Blind Eyes, Deaf Ears, and Dull Hearts (1 Corinthians 2:9)
No eye has seen, no ear heard, and no heart imagined the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery predestined before the ages: the person and work of Christ. My argument against reading 1 Corinthians 2:9 as only a quotation of Isaiah 64:4 and 65:17.
1 Corinthians 2:6–16: Wisdom from the Holy Spirit
In his wisdom, God planned in eternity past to save sinners by the person and work of Jesus Christ, but the world cannot discern that wisdom. Thus, God sends his Holy Spirit to reveal his hidden wisdom in Christ. (Exposition of 1 Corinthians 2:6–16)
1 Corinthians 1:26–2:5: Christ and Him Crucified
If the cross is foolishness, and preaching is weakness, how does anyone ever come to believe in Christ? God calls his people to boast in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:26–2:5)
1 Corinthians 1:18–25: The Foolishness and Weakness of God
The cross seems to be folly, yet, to those who are called, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation. God calls fools to faith by the folly of the cross. (Exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:18–25)
1 Corinthians 1:1–17: Christ’s Holy, Divided Church
The people in the Church of God are called to be holy, and yet are sinfully divided. You cannot have the whole Christ without the whole Church. (Exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:1–17)
Luke 2:8–20: The Annunciation of the Shepherds
Jesus is glorious, but his glory is veiled. The gospel announces that Jesus reveals ever-increasingly more of his veiled glory by his word and through faith. (Exposition of Luke 2:8–20)
Luke 1:39–56: The Magnificat of Mary
The Advent of Jesus is more than a child for Mary, but the beginning of a new kingdom that will reverse human power entirely. God sent Jesus into this world to overturn the kingdoms of this world. (Exposition of Luke 1:39–56)
Luke 1:26–38: The Annunciation of Jesus
While the glory of the old covenant was external and visible, the glory of the new covenant is spiritual and invisible. God reveals his glory in the humiliation of his Son and in the faith of the humble. (Exposition of Luke 1:26–38)
Luke 1:1–25: The Annunciation of John the Baptist
Why should we concern ourselves with the life of Jesus, who lived so long ago? According to Luke, because Jesus fulfills and exceeds the old covenant, we may believe in him with certainty. (Exposition of Luke 1:1–25)
Genesis 36:1–37:1: The Settlement of Jacob
God excludes Esau to prepare for the coming of Christ into the world. Thus, God excludes the worldly from his promises in order to enroll the whole world as his people. (Exposition of Genesis 36:1–37:1)
Genesis 35:1–29: The Conquest of Jacob
God brings the storylines of Jacob’s life to a close in order to open the next phase of his redemptive plan. God decreases Jacob in order to increase Israel. (Exposition of Genesis 35:1–29)
Genesis 34:1–31: The Passivity of Jacob
Leadership requires sacrificial responsibility. God will establish his kingdom without fail, whether by his appointed leaders or by zealous substitutes. (Exposition of Genesis 34:1–31)