format found in these 9 chapters along with some treatment of the translations used and why they are classified as they are, and the authorship specifically of these first 9 chapters.

    Also included is a full translation of these first 9 chapters.

    Even though I am not completely happy with my organization of this material, dividing up the introduction to this section of Proverbs from the rest of Proverbs is the correct thing to do. 71 pages.

  • Proverbs 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). The Banquets of Lady Wisdom and Madam Folly

    Uploaded 12/15/2015.

    Chapter 9 presents the final arguments of both Lady Wisdom and Mistress Folly, and completes the first section of the book of Proverbs.


    Confused Human Viewpoint:

    Khalil Gibran: Pain and foolishness lead to great bliss and complete knowledge, for Eternal Wisdom created nothing under the sun in vain. Footnote

    Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author: Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom. Footnote

    Foolishness:

    Mark Slouka, American novelist: It's a race between your foolishness and your allotted days. Good luck. Footnote

    Rumi: You know the value of every article of merchandise, but if you don't know the value of your own soul, it's all foolishness. Footnote

    Sophocles: Foolishness is indeed the sister of wickedness. Footnote


    Interestingly enough, the first proverbs actually found in the book of Proverbs are found in this chapter. There are 3 proverbs of wisdom and 1 proverb of foolishness.

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    Proverbs 9:8 (The NIV) (a graphic); from Wife Begins; accessed December 12, 2015. This is one of the 3 proverbs of wisdom.

    Wisdom and Folly pursue the same categories of young men, but with very different intentions. Wisdom seeks to provide what is lacking, to repair the deficiency; whereas, Folly seeks to exploit that deficiency. Wisdom is there for the benefit of the young man; Folly is there to achieve her own ends. Wisdom looks to extend the life of those influenced by her; Folly seeks to end to lives of those who follow her.


    There is certainly more going on than a morality play here. Mistress Folly represents human viewpoint and cosmic thinking; and she is always pursuing the souls of men. In this world, the key to life, is what you think. Satan always wants your thinking to be opposed to God’s. This cannot be over-emphasized this more. 161 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Scoffing (or, Scorn) (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 12/6/2015.  The scoffer not only rejects the offer of grace of God and entry into the plan of God, but he makes fun of those who believe this.  When given the opportunity, he will scorn and mock such people.  This 4 page doctrine will be a part of the Proverbs 9 exegesis (when posted).
  • Liberalism, Conservatism and Christianity, updated 12/6/2015   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).  This doctrine covers such topics as Abortion, Anti-Semitism, Atheism, Change, Conservation and Nature, Education, Eminent Domain, Environmentalism, Evolution, Gay Rights, Homosexuality, Global Warming, Government Regulations, Guantanamo Bay Prison for Enemy Combatants, Homelessness, Income Inequity, Income Redistribution, Inheritance Tax, Islam, Islam and Child Sacrifice, Land Ownership—National, Land Ownership—Personal, Marriage, The Military, Missionary Activity, Morality, National Threats, Nationalism versus Internationalism, Nuclear Disarmament, Patriotism, Political Activism, Poverty, Racial Issues, Reparations, Revolution, Separation of Church and State, Socialism, Taxation, Taxing the Rich, War, The Work Ethic.  These issues are covered briefly, giving the general liberal position, the general conservative position, and then what the Bible says.  There is also a 29 page addendum where some of these issues are explored in more depth, as the format--side by side columns--does not lend itself to an in depth approach to each topic.  Everything is hyperlinked, so it is easy to go to whatever contemporary issue interests you.  Recently added: gun control and transgender issues. 66 pages.
  • Proverbs 8 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Wisdom Calls Out

    Prov. 8 is offered up in contrast to Prov. 7. In Prov. 7, we had the temptation of the immoral adulteress, calling out to the young man in the night; but in Prov. 8, we have Lady Wisdom calling to all believers from the most public places. We are warned as to the dangers of hooking up with the married woman (who represents false doctrine and human viewpoint thinking) in Prov. 7; we are encouraged to take advantage of the wisdom of God, which is offered to us in Prov. 8 (however, we do not acquire wisdom overnight).

    We studied a variety of doctrines in this chapter, including The Wisdom of God; 2 Doctrines of Evil; Grace Apparatus for Perception; Fear of the Lord; the Concept of Divine Institutions; the Fifth Divine Institution (Human government); the Royal Family Honor Code; the Trinity in the Old Testament; the Omniscience of God; the Water Cycle and the Bible; and the Dual Authorship of the Scriptures.

    There are several very important topics discussed in detail in this exegetical study: the Dual Authorship of Scriptures (and what that applies); the great availability of Bible doctrine in this day and age (and how it is being rejected, even in the United States); and how the Bible accurately refers to scientific phenomenon from time to time.

    For believers who do not really understand the importance of reaching maturity so that quality divine good can be produced, an excellent illustration is given to explain why this is of the utmost importance.

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    We saw many applications of the principles found in this chapter to modern politics (specifically, the dishonest language of President Obama); and the importance of Bible doctrine to the founding fathers. 340 pages.
    Lady Wisdom by Adam Howie (apparently a photo of something that he created); from Red Bubble; accessed November 26, 2015. He sells this image to hang on the wall, to decorate the back of a laptop, or as a throw pillow. Footnote
  • The Divine Institutions (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Revised somewhat and posted 11/8/2015.  These are the 5 fundamental institutions established by God for believers and unbelievers alike. 38 pages
  • Fear of the Lord (in the Old Testament)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 11/7/2015.  The phrase "Fear of the Lord" is found throughout the Old Testament, and a few times in the New.  It is important for believers to have an understanding of what this phrase means. Quotation, graphics and a better definition added, along with a discussion of "Perfect love casts out all fear." 12 pages.
  • Proverbs 7 Seduced by the Adulterous Woman (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

    Proverbs 7 concentrates on the subject of adultery, and what the author of this chapter (probably King David) personally observed. He is teaching Bible doctrine and divine establishment principles to his sons, so that they will not make the same mistakes.

    Quotations:

    J. Vernon McGee: This young man is taking a walk down the wrong street. Footnote

    Henry Scougal: Youth is a time of life wherein we have too much pride to be governed by others, and too little wisdom to govern ourselves. Footnote

    Julian Lennon: Dad could talk about peace and love out loud to the world, but he could never show it to the people who supposedly meant the most to him: his wife and son. How can you talk about peace and love and have a family in bits and pieces - no communication, adultery, divorce? You can't do it, not if you're being true and honest with yourself. Footnote

    Besides the topic of adultery, there seems to be a parallel narrative occurring under the surface—the lure and flattery from the adulterous woman, is much like the lure and flatter of false doctrine, human viewpoint, and cosmic thinking. The parallels are remarkable.
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    Included in this study is a new look at the Edification Complex Structure, having both a man-ward and a God-ward view; the Doctrine of Adultery; a Parallel Interpretation of Proverbs 7; and a very important new doctrine: Why didn't God just give us a simple list of what to do and what not to do?


    Like all previous studies, there will be up-to-date applications to the events of today, so that you can take the doctrine from the Bible and apply it to what we observe every day. 191 pages.
  • The Sin unto Death (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Updated 10/18/2015.  The sin unto death is not a particular sin, but the final stage of discipline for the believer whose life has gone awry.  Some graphics and two additional related doctrines were added.  I originally found the Doctrine of the Sin unto Death posted in 3 different places, and in each case, it seemed incomplete.  The bulk of this doctrine is compiled from those 3 places.  8 pages.
  • The Doctrine of Work (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 10/8/2015.  This is one of the most important doctrines found in the Word of God for this generation, and yet has been so often ignored by our churches.  Work is the second divine institution; Adam worked in the Garden when he was without sin; and Adam worked on the earth after the Fall.  The Bible many times affirms the importance of hard work; the Bible never presents sloth as a viable alternative.  As a divine institution, this is true for believers and unbelievers alike.  In client nation United States year of our Lord 2015, it is clear that we as a nation are on the decline, and one of those tell-tale signs is the massive number of people who are no longer working.  So many are on welfare, section 8 housing, unemployment, disability and retirement (the Bible never speaks of the glories of retirement).  As I write this, 94 million Americans, out of a population of 220 million or so, are not working and are not looking for a job--and yet one political party calls our for more welfare and food stamps!  Whereas the Bible clearly urges charity toward the poor, it does not advocate that nearly half of a nation's population ought to be supported by the other half.  This is an outstanding study, primarily pulled from the exegesis of Proverbs 6 (but more will be added to this doctrine as time passes).  (This is not the Doctrine of Works) 46 pages.
  • Proverbs 6 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 10/6/2015 

    John Ortberg: Sloth is the failure to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done - like the kamikaze pilot who flew seventeen missions.

    Jon Foreman: Greed, envy, sloth, pride and gluttony: these are not vices anymore. No, these are marketing tools. Lust is our way of life. Envy is just a nudge towards another sale. Even in our relationships we consume each other, each of us looking for what we can get out of the other. Our appetites are often satisfied at the expense of those around us. In a dog-eat-dog world we lose part of our humanity.

    Ronald Reagan (I think this was in response to his taking naps during his presidency): I've heard that hard work never killed anyone, but I say why take the chance? 

    Judge Roy Moore: When we forget God, we lose the only true basis for morality and ethics, and we are cast upon the shifting sands of moral relativism in which anything goes, including lying, cheating and stealing.

    Gary North: The predictability and impartiality of biblical law are to undergird the social order. All those who break the law are subject to its penalties. This points to the final judgment. God does not “grade on a curve.” Paul wrote: “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).


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    Unlike the previous chapters of Proverbs, Prov. 6 covers a wide range of topics, although one can certainly see a relationship between each topic going into the next. (1) In life, we all accumulate debt; we all are under a variety of obligations. David tells Solomon to honor his obligations; what he says binds him to that thing. (2) David then speaks about the importance of hard work, and talks about the ant and his industriousness (obviously, David did not own a house cat as a pet). (3) The man who does not work hard is covered in the next section, the worthless man. (4) Obviously God does not care for laziness; but the things which He hates are then listed. (5) An oft-time repeated refrain of Proverbs is for the hearer/reader to pay attention to the doctrinal teaching of his parents and keep that in his soul at all times. Knowing Bible doctrine and divine establishment principles, (6) keeps a man from getting involved with the wrong women and (7) keeps a man from committing adultery.

    As an aside, the reference work on ants was fascinating to me.

    There is a marked difference between the way a father relates to his son and how a mother does. This difference explains why so many children raised without a father grow up to be little thugs (and sometimes, lifetime thugs). Hidden in this study is how mothers and fathers raise their children differently; and what a single mother must do in order to keep that from happening.

    If you teach your children properly, then they will respect hard work and they will be willing to work hard. They will avoid premarital sex and intoxicants. As a result, most children of believers grow up to be materially successful. A portion of this study is devoted to living the spiritual life in a material world. Although I draw upon a great many sources and include a great deal of commentary within this document, there is nearly always be information unique to this commentary. One thing which I have not read elsewhere is the spiritual application of surety (the first 5 verses of this chapter). However, there is an application. Surety foreshadows where we should place our own faith.

    Doctrines covered in Proverbs 6: The Doctrines of Work, Evil, Pride, Murder, Lying, and Adultery. Also, The Western Work Ethic; Living the Spiritual Life in a Material World.

    Important studies in this chapter: The importance of living up to your word and to the agreements which you sign; the importance of working.

    There are a great many applications of this chapter to modern life, including the concept of evil and an example of someone who embodies evil. Modern examples of arrogance and sowing discord among brothers are given. Also, a great (and relevant) Peanuts cartoon. 290 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Socialism  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  updated and expanded 10/4/2015.  We face several great attacks today on Christianity and the Laws of Divine Establishment: (1) Communism and socialism; (2) Humanism and modern American culture; (3) Islam.  A form of socialism is first found in the Bible (there is no new thing under the sun); in our American history (before the time of Karl Marx); and it appears that our country is heading toward socialism.  Therefore, it is important to understand what this ideology is all about and what does the Bible say about it.  A graphic and some additional text has been added.
  • Liberalism, Conservatism and Christianity, updated 10/4/2015   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).  This doctrine covers such topics as Abortion, Anti-Semitism, Atheism, Change, Conservation and Nature, Education, Eminent Domain, Environmentalism, Evolution, Gay Rights, Homosexuality, Global Warming, Government Regulations, Guantanamo Bay Prison for Enemy Combatants, Homelessness, Income Inequity, Income Redistribution, Inheritance Tax, Islam, Islam and Child Sacrifice, Land Ownership—National, Land Ownership—Personal, Marriage, The Military, Missionary Activity, Morality, National Threats, Nationalism versus Internationalism, Nuclear Disarmament, Patriotism, Political Activism, Poverty, Racial Issues, Reparations, Revolution, Separation of Church and State, Socialism, Taxation, Taxing the Rich, War, The Work Ethic.  There are 35+ pages on these issues, giving the general liberal position, the general conservative position, and then what the Bible says.  There is also a 29 page addendum where some of these issues are explored in more depth, as the format--side by side columns--does not lend itself to an in depth approach to each topic.  Everything is hyperlinked, so it is easy to go to whatever contemporary issue interests you.  Recently added: more links, more text and more graphics.
  • Genesis Lessons #301-360. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 9/30/2015.  We begin these lessons by following Jacob, for the most part.  He cheats his twin brother Esau out of a blessing from Isaac, and then, because of the anger of Esau, finds that he must leave the land of promise.  Jacob works for his uncle Laban outside of Canaan, and marries Laban's two daughters.  20 years after moving the Paddan-Aram,  Jacob leaves (as per the directive of God), taking his wives and children with him.  His Uncle Laban chases after him and catches up with him; and, soon thereafter, Jacob comes face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, Who wrestles him.  In the most recent set of lessons, we examine the doctrines of The Husband's Responsibility in Marriage and the Function of Angels.  We also studied changing societal norms, Terah's Genealogy, Rom. 8:28 in the Life of Jacob, the Meaning of Jacob's Wrestling Match, and modern-day land disputes between the Jews and the Palestinians.
  • The Sins of the Tongue (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Some material has been appended to this doctrine.  9/21/2015.
  • The Doctrine of Sin (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) is expanded with links to a variety of sins and a sin list.  This doctrine was compiled; it is not original work.  Uploaded  9/21/2015
  • Proverbs 5 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 9/4/2015. 

    David talks about one of his favorite subjects in this chapter of Proverbs: women—in particular, the right woman for any man (and, in this case, it is the right woman for Solomon, his very young son). One of the things which is fascinating is, David had 10 wives and 10 mistresses; Solomon had 1000 wives and mistresses; and yet David is teaching his son about the importance of one wife, of one relationship, of one love. This is the boundary given by God for personal and sexual love. The reason that this is fascinating is, most people like to justify themselves. Most people like to point to things that they have done and say, “You may think that I got it wrong, but what I was doing was a-okay.” But David does not do this. Solomon, in recording this information, does not do this. Both men, David by his teaching and Solomon by his recording of this information, testify to God’s plan for men and women, which is not the plan which they followed. At no time in any of their writings does either man try to justify their own mistakes. Solomon never writes, a man with one wife is blessed and a man with two is double-blessed. David never says, you know, in this line, we men of Judah have the sexual vigor of 20 men, so we need to have many women at our beck and call.

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    Much of this chapter can be taken as allegorical, which only one or two commentators have done. Furthermore, from the earliest times, a significant portion of the chapter has been incorrectly interpreted. A correct interpretation will be given, along with a complete argument as to why the previous explanation was wrong and why the explanation found here is correct.

    Doctrines covered: Wormwood; Flattery; Lusts of the Soul; Sheol; the Cosmic System; Sexual Love in Marriage; and the Sin unto Death.

    Important topics covered: Islam and Multiple Wives; The Cost of Sexual Immorality; Children being raised without fathers; Marriage and the 3rd Divine Institution; the Omniscience of God; and a Metaphorical Approach to Prov. 5.

    This is one of the most common sense and applicable chapters of the Bible. 196 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Homosexuality was updated 9/3/2015  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). The two doctrines from below, dealing with Ruth and Naomi as well as David and Jonathan, were added to the appendix.
  • Ruth 4 was updated to include a brief section on a recent perversion on the contents of the book of Ruth from the gay movement (some claim that Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi were lesbian lovers).  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)   2Samuel 1 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  was also updated with similar material (the gay movement alleges that David and Jonathon were gay lovers and possibly even married).  These silly notions are put to rest.  Updated 9/3/15.
  • The Doctrine of Lust (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 8/28/2015.  Surprisingly enough, most of the doctrinal sources that I refer to do not have the doctrine of lust.  This one is fairly basic, looking at the varieties of lusts, the Biblical passages on these various lusts, and the solution to the lust problem.  2 pages.
  • Genesis 26 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) uploaded 8/9/2015.


    William Wenstrom, Jr.: Unbelief is the failure to take into account and acknowledge the character and nature of God, His presence and His Word.

    Kukis: In this life, as believers, we have both promises and direction from God. They will never be in conflict with one another.

    Kukis: God knows our limitations and what God requires of us, we are able to do.

    Kukis: Anytime a political movement encourages mental attitude sins, you know you are in the wrong movement.

    Kukis: God blessing one man does not mean that God withholds blessing from others.

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    It ought to surprise you, as it did me, that there is a lot of application to be found in the chapter. The concept of envy is examined in great deal, along with two doctrines dealing with envy (the second one deals with envy and socialism); and there is a great deal of commentary about socialism in this study. This is done because communists in Latin America were having trouble making headway with the Catholics there, so they began to teach that Jesus favored socialism and that the Bible was all about socialism and feeding the poor and the needy (even though socialism does not actually do this, it purports to do this). So, instead of communism butting heads with Catholicism, communist principles and doctrine began to be taught as if they had come out of the Bible (this is known as liberation theology). As a result, even the most recent pope (I forget his name; I write this in 2015) has a plethora of socialistic ideas (he is from Latin America, if memory serves). Many of the doctrines and commentary in this chapter put to rest the idea that the Bible teaches socialism.

    There are 3 very similar incidents in the Bible, and this chapter examines all of them together. Because Isaac is moved around quite a bit, we study the geographic will of God as well as the will of God in general. We see that Abraham and Isaac both lived in a unique era, when all the survivors of the flood began to die out; and how that related to God’s promises to Abraham.

    Important doctrines covered: The Doctrine of Envy; the Politics of Envy; Socialism and Envy; The Relativity of Wealth; The Doctrine of Mental Attitude Sins; The Best Use of Our Time; Relocating to Go to a Doctrinal Church; Problems with the Current Democratic Party. How to Live Your Life (as a believer). Isaac in the New Testament.

    Important concepts explored: We study how God has blessed the United States; how our schools are funded. We study the dramatic change of mores in the United States where gay marriage is accepted by a majority of people; we see how an entire society can be changed by propagandizing the youth of that society. We examine the bankrupt moral system which attacks and steals from the rich and exalts the poor. We study how higher taxes on the wealthy does not make life any better for the poor. You may have noticed, when corresponding with some people, that they use the word/notation G-d. An explanation as to why they do this and why this is stupid.

    This is an outstanding and very contemporary study. This not only deals with current political movements, but also answers the question, what should I, as a believer in Jesus Christ, be doing today? 345 pages.

  • Genesis Lessons #301-350. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 7/22/2015.  We begin these lessons by following Jacob, for the most part.  He cheats his twin brother Esau out of a blessing from Isaac, and then, because of the anger of Esau, finds that he must leave the land of promise.  Jacob works for his uncle Laban outside of Canaan, and marries Laban's two daughters.  In this set of lessons, we examine the doctrines of Hatred, Emotions, Heart, Emotional Revolt, Reversionism, the Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments, Christian Giving, Biblical Marriage, Alternative Forms of Marriage in the Bible.  We also examine many of the so-called Bible contradictions, the Uniqueness of the Bible, and Why Moses Did Not Write Genesis.
  • Blessing by Association updated 7/20/2015  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Once a believer begins to mature spiritually, God begins to pour out more blessings upon that believer (called "more grace" or "greater grace").  These blessings overflow to those who are around you.  This doctrine explains and documents the concept of blessing by association.  Added was a short section of clear examples of blessing by association taken out of the Bible.
  •  The List, a 56 pages list of suggested links has been updated 7/19/15 The List  (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD).. There are 31 states with doctrinal churches in them (most of these churches are small).  By doctrinal, I mean (1) they teach the Word of God, often book by book; (2) they teach salvation by faith alone in Christ alone; (3) they teach the importance of spiritual mechanics, such as, naming one's sins to God in order to be restored to fellowship with God; (4) they teach the importance of knowing the Word of God; (5) they teach grace, dispensations, spiritual mechanics, and (6) provide you a place where you may grow spiritually.  The list of churches was updated somewhat (some of them no longer exist); and the links to online exegesis of books of the Bible was updated.  Every believer needs to be in a local church that facilitates spiritual growth and they need to learn why they are alive right now.
  • The Doctrine of Envy (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) updated 7/15/2015.  An abbreviated version of this doctrine was added, along with the Doctrine of Envy and Socialism.  Also, a number of quotations were added as well.  One of the mental attitude sins often ignored in Christian teaching is envy.  This is a sin which is actually encouraged today by those who would move us toward socialism.  We are to look to the rich and feel envious, desire their things, and therefore, promote socialism so that we might take these things from them.  Such envy is sinful, and there is no good end for those who allow their envy to rule over them unchecked.
  • The Divine Institutions (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 7/14/2015.  These are the fundamental institutions established by God for believers and unbelievers alike.  This is actually a portion of the Divine Establishment doctrine directly below.
  • Just updated: The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment 7/14/2015.   (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD)    The Laws of Divine Establishment are laws which are designed for believers and unbelievers alike.  These laws are constantly under attack.  Minor formatting update with a little editing.  This is the most complete treatment of this topic that I am aware of.
  • The Abrahamic Covenant (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded July 10, 2015 (actually, this was uploaded a year ago, but I never provided any links to it).  This is essentially taken from the Basic Exegesis Series, starting with Gen.12  15  17.  The first instance of the Abrahamic Covenant is given, followed by ancient and modern examples of "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you."  Also included is an examination of the Suzerain-Vassal treaty, Circumcision means Regeneration (circumcision was often required to show one's faith in a promise or covenant from God), and a list of God's covenants with Abraham.  Included is a graphic borrowed from Slide Share which gives an overall view of the covenants of the Old Testament.  52 pages. 
  • Genesis 25 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded July 5, 2015.


    genesis2515.gif

    Although much of Genesis 25 deals with the Arab line from Abraham, there is a great deal about Abraham in this chapter study. In fact, one very extensive section of this chapter study, delves into all of the New Testament passages where Abraham is mentioned.

    There is an excellent short section in this study called The Bible, Poverty, Inheritance, Wealth, and Spreading the Wealth Around: There has been a great deal of communist propaganda which has found its way into mainstream liberal thinking, that makes the God of the Bible to appear to be anti-wealth. Abraham, as a case history, shows that this is simply not true.

    Included is an extensive section within Gen. 25: Abraham in the New Testament (this is very much a summation of all that we have covered up to this point; as well as seeing how Abraham is referenced in the New Testament). This is simply a look at every New Testament passage where Abraham is mentioned. Within this study, we get an excellent study of a great many Christian doctrines; including at least one you have not seen before.

    Some commentary, from time to time, will appear to be very political. Such commentary teaches the laws of divine establishment; or is illustrative of a Biblical principle, which is brought into the 21st century. 100 years from now, the principles will remain the same, although the people named from contemporary history will become much less relevant to future generations.

    Like most chapters, which I cover, there will be extensive application to contemporary circumstances, philosophies and personalities. We will study or use as illustrations: President Obama, socialism, spreading the wealth, the Bible’s view of wealth, our actual history,

    We will spend a significant amount of time in the New Testament studying all of the times that Abraham is mentioned by name. This will bring into focus stories from the Bible you may have never heard—like Jesus and the short, rich tax collector. This section is very much the reason for the unusual length of this chapter.

    Regarding twin sons Jacob and Esau, Isaac and Rebekah, their parents, chose to raise them separately. Although most commentators who expressed an opinion about this was negative, I will suggest a reason why Isaac and Rebekah did what they did. This might put them in a different light for you.

    There are several extremely important doctrines and studies presented in this study: Reinterpreting Old Testament Truths (the New Testament does not supplant, overwrite, or replace the Old Testament; it provides another dimension to it that was previously hidden); The Seed of Abraham and the Life of the Believer (which is a series of parallels); Canonicity—who decided what the New Testament would be.

    We study the doctrines of the Human Soul, the Human Spirit, and Morality.

    There are also two sets of genealogies. I understand how some people may not be that interested in those sections. However, do not neglect this chapter of the Word of God because of the genealogies. There is much more to be found in this exegetical study than named above.

    This is a unique and extremely dense study of Gen. 25; it is covered nowhere else in this depth. In fact, it is remarkable to me that some commentaries, like the Bridgeway Bible Commentary, only devote 2 pages of commentary to this chapter. The idea is, you will walk away knowing about as much about Gen. 25 as is humanly possible to know. Furthermore, there are unique contributions to be found within this study of Gen. 25—things you will not read anywhere else. 400 pages.

  • The Ark of the Covenant  (HTML)  (PDF)   (WPD).  The Ark of the Covenant (also known as the Ark of God) is one of the most amazing pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle (and later in the Temple).  This doctrine includes a physical description of the Ark, false theories bout the Ark; the uniqueness of the ark; the Movement of the Ark of God; and How the Ark is a Type of Christ.  The is one of the most accessed doctrines at this site; and this represents an update on this doctrine.  Posted 6/6/2015.
  • Doctrine of the Sabbath (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 6/5/2015.  The Sabbath is clearly one of the Ten Commandments and had great meaning to the Jewish people.  Is this still a command for today?  If so, why; and if not, why not?  There is also a passage in Hebrews which reads, And there remains a Sabbath for the people of God.  That seems pretty clear.  This passage is examined and exegeted as a part of this study.
  • Deuteronomy 34 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Posted 5/30/15

    deut34exegesis.jpg

    Deuteronomy 34 is the final chapter of Deuteronomy, and it is narrative which deals with the death of Moses.

    There are some extremely important studies in this chapter: The Categories of Reasons Why Moses Will Not Go into the Land; How Moses Is a Type of Christ. Since Moses dies in this chapter, dying grace is a part of this study as well.

    Because God shows Moses the land that will be given to Moses, we study both the early boundaries of Israel and the mountains in Israel. We discussed who buried Moses (and there is a surprising consensus here).

    In some incidental studies, we compared the gospels to one another and what order they were probably written (and how this is related to this final chapter of Deuteronomy). 128 pages. 
  • The Essence of God, as per the Pentateuch.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). Posted 5/26/2015.  This is the standard doctrine of the Essence of God, but the supporting texts are taken only from the Pentateuch and the book of Job.   This shows that the God of the Old Testament--the God of the Law--is the exact same God that we worship today.
  • The Essence of God  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). This was posted some time ago, but apparently not listed before.
  • Deuteronomy 4 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 5/18/2015.


    Quotations:

     George Orwell: To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle. Footnote

    Matthew Poole: the true greatness of a nation does not consist in pomp or power, or largeness of empire, as commonly men think, but in the righteousness of its laws. Footnote

    Quotations about idolatry:

    Emilio Estevez: What I find interesting is that the people that follow your Twitters are called 'followers.' Talk about false idolatry, right?  Footnote


    Deut. 4 completes the great first sermon of Moses, east of the Jordan River, delivered before Israel is to cross over the Jordan without him. At the end of this chapter, there are two short narratives: the setting up of the cities of refuge east of the Jordan; and an introduction to Deut. 5 (which should have been placed with Deut. 5, but was not).

    There is an extremely important doctrine in this chapter entitled The Bible is Whole and Complete. Moses, in Deut. 4:2 says “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” (ESV). But Joshua writes the final chapter of Deuteronomy; Joshua then writes the book of Joshua; and then various men write the book of the Judges. So, are they not adding to the word that Moses commanded the people of God? This doctrine explains; and is a part of rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

    Contained in this examination of Deut. 4 is perhaps the best, easiest to understand outline of this chapter, which is a series of object lessons, which the Israelites were to think about and learn from.

    deut4translation.jpg
    Moses explains to this generation that they are unique—they have seen the great signs and wonders done by God and they have heard God’s voice. Therefore, they are commanded to tell all that they have seen and heard to their children and grandchildren.

    Topics discussed in this chapter: Deuteronomy and the Suzerain treaties; sexually addictive behavior and homosexuality; homosexuality prohibitions in the Bible and the mixing of divers fabrics; ancient law codes; how to determine if you are in a good church; the national greatness of Britain; why the United States has been so greatly blessed; correctly interpreting and understanding current history (current events); and chapter and verse divisions.

    Doctrines discussed in this chapter: The Fear of the Lord; Idolatry—Ancient and Modern; Categories of Reasons Why Moses Will Not Go Into the Land; and The Exclusivity of God and the Jews.

    As usual, this is the most complete examination of this chapter available. 419 pages.

  • Liberation Theology/Black Liberation Theology  (updated 5/15/15)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  A former communist spy admits that they developed Liberation Theology.  His testimony and several graphics are added.  This doctrine is examined and laid side-by-side orthodox Christian Doctrine.
  • The Doctrine of War  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  updated 5/2/2015 with one of General George Patton's prayers.
  • Homosexuality and the Bible updated 5/2/2015  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  With some additional commentary on gay marriage and some relevant articles on gay marriage and gay parenting have been added.
  • Deuteronomy 3 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 3/30/2015.

    If you read Deuteronomy 3 first, you ought to have two questions: (1) how could God leave Moses behind and let the rest of Israel go into the Land of Promise? And (2) how did the Israelites defeat 60 cities in a relatively short period of time?
    deut3trans.jpg

    As in the previous chapter, much of what we find in Deuteronomy 3 is review of events which have just taken place. Everyone in attendance knows these events. Moses explains them so that their spiritual meaning will be understood.

    Moses will remind the people of the tremendous victory over Og of Bashan; how the land east of the Jordan will be give to 2½ tribes (Reuben, Gad and Manasseh), but how they must continue to help their brothers to take the land west of the Jordan River.

    Moses also reminds them that Joshua will lead them at the point of crossing the Jordan and forward; he will lead them into victory over the peoples of Canaan. And they can look back on what God has done for them recently in order to have confidence that God will continue to be with them in battle. Moses himself will not go forward. He will die east of the Jordan River, never having set foot in the Land of Promise.


    There are many important and unique doctrines found in this chapter: Why Won’t Moses Enter the Land with the Children of Israel? And What can we as individual believers take from Moses going this far and no further? And, What are we, cops of the world? These are relatively short doctrines, but there is a lot of information and application to our lives today found in these doctrines. Also very important in the theological realm is, Why Joshua leads the people instead of Moses. There is a great deal of typology which is involved here. However, when you see it all explained, all kinds of things will make perfect sense.

  • Dishonest Anti-Bible Graphics (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/23/2015.  There are a great many dishonest graphics posted on the internet.  The internet and email has allowed for those who are against the Bible to devise cleaver anti-Bible graphics, and then to post them on facebook (or, wherever) and then allow these graphics to proliferate.           
  •  

    These graphics have become the bumper stickers of the 21st century.  They are brief enough for those with a short attention span, yet long enough to make their point.

    It is certainly reasonable to ask, why call these graphics dishonest?  After all, not everyone knows the Bible very well.  So, maybe they are just mistaken or ill-informed.  Here is why they are dishonest: if you tell the person who has posted an anti-Bible graphic where they are wrong, and correctly explain the passage, they are not going to remove the graphic.  They are not going to say, okay, I get it now; I have a better understanding now; and then delete the graphic from their personal web page or facebook page.  They will leave it up.  They leave it up because they are against the Bible.  So, it does not matter how well their mistaken notion is correctly explained to them; they are still going to leave the graphic up—which makes it, at that point, a dishonest graphic.  Their purpose is to promote their discomfort with the Bible as the Word of God; and they hope that you adopt their position as well.  They are not worried about getting this or that point of doctrine wrong.

    Many of these graphics are posted by groups who go by names like the Christian Left.  These are a mixture of people who have strong, leftist convictions.  They are liberals or socialists first; and then, whatever else, second.  Some of them have believed in Jesus Christ; some have not.  However, when a graphic that they come across and post turns out to contradict the Bible; rarely do they remove it.  Rarely do they write a retraction.  Rarely do they post next to this graphic, “I am mistaken.  This graphic which I posted presents the Bible incorrectly.”
  • Exegesis of Proverbs 4 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/10/2015. 
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    Quotations:

    1Kings 2:1–4 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, His rules, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the LORD may establish His word that He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before Me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' ” (ESV; capitalized)

    J. Vernon McGee: It was Pascal who said that human knowledge must be understood to be loved. But divine knowledge must be loved to be understood. Footnote

    Prov. 4:13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

    Judith Martin (Miss Manners): Heaven knows that Miss Manners is not against the disciplining of children. We are all born charming, frank, and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society. Footnote

    Robert Dean: Does it take a village to raise a child? This misguided notion insists that training children must be a joint effort of schools, families, and government organizations. Proverbs 4 places the teaching of good judgment and clear thinking solely on the shoulders of parents. Footnote


    This is a very unusual chapter in Scripture, as God is not named in this chapter. You can see this when you examine the Word Cloud for the translation of this chapter. However, it is still a part of the Word of God; and divine inspiration is clearly a part of Proverbs 4. This would suggest that this chapter deals mainly with the laws of divine establishment. This is true; but it also deals with the spiritual life as well.

    Black Americans used to be a powerful spiritual force in America; and now they are a drag on American society. What happened? How does Proverbs 4 help to explain what happened?

    We study how evil and sin become a part of our nature as we sin more often or commit acts of evil more often (evil may include acts of sin and acts of human good). This is presented in parallel to eating and drinking, and how the food becomes an actual part of us (just as Bible doctrine; or acts of sin and evil become a part of us).

    Topics discussed: teaching your children; the necessity of discipline; the use of the word heart in Proverbs (and the rest of the Bible); gays and gay marriage; taxing sin; the variety of gifts of the body of Christ; Proverbs 4 and Operation Z; the concepts of evil and sin; the consistency of the Bible with heart science;

    Doctrines covered: Crowns; Scriptural Promise for a Long Life; Crime and Punishment; God and Light; the Spiritual Life in the Age of Israel; Darkness; Walking, Running; Sins of the Tongue; Sin. 219 pages.

  • Just appended from Proverbs 4: The Doctrine of the Heart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and the Sins of the Tongue (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/10/2015.
  • Just added from Proverbs 4: The Doctrine of Sin (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD), the Doctrine of Walking (and Running) (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD), and the Doctrine of Darkness (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All uploaded 3/10/2015.
  • The Doctrine of Crowns (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 3/8/2015.  Taken directly from the exegesis of Proverbs4;   Most of the work was done by others (primarily by R. B. Thieme, Jr., I believe).  A small amount of texture and additional material has been added.
  • The Bible and Capital Punishment (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 3/7/2015. The Bible is very clear on its teaching on capital punishment.
  • Crime and Punishment in the Bible (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 3/7/2015.  Interestingly enough, even though the Bible spends a great deal of time discussing sin; there is much less time devoted to crime.  This is because sin stands between us and God; and crime is only a societal matter.  This is taken out of Proverbs 4. 
  • See also the Doctrine of Criminality (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • The Doctrine of Light  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). Updated 2/28/2015.  Added to this doctrine: "Sanctification, Light and the Believer" and "God and Light" (both taken out of Proverbs 4).
  • Proverbs 3 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 2/15/2015.  David continues teaching his son in Proverbs 3. This chapter could be summed up as the application of wisdom of life and its many benefits; contrasted with the lives of those who reject the wisdom of God.

    This chapter is filled with memorable passages—your favorite verse of some of your favorite verses may be found in this chapter; here are a few (and these are not the only ones):

    Proverbs 3:11–12    My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom He loves, as a father the son in whom He delights. (ESV; capitalized)

    Proverbs 3:13–18   Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,

    for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.

