Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | May 16, 2019
A passage I have always struggled with became clearer with an “aha!” moment. Why does Jesus utter that difficult saying (vv.59-60) in John 6 about eating His body and drinking His blood? And why say that to a Jewish crowd wherein cannibalism was sinful? The answer turns out exactly because they were Jewish! Let’s set the […]
PHall | May 16, 2019
I love good clean comedy. Three things are needed for a good act: 1) Good material 2) Good Comedian (timing, delivery, stage presence) 3) Good crowd. The famous “Who’s On First” did not originate with Abbott and Costello. But they made it famous and “owned” it.Preaching is not like a good comedy act. The power […]
PHall | May 13, 2019
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a coffee pot. When the coffee was poured out there was nothing but cool water. The coffee grounds where in place. The percolator was plugged into the wall. The plug was inserted into the percolator. But it was cool to the touch. It had everything needed, except the plug […]
PHall | May 1, 2019
Becoming accustomed through familiarity can cause us to stop thinking. Seeing over and over again – through countless sermons, and even refrigerator magnets – Jesus begin the Lord’s Prayer with “Our Father”; we have become accustomed to the shock: the Almighty Creator, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, the All-everything is “our Father.” But have we missed something […]
PHall | April 30, 2019
As I get older, my body parts have been doing more talking, especially complaining. In fact, that’s very biblical (1 Corinthians 12:15-21).Have you ever noticed that none of the spiritual “body parts” are “The Complainer!” If that is not listed in the Bible as one of God’s gifts to the body, then why do many […]
PHall | April 29, 2019
Acts is not just about how we are saved; it is about who can be saved. Acts has been coined, “the book of conversions”. If we learn how people are saved (by grace – 15:11); and when people are saved (in baptism – 2:38; 22:16); we’ve learned two central points…2 out of three. For some […]
PHall | April 29, 2019
There’s a “preacher story” of a burglar who was apprehended by the police because the old woman of the house started yelling at him, “Ax, two 38’s”; only to find out the old lady didn’t have any weapons but was yelling “Acts 2:38”. Well, in Acts, there are 2 38’s about baptism:• Acts 8:38 – […]
PHall | April 29, 2019
When instituting the Lord’s supper during the Passover, did Jesus give any emphasis or meaning to using one container? Admittedly, there is no doubt Jesus used a physical cup, just Jesus used a table (Matthew 26:20). Both a table and cup are used in 1 Corinthians, where Paul uses them metaphorically (i.e. employing metonymy), meaning […]
PHall | April 25, 2019
“The Day of Pentecost is the New Exodus” is both a dramatic title and yet, upon further recollection, not an unexpected comparison. This is because both the Exodus and the Day of Pentecost are known as new beginnings. But there is more to the similarities than that. Jewish tradition states the Day of Pentecost in […]
PHall | April 24, 2019
“In the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col.3:17) is misunderstood and misapplied by too many. There they state that “in the name of the Lord Jesus” means “giving Him the glory”. First, focus on the title “Lord”. That implies Jesus is our authority because he is our Master. And second, while it is true that […]