John Whittaker

Here is a short summary of 2 Corinthians: 2 Corinthians is actually the fourth letter from Paul to the church in Corinth. There had been a serious breakdown in the relationship between Paul and members of the church, a lot of which was motivated by some traveling preachers who ran down Paul and promoted themselves. […]

“Honor your father and mother.” Dallas Willard emphasizes how vital this biblical command is to helping people grow as disciples. He says that when helping people live as disciples of Jesus, “A major point will often be to help them honor their parents. This is not something that can be bypassed.” It’s a crucial part […]

Here is a short summary of 1 Corinthians: 1 Corinthians was written to a young and struggling church in the city of Corinth. Paul had heard reports of divisions in the church and received a letter from the church asking all sorts of questions. The church was riddled with problems and 1 Corinthians sought to […]

If you’re wrestling with this question, then I’m glad you’re curious and I’m also sorry for what you’re going through. In what follows, I’ll try to respond to this question with some biblical/theological frameworks which help me think about the issue. I’m sure a lot more could be said (and it would be helpful to […]

Here is a short summary of Galatians: Galatians was written by the apostle Paul to a handful of churches in the region of Galatia who were being led astray from the truth of the gospel. They were being told that in order to inherit the promise to Abraham, be justified, and be a full part […]

Here’s a short summary of Ephesians: Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus and the churches in the neighboring cities to help them see all that God had done for them in Christ and how that should shape their life. In the first half of the letter (chapters 1-3), Paul […]

Here is a short summary of Philippians: Philippians was written by the apostle Paul to thank the Philippians for the special offering they had sent him while he is under arrest in Rome and awaiting trial. In addition to thanking them for the gift, he updates them on his circumstances modeling how to evaluate one’s […]

Here’s a short summary of 1 Peter: 1 Peter was written by the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, to the Christians scattered all throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). These Christians were experiencing varying degrees of social rejection and mistreatment because of their faith in Jesus, so Peter wrote to help them stand […]