    She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

    Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

    Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

    She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. (ESV; capitalized)

    Gary North: Adherence to God’s laws brings visible, external benefits. These benefits are long life and plenty. Footnote

    Larsen: In the final analysis all government, all economics, all currency and banking, all institutions and all marriages, all relationships between people, are fundamentally governed by trust. Without trust, society deteriorates into paranoia, the feeling that everybody is out to get you. Footnote


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    There is a great emphasis in this chapter about the physical and mental health benefits of knowing and applying God’s knowledge to life. This will be discussed because this has both been overblown by some, and, by others, disregarded.

    One of the mysteries of this chapter is the mention of the Tree of Life. We can understand what the Tree of Life was back in Genesis and even what it means in Revelation; but what does it mean here, in the middle of a wisdom book? What is the relationship? This will be explained (as far as I know, this has not been correctly explained before).
  • The Fatherhood of God (Old Testament)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 2/5/15.  There has always been a Trinity, and even though Jewish theologians never recognized it, the Trinity is taught in the Old Testament.  Along these same lines, God is presented as the Father--not of all mankind--but as a Father of specific persons and groups in the Old Testament.  This short doctrine simply documents this truth.  The Trinity in the Old Testament   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD) was uploaded some time ago.  The doctrine of the Fatherhood of God (from both testaments) ( HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)  has already been covered and posted:
  • The Doctrine of Bones  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 2/5/15.  "Bones" are found 100x in Scripture; so it is worth our while to understand the ways in which this word is used.
  • The Doctrine of Envy (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 1/30/2015.  One of the mental attitude sins often ignored in Christian teaching is envy.  This is a sin which is actually encouraged today by those who would move us toward socialism.  We are to look to the rich and feel envious, desire their things, and therefore, promote socialism so that we might take these things from them.  Such envy is sinful, and there is no good end for those who allow their envy to rule over them unchecked.
  • The Doctrine of Socialism  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  updated and expanded 1/30/2015.  We face several great attacks today on Christianity and the Laws of Divine Establishment: (1) Communism and socialism; (2) Humanism and modern American culture; (3) Islam.  A form of socialism is first found in the Bible (there is no new thing under the sun); in our American history (before the time of Karl Marx); and it appears that our country is heading toward socialism.  Therefore, it is important to understand what this ideology is all about and what does the Bible say about it.
  • A Spiritually-Empowered Jesus Christ is our Spiritual Model  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 1/28/15.  For many years, we have heard the insipid question, what would Jesus do, posed by believers and unbelievers alike.  What Jesus did during His public ministry was multi-faceted, and few Christians fully appreciate the complexity of this.  Historically speaking, most theologians and learned believers understood that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He came to the Jewish people as their Messiah.  Most theologians and learned believers understood that He kept the Law perfectly (as well as perfectly explained the Law) and that He fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Himself.  However, Jesus also fulfilled the typology of the Old Testament, something which was not fully developed theologically until Finis Jennings Dake (1902–1987) recognized it and wrote about it.  And one of the things which Jesus did was, He was the model for our spiritual lives.  He revealed in His Own life the spiritual life for the believer today during the Church Age.  As the one who developed this doctrine, R. B. Thieme, Jr. explained, our Lord test-drove the spiritual life for us.  These general concepts have certainly been around since the Apostle Paul originally wrote about them, but they have become more fully developed in the past two centuries.
  • The List, a 55 pages list of suggested links has been updated 1/26/15 The List  (HTML)   (PDF). There are 31 states with doctrinal churches in them (most of these churches are small).  By doctrinal, I mean (1) they teach the Word of God, often book by book; (2) they teach salvation by faith alone in Christ alone; (3) they teach the importance of spiritual mechanics, such as, naming one's sins to God in order to be restored to fellowship with God; (4) they teach the importance of knowing the Word of God; (5) they teach grace, dispensations, spiritual mechanics, and (6) provide you a place where you may grow spiritually.  The list of churches was updated somewhat (some of them no longer exist); and the links to online exegesis of books of the Bible was updated.  Every believer needs to be in a local church that facilitates spiritual growth and they need to learn why they are alive right now.
  • The Doctrine of Giving (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 1/25/2015.  Giving has been greatly distorted in the Church Age.  I recall a pastor on the radio who started his 30 minute show by asking for money; and continued throughout almost the entire show, asking for money, presumably so that he could come on the radio the next day to do the same thing.  This is a great distortion of Christian giving, and this has given many unbelievers a legitimate reason to criticize various Christian churches and organizations.  Herein is a brief section on Old Testament Giving, followed by the Doctrine of Giving in the Church Age, followed by a set of links to various churches which all present an accurate view of giving--grace giving.
  • Genesis Lessons #301-425. (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 1/21/2015.  We begin these lessons by following Jacob, for the most part.  He cheats his twin brother Esau out of a blessing from Isaac, and then, because of the anger of Esau, finds that he must leave the land of promise.  In this set of lessons, we examine the doctrines of Hatred, Emotions, Heart, Emotional Revolt, Reversionism, and the Spiritual Life in the Old and New Testaments.  We also examine many of the so-called Bible contradictions as well as the Uniqueness of the Bible.
  • Genesis 24 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 1/16/2015.


    J. Vernon McGee: My Christian friend, if you have a boy or girl in your home who is marriageable, you ought to pray that he will not marry one of the "Canaanites." They are still in the land, and there is always a danger of our young people marrying one of them. If they do, as someone has put it, they are going to have the devil for their father-in-law, and they are always going to have trouble with him. Footnote

    J. Ligon Duncan on the servant who falls to the ground and worships God upon meeting Rebekah: He instantaneously falls on his face and he worships God. Success inflates the ego of the natural man, but it humbles the man of God. Footnote

    Gen. 24 is the longest chapter in the book of Genesis. Abraham calls in his chief servant and tells him to saddle up and go to Haran in the east to his extended family there and find a wife for his son Isaac. God’s promises to Abraham cannot be fulfilled unless Isaac has a wife and children.

    Gen. 24 makes us realize just how different God’s thinking is from ours. What historian would spend time with such an extended narrative about the material found in this chapter? This is simply not historical, from man’s viewpoint. However, from God’s viewpoint, this is important. Isaac must have a wife in order for the promises of Abraham to be fulfilled; and he cannot take a wife with a heathen upbringing. He could not continue the faith of Abraham unless he is helped by a life partner who thinks the same way as he does. Isaac needs a woman who also has faith in the Revealed God.

    God focuses upon what is important; and yet man often does not even see it.

    Because of the length of this chapter, I made a real effort not to include many quotations from other commentators—yet the exegesis of this chapter still ended up being nearly 400 pages.

    We study several important concepts in this chapter: that Jesus is not some brown revolutionary Who is giving away free healthcare; how slavery is not the evil which we have been brought up to think it is; how there are different kinds of slavery and some slaves held a higher social position in the eyes of others than you or I; typology and how this chapter continues and completes Isaac as a type of Christ; and there are references to Operation Fast and Furious, Benghazi, our present president and past presidents.

    We studied the doctrines of Racial Intermarriage; Angels; the 5 Divine Institutions; and Slavery. 434 pages.


  • Genesis 23 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 1/16/2015 (or so).

    Gen. 23 is one of the most enigmatic chapters of the Bible. This entire chapter seems to deal with relatively trivial information, and could be summed up in one verse: Sarah died at age 127, so Abraham purchased a plot of land with a cave from the Hittites for her grave site. There are details about Abraham’s interactions with some of the prominent Hittite men which seem excessive, to say the least. You may not realize this the first time you read this chapter; but when you read it a second time, and ask yourself, why is this chapter in the Word of God; you might find yourself hard-pressed to answer that question.

    This is quite a surprising chapter in the Bible. Gen. 22 was a landmark chapter in the Word of God, with God asking Abraham to offer up his uniquely-born son; and then, in Gen. 23, Sarah dies, and most of the chapter is devote to Abraham purchasing a plot of land with a cave where he might place her body. This is a very unusual juxtaposition of chapters, examining the mundane details of the purchase of some land in Gen. 23 as over-against the incredible narrative of Abraham offering up to God his son Isaac.

    Sometimes in a narrative, it is a good idea to look carefully at the narrative. In Gen. 23, Abraham travels to a nearby city of the Hittites to purchase a fairly large plot of land, and he will place the body of his wife in a cave which he purchases. No doubt, Abraham made 2 trips to this city—but it could have been as many as 4 trips. The text is not completely clear about this. However, a superficial reading of the text would not suggest that there was more than one meeting that took place.

    Although this seems like a very odd insertion into the Word of God, this chapter verifies the authorship of Abraham and indicates to us that, if Moses was the ultimate editor of Genesis, then he did not edit anything out; he simply added in a few references to geographical locations, giving them their ancient and updated names. It is this chapter, Gen. 24, and Jacob’s remembrances of Rachel which are very telling, and reveal to us the true authorship of the book of Genesis—that these events were recorded by the people who experienced these events. The minutiae of this chapter strongly argues against an historian like Moses assembling the chapters of Genesis some 400 years later, and including information that strikes him as important and leaving out things which seem trivial to him. If Moses assembled the final book of Genesis, he treated it with respect and did not leave any details out of it. In my opinion, the only thing that Moses (or Joshua) did, was update some of the geographical references (which obviously were added after the fact).

    Subjects covered in this chapter: the Hittites; how the people of the land of Canaan changed; business and land deals; the value of silver today; Jewish stereotypes; and the thinking and recollection of Abraham of this time.

    Doctrines covered in this chapter: Sarah’s Life; Physical Death; and Hebron. 145 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Evil (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 1/16/2015.  Evil is both the thinking and policy of Satan in his desire to become God. What stands in opposition to evil is grace, which represents both the thinking and policy of God.  Satan desires to use his policy of evil in order to influence and pervert the souls of mankind.  Evil, therefore, can be a simple distortion of God's Word and His directives.  Evil invades all aspects of thought and life as it pertains to mankind: religion, philosophy, society, etc.  Evil thinking can manifest itself in apostasy, legalism, socialism and other various human panaceas, and liberalism.
  • Typology: Abraham’s Offering of Isaac/God’s Offering of Jesus  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 1/10/2015.  Gen. 22 is one of the most amazing chapters in all of the Bible.  God comes to Abraham and asks for him to offer up his uniquely-born son, the only time that God ever calls for a human sacrifice.   This is done to set up a parallel between the offering of Isaac to the offering of our Lord for our sins.  This is an example of typology.  Isaac is the type; Jesus is the antitype.  The actual historical narrative of God asking Abraham to offer up his son is real; but it foreshadows our Lord being offered up on the cross and being judged by God the Father for our sins.  This is an amazing set of parallels, much like the birth of Isaac foreshadowed the birth of our Lord (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).
  • The Doctrine of Divine Blessings (with an emphasis on the Church Age).  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). Posted 1/4/2015.  The growing believer is always blessed by God.
  • The Dual Authorship of the Scriptures updated1/3/2015  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This doctrine was taken out of Psalm 51 (below).  All of the related doctrines and text from Psalm 51 was gathered together in order to form this doctrine.  The idea is, because there are two authors of Holy Writ, man and God the Holy Spirit, it would therefore follow that, now and again, the man thinks one thing and writes it down; but God the Holy Spirit, the co-Author, uses those exact same words to express an often related but different concept.  This, in many ways, will revolutionize the interpretation of Old Testament Scripture, particularly the psalms and the prophetic passages. Another example of Dual Authorship is provided.
  • The Doctrine of Racial Intermarriage (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated Dec. 18, 2014.   Even though there are warnings to the Jews not to intermarry with the heathen who lived around them, and warnings to the New Testament believer not to be "unequally yoked" in marriage, there is no actual ban in the Bible of intermarriage between different racial groups.  In fact, strictly speaking, we are all descended from Adam and from Noah--so that marriage always involves two people from the same family, even though they might be very distant cousins.  This doctrine examines what the Bible says about this particular topic.
  • Genesis 22 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded Dec. 13, 2014.

    Genesis 22 is one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament; and within it are some amazing events as well as amazing statements. However, there is a verse found here which almost every believer has heard, but is incorrectly translated.

    Quotations:

     J. Vernon McGee: If you were to designate the ten greatest chapters of the Bible, you would almost have to include Genesis 22...This chapter compares with Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. The first time that I saw in this chapter these great truths which depict the cross of Christ, it was breathtaking. Not only in the birth of Isaac, but now also in the sacrifice of Isaac, there is a strange similarity to the life of our Lord. Footnote

     Philippians 2:5–8 You should think about things the way Christ Jesus did. He existed in the form of God [i.e., He shared God’s very nature], but did not consider [remaining] equal with God something [to continue] to hold onto. Instead, He gave up what He had and took on the form [i.e., the nature] of a slave, becoming like a man, [and even] His appearance was found to be like a man’s. He humbled Himself [by] becoming obedient [to God] to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    In Gen. 22, God comes to Abraham and tells him to take his son to Moriah and to offer him up as a burnt offering. This begins one of the most incredible narratives in the Old Testament.

    One thing which is clearly found in this chapter is the concept of type. That is, Abraham, by offering his son Isaac as a burnt offering (and then God stopping him, and giving a ram instead to be offered) is clearly typical of God the Father judging God the Son in our stead, pouring the sins of the world upon Him.

    Doctrines discussed in this chapter: The Angel of Jehovah; The Parallels between Abraham offering Isaac and God offering His Son on the cross; Operation Footstool; the Doctrine of Typology; Escrow Blessing in the Plan of God.

    Subjects examined in this chapter: How can God ask Abraham to offer up his son? How can re reconcile this chapter of the Bible with God’s prohibitions of child sacrifice? Homosexuality and how it is portrayed on television. God’s blessings to Abraham and the timing of these blessings. The types of genealogies found in Scripture.

    We also look at the concept of foreshadowing, in both movies and in human history; one of the most well-known verses in the Bible (God will provide) is mistranslated (the way it should be translated is much more meaningful); we take an atheist interlude during this study. At the end of this chapter, we have the genealogy of Nahor—and we discuss why it is here.

    A most amazing journey, which ought to increase your faith and enhance your understanding of Who and What God is. 264 pages.

  • Alleged Bible Contradictions  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 12/10/14.  There are many websites fully or partially devoted to pointing out alleged contradictions in the Bible: The Secular Web, Evil Bible, The Thinking Atheist, and Freedom From Religion, to name a few.  Hundreds of books can be pulled up using Bible contradictions on Amazon.com.  Here, I have simply taken the first 10 or 20 contradictions listed by Evil Bible in each category, and explained them.  In most cases, the explanations were surprisingly simple.  Only 2 or 3 cases required some research.  Includes "The Uniqueness of the Bible."  35 pages.
  • Proverbs 2 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

    Dr. Thomas Constable: [Proverbs 2] emphasizes moral stability as a fruit of wisdom. Footnote

    Warren Wiersbe: Obtaining spiritual wisdom isn't a once-a-week hobby, it is the daily discipline of a lifetime. But in this age of microwave ovens, fast foods, digests, and numerous 'made easy' books, many people are out of the habit of daily investing time and energy in digging deep into Scripture and learning wisdom from the Lord. Thanks to television, their attention span is brief; thanks to religious entertainment that passes for worship, their spiritual appetite is feeble and spiritual knowledge isn't 'pleasant to [their] soul' (Proverbs 2:10). It's no wonder fewer and fewer people 'take time to be holy' and more and more people fall prey to the enemies that lurk along the way. Footnote

    From Calvary Chapel: Isn't it amazing the time we spend watching movies or television shows, the amount of time we watch sporting events, the amount of time we are on the Internet or Facebook or one of those social media sites, the amount of time we spend texting people and that list can go on-and-on! And yet, when it comes to God's Word, "I just don't have the time" we say! Solomon is telling us that you can't afford not to be in God's Word! And I am not talking about a casual reading of God's Word, but digging deep and mining out the silver nuggets that are in there!  Footnote

    Kukis: When it comes to mining for silver as an analogy to seeking out Bible doctrine,...You do not just wander over a piece of land and collect whatever bits of silver ore that might be laying there upon the surface—you dig deep and wide and you go back to places where you have mined before and you mine some more. Mining is ambitious and thorough, as your study of the Word of God ought to be.


    I had far too many quotations in Proverbs 1 and over 500 footnotes. This time, I made a conscious attempt to have as few as possible, but without cheating the reader of the information found in this chapter (there are only 160 footnotes in Prov. 2). My intention is that each chapter exegeted from the Bible stand on its own as a separate literary unit. That is, all that you need to understand in any chapter is what is found in the exegesis of it. Therefore, there are some overlapping doctrines in Prov. 1 and 2.

    Prov. 2 is a discourse from father to son. The father extols the virtues of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, and gives some of the results of having a heart filled with understanding: wisdom with come into the heart and understanding be pleasant to the soul. A man with wisdom and understanding will know how to avoid evil and how to avoid the wrong woman. In the end, those who are upright and have integrity will inhabit the earth, while the wicked will be uprooted from it.

    The doctrines studied in this chapter: the Doctrine of the Heart, the Fear of the Lord, the Doctrine of Evil, the Doctrine of Adultery, the Doctrine of Flattery, the Palestinian Covenant, and the Baptism of Fire.

    Applications in this chapter involve Alexis de Tocqueville, the day that your child asked you 50 questions, why banks and Walmart are not evil, the so-called 99%, the Ferguson riots and Jonathan Gruber.

    We study and discuss how wisdom is not a function of I.Q., storing up Bible doctrine in your heart, the importance of Bible doctrine, the joy of Bible doctrine, the problems of cults, King David and how he raised most of his sons poorly, and even ask the question is the Bible racist? 163 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Murder (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded November 23, 2014.  Although R.B.Thieme, Jr. did this doctrine many years ago, it is difficult to find.  Much of this doctrine came from his notes and from Maranatha Church. This is a relatively short doctrine covering primarily what the Bible teaches about murder.
  • The Doctrine of Socialism  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded November 23, 2014. The Doctrine of Socialism is long overdue.  Socialism is first found in the Bible (there is no new thing under the sun); in our American history (before the time of Karl Marx); and appears to be the direction our country is heading.  Therefore, it is important to understand what this ideology is all about and what does the Bible say about it.
  • The Doctrine of Criminality (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded November 23, 2014. A lure of young people is the criminal lifestyle, and this lure is examined in Prov. 1.  Much of the material for this doctrine originally came from R. B. Thieme, Jr.; but it has been edited and appended. 
  • Proverbs 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded November 23, 2014


    On Wisdom:

     Paul E. Larsen: When a man knows the right and does the right he is a wise man. It is the wedding of knowing and doing-it is the junction of the good and the true. Footnote

     Warren Wiersbe: It isn't enough simply to be educated and have knowledge, as important as education is. We also need wisdom, which is the ability to use knowledge. Wise men and women have the competence to grasp the meaning of a situation and understand what to do and how to do it in the right way at the right time...The pages of history are filled with the names of brilliant and gifted people who were smart enough to become rich and famous but not wise enough to make a successful and satisfying life. Before his death, one of the world's richest men said that he would have given all his wealth to make one of his six marriages succeed. It's one thing to make a living, but quite something else to make a life. Footnote

     John C. Maxwell: A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. Footnote

     Isaac Asimov: The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. Footnote

     Frank Zappa: Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Footnote

     On the Book of Proverbs:

     Kukis: Is there any book written by any man about wisdom and about doing right which comes to mind which is known and revered by even one-hundredth of those who know and revere this book of Proverbs?

     Albert Barnes: The writer’s purpose [of the book of Proverbs] is to educate. He is writing what might be called an ethical handbook for the young, though not for the young only. Of all books in the Old Testament, this is the one which we may think of as most distinctively educational. Footnote

     E. Johnson: [This] is a collection of proverbs. Condensed wisdom. Landmarks in the field of experience. Beacons of warning from dangerous shores. Objects of interest in life’s travel. Footnote

    Although the study of this particular chapter is quite extensive, I may have gotten somewhat carried away with some of the internal doctrines, borrowing liberally from Precept Austin for all the occurrences of this or that word in the book of Proverbs.

    I may also have gotten carried away with quotes from various commentators. There are over 500 footnotes in this chapter, and most of them are quotations from others.

    The combination of the imported text from other sources, and the original material found within, you should be able to fully understand this chapter of Proverbs and everything that is found within it, including some of the more difficult and obscure passages (like the one about the bird watching a net being set for him).

    It should be easy to see why R. B. Thieme, Jr. spent in excess of 30 hours teaching this one chapter of Proverbs. Not only does this lay the foundation for the book of Proverbs, this is the essential pamphlet of the spiritual life in Israel and the Christian life for us today.

    What we do not find are scores of thoughtful Proverbs simply thrown together. There is an organization throughout this chapter, as well as an internal organization to every section and passage. Often understanding the structure of a passage makes the passage more understandable, as well as easier to remember.

    One of the important discussions in this book is canonicity—when was it developed, how were books added, when did we understand what it meant for Scriptures to be inspired, etc. There are a lot of misunderstandings about these things which misunderstandings can be dispelled with some simple logic. For instance, some people believe that some person or some influential group decided what would be in the Bible and what would not be; and that they chose these things according to some set of doctrines which they already held. Not only is this belief not historical, it is also illogical.

    Doctrines covered in this chapter: Authority, The Old Testament and Typology, Fear of the Lord, Separation, The Importance of Bible Doctrine, Basic Divine Discipline, Murder, and Socialism.

    Also examined: The organic formation of the canon of Scripture; What you may judge; Ann Landers on motherhood; parents’ basic training for children; the promises of criminals; Sheol; and client nations Great Britain and the United States.

    I probably got carried away with including quotations from outside sources. A lot of people had a lot of good things to say about Prov. 1.

    At some point in time, perhaps a quarter of this material will be transferred over into an introduction to the book of Proverbs. At present, over 308 pages.

  • 1Kings 2 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded October 18, 2014

    In 1Kings 2, David gives Solomon some advice about various people, and then he dies. Solomon is quite young when taking over the kingdom, being somewhere between 20 and 30. In this chapter, we first study David’s advice, and then we study Solomon’s implementation of his advice.

    There is a great deal of confusion about David’s final words and reasonable commentators over the years attribute David’s final words to revenge motivation. This is completely and totally wrong! David has spent that last 7 years teaching his son Solomon Bible doctrine, the laws of divine establishment and how to assume the throne. That means, they have gone over the Law of God, the historical books as they existed, and then Solomon wrote much of the book of Proverbs based upon what David taught him. How do you start there, include David’s marvelous addresses to the people at the end of 1Chronicles, and then somehow think that, in this final hour, David is filled with a heart of revenge? That is wrongly dividing the Word of Truth and imposing upon this narrative goofy, pansy ideas resident in a confused soul.

    Throughout this chapter, there are mistaken notions of understanding and interpretation. Adonijah will have a meeting with Bathsheba, and some excellent commentators misunderstand the interplay between these two. Some commentators suggest that Bathsheba is just a simple woman who does not get political intrigue. This will be explained and with details which are not found in any other commentary. Once you understand this, you will then understand the interaction and motivations of the principals of this chapter. There is also something else at play here, which is ignored in the 30 or so commentaries which I read: Solomon is king and Adonijah is not king because of Bathsheba. She played an important role in this matter.

    There are a lot of motivations in this chapter and things unsaid which are misinterpreted by many of the commentators which are available. Where motivations can be reasonably assigned to this or that person; they will be. When such an assertion is impossible to back up, then that will be explained as well. There are a number of people who populate this chapter: Solomon, Joab, Adonijah, Shimei, and Bathsheba. Some times it can be very instructive to delve into their thinking and motivation.

    Now, Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and asks her to ask Solomon for the hand of Abishag, David’s nurse. One of the questions raised in this chapter is, can Solomon simply give Abishag, a free woman, to Adonijah to wed? Is this within his power as king? Is this another indication that the Bible is archaic and holds women in low esteem? This will be discussed fully. We are not discussing the question does he? as much as we are discussing the question can he really do this?

    There is some fairly complex genealogy referenced in this chapter which calls into question the accuracy of the text. Was there someone or some group who changed the Bible, at some point in time, to reflect a particular point-of-view from that era (either a point of view that was popular or the opinion of the individual or group that made these changes). There are many people who believe this. They believe that some certain individual or some group made wholesale changes to Scripture to reflect some certain viewpoint, and, for that reason, we are not really reading the Word of God, but the viewpoint of some person or some group. Many accuse the Catholic Church of doing this—they think that the Catholic Church stepped in, somehow took over the Bible, and then called all of the shots after that. That is, they determined what belonged in the Bible and what did not; and they made whatever changes to the Bible needed to be made in order to fill the Bible with their own theology. Such a concept is poppycock, and why it is poppycock will be discussed in 1Kings 2.

    Furthermore, the is a significant addition in the Greek to 1Kings 2:35 and 46; so does not that addition prove that there was some sneakiness and chicanery which occurred during the formation of the Bible and its canon? This will be discussed, as there is a very important distinction which needs to be made between copies made of Scripture and translations made of Scripture.

    This chapter becomes a rich field of discussion topics, many of which are related to the day and time in which we live. Many of these topics deal with a variety of theological issues which are of interest to the believer in Jesus Christ.

    There are two extremely important sections in this chapter dealing with the preservation and inspiration of the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures. There are some things in these sections not found anywhere else.

    Like all other chapters exegeted, every attempt is made to make the study of this chapter a stand-alone unit. You should be able to, as a believer in Jesus Christ, follow the narrative, the thinking and motivations of the people in this chapter, and the related theological issues, even if you do not have a full understanding of the history which precedes this chapter.

    Doctrines covered or alluded to in this chapter include: Famous Last Words; Death and Dying; Dying Grace; the Doctrine of the Way of God; Why Joab must die; David in the New Testament; David as a type of Christ; A Study of Inspiration and Preservation Parts I & II.

    Along with this are a great many political applications; and an explanation as to why such applications are made in the study of the Word of God. Furthermore, this is some additional discussion on believers who do not get the privilege of discussing politics.

    There is also an update to the Doctrine of Progressive Revelation in this chapter; with material on this topic that you will read nowhere else.

    This is the complete study of the 2nd chapter of 1Kings with details found nowhere else. 402 pages.

  • Progressive Revelation updated October 7, 2014.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  The concept of progressive revelation is, each additional truth builds upon, expands, and better explains that which was already taught.  New revelation does not supercede, replace or nullify previous revelation, but it builds upon that which is past. There is also the concept of contemporary progressive revelation, where new doctrines are built upon previously taught doctrines.  These new doctrines expand upon and better explain that which we already know; but they do not supercede, replace or nullify orthodox Christian teaching.
  •  Kings, Prophets and Priests  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) posted 10/6/2014 is a chart the mostly coordinates the kings and political rulers with the various priests and prophets of their day (the emphasis is upon the priests).  This actually gets rather dodgy into two places (1) there is someone with the same name in the two primary priest lines and (2) there is a father and a grandson with the same name as well.  This is primarily posted as reference material if you have come across specific priests and you are confused by who they are or who they are related to.
  • The Doctrine of the Heart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) posted 10/1/14.  The word heart is a metaphorical term used one way in the original Greek and Hebrew, but is used in a much different way in contemporary society.  To add to this confusion, many modern translations of the Bible translate words that do not mean heart in the original languages as heart.  This rather lengthy doctrine will help you understand what the original authors meant when they used the word heart.  This is a very technical doctrine, with a great many technical terms being used.  Therefore, a dictionary of doctrinal terms will be a part of this doctrine.  40 pages.
  • Doctrinal Terms (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) updated 10/1/14.  30 pages now. 
  • Refuting Dawkins(HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  uploaded 9/30/14.  Richard Dawkins, a renown  atheist, wrote the book, "The God Delusion."  I made an agreement with a friend to read it.  So far, I am not very impressed.  These are some comments which I have made on this book (they will be added to as I get further along in the book).
  • Lucky Guesses found in Genesis  and What is Incontrovertible about the History of the Bible updated 9/17/2014  (HTML)  (PDF) (WPD)   There are a number of amazing things found in the first 15 chapters of Genesis; things which are difficult to explain, apart from Genesis being a part of the written Word of God.  There are matters of science, history and theology which Genesis speaks of, in some cases, 1000's of years before these things should have been known.  For instance; God spends an entire day making the atmosphere for the earth.  The atmosphere is clearly important to our well-being; but how come ancient man recognized this?  How did some old Bible guy come to the idea that, all around him is an atmosphere, and that God needed to create it?   The second chapter of Genesis speaks of modified cloning, 4000 years or more before the concept of cloning was ever thought of.  This is one of 24 lucky guesses found in the first 15 chapters of Genesis.  As a companion piece, I have a number of points on what is incontrovertible about the history of the Bible.  I have heard a lot of goofy things in my life, such as, this or that group made wholesale changes to the Bible.  This list ought to help dispel such myths.  File this study under apologetics; so that you can give a reason for the faith which is within you.
  • Genesis 21 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 9/11/2014.


    Genesis 21 is about the birth of Isaac; the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael; the provision of God for Hagar and Ishmael; and a contract between Abraham and King Abimelech of Gerar.

    The birth of Isaac is quite amazing, as there are no fewer than 22 parallels between the birth of Isaac and the birth of our Lord. Interestingly enough, most of these were not stated until the past 50–100 years. Nowhere in any of the Pauline epistles does Paul stop and say, “Now, let me explain to you how Isaac’s birth is significant.” None of the gospel writers, who record all of the details of the birth of Jesus, add in a paragraph about these parallels. In fact, the recording of Scripture was done centuries before the concept of type and antitype is fully developed.

    One of the things which confused and later fascinated me was, there are passages in the Old Testament which are clearly meant in a specific way in their context; but, in the New Testament, they are given a different shade of meaning; and sometimes a different meaning. In this chapter, Sarah will tell Abraham to throw Hagar and her son Ishmael out. Although we are not told of the motivation here—Sarah could be looking to protect her son and she could be looking for any reason to rid herself of her slave woman and her son by Abraham—Paul, in the New Testament, puts an entirely different spin on this situation. What happened is accepted as an historical incident (which it is), but how Paul looks at it and explains it is very different than what we might suppose. Furthermore, no one during Old Testament times would have ever explained this incident in the same way that Paul did.

    The final half of this chapter has perplexed commentators for centuries, who are able to make a few accurate comments on the incidents contained herein, but have a more difficult time explaining the spiritual relevance of Abimelech and Abraham’s contract. It is reasonable to ask, what do I, as a believer in Jesus Christ in the 21st century, get out of these incidents which occurred 4000 years ago? Hopefully, you will be able to answer this question by the end of this study.

    A number of believers put themselves on some sort of a Bible reading course (they read the Bible over a period of a year or 5 years), and no doubt they come to chapters like this—particularly the second third of this chapter—and, if they are honest with themselves, wonder, what the hell? Why am I reading this? To the untrained eye, these are a series of barely related vignettes from life long ago. However, every part of the Word of God has purpose, meaning and definition. It may or may not relate directly to your life today, but it is a piece of the puzzle of the overall plan of God.


    gen21trans.jpg

    There are several sections of this chapter which are unique among commentaries: (1) Is it possible that the gospel writers used the birth of Isaac as a model for the birth of Jesus? (2) Abraham, when making a contract with Abimelech, sets 7 ewe- lambs aside. Most commentators do not discuss this; and the few which do, only superficially. In the commentary of Gen. 21, you will actually find out why God the Holy Spirit chose to place this paragraph in the Word of God. (3) Gen. 21–22 contain an odd set of incidents that are not all in chronological order (most of Genesis is set up in chronological order). However, these incidents match up with events in the life of our Lord chronologically. Near the end of this chapter will be the parallels of these two chapters and the ministry of our Lord.

    There is a great deal of important material in this chapter—the concept of type and antitype; logical conclusions which we can draw about the Bible; the Doctrine of Legalism; Paul’s use of this chapter in the New Testament; the Angel of Jehovah and the Angel of God; man is designed to work; the parallels between Genesis 21–22 and the ministry of Jesus Christ; and Abraham’s life in Beersheba.

    Hopefully, we answer a few questions in this exposition of Gen. 21: Was Abraham remiss in the supplies he gave Hagar and Ishmael? Did he really give them enough? Is God the greatest Egotist of all? Why do we have a contract between Abimelech and Abraham at the end of this chapter? What is that all about? What is the relevance of that incident? 276 pages.

  • Genesis 20 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Posted August 30, 2014.


    In this chapter, Abraham lies to Abimelech the king of Gerar about Sarah, saying that she is his sister and not his wife. Abraham had done the same thing to the King of Egypt back in Gen. 12, and Isaac will pull this same stunt with Abimelech II in Gen. 26. So, you may think, this is going to be fairly repetitive with very little to offer. Wrong.

    This chapter is a case study in God taking Abraham, a believer who has lied to his host king; and Abimelech, a host king with too many wives—and God will take these men and their actions and still work it altogether for good, for His glory, and for His plan.

    This is a deceptive little chapter. First of all, it seems very similar to the time that Abraham went to Egypt and lied about Sarah. Later on, in Gen. 26, Isaac will lie to Abimelech about his wife. So, at first we might think this chapter to be repetitive and perhaps even disconcerting to those of us who believe in the inspiration of Scripture (is this merely a tradition handed down from 3 different sources?). And it is a scant 18 verses long. For these reasons, a great many commentators chose not to even comment on this chapter. That is a big mistake.

    One of the most important aspects of this chapter is, Abraham is clearly set up as a type of Christ, both as a man who represents God to man, and as a man who represents man to God. He will intercede on behalf of Abimelech, and heal him. In all of this, Abraham illustrates the Messiah to come. Not only is this quite amazing, but I do not believe that many commentators fully appreciated this.

    Fundamental to this chapter is the concept of grace. Footnote God is about to bless Abraham and Sarah with a child—a child who will be a type of Christ—who begins the line of promise and is a sign of the good things to come (that is, the fulfillment of God’s many blessings which He has promised to Abraham). And what does Abraham do, literally a month or so before his wife is to conceive—he gets himself into a jackpot in Gerar by lying to the king, and exposes his wife to another man. Abraham puts everything at risk. What Abraham potentially has done here is put his position as father of the Jews into question for all time. He could not have done anything more stupid or dishonorable. All of a sudden, Abraham is doubting God and God’s protection, despite the fact that God has been with Him for all this time. But, despite Abraham’s failure, God does not withdraw His blessing from him. God pours on the blessing. If you understand grace, you are fine with all this. If you do not understand grace, then this chapter becomes confusing. Abraham fails again, and yet, God still blesses him? And Abraham is already a rich man, and God blesses him more. This chapter should rock the world of the legalist. Furthermore, it ought to rock the world of those who believe in covenant theology. They believe that God finally just gave up on the Jews and gave their inheritance away to us, Church Age believers. Then why didn’t God do that right here? Why didn’t God say to Abraham, “Look, you are not the man I thought you were; you have failed me again and again. You just hang out here and do whatever and I will find someone else worthy of My blessings.” But God does not do that. God not only blesses this failure (and right after he failed too), but God later calls Abraham His friend.

    This study also includes a number of important doctrines and graphics: several maps are provided so that you have a feel for the territory that Abraham covers; Sin Cannot Derail God’s Plan; The 20 (or so) Dreams of Scripture; The Doctrine of the Sin unto Death; Shem’s life Overlaps Abraham’s life; Examples of God’s Protective, Overruling Will; The Parallels between Abraham and the Coming Savior; The Fear of the Lord; How to avoid repeated sins; Abraham’s life seen from the standpoint of testing; Jesus Christ in Genesis 1–22. Several questions are also dealt with: Speculation: Why did Abraham move? Does God prosper Abraham for lying?

