Are women more prone to be led astray than men? Is your mother more gullible than your father? Are the women in your family—mum, sisters, grandmothers, aunts--more liable to deception than the men? Are your sisters more prone to be deceived by Satan than your brothers?

Was Margaret Thatcher more easily led astray by Satan than her husband Dennis? Is President’s Biden’s wife more gullible than he is? Is Amy Coney Barret, Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, more easily led astray by untruths than her husband?

We can push the issue to its logical conclusion and ask: If women are more liable to be deceived by lies, are women intellectually and ontologically inferior to men?

Tim ColeDecember 30, 20221 Timothy 2:11-15, women, deceive, serpent, women deceived by the serpent, Genesis 3, Gullible, led astray

Christmas for Mothers of Children with Special Needs

The Christmas season can be a challenge for all moms, but an extra one for those whose children are experiencing special needs and for those who are trying to raise children alone. But these particular moms can find fresh hope and new, lasting strength in the account of Gabriel’s opening conversation with Mary in Luke 1:26ff.

Tim ColeDecember 23, 2022Mothers, Christmas, Luke 1:28, Children with Special needs, The Lord be with you, Worry, Family, Jesus

Was Matthew Right?

Matthew, with his characteristic formulaic quotations (about 60) from the Old Testament, claimed that the prophet Isaiah foretold of Jesus’ virgin birth in 1:22-23. In other words, Matthew held that the virgin birth of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s messianic prophecy. But evangelical and liberal scholars alike claim that Matthew is guilty of ignoring the context of Isaiah 7 and shoehorning an Old Testament passage into his story of Jesus to support his claim for the virgin birth. Was Matthew right? Or, as scholars claim, did he shoehorn Isaiah 7:14 into his story?

Dueling Verses

A new Christian can be confused when someone points out what appears to be contradictions in the Bible. They have been led to believe that the Scriptures are inspired, an accurate record of God providing salvation in Jesus to all who believe in Him (2 Tim 3:16-17). So, when apparent mistakes are pointed out by critics, new believers can be distraught and their faith takes a punch in the gut. There also appears to be contradictions about the role of women in Jesus’ church.

Lamech's Actions: Revenge or Self-Defense?

Lamech’s actions in Genesis 4 and his explanation of his actions to his two wives have been traditionally interpreted as an act of gross revenge and retaliation. But while his actions do appear to be retaliatory in nature when read in isolation, read apart from the immediate and larger context. This short study is an example of how observing the context of a Scripture passage can greatly improve our skill in understanding and interpreting passages in Scripture. Let’s re-examine the words of Lamech and find out what the context tells us.

Put Off Put On

Christian parents have a challenging task in raising children today. But there is hope and a divinely inspired resource available. The apostle Paul has provided a paradigm, designed for us to live the Christian life victoriously from day-to-day. That paradigm is the “put-off-the-old-person-we-used-to-be” and “put-on-the-new person-we-are-in-Christ.” Paul unpacks this paradigm in various places and using various terms in his letters.