What is the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
As the authors of the books of Kings and Chronicles were writing their histories, they referenced one or more external documents that they used as source material. They refer to this source as “the book of the annals of the kings of Israel,” “the book of the chronicles” (NKJV, ESV, CSB), or “The Book of…
What are the general epistles?
Unlike the writings of the apostle Paul, whose letters were addressed to specific individuals or audiences (Timothy, Titus, Philemon, or the saints in Rome, Corinth, et al.), by and large, the general epistles, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude, make no mention of specific audiences. James addressed his…
What is the book of Gad the seer?
The book of Gad the seer is an ancient record of King David’s life and reign mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29:29: “Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the…
Which gospel was written first?
There is much debate as to how the gospels in the New Testament were composed, who actually wrote them, and when they were written. Some believe the gospels were written in the order they appear in the text of Scripture. Others consider Mark to have been the gospel written first. While all the data needed…
What is the Synoptic Problem?
When the first three Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are compared, it is unmistakable that the accounts are very similar to one another in content and expression. As a result, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels.” The word synoptic basically means “to see together with a common view.” The similarities among the…
What is the Pentateuch?
The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible that conservative Bible scholars believe were mostly written by Moses. Even though the books of the Pentateuch themselves do not clearly identify the author, there are many passages that attribute them to Moses or as being his words (Exodus 17:14, 24:4–7;Numbers 33:1–2; Deuteronomy 31:9–22). While…