    Like all previous chapters of Genesis, it is not apparent at first just how packed this chapter is with spiritual information, a significant portion of which is unique to this commentary. 199 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Hatred  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 8/25/2014.  Surprisingly enough, this doctrine is missing from most doctrinal websites.  There are several things which need to be sorted out.  God said, "Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated."  But, hatred is called a sin in both the Old and New Testament.  You may not realize it, but the OT distinguishes between involuntary homicide and 1st degree murder; and the key is whether the person who killed had the mental attitude sin hate toward the victim.  Finally, Jesus told His disciples to "Love your enemies."  Does this mean that we should be sending aid and comfort to ISIS?  All of these topics are covered and explained.
  • Fear of the Lord (in the Old Testament)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 8/22/2014.  The phrase "Fear of the Lord" is found throughout the Old Testament, and a few times in the New.  It is important for believers to have an understanding of what this phrase means. Quotation, graphics and a better definition added, along with a discussion of "Perfect love casts out all fear."
  • Genesis 19 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

    This is the first complete chapter posted in Genesis. No major revisions or updates will be applied to this Chapter. This is a complete, word-by-word study of this chapter.

    Gen. 19 has the two angels of Gen. 18 going to Sodom to both destroy Sodom and 4 other cities; and to rescue Lot and his family from the destruction.

    There are a number of minor errors found in other commentaries. For instance, several commentators have Lot and family carrying out containers of wine from Sodom upon their exit. That is simply illogical and wrong. Some try to cover over Lot’s bad choices in offering up his daughters or in later having sex with his daughters. These will all be straightened out in this study.

    Because of the subject material of this chapter, there will be an in-depth study of homosexuality and Christianity. The more complete Doctrine of Homosexuality has also been updated. Important information about homosexual men and their number of partners; the continuum of human attraction; the addictive nature of the homosexual lifestyle; AIDS; Will and Grace; sexual attraction is not a matter of genetics alone; the pro-homosexual propaganda which has been going into our schools to our youngest children;

    Other topics explored in this chapter: the Christian and Politics; the Physical Nature of Angels; the Stages of National Discipline (there is a 6th Stage of National Discipline which is included here); the Proportionality of the Pivot in a Nation; Why God Destroys Sodom and Gomorrah; the idea that people want to matter; the Dead Sea Scrolls; along with a great deal of artwork that Gen. 19 has inspired.

    You may or may not realize that the fire and brimstone destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah actually has a scientific basis directly tied to the area of Sodom and Gomorrah.

    The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is also an extremely important topic of Scripture, and that will be explored as well.

    This is an extensive study of Genesis 19 at over 390 pages of text and graphics.

  • Genesis Lessons #201-300  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 8/4/2014.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family and all of Gen. 20-25, and most of Gen. 26.  These 100 lessons include the a retrospective of the life of Lot; Lot as found in the New Testament; a comparison between Lot and Abraham; the Sin unto Death; how Abraham foreshadows Jesus Christ (in a passage I don't think has ever been fully explained before); the testing of Abraham; a list of things that we learn from Gen. 20; where Jesus is found in the first 22 chapters of Genesis, the birth of Isaac and the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael.  Also included in these lessons: Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, a lesson on the authorship of Genesis, the parallels between the births of Isaac and Jesus, Isaac's birth in the NT, the Doctrine of Legalism, reasons why we can believe that the Bible is the Word of God, Paul's NT use of the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, Gentile Salvation, Grace Apparatus for Perception, the Trinity in the Old Testament, the Great Analogy of the Written Word of God and the Living Word of God; Inheritance and Escrow Blessings; the Doctrine of Typology; the Parallels between Isaac Being Offered and Jesus on the Cross; the Coniah Curse; Baptisms in the Bible; the Sabbath Day;  Reinterpreting Old Testament Truths, a retrospective of Abraham in the New Testament, Repentance of Sins as found in the Bible, Things Which Belong to Israel, Doctrines of the Human Soul and the Human Spirit; The Doctrine of the Firstborn; God's Covenants with Abraham; Laws, Commandments, Ordinances and Statutes; and the Doctrine of Mental Attitude Sins.  All previous lessons have been given some minor updating as well.
  • The Doctrine of Mental Attitude Sins (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). uploaded July18, 2014.  Although this doctrine has been posted before, this is a major update, with additional text on the various sins, a more complete list of the various mental attitude sins, along with appropriate quotations and graphics.  29 pages.

  • 1Kings 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded July 1, 2014.


    The Bible Illustrator: The Winter of Life overtakes men [even] in the highest rank. Footnote

     Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. (Proverbs 23:13; ESV)

     You will always harvest what you plant. (Gal. 6:7b; NLT)

     Karin Ireland, as if to describing Adonijah in this chapter: Footnote “No one can give you authority. But if you act like you have it, others will believe you do.”

     R. B. Thieme, Jr.: You are not promoted unless God promotes you.


    One of the keys to a child growing up to be honorable and having integrity is having a father who is involved with his life; a father who gives him the strong hand of guidance. In this chapter we have yet again another loser son of King David—Adonijah—a man who had no training from his father, and so he had no future as king.

    The Bible again affirms what we have found out through study after study: it is not poverty which ruins the souls of young men (all of David’s sons were raised in relative luxury); but it is the guidance of the father that is key to their growth and development. David sired at least 3 sons who were criminals and losers: Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah. By all accounts, these men should have been great, but they were not. On the other hand, David’s son Solomon, who is raised and trained by David, becomes a great king over Israel (he was not perfect and he did stray from the truth; but he was still a great king).

    This chapter of the book of Kings introduces us to the new king over all Israel; and to the intrigue surrounding his coming to the throne. There was another power struggle within the House of David, but David himself—even in ailing health—stepped up to place Solomon before the people as their king. However, this power struggle splits the allies of David, much as the kingdom itself would be split at the end of Solomon’s reign.

    There are a number of details in this chapter which are explained, which explanations are not found in the commentaries (insofar as I know). How did Nathan know who would be the next king? Why did Nathan the prophet go to Bathsheba in order to bring Adonijah’s coronation to David’s attention? Why did David call in Bathsheba to renew his vows to her? Why did Abiathar the priest side with Adonijah? I had to speculate to answer this question.

    There are misconceptions about the relationships in this chapter. The New Berkeley Bible says David and Bathsheba seem to have drifted away from each other. Footnote However, this narrative says exactly the opposite—if you know how to properly exegete the text. You can read the text 20 times, and you will not understand why the New Berkeley Bible is wrong; but when you will read the explanation in this exegesis, and you will understand perfectly.


    There are a number of important topics covered in this chapter: Why does God allow some men to experience a decline in health at the end of our lives? Single parent statistics and why God’s plan is not for a mother to raise children on her own. The Doctrine of Leadership. Israel, Horses and Mules. The Oath in the Old Testament Economy.   Also, why does God insist that Solomon build the Temple and not David?  I do not believe that this has been accurately explained before.  373 pages.
  • 2Samuel 24 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) (uploaded May 27, 2014) is the final chapter of Samuel, bringing nearly to an end a 13 year project for me (I began 1Sam. 1 in 2001, and this brings to completion a nearly 9000 page commentary on this book).


    Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'Tis pedantry to estimate nations by the census, or by square miles of land, or other than by their importance to the mind of the time.

     Andy Rooney: I hope all of you are going to fill out your census form when it comes in the mail next month. If you don't return the form the area you live in might get less government money and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you.

     Michele Bachmann: If we look at American history, between 1942 and 1947, the data that was collected by the Census Bureau was handed over to the FBI and other organizations at the request of President Roosevelt, and that's how the Japanese were rounded up and put into the internment camps.

     Tom G. Palmer: The reason the government sells the census as your ticket to getting goodies - rather than as your civic duty - is that distributing goodies is now all the government does. Footnote

     Nisbet: It was very clear what David had an eye to in numbering the people. It was one of those steps which the kings of the nations around were accustomed to take from time to time when they wanted to know how strong they were and what wars they could carry on, what countries they could invade and what cities they could take. This was the way of the heathen world, whom the Israelites were specially bidden not to imitate. Footnote


    In this chapter, David numbers the people, which is a sin, and which is also a theological mystery to this day, with no shortage of theories as to why. David takes a military census, which is identified as a sin. Those theories will be presented along with a unique theory Footnote of why this census was a sin, as well as a unique approach to this question.

    Although this chapter is part of an addendum, and certainly not the end of David’s life (which can be found in the first chapter or two of Kings), it is a fitting end to the book of Samuel, as it looks forward to the cross of Jesus Christ.

    The relationship between king and prophet is cementing in this chapter; the king might be the political leader, but he is under the authority of the prophet. This sets the pattern for many kings and many prophets future from this time.

    Also important and nearly unique in this chapter is the study of God’s sovereignty, our free will, and the volition of Satan.

    Included in this chapter is a discussion of what is God able to do, relative to the volition of men? This is an important and nearly unique doctrine hidden in this chapter. God, through the prophet Gad, gives David three options for a penalty, and one option that God offered David, was to be pursued by men for 3 months. How can this be a real option? Whatever it is, it sounds as if God, in order for His plan to be worked out, must cause David’s enemies to chase David. Just how exactly does that happen? Does God get into their bodies and make them do this? Does God allow demons to indwell them and do this? We know that God does not take over the volition of man in general; so He would not take over the volition of David’s enemies. Therefore, what is God doing in such a case? I suspect that this topic could be the seed for a master’s thesis or a doctoral.

  • Doctrine of the Altar (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) (posted 5/25/2014)  The various altars in the Old Testament are examined, as well as the meaning and the purpose of the altar.
  • 2Samuel 23 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) (posted 5/8/2014) contains both David’s final psalm and a list of the great military heroes who served under him. In the previous chapter, the psalm of that chapter appeared to be a psalm that David worked on for most of his life. In this chapter, the psalm is much shorter, and very appropriate to what matter to him at the end of his life.

    The Bible does not list the greatest pacifists of all time or from this era or from that era; but it does list the greatest soldiers from David’s army here and in 1Chron. 11.

    Those of us who have been fortunate to have been born into freedom often lack the appreciation for those who have made us free. The second section of 2Samuel 23 is a memorial to the great men of David’s military and we may reasonably assume that these are men of great spirit as well. From the human standpoint, these men are named in this chapter for their courage and skills in war, and selflessness in providing freedom for those of Israel. However, God the Holy Spirit places these men in the Bible because they understood the laws of divine establishment and they had believed in the God of Israel, the True God of the Universe.

    Much of this chapter is a list of names, and I can understand the reticence of the Bible student to embrace and study such a chapter. As a commentator, I approach a chapter like this with great trepidation. Will I find anything worthwhile in this text? Is this nothing more than just a list of names? I think that you will be quite surprised as to how packed this chapter is with spiritual information. God the Holy Spirit did not make a mistake, making this chapter a part of the canon of Scripture.

    The following doctrines are introduced or referenced in this chapter: the Baptism of Fire; Light, Rock in the New Testament, Thorns; the Doctrine of Inspiration; Liberalism vs. Conservativism; Military Doctrines; the Trinity in the Old Testament and Typology.

    Other short doctrines which are included in this study are: Exercising Righteousness and Justice in Israel; Jesus Christ is our Light; Catholic Bible translations; Who can be saved?; Why are their doctrinal differences between teachers?; How does one choose between so many Bible teachers?; and Why the names do not match up exactly.

    There are also two important sections in this chapter: one on canonicity and why no single organization decided what the books of the Bible should be; and the second is on the man’s leadership role in marriage. 267 pages



    As is nearly always the case, both the list of Doctrinal Terms (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and the list of Old Testament topics which are covered (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) are both updated and posted with each new chapter of Samuel.

  • The Doctrine of Light  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted May 5, 2014.  Culled from 2Sam.23
  • The Doctrine of Thorns  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted May 5, 2014. Culled from 2Sam.23
  • The Doctrine of the Rock in the New Testament  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) posted May 5, 2014.  In the Old Testament and the New, Jesus Christ is the Rock, the Chief Cornerstone, the basis of our faith, the foundation upon which we build. 
  • The Baptism of Fire (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) posted May 2, 2014.  I was surprised to see that there were few doctrinal sources for this doctrine, which describes the judgment of unbelievers before the beginning of the Millennium.  This phrase only occurs twice in Scripture, but in both cases, the context helps guide us to the truth.  The concept is found in many places in Scripture.
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) is updated again, as of May 2, 2014.  Intercalation is where we find the 1st and 2nd advents of Jesus Christ presented without any intervening events.  However, intercalated (inserted) between these events is the Church Age.  Because the church age was a mystery age, hidden from the OT Jews, it is not referenced in the OT, but skipped over.  There are at least 30 OT passages in which this occurs.
  • The Coniah Curse and the Sin Nature  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted April 23, 2014.  It appears that Coniah (also known as Jeconiah), a descendant of King David, is supposed to be cut out of the line of Christ in Jer. 22:24–30.  However, we find his name in Matt. 1:11, which is a part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.  So what gives?

    This is a fascinating doctrine, which has parallels to the sin nature; that is, Coniah himself illustrates the sin nature, and the necessity of the virgin birth.

    A great many weird accusations have been made about the Bible, including the idea that so many men got in a room, chose which books to insert, and edited the books so that the Bible would teach doctrines that this elite group favored.  This is historically inaccurate, impossible at any point in time, and doctrines like the Coniah Curse show us just how complex and intricate the Bible actually is.

    This doctrine of the Coniah curse is based upon the writings of three different men, the first of whom is separated from the second two men by a period of over 600 years.  We know this to be true, as there was already a Greek translation of the Old Testament in use when Matthew and Luke came on the scene.  The concept of the virgin birth can really be traced back all the way to the 3rd chapter of Genesis, as well as to the writings of Isaiah.  The concept of the sin nature is found throughout Scripture.
  • Laws, Commandments, Ordinances and Statutes (in the Old Testament)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded April 23, 2014.  Interestingly enough, God says that Abraham listened to His voice and kept His charge, His commandments, His ordinances and His laws--500 years before God gave Moses the Law on Mount Sinai.  What do these various words mean and just exactly what did they mean in relationship to Abraham?  23 pages.
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation   (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) has been updated April 21, 2014 with the 26th OT passage where  the 1st and 2nd Advents of our Lord, the Church Age are found.  The 1st Advent has already occurred, where Jesus was incarnated and came to us as our Savior.  He will return to the earth in the 2nd Advent to judge the world.  In the Old Testament, there appeared to be no separation between the two advents of our Lord; and had the Jews accepted His offer of the Kingdom of God, which was a legitimate offer that Jesus made to the Jews at this time, then the 1st and 2nd Advents would have occurred one after the other.  This is not a minor doctrine; there are at least 26 OT and 2 NT passages where the Advents of Jesus Christ are treated as one event. Intercalated between these events is the church age, unknown in the Age of Israel.  Understanding this doctrine also explains a New Testament passage, where Jesus is reading from a passage in the Synagogue, and then He suddenly stops reading, mid-passage, and sits down.
  • 2Samuel 22 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) is actually a psalm written by David added in as a part of appendix to the book of Samuel. Uploaded 4/10/1014.

    This chapter asks and answers a number of unusual questions. Why is there a 2Sam. 22 and a Psalm 18, which are virtually identical? Does God not believe in editing? Why is God seen to be transported by a host of angels? Can’t God go from point A to point B on His Own? I don’t believe that these questions are dealt with in any other commentary of this chapter.

    Doctrines covered in this chapter: The Doctrine of the Rock in the Old Testament; the Trinity in the Old Testament; the Dual Authorship of Scripture; the Doctrine of Rebound; the Essence of God; God’s Laws, Commandments, Ordinances and Statutes.


    Quite frankly, I don’t think that I fully unearthed all that is in this chapter. Although I believe this to be the most thorough examination of this chapter of the Bible, I think that there is more to discover. Most of the time, I am quite satisfied with the end result; here, only so-so. 267 pages.

  • The Doctrines of the Human Soul and the Human Spirit  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 4/9/2014.  The Bible, particularly the New Testament, has very technical meanings for these two words.  We interact with other people via the human soul; we interact with God via the human spirit.  We are born with a human soul, but without a functioning human spirit.  When we are "born-again", our human spirit is revived or made alive.  Being born again allows us to have a relationship with the Living God.  It also gives us a "storage area" for information about God.  If you do not have a complete understanding of these two terms, you will find this study to be very enlightening.  Included in this study is the God-ward and the man-ward sides of the Edification Complex, and how this is directly related to the soul and the spirit.
  • Jesus is not a Liberal   revised and reposted 4/6/2014   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Some  time ago, I had a discussion with someone on the internet on whether or not Jesus was a liberal, and posted this here.  This is a much more careful study, taking each one of their reasons, each of the Biblical passages which they distort, and show that Jesus is not a liberal nor is He a socialist (nor is He the first counter-culture revolutionary, in the contemporary sense).   This is a very lengthy study (it is over 100 pages), wherein, nearly everything related to this topic is discussed.  First of all, there is the basic dishonesty of liberalism; the conflation of wealth and greed; the idea that, it just depends upon how you interpret the Bible, followed by the Bible and socialism.  The meat of this doctrine is examining the myriad of liberal causes which Jesus is said to have espoused: peacemaking rather than war making; being anti-war and anti-military, being for nonviolence; how Jesus was supposedly against the strict adherence to religious law, etc.  Social justice, corporate greed and individual wealth are all examined, along with nearly every passage touted by liberals (along with the many passages which they ignore).  There are many short doctrines covered in here, including Why the Government Does a Lousy Job; The Bible, Capitalism and Private Property; Morality and Capitalism; Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (liberals absolutely love this narrative); and God and the Welfare State.  Finally, there is an extensive addendum, which you ought to find as interesting as the rest of this examination, where we learn a little from General George Patton, President Thomas Jefferson and columnist George Will.  If you ever had any doubts about this subject, it is covered here in the greatest detail.
  • 2Samuel 21 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)

    Uploaded March 8, 2014

    2Sam. 21 begins the appendix of Samuel. This appendix, extending from chapter 21 to 24, can be neatly divided into 6 parts—4 sets of historical incidents, a psalm, and a list. These final 6 sections also form a chiasmos, which will be given in the exegesis of this chapter.

    These few miscellaneous events did occur, but, unlike the rest of Samuel, they seem to have been added to this book rather than a continuation of it. There are aspects of the style of 2Sam. 21 which are quite different from any previous chapter of Samuel, suggesting that a different author is involved at this point. Furthermore, simply the fact that they are tacked on the end of this chapter suggests a different author.

    2Sam. 21 in particular is a very unusual chapter—so unusual, that there is at least one rabbi and at least one Christian commentator who both publically expressed that they wished that this chapter were not in the Bible; or gave reasons why this chapter should not be in the Bible. The narrative which was so objectionable was that of David, the Gibeonites and the descendants of Saul. Saul had persecuted and killed many Gibeonites, even though they had made a valid treaty with Joshua; and this left a divine shadow over the head of Israel—a problem which God expected David to solve. The Gibeonites asked for 7 of Saul’s descendants to hang, and David gave them over to the Gibeonites for execution. No doubt, you can see the mountain of theological problems. Furthermore, this chapter cannot be written off simply as, “David did this, and maybe he shouldn’t have.” At least 3 times in this chapter, God’s approval is implied.

    As a commentator, my work is cut out for me, to explain this historical event. As a believer, you may find the first half of 2Sam. 21 to be quite frustrating. Sons and grandsons of Saul are delivered over to the Gibeonites to be executed, although nowhere is it recorded that they have committed a crime. We examine this narrative from many angles, discussing, of course, how the justice of God plays a part.

    Furthermore, this historical incident, like many others in the Bible, really happened, and it plays out as it does to be illustrative. What it illustrates is exclusively presented in this exegesis. You may or may not be 100% satisfied with the examination and explanations of this incident, but you should feel better about it than you did the first time you read it.

    This is followed by the grief of Rizpah (the mother of two of the men handed over to the Gibeonites) and the killing of the 4 other Philistine giants.

    There is about a 99.9% chance your pastor has never done a sermon on this chapter; and for good reason.

    There are two authors throughout the Bible: the human author and God the Holy Spirit. This leaves the commentator with 3 problems: (1) How does this chapter fit in with the rest of the Bible? (2) Why does the human author record this chapter? (3) Why does God the Holy Spirit include this chapter in the Word of God? When it comes to the exegesis of the book of Samuel, these questions will be most difficult to answer for this chapter.

    There will be several things unique to the exegesis of this chapter. (1) An excellent theory will be presented as to the culpability of the descendants of Saul. (2) There is a reason why this information is left out of 2Sam. 21. (3) There is a parallel hidden in this chapter to the cross of Christ (one commentator, if memory serves, alludes to this idea). (4) The end of 2Sam. 21 provides a great deal of texture to 2Sam. 11; to David’s great sin involving Bathsheba. In fact, this caused me to go back to 2Sam. 11 and revise and rewrite portions of it. My guess is, you may not appreciate many of these unique observations and approaches because this might be the first time you actually study this chapter. When developing the commentary on any chapter of Scripture, I spend a great deal of time studying about 30 or so commentaries; so that I can guarantee you there are several unique takes on this chapter.

  • Weekly Lessons in Genesis, up to lesson #280 (HTMLPDF)  (WPD) posted 3/5/2014.  This adds the next 10 lessons, which begins to look at all of the places where Abraham is found in the New Testament. New doctrines include Parallels between the Seed of Abraham and the Life of the Believer; Repentance of Sins in the Bible (which is not associated with salvation, as some evangelists would have you believe); and the Things which Belong to Israel.
  • Updates/Revisions: In the light of my study of 2Sam.21 (which should be completed in a week or two), I had to go back and make changes in 2Sam.11 and revise my remarks about why he remained in Jerusalem when his soldiers went to war.  2Samuel 11   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).   Also updated/revised: the Davidic Timeline   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  and the Doctrine of the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  All revised and uploaded 3/2/2014.
  • 2Samuel 20 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)  uploaded 2/17/2014

    2Sam. 20 is one of the bleaker chapters in the book of Samuel. Another revolution begin under the leadership of a man named Sheba; David tries to shuffle his cabinet around, and sends out an army to put down this second rebellion. Sheba is tracked to the city of Abel, where Joab leads the troops to destroy the city walls. A wise woman manages to get an audience with Joab, and dissuades him from further destruction, offering to throw the head of this revolutionary over the city wall. Joab agrees to that.

    The chapter ends with a delineation of David’s cabinet after the revolutions have bene put down.

    We will study rape in the ancient world, and why this was a very rare occurrence at that time. David’s 10 mistresses are mentioned on several occasions. We will study why the Bible mentions them so often and what we are to learn from them.

    There are a number of applications that we make in this chapter—that the slogans that politicians use really work, no matter how meaningless they are. We learn that for many leaders, political ideologies are simply a means to an end, but not something that they necessarily prescribe to. We find out that revolutions are anti-God and that there are only 3 ways to end a revolution.

    There are reasons why Joab’s actual position in the military is unclear at the end of 2Sam. 19 and at the beginning of 2Sam. 20. Furthermore, I found it much more difficult to believe that King David replaced Joab with Amasa (something which I struggled with when exegeting 2Sam. 19); however, I think that there is nearly conclusive proof that Joab was demoted hidden in 2Sam. 20.

    This chapter includes the assassination of Amasa by Joab. One of the interesting facets of this chapter is, we have two incidents which are apparently related, but the Bible does not explain how they are related. A sword falls out of Joab’s sheath, as he goes to greet Amasa; and then, Joab guts Amasa. In between, there is no explanation as to how one leads to the other (although, of course, theories abound in the realm of commentators). What is unique in this exegesis of 2Sam. 20 is, I tell you why these two incidents are so recorded, but without an explanation as to how one led to the other.

    Included in this chapter is a good examination of the person of Joab, with points you have not read anywhere else.

    Other topics in this study: the Doctrine of Wisdom, God and Revolution, Joab—the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and the Massorah.

    As is nearly always the case, both the list of Doctrinal Terms (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) and the list of Old Testament topics which are covered (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) are both updated and posted.
  • 2Samuel 19  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (uploaded 1/31/2014) continues the most complete examination of the book of Samuel available.  In the previous chapter, David’s army defeated Absalom’s army and Joab killed Absalom.  This chapter begins with David weeping and mourning the death of Absalom, and Joab has to brace him.

    It is in this chapter that David exits the interlocking systems of arrogance through grace orientation and listening to what Joab tells him, and then doing what Joab tells him to do.  A new gate is introduced in this chapter, along with the fact that David’s emotional arrogance did not interlock with that gate.  This chapter tells us how David stepped out of the interlocking systems of arrogance.

    David will be greeted by those from northern and southern Israel; sort of celebrating his return to Jerusalem as king.  He will also speak to three men in particular; and his exit from the interlocking systems of arrogance is clear in his actions and what he says to these men.

    Just as we have seen in all previous chapters of the Book of Samuel, there are applications which are just as current as today’s news.  Absalom’s appeal as a possible king was very much like Barack Obama’s appeal as president.  Whereas, President Obama is not a carbon copy of Absalom, there are still a great number of parallels that could be made between the two men—particularly the appeal of these two men to their constituency.

    For those who know who R. B. Thieme, Jr. is, he stopped the David series suddenly, about a third of the way through this chapter, taught a psalm, and then unceremoniously ended the 600+ lesson series.

    David is faced with the choice to abuse his considerable power as a king, and unlike the aides of Barack Obama and Chris Christie, David chose not to exert his power to silence a voice of dissent in his kingdom.

    In studying King David, it is easy to write him off as just a good king, whereas the Bible calls him a great king (all other kings are compared to him; he becomes the gold standard for all subsequent kings).  Therefore, there must be a reason why God rates David as great; and we will uncover some of those reasons in this chapter.

    One of the important themes of this chapter is the generation which is passing away doing what is necessary for the next generation to take over.  I think that David’s dealings with Barzillai and Hushai the Archite have got him recognizing that his age has him limited now, and that he needs to look at the next generation.  I believe that this will be key in David’s legacy (something which most commentators ignore completely).  At this point, David has less than 10 years to go before his death.

    At the very end of this chapter, there appears to be a problem between northern Israel and Judah (southern Israel).  The exact cause for this is not fully explained.  A possible explanation as to what exactly happened is offered up.  This is not found in any other commentary.

    The Bible is not just filled with random events.  What we read in the Bible is placed there for a reason.  In this chapter, there are parallels between what David does in relationship to his kingdom which is in revolt and what God does in relationship to His kingdom in revolt.

    Virtually every chapter of the Bible opens up discussion on a variety of topics.  In this chapter, we will explore Emotional Arrogance; David’s Recovery and Joab’s part in his recovery; the Doctrine of Wealth; and Links to the Doctrine of Happiness.

    Interestingly enough, most of this chapter is narrative, and few pastors have spend more than 20 minutes on this chapter, at most.  In fact, most pastors have never taught this chapter.  There is not a single verse which sticks out in my mind which we would quote.  However, this chapter is filled with a number of principles and topics.  A lot of time is spent looking behind the narrative.

    What I found fascinating is, this appears to be a celebration and a re-coronation of David; but that is never clearly stated in the text.  Any reporter or historian there would have described that aspect of this chapter first, as that is what was happening.  But the writer of this chapter does not even mention that, except by inference.  Also, a great portion of the narrative would involve David and his supporters being ferried across the Jordan River; but this chapter barely speaks of that as well.  337 pages.


    As is nearly always the case, both the list of Doctrinal Terms (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and the list of Old Testament topics which are covered (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) are both updated and posted.

  • Weekly Lessons in Genesis, up to lesson #271 (HTMLPDF)  (WPD) posted 1/15/2014.  This adds the next 10 lessons, which include the other children of Abraham, the death of Abraham, and Abraham as presented in the gospels.  New doctrines include a Summary of God's promises to Abraham; the Coniah Curse; Baptisms in the Bible; the Sabbath Day; and Reinterpreting Old Testament Truths.
  • Genesis 18 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 1/4/2014. 


    This study of Genesis 18 is the most doctrinally rich study that you will find on any chapter of the Bible, simply because there is so much going on in this chapter. The application of the information of this chapter to what is going on today will amaze you.

    In the first half of this chapter, God and two angels come and speak to Abraham. There is a big picture view here, which I have not seen explained in any other resource.

    In the second half of this chapter, Abraham speaks to God about Sodom and Gomorrah, cities which are about to be destroyed, and asks, “What if there are 50 righteous men there; will you destroy city and them with it?” This stimulates a great deal of discussion on the concepts of a national entity, a Christian nation, a client nation, the pivot and the spinoff. Are nations just random things which pop up or is there a corporate relationship between a nation and God? These topics are covered in great detail, along with a great deal of application to today’s world. A believer never has to be afraid of history or of current events; what is true in Genesis and what is taught throughout the Bible about God’s corporate relationship with various groups of people continues to be true today. There are a multitude of principles to be found here, as well as a multitude of applications.

    Some of the doctrines covered in this chapter include Angelology, Human Viewpoint Thinking versus Divine Viewpoint Thinking; How Isaac’s Unusual Birth Foreshadows the Birth of our Lord; What Preserves a National Entity; The Client Nation; the Pivot; Heathenism (What about those who have never heard the gospel?); and the Seeds of Doctrines found in this chapter.

    There are also discussions in this chapter about the so-called contradictions found in the Bible; the concept of the national entity; how these concepts relate to today and to recent history. Expect a great deal of modern-day application and illustration to be taught in conjunction with this chapter. 304 pages.

  • The Doctrine of the Jewish Messiah  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated and uploaded 12/31/2013.  You may not realize it, but there have been dozens of Jewish messiah’s over the years.  However, there is only one of them Whose name you know—Jesus.  This is true for most Jews as well.

    Most people have a very limited understanding of Messiah as presented in the Old and New Testaments.  Most understand that there is the mention of Messiah in the Old Testament and that Jesus is the fulfillment of this; but few have actually studied the relevant passages.

    For a person to use the phase Jesus Christ in the first century would be seen as a blasphemy by the pharisees.  They knew the Man Jesus; and they knew of the Messiah (= Christ) to come; but they thought it blasphemy that Jesus would be so identified.
  • Deuteronomy 2 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 12/31/2013

    One aspect of Deut. 2 that is fascinating is, Moses is teaching the people about historical events which have just happened. All of these events are fresh in their minds, and yet Moses takes the time to talk about them and explain them in the light of the will of God.

    One of the difficult passages in the Old Testament is where God is said to harden a man’s heart; or where God puts fear into the hearts of some army. These are topics which have been discussed for thousands of years. Do we have free will? Are we nothing but pawns in God’s game? God wants us to make a left turn, and boom, do we then make a left turn, even though we were intending to go right? Where is our free will? Moses recounts God putting the fear of his people into the hearts of his enemies; and of God hardening the heart of King Sihon. In this chapter, we will examine these topics and see that, not only does God not necessarily get into our thinking and change it, but that there are some clues in this passage which suggest how the thinking of some people changes. God may have caused the events leading up to the change of thinking, but the people herein mentioned still change their own minds. Understanding this topic has been considerably advanced in this chapter, although I don’t believe that I am quite yet there.


    nowaratheism.jpg

    Deut. 1–4 is all about teaching the Israelites their own history, and then correctly interpreting this history. The Christian should never be afraid of human history; and should never become disillusioned by the spin and distortion put on human history by liberals, humanists, communists and other anti-Christian forces. Many times this is done with a simple, but dishonest graphics such as the one from Pinterest to the right (accessed December 16, 2013), which proclaims “No WAR was ever fought in the name of Atheism!” (Apparently completely forgetting about the communist revolutions in Russian, China, Cuba and elsewhere; where more people die in those countries during peacetime than die during most wars). In this chapter study, as in every other, time is spent on giving modern, up- to-date applications.


    One area of disagreement among scholars and a confusion to most readers of the Bible concerns the wandering Jews in the desert. There is this mistaken notion that the Jews were led by Moses in the desert for most of 40 years. This is patently untrue. Most of the time that they were in the desert-wilderness was spent at Kadesh-barnea, and there is an abundance of Scripture, with dates, to show that is true. Furthermore, Moses knew the geography of where they were and where the various peoples of that day lived. This was his training. So Moses was never confused about where they were at any given time. In case you have ever wondered about this so-called wandering, a reasonably clear timeline will be laid out in Deut. 2.

    There is another very important and difficult discussion in this chapter: the requirement that some peoples are devoted to God and destroyed completely. The second item will always be difficult for men to understand and go along with. How many of us are wholeheartedly in favor of there being a hell? I understand the rationalization behind it; but I cannot imagine the horror of being thrown into hell forever. Therefore, it is difficult for myself and most others to fully appreciate the concept of a people being completely wiped out at the command of God. When dealing with such topics, we have to bear in mind that God is perfect love and perfect justice, and that these two attributes cannot cancel one another out; nor can one suffer while the other is dominant. And, every bit as important is the discussion as to whether this has any application to us today.

    Also included in this study is an abundance of maps and graphics, so that you will have a full understanding of where Moses led his people. 266 pages.

  • Doctrinal Terms and Concepts  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 12/28/2013.  Many of these terms come from R. B. Thieme, Jr..  Some are common (and sometimes uncommon) theological definitions.  Some of the words and concepts are original.  I initially expected to have 3–5 pages of terms.  At this point, however, there are 22 pages.  This is, in itself, a theological education.  If you know and understand these terms, it is likely that you are a growing believer or you have a high level of spiritual maturity.  If you have been a Christian longer than 5 years, then you ought to know nearly all of these terms (or at least their concepts).
  • The Doctrine of Devoting to God (the Doctrine of Cherem, Placing Under the Ban)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Posted 12/28/2013.  This is a very difficult doctrine to deal with, because it involves the wholesale slaughter of entire groups of people.  Examples from the Bible are examined and the rationale for this considered as well.
  • Genesis 17 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Posted 12/7/2013


    For 24 years, God has been speaking to Abram of promises for the future, which promises did not appear to have an established foundation from a human perspective—Abram had no sons, and all of God’s promises were off in the distant future based upon Abram having a son. In the previous chapter, Abram and Sarai, his wife, tried to help God along by employing a surrogate slave girl, Hagar, by whom Abram would sire a son. The result of this union was Ishmael; but this also introduced a great deal of drama to the Abram compound, due to the considerable friction between Sarai and Hagar (this is covered in Gen. 16).

    13 years have passed since Gen. 16—Ishmael is a young teenager—and God again comes to Abram, introducing Himself as ʾEl Shaddai, God Almighty or God Omnipotent. God makes the unequivocal promise that Abram will have a son by his wife Sarai. God changes Abram’s name to Abraham (which means, father of many) and tells him that he will be the father of many nations and that kings would come from him. God also changes Sarai’s name to Sarah (princess).

    God first tells Abraham “Walk before Me and be [spiritually] complete;” and then He tells Abraham to be circumcised—along with every other male in his compound. Furthermore, circumcision is to be perpetuated among his people, whether they be slaves or children born as descendants to Abraham.

    We examine many doctrines in this chapter, including: Comparing and Contrasting the Church and Israel; Slavery in the United States; Ancient Translation of the Bible; God’s 4 Responses to Prayer; and the Doctrine of Sanctification.

    We also study the following topics: Ancient Law Codes and why these codes were developed; we examine the spiritual life of Abram—what it was, and what did Abram know (most believers today do not know the first thing about their own spiritual lives—for instance, most believers today do not know how to get in and out of fellowship with God); Circumcision—just what does it mean and why did God require it; and we look forward to Acts 7 and Rom. 4 to see how our study impacts this New Testament chapters. We will also step back and see the similarities between this chapter and the Suzerain-Vassal treaties of old; and we will look at this chapter as a chiasmos. 231 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Circumcision  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 12/3/2013.  This is a doctrine which has been expanded upon considerably since it was first written in 1995.  Pretty much everything that you need to know about circumcision is found here, including its meaning and purpose (circumcision originally illustrated regeneration; taking that which was dead and making it alive again).
  • Genesis 16 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 12/2/2013.


