“Who were the Essenes? Was John the Baptist an Essene?”……The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. They lived lives of ritual purity and separation. They originated about 100 B.C., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Essenes are not directly mentioned in Scripture, although some […]

Tertullus [TÔö£ÔòùrtÔö╝┬íl’lus] derived from Tertius, and meaning, LIAR or IMPOSTOR. A Roman advocate employed by the Jewish authorities to prosecute Paul before Felix, the Roman Governor or Procurator …Acts 24:1, 2…Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer (Greek some elders and an orator)Tertullus, to present […]

Theophilus [ThÔöÇ├┤Ôö╝├àph’ÔöÇ┬ílÔö╝┬ís] Loved by god, lover of god, or friend of god. A Christian of high rank for whose use Luke wrote his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles Luke 1:3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honourableTheophilus, Acts 1:1…In my […]

The Patriarchs Acts 7:8 “"God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite […]

The Man by the Pool… His work: Since the man by the pool was an invalid, he may have made his living by begging.…His character: His role in the story seems almost entirely passive, perhaps in keeping with his character. He showed evidence neither of faith nor gratitude after the miracle of his healing and […]

“What should we learn from the life of Timothy?”……Answer: Timothy, the recipient of the two New Testament letters bearing his name, was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He joined Paul during one of Paul's later missionary journeys. Paul addresses Timothy in his first letter to him as “my true son […]

“Who was Baal?”……Answer: Baal was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). The word […]