Malcolm Cox

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY OF A BIBLICAL TEXT This is the first of three teaching tips on how to dig into a text from a literary perspective.  What is the literal , or narrative, perspective? "The basic method by which we are to study biblical narratives is simple: we are asked to __read__ them!  Most of us have grown up with the Gospels or Old Testament history as isolated stories. We have seldom sat down and simply read them through to catch the drama and power of the stories as they fit together to form a holistic panorama. [[Literary]] critics have developed techniques that will aid us greatly to perform a 'close reading' of the text and to note such features as plot and character tension, point of view, dialogue, narrative time and settings, all of which will enable the reader to detect the flow of the text and therefore the see the hand of God as he has inspired the biblical author to develop his story." [[Osborne]], Grant R., '[[The Hermeneutical  These tips are taken from Marlene Kropf’s book, ‘Preparing

Handout Class 3 | “Finding the Father’s Face” Series | Watford Men 2022 “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us…. Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.” A. W. Tozer Matthew 6:9-13 - “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Father-God is powerful. He is King of Kings and cannot be thwarted. Our Father God is Powerful Defining ‘powerful’. “When the Bible seeks to explain God’s holiness, it says that God is a “consuming fire”—a dangerous and terrible presence.” ‘The Possibility of Prayer’, John Starke“To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.”…“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.“…“..for our “God is a consuming fire.” Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29  Why does this matter? Isn't he already power

Today we continue with a series based on Psalm 27. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend listening to the first episode which covers some background thoughts on the context of the Psalm.  Now, on to today's verse.  “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.” (Psalm 27:8) My heart It is his heart that is seeking God, not just his mouth. He is not relying on his use of words. Words can be cheap, but when they are matched by the heart we pray with an authenticity that moves God’s heart. Seek his face  The implication is that David is reminding God that He has invited David (and all humankind) to seek Him, therefore David is only doing what God wants him to do.  In that spirit he is expecting a reply to his prayers. What does he want?  Your face “To “see the face” is to gain acceptance to one’s presence (Gen 32:20; Esther 1:14; Acts 20:25). The face of Moses, because he had been in the presence (before the face) of God, shone (Ex 34:29; 2 Cor 3:7). The devout live as if in th

“HAPPY HARVEST!” | Lev 23:33-43 1. Sukkot: Lev 23:33ff (Soocoat) 2. Jesus, Jn 7:37-39  A. Water from Siloam B. Light of the world, Jn 8:12  C. Vision  3. Transformation  A. Transformation was Jesus’ vision  B. How is our transformation going?  C. Decisions  Conclusion, Jn 19:31-37  Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

I am preparing a teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches. We will go through the first epistle to the Thessalonians starting in January 2023.  One of the first steps I took was to do a word analysis of the book. In my Accordance Bible software I searched for repeated words. I found 89 verses with 1944 total words and 895 different forms of words. The clear and unambiguous focus was God and people. In other words, the God and his relationships as well as the relationship between his people.  Here are the most repeated words: * God - 35; God's - 7 * Lord - 22; Lord's - 2 * Jesus - 16; Son - 1 * sisters - 15; brothers - 13 * Christ - 10 Then the following: - Faith - 8 - Love - 8; loved - 3 - Gospel - 6 What of our ‘epistles’, lessons, podcasts, and the like? What are the most repeated words? And why? Have you done an analysis of your most recent lesson? Why not count the most repeated words and see what you find. Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best

Chapter 2:20-23 1. God inspires flawed leaders, 2.20-23     * Despite mistakes, sins and weakness          1. Grandfather (King Jehoiachin, taken to Babylon in the first exile in 597 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar; 2 Kings 24:10-17) )          2. Exile (name = ‘descendant of Babel’); Not a great name and not a great heritage!         3. 15 years of failure     * But…God: “I will make…take…have chosen     * “The LORD Almighty” will see to it that the glory will be greater     * Paul’s example, Phil 3:13-14.          * “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”         1. Forget guilt and pride, sins and victories.              1. Mindfulness helps reduce rumination and regrets about the past…But how?.…“Instead of going over and over past events, regrets and disappointments, we can observe the first t

A sermon for the Thames Valley churches of Christ.  We survey Israel's 'Harvest Festival' (Lev 23) and the ways in which Jesus fulfilled its message (Jn 7). Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