    Gen. 16 is the story of the birth of Ishmael, the father of many Arab groups who are alive today. Sarai, who obviously knew of the promises that God made to Abram, suggested that her personal maidservant, the Egyptian girl Hagar, function as a surrogate mother, through whom Abram would father a son, and, in this way, help God fulfill His promises to Abram. What happened instead was great discord in the Abram household, where Sarai and Hagar could not be reconciled, and Hagar ran off. God went and found Hagar, and asked her to return to Abram’s compound, telling her that He would multiply her seed greatly.

    This is the first appearance of the Angel of the Lord in the Bible (that is, the first time He is given this name). The Angel of the Lord is the Revealed God and this will be shown clearly by the doctrine of the Angel of the Lord.

    We also look at the Doctrine of Slavery and applications of that doctrine to today. This is an unemotional, objective examination of the practice of slavery, a practice which is still legitimate today (but not as was practiced in the United States at the time of our founding).

    We also will study the Geographical Will of God; Why the Word of God was Not Supernaturally Preserved; and we compare manuscripts which we have of the Bible compared to other ancient manuscripts which have been preserved. People typically have a lot of mistaken notions about the Bible and the manuscript evidence which we have for today’s modern Bibles. This section should help set you straight on that topic.

    This is a relatively short chapter (only 16 verses), but packed with a lot of important material. 138 pages.

  • Genesis 15 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 11/29/2013.


    Gen. 15 is a very unusual chapter of the Bible. Twice, Abram is said to be communicating with God when in a trance state; but there seem to be a variety of real activities related to these communications which take place as well. There is a great deal of prophecy in this chapter, where God helps Abram to look forward into time, to see what God will bring to pass.

    Also in this chapter is the clear statement of Old Testament salvation: And Abram had believed in the Lord and it is credited to him as righteousness. This verse is quoted 5 times in the New Testament, but each time with a slightly different emphasis (all quotations will be studied in Gen. 15).

    The doctrines studied in this chapter will include Four Generation Degeneracy, with a modern example of it; Abram and the large numbers associated with him; and an argument in favor of the less-than-literal Bibles.

    There are two doctrines studied at the end of this chapter which I believe are extremely important. The first is the “Lucky Guesses in Genesis 1–15.” These are 20 or so things which are amazing that anyone would have, at anytime in ancient history, recorded these things. The Bible speaks of cloning, of the Big Bang Theory and of the chemical composition of man; as well as about the atmosphere—things which make perfect sense today, and things which were found thousands of years before their discovery in the first 15 chapters of Genesis. There are also a number of very sophisticated theological concepts found in the first 15 chapters of Genesis, which, if this were not the Word of God, we should not expect to find such things.

    People have a lot of misconceptions about the Bible itself. They think that the Catholic Church or this or that group sneaked in and changed the Bible to conform to all of its theories. Others think that there have been so many translations of translations made of the Bible that there is no way possible to know what it said originally. Others think that, somehow, the prophecies were written after the prophecies had come to pass. All of these ideas are silly; and having some real understanding of the history of the Bible shows these ideas to be false. This is one of the final doctrines found in Gen. 15. 162 pages.

  • Deuteronomy Introduction (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 11/14/2013

    The book of Deuteronomy consists primarily of a series of lectures which Moses delivers to the children of Israel—the second generation from exodus (whom I call the generation of promise)—before they enter into the Land of Promise without him. God will take Moses shortly after delivering these messages.

    The Introduction to the book of Deuteronomy is probably a little too long at 70+ pages. This is actually a pivotal book in the Old Testament. In previous books, Moses is very careful to distinguish between the words of God and narrative and what he says. However, when we get to the book of Deuteronomy, such demarcations are only occasional; and there are times when a command from God cannot be distinguished from a command from Moses. The idea is, this begins the concept of the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

    The authorship of Deuteronomy and the time during which it was written has been a discussion for over 100 years, with many claiming that Moses did not write this book. Although I believe that scholars have put this wrong-headed theory to rest, the arguments for and against will be herein repeated, in case you have not seen them before.

    The influence of Deuteronomy on the rest of the Old Testament and the New is profound. We will find more citations and references to Deuteronomy than any other Old Testament book. Most of these citations will be quoted specifically.

    There are several outlines, both short and detailed ones; and several charts, which help to sum up this great book in a glance.

    This is the first installment of a phenomenal journey as well as the most thorough examination of this book.

  • Deuteronomy 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Posted November 9, 2013.

    From the very beginning, you will learn things about Moses and the book of Deuteronomy that are not found in any other commentary (there are dozens of commentaries, if not hundreds). Of the several I looked through, few had any idea as to who the man Moses was; why writing this book was even necessary in the first place; or how the contents of Deuteronomy relate to you and your life directly. Furthermore, none of them seemed to recognize the over-arching theme of Deut. 1, which is obedience to authorities established by God and the consequences of rejecting God’s authority, which obedience is the natural response of faith in what God has told them. However, there are important concepts in the book of Deuteronomy which other commentaries understood—such as, why Joshua leads the people of Israel into the Land of Promise rather than Moses. This can be found in a few commentaries besides this one.

    There are some non-moral issues found in the Pentateuch (like yoking together two incompatible animals; like mixing cotton threads with wool threads). If you have ever wondered why, this will be explained in the introduction to Deut. 1, and then, of course, covered in great detail when that passage is itself examined.

    Included in this study is the Great Analogy of the Exodus. This has been dramatically distorted by both Liberation Theology and Black Liberation Theology; however, there is a great analogy which is revealed and explained in the New Testament; and it is both simple and obvious.

    In writing this, I did a great deal of reading of other commentators. One of the topics I never saw addressed formally was, Why Does Moses Need to Give a Second Law? God gave Moses the Law and Moses spoke that Law to the people. Why would Moses need to, a second time, present the Law to the people of Israel? This will be fully explained.

    There are several topics in this chapter which are not often discussed. (1) Moses speaks of the first no-water situation and how, because of the behavior of the people, God wanted to kill them all; and Moses interceded on their behalf. Then God said, “Okay, you got it Moses; I will let them go into the Land of Promise; I won’t kill them all.” So, why does God first threaten to do something like this, and then, just because Moses says a few words, then backs off. Did Moses really cause God to change His mind? What Moses does here is actually quite significant. (2) In one verse, Moses appears to be blaming the people he is speaking to for his sin—the sin which is keeping him from going into the land with them. Since this is the inspired Word of God, he cannot do that. If he is to blame for his own sin (which he is), then he cannot shift this blame to anyone else—not while speaking the Word of God. Therefore, one of his statements here has to be explained. (3) Also, during this speech, Moses does a couple of public speaking tricks (for lack of a better word) to grab the attention of his audience and to focus them on specific things. I don’t believe that anyone has ever discussed this before.

    Some discussion will be given to the Law Code of Hammurabi. No doubt, you have heard that Moses used this code as the basis for the Mosaic Law. This is discussed.

    Included in this study is God’s Promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; The Morality of Taking the Land of Promise; and The Sovereignty of God versus the Free Will of Man;

    Also important to this study is, how the sermons of Moses help us to define the concept of inspiration. There are at least 4 types found in this study which look forward to Jesus and the cross. 345 pages.

  • Canonicity (New Testament) Chart (jpg 1)  (jpg 2)  (PDF).  Uploaded 10/29/2013.  This is to counter a dishonest graphic on the internet which claims that the New Testament canon was determined by one council at one time.  Determining which books belong in the Canon was a process which took place over a period of about 350 years.
  • Updated the Book of Exodus (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) 10/26/2013.  A few doctrines were added.  A verse-by-verse, but not word-by-word exegesis.  450 pgs.
  • Genesis Lessons #201-261  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 10/23/2013.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family and all of Gen. 20-21 and most of 22.  These 50 lessons include the a retrospective of the life of Lot; Lot as found in the New Testament; a comparison between Lot and Abraham; the Sin unto Death; how Abraham foreshadows Jesus Christ (in a passage I don't think has ever been fully explained before); the testing of Abraham; a list of things that we learn from Gen. 20; where Jesus is found in the first 22 chapters of Genesis, the birth of Isaac and the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael.  Also included in these lessons: Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, a lesson on the authorship of Genesis, the parallels between the births of Isaac and Jesus, Isaac's birth in the NT, the Doctrine of Legalism, reasons why we can believe that the Bible is the Word of God, Paul's NT use of the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, Gentile Salvation, Grace Apparatus for Perception, the Trinity in the Old Testament, the Great Analogy of the Written Word of God and the Living Word of God; Inheritance and Escrow Blessings; the Doctrine of Typology, and the Parallels between Isaac Being Offered and Jesus on the Cross.
  • Deuteronomy 20 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 9/28/2013

    Deuteronomy 20 deals with warfare, but with that, a number of other topics which come out in the exegesis of this chapter.

    There are, of course, the two facts about Deuteronomy which are ignored by all exegetes of this book. We will flesh out some of the differences between Gen X and the generation of promise. Other topics will include the dishonesty of liberal websites; not being able to fully appreciate the great historical events of your lifetime; the division of responsibilities in the Christian life; how God wants us to be happy in our own lives; one of the oft used false arguments of liberalism; fear and cowardice in battle; some discussion of slavery as found in the Bible; the United States, General MacArthur and Evangelism; and God is a conservationist but not an environmentalist

    There are references to the Doctrine of War and the Doctrine of the Military;

    Some of the doctrines examined in this chapter include: How God Offering us Peace Parallels Israel Offering Peace to her Enemies; Does God’s Treatment of Israel’s Enemies Seem Harsh to You?; Genocide in the Bible; What is a Righteous War?; and Why the Bible Sometimes Deals with Non-moral Issues.

  • Deuteronomy 21 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 9/17/2013.   There are two passages from this chapter which are known to critics of the Bible. A soldier could take a woman from the captives in war as his wife. Those who do not like the Bible will paint this in the more unflattering light that they can, but what Moses teaches here actually provided protection for the women of captive nations. The procedure will be fully examined in this chapter, along with updated examples of this same thing occurring in today’s world.

    The second passage which is well known, outside those who study Scripture, is a passage where a man and his wife bring their son to the elders and judges of a city to be executed. There are several graphics of this floating about the internet. Although this passage is generally translated well, it is rarely studied, with the result that it is not fully understood.

    Deuteronomy continues to be a book rich with meaning and application to today. Studying the Old Testament—studying the Mosaic Law, in fact—does not make you a legalist nor should it result in making you a Sabbath-keeper. It allows for you to have the foundation upon which Christianity is based.

    Some of the topics covered in this chapter include: How Moses came up with the book of Deuteronomy; The Parallels between the Heifer Sacrificed and Jesus Christ; the protections offered by Moses to captive women taken in war; is there a loophole here for legitimate illegitimate sex; applying the captive wife doctrine to today’s world; why God did not outlaw polygamy; instance of moral neutrality; the importance of authority orientation learned from the parents; and applying the execution of the disobedient son to today’s world.

    Some of the doctrines covered or alluded to in this chapter include: Typology; Scofield’s Doctrine of Redemption; the Slave Market of Sin; Polygamy; the Firstborn; Jesus the Firstborn; the 3 Things Liberals Object to in Deut. 21; and the Dual Authorship of Scripture.

  • Deuteronomy 22 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Posted 9/2/2013.
    marriage-according-to-the-biblechart.jpg

    Those who are liberal and politically active today often take swipes at the Bible, suggesting that God is capricious and arbitrary with the things that He says. This chapter deals with two such topics which can be found at various liberal, anti-Bible and/or pro-gay marriage websites: the banning of cotton/polyester blend clothing and the idea that a rapist can marry his victim. Both of these things are found in Deut. 22, and in each case, that is not really what is found in the Bible. These things have been intentionally or unintentionally distorted to make the Bible seem silly. Now, to begin with, few of these people know what is in the Bible apart what such graphics say; so they post these things out of ignorance and personal bias. However, even when the correct interpretation is given to them, they will continue to keep such dishonest graphics posted. Their intention is to sway hearts and minds and to draw them away from God; whether this is done honestly or dishonestly is not an issue to most liberals, anti-Bible types or gay-marriage proponents. The ends—drawing people away from the Bible—justifies the means.


    The reason that I worked on this particular chapter is because of the marriage equality graphic above, the one which claims that a marriage between two men is legitimate because the Bible says that a rapist can marry his victim. That did not sound right at all to me; so I believed that a study of this passage was warranted. In doing contemporary research, I came across several dishonest graphics about the Bible posted on the internet, most of them posted multiple times.

    There are several diverse topics in this chapter of Deuteronomy, many of which have application to today’s world. There is one building code (the only to be found in the Mosaic Law). There are laws on conservation. God places these things in the Bible, not only for the people in the time that this was written, but for our time as well. J. Vernon McGee notes that building codes in the United States are a relatively new thing; but the Bible has a building code written over 3500 years ago. Particular care will be given not only to the examination of this building code, but also to update it and to apply to today’s world, using both Texas and California as examples of how to incorrectly do building codes.

    Other topics included in this chapter are: the two fundamental things which commentaries do not tell you about Deuteronomy: that Moses was well-educated in the laws of the nations which were known to Egypt and that he was getting a people ready to move into a land, when these people had never farmed before, built a house before, and their parents were not there to tell them how to do it. This explains much of the advice given by Moses throughout the book of Deuteronomy.

    Other things which are discussed in this chapter: homosexual acts and mixed-fabric shirts (why should we pay attention to what the Bible says about homosexuality if it also bans cotton-blend shirts?); how laws against j-walking do not invalidate laws against murder (an outstanding analogy); the original Good Samaritan law; Israel’s tax for the poor; the gender roles of parents; building codes in Israel and applying those codes today; what about mixing different fabrics—isn’t that just superstition; “You can’t legislate morality” and the changing morality in the United States; what we can use from the book of Deuteronomy today; Bible morality and the sexual revolution of the 1960's; how to understand the mores of Deuteronomy today; what our society has adopted from the legal nuances of Deuteronomy; gay marriage proponents and their dishonest attacks on the Bible; shotgun weddings; how you fix the illegitimacy rate in the United States; the Bible does not require a woman to marry her rapist; and liberal distortions of the Bible. Finally, there is a special extended section, taking many of the laws found throughout the books of Moses, and showing how they are the very foundation for our system of law here in the United States.

    Like all chapters of the Bible that I have studied, there is a great deal to be found in Deut. 22. I particularly enjoyed working on this chapter, and am excited about posting it as well.

  •  Social and Legal Concerns found in the Mosaic Law (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 9/1/2013.    There are many graphics out there purporting to show just how silly the Bible is, often listing Old Testament laws against eating shellfish and pork, and making cotton blend clothes, and claims that one legitimate form of marriage in the Bible is a rapist marrying his victim. Such assertions are distortions and/or outright lies. At best, they simply do not take into consideration the difference between guidelines which Moses gave to a new people who had never farmed before or had never built a house before, and the moral absolutes which transcend culture, time and place. At worse, these graphics intentionally (or unintentionally) distort regulations and laws found in the Bible.
  •  This document is a list of fundamental laws and rights given by God which are codified in the Law of Moses. The concepts found in the books of Moses (Exodus through Deuteronomy) are not just a part of our current legal system, but these laws are the very foundation of American law.  It is as if our founding fathers, as they determined what our nation would be, had the Bible open to the perfect law of liberty as a guideline for their ideas.
  • 2Samuel 18 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) continues the most complete examination of the book of Samuel available. Uploaded 8/23/2013

    2Sam. 18 is one of the most unusual chapters in the saga of David. However, this is filled with doctrines and applications. There are so many parallels which are relevant to our day: between David and Joab and President Truman and General MacArthur; between David and Absalom and Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. Like all other chapters of the Bible which I have examined, chapter 18 is filled with modern-day applications and parallels.

    Revolution against an established government is romanticized in our society; and many people believed that all of these revolutions across the Middle East would somehow result in better things for the Middle East. If they understood the Bible and many of the principles found in 2Sam. 18, they would know this is not the case. Revolution, establishment government, the United States and the current revolutions in the Middle East are all discussed in this exegetical study. This is not a political dissertation; these are simply principles taught in Scripture which are universal and timeless. Present-day applications found here will be replaced by a new set of present-day applications 20 or 30 years from now.

    Other topics and doctrines found in 2Sam. 18: An Adversity Set of Values; the Doctrine of a Day at a Time; the Doctrine of Negative Emotion; The Tale of the Tape (David’s army as compared to Absalom’s army); the lack of parallels between Absalom hanging from the tree and Jesus from the cross; Attacking Certain Religious Christians or Denominations; Comparing North and South Korea; Categories of Humility (so many people have no concept of what humility actually is); Monuments; General MacArthur’s Speech at the Dedication of MacArthur Park; Authority Orientation in Life; What We Get from the Competing Runners' Narrative; The Father-Son Relationship in Scripture; and Some of the Great Lamentations in Scripture

    Incidental topics will include liberal thinking and its fallacies; liberal self-righteousness; Joab as a great #2 man; God’s justice and righteousness are as important as His love; the careful organization and planning of David’s army is superior to Absalom’s superior numbers; a reasonable examination of the battle between David and Absalom’s armies; v. 14 in this chapter is mistranslated by nearly every Bible—the correct translation will be provided; the idea that the United States is an imperialistic nation is poppycock; and how support for leadership often turns on impressions rather than on facts. 277 pages.

  • Operation Footstool (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 8/20/2013.  After Abraham showed that he was willing to offer up his son to God, Jesus Christ, in His pre-incarnate form, spoke to Abraham.  Genesis 22:15–17  And the Angel of Jehovah called to Abraham out of the heavens the second time, and said, “I have sworn by Myself, says Jehovah; because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one; that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore.  And your Seed will possess the gate of His enemies.” This promise end with a new promise: Your Seed will possess the gate of His enemies.   Not only would Abraham’s Seed would defeat his enemies, but all that they have will be His.  This is what is known as operation footstool, where God the Father makes all of the enemies of Jesus Christ His footstool (in the sense that they are subjugated to Him).
  • The Grace Apparatus for Perception (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 8/20/2013.  Believers grow spiritually by the intake of Bible doctrine.  Grow by means of grace and by means of knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ is a mandate from God, given in the imperative mood in 2Peter 3:18.  This happens a bit at a time.  There are no other methods by which Christians grow.  We do not grow by attending a church that has all of the programs we like (lots of singing, a nursery, a young people’s group, etc.).  We grow in a church that may be tiny, medium or large, but from which pulpit the Word of God is taught regularly—not in 15 minute chunks thrice a week, but an hour 4x a week or more.  We may sing hymns, but they should enforce what we know or help to teach us doctrine.  There are a lot of things that we might do at church, but the primary focus of a church is to see that its members Grow by means of grace and by means of knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace is the system by which God made it possible for all believers to grow (R. B. Thieme, Jr. coined the phrase, the grace apparatus for perception, or GAP).
  • Genesis Lessons #201-250  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 8/19/2013.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family and all of Gen. 20-21 and most of Gen. 22.  These 50 lessons include the a retrospective of the life of Lot; Lot as found in the New Testament; a comparison between Lot and Abraham; the Sin unto Death; how Abraham foreshadows Jesus Christ (in a passage I don't think has ever been fully explained before); the testing of Abraham; a list of things that we learn from Gen. 20; where Jesus is found in the first 22 chapters of Genesis, the birth of Isaac and the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael.  Also included in these lessons: Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, a lesson on the authorship of Genesis, the parallels between the births of Isaac and Jesus, Isaac's birth in the NT, the Doctrine of Legalism, reasons why we can believe that the Bible is the Word of God, Paul's NT use of the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, Gentile Salvation, Grace Apparatus for Perception, the Trinity in the Old Testament, and the Great Analogy of the Written Word of God and the Living Word of God.
  • Marriage Alternatives in the Bible (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 8/14/2013.  The picture on the right has been distributed throughout the internet, to hundreds if not thousands of web pages. What it purports to do is list a number of different marriage configurations which are found in the Bible. Their purposes for this graphic are: (1) to shake the faith of thAlternate marriages in
                                          the Biblee believer; and (2) to sell gay marriage (which this movement has renamed marriage equality). What they are not interested in is truth. What the Bible really says about the alternate marriages listed is not of any interest to these people. No one is going to read this examination of alternate marriages in the Bible and say, “Oops, got that one wrong. Let me redo this graphic to reflect that.” The study which follows is for believers; this is an examination of these passages for any believer who saw this graphic and perhaps was a little shaken by it. 
  • The Edification Complex of the Soul   (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD).  8/9/2013.  This is an updating of a doctrine originally developed by R. B. Thieme, Jr.  The idea is that we, as believers, grow (or retrogress) as believers.  There are mechanics involved in the growth process and there are specific levels that some believers reach.  This particular doctrine explains the mechanics and shows what the stages of growth are.  There is the original ECS (which Thieme revised on several occasions) along with the version I developed where the ECS faces both man and God, which involves different sorts of growth, but spiritual growth which is parallel.  Also included as an 8-story ECS which Glenn from Wisdom and Knowledge developed.  Included in this doctrine is also somewhat of an homage to R. B. Thieme, Jr. and the essentially ways in which he has impacted orthodox theology.
  • Typology (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 8/8/2013.  Typology is one of the most fascinating studies of Scripture.  People, events, institutions and ceremonies match up with future things (usually with Jesus Christ, His crucifixion, or some aspect of His life or Person).  What is most often the case is, the type (for instance, the birth of Isaac) is a normal historical event, without any suggestion that it prophesies some future event.  However, the antitype (the birth of Jesus Christ) matches up in far too many ways for these to be simple coincidences.  This should be studied in conjunction with Typology: Abraham’s Offering of Isaac/God’s Offering of Jesus  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) and the birth of Isaac foreshadowed the birth of our Lord (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).
  • Genesis 14 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 7/13/2013

    Genesis 14 is a fascinating study, thought by some to be an odd insertion in the Bible. However, once you read this, you will see just how important this chapter is to the narrative of Genesis, and how it plants more seeds for further doctrines.

    The Bible is a book which includes the strategy and tactics of various armies, and that is something that we find in this chapter. You may not recognize what is going on by a simple read-through, but exactly what these armies do is clearly laid out. We also study the stages of national discipline here, laid out in the Bible for the first time. The false JEPD theory (documentary hypothesis) is alluded to in this chapter, along with links to where this false theory is explained. Imperialism, which is given a bad name today, will be studied in relationship to Gen. 14. British imperialism was a good thing; it was not evil. Furthermore, what the United States does today is not imperialism. We will note that the Bible is not anti-wealth, and not every wealthy man in the Bible is told to sell everything that he has and give it to the poor. There will be a link to a list of the wealthy men found in Scripture, none of whom had done wrong by being wealthy. We will look at the brilliance of United States policy after WWII and the great failure of George W. Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan (you have not heard this from a Biblical perspective before, I can almost guarantee you).

    Included in the doctrines are the Strategy and Tactics of the Kings of the East; the Melchizedek Special; the Priesthoods of God; the Doctrine of Redemption; the Slave Market of Sin; and, very importantly, all the Seeds of Theology found in Genesis 1–14. Progressive Revelation, Tithing, and the Stages of National Discipline are also doctrines which are covered in this chapter.

    This is truly one of the great chapters of the Bible. 217 pages.

  • The Melchizedek Special  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 7/13/2013.   Melchizedek, whose name means "King of Righteousness;" who is the King of Salem (which means "The King of Peace") is an enigmatic figure from the book of Genesis.  This special, taken out of Gen. 14, covers everything there is to know about Melchizedek.  Primarily, he foreshadows the Person of Jesus Christ (that is, he is a type of Christ).
  • The American Heritage Special (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 7/9/2013.  This study was taken out of the Genesis 13 exegesis.  I have learned, along with many other people in high school and college that our founding fathers were deists and that they believed in a strict separation of church and state.  However, that is not really true.  Included are quotations from the founding fathers, from founding documents, and from early school documents, so that it becomes clear that the belief in Christian doctrine and in the Bible was very much a part of the founding of client nation United States.
  • Genesis 13 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 7/1/13.  Some updating was done to this on 7/3/2013 to correct some geographical inaccuracies.

    In Gen. 13, Abram and his crew return from Egypt, oddly richer than before, despite Abram’s deception. Lot is still with Abram, but because of the abundance of their riches, Abram suggests to Lot that they should separate, Lot being given the first choice of which direction to go in.

    After this separation, God comes to Abram and fills him in on more of His promises to Abram. God then tells Abram to continue wandering throughout the land, which Abram begins doing.

    There are a great many doctrines covered in this chapter, including the Doctrine of Separation, the Concept of Blessing by Association, the Doctrine of Logistical Grace, the Doctrine of Antisemitism, and several doctrines on Dispensations and intercalation.   However, there are many figures of speech found throughout Scripture, and several of the more notable ones will be highlighted here with examples.

    Also included in this study is an American Heritage Special, because the history of the United States which I was taught in high school and college was inaccurate and intentionally so. Not necessarily by my teachers, but by those who wrote the texts and distorted who our founders really were. In this section, we will read a proclamation by George Washington, the preambles of several state constitutions, and the words of many founding fathers. Our founding fathers are not deists nor did they write the constitution in order to limit the religious speech of government officials. When reading their own words, this will become plain. We will also take a brief look at the Warren Court and how they changed the vocabulary just enough to begin to use the 1st Amendment to limit free speech rather than to preserve it. It is a fascinating study.

    All in all, there is a lot of important information for the believer in Jesus Christ in this chapter and a great deal of application. 182 pages.
  • Gentile Salvation in the Old Testament (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 6/26/2013.  This is some confusion about gentiles in the Old Testament--were they able to be saved?  How did they hear about Israel's God?  Could only Jews be saved?  This is a fairly short doctrine (3 pages) which covers the theory, theology, and case histories of gentiles salvation which did occur.
  • Genesis 12 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 6/25/2013

    Gen. 12 is the call of Abram (Abraham), his move to Canaan, his travels through Canaan, and then his misstep of going to Egypt. Gen. 12 marks a transition point in the book of Genesis, as we suddenly focus in on one man and his life. We have studied individuals in the previous 11 chapters, but with Gen. 12, there is a sudden focus and concentration which was not found before. Interestingly enough, Abram (Abraham is not his name yet) is claimed by at least 3 different religions, but, in this study, you will begin to get a feel for the man and his thinking, as well as for his misjudgment.

    We will study God’s promise to Abram, “I will bless those who bless you; and curse those who curse you;” and study a great many ancient and modern examples of this. This will lead us to the precarious position that the United States is in today. In Charan, it will be apparent that Abram and his family were successful; but this was outside of God’s geographic will for Abram. He will be blessed even more greatly in Canaan, the Land of Promise.

    God appears twice to Abram, and we will study the concept of Theophanies and Christophanies in the Old Testament. We will study the subtlety of the Bible, as many people view the Bible as a book that beats individuals over the head with their own personal sins.

    There are many doctrines which are studied in this chapter: How God Would Bless Abram; Should Abram have taken Lot with Him?; The Doctrine of Theophanies; Categories of Passages with a Double Meaning; The Doctrine of the Will of God; Abram and the Geographic Will of God; The Doctrine of Faith-Rest; The Goals of Communism in America; The Abbreviated Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment; and Parallels to the Exodus.


    This should be a study of greater depth of this chapter than you have seen anywhere else. 169 pages.

  • Job 3 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 6/16/2013.  Job 3 begins the round of discussions. Only Job will speak and he will talk about a romanticized view of death, and how he wishes that he was miscarried, stillborn, or died shortly after being born.

    One very important item which this chapter of Job leads us to inquire about is, how do we determine when Job is speaking divine viewpoint and when is he just complaining about his life? Job is more spiritually advanced than his 3 associates, but that does not mean that everything he says is truth. After all, near the end of the book of Job, God will take issue with Job on some things which he says. So, we might separate the truth from the false, based upon what we know today; but how did men of the era differentiate, when they did not have the benefit of additional books of the Bible? What is quite amazing is, even though it is a difficult call to point to one thought as divine viewpoint, and then to reject another as not—or having a difficult time finding any divine viewpoint expressed—there are still a great many fascinating topics suggested by the study of this chapter of the book of Job.

    A second item of great importance is, when does life begin and at what point ought we to protect life? Although this particular chapter does not answer this questions, there will be doctrines in this chapter which will. For some people, this is a no-brainer—they have been brought up to believe that abortion is wrong. However, there are also those who believe that ensoulment occurs when God first breathes life into every infant at birth. Some from this camp believe that abortion is legitimate prior to ensoulment. Who is right? You may be surprised, but we can draw some definite conclusions based upon what the Bible says, which discussion is legitimately started by the book of Job.

    Short doctrines covered in the book of Job include: a set of Principles which introduce us to the entire book of Job; Explaining Leviathan; the Doctrine of Miscarriage in the Bible; Determining when life occurs; the Fallacy of Reincarnation; the Doctrine of Physical Death; Job’s Understanding of Death; Why God has allowed Job to continue living; and the Doctrine of Suffering (McEwan’s). There are also allusions and links to the Laws of Divine Establishment; the Doctrine of Slavery; and the Angelic Conflict, 3 doctrines related to this chapter of Job.

    Discussions in Job 3 include: an idea for a television show without violence, shootings, sex, science fiction or vampires; what men of Job’s era understood about Bible doctrine; relativism and the values of Job’s day; when is a person ensouled; what the Word of God teaches about protection of life in the womb (if any); civil action and the believer; pain and distress in the life of the believer; slavery; and Job suffering from PTSD. 168 pages.

  • The Doctrine of Slavery updated 6/14/2013  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This is actually a collection of 4 doctrines which are taken from the Basic Exegesis Series: The Biblical Doctrine of Slavery, Lessons from the Doctrine of Slavery, Slavery in the United States and Slavery in the United States--an Addendum.  This study takes a rational, unemotional view of slavery, slavery in the United States, reparations and other related topics; and helps the believer to understand not simply the historical context for slavery in the Bible, but to be able to apply this thinking to current social problems and injustices, as well as our involvement as Christians in social problems and inequity.
  • Genesis Lessons #201-240  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 6/5/2013.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family and all of Gen. 20.  These 40 lessons include the a retrospective of the life of Lot; Lot as found in the New Testament; a comparison between Lot and Abraham; the Sin unto Death; how Abraham foreshadows Jesus Christ (in a passage I don't think has ever been fully explained before); the testing of Abraham; a list of things that we learn from Gen. 20; where Jesus is found in the first 22 chapters of Genesis, the birth of Isaac and the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael.  Also included in these lessons: Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, a lesson on the authorship of Genesis, the parallels between the births of Isaac and Jesus, Isaac's birth in the NT, the Doctrine of Legalism, reasons why we can believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and Paul's NT use of the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac.
  • Stages of Spiritual Growth (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 6/3/2013. If you have studied under R. B. Thieme, Jr., these stages might be familiar to you.  It is important for every believer to understand that part of the plan of God for their lives is spiritual growth.
  • Wealthy Men in the Bible  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 6/3/2013.  Liberals have been trying to claim Jesus Christ as their own (but not as their Savior, but as a distributor of a free health care system).  Part of their distortion of Jesus is that He was against wealth accumulation and He favored redistribution of wealth (after all, he told the rich young ruler that, in order to be perfect, he needed to sell everything and follow Jesus).  Nearly all liberal sites who make reference to Jesus will speak of this story with great reverential tones, as if this is the pattern that we ought to all follow.   This is a list of the wealthy men in the Bible; wealthy men that God did not tell them to sell everything and give the proceeds to the poor. 
  • Job 2 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) uploaded 5/25/2013.  . In Job 2, we return to a convocation of the angels, and Satan speaks before God. God asks him about His servant Job, and Satan says, “Skin for skin; strike him physically and he will curse You.” God gives Satan permission to harm Job physically, but to not kill him.

    Satan returns to earth to harm Job, striking him with a horribly painful disease (probably elephantitis); and we find that Satan has left Job’s wife alive, and she is none too pleased with her situation. Job tells her that they should be able to take the evil with the good that comes from God. After this, we do not hear from Satan or Job’s wife again.

    3 friends or business associates come to Job, and are taken aback by how bad he looks. They all sit in silence for 7 days and nights and Job’s friends grieve for him.

    Some of the topics covered in this chapter are how did Job mature spiritually in that time period; the norms and standards of youth today; the suggestion that the earth is round in the book of Job; spiritual maturity is a process; momentum testing and disaster testing; Saul Alinsky, who dedicates his book to Lucifer; socialism and free enterprise; cosmic thinking; divine viewpoint thinking; what is missing from the Greek text; one of the few insertions with an attempt to influence readers with Catholic doctrine; why Satan left Job his wife; why Stimulus bills do not stimulate the economy; opting for spiritual growth does not mean that our lives will suck; wealth and happiness; and comparing Job to Jesus (Job is a type of Jesus);

    The doctrines in this chapter include: Ancient Law Codes; the Stages of Spiritual Growth; Theories on the Disease that Struck Job; Dating the Book of Job; and the Doctrine of Suffering. References are made to the sin unto death and to the laws of divine establishment. 134 pages.

  • Job 1 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Uploaded 5/14/2013.  Much of Job is explained in the first chapter. This sets us up for the remainder of the book, although there will be vast differences between the rest of the book of Job and the first two chapters.

    The first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Job, tell us almost from the very beginning that we are in the midst of an unseen conflict, and it is that conflict which, in many ways, defines our lives.

    We meet Job and his first family, and he is introduced to us as wealthy, but complete, spiritually straight, a man who fears God and avoids evil. Suddenly, we are in heaven with God and Satan at a convocation of angels. We learn a great deal about God and Satan and the Angelic Conflict from this meeting.

    God then allows Satan to systematically destroy Job’s wealth and family, which he does immediately. However, rather than curse God, as Satan predicted, Job blesses God at his own personal losses.

    There are a lot of things which concern believers when they read this chapter—are they suffering like Job? Will they suffer like Job? Is all of this suffering worth it simply so that God can teach a theological point to Satan? Why do we suffer so much on earth? Hopefully, these questions will be answered.

    There is another point which should be dealt with, with the book of Job: this is an early book, and Job will spend most of this book discussing the tragedy of his life with 3 of his friends. How do we know what they are saying is accurate or incorrect? If this is the earliest completed book of the Bible, how can we read it, understanding progressive revelation, and determine that this paragraph is accurate, but this following paragraph is not? This question will begin to be answered in this chapter.


    This chapter includes the following short doctrines: Problems and Questions about the book of Job; The Doctrine of Evil; An Estimation of Job’s Worth; Wealthy Men in the Bible; The Angelic Conflict; Fear of the Lord in the Old Testament; Reasons the New Testament Believer Needs to Know the Old Testament; Scientific Principles Found in the Bible; Verses on the Protection of God; and The Bible Does not Teach Reincarnation; and Do not depend upon wealth in times of tragedy.

  • 2Samuel 17 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) uploaded 4/25/2013

    These lengthy exegetical studies are done for several reasons: (1) to put you into the center of the action, so that you understand all that is going on, along with the thinking of the principals involved. (2) To give you one place to go where the material of this chapter is thoroughly laid out, with alternative texts considered. (3) Every word of the Hebrew for this chapter is found along with its morphology, and then 3 different translations are provided as well.

    In 2Sam. 17, David is leaving Jerusalem as Absalom enters into Jerusalem. Absalom has asked advice of his chief adviser Ahithophel at the end of the previous chapter, and he was told to publicly rape David’s mistresses. While Absalom is occupied doing this, Ahithophel forms a plan, which is to take 12,000 soldiers and pursue David immediately (presumably while Absalom is still busy with the mistresses). Although Absalom likes the plan, he called in Hushai for a second opinion, not knowing that he is David’s mole. Hushai has the difficult task of immediately coming up with another plan which is inferior to Ahithophel’s excellent plan, and then selling it to Absalom as better than Ahithophel’s plan. He succeeds. Ahithophel goes home to end his life, Hushai contacts David’s intelligence network, to tell them what Absalom is planning, and Absalom probably continues raping David’s mistresses while a larger army is raised.

