Dan Greenfield

Category: NT

  • Great Sinners Need a Great Savior

    While doing some preparatory work for this coming Sunday’s message from John 1:3-5, I was reminded of some of John Newton’s last words before his death: My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things — that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.…

  • Luther on John 1:3

    John 1:3 says, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” If Christ is not true and natural God, born of the Father in eternity and Creator of all creatures, we are doomed…we must have a Savior who…

  • John 1:1

    Great quote on the doctrinal truths in John 1:1– It is rashness to search too far into it. It is godliness to believe it. It is Life eternal to know it. And we can never have a fully comprehension of it till we come to enjoy it. –Gaebelein, The Gospel…

  • Pleasure and Prayer

    We read Matthew 14 for our family Bible time this morning, and I noted two things: First, Herod’s actions were motivated by what pleased him–he was pleased by the dancing of his step-daughter and committed himself to what pleased him (14:6-12). I will commit myself to what pleases me. The…

  • Great Preaching Isn’t Enough

    Here’s an interesting verse: When he [Herod] heard him [John the Baptist], he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. (Mark 6:20) However, when push came to shove—in this case, saving face before others (v. 26) and indulging his sin nature (v. 22)—Herod rejected God’s Word…

  • The Faith Chapter

    Hebrews 11 is a favorite chapter of many Christians–it defines faith (v. 1) and illustrates faith (the rest of the chapter). Why is this chapter where it is in the letter though? What is its purpose? In other words, what is the context in which it needs to be correctly…

  • Hail and the 7th Bowl of Judgment

    I’m teaching a class on the Book of Revelation for Great Lakes Bible Institute, and tonight we’ll be looking at Revelation 14-16. The close of chapter 16 details the seventh bowl of wrath, and the last verse reads and huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven…

  • The Place of Prayer in Public Worship

    1 Timothy 2 addresses some essential aspects of public worship in the proper order of the church. That public worship is the focal point of this chapter is clear from vv. 8-12. God says that much prayer must occur when God’s people assemble, and that such prayer plays an essential…

  • A Fitting Start

    God’s intended purposes (“administration,” oijkonomian, v. 5) are never accomplished by “strange doctrines” (eJterodidaskalevw, 1 Tim 1:3). God’s intended purposes involve a heart that produces genuine love, a correctly guided conscience, and genuine faith (v. 5). It is only by biblical instruction (paraggeliva, vv. 5, 18) that one may “fight…

  • Diligence

    Three times in his second epistle Peter exhorts believers thus: applying all diligence, in your faith supply…(1:5) be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you (1:10) be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless, blameless (3:14) Diligence is to be an essential…

  • Future Expectation And Present Employment

    Paul’s point in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 is that because the Thessalonian believers are Christians, they will not suddenly find themselves present during the time of God’s end-time wrath, because “God has not destined them for wrath but for obtaining salvation” (5:9). The imminent event believers should expect is not wrath…

  • The Necessity of Gospel Preaching

    Yesterday I focused on God’s sovereignty in salvation as evidenced by election (1 Thess 1:4). Listen to Paul’s words from the next chapter: They [the Jews mentioned in vv. 14-15a] are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they…

  • Election as Our Motivation for Thanksgiving

    At Orwell Bible Church, which I pastor, each week we put out a little booklet called, “This Week’s Walk with the Lord.” Most of my thoughts on biblical passages that I record here are the result of my daily Bible reading from that booklet. This morning I read 1 Thessalonians…

  • Ephesians 1

    Thoughts from reading Ephesians 1 this morning: In love He predestined us… (1:5) I have struggled to understand for some years how God’s attributes of grace and mercy could legitimately be considered attributes. The reason for this revolved around my understanding of the time in which these occurred. If grace…

  • The Olivet Discourse

    This discourse was triggered by questions from the disciples in response to Jesus’ statement about the destruction of the temple. It is one of Christ’s longest discourses, and one of the most challenging to interpret. This account, known as the Olivet discourse, is most fully given by Matthew. Mark’s account…