A practical lesson preparation resource list taken from, "Preparing Sunday Dinner: A Collaborative Approach to Worship and Preaching, by Marlene Kropf. Focus Questions  1. God in the text   2. God behind the text 3. What is God's judgment?  4. What change is demanded of humanity?  5. What is the hope  6. Empowerment in the text  7. Empowerment in the larger story  8. Identity  9. Belief  10. Action 11. Christology Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 1

Today we continue with a series based on Psalm 27. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend listening to the first episode which covers some background thoughts on the context of the Psalm.  Now, on to today's verse.  “Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.” (Psalm 27:7) A hinge point in the Psalm. He has been reviewing his challenge and God’s power to deal with them. Now he turns to the face of God.  Hear my voice An expectation of being heard. See the “Hearing God” series. Jesus encouraged us to believe we would be heard - Matthew 6:9-13. The Lord’s prayer is laden with expectations. “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3 NIV11) Be merciful to me and answer me The mercy of God is in his answering Will he answer is the big faith questionHow he will answer is the big trust question What are the lessons from this verse?  How do you feel about having expectations in prayer? What would Go

Chapter 2:10-19 Introduction - In this section Haggai is deepening the conviction of the people of God         - Have a look at Zech 8:9–13 as a close parallel Hag 2:15–19. Questions about holiness Haggai 2:11  ‘Ask the priests what the law says:     - ‘ask the priest’ - direct engagement with the priests. Not just Joshua, but his cohort.      - Entering into a ‘debate’. The answer is already known, but the exchange is a drama emphasising a point. Jesus did the same thing. Haggai 2:12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ ” The priests answered, “No.”     - ‘fold’ - “The holy flesh makes the skirt “holy” but the “holy” skirt cannot make anything else “holy.” But impurity is transferable.” WBC Haggai 2:13 Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?” “Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.”  1 Timothy 1:8–11 NIV11 A brief reflection on the most recent "Christian Doctrines" module of the Athens Institute of Ministry weekend for the UK & Ireland. https://www.aimukandireland.com Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy

1. The Call to Reflect - Haggai 2:2     - We notice all parts of the community are addressed. Secular leadership, spiritual leadership and the ‘remnant of the people’.      - No group will achieve much for God unless all parts are determined to please God and bring him honour.      - Are we all aligned in this way? - Haggai 2:3 “‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?      - Now 520, destruction 586 - 66 years previously     - Three questions, all driving at the heart of their discouragement.         - ‘Who of you’; ‘How does it’; ‘Does it not’?     - Not all were old enough to remember, but some were, and may have been the most influential. If, when comparing the old temple with the smaller new one they were dejected, it is understandable.      - Perhaps he was one of those who was old enough to remember. It would lend weight to his question. Jewish tradition makes him old (1 Rabbi Eli Cashdan, The Twelve Prophets (Soncino Press, 1948), p. 254.).     - Had the work begun to lose momentum

1. It is a blessing to have people point us back to God     1. Do we have the right priority? v2-4         - Roof         - Psalm 27:4     2. Have we been paying attention to the way God is trying to get our attention? vv5-6, 9-11         - Brexit; COVID; War; Energy crisis; inflation         - Personal life: health; kids; ageing parents; jobs;      3. Do it for God, v8         - His Pleasure & Honour         - My spiritual retreat     - Question: Who do you have in your life that points you back to God?        2. It is a joy to build for God’s pleasure and honour, v7-8, 12-14     1. Mountains - costly     2. All involved:          - Are you willing to work for the LORD in this congregation?         - Do you know what that means?         - One of our aspirations: ‘Toiling to build the church well’     3. God’s strength - ‘the LORD stirred’         - Psalm 27:4. Spiritual disciplines open us up to the work of the Spirit in our lives.          - What spiritual disciplines are you aware of?             - Sol

We can only know the true nature of God as Father from the Scriptures. The Lord’s Prayer teaches prayer, but it also teaches us how to relate to God as Father, and what he is like This series is designed to help us  1. Understand our Father better through what is revealed in the Lord’s Prayer  2. Come to know him better & enjoy our Father-God 3. Be a more Father-God-like father to our children (if we have them) 4. Represent Father-God more accurately to the world and thus make him more attractive for people to get to know Introduction, Matthew 6:9-13 - ““This, then, is how you should pray:    - Our Father in heaven          - Father-God is nearby - hallowed be your name,          - Father-God is holy             - “Holiness has to do with purity. Jesus is teaching us that there is nothing bad about God. God can neither sin nor participate in evil. In one word, God is pure.” The Good and Beautiful God, James Bryan Smith, p60 Our Father God is holy Defining ‘hallowed’         - To make holy, treat as ho