    Meanwhile, David’s intelligence network springs into action, bringing information to David, despite Absalom’s soldiers watching carefully for suspicious movement. Because of the intelligence report, David crosses over the Jordan River and goes to Mahanaim, as an army is gathered for Absalom and he crosses over the Jordan to look for his father David. The chapter ends with David receiving logistical support from 3 different sources.

    God the Holy Spirit in this text gives us the nuts and bolts of war, including the strategy and tactics, the meetings, the decisions, the clandestine warfare which is occurring, and the way that the characters complement as well as clash with one another, which is Absalom’s downfall. In fact, this chapter sets us up for Absalom’s eventual defeat, due to being undermined through clandestine warfare, sanctioned by God.


    The doctrines and charts found in this chapter include: God and Revolution; Revolution and Warfare Requires a New Set of Values for the Believer; Links to the Doctrine A Personal Sense of Destiny; David’s Line Including Abigail; the Nahash’s of Scripture; The Sharing of our Material Goods with the Servants of God; and Legitimate Lies in Scripture. 246 pages.
  • 2Samuel 16 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) uploaded 4/3/2013.  This section of the Scriptures continues to be up-to-date, as it covers such topics as people who use war and revolution for their own profit; how does an army treat disgruntled and hostile civilians in wartime; and the low-information citizen (whose parallel today is the low-information voter).

    We see David leaving Jerusalem and the people he runs into at his exit; and Absalom enters into Jerusalem, and he also interacts with the two most important people in this revolution: Hushai and Ahithophel.

    There are many parallels in this study to contemporary and recent politics. However, the key is, the informed believer with doctrine can correctly interpret current events, while some of the most learned and educated people around cannot. We also compare Absalom’s ground game with President Obama’s ground game in 2012.

    There are verses in this chapter which, insofar as I know, have never been fully explained. V. 20, for instance, reads: Absalom [later] asked Ahithophel, “[You all] give regarding you [all] counsel: what should we do?” This is an amazing verse and tells us a great deal about Absalom. I am not aware of any commentator who realizes this (although several translators appear to get the gist of this verse). We have both a movie parallel to this verse as well as an historical parallel.

    Absalom will ask for and take Ahithophel’s advice. However, for the man behind the man, there may be personal motives attached to his advice. Therefore, we will look at how Ahithophel’s advice benefits Absalom and how it benefits Ahithophel.

  • Exegetical Lessons from the Book of Genesis #201-230  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 4/1/2013.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family and all of Gen. 20.  These 30 lessons include the a retrospective of the life of Lot; Lot as found in the New Testament; a comparison between Lot and Abraham; the Sin unto Death; how Abraham foreshadows Jesus Christ (in a passage I don't think has ever been fully explained before); the testing of Abraham; a list of things that we learn from Gen. 20; and where Jesus is found in the first 22 chapters of Genesis.  Also included in these lessons: Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, and a lesson on the authorship of Genesis.
  • The Doctrine of Legalism (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Fundamental to understanding legalism, is to understand the concept of grace.  Grace is all that God is free to do for mankind because of the work that has been done on our behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.  Grace means that man has received from God that which he has not earned or deserved.  Nothing that we are, and nothing that we can do, is enough to qualify us for anything that the Lord has to give us.  In fact, our human works are a matter of arrogance, which God will not tolerate.  Isa. 64:6 describes how God views our works: All our righteousnesses are as filthy [lit., menstruous] rags in His sight (Isa.64:6).
  • The Doctrine of Vanity (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/15/2013.  Eccles. 4:7–8  Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, "For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?" This also is vanity and an unhappy business.  These are the words of Solomon, who both accumulated an incredible amount of riches and pursued many human endeavors in his search for happiness.  Psalm 62:9  Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. (ESV)
  • Jesus in Genesis (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 3/12/2013  Our Lord, in some form or another, apart from the Christophanies, is found in Genesis 1–22 at least 17 times.
  • Bible Translation Chart with Reading Levels (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  This is a work in progress; but much of the basic information is there, including the reading levels for about 30 Bible translations.  3/9/2013
  • Minor updates for 2Samuel 2 and the List (HTML) (PDF), which attempts to list all of the doctrinal churches in the United States, as well as most of the doctrinal resources. 2/23/13
  • Jesus Christ in the Old Testament (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Updated 2/19/2013.  There are a lot of unusual things found in the Old Testament: God asking Abraham to offer up his son, the Passover; and unusual details given about things like the birth of Isaac or the person of Samuel.   All of these things, written thousands of years ago, look forward to the Person and work of Jesus Christ.  A complete Christology and Soteriology is found in the Old Testament, so that we can study these unusual OT passages and find their fulfillment in the New Testament.  This study is also helpful to the Christian believer who has had his faith shaken for some reason or another.  It helps to refocus the individual believer on Jesus Christ, Who is the Same yesterday, today and forever.
  • The Sin unto Death (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 2/13/2013.  I found the Doctrine of the Sin unto Death posted in 3 different places, and in each case, it seemed incomplete.  This is a compilation from those 3 places, along with a small amount of original material.  If you have not seen this doctrine laid out before, then this is highly recommended.
  • Psalm 62 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) completed 2/9/2013. This psalm is all about David’s great confidence in God, in under great trying circumstances. Included in this study is how the name of Jesus is found in the Old Testament (not just once, but many times).

    This is an amazing psalm with many applications. We look at our youth today and in whom they trust. We evaluate recent presidential elections. We look at personal greed and desires; and we examine the CEO’s and those who are rich. We examine the prohibition of covetousness. We look at the difficulties which Paul endured, as well as the difficulties that David himself endured (David wrote this psalm); the fact that faith must be exercised; and the importance of having control over your soul. We also study the relationship of the believer to money, to working, to wealth, to financial security and relate this all to our dependence upon God.

    This is one of the many psalms which has the name Jesus in it (3 times).

    Some of the doctrines found in this psalm or referred to in this psalm: Jesus is the Rock; Jesus’ Name in the Old Testament; the Dual Authorship of Scripture; The Doctrines of Revolution, Lying, Flattery, Vanity, Grace, Human Good versus Divine Good; God rewards us according to what we have done in the flesh.

    This is a marvelous psalm with many modern applications.

  • The Doctrine of Genealogies   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 2/8/2013.  Quite frankly, I never expected, say, 10 years ago, to deal with a topic like this.  Genealogies in the Bible just seemed to be one name after another, with almost no purpose.  That is not the case.  There is a reason for everything found in the Bible, including the genealogies.  This is an original doctrine with previously published charts and doctrines included.  You may find yourself surprised that this is actually an interesting topic.  Personally, I was quite jazzed to do two chapters of Genesis which were primarily genealogies.  See what you think. :)
  • Bible, The Purpose of; (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 2/8/2013.  When one begins to study the genealogies of the Bible, found in Gen. 5, 10, and elsewhere, one is often tempted to ask, "Why is this in the Bible?"  As long as you understand the purpose of the Bible, the reason for this or that passage often becomes more clear.
  • Genesis 11 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

    Uploaded 2/6/2012

    Genesis 11 is another amazing, yet often ignored, chapter in the Bible. People are aware of the first half of Gen. 11, which is the Tower of Babel and the Confusion of Languages, but then, the second section follows the line of Shem. This portion is equally important, as are the final few verses, which describe the family of Terah.

    According to at least 2 sources, there does appear to be a three-fold breakdown of the languages, which is in agreement with the 3 clans at that time. There will be several sections in this study which deal with archeology and carbon dating and the theories of the age of mankind.  The scientific achievements of the people of Ham are listed here, and you will find this to be quite amazing.  Ancient man and his primitive ways will not longer seem very primitive to you.  There are two kinds of genealogies found in the Bible and these will be explained. We will study the kinds of ancient manuscripts of the Bible which are available to us today. The decline in the ages of the patriarchs will be examined, because they decrease exponentially, which is quite an amazing little detail. Finally, some attention will be paid to the route of Abraham and his family, along with something that I doubt you have heard before—the idea that Abraham was called on two occasions. Also included, and possibly exclusively found here, why Abraham and his descendants are called Hebrews (there are actually several reasons for this).

    A fascinating study and highly recommended. 174 pages.

  • Genesis 10 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded 2/1/2013

    Many people skip all of Gen. 10 and a portion of Gen. 11 because these are genealogy chapters, but there is a lot to be learned in this chapter (you may recall that the gospel of Jesus Christ is hidden in the genealogy of Gen. 5—from Adam to Noah). Every believer ought to learn something about the genealogies found in the Bible. It is worth noting that, some author did not suddenly say, “Oh, let’s throw in some genealogies here.” Their inclusion at this point is logical and actually fits well with the narrative.

    One of the most amazing things is, there are perhaps a half-dozen authors of the Bible who continue the linear (straight-line) genealogy all the way from Adam to Jesus Christ. Somehow, all of these authors knew that, there is one genealogy of promise, and it is included in the Bible (there are no other linear genealogies found). It is worth asking, how did they know? And how did they know not to follow out some of the genealogical lines, like those for Moses, Aaron, Caleb, Samuel or Saul?

    Some of the doctrines found in this chapter: What is the Purpose of the Bible, the Doctrine of Toledoth, several maps and alternate ways to show the distribution of the peoples of the earth; the 5 Divine Institutions; Attacks on the Divine Institutions.

    This is a great study and highly recommended. 149 pages.

  • Exegetical Lessons from the Book of Genesis #201-220  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 1/16/2013.  These lessons cover most of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family.  These 20 lessons include the Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity, Eschatological Vocabulary, a Chart of the History of Israel, a Chart of the Prophets (3 charts worthy of being printed and kept in your Bible), complete coverage of Sodom and Gomorrah as found throughout the Bible, and a lesson on the authorship of Genesis.
  • The Introduction of Genesis (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Posted 1/16/2013.  Although Genesis chapter 1-9 have already been posted, the introduction to this book has just been completed and posted.  One of the important sections deals with authorship, and included is an exegetical study of the words of Jesus which actually tells us who wrote Genesis (and it was not Moses).
  • Bible, Basic Themes; aka The Fundamental Themes of Scripture  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  There are certain themes which we find in the Bible, repeated in nearly every book.  This names those fundamental themes and shows various places where they are found in the Bible.  This has already been posted; there were some slight reworkings of this doctrine.
  • Basic Propositions for the Unbeliever, the Agnostic and the New Believer  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded 1/9/2013.  Taken from the introduction to the Basic Exegesis series, this is a list of propositions which every open-minded person ought to consider.
  • Dispensationalism versus Covenant Theology  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 1/5/2013.  This is the framework of God's plan in human history within which all Christian theology is based   You may or may not have heard these terms in your church, but your church doctrine is based upon one or the other.  Dispensationalism holds to the idea that God has a different plan for each epoch in time (although many things remain constant from epoch to epoch).  Covenant Theology holds that man's relationship is governed by two covenants implied but not actually stated in Scripture.  The Christian church is a party to the same covenant that Israel was a party to.  However, covenant theology holds that Israel failed, and therefore the church has taken over, not as a new entity, but as Israel 2.0.  Covenant theology assigns little meaning to the nation Israel or to the existence of Jews today.  This study was culled from the Genesis 9 study and it emphasizes an examination of covenant theology.
  • Genesis 9 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) Uploaded 1/5/2012  

    In Gen. 9, Noah and his family exit the ark to the new world devastated by worldwide flood waters. God makes a covenant (contract with Noah). At the end of this chapter, Noah will get drunk, and the way that his sons react to this will determine the general trends of history among the progeny of Noah’s sons.

    Included in this study of Gen. 9 is: The Doctrine of Murder; A Comparison of Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology; the Noahic Covenant; and the Breakdown of Races to come from Noah’s sons (as per R. B. Thieme, Jr.).

    Although I do intend to go back and edit this document at a future date, it includes a breakdown of every Hebrew word in this chapter accompanied by samples of over 50 translations, and is the most thorough examination of this chapter of Genesis anywhere. 154 pages.
  • Genesis 8 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  

    Uploaded Jan. 3, 2012.   Gen. 8 is about the second half of the flood, where the waters begin to subside to a point where Noah and his family and the animals are able to exit the ark. The person who recorded this information in the first place continues to keep us abreast of the days and the time of the month that these various events take place.

    Included in this study is the Omniscient of God, the Priesthoods of the Bible, several Flood Timetables and a chiasmos organization of Gen. 7–8. One of the fascinating aspects of the flood narrative is how it is organized. Gen. 7–8 can be combined into a chiasmos format, which is quite amazing (and something which often occurs in the Bible). More than likely, you will have to see this and read it in order to fully appreciate it.

    Finally, there is some discussion of how the flood may be related to continental drift and to the skewing of the earth’s axis.
  • Minor updates made to The Doctrine of Flattery.   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). 
  • The Doctrine of Revolution  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). 
  • and Liberalism, Conservatism, and Christianity  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). 12/22/2012
  • The Fundamental Themes of Scripture  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 12/19/2012.  These are the basic themes of the Bible which are found in Genesis, in the history, in the prophets and in the New Testament.  The fundamental nature of man; man's relationship to God; man's bankruptcy before God; our need for a Savior; and God's provision of a Savior.  These are themes found throughout the Scriptures.  Filed under Bible, Basic Themes.
  • The Doctrines of Human Good and Morality (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 12/18/2012.  Most people who become Christians believe that their new life in Christ is simply being a lot more moral than they used to be.  However, this is not the case, and the doctrines of Human Good and Morality help to illustrate this for us.  Related to this is the Fundamentals of the Faith, or Living the Christian Life (HTML)  (PDF).  At the end of human history, many Christians are going to be surprised that, all the work that they have done on this earth is the basis for the bonfire of 1Cor.3:13-14 (but he will be preserved, so as through fire --1Cor.3:15).  If you have believed in Jesus Christ, then you need to check out these studies, so that you do not waste away your life on this earth.
  • Psalm 64 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) completed 12/15/2012. Psalm 64 is all about the two kinds of people who support a revolution and the sins of the tongue utilized by revolutionists (and politicians). Included are many applications to the most recent elections and how verbal sins were employed. Also, Psalm 64 is an amazing chiasmos with 2 different interpretations and an additional application to the Tribulation. There are links and discussions of the doctrines of Fear; Revolution; Sins of the Tongue, and the Upright of Heart. There is also some discussion on why U.S. involvement in the Middle East, with our current strategy of establishing democracies is doomed to failure. Included are specific political applications and how sins of the tongue were used against George W. Bush in order for Barack Obama to win the presidency. Like much of the Bible, this psalm is as up-to-date as the next election.  As J. Vernon McGee, sometime in the 1950's or 60's, commenting on Psalm 64: As I look at the world today, I have come to the conclusion that our hope is no longer in statesmen or politicians; our hope is no longer in science or education—they are all more or less failures.  We are going to have to do what David did and what Israel will do in the future—start looking up.  God is our only hope today.

  • Women of the Old Testament   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) slightly updated 12/13/2012.
  • They Say This Is Christmas (a new/revised Christmas song) (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 12/11/2012.  This is John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Happy Christmas" with original updated, Christian lyrics.
  • The Prophet Chart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD) uploaded 12/10/2012.  This is a short, 1 page chart which lists all of the prophets, the time period during which they prophesied, and to whom they spoke.
  • The Sins of the Tongue (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Updated 12/9/2012.  This combines a few studies on the sins of the tongue done over the past years, and includes a number of links to other studies which have been done.  This is both one of the most destructive category of sin and almost one of the most ignored categories as well.
  • The Doctrine of Revolution  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Expanded by 10 pages of new material with a great deal of contemporary application.  Uploaded 12/8/12. Much more carefully defined and explained, including the topics of power lust, bad government, revolution and the believer, revolution and mob action, revolution and the United States, socialism in the United States, and information on the original revolutionary, Satan.
  • Psalm 61 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) completed 12/1/2012. In nearly every chapter of the Bible and in nearly every psalm, I get the organization and/or gist of that chapter, and this understanding helps to explain and nuance each verse of that chapter. However, with Psalm 61, I did not quite get the unifying theme, the big idea, the reason the psalmist was driven to write these words down, the unique principle found here and nowhere else or the organization. Usually, I get one of those things, and then one or two of the others become clear. I did not get this with Psalm 61. I can reasonably place it in time, but cannot find its key or its unique aspect. Nevertheless, this required an examination of the Doctrine of Vows, the Doctrine of Wings, the Doctrine of Inheritance, the Eternal Nature of All the God is, and Grace and Truth in the Plan of God. However, the one thing that did stand out is, this contrasted David’s “I will’s” with the arrogant “I will’s” of Satan. Perhaps that is what is key to this psalm; and what makes this psalm unique. Also, the use of the word Tabernacle in this psalm might help us to place this and 3 other psalms into an historical context.

  • The Old Testament Doctrine of Inheritance (HTML) (PDF) (WPDposted 11/30/12.  What we find in the Old Testament prepares us for the New Testament.  That is, nearly everything that we find in the Old Testament is a shadow of the good things to come (Heb. 10:1).  This does not mean that the Old Testament is allegorical, in the sense that the Old Testament is a bunch of made-up stories which teach the truth.  The Old Testament is recorded history which also illustrates both truth and future events, particularly as related to Jesus Christ at His 1st and 2nd Advents.
  • The New Testament Doctrine of Inheritance (or Heirship) (HTML) (PDF) (WPDposted 11/30/12. Because we are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, we become heirs to His promises, for an eternal inheritance, which is permanent and undefiled.

    This is specifically the New Testament Doctrine of Inheritance.  That is, where the Old Testament Doctrine of Inheritance  deals with things which look forward to the inheritance fulfillments of Old Testament covenants to Abraham, to the Jews and to David—that is, what they are heirs to—this New Testament Doctrine of Inheritance looks at the inheritance that we as believers will enjoy.
  • The Doctrine of Wings (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  posted Nov. 29, 2012.  There are several different uses of wings in the Bible and this explains several very difficult passages (although there is one which I could not give meaning to).  Also, this helps to explain why angels have wings.
  • A Brief History of Israel (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted Nov. 28, 2012.  This is a short, 3 page chart, giving the most basic history of ancient Israel.
  • A Brief History of Israel without links (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted Nov. 28, 2012.  If you want to print this and keep it in your Bible. 
  • Old Testament Summary Chart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • Old Testament Summary Chart without links for printing (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD
  • New Testament Summary Chart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • New Testament Summary Chart without links for printing (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)
  • The Basic Mechanics of the Christian Life (or, "Christianity for Dummies"  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Posted 11/24/2012  What exactly is the Christian life?  Is it going to church?  Is it doing good works?  Is it developing and regularly using a holy language?  Do you stop hanging out with your old friends?  What exactly is Christianity, what is the Christian life and exactly what do you do as a Christian?
  • The Doctrine of Vows (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 11/24/2012. There are a lot of things found in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, which seem rather quaint or mysterious, such as the concept of vows to God.  Since this word occurs about 75 times in the Old and New Testaments, it is something that we ought to understand.

    What ought to catch our attention first is, vows are found throughout the Old Testament, but not nearly as often in the New (and they are not spoken of in the epistles, which are Church Age doctrine).  Let me suggest to you that, prior to the cross, man had a legal or a covenantal relationship with God.  Although we tend to be very anthropocentric, it is the covenant which obligated God far more than it obligated us as men.  If God does not do as He says He will, then God is not God (and a part of the Angelic Conflict is God vindicating His Own character).  In order for God to fulfill his covenants with man, there needed to be the Suffering Servant Who went to the cross, offered Himself for our sins, and then became Israel’s promised Messiah and King.  Once God has fulfilled this obligation in time, a number of things change.  Covenants are downplayed, as would be vows (a divine covenant is God proposing an agreement between Himself and man; a vow is man proposing an agreement between himself and God).

    After the cross, God sent us the Holy Spirit, a down payment on the future blessings that we will enjoy (2Cor. 1:22).  This changes everything.  Our lives are now based upon grace and relationship rather than upon covenants.  We receive an inheritance from God because we are in Christ, His Son, and share His inheritance (Rom. 8:17).  Furthermore, there are specific mechanics to the spiritual life and to spiritual maturity, none of which are dependent upon a covenant.  It is in this light that we need to understand the concept of a vow.
  • Updated: 1Samuel 10 (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  and The Movement of the Ark and the Tabernacle (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  11/22/2012.  The change here is primarily to explain why the Ark and the Tabernacle were not kept together in the same place while David was king.  Five reasons are given.  Also the WordPerfect Document formal was uploaded as well (which can be opened in both WordPerfect and in Word).  For most people, this is not a deep, burning spiritual issue.  However, when dealing with the Scriptures, I like for things to fit together and to make sense, and this will allow for that in this particular area.
  • Psalm 55 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) completed 11/20/2012 Psalm 55 may seem as up to date as the 2012 election. This psalm appears to concern itself with the Absalom revolution against David (Absalom is David’s son); and the tactics which are used by Absalom, found both here and in 2Sam. 15, are still used today, with few modifications. Therefore, I used the 2012 election to illustrate this psalm in several places; however, this psalm may be overlaid upon nearly any election, local or national, to show how politics works, or, in the words of Solomon, to reveal that there is no new thing under the sun (Eccles. 1:9). Included in this study are links to the Doctrine of Prayer; the Davidic Covenant; Do We Pray for our Enemies or Against them; the Doctrine of Sheol; Disaster Testing and the Faith-rest Technique (Stan Simonton); and Fear vs. Faith (Stan Simonton). You should be warned that there are 3 verses in this psalm which are very difficult to translate. Several doctrines are linked: the Doctrine of Revolution; the Laws of Divine Establishment; and the Doctrine of Evil. David uses doctrinal rationales in order to get out of the deep personal funk that he was in due to Absalom’s revolt.

  • Basic Eschatology (the Study of Future Things); aka Eschatology for Dummies.  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Uploaded November 14, 2012.  Eschatology is the study of future things, as they are laid out in the Bible, and this is a list of the vocabulary words used in the Bible and in theology which are related to eschatology.  There is a short rundown, afterwards, of the order of these events, as well as links to more thorough studies of the topics covered.
  • Imprecatory Psalms  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  appended and updated 11/8/2012.  An imprecatory prayer is where you pray against one of your enemies or against your nation’s enemies.  We find many psalms with such prayers.  How are we to understand this in the light of Jesus saying, “Love for your enemies and for those who falsely accuse you.” ?
  • Exegetical Lessons from the Book of Genesis #201-210  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  posted 11/7/2012  These lessons cover the first section of Gen. 19, where is about the angels going to Sodom and rescuing Lot and his family.  These 10 lessons include the Abbreviated Doctrine of Homosexuality; the Mechanics of God's Judgment of Sodom; the Physical Nature of Angels, Paganism; and the Stages of Discipline for a National Entity.
  • Minor updates for the Doctrine of Sheol/Hades (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  11/4/2012.
  • Psalm 41 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD) added October 31, 2012. This is a psalm written by David when on his sickbed, and there was a reaction of some that they hoped he would die. It appears that this was written after Absalom had returned to Jerusalem and had been formally recognized in David’s court (2Sam. 14:33). Soon thereafter, David took ill, which possibly planted the seed in Absalom to revolt against David. The inclusion of Absalom and Ahithophel in this psalm is an assumption made by most commentators. The illness which David suffered from is not found in the narrative of Samuel or Chronicles (only the final illness at the end of David’s life is recorded in these books). This psalm is of particular note because Jesus quotes it and applies it to His betrayal by Judas. However, clearly in the context of this psalm, David appears to be talking about being betrayed by Ahithophel. This introduces the concept of the Dual Authorship of Scripture, which is written both by man and God the Holy Spirit. This explains Psalm 41, and helps to explain why there are two different interpretations of this psalm; one from David’s viewpoint and one about our Lord. There is information in this psalm about the poor and our relationship with the poor; about your spiritual gift; David’s addiction to sex; and this answers the question, do we pray for our enemies or against them? This psalm is closely related to 2Samuel 15 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

  • Typology: Abraham’s Offering of Isaac/God’s Offering of Jesus  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 10/29/2012.  Gen. 22 is one of the most amazing chapters in all of the Bible.  God comes to Abraham and asks for him to offer up his uniquely-born son, the only time that God ever calls for a human sacrifice.   This is done to set up a parallel between the offering of Isaac to the offering of our Lord for our sins.  This is an example of typology.  Isaac is the type; Jesus is the antitype.  The actual historical narrative of God asking Abraham to offer up his son is real; but it foreshadows our Lord being offered up on the cross and being judged by God the Father for our sins.  This is an amazing set of parallels, much like the birth of Isaac foreshadowed the birth of our Lord (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).
  • The Doctrine of War  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 10/26/2012  There is a lot of confusion about the concept of war, and many voices out there which suggest that, somehow, this is an option in life or that this is something which Christians can simply avoid.  Such ideas are Satanic and/or cosmic viewpoint.  This doctrine includes the following topics: Why God Allows War, False Hopes for Peace. God is very much a part of war, Military Preparedness and War, The most important asset in war is Bible doctrine in the soul, Killing and Lying in War, War and the New Testament, and Retreat from war.
  • Updated: Psalm 83  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  10/23/2012
  • Doctrines and Charts (HTML)  (PDF) has been updated to include all of the topics found in 2Sam.15.  10/23/2012
  • 2Samuel 15 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). posted 10/19/2012 updated 10/20/2012.  2Samuel 15 is an amazing chapter. The events of this book took place early on in the 10th century b.c., and yet have application to the 2008 and 2012 elections in the United States and to clandestine warfare.

    Winston Churchill on clandestine warfare: "In wartime, truth is so precious that she should be attended by a bodyguard of lies." By the time that we complete this chapter, you will understand what Churchill was talking about.

    Sun Tzu, “All war is deception.”

    R. B. Thieme, Jr., “Who knew before Sun Tzu?”

    2Sam. 15:31b Therefore, David prayed to God, saying, “Frustrate, O Jehovah, the counsel and advice of Ahithophel.”

    2Sam. 17:14b For Yehowah had ordained [from eternity past] to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel [through the tactics of clandestine warfare], to the intent that He might bring evil on Absalom.

    500 years before Sun Tzu was King David of Israel; King David knew the art of warfare before Sun Tzu did, and it is recorded in the Holy Bible.  

    2Sam. 15 is one of the most dramatic chapters in the Bible, yet, generally ignored and unknown to the average believer. Absalom will organize a revolution against David, almost under his nose; and David and his men will leave Jerusalem, in part, to preserve the lives of those David was responsible for. Then David will organize the first intelligence network recorded in human history.

    To give you an idea how up-to-date this chapter of the Bible is, note what an 1871 commentary said, which nearly exactly explains the 2008 campaign of Barack Obama: This dissatisfaction was artfully fomented by Senator Obama, who addressed himself to the various suitors; and after briefly hearing their tale, he gratified everyone with a favorable opinion of his case...[he] had an air of extraordinary generosity and disinterestedness, which, together with his fawning arts in lavishing civilities on all, made him a popular favorite. Thus, by forcing a contrast between his own display of public spirit and the dilatory proceedings of the court, he created a growing disgust with the Bush administration's government, as weak, careless, or corrupt, and seduced the affections of the multitude, who neither penetrated the motive nor foresaw the tendency of his conduct.  Of course, the commentator had Absalom instead of Senator Obama; and King David instead of Bush.  Indeed, as the Bible tells us, there is no new thing under the sun.

    One of the great topics of this chapter is, covert warfare, otherwise known as, when is it legitimate for a Christian to lie, deceive, steal, betray, fornicate and murder? Got your attention? The legalistic and self-righteous Christian is going to have some difficulties with this chapter of the Word of God.

    Other doctrines in this chapter include Revolution, True Leadership, God’s Plan for Believers in a Disaster, the Geographical Will of God, and Why David is Great both as a Man and as King. Topics include clandestine warfare; how the people viewed David as a king (why Absalom’s rebellion took hold); how the believer must be objective and flexible; why there are two priests in the time of David, and the concept of counterinsurgency. .

  • Eschatological Vocabulary (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 10/8/2012.  Eschatology is the study of future things.  However, in order to study this doctrine, you need some vocabulary.  This is a short doctrine which gives you the necessary vocabulary and a brief outline of history from God's view (including future events).
  • Updated 10/6/2012: Isaac's Unusual Birth and How it Foreshadows the Birth of Our Lord    (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  This doctrine was actually done on two separate occasions, so both doctrines can be found at this one link.  There will be some overlap.  This doctrine is quite important, as the Bible has several chapters on it.
  • Updated 10/6/2012: Women of the Old Testament   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This document has always been one of the most accessed articles at this site, receiving as many as a 1000 hits in any given month.  What this document lacked was application of these women's lives to our lives today.  So, the short biographies of many of these women was beefed up with the addition of several real-life applications.
  • New Testament Summary Chart  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  (uploaded 10/4/2012)  One of the most accessed documents on this site is the Old Testament Summary Chart (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This would be its companion.  It is about 10 pages long, and short enough to be printed out and kept in your Bible.  This document gives you and overall view of what is to be found in the NT. 
  • The Doctrine of Revolution  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 9/29/12.  This was part of another doctrine, and it was actually authored by Pastor Kreger of Metropolitan Bible Church.  It was a part of Liberalism, Conservatism, and Christianity  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This doctrine will be a part of 2Samuel 15, which is what I am currently working on.
  • The Doctrine of Grace Before Judgment (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  Uploaded 9/26/2012.  Before God judges an individual or a corporate group (like a city, a nation, a church or whatever), God gives that individual or corporate group fair warning.  Several examples are given.
  • The document which examines the various translations of the Bible has become rather unwieldy and disorganized, so it is being broken down into it component parts.  First, there is a short list of Greek and Hebrew References, along with their pluses and minuses (HTML)  (PDF).  Also, there is a Summative Table (HTML)  (PDF)  which examines some general characteristics of the translations of the Bible which are available.
  • Genesis 7 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD).  Uploaded Sept. 2, 2012.

    Gen. 7 contains God’s instructions to Noah as to what he would need to take on board with his family on the ark, and is followed by the actual entering into the ark and then the flood itself.

    Because people are aware that there are other flood records out there, and that some people believe that this flood account in Genesis is allegorical or exaggerated or not what Christians have made it out to be, careful attention is given to some of the other flood stories which exist, and how they line up with the record of the Great Deluge in the Bible. Also, as was done in Gen. 6, some time is spend with looking at this topic scientifically, looking at some extra-Biblical sources, and showing that the Bible record is straightforward and reasonable. One topic which was not covered here, but will be covered in Gen. 8 is the idea that there are two flood accounts which have been woven together. This does appear to be a possibility, not because of the so-called JPED theory, but because there is a lot of repetition in this particular chapter, even though it is only 24 verses long.

    Some of the special topics include: The Flood Timetable; the Different Environments of the Earth as Suggested by the Bible; Robbie Dean’s explanation as to why this was a worldwide flood; Fossil Evidence for Massive Graveyards; and several comparisons of the Genesis record of the flood with other flood accounts from other cultures (with an emphasis upon the Gilgamish account). 137 pages.

  • Genesis 6 (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). Gen. 6 is a very unusual chapter. Fallen angels will have the ability to have sexual unions with the daughters of men, and they will produce children who are characters of mythology that many of us have studied over the years (the half-man/half-god characters).

    However, this completely pollutes the human race, and God selects seemingly the only people who remain who have not been corrupted, Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives.

    There are several things which we find in this chapter: a pronouncement of judgement against the corrupted human race and a promise of their destruction. God will make a covenant with Noah, which is the first mention of a covenant in Scripture. God will also instruct Noah to build an ark.

    You may think that this is all just a story, a myth that was passed along for centuries. However, you are going to find out that this historical record is anything other than a myth; it is clearly not devised by someone who thought it would make a great story.

    You may be surprised as to how many things in this chapter are interdependent and dependent upon the previous chapters in Genesis. For instance, in order for this to actually have taken place, there had to be an environment much different than we have today. We could not have rain; and we could not have an abundance of bacteria; otherwise, the wood of the ark would have rotted before it took its maiden voyage. And, not surprisingly, this is exactly the sort of environment that previous chapters of Genesis suggests.

    This examination of Gen. 6 includes: Biblical States of the Earth; the Accuracy of the Old Testament; the Basic Mechanics of the Christian Life; and the doctrines of Satan’s Counterfeits, Sanctification, Civilizations and Anthropopathisms. 192 pages.

  • The final 10 lessons for Genesis Lessons 101-200 have been posted 8/28/2012  (HTML)   (PDF).  (WPD) These 10 lessons focus on the latter half Gen. 18 where Abraham intercedes on behalf of his nephew Lot living in Sodom, and act as a prelude to Gen. 19.   Included in these lessons are the Doctrine of  Client Nation, the Doctrine of the Pivot, Heathenism, a new Christian vocabulary, and the seeds of doctrines buried in Gen. 18.  These 100 lessons begin at Gen. 12 where we first meet Abraham and proceed almost to the point where Abraham has sired Isaac.  Each lesson is approximately 5 pages long and should take 10-20 minutes to read (and longer if Scriptural references are consulted).
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation   (HTML)   (PDF)   (WPD) has been updated August 25th, 2012 with one NT passage and a short addendum which reveals that Jesus Christ knew and taught the doctrine of intercalation.  What intercalation means is, in between the 1st and 2nd Advents of our Lord, the Church Age is found.  In the Old Testament, there appeared to be no separation between the two advents of our Lord; and had the Jews accepted His offer of the Kingdom of God, which was a legitimate offer that Jesus made to the Jews at this time, then the 1st and 2nd Advents would have occurred one after the other.  This is not a minor doctrine; there are at least 25 passages where the Advents of Jesus Christ are treated as one event.
  • OT Testament Summary Chart (PDF) is one of the most viewed items at this site.  Mark submitted a PDF version that can be printed and put inside your Bible.  His directions: "If you print both sides (duplex) and select the "flip on short side" option it should work. Either that or you will just have to print both sides manually. The page numbers will look weird. but when you put it together and fold it, it will look correct. Then you just need to trim it."
  • The Doctrine of Heathenism (what about the people who have never heard?)  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 8/13/2012    The word heathen is used theologically to refer to those who have not believed in Jesus Christ.  They may or may not have heard the gospel; they may or may not be open to hearing the gospel.  They may or may not belong to a civilized or relatively modern society.

    A question raised by many people, believers and unbelievers alike, is, what about those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Will they go to hell?  What about Muslims and Jews and Buddhists?  Isn’t their faith and sincerity enough to merit God’s favor?  And, how can we believe that someone who has never heard the name of Jesus be condemned to hell?  How can a God who does this be a just and loving God?
  • The list of Old Testament Topics (HTML)  (PDF) has been updated and posted 8/10/2012.
  • The Exegesis of 2Samuel 14  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD). Uploaded 8/10/2012.  2Samuel 14 is one of the most unusual chapters in the Word of God, and, insofar as I know, no one has ever pointed out why.  This is a self-contained chapter, a chapter which is written like a play.  It has a prologue: 2Sam. 13; it has an epilogue: 2Sam. 15–19.  But it stands by itself as a literary unit, as if a play.  There are two unnamed characters: the king and the woman from Tekoa; and two named characters: Absalom and Joab.  Of the 33 verses in this chapter, only 6 of them lack dialogue.  Three of those verses describe Absalom, as one might describe a character in a play.  Interestingly enough, within this play of 4 characters, Joab hires an actress to give a performance for the king, except that, he does not know until the end that this is a performance.

    2Samuel 14 explains how David accepts Absalom back into the city of Jerusalem.  It is an odd narrative, which may confuse the reader at first.  Joab believes that Absalom should be next in line for the throne, and that it is safer for David for Absalom to expect to be king as a matter of due course than for him to be in a nearby kingdom and contemplate military action against David.  So, Joab, who has probably tried previously to talk the king into bring Absalom back; resorted to doing this through an intermediary.  Joab brings an actress into the picture, who will cause David to reconsider his decision concerning Absalom.  However, it is quite important that we given some thought to why this chapter is here, apart from its historical perspective.  Certainly, it would be a leap to have Absalom living in a foreign kingdom in one chapter, and, in the next, be back in Jerusalem fomenting revolution.  So, historically, this explains how this happened.  However, the Bible is not merely an historical book.  Therefore, there must be more to this chapter than simply drawing a straight line from point A to point B.  This will be explained within the exegesis of this narrative.

    There is a part of 2Sam. 14 which has never been correctly taught.  Nearly every commentator, good and not-so-good, says that the problem at the end is, David does not fully forgive Absalom.  He half-forgives Absalom, and that causes all of the trouble down the road.  This is wrong, particularly because David forgives Absalom in the very last verse of this chapter.  If half-forgiveness was the problem, then David “solved” that problem at the very end of the chapter.  However, Absalom will rebel against David, so, quite obviously, fully forgiving Absalom is not the key.  The key to their relationship ought to be justice, not love; and that helps to explain everything.  You might say, this is the key that unlocks the problem of David’s relationship to Absalom in 2Sam. 14.

    This is the most extensive examination of 2Sam. 14 found anywhere.  There is ground plowed here which has never been explored before.  There is a great deal of information hidden in the dialogue about Absalom, David and Joab.  Absalom reveal some wicked brilliance at the end of this chapter.  Like every chapter of the Bible that I have exegeted, this is filled with applications to our lives today, even though this incident took place 3000 years ago within a royal family.  There are also great theological points which are revealed in this chapter, unearthed here for the first time.  And there are things in this exposition which you may be surprised to find: the Bible and human beauty; the Phi constant, the criminal personality, the similarity of the conflicted emotions of David and Bathsheba, the psychology of being a king and making royal decisions, flattery, justice, forgiveness, human viewpoint solutions and Chick-fil-A.  Also, parallels are drawn between Absalom and our current president.
  • The Law of Posterity, which is closely related to the Levirate Law  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 7/24/2012.  This is a little-studied doctrine, the law of posterity suggests that there may have been a more extensive moral code prior to the Law of Moses, as it preexisted Moses.  This doctrine explains both the book of Ruth and the question of the sadducees.  It also explains why the Catholic church is wrong about birth control.  Finally, the underlying meaning explains that those who believed in Yehowah Elohim had an eternal inheritance with God, undefiled, that does not fade away (1Peter 1:4).
  • The Doctrine of the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  uploaded 7/23/2012  This is a doctrine that is original with R. B. Thieme, Jr., but it has been reworked and several gates have been added.  There needed to be some way to explain David's sin of adultery followed by the sin of murder.  When 2Samuel 11 (HTML)  (PDF) is carefully exegeted, there seems to be more than just extended carnality and sinning involved.  This doctrine of Interlocking Systems of Arrogance explains in greater detail just what is occurring in David's soul (which is important, as this could be something which we as individual believers face).
  • The Doctrine of Mental Attitude Sins  uploaded 7/20/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  One's mental attitude and one's thinking is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life, and yet, it is one which is often ignored.  12 mental attitude sins are listed, which Scriptures and information, as well as links for a more complete doctrine of each sin.
  • The Doctrine of Forgiveness uploaded 7/14/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)  Although forgiveness is fundamental to our salvation, finding a doctrinal approach is difficult.  Even the original source that I used contained legalistic problems, which were revised or removed.  This doctrine includes a definition, some preliminary considerations, a vocabulary list, God's forgiveness of mankind, our forgiveness at salvation, and temporal forgiveness (remaining in fellowship).  The unpardonable sin is also discussed in this doctrine.  Forgiving others and the need for believers to forgiven one another are topics which are covered extensively.
  • Homosexuality and the Bible uploaded 7/12/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD).  This is a fairly thorough study of how the Bible views homosexuality.  Not only are all the pertinent passages studied, but general studies which have been done about homosexuality in the United States are covered as well.   The political agenda of the gay movement is examined along with the topic of gay marriage.  Also, I discover Word Clouds.
  • The Doctrine of Flattery.  uploaded 7/6/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (PDF).  I must admit, this is a sin I barely knew existed.  (The link to 2Samuel 14 is not functional yet; I am in the midst of working through that chapter).
  • The Doctrine of the Client Nation was updated 6/26/2012, inserting the concept of work as the 2nd divine institution.  (HTML)  (PDF
  • Both the Davidic Timeline  (HTML)  (PDF)   and the Old Testament Summary Chart    (HTML)  (PDF)  have been updated slightly 6/22/2012.
  • Genesis Lessons 101-190 posted 6/20/2012  (HTML)   (PDF).  This may seem confusing, uploading two sets of Genesis lessons.  These lessons listed here are designed to be read and studied by the average believer.  The individual chapters below go into greater detail, which includes a word-by-word Hebrew exegesis.  Included in this upload are the Doctrine of Angeology, Isaac's Unusual Birth Foreshadows the Birth of Our Lord, Human Viewpoint Thinking versus Divine Viewpoint Thinking, and What Preserves a National Entity.
  • Genesis 5  uploaded 6/5/2012  (HTML) (PDF) (WP_compressed)

    Genesis 5 is a genealogy chapter, the first chapter devoted almost entirely to the genealogy of Adam to Noah. For this reason, some would think this chapter could be skipped over, or skim-read in 2 minutes, and be dispensed with. However, this chapter should not be skipped if only to see that gospel message which is found within its pages. It is one of the many chapters which will confirm that the Bible is indeed the Word of God.

    Some of the topics discussed are the longevity of those found in Gen. 5 (the lives of those in the antediluvian civilization were typically 900+ years); the various authors of Genesis; the gospel message of Genesis 5; and the timeline set by the Bible.

  • Genesis 4 uploaded 5/30/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WP_compressed)  Gen. 4 is all about Cain and Abel, and the killing of Abel by Cain.  There are two verses in this chapter which are invariably mistranslated; and one mistranslation leads to all kinds of sloppy interpretation.  One of these verses is Gen. 4:7 (God is speaking to Cain)  "Is [it] not [true that], if you do good, [there is] a lifting up [of your countenance]; and if you do not do good, [then] the penalty [for sin] is lying in wait at the door.  And to you [is] his desire and you [even] you will have dominion over him.”  It is impossible for this to be interpreted as Cain having the ability to have dominion over sin.  The Hebrew will not allow for that interpretation.  In this study, there will be 2 explanations given for what God is saying to Cain.  Like Gen. 1-3, this is a word-by-word examination of Gen. 4, with the intent that you understand nearly every word in this chapter.   Although this exegesis still requires some polish, at 170 pages, it should be the most in-depth study available.  Included in this study is The Concept of Religion Comes from Cain; How to Distinguish Christianity from Cults; Jesus Christ is the Only Way to God; Cainian Parallels; The Canian population after 100 years (you will be surprised); Why Man Had Tools Early on; What Eve's Words Tell Us; and The Genealogy of Jesus Christ.  Because there are some obvious textual difficulties in this chapter, we will take a look at the most prominent ancient translations of the Old Testament (and the concept of families of manuscripts will be discussed).  There are several topics discussed throughout.  For instance, if a person joins a cult or a movement, and that person stops taking drugs, develops a more legitimate and independent lifestyle, isn't that good enough?  Why does he need to be a Christian if he solves many of his problems?  Human works and why they are so repulsive to God (with a very good illustration).  How exactly Cain murdered Abel.  The mark of Cain, which has been discussed for millenarian.  Why is Cain banished and not executed?  There are modern-day illustrations and applications, such as, science and DDT; Wall Street and greed; my surprise as a young Christian not being able to simply go out and easily find a church that taught the Bible carefully and accurately; and the profound enjoyment one can get from one's profession.
  • Satan--A Compendium  uploaded 5/18/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  This is actually a collection of doctrines and writings on Satan, his fall, his appeals, his limitations, his appearance, along with several other doctrines.  Also included are passages taken from various books which have been exegeted about Satan and World Peace, Satan and Global Warming, Satan and Science and Religion, Satan Counterfeiting the End Times, Satan and Hollywood, Satan and evil, Satan and Islam.  Although this is not intended to be a complete study of the angel Satan, it comes close.
  • Genesis 3 uploaded 5/16/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  (WP_compressed)  Gen. 3 is all about the fall of the man and the woman in the Garden of Eden.  Satan plays a prominent role, so we examine Satan, Satan's Fall, Satan's appearance, the role of the cherubim, and this portion of the Angelic Conflict.  The doctrines of The Basis of Satan's Appeals, Human Good, Morality, Truth and Lies, The Seed of the Woman, Scar Tissue, and Atonement are all covered in this study.  Essentially, these are the notes from the weekly lessons on Genesis, the abbreviated notes on Genesis, with a complete word by word listing from the Hebrew, along with some additional doctrines and text.  Although this is not quite complete, at 214 pages, this ought to be the most thorough examination of Genesis 3 available to you.
  • The 4 new doctrines added today (5/9/2012) all come from the basic exegesis study of Genesis.  Contact me if you would like to receive these lessons weekly.
  • Chiasmos Example: Genesis 17  uploaded 5/9/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)   There are keys which unlock many books and chapters and passages of the Bible.  A chiasmos is one of those keys, and it organizes and often explains what a passage of Scripture is all about.

    A chiasmos organizes a passage, so that there is a parallel with the beginning of the chiasmos with the end of it; the second portion of the passage finds its match in the second to the last portion of the passage; etc.

    Chi [pronounced khee] is a letter of Greek alphabet from which this organization gets its name.  The idea is, the passage can be lined up against the left side of this Greek letter: Χ.  I realize that you think that is an “X’, but is it actually a chi.
  • The Abbreviated Doctrine of Angels (Angelology)  uploaded 5/9/2012  (HTML)  (PDF

    77% of adult Americans believe in angels, according to a December 2011 Associated Press-GfK poll. I must admit this surprised me; but it is also good to know, in general, that 77% of adult Americans believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, according to a 2012 Rasmussen poll.  This is a short (1.5 page) doctrine about angels and our relationship to angels.  There are links to more complete treatises of this topic.

  • How Isaac’s Unusual Birth Foreshadowed the Birth of Our Lord uploaded 5/9/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)   Isaac's birth was designed by God to foreshadow the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Human Viewpoint versus Divine Viewpoint uploaded 5/9/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  This is a short, one-page doctrine, taken from the Basic Exegesis study.  After having fellowship restored with God by means of confession of sin, we then need to learn how to think like God thinks.  This is what this doctrine is all about.
  • The Abbreviated Doctrine of Sanctification  uploaded 5/2/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  This study was taken out of the Genesis series lesson #179.
  • God's 4 Answers to Prayer  uploaded 5/2/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  This very short doctrine was taken out of the Genesis series lesson #175.
  • Ancient Translations of the Bible uploaded 5/2/2012  (HTML)  (PDF)  This is a very short summary of the Targums, the Greek Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and the Syriac Peshitta.  This study was taken out of the Genesis series lesson #174.
  • Genesis Lessons #101-180  uploaded 4/11/2012   (HTML)   (PDF)  In case you are confused, I originally examined the book of Genesis about 15 years ago and that is posted under "Genesis." (the entire exegesis is about 650 pages).  Then came Genesis, a weekly study, which was begun a few years ago, where one lesson is sent out each week.  The lessons above go from Gen. 12:1 through Gen. 17:27.  What has been added that was not posted before are lessons #171-180, which cover Gen. 17.  Also included in these lessons are the following doctrines: The Familial Relationship between God and Abraham's Seed; Slavery in the United States; Ancient Translations of the Bible; God's 4 Answers to Prayer; The Abbreviated Doctrine of Sanctification; and Genesis 17 as a Chiasmos. 
  • The lessons below include all of the material from the original exegesis of Genesis, these weekly lessons on Genesis, and a complete word-by-word exegesis of the chapters covered (which, so far, are only chapters 1 and 2).  These chapters will be about 200 pages each.
  • Genesis 2  uploaded 4/10/2012  (HTML) (PDF) (WP compressed)  Genesis 2 goes back and takes a look at day 6 and what happened after day 6, when God built the woman.  Although some critics try to present this as an alternate creation narrative, what we have here is simply a closer look at Day 6 and what followed.  Hebrew writers often do this; they state an historic event or something, and then they go back and discuss this event in greater detail.

    We cover a number of special topics here: the Sabbath, Sanctification, The Tree of Life; The Tree of Knowing Good and Evil, Timelines for the creation of the man and the woman, and the First Four Divine Institutions.

    Also, a very important doctrine here for apologists is Ten Amazing Statements from Genesis 1:1–2:7.  What we learn from the first chapter and a half of Genesis are amazing things not found in any other creation story.  These are significant enough to show that believing in the Bible is not somehow anti-science.

  • Genesis 1  uploaded 4/3/2012  (HTML) (PDF) (WP compressed)

    Genesis is a most amazing book. There is no ancient book like this. What ancient book coincides with the Big Bang Theory? What ancient book suggests there was a great ice age over all the earth? As you will find in this study, there are places where the Book of Genesis disagrees with some scientific theories, but Genesis is not anti-science.

    God speaks throughout this chapter—who is He speaking to and for what reason? Is God unable to create everything perfectly just the way He wants it? Then why does God take 6 days to restore the earth?

    Doctrines included in this study: Ancient Creation Myths; The Order of Creation; Creation Verbs; God and Light and Darkness; The Angelic Conflict; Genesis Creation Theories; How Light Illustrates the Trinity; Light on Day One, the Sun on Day Four; Evolution, Creationism and Divine Design; Some Arguments Against Evolution; A New Theory of Creation and Restoration; Creation Theories; What is God Teaching the Angels?; We Are the Shadow-Image of God.

    As in all chapter studies, every single word of Hebrew is found in Genesis 1, along with 50 or so translations for each and every verse.
  • Christian Basics, Lesson One 2/27/2012   (HTML)  (PDF)   These are the basic teachings designed for the new Christian.  This lesson is about 12 pages long.  Most people, after they have believed in Jesus Christ, get waylayed in their Christian life.  They become moral, they go to church on Sundays, they refine their personality so that they do not irritate so many people as they used to, and they come to think that this is the Christian way of life.  This 12-page lesson lays out what spiritual growth in the Christian life is and is not.
  • 2Samuel 13  uploaded 2/19/2012  (HTML)   (PDF)  In 2Sam. 13, David continues to receive "discipline" for his sin with Bathsheba.   At this point, it is more suffering for blessing.  David had sex with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed in battle, so this type of behavior--a result of David's sexual addiction--plays out in such a way that it hurts him.  His son Amnon rapes his daughter (Amnon's half-sister) Tamar; and David is manipulated into being a part of Amnon's scheme.  Tamar's brother Absalom is extremely upset, but he holds it in, and he manipulates David so that Absalom is able to kill Amnon in revenge.  It is a sordid, tit-for-tat payback that David receives.  Furthermore, in both crimes, David is manipulated into being a part of the crime.  Without David, there is no rape of Tamar; without David, there is no killing of Amnon.  You may be surprised, but there are a lot of modern applications of this chapter.  David's wives were essentially single mothers--single mothers on the dole, if you will.  David had some contact with them, but not enough to raise these boys properly.  His children live off the state and his boys, for the most part, are damaged souls.  We will examine the sexual obsession of Amnon, the symbiotic relationship between Amnon and his lazy layabout friend Jonadab, who will put into motion one of the most clever schemes in royal history--and almost every commentator misses just how brilliant his scheme is.  It is said that we live in an entitlement society; no one is better suited to illustrate this than Amnon, who was raised to think that he is entitled to everything, and yet without work or effort.  Long before there was psychiatry, there was Amnon, the perfect illustration of the psychopathic personality.  His disturbing lack of empathy, along with most of the other characteristics of a psychopathic personality, are all found in this chapter.  Samuel is probably the most poorly preserved book in the entire Bible.  If God is all-powerful and this is His Word, then Why Isn't the Word of God Perfectly and Supernaturally Preserved?  There are several half-verses missing in your Bible that will be restored, and the other textual problems of this chapter will be resolved.  And that question will be answered.  You will find this one of the most fascinating chapters in the entire Bible.  As an aside, let me add one point when it comes to examining a chapter which has been exegeted.  The Hebrew exegesis is arranged in such a way that, you can quickly skip over it to get to the text.  Do not feel like you need to read the Hebrew exegesis.  Now, if you ever come to the translation of a verse and wonder, "Where does he get this from?"  Then the Hebrew exegesis is right there, so that you can see why this or that verse was so translated; and the Strong's and BDB numbers are always included so that you can do further research if you believe that is necessary.
  • Circumcision Means Regeneration  posted 02/08/2012 (HTML)  (PDF). There are several places on the internet where amateurs and professionals alike make a connection between circumcision and regeneration; however, I did not find any website where this is laid out as a doctrine.  This is integral to the study of Gen. 17 and to understanding Paul’s dissertations on circumcision some 2000 years later.  Therefore, the doctrines found here should explain what circumcision is all about.  This doctrine includes two related doctrines: What is this New Heart? and The Familial Relationship between God and Abraham’s Seed.  In several places in the Bible, God is said to give us a new heart or He is said to put a new spirit within us.  What is this New Heart? explains exactly what that means.
  • Genesis Lessons 101-170 posted 02/07/2011  (HTML)   (PDF). This lesson series is updated with lessons 161-170, which takes us from Gen. 16 into Gen. 17.  We begin this study with a very pregnant Hagar wandering through the desert, running away from her mistress, Sarai and end with God changing Abram's name to Abraham and then telling Abraham that he must be circumcised.  In this study are included the following doctrines: Why the Word of God is Not Perfectly and Supernaturally Preserved; a comparison between the manuscripts of other ancient texts and the Bible; a look at Ancient Law Codes (which reveals what is in the soul of man at that time); The Spiritual Life Stated and Implied so far in the Book of Genesis; The Ancient Suzerain-Vassal Treaty; and the Relationship between Circumcision and Regeneration.  I could not find any previous writings which describe in detail the spiritual life of the believer during the time of Abraham; nor did I find any previous writings which laid out exactly the relationship between Circumcision and Regeneration, so, even though these concepts are not new, I am unaware of them being fully developed before.  Some of these individual doctrines included in these 10 new lessons have already been posted.
  • Abraham's Spiritual life in 2000 B.C.  (HTML)  (PDF).  God mandates that Abraham (Abram until Gen. 17:5) walk before Him and to be complete (or, spiritually mature).  Therefore, in Abraham’s time, there must be the modus operandi of the spiritual life laid out so that Abraham could obey this command.  Determining what the spiritual life is for Abraham is the focus of this study.   Furthermore, understanding Abraham’s spiritual life helps us to better understand and appreciate our own spiritual lives.
  • The List  (HTML)   (PDF) has been update as of 12/24/2011.  In case you are unfamiliar with this document, it is a list of a number of doctrinal resources--churches, entire book studies, and doctrine studies which are available online.  I have recently added about a dozen or so additional sources for various books of the Bible that have been exegete online.  I have adjusted the available doctrines online by placing the website with the greatest number of doctrines at the very first.
  • Various Doctrines on War and the Military (HTML) (PDF)  Uploaded 12/21/2011.  These are doctrines which have been culled from various chapters of Samuel and Chronicles; and this document includes such doctrines as Genocides and Political Killings of the 20th Century; What is a Righteous War?; Why all of this War and Tactics in the Bible?; The Attitude of the Word of God toward the Military; What About the Believer and Wars His Country Engages in?; and many others.
  • Doctrines of the Military in Israel's History (HTML)  (PDF)  Uploaded 12/21/2011.  These are doctrines which are related to specific campaigns, strategies or history found in the Word of God.  The doctrines found in this document include A Summary of Saul's Military Victories; Why Do the Philistines Constantly War Against Israel?; Israel and Her Enemies: a Divine Perspective; Why Not a More Measured Response to Ammon?" Military Ethics, David and Joab; and many others.  These doctrines were also culled from various chapters of Samuel and Chronicles. 
  • Updated: Hebrew for Dummies   (HTML)  (PDF) and Hebrew Grammar for Dummies.  (HTML)  (PDF).  Updated 12/15/2011.  I have inserted a slightly different approach to waw consecutives followed by imperfect verbs; and I should warn any young Hebrew student that this approach may not fly with your Hebrew professor.  The problem with some passages is, we have an imperfect tense when it is clear that the action is punctiliar and not future, continuous or prolonged (the common understanding for a imperfect tense).  As a result, some Hebrew books and professors teach the waw conversative which "converts" the Hebrew imperfect tense into a Hebrew perfect.  I never bought into this approach.  My explanation is (and this is based upon exegeting thousands of passages), that a series of imperfect verbs strung together by waw consecutives simply indicates successive action, which may be punctiliar or it may be prolonged.  What is being indicated by the passage is simply consecutive actions.
  • Why God Did Not Perfectly and Supernaturally Preserve the Bible  (HTML)  (PDF)  updated 12/14/2011.  A few minor changes in the doctrine and two tables were added, which compare New Testament manuscripts to manuscripts from the same era.
  • The Doctrine of The Geographical Will of God  (HTML)  (PDF).  Uploaded 11/28/2011  God no longer speaks to us by dreams, or Urim and Thummim, or in Person; so how are we to determine which way we should go; which city we should live in, which job we should take?  This is covered in this doctrine; and this doctrine was taken from the Basic Exegesis of the Bible, Lesson #160.
  • Why God Did Not Perfectly and Supernaturally Preserve the Bible  (HTML)  (PDF)  posted 11/28/2011.   God is capable of preserving every single letter in the Bible, supernaturally, if you will, throughout all of human history.  However, in nearly every chapter, there are minor errors; a difference of spelling; transposed letters, which change the meaning of a verb; text which has been dropped out.  Why did God allow this with His Word?  This is taken from the 2Samuel 13 (HTML)  (PDF) exegesis, where there are several problems with the Masoretic text.  2Samuel 13 is a work in progress. 
  • The Doctrine of Slavery posted 11/22/2011  (HTML)  (PDF).  This is actually a collection of 3 doctrines which are taken from the Basic Exegesis Series: The Biblical Doctrine of Slavery, Lessons from the Doctrine of Slavery, and Slavery in the United States.  This study takes a rational, unemotional view of slavery, slavery in the United States, reparations and other related topics; and helps the believer to understand not simply the historical context for slavery in the Bible, but to be able to apply this thinking to current social problems and injustices, as well as our involvement as Christians in social problems and inequity. 
  • Women of the Old Testament  revised and uploaded 11/15/2011  (HTML)  (PDF) For whatever reason, this continues to be the 2nd most accessed document on this site.  This document has since been expanded to include more women, a chart of David and Jacob's families, one minor error was corrected, and the names have now been hyperlinked, as many of these women interacted with one another in a number of ways.
  • Abrahamic Timeline  posted 11/15/2011  (HTML)  (PDF) Abraham's ages are given, according to the Bible, with the various incidents in his life.  Two very different sets of dates are also superimposed upon his life. This was actually added earlier and mislabeled.
  • Psalm 32 added October 30, 2011 (HTML) (PDF) Most people connect this psalm to David’s sin with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. That may or may not be the case, but Psalm 32 does lay out a complete description of the Old Testament spiritual life. There are a number of general topics in this psalm; among them are: man in the Old Testament did not fully understand the forgiveness of sin as we do; salvation in the Old and New Testaments; David’s discipline and the disciplining of your own children; the uses of Selah in this psalm; and the concept of God’s protection for the believer; The more formally developed doctrines include the Doctrine of Imputations, the Doctrine of Adam’s Original Sin (both taken from Robby Dean); the Stages of Discipline; Confession of Sins in the Old Testament; The Abbreviated Doctrine of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament; The Abbreviated Doctrine of Logistical Grace; How to be in the will of God and how to remain in the will of God; Guidance from the Word of God; and Psalm 32 Encapsulates the Spiritual Life.

  • The Angel of Jehovah   uploaded 10/17/2011  (HTML)   (PDF) Finishing touches were put on this doctrine.
  • Abrahamic Timeline added 10/11/2011  (HTML)  (PDF)   This is a fairly extensive overview of Abraham's life, with 2 sets of dates applied.  Primarily, this helps you to place the events of Abraham's life into a easy-to-follow timeline.
  • The Dual Authorship of the Scriptures added 10/8/2011  (HTML)  (PDF).  This doctrine was taken out of Psalm 51 (below).  All of the related doctrines and text from Psalm 51 was gathered together in order to form this doctrine.  The idea is, because there are two authors of Holy Writ, man and God the Holy Spirit, it would therefore follow that, now and again, the man thinks one thing and writes it down; but God the Holy Spirit, the co-Author, uses those exact same words to express an often related but different concept.  This, in many ways, will revolutionize the interpretation of Old Testament Scripture, particularly the psalms and the prophetic passages.
  • Psalm 51 added 10/8/2011  (HTML)   (PDF)   To the best of my knowledge this psalm has never been properly or fully exegeted until now.  This is the psalm written by David after his affair with Bathsheba and after he had her husband killed.  Nathan had come to David causing David to come to himself, to recognize the evil that he had done; and David both confesses his sin to God in this psalm and he demands complete and total forgiveness by God.  One of the things which comes out in this psalm is the concept of the dual authorship of Scripture; there is a human author and a Divine Author (God the Holy Spirit), and it becomes clear in this psalm that, the human author writes one thing, and the Divine Author writes another.  From this will come a series of doctrines related to this dual authorship: The Co-Authorship of God the Holy Spirit and David.  What Did David (and Other Saints) Know About God’s Forgiveness?  What Satan Did not Understand.   The Dual Authorship of the Holy Scriptures.  These are tremendously important doctrines which will represent a milestone in the interpretation of Scripture.  Human author David will say one thing and God the Holy Spirit will say something else, using the exact same words.  This is an amazing concept which helps to explain a great many things about the writings of the Old Testament--particularly, the Psalms, where this is more apparent than anywhere else.  There are many additional doctrines in this psalm, including Confession of Sin in the Old Testament, the Sin Nature is Passed Down Through the Male, The Barrier between Man and God, Abortion--Logic and the Bible, The Importance of Bible Doctrine; The Sin unto Death; The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament; The Doctrine of the Way of God; Doctrinal Teaching Available to David; The Man-ward and God-ward Interpretation of Psalm 51:16; among others.  There are many topics discussed in this psalm, which are not formally organized into a doctrine: progressive revelation; blotting out sins in the New Testament; how much David understood about the cross and how much he understood about God forgiving sin; degeneracy sins; homosexuality; alcoholics anonymous, victimless crimes, legalizing sins and then taxing them; Karla Faye Tucker (who was executed many years ago in Texas for a heinous murder); the long term consequences of David's sins; development of the soul and wild children; early sexual stimulation of a young person's soul; what it meant for God to take the Holy Spirit from David, David's limited understanding of the Trinity; what it means for David to teach sinners; a flurry of dog sins; David's understanding of what he has written; God's righteousness is what separates Christianity from all other religions; explaining from David's point of view, what he meant when he said God was not interested in burnt offerings; what this means from the view of God the Holy Spirit; David's broken spirit and breaking his sexual addiction; why God deals with the personal failings of rulers; and why God deals with us both individually and corporately. 
  • Davidic Timeline added 10/3/2011  (HTML)  (PDF)   This is a fairly extensive overview of David's life, with several sets of dates applied.  Primarily, this helps you to place the events of David's life into a easy-to-follow timeline. 
  • A Retrospective of Genesis 14 posted September 21, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF).  Gen. 14 is one of the most amazing chapters of the Bible, which is so filled with information that I spent 17 lessons on this chapter in the Basic Exegesis Series (HTML)  (PDF).   Prior to this study, I had no idea how much information was in this chapter.  In fact, prior to this study, I actually wondered why God the Holy Spirit included it in the Word of God.  This is possibly mankind's first world war; it speaks of the 4th and 5th stages of national discipline, imperialism, the importance of Bible doctrine in the soul of one man, and Melchizedek, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament; as well as the concept of strategy and tactics in war (which is found much more often in the Bible than you might think).  There is also blessing by association, cursing by association, the concept of the priesthood and typology, all buried in a chapter that most people read in 5 minutes.
  • Genesis 15:6 in the New Testament posted September 21, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF).  In many ways, this verse is the foundation of our faith; that we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.  This study examines the way this verse is quoted in the New Testament and the different points which are made.  It is a good illustration to see the variety of ways that New Testament authors used the Old Testament in their writings. 
  • The Way of God posted September 5, 2011  (HTML)  (PDF)  This is an expanded version of the shorter doctrine found in the exegesis of Psalm 51 (which has not been completed yet).  The phrase the way of God, along with several similar phrases, is ubiquitous in the Old Testament and found a number of times in the Gospels and Acts.  It is an important phrase, and almost completely ignored in theological writings, much like the fundamental phrase in Christ.  Just as there are many facets to the phrase in Christ, so there are many topics associated with the way.
  • The Doctrine Available to King David posted September 5, 2011   (HTML)  (PDF)   This doctrine is taken directly out of the exegesis Psalm 51 (which is not yet posted).  When I first began studying under R. B. Thieme, Jr., I admit I was skeptical of his emphasis upon the Word of God and Bible teaching.  Since I had been in a half dozen churches, all which had a different emphases, I wondered if this approach was just another gimmick.  Obviously, I have had a change of heart since those days.  The Bible methodically records a number of sources of doctrine which were available to King David; and, in many cases, these were sources available to the general population of Israel.  This doctrine will help you recognize that knowledge of doctrine is fundamental to the plan of God.
  • The Trinity in the Old Testament posted August 29, 2011  (HTML)   (PDF)  (WPD)  .  The word Trinity is not found anywhere in the Bible, but it soon became clear that God is 1 in essence and 3 in personality.  Everything in the New Testament documents pointed to this, so Christians very early on believed in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  However, what is quite amazing is, the Trinity is also found in the Old Testament, which Old Testament religious Jews take as their Scripture.  And yet, they do not and never have believed in a Triune God.  However, if we take the concept of the Trinity, and look through the OT, it becomes clear that the OT teaches the Trinity as much as does the New.  In fact, I would argue, there are more passages which support a Triune God in the OT than in the New.  This is one of the many doctrines which will help you to increase your faith.  How can the Jews view miss the Trinity in the OT and how is it possible for this to be so clearly taught from a perspective of thousands of years later?  It is this sort of doctrine which increases your faith in the Word of God; and helps you to realize that the Bible is not just a collection of writings fo religious men, but the Living, Breathing Word of God.
  • The Ministry of God the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament  posted August 21, 2011  (HTML)  (PDF)   Because God administers His household in a number of ways throughout human history (known to us as the Doctrine of Dispensations), there are differences from one dispensation to the next.  The Holy Spirit had a slightly different ministry in the Old Testament as compared to the New.  This is a fairly short doctrine (2-3 pages) on the Holy Spirit's specific ministry in the Old Testament. The exegesis of the Book of Numbers and Judges 3 were both updated as well. 
  • Abortion--Logic and the Bible  posted August 11, 2011  (HTML)  (PDF)   What I rarely find is a combination of logic and the Bible used to make sense of the abortion issue.  By far, the majority of Christians groups are against abortion, although some of their uses of Scripture are suspect.  On the other side of the issue is R. B. Thieme, Jr., who teaches that abortion is an issue for the woman and her doctor.  Siding with him is almost the entirety of the liberal political movement, even those who claim not to believe in God.  However, as you will see, one can make an argument in favor of abortion on religious or philosophical grounds, but not upon biological grounds.  So the left, which often rejects religion in favor of science, must abandon science entirely to take the position which they have taken.  In any case, I hope to approach this subject using Bible doctrine, logic and a little biology.
  • Updated: Liberalism, Conservatism and Christianity, a updated 8/7/2011   (HTML)   (PDF)  Surprisingly enough, I did not include homosexuality in this list of topics, so that was just added. 
  • The Doctrine of Imputations  posted August 5, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF)  We are saved because of a series of imputations.  Adam's original sin is imputed to us at birth, our sins are imputed to Jesus Christ on the cross, and, in justification, His righteousness is imputed to us when we believe in Him.  These things are covered in great detail in this doctrine.  This is an extremely important doctrine, as the word for imputeis found 126 times in the Old Testament and 42 times in the New.  This is a part of the exegesis of Psalm 51, which is what I am working on right now.
  • The Doctrine of Tithing and Modern Applications of Tithing to Taxation.  August 3, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF)   I have seen the doctrine of tithing taught on several occasions, and there are a couple of details which are gotten wrong.  Also, since the concept of tithing and taxation are in the Scripture, this ought to give us a clue as to what is ideal application of these concepts today
  • Progressive Revelation posted August 3, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF).  The concept of progressive revelation is, each additional truth builds upon, expands, and better explains that which was already taught.  New revelation does not supercede, replace or nullify previous revelation, but it builds upon that which is past.
  • The Seeds of Genesis--the Great Theological Truths begun in the first 14 Chapters of Genesis.  posted August 3, 2011.  (HTML)  (PDF)   Genesis is one of the most amazing books in the Bible.  It contains the seeds for many doctrines which are revealed in greater detail throughout the rest of the Bible.  This doctrine lists about a dozen major doctrines, all of which come into view, in seed form, in the first 14 chapters of Genesis. 
  • The List  updated 7/27/2011  (HTML)   (PDF).  Every doctrinal church which I am aware of, listed by state.  Their website, location, pastor and web resources are all listed.  Also in this list are all books which have been exegeted (verbally taught audio and in written form) along with certain websites where a number of doctrines are available.  This list was updated July 27, 2011.  The "Buyer Beware" warning has been expanded.  It is not out of the realm of possibility that a chruch can adopt R. B. Thieme Jr.'s vocabulary, and develop a cult.  Therefore, some warnings have been included and expanded.  Also, there are 3 or 4 sites in particular with the greatest number of doctrines online.  They have been moved to the top of the list under "Online Doctrinal Rersources."
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation  (HTML)  (PDF),  the Doctrine of Dispensations (HTML)  (PDF)  and the Doctrine of the Edification Complext  (HTML)  (PDF) have all been updated 7/21/2011. 
  • The "Salvation" Page (Salvation Page) has been appended with a set of doctrines which are fundamental to the faith; and a list of doctrines which deal with contemporary issues.  Updated 7/20/2011 
  • Old Testament Summary Chart slightly updated on 07/14/2011   (HTML)  (PDF).  This is a very short summary of the Old Testament and the books of the Old Testament.  It is one of the most viewed documents at this website.  Printable PDF to put in your Bible.  Print as duplex or manually feed the papers into your printer a second time.
  • Genesis Lessons 101-140 posted 07/14/2011  (HTML)   (PDF).  The most recent 10 lessons have been added, which begins in Gen. 14 with the war of the kings and we progress as far as Abram's meeting with Melchizedek and what possibly happened during this meeting.  Abram had spoken to God on several occasions, and yet, he seems to defer to the spiritual authority of Melchizedek....why?  In this study, we logically look at the claims that Jesus made, we examine who Melchizedek was and his importance to Christian theology, and we also study, Post-Deluvian Heathenism, The Priesthoods of God, the Doctrine of Redemption and the Slave Market of Sin (which doctrines were recently posted).
  • The Priesthoods in the Bible posted July 12, 2011.  (HTML)   (PDF). There are quite a number of different priesthoods found in the Bible.  They all speak of man representing himself (or others) to God, and those in the Old Testament look forward to Jesus Christ.  This is a fairly short overview which gives you a quick an easy grasp of the various priesthoods found throughout Scripture.  This, and the two doctrines which follow, come out of the Basic Exgesis Series, which is presently in Gen. 14.  (HTML)  (PDF).
  • The Doctrine of Redemption posted July 12, 2011.  (HTML)   (PDF).  As early as Genesis 14, God is called the Redeemer of Heaven and Earth.  This doctrine examines what it means for God to be called Redeemer, and how this is one cohesive whole throughout the Bible.
  • The Illustration of the Slave Market of Sin posted July 12, 2011.  (HTML)   (PDF).  Closely related to the Doctrine of Redemption is the illustration, used by Jesus, of the Slave Market of Sin.   This particular doctrine is actually illustrated by Moses taking the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  This is an amazing study, which is further proof of the cohesiveness of the entire Bible.  This is alluded to in Genesis 14, illustrated in Exodus, spoken of by Jesus to explain why the religious types would not be saved by their being Jews or by attempting to keep the law, and then explained in greater detail by Paul in some of his doctrinal dissertations.
  • 2Samuel 12  uploaded 6/15/2011  (HTML)   (PDF) covers 3 topics: (1) Nathan goes to David and causes him to look at himself and his sin; (2) David’s son by Bathsheba dies; and (3) Joab calls in David for the final assaults against Rabbah’s acropolis (the intent here is to preserve David’s reputation).  In this and subsequent chapters, God will apply installment discipline to David.  Strictly speaking, it is not discipline throughout much of the next 10 years, which will be explained in the exegesis.  As we progress, you may think that David’s punishment and public humiliation is too much.  However, it will become clear why God’s punishment of David was extremely harsh and public.  There are 3 reasons, each of which is important.  If God did not punish David this much, these 3 things would not have come to pass.  There was a lot to cover in this chapter; this exegetical treatise is nearly 275 pages long.  When you are done with this chapter, you will understand nearly everything that you need to know about it.  Included in 2Samuel 12 are the following doctrines: Degeneracy Sins (Addictive Behavior); Nathan’s Objectivity in the Use of His Spiritual Gift; David’s Sin is Explained; some of the hidden literary structure of this chapter is revealed; Why God’s Prophecies May Not Seem Precise; The Law of Natural Consequence; Why God Disciplines David Publically; Why God Allows David’s Innocent Son to Die; David’s Return to Routine; David’s Leadership Function, and Why Solomon Would Built the Temple and Not David.  Several doctrines are referred to in this chapter as well: The Doctrine of Sexual Arrogance; The Doctrine of the Edification Complex (updated and expanded); Fasting; the Angelic Conflict; and Revolution.  This is a chapter in the Word of God which has rarely, if ever, been exegeted correctly.  2Sam. 11 and 12 both begin about 10 chapters of the Word of God which have lain fallow, for the most part, for centuries.  The information and application is quite up-to-date, as is the rest of the Bible. 
  • Just updated: The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment 6/10/2011.   (HTML)   (PDF)   The Laws of Devine Establishment are laws which are designed for believers and unbelievers alike.  These laws are constantly under attack.  Updating has included additional footnotes along with more contemporary examples.  This is the most complete treatment of this topic that I am aware of.