I am back from Tallinn. The “Learning to teach, teaching to learn” conference was inspiring, collegiate and Biblical. What are my reflections?  I will need to keep this report necessarily brief because I'm deep in preparation for the next Athens Institute of Ministry for the UK and Ireland session starting on Saturday 24th September.  You can watch the lessons here: https://tmc.krist.ee/.  Reflections Conference are worth attending - when they have a clear purpose Conference are worth attending - when there is time for meaningful conversations Conference are worth attending - when you have new experiences Conference are worth attending - when you make new friends Conference are worth attending - when you get below the surface Conference are worth attending - when God is the focus Conference are worth attending - when disagreement is possible Resolutions Work harder at getting AIM better known Refocus the Apollos group (perhaps see if we can establish more groups) Have deeper teaching-type conversations

Today we continue with a series based on Psalm 27. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend listening to the first episode which covers some background thoughts on the context of the Psalm.  Now, on to today's verse.  “Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.”  (Psalm 27:6 NIV11) My head will be exalted Victory is the tone ‘head’ is the source of life, not intellect. Lifting up the head is a way of granting life in the sense of success.  Head. The head is not regarded as the seat of the intellect, but as the source of life (Mt. 14:8, 11; Jn. 19:30). Thus to lift up the head is to grant life in the sense of success (Jdg. 8:28; Ps. 27:6; Gn. 40:13), or to expect it in God himself (Ps. 24:7, 9; Lk. 21:28).” New Bible Dictionary.   I will sacrifice He is sacrificing to the right LORD, at the right place with the right spirit.   His sacrifice is a willing one“Therefore, I urge you, bro

Husband and wife team Osagie and Oge shared testimony and thoughts about the Lord's supper. Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Chapter 2:1-9 1. The Call to Reflect – Haggai 2:2  – ‘remnant’ – the temple remnants are the setting for the address to the national remnant. Third mention of remnant, 1:12, 14. – We notice all parts of the community are addressed.  – Haggai 2:3  – Three questions, all driving at the heart of their discouragement. – ‘Who of you’; ‘How does it’; ‘Does it not’? – Former glory; now; nothing? – What was it like; what is it like; what is its future? – What does it’s current state mean? – Not all were old enough to remember, but some were, and may have been the most influential. If, when comparing the old temple with the smaller new one they were dejected, it is understandable. – Perhaps he was one of those who was old enough to remember. It would lend weight to his question. Jewish tradition makes him old (1 Rabbi Eli Cashdan, The Twelve Prophets (Soncino Press, 1948), p. 254.). – Now 520, destruction 586 – 66 years previously – Had the work begun to lose momentum?  – How optimistic (faithful) are you about the

Safety and Security on the Rock Today we continue with a series based on Psalm 27. If you haven’t already done so, I recommend listening to the first episode which covers some background thoughts on the context of the Psalm.  Now, on to today’s verse.  “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5 NIV11) Safe and sheltered The focus is on the location of God’s presence because that is where He has promised to ‘live’, Ex 29.42-45. ““For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.” (Exodus 29:42–45 NIV11)The temple

‘One Thing I Do’ Last week’s lesson was on Philippians 3:13-14. Below are a few extra notes. ‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal’ We never get to the point where we have fully obtained all that God has in mind for our growth. Paul does not want his readers to get the impression he has ‘arrived’, nor that he is in despair at the gap between himself and Christ. He optimistically and faithfully continues to press on. What is the ‘all this’? Righteousness, resurrection from the dead, something else? ‘Paul means to say that he does not lay claim to having fully grasped the meaning of Christ at this point in his experience.’ WBC ‘but I press on’ Imagine movement, leaning forward and stretching. The word is used of the hunter going after their prey.  ‘Jesus took hold’ Jesus took hold of Paul on the Damascus road. Since then he has continued to press on towards greater Christ-likeness.  He has not fully grasped this, but he presses on to grasp what is his to grasp because