  • The Doctrine of Intercalation updated with one more example from Psalm 110 (there are at least 22 examples of intercalation in the Old Testament).   Intercalation is a revealing of the First and Second Advents of Jesus Christ, but presented as, seemingly, one event.  Posted 6/7/2011.   (HTML)  (PDF)
  • 2Samuel 11  has been revised and re-posted 5/29/2011  (HTML)   (PDF) This chapter is all about David’s great sin where he first commits adultery with the wife of one of his greatest soldiers and he then arranges for that soldier to be murdered on the battlefield.  God the Holy Spirit chose to devote 9 chapters of Samuel to David’s sin and the discipline which he received for this sin.  Furthermore, there were several psalms written about this same incident.  There are few topics in the Word of God which are given this much coverage, so what happens here is obviously important.  There are a lot of theories presented as to what was going on with David, the most recent theory being the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance, a doctrine which R. B. Thieme, Jr. developed about 3 or so decades ago.  Therefore, we are going to delve into this doctrine, and compare it to the other theories which help to explain David falling so far out of fellowship.  Bob also developed another doctrine around this section of the Word of God, which he called Installment Discipline, somewhat a misnomer, but will also be introduced in this study.  Included in this rather lengthy study of 2Sam. 11 are the following subjects: Loyalty versus Integrity; the Will of God; David’s Wives and Children; Polygamy and Sexual Arrogance; Escaping Addictive Behavior; David and Sexual Arrogance; the Timing of the Death of a Believer; and Military Ethics, David and Joab.  There will be several doctrines either covered in this chapter or alluded to: Sexual Arrogance, Adultery, The Ark of God, Dying Grace, Liberation Theology, Polygamy, and the Will of God.   Also, 5 new gates have been added to the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance: Religious Arrogance, Sin Nature Weakness Arrogance, the Arrogance of Addictive Behavior, Manipulative Arrogance, and Compartmentalization Arrogance.
  • 2Samuel 10  reposted 5/20/2011  (HTML)   (PDF)  This is an outstanding study of David, Joab, personal honor and the concept of an autonomous client nation.  David sends men to express his sadness that an ally of his, the former king of Ammon, has died.  His arrogant son and the state department make a mockery of these men, thus declaring war against Israel.  As Joab musters Israel's troops for war, the Ammonites call in the Syrians (the Aramaeans), which is the greatest empire of that day.   What results is amazing, and, as in many parts of the Bible, there is a great deal to be learned in thi chapter about strategy and tactics in war.  Some of the topics which are covered are: Principles of Warfare, Why all of this War and Tactics in the Bible?, the historical background for this chapter, the arrogance in Hanun’s state department (Hanun is the new king of Ammon), arrogance and leadership (with several modern examples), The Principle of Offensive Action, The Principle of Mass, what exactly is a flying column, fighting from interior lines, fighting from exterior lines (and other military jargon which R. B. Thieme Jr. would toss around), the Principle of Freedom and Freedom versus Equality.  Included, as always, are many modern-day examples and applications.  Like much of the Bible, you will be surprised just how up-to-date these 19 verses are.  Even if you are a non-military type, you will be surprised as to how much application there is in this chapter for you.  One more thing (and you will not find this anywhere else): Joab will be trapped between 2 armies and at a tactical disadvantage; so, how was he able to prevail?  I think there are enough textual clues which reveal not only his strategy and tactics, but exactly why he was able to defeat Aram’s mercenaries.  This is exclusive to this commentary; you will not find this in any other commentary on this chapter.
  • http://kukis.org/Samuel/2Sam_10.htm  
  • http://kukis.org/Samuel/2Sam_10.pdf
  • The next two chapters should be posted within the next couple months. 
  • The Importance of Bible Doctrine  posted May 13, 2011   (HTML)   (PDF).  Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His humanity, grew in grace and wisdom (which is the knowledge and application of Bible doctrine).  On many occasions, He told His listeners that they erred because they did not know the Scriptures.  Bible doctrine is the very spiritual food that we require in order to grow spiritually.  Apart from the knowledge of the Word of God, you do not grow in the spiritual life, no matter how many good works you do.  Knowing the Word of God is the key to knowing the will of God.  This was taken from the basic exegesis series (which is a series of short lessons, which began with the book of Genesis).  See also Genesis Lessons 1-100  (HTML)   (PDF) and Genesis Lessons 101-130   (HTML)   (PDF). This came from lsson #125 and is slightly updated.
  • How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit (also known as the Doctrine of Rebound)  posted May 13, 2011   (HTML)  (PDF).  Slightly revised.

  • Genesis Lessons 101-130 posted 05/4/2011  (HTML)   (PDF).  10 new lessons have been added.  This study will take us from Gen. 13 to the beginning of Gen. 14.  There are a number of new doctrines which have been added as well: Spiritual Growth which Results in Eternal Impact; Antisemitism, the Importance of Bible Doctrine, the Advents of Jesus Christ (with a reference to intercalation), the true concept of Separation of Church and State (along with some real history of the United States).  We also examine the Age of Israel and the Church Age, as we begin the Age of Israel with Abraham. 
  • Slightly updated and revised (4/28/2011):
  • The Importance of Bible Doctrine   (HTML)   (PDF)
  • Logistical Grace    (HTML)   (PDF)
  • Antisemitism    (HTML)   (PDF
  • Blessing by Association    (HTML)  (PDF)
  • The Doctrine of the Will of God      (HTML)   (PDF
  • The Doctrine of Faith Rest     (HTML)   (PDF
  • Jesus is not a Liberal   posted 4/11/2011   (HTML)  (PDF)  Some  time ago, I had a discussion with someone on the internet on whether or not Jesus was a liberal, and posted this here.  This is a much more careful study, taking each one of their reasons, each of the Biblical passages which they distort, and show that Jesus is not a liberal nor is He a socialist (nor is He the first counter-culture revolutionary, in the contemporary sense).   This is a very lengthy study (it is over 100 pages), wherein, nearly everything related to this topic is discussed.  First of all, there is the basic dishonesty of liberalism; the conflation of wealth and greed; the idea that, it just depends upon how you interpret the Bible, followed by the Bible and socialism.  The meat of this doctrine is examining the myriad of liberal causes which Jesus is said to have espoused: peacemaking rather than war making; being anti-war and anti-military, being for nonviolence; how Jesus was supposedly against the strict adherence to religious law, etc.  Social justice, corporate greed and individual wealth are all examined, along with nearly every passage touted by liberals (along with the many passages which they ignore).  There are many short doctrines covered in here, including Why the Government Does a Lousy Job; The Bible, Capitalism and Private Property; Morality and Capitalism; Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (liberals absolutely love this narrative); and God and the Welfare State.  Finally, there is an extensive addendum, which you ought to find as interesting as the rest of this examination, where we learn a little from General George Patton, President Thomas Jefferson and columnist George Will.  If you ever had any doubts about this subject, it is covered here in the greatest detail.
  • Satan Did Not Know about the Cross  posted 3/7/2011   (HTML)  (PDF)  (WPD)   For some time, I have been ruminating about this possibility, that Satan was not aware that it was Jesus' plan to go to the cross, and, therefore, set into motion the events which took our Lord to the cross, which was the great tactical victory of the Angelic Conflict as well as the basis for our salvation.  To me, it is illogical that Satan would knowingly lead Jesus to the cross, if he realized that the cross was the beginning of the end for him.  Let me add that, this is one of the few doctrines which is different from what is taught in most churches, and, therefore, take it with a grain of salt.
  • The Bible, Wealth and Private Property   posted 3/3/2011   (HTML)   (PDF

    In society, there are constantly attempts to distort the truth in the Bible.  In this society, it has become even more easy to do so, because most Christians lack a good foundation in Biblical teaching.  They can be led by the nose to a half-dozen passages, and easily led astray in this manner.  One of these distortions is that, there is something inherently wrong about wealth, or anti-spiritual about possessing wealth.  There is the mistaken impression that, it is the right thing to do for a believer to give his wealth away; or that the state ought to be involve in the equalization of wealth.  The key to the spiritual life is what is in the soul, not what is in one’s bank account.  More importantly, greed is not necessarily a sin of the rich, but more often, a sin of the poor.

  • Genesis Lessons 101-120 posted 02/23/2011  (HTML)   (PDF).  Lesson #101 marks a radical change in the book of Genesis where we begin to follow Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.  There are a number of very important doctrines included in these first 10 lessons: Historical examples of "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you."  The Doctrine of Logistical Grace; The Doctrine of Separation; Figures of Speech in the Bible; How the Altar Represents the Essence of God; The Doctrine of Blessing by Association; The Doctrine of the Will of God.  The Doctrine of Faith-Rest.  The Goals of Communism in America.   The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment.  Some of these are fundamental doctrines for the Christian life. 
  • Updated: 2Samuel 11  posted 2/16/2011  (HTML)   (PDF)  While working in 2Sam. 12, I began to develop a doctrine which deals with degeneracy sins, or addictive behavior.  Although I will keep that doctrine in 2Sam. 12, it is apropos to 2Sam. 11 as well, so doctrine has been added to 2Sam. 11.  Degeneracy sins include skirt-chasing, homosexuality, and/or other sexual sins, alcoholism and drug abuse.  All of these sins have negative affects on our souls and dig ruts into our lives.  Such sins can be almost all-consuming. 
  • Blessing by Association posted 2/9/2011  (HTML)  (PDF).  Once a believer begins to mature spiritually, God begins to pour out more blessings upon that believer (called "more grace" or "greater grace").  These blessings overflow to those who are around you.  This doctrine explains and documents the concept of blessing by association. 
  • Genesis Lessons 101-110 posted 1/26/2011  (HTML)   (PDF).  I actually uploaded these lessons a few months ago, but apparently forgot to include that information here.  Lesson #101 marks a radical change in the book of Genesis where we begin to follow Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.  There are a number of very important doctrines included in these first 10 lessons: Historical examples of "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you."  The Doctrine of the Will of God.  The Doctrine of Faith-Rest.  The Goals of Communism in America.   The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment.  Some of these are fundamental doctines for the Christian life.

  • The List (a listing of doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources) has been updated  1/20/2011   (HTML)   (PDF).  At least 2 new churches added: one in St. Petersburg, FL and another in Long Island, NY.  
  • 2Samuel 11  posted 1/6/2011  (HTML)   (PDF) is all about David’s great sin where he first commits adultery with the wife of one of his greatest soldiers and he then arranges for that soldier to be murdered on the battlefield.  God the Holy Spirit chose to devote 9 chapters of Samuel to David’s sin and the discipline which he received for this sin.  Furthermore, there were several psalms written about this same incident.  There are few topics in the Word of God which are given this much coverage, so what happens here is obviously important.  There are a lot of theories presented as to what was going on with David, the most recent theory being the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance, which R. B. Thieme, Jr. developed about 3 or so decades ago.  Therefore, we are going to delve into this doctrine, and compare it to the other theories which help to explain David falling so far out of fellowship.  Bob also developed another doctrine around this section of the Word of God, which he called Installment Discipline, which will also be introduced in this study.  Included in this rather lengthy study of 2Sam. 11 are the following subjects: Loyalty versus Integrity; the Will of God; David’s Wives and Children; Polygamy and Sexual Arrogance; Escaping Addictive Behavior; David and Sexual Arrogance; the Timing of the Death of a Believer; and Military Ethics, David and Joab.  There will be several doctrines either covered in this chapter or alluded to: Sexual Arrogance, Adultery, The Ark of God, Dying Grace, Liberation Theology, Polygamy, and the Will of God.  Like the previous chapter, many of the doctrines which R. B. Thieme, Jr. taught in conjunction with the David series are included in this study of 2Samuel 11.  Also, 5 new gates have been added to the Interlocking Systems of Arrogance: Religious Arrogance, Sin Nature Weakness Arrogance, the Arrogance of Addictive Behavior, Manipulative Arrogance, and Compartmentalization Arrogance.
  • The [new, updated] List  (HTML)   (PDF).  Several new churches have been added, some in states and cities not listed before.  I have not personally attended any of these churches, so I cannot attest to their accurate handling of the Word of God.  However, their doctrinal statements seem to indicate that they are on target (apart from the normal doctrines one would expect to find at any Christian church, I look to make certain salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone; and that spirituality by grace is clearly and carefully taught). 

  • Liberalism, Conservatism and Christianity, a doctrine posted 12/14/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)  After posting a link to "God and the Poor; Is God Really a Liberal?" on facebook, my cousin suggested that God was above this liberal and conservative debate, which inspired me to take a look at 40 different contemporary issues and compare them to what the Bible tells us about these issues (Abortion, Anti-Semitism, Atheism, Change, Conservation and Nature, Education, Eminent Domain, Environmentalism, Evolution, Gay Rights, Homosexuality, Global Warming, Government Regulations, Guantanamo Bay Prison for Enemy Combatants, Homelessness, Income Inequity, Income Redistribution, Inheritance Tax, Islam, Islam and Child Sacrifice, Land Ownership—National, Land Ownership—Personal, Marriage, The Military, Missionary Activity, Morality, National Threats, Nationalism versus Internationalism, Nuclear Disarmament, Patriotism, Political Activism, Poverty, Racial Issues, Reparations, Revolution, Separation of Church and State, Socialism, Taxation, Taxing the Rich, War, The Work Ethic).  There are 20+ pages on these issues, giving the general liberal position, the general conservative position, and then what the Bible says.  There is a 25 page addendum where some of these issues are explored in more depth, as the format--side by side columns--does not lend itself to an in depth approach to each topic.  Everything is hyperlinked, so it is easy to go to whatever contemporary issue interests you.
  • God and the Poor; Is God Really a Liberal?  12/7/2010  (HTML)   (PDF)   A week or so ago, I was listening to Michael Medved, and a caller started ranting about the 300 verses in the Bible about how bad the rich are.  It was quite obvious that this person did not have any idea what he was talking about, but that his information came from a website posting.  That certainly interested me, as this person was indicating that the United States did not do enough for the poor, that the rich had too much money, and that a little social justice needed to be applied.  After a quick search on the internet, I found the posting about 300 verses about the poor (the rich are mentioned in this essay).  The essay was written by 3 people back in 1989, and posted on a website where one of the authors writes some far left-of-center political diatribes, and also shares with us his favorite games, literature, comics and his trip to Brazil.  Although his article castigates Christians for not being charitable enough, a precursory glace through his website and writings indicates that he personally has very little interest in the Bible or, for that matter, in the poor; except to use these issues to manipulate others to agree with his progressive causes (the welfare state, bigger government, more taxes, and probably a European-style socialism or more).  I go through this paper line-by-line, along with the 150 or so verses which he quotes (many of them wildly out of context), and explain Who God really is and what His relationship to the poor really is.
  • Just added and updated: Was Jesus a Liberal?  12/3/2010   (HTML)   (PDF).  Throughout the yeras, there have been many attacks upon the Bible and upon Jesus.  One of the more contemporary attacks is, Jesus is a Liberal.  This fits into Liberation Theology, which is simply a way of taking believers who know little or nothing about the Bible, and to convince them that the Bible is in favor of a welfare state or of Socialism or Communism.  For the unlearned, this slant of the Bible can be quite convincing, and there were many inroads made by communism in South America by using this approach.  The believers and unbelievers who are sucked into this false doctrine are the "useful idiots" which communism loves to use.

  • Just updated: The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment 12/1/2010.   (HTML)   (PDF)   The Laws of Divine Establishment and Sharia Law is a section which has been added.  More information about North and South Korea has been added, which nations illustrate the application (or non-application) of the laws of divine establishment.  The summary doctrine has been completed as well (it is about 20 pages long by itself).  The entire doctrine, including the abbreviated doctrine and the addendum, is nearly 100 pages long.

  • Just added/updated: Jehovah's Witnesses and the Deity of Jesus Christ  11/29/2010   (HTML)   (PDF).   A long time ago, when I was more argumentative, I invited Jehovah's Witnesses into my house, figuring, if I can show them that Jesus is God, they will straighten out and leave their cult.  So, I focused on one area, John 1:1-3, which they distort by calling Jesus "a god."  So, I showed them in their own Bible, how they were inconsistent in their interpretation.  Later, they came back with reinforcements and, after I argued with them for 30 minutes, they came back again with more reinforcements.  This is a short, 3-page doctrine dealing with this very specific point.
  • The Doctrine of Regeneration 11/18/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)  In the lessons in Genesis, I am presently working on circumcision and how it is designed to illustrate regeneration.  However, it would be logical to study regeneration first.
  • 2Samuel 10  updated 11-13-2010  (HTML)   (PDF)  In v. 7, the additional doctrine, "Why Not a More Measured Response to Ammon?" was added.  Hanun ben Nahash humiliates messengers sent by David, so David declares war against them, which will eventuate in the conquering of their city and the enslavement of many of their people.  Did David overreact?  Should he have given a more measured response to Hanun's foolish action?  Also, I am hard at work on 2Samuel 11, and expect that it will be posted in a month or so. 

  • The Doctrine of Faith Rest posted 11/10/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)  Improved and expanded; taken from the study of Genesis.

  • The Doctrine of the Will of God  posted 11/8/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)   Knowing the will of God for you life is not what is difficult; it is obeying the will of God.  People get weird about this concept.  They pray and pray and pray until they feel something; and then that is what they do.  For most, that is doing exactly what they wanted to do in the first place; for a few others, it is doing exactly the opposite of what they wanted to do.  However, the keys to knowing the will of God are (1) being in fellowship and (2) having the Word of God in your soul (which are the 2 keys to the entire Christian life). 
  • The List (a listing of doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources) has been updated  11/02/2010   (HTML)   (PDF). 
  • Additions to the Laws of Divine Establishment   posted 10/22/2010.   (HTML)   (PDF)   One of the things which I questioned when I first became a Christian and later when I was taught rebound was, "What about those others who do not become Christians but their lives improve?  Or what about those believers who never learn rebound, but their lives seem to improve?  The Doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment explains this.  Therefore, I have added to "Miscellaneous Principles" the following:
    6.    What about believers who do not use rebound and yet seem pretty nice?
        1)    This is explained by believers living under the laws of divine establishment.
        2)    Since very few believers actually know the mechanics of rebound (although they occasionally use them to get back into fellowship), some lead very moral lives.
        3)    Furthermore, such believers sometimes appear to be blessed or to have a fairly good life.
        4)    What has happened is, the believer has gone from immorality or a half-baked morality to a more full-on attempt to be moral.
        5)    Believers and unbelievers alike will be happier with their lives if they choose to be moral; if they choose to follow the laws of divine establishment.
        6)    So, regardless of one’s spiritual state, if a person chooses to honor his parents, if he chooses to be faithful to his wife, if he chooses to spend more time with his children and to raise them correctly, and if he chooses not to be overly concerned with the possessions of others, this person is going to be happier—he might be a believer or an unbeliever.
        7)    Anyone who goes from a state of immorality to morality is going to be happier and enjoy greater blessing.
        8)    Therefore, your uncle who used to take drugs, began going to AA and stopped using drugs, becomes a happier person.
        9)    The person who used to wallow in self-pity, but now has become a scientologist, now has more self-confidence.
        10)    The person who believers in Jesus Christ, but then chooses to go to a legalistic church or to a holy roller church—if the end result is, he has gone from disobeying the laws of divine establishment to obeying hem, they are going to be happier and the life is going to show great improvement.
        11)    Any person who turns from a life of immorality to morality; from disobeying the laws of divine establishment to obeying them, is going to show marked improvement in their lives.

  • Genesis Lessons 1-100  posted 10-20-2010 (HTML)   (PDF)   are now available online.  This is a different approach than a word-by-word examination of the book of Genesis.  This study was designed to be in bite-sized lessons, each 3-6 pages long, and each forming, more or less, a literary unit.  If this is your first exposure to this study, the introductory lessons are found here: General Introduction  (HTML)   (PDF)   It is recommended that you study the introductory lessons first.
  • The Laws of Divine Establishment updated 9/25/2010.   (HTML)   (PDF)   I have added material to "The Laws of Divine Establishment in the New Testament;" added the global warming movment as another example of society rejecting the laws of divine establishment; appended that section with another NT passage; expanded the section "Unregenerate man, by adhering to Biblical principles, will get the most out of life;"  and have begun to work on an abbreviated doctrine of the Laws of Divine Establishment. 
  • The Laws of Divine Establishment posted 9/16/2010.   (HTML)   (PDF)   God has a temporal plan for believers and unbelievers alike.  When this plan broken down into its component parts, it is called the laws of divine establishment.  These laws hold true for all mankind and for all governments.

    Acknowledgment: Insofar as I can determine, R. B. Thieme, Jr. gave the name to this topic, and was the first person to develop this subject under this name.  I have found that there are certain definitions which are on independent websites which agree almost word-for-word, and it is my reasonable assumption that these come directly from Bob’s notes.  Previous to Bob’s ministry, it is likely that other people had pieces of this puzzle, but Thieme was the first person to pull this all together.

    Bob, on occasion, acknowledged that his work would be added to.  If memory serves, he gave the example of an additional story in the edification complex.  For this reason, there will be some additions and some slight deviations in this doctrine which he originally developed from the Word of God.  Theology, like computer technology, was designed to be built upon, but without rejecting or altering the fundamental principles of the faith.

    Although Bob mentioned L. S. Chafer on many occasions, a number of people do not realize that most of Bob’s early work came from Chafer’s teaching (epitomized in Systematic Theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer).  After several years in the ministry, Bob expanded upon Chafer’s work considerably.

    I used Jim Brettell and Tod Kennedy’s works as references (see Bibliography), and much of their work was based upon the teaching of R. B. Thieme, Jr..  Some of their work was taken word-for-word, and I acknowledge that throughout.  My intention was to, at least temporarily, produce the definitive work on this topic.

    Introduction: Since the world appears to be made up of mostly unbelievers, God must have some kind of plan or some set of laws for unbelievers while they are alive.  These are called the laws of divine establishment, and they are applicable to both believers and unbelievers.  Just as no believer is able to perfectly execute the Christian way of life, so it is with the laws of divine establishment.  However, a society’s failure to observe a set of laws does not negate those laws or their importance.

    There is absolute truth for the unbeliever.  This truth is the doctrine of the laws of divine establishment.  This truth involves obedience to and respect for established authorities; the willingness to respect the free will, privacy and property of others; and the willingness to obey established law (which, ideally, is based upon 6 of the Ten Commandments).

    The laws of divine establishment are designed to protect societies which are made up of believers and unbelievers alike.  These laws are designed to protect evangelization and the teaching of Bible doctrine; and they are also designed to protect the freedom, privacy and property of believers and unbelievers alike.  Adherence to these laws both protects and advances a society.  Rejecting these laws leads to the destruction of a society (Greece, Iran and North Korea are excellent examples of societies which have rejected the laws of divine establishment).  Many European countries are in a transitional phase, where such laws are being rejected bit by bit.  The United States, the greatest nation in the history of mankind, is also being eroded from the inside by rejecting God’s plan for believers and unbelievers.

    Satan never sleeps.  He is constantly trying to bring down free societies.  There are multiple Satanic attacks on the laws of divine establishment going on every minute of the day.  Even though Satan probably knows that he can establish a better world through God’s laws, he refuses to do so, as the laws of divine establishment also allow for maximum evangelization of a people.  Therefore, as we examine this doctrine, I will also make allusions to Satan’s attacks and alternatives to the laws of divine establishment.

    Nations which most closely follow these laws are blessed; nations which reject these laws are cursed.  One of the best examples of this is, North Korea and South Korea.  One nation has completely reject the laws of divine establishment and the other has embraced these laws.  We now have 60 years of history which allow us to see a great contrast between God’s laws and Satanic influence.

    Insofar as I know, this is the most complete work on the laws of divine establishment, updated with a myriad of contemporary examples and applications.  All believers need to understand these laws so that they understand what is good and right for the society in which they live.  Therefore, these laws need to be carefully enumerated. 
  • 1Chronicles 11   posted 8/26/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)   1Chronicles 11:      I began working on this chapter several years ago and just picked it up and spent the last 3 months on it.  Therefore, the document online has been updated a great deal and uploaded (as of June–August of 2010).  The first quarter of this chapter deals with David as King over all Israel, and the second portion is a list of David’s great military men.  Now, you may think that a long list of names is boring, but there is a lot to be learned in this chapter and a great deal of application.  Several short doctrines are covered in this chapter (the Suzerain-Vassal treaty; the Jebusites, Joab, the Pivot, prophecies about David becoming king, David pouring out the drink offering, Ashtoreth and I just had to include George Will’s excellent column on the pencil czar).  Furthermore, there are links the great doctrines of the client nation, redemption, Bethlehem, the Arabah and Masada.  Also, very importantly, there is a lot of real-life application found in this chapter.  This is an important chapter in the Word of God; furthermore, it is an unplowed field, as no one has ever spent more than 5 or 6 pages on this chapter at most .  The exegesis is in excess of 250 pages.     http://kukis.org/Chronicles/1Chron11.htm   http://kukis.org/Chronicles/1Chron11.pdf  
  • The Genesis study is updated to lesson #90   posted 8/4/2010  (HTML)   (PDF).  The introductory lessons to this study are found here:   (General Introduction)   (PDF) .  Also, the ancient exegesis of Genesis has been updated as well.  (HTML)   (PDF)   

  • The Doctrine of  the Client Nation  posted 7/23/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)   Not all nations are equal, and it is clear that God blesses some nations far more than others.  Compare the United States to Kuwait, Qatar or to the U.A.E..  Even though the per capita income may be similar, these nations could not be more different.  The difference between them is, the United States is a client nation to God and the others are simply a worldly kingdoms which serve the god of this world.  (1) A Client Nation to God has free and open evangelism within its borders.  (2) Furthermore, in a client nation, the Word of God is being taught and there are a significant number of believers who are interested in the Word.   (3) The client nation preserves and protects and disseminates the Word of God.  (4) The client nation sends out missionaries to a variety of other countries.  (5) Finally, a client nation acts as a haven for the Jews.  Although there might be some anti-Semitism within a client nation, Jews are free and protected by the laws of that nation.  These are key elements of the client nation, and this explains why the quality of life in one nation seems to be so much greater than that anywhere else (e.g., England in the 19th century or the United States in the 20th century and beyond).  This is a lenthy doctrine, over 35 pages, with extensive BIblical references and historical documentation.  This concept was first put together by R. B. Thieme, Jr., and this doctrine probably would not even be available apart from his work.  Much of this information has been taken from Bob's teaching, as well as Robert McLaughlin's, and there has been a great deal of material added as well.  You may notice some changes in this doctrine; I am still refining it.  This is a part of the exegetical study of 1Chronicles 11, which should be completed within the month.
  • The List (a listing of doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources) has been updated  06/23/2010   (HTML)   (PDF).
  • Update on the Exegesis of Chronicles.  Posted June 19, 2010.  The exegesis of the first 7 or 8 chapters of Chronicles was done ages ago, and there were many bad links in them.  Those links were all updated.  The links to the Chronicles chapters was updated to include a brief chapter synopsis, along with some of the important information to be found in that particular chapter (e.g., important doctrines).  Chronicles Links  (HTML)   (PDF)   Also, 1Chron. 11, which is incomplete, was uploaded.  It will take me another month to complete that chapter.  (HTML)   (PDF)  
  • Genesis study lessons 1-80 now posted.  5/26/2010.  (HTML)    (PDF)  

  • Doctrinal page updated 5/18/10 and doctrines and charts from all sources placed on this page. 
  • Posted 5/10/10   Minor additions and updates were made to 1Samuel 19 (HTML)   (PDF); 1Samuel 20  (HTML)   (PDF); 1Samuel 23  (HTML)   (PDF); 1Samuel 25  (HTML)   (PDF); and 1Samuel 26  (HTML)   (PDF).
  • The Doctrine of the Arabah 4/17/10  (HTML)   (PDF)   As I began to encounter this word more and more often, without having a good grasp of its meaning, I decided that it was about time to examine this word in great depth.  This word shows up a variety of times in the Pentateuch, in Samuel and in Chronicles (where the areas called Arabah are much different from those in Numbers and Deuteronomy); and this word also shows up in Psalm 68, where the KJV translates it as heaven (which confuses the entire passage and spoiled a huge number of subsequent translations which often default to the KJV).  For most people, examining the entire 24 pages of this doctrine is unnecessary; any one of the summaries at the end of the doctrine should be enough.  Also updated: Numbers  (HTML)   (PDF) and Psalm 68  (HTML)   (PDF).

  • Deuteronomy is updated.  4/16/10.  (HTML) (PDF).   I have been working on the Doctrine of the Arabah as of late, and Deuteronomy was updated with respect to the references in this book to the Arabah.
  • The Doctrine of Dispensations has been updated to include the Dispensation of the Hypostati Union   3/31/10   (HTML)   (PDF

  • Parallels between the Signs of Moses and the Signs of Jesus  Posted 3/20/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)   At the Communion Service in Berachah Church on March 14, 2010, R. B. Thieme III spoke about the 7 great signs of Jesus, as named in the book of John.  As he was teaching this, I could not help but think of parallels between these signs of our Lord and the signs of Moses, performed 1500 years earlier in the land of Egypt.  Whereas, these parallels are not always exact, nor is there an exact 1 to 1 correspondence between them, there is a striking similarity between the first, second to the last and the last sign of Moses and the first, second to the last and the last great sign that Jesus did, as recorded in the book of John.

  • Genesis Lessons #1-70   posted 3/17/2010   (HTML)   (PDF)  This is a series where each lesson is 3-5 pages and the material is covered thoroughly, but without a lot of time spend on the Hebrew.  I may allude to 1 or 2 Hebrew words in a lesson, but the Hebrew of every verse is not exegeted in this lesson set.  So far, in these 70 lessons, we are nearing the end of Gen. 7, the Great Flood of Noah.  This newest set of lessons which were just added (lessons 61-70) include the Basic Mechanics of the Spiritual Life; the careful organization of Gen. 6:1-13 (the organizational aspects to the book of Genesis are amazing); What the Ark of Noah Represents; the Doctrine of the Ark in the Bible; and Miracles in the Bible.  Two topics also discussed: why the narrative of the ark and the flood is not just some story and Noah's Personal feelings about the ark and his responsibility. 
  • 2Samuel 10  uploaded 3-5-10  (HTML)   (PDF) documents wars between Israel, Ammon and Aram. There are 2 options with regards to this chapter and 2Sam. 8: (1) they are descriptions of the same event or (2) they are descriptions of 2 different events.  The details are quite different from 2Sam. 8 (which differences will be discussed in detail in this exegesis), so we are describing different wars.  However, there appears to be a fairly long period of time in between these chapters (at least a decade).  One thing that is different in this chapter is, I went back and listened to the teaching of R. B. Thieme, Jr. on this chapter, and integrated many of the notes and doctrines which he gave with this exegesis (he is credited throughout).  Some of the topics which are covered are: Principles of Warfare, Why all of this War and Tactics in the Bible?, the historical background for this chapter, the arrogance in Hanun’s state department (Hanun is the new king of Ammon), arrogance and leadership (with several modern examples), The Principle of Offensive Action, The Principle of Mass, Thieme on Elite Forces, what exactly is a flying column, fighting from interior lines, fighting from exterior lines (and other military jargon which Thieme would toss around), and Thieme on Freedom and Equality.  There are examples in this chapter of how a believer can properly interpret history (with some examples from Bob Thieme on his teaching 40 years ago).  I wrote this chapter during the last half of 2009 and for a couple months into 2010, so there are many modern-day applications (our president and his actions make for excellent application).  This chapter is filled with maps, so that you will be able to visualize what is happening, and which army came from where.  There’s one more thing: Joab will be trapped between 2 armies and at a tactical disadvantage; so, how was he able to prevail?  I think there are enough textual clues which reveal not only his strategy and tactics, but exactly why he was able to defeat Aram’s mercenaries.  This is exclusive to this commentary; you will not find this in any other commentary on this chapter.
  • http://kukis.org/Samuel/2Sam_10.htm  
  • http://kukis.org/Samuel/2Sam_10.pdf 
  • Along with this, the List of Doctrines (PDF) is updated, as are the two halves of the Hebrew Lexicon (Heb1) (Heb1-pdf) and (Heb2) (Heb2-pdf).
  • http://kukis.org/Doctrines/OTTopics.htm 
  • The Doctrine of Aram (Syria) 1/17/10   (HTML)   (PDF)  This is one of the most important nations in the ancient world, and it sometimes receives very little attention.  There are a lot of maps and a lot of ancient history, as well as an examination of all BIblical citations. 
  • Genesis Lessons 1-60  1/6/10   (HTML)   (PDF)   Lessons 51-60 were just added.  Included in these newest 10 lessons are the Biblical States of the Earth, the veracity of the history of Noah, the amazing things found in the first 6 chapters of Genesis (I found 12 things which stood out), .Why the sons of God in Gen. 6 are an unholy mixture of fallen angels and man, Satan's Counterfeits, the concepts of anthropomorphism and anthropopathism, civilizations, and santification.
  • 2Samuel 9  posted 11/28/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   2Samuel 9  is another look into David’s downtime. What do normal kings do during their downtime (when they are not at war or presiding over governmental matters)?  They may gather with their drinking buddies and drink and eat at feasts and party for weeks on end (Daniel 5:1–12).  However, another might build great edifices and engrave in prominent places his name and deeds. Another might multiply possessions to himself, looking to find fulfillment in all that he owns (Eccles. 2:4–10).  Another might go looking for a new wife or simply chase after women (2Sam. 11).  David searches out a member of Saul’s family, the rival dynasty, in order to shower grace upon him.  What he uncovers is Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan, who is no longer living on to the property of his grandfather Saul, but being cared for by another family, while Ziba, a former servant of Saul’s, enjoys Saul’s property.  This is a fascinating narrative with great spiritual implications and foreshadowing.  This chapter of Samuel gives us an important look into the character of David, and better helps us to understand how Jesus Christ sees us.  Some of the topics of this chapter include such things as the destruction of the spiritual life of African Americans, liberation theology, slavery, slavery in the United States (a different take on this than you have read elsewhere—for instance, every African-American living in the United States should get down on their knees and thank God for the slavery of their ancestors), God’s treatment of the helpless, handicaps, and the importance of faithfulness in the little things (even if no one is looking).  However, what is most striking about this book is, its spiritual parallels.  God the Holy Spirit did not just throw this chapter into the middle of 2Samuel as human interest, but this book has a clear and powerful spiritual message.  One more thing: there is a slip of the pen in this chapter by the authority, which reveals to us who the authority or this chapter is.
  • 2Samuel 8 has been updated (again).   11/28/09   (HTML)   (PDF)  2Samuel 8 is all about David at war.  He goes to war against the Moabites, Aram of Zobah, Aram of Damascus, and the Edomites.  This is one of the few chapters of Samuel where there is a very serious copyist error, where the text reads Syria (Aram), but it should be Edom instead.  Although the book of Samuel is probably more riddled with copyist errors than any other book of the Old Testament, these errors tend to be fairly minor and have no appreciable effect upon any doctrine.  However, this error is a biggie, along the lines of that great copyist error found in 1Sam. 14:18, where Saul is said to have called for the Ark of God, but he really called for the Ephod of God.  There are topics in this chapter which are extremely important and timely for the believer of the 21st century (of any century): we examine war and the concept of a righteous war (which is very applicable today) as well as the divine perspective of Israel and her enemies.  There is also a fascinating organizational structure of the first half of this chapter, but I did not discover this until I got to 1Chron. 18, the parallel chapter in Chronicles (HTML)   (PDF).  There is a second half to this chapter where we see the men under David and we examine their various responsibilities.  In this second half of 2Sam. 8, we run into several problems: the parallel priesthoods, who is the father of whom (Abiathar or Ahimelech?), and who or what exactly are the Cherethites and the Pelethites. 

  • 1Chronicles 18 just posted.  11/16/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   Although the writer of Chronicles used Samuel as one of his source documents, there are some differences between 1Chron. 18 and 2Sam. 8, every single one of which will be noted.  There are some textual problems as well, and they will be sorted out as well.  One of the most important applications that we get from the study of this chapter is the Biblical view of war.  Included in this study is, "Some Points on War", "What is a Righteous War?", and some introductory points to this chapter of Chronicles which substantiates that some just wars are aggressive, offensive wars.  Included in this study are doctrines which, insofar as I know, are not covered anywhere else, e.g., "Is David Amassing Blood Money?" and "The Parallel Structure of 1Chron. 18."  There are several doctrines on the Davidic Covenant.  Also covered is the dual priesthood of David's day, Zadok and Abiathar and Ahimelech, the Cherethites and the Pelethtites, as well as a plethora of maps, so that you have some idea as to the movement of David's armies.
  • 2Samuel 8 has been updated.   11/16/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   
  • The List has been updated (11/10/09), which contains links to a number of doctrinal churches and doctrinal resources.  (HTML)   (PDF).
  • Conservative Review #100   11/8/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   Conservative Review !00th Issue!!

    Excellent quotations from Mike Murphy, Bill Kristol and Dennis Miller.

    Big thumbs up to “V” and link to first episode

    Did you know that Muslims celebrated the Fort Hood shootings?  In the United States.

    Short takes includes some to some of the important differences between liberals and conservatives.

    This issue is filled with number—how many children are on food stamps at one time or another; how many governmental agencies Pelosi-care creates (and a chart of those agencies); and the number of millionaires in Congress.

    Read the Party of No; Republicans can turn it around and use this slogan.

    I offer up some possible solutions for the Fort Hood tragedy...but I am still formulating some of these ideas.

    Plus, a little bit about what I believe is a real political conspiracy possibly equivalent to Nixon’s Watergate.  I do not generally go in for conspiracies....but I think one happened this last election, and the blame goes pretty far up.  You won’t read this anywhere else.

    http://kukis.org/blog/ConservativeReview100.htm

    http://kukis.org/blog/ConservativeReview100.pdf (You may have to right click and download this)
  • Is Jesus a Liberal?  11/5/09 and updated 11/7/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   I recently came across an article where someone asserted that Jesus is a liberal, and he quoted "Thou shalt not kill" and "Turn the other cheek" etc. etc.  The problem with most liberals who want to bring Jesus into their fold is, they take a few isolated passages our of context, often giving them a meaning which they do not have; and then give these redefined passages prominence over all else.   However, it is still a reasonable question....Is Jesus a Liberal?
  • http://kukis.org/Doctrines/Liberal_Jesus.htm
  • http://kukis.org/Doctrines/Liberal_Jesus.pdf
  • Genesis Lessons 1-50  10/28/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   Included in this new set of lessons (I added lessons 40-50), are 4 lessons on the genealogy of Adam through Noah.  There is much more in this genealogy than you would realize from a simple reading of the text.
  • Psalm 21   9/14/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   God the Holy Spirit guides the writer of Scripture in such a way that, without waving that writer’s intelligence, vocabulary, train of thought and personality, records God’s Word to man.  In prophecy, we often find portions of prophecy which have a near and a far fulfillment.  Psalm 21 tells us what is going on with David and, simultaneously, with David’s Greater Son.  So, in a way, we have two psalms here by two authors.  Understanding this is the key to this psalm, and at the end of the psalm, I will give the two interpretations side-by-side the text.

    This study also explains why David, although the most spiritually mature of the kings, does not have an emphasis upon the Tabernacle or the sacrificial worship in his own writings.  There is also a builder analogy which helps to explain the functions of the Trinity.  This is another psalm where we find the name Jesus in the psalm itself.  We will also examine David, his stability and his rise to power; what is a righteous war; economic and social justice; and David, in this psalm, recognizes the blessings which God has laid on him.

    The doctrines covered include “The Ministry of the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ,” “The Prayers of Jesus,” “How Majesty and Splendor are placed upon David, upon Jesus Christ, and upon the Church Age believer,” “God’s Essence as Portrayed in the Psalms,” “God’s relationship to man as found in the psalms,” “The Baptism of Fire,” “The Places of Judgment after Death,” “The Doctrine of Evil,” “Satan’s Present-Day Attacks against the 4 Divine Institutions,”

    There may be too much material on differentiating between the terms glory, honor, majesty, and splendor.
  • Psalm 20   9/11/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   Most of the time, I end up feeling as if I had a good understanding of a psalm and its time and place.  However, I never felt that with Psalm 20.  I felt that in my exegesis, I was missing something, some key which would have unlocked this psalm for me.  This does not necessarily mean that exegeting and interpreting the psalm was problematic.  However, at the very end of this psalm, I put together a possible way that this psalm may have been sung (i.e., who sung what), and that may explain David’s organization for this psalm (his literary organization could be quite complex).  Part of the problem is determining, to whom is David speaking from verse to verse.

    In this psalm, we will examine God’s protection for believers in time; God’s protection of the United States; propitiation; the accuracy of the text of the Bible; the Dead Sea Scrolls; the state of America in 2009; how and why God is protecting the United States in the year 2009; our spiritual obligations; and our temporal lives in the light of eternity.

    Some of the doctrines covered include God answers prayer from His holy place; God’s right hand in the life of David; and God hears us and answers our prayers.

    http://kukis.org/Psalms/Psalm020.htm

    http://kukis.org/Psalms/Psalm020.pdf 
  • The List (a compilation of Bible links including doctrinal churches) has been updated (9/2/09).  (HTML)   (PDF)  
  • The first 40 lessons on the book of Genesis have now been uploaded.   8/20/09.  General Introduction (PDF) (4 lessons); Introduction to the Bible (PDF) (14 lessons);   Introduction to the Book of Genesis (PDF) (3 lessons).  All of these introductory lessons are one document.  As of August 20, 2009, I have added the first 40 lessons in Genesis.  Whereas I had hoped to cover this material in less detail, I must admit to getting bogged down in with some detail.  Genesis 1 (the first 40 lessons in an HTML format)   (PDF version).  All of the doctrines covered are now included as a part of the first few pages and hyperlinked to where they are found in the exegesis

  • A weekly study in Genesis; lessons #1-30 are now posted.  6/17/09   This takes us to Genesis 3 and the fall.  (HTML)   (PDF).  There are introdoctory lessons to this study as well: (HTML)   (PDF)

  • 2Samuel 08 5/9/09 is finally completed after 3 months of work.  (HTML)   (PDF)  
  • Personal application: How can we determine if a war is just?  What ought we to do if our country is so far gone that we need to oppose it?  Can we actually turn against our own nation (despite Rom. 13)?  The Bible covers these topics.  And let me add that, a war that we choose to fight is probably more significant than a war which we are forced into fighting.
  • Textual criticism: there are several of the most difficult passages to explain in this chapter, and the errors in copying are quite dramatic, even though you will not find this particular problem alluded to on anti-Bible sites where they list what they believe to be contradictions.
  • Historical background material: Why are there two priesthoods?  Why is David fighting all of these wars?  Why does God focus on David rather than upon the high priests?  Why does God focus on David's actions rather than upon the function of the Tabernacle?  Why does God not allow David to build the Tabernacle?  How far did David's kingdom extend?
  • I should add that the links in 2Samuel 8 to Psalm 20, 60 and 1Chronicles 18 will be dead links for a few months until I complete the exegesis of those chapters.

  • The List (links to doctrinal churches and other important links) has been updated.  5/9/09   (HTML)   (PDF)  (for some reason, WP is not printing to PDF at this moment, so I will update the PDF version in the future).
  • An updated Old Testament Topics document has also been uploaded.  Although this does not contain as many direct links as I would like, this is one of the best documents to open up in your web browser and then to use your "Find in document" option (in the edit menu) to find virtually any topic I have ever covered.  (HTML)   (PDF)  
  • 1Samuel files   4/27/09   In the 1Samuel exegesis, some of the graphics did not display correctly.  Also, at one time, I believed Abiathar the priest to be a very young man when he first came to David.  However, in examining 2Samuel 8 (which I should post within 2-3 weeks), it is apparent that Abiathar was old enough to marry about the time that he escaped Nob and put himself under David's protection (by the time we get to 2Samuel 8, Abiathar will have a son who is in the priesthood).  I made these corrections and uploaded about 10 chapters from 1Samuel
  • The Doctrine of Predestination  4/16/09   (HTML)   (PDF)  Before I knew what a computer was, I wrote boxes and boxes of notes, and did some studies of various theological topics on my own.  I've decided that, when I am exhausted studying 2Samuel, that it might be easier to type up some of these studies (most are about 15-20 years old) and post them as well.  Most of these are going to be shorter and in less detail than most of my studies, making them more readable.
  • 1Chronicles 17  2/5/09   (HTML)   (PDF)   There are 3 chapters in the Bible which cover the Davidic Covenant in detail: 2Samuel 7, Psalm 89 and 1Chronicles 17.  Samuel is history recorded at the time that it occurred (probably written down by Samuel, David, and/or Nathan), and Chronicles was written after the 5th Cycle of Discipline had been applied to the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and after they had been returned to the land.  In general, Chronicles is the divine interpretation of Israel's history.  However, this is one of the chapters of Chronicles which is almost identical to 2Samuel 7.  There are a few new things which we examine in this chapter which we did not in 2Samuel 7: Why didn't God allow David to build the Temple and why didn't God push David to unite the Tabernacle and the Ark?  The near and far fulfillments of the Davidic Covenant are important, as the author/editor of Chronicles is writing this after the Davidic dynasty appeared to come to its end.  We examine progressive revelation and the Messiah.  In my lifetime, I have observed incredible full-frontal assaults on the divine institutions, so that is discussed in this chapter.  Finally, 2Samuel 7 and 1Chronicles 17 purport to be direct quotations from God and then from David.  How do we explain the differences between the texts, if these are direct quotations?  Therefore, we examine in depth the inconsistencies of the texts, the accuracy of textual transmission, textual criticism, and discuss, just how much can we trust the text of the Bible?  Finally, Psalm 89 and 1Chronicles 17 are the first texts where the Hebrew characters are properly reproduced in the HTML format.
  • Genesis (first 10 lessons)  1/22/09  (HTML)   (PDF)  10 lessons on the first 13 verses of Genesis 1.  I envisioned myself originally as doing a brief overview, as J. Vermon McGee did; and I get too detailed-oriented (although I do not spend much time with the Hebrew here or with textual criticism).  Each lesson is 3-5 pages long.  The introduction to this series is 18 lessons which introduce the Bible as a whole and then 3 introductory lessons to the book of Genesis  (HTML)   (PDF) .  If you want to get a weekly lesson, just email me.
R. B. Thieme Jr. MP3 Editable Lists:
  • Like many of you, I listen to Bob's lessons on my off days, and I have tried, in a number of ways, to keep track of which lessons I have ordered, what I want to order next, and which lessons I have listened to.  I do have one ancient tape list which I used, but I would prefer to keep these records on my computer.  The problem with the online list of Bob's lessons is, it is a PDF format, so it is easy to print out, but you cannot open the document with PDF software (for the few of us who have software which will open a PDF document).  So, I spent a few hours putting together this same list, but in several different formats, so that you could download whichever format you work with and keep track of these same things.
  • MS Word version: http://kukis.org/Miscellaneous/Thieme_Listings.doc
  • WordPerfect version: http://kukis.org/Miscellaneous/Thieme_Listings.jpg.wpd  (this website limits which kinds of files I can upload, so I had to make this appear to be a jpg file in order to upload it; once you save this to your computer, change the name, removing the ".jpg"
  • HTML version: http://kukis.org/Miscellaneous/Thieme_Listings.htm
  • Editable PDF version: http://kukis.org/Miscellaneous/Thieme_Listings.pdf
  • This is found on the Miscellaneous page.
  • The Angelic Conflict  December 16, 2008   HTML   PDF   I send out a basic Bible study, starting with an introduction to the Bible and working into the Book of Genesis (we are only a couple of verses into Genesis).  The Bible makes it clear that angels were created after the heavens and the earth, but before the earth was restored and before the creation of mankind.  It is also clear that, God judged Satan and the fallen angels, and passed sentence over them, yet this sentence has not been carried out.  Since man was created between the sentencing of Satan and the carrying out of this sentence, logically man is involved in the appeals process, which occurs between the sentencing and the carrying out of a sentence.  In this study, I suggest that there are a number of objections which Satan raised with respect to his sentence, and probably far more than those which I have suggested in this study.
  • In my exegetical study of Psalm 89, I had reason to examine the Edification Complex of the Soul.  December 16, 2008.  HTML   PDF   In this study, I suggest another floor and look at the ECS with respect to its man-ward and its God-ward exhales.  Logically, when there is doctrine in our souls, we exhale toward man and we exhale toward God.  Therefore, the Edification Complex Structure is going to be slightly different exhaling toward man and exhaling toward God.  I put down the initial concepts, but I am sure this will be improved upon. 
  • Psalm 89 (added December 11, 2008)   (HTML)   (PDF)   (the PDF document is not uploaded yet, as I am having document problems).  This examination of Psalm 89 presents the fundamental key to this psalm, which, insofar as I know, has never been presented before.  What ought to occur to any exegete is, why is the Davidic Covenant presented in 2Sam. 7, 1Chron. 17, and in Psalm 89?  There is more to it than just the idea that, this is an important covenant.  What is amazing is, the psalmist pleads with God to fulfill this covenant to David, and, with the same words, presents Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of this covenant to David.  There are many places in the Bible where a set of words has 2 or more fulfillments or 2 or more meanings, but this psalmist pleads with God and expresses concern about the fulfillment of this covenant, and, with the very same words, gives the fulfillment of the covenant.  This is one of the most amazing passages that I have ever studied.  I have spent over half of the past 4 months exegeting this psalm and am still impressed as to the parallel thoughts of Ethan the author and God the Holy Spirit.
  • The Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict (added December 11, 2008)  (HTML)   (PDF)  I have been doing sort of a basic series, and this is a portion of that series.  It is about 10 pages, and puts together most of the important information that you need to know about your relationship to angels. 
  • The Doctrine of Clapping Hands  (Psalm 47)  (11-28-08)    HTML   PDF  
  • The Doctrine of Intercalation updated with more examples (Psalm 146)  (11-28-08)   (HTML)  (PDF)  
  • I have recently begun a new project.  I have always admired and appreciated the Thru the Bible series by J. Vernon McGee.  However, its chief weakness is his use of the King James Bible.  Two or three generations ago, this was acceptable; today, however, few people are comfortable with the Shakespearian language of the KJV, and, as a result, his wonderful 5 year series becomes less and less relevant to us, despite his outstanidng teaching (McGee was a genius when it comes to taking complex Biblical principles and explaining them in clear, plain language).  I've decided to put together a series of lessons which are not as thorough as most of my exegetical studies, but which cover specific books of the Bible.  I do not know how many books I will cover, and I certainly do not expect to be able to duplicate McGee's amazing feat of going through the entire Bible in 5 years.  However, what I have attempted to do is to develop of series of lessons, between 3-5 pages each, which introduce the Bible and exegete several books in the Bible.  At this point in time, I have no idea how far I will take this series.  I email out the new lesson each Wednesday and if you want to be on this email list, just contact me and let me know.  Meanwhile, I have just begun to post some of these lessons online.  General Introduction (PDF) (4 lessons); Introduction to the Bible (PDF) (14 lessons);   Introduction to the Book of Genesis (PDF) (3 lessons).  All of these introductory lessons are one document. 
  • At this moment, I am working on exegeting Psalm 89, as a part of my exegesis of the book of Samuel.  What I have just discovered is completely incredible: the psalmist asks a question and expresses deep concerns about the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, and then, the very words used in his question answer his question.  From a literary standpoint alone, the final third of this chapter in the Psalms is both amazing and a testament to the divine nature of God's Word.  My estimate is that I will complete the exegesis of this chapter sometime in late December and that the entire exegesis is going to run about 300 pages.
  • God Still Speaks to the Jews from the Old Testament (November 17, 2008)   HTML PDF  Jews today and in the Tribulation will be moved to open up their Scriptures and read them for guidance, and be led to believe in Jesus Christ because of them.  There are certain books and passages which speak specifically to the Jew in this regard.

  • I have recently updated the Doctrine of the Firstborn (HTML)   (PDF) and the exegesis of the books Exodus  (HTML)   (PDF), Numbers (HTML)   (PDF)  and Leviticus  (HTML)   (PDF).  Tthe overall exegesis of these books was done many years ago, so they do need to be completely updated at some point in time.  October 31, 2008. 

  • The Fatherhood of God (October 22, 2008)  HTML   PDF   In this doctrine, we examine is some depth the concept of God the Father and God the Son as an eternal relationship; as one which is set in the divine decree, as opposed to simply beginning in time at the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  

  • The Doctrine of the Rock in the Old Testament. (Octber 16, 2008)  (HTML)   (PDF)
  • An exegetical study of 1Chronicles 16 (5-12-08)   HTML   PDF   I have been working on this chapter since the beginning of this year.  I have had to exegete 3 or 4 psalms during this time (which are pertinent to 1Chorn. 16) and going to Chronicles represents a diversion from 2Samuel 6 (in the next few days, I will go back to chapter 7).  There is a lot of incredible material in 1Chron 16:  I have given very reasonable theories as to why the psalms found in 1Chron 16 do not match their counterparts word-for-word in the Psalms.  I have explained why we have the book of Chronicles, which appears to be a repetition now and again.  One item which has been ignored by commentators over the years: King David will actually choose the place where Jesus Christ will rule from during the Millennium.  The Ark is in Jerusalem and the Tabernacle is in Gibeon--I will explain why.  We are told exactly what foods David gave to the people--I will explain why this is meaningful.  How our lives are like an improvised jazz riff.  The idea that Jesus did not exist or was a fraud.  Some Muslims have gone past the point of natural affection.  God's Covenant to Abraham in the New Testament.  Sometimes, God gives us a preview of coming attractions in our lives.  Christian martyrs versus Muslim martyrs.  Most environmentalists do not worship God, but they worship His creation instead.  Why was Moses so disciplined for twice slamming the rock with his rod for the 2nd "no-water" incident.  Why David did not move the Tabernacle to Jerusalem.  The two High Priests.  This ended up being about 250 pages long.  Whew! 
  • The List (5/7/08)   HTML   PDF   This is a list of all doctrinal churches which I am aware of, along with places where you can find oral or written teaching on almost any book and on most doctrines.
  • Liberation Theology/Black Liberation Theology  (5/7/08)   HTML   PDF  I examine this doctrine and lay it side-by-side Christian Doctrine. 
  • Although I exegeted Psalm 95 about a decade ago, exegeting its companion psalm recently caused me to go back and rework this psalm.  HTML   PDF   There are a number of important doctrines and studies in this psalm.  First of all, it is important to note that the key to this psalm is either positive or negative volition after salvation, and we see both sides of this coin here.  Some areas of interest might be (1) speculation versus dogmatism; (2) If God owns the earth, what right do we have to claim this or that plot of ground?  (3) the proper posture in worship; (4) covenant theology both challenges the faithfulness and veracity of God as well promotes legalism; (5) how could both of the exodus generations fail, but one goes into the land?  And (6) how God's promises to Israel parallel the promises made to us for time and eternity. 
  • The Doctrine of Barake(this is the Hebrew verb which means to bless; but there is a lot more to it than that).   HTML   PDF 
  • Old Testament Names for God.  3/6/08   HTML   PDF   Admittedly, much of this was taken from the internet.  There are about 2 dozen names used for God in the Old Testament, as well as a number of titles and descriptive names.  I have all of them listed here, with their meanings.  Now, what you will not find elsewhere is how these names of God relate directly to His character and essence, how they reveal His salvation, and how the reveal His interaction with man. 
  • 2/23/08 Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.   HTML   PDF   Jesus Christ is a functioning member of the Godhead in the Old Testament; the Old Testament contains numerous prophecies about Jesus Christ; and He is found in shadow form all over the Old Testament.  Some of these charts were taken from other documents.
  • 2/23/08  Psalm 96   HTML   PDF  This psalm both names Jesus by name and speaks of the earth's circular orbit (yes, I know the earth actually has an elliptical orbit).  This is an amazing psalm.  Also, with this psalm, because of the new version of WP (X4) and Windows Vista, most of the Hebrew characters are now accurately represented in the HTML documents (which should interest all of about 2 people).  This is not retroactive, however, and all older documents will continue to accurately represent the Hebrew and graphics in the PDF documents, but not so much in the HTML docs.  I did some minor updates on this psalm 2/25/08, to better explain how we find the name Jesus in Psalm 96.  I also found out that Jesus being the Greek equivalent to Joshua is actually up for discussion.  I went back and covered this particular issue letter by letter, so that there is no mistaking that our Lord's name in this Psalm.
  • 2/21/08  The word intercalation means insertion.  Theologically, this refers to where the Church Age is inserted between the advents of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament does not predict the Church Age, but the Old Testament has the 1st and 2nd Advents of Jesus Christ, between which we know to insert the Church Age.  The Doctrine of Intercalation is updated slightly, almost doubling the number of passages where the 1st and 2nd Advents of Jesus Christ are found in Old Testament Scripture.  HTML   PDF   I put this doctrine together primarily because I could not find it represented properly on the Internet. 
  • Rebound  HTML   PDF   1/13/08  Some are familiar with this term and some are not.  How are you filled with the Holy Spirit?  What does that even mean?  A complete word by word exegesis of 1John 1:4-10 is included.  This is a sizable document at 62 pages. 
  • Psalm 146 (12/17/07)   HTML   PDF   WPD   This is one of the many psalms which is carefully organized.  In this psalm, there is a different inscription in the Greek text.  What does this mean to us?  Does this bring all Scripture into question?  How much has man messed with the Bible; can we trust it?  I also cover the following topics: the Essence of the Soul, False Concepts of the Soul, what it means for Man to be Created in the Image of God, and Salvation in the Old Testament.  I also discuss: what man has actually done to the Bible; why we know that we can trust the manuscripts that we have; politics and doctrine; why conservative candidates do not insure divine establishment government, the link to Romney's Religion speech (no, I am not a Mormon; it was still an excellent speech); contrary to what many people believe, the Bible does not beat us over the head with Biblical principals; illustrations of the greatness of R. B. Thieme Jr.'s teaching; the thoughts of men die with them; the plans of man and the constitution of the United States; the importance of the body; abortion (with links to Robby Dean's teaching on this topic); the rarity of water in this universe; the first recorded instance of Global Warming is found in the Bible; welfare and God's plan; why most Christians are failures; and criminals, jailhouse ministries and God's Word.  Also, this is where I decided I needed to post the Doctrine of Intercalation
  • I just re-worked Psalm 105; the process took me 2.5 months and the exegesis is 240 pages long.  The updated version has a lot more information than did the previous version.  One of the striking features of this psalm is just how complex the organization is.  The psalm seems simple to read, but the outline is quite fascinating.  A point of interest to some is the spiritual life of Israel; this psalm lists 7 commands of the spiritual life in the Age of Israel.  The Catholic Church often gets a bum rap for somehow getting a hold of the early Scriptures and making untold numbers of changes to them early on; this is completely false and covered in this study. Other important topics in this study: your memory is a part of your spiritual life; the exclusivity of the God of the Jews; the Problems of Covenant Theology; Jacob versus Israel; every word of every contract made by God with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the exact travels of Abraham and the other patriarchs; the amazing parallels between Joseph and Jesus (as type and antitype); the problem of pain; hints to parents; people tend to mistakenly believe that the Bible is filled with miracles and that, every time you walk into a church, you ought to expect a miracle; thus just is not true--see the time periods of miracles; God turning the Egyptians against His Own people; What About Reparations?; I have developed an hypothesis about God hardening Pharaoh's heart (I am not quite ready to commit to it yet); the meaning of the two "no-water" incidents in the desert wilderness; and, finally, just how accurate are the Old Testament manuscripts?  Quite frankly, I am pretty happy with the end results of the commentary of this psalm and highly recommend it.    HTML   PDF 
  • Old Testament Topics has also been updated to include Psalm 105HTML   PDF 
  • Serious Old Testament textual problems.  Surely there are more than I have listed here; however, these are the only ones I have found after 12 years of studying the OT.  HTML   PDF 
  • The Doctrine of Manna   HTML   PDF, which is a part of Psalm 105 and something which I should have done back when I did the exegesis of Exodus.  An abbreviated version of this is now found in the book of Exodus   HTML   PDF.  There are a few minor updates in my still woefully incomplete GenesisHTML   PDF 
  • Many years ago, when I attended a Baptist church, a guest speaker give us an outline of the Old Testament in about 45 minutes.  I took notes and kept these notes with my primary Bible for the next 30 years.  I have reproduced that chart, and it is helpful to those of you who know there is an Old Testament, but you don't know much beyond that.  Old Testament Summary:  HTML   PDF 
  • 10/18/07: I have not added anything for awhile.  I have taken a few trips out of town, and when I do that, I work on the basic exegesis, which requires another 2-4 weeks worth of work to complete.  So, I have about 6 psalms in the hopper, so to speak, which I am working on, all which related to 1Samuel 5 and 1Chronicles 16. However, i have added a set of notes, many of which were not posted here before.  I have a new page of notes found here.
  • 8/28/07: I have done some minor updating on 1Samual 4 and 1Samuel 5, adding a bit of commentary to both.  I have also fixed the graphics for most of the Samuel series.  I've also updated the Old Testament Topics.
  • 8/24/07: You will obviously note that I have not posted anything new for awhile.  I have spent the last 3 months working on Psalm 68 (HTML   PDF), which is practically the most difficult chapter of the Bible that I have ever exegeted (which includes the chapters of Job that I have done so far).  There were two verses for which I could form almost no explanation; and there were a half dozen verses which I half-explained, but not to my own standards.  However, despite this, I feel as though this has been some of my most productive work to date.  Here are some of the topics which I covered:
    • Although I heard a lot of weird theories about the occasion for this psalm, I was able to nail that down with little trouble (comparatively speaking).
    • Just who is Mary (the mother of Jesus) and why isn't she just a little bit better than all of us?  The Catholic view of Mary taken out to its logical conclusion.
    • Freedom, war, our involvement in Vietnam, Iraq; science and women's choices.
    • The Lake of Fire; can this really be justified to our human minds?
    • The inconvenient locations of Wal-mart in the ancient world.
    • Quite frankly, there are some verses in the Bible that we will never understand...what does that mean?  Did God screw up?  How should we deal with the idea that some portions of Scripture are truly inscrutable.
    • Why are there 4 gospels?
    • Why do we need to be strong?  Why does God want us to grow up spiritually?  Isn't the man who can just sit on a park bench and wait for God to take care of him--isn't he the picture of a great, mature faith?  What is spiritual growth all about?
    • Why did God choose Solomon to build the Temple; why didn't God choose David, as it was in David's mind to build a Temple to God?
    • Why do we praise God?
    • What is the significance of the ancient heavens?
    • Can any scientist fully comprehend anything, no matter how narrow his field?
    • God's relationship with the Jew.  Arabic hatred for Jews. 
    • What happened with the Conservative party in the US when we abandoned anti-Semitism.
    • So, as you see, despite the fact that I fought tooth and nail with this psalm, I got so much out of it and felt that portions of this psalm reflect my best work (although, taken as a whole, this psalm may tend to be very ponderous).
  • 6/5/2007: I have extensively examined a dozen or so Hebrew words in great detail.  In some cases, I have spent 5-10 pages examining a single Hebrew word.  Admittedly, even though there are some very important theological points sprinkled throughout, these studies are going to have limited appeal.  The Links to these Specific Hebrew wordsHTML   PDF 
  • 5-19-2007: Psalm 47.   God is presented as Sovereign over all the world, something which is clear in Old Testament Scripture.  This psalm was possibly sung when the Ark was transported into Jerusalem, and speaks of our Lord's 2nd Advent.  There are some fascinating parallels between this psalm and the history of Israel and between this psalm and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.    HTML   PDF  
  • 5-1-2007: Psalm 12.  Here's what I suggest; read this psalm; particularly v. 6.  So, what is an earthen furnace?  The key to this verse is ellipsis and the key to the psalm is organization.  Once you understand that, everything will hold together and make sense.  By the way, this is one of the most up-to-date portions of Scripture; this deals with the internet and the political left and their present-day tactics.  HTML   PDF 
  • 4-28-2007: I am presently working on Psalm 12; however, I came upon the fact that the words the poor and the needy occur together in Scripture over 30 times.  I felt that should be investigated.  The Doctrine of the Poor and Needy (which is not the same as The Doctrine of the Poor) is found here:   HTML   PDF  
  • 4-13-2007: A book report, so to speak of Lubenow's Bones of Contention.  I summarize a few chapters and some of his best arguments.  This is no substitute for the book, which I recommend highly to those who are interested in this topic.  HTML   PDF  
  • Psalm 46   HTML   PDF   I originally began this study, hoping to tie this psalm to the moving of the Ark by David into Jerusalem (there is one word found in the inscription which is only found in one other chapter of Scripture: 1Chronicles 15).  After working on the psalm for about a week, it became apparent that such an interpretation was unwarranted.   It is more likely that this psalm should be placed when Sennacharib first attempted to invade Judah by intimidating the Jewish people.  I completed this exegesis, even though it was unrelated to where I am in the books of Samuel and Chronicles.  I did not want to leave this psalm half-done.  This, along with other events, helped to solidify my thoughts expressed above in War and the Believer.  (4/12/07)
  • War and the Believer   HTML   PDF   There is a quick and easy way to examine any war, such as our war in Iraq, and determine if we are justified in God's eyes to be at war there.  Pastor Kennedy has a good link on War as well.
  • I have recently added a page devoted to creation versus evolution; although I only have a few articles posted there, it is well worth checking out (for those who are interested in this particular topic). 
  • Psalm 24   (HTML)   (PDF)   This short psalm was probably written by David specifically for the carrying in the Ark into Jerusalem.   Although the Bible is not a scientific book, it makes a few statements which were pretty amazing to have been written by a shepherd-king 3000 years ago.
  • 2Samuel 5   HTML   PDF
  • 2Samuel 6   HTML   PDF
  • Confusing and/or Objectionable Passages of Scripture  HTML   PDF: as a part of the exegesis of 1Chronicles 13 (a work still in progress), there are a number of prominent passages in the Old Testament which are confusing to the unbeliever or to the new believer.  In 2Samuel 6 and 1Chronicles 13, Uzzah, a Levite who has been taking care of the Ark for several years, reaches out to steady the Ark when it appears that it might fall out of the cart in which it is being carried, and God strikes him dead right there on the spot.  I mean, come on, isn't this a little harsh?  There is nothing to suggest that this thing which Uzzah did was any more than a natural reflex--God should kill him for that?  This, and several other passages, are discussed and explained, so that you might better understand and appreciate what God does.
  • 1Chronicles 13   (HTML)   (PDF)  You might think that, having studies 2Samuel 6 that its parallel passage in Chronicles is unnecessary; think again.
  • Why are there 4 Gospels?   (HTML)   (PDF)  Why didn't God the Holy Spirit simply include everthing that we need to know about Jesus Christ in one gospel?
  • One of the things which has bothered me for a long time is, why did God have Joshua and the Jewish military walk around Jericho for 6 days bearing the Ark of God?  Furthermore, why did God demand that Jericho be burned with fire?  While studying this morning, it came to me, and I have included these points in an old examination of Joshua 6   (PDF version).
  • 1Chronicles 14   (HTML)   (PDF).  Given all the anti-war protests which have recently occurred, and given that this is a study of David at war with the Philistines (among other things), it is worthwhile to examine the exegetical study, particularly those sections which deal directly with the believer whose country is at war.  It is always interesting when those who tend to be anti-God are marching in these peace marches (not all of them, of course), and the Christian right are seen as the war mongers (which confuses the left, because they recall that Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers").  Given all of this, you may find this to be an interesting set of points.  Less topical, but every bit as important are the two questions: (1) Why is 1Chron. 14 placed here, in between the two attempts to move the Ark; and (2) why is 1Chron. 14 here at all?  That is, there is essentially one verse found here which is not found in 2Sam. 5; so what is the reason for the repetition?
  • Polygamy: there are several doctrines from the Pentateuch which I have not gotten around to doing; however, after coming across pertinent passages in Judges, Samuel and Chronicles, I figured it was time.   (HTML)   (PDF)
  • 1Chronicles 15   (HTML)   (PDF)   Although covered in just one chapter in 2Samuel, the writer/editor of Chronicles devotes 3 chapters to David moving the Ark of God.  1Chron. 13 deals with the unsuccessful attempt to move the Ark; 1Chron. 14 covers the successful transport of the Ark from Obed-edom's home to Jerusalem; and 1Chron. 16 will cover the celebration which takes place after the Ark is placed in its tent in Jerusalem.  At the end of 1Chron. 15, I will cover Psalms 24, 46, 12, 8 and 68 (in that order).  Whether or not these psalms were a part of the celebratory movement of the Ark, is unknonwn.  However, given that several psalms are alluded to in 1Chron. 16, and given that there were many musicians involved in the transport of the Ark, it is reasonable to suppose that psalms were sung while the Ark was moving.  It is possible that these psalms were sung during this time.
  • Surprisingly (at least, two me), two of the doctrines which seem to get the most hits are the Ark of the Covenant  (HTML)  (PDF) and the Doctrine of Fasting  (HTML)  (PDF).  Therefore, I have updated these doctrines somewhat.   As is often the case, the PDF version of the Arc of the Covenant may not display on your computer, as it is a fairly large document; in that case, you will need to save it to your harddrive and view it from there.