Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . What about survivalism? Are these people on the right track biblically? Can Christians be "survivalists”? Survivalism as a popular movement is well worth understanding, especially as some Christians are attracted to it. This attraction is increasingly common in society at large; think of the many TV programs, like Survivor,  or movies...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . An out-of-work money manager in California loses a fortune and wipes out his family in a murder-suicide. A 90-year-old Ohio widow shoots herself in the chest as authorities arrive to evict her from the modest house she called home for 38 years. In Massachusetts, a housewife who had hidden her family's mounting financial crisis from he...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Some scriptures to consider Proverbs 30:7-9 Revelation 3:14-20 1 Corinthians 1:26 1 Timothy 6:6-11, 17-19 Ezekiel 16:49 Proverbs 4:23 Concluding thoughts Make as much as you can, and we can give away more to others. Review the related podcasts on: Serving the Poor What the Bible Says About Tithing A Christian Response to the Global Fi...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Consequences of breakdown of of ethics   The breakdown of ethics in the workplace has dire social and personal consequences: Resentment and ill will Ruined relationships Deep rationalizations Seared consciences Cycles of oppression, poverty, and retaliation Incidence of crime hopes pol Monday follows Sunday; what we claim to believe i...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . 1. The example of Paul -Standing on rights (Acts 16, 22, 25) -Waiving rights (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1) 2. Lawsuits -Two views: no litigation or no litigation against fellow believers -"Why not rather be wronged?" (1 Corinthians 6, Matthew 5) 3. American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) -Which side would you find yourself on? -Submit to wh...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Why immigrants should be welcomed: In some of the uncharitable attitudes exhibited in the discussion there is more than a hint of hypocrisy. “Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free. / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. / I lift my lamp besi...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction There are 13 Josephs in the Bible. This Joseph is mentioned 13x in the NT: Matt 1:16, 18-19, 24; 2:13, 19; Luke 1:27; 2:4, 16; 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42 Joseph was among the top 5 popular names in Jesus’ day. He is generally given insufficient attention. Matt 1:18-21... 24-25 Joseph is descended from the royal line of J...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The name Salome There are two Salomes in the NT— no surprise, given the popularity of the name in the 1st C. Salome comes from shalôm , peace. Top 10 first century names: Salome (Shalom, Shalom-Tsiyyon), Simon (Shim’on), Mary (Mariam, Maria), Joseph (Yosef), Judas (Yehudah), Lazarus (El’azar, Eli’ezer), Joezer (Yeho’azar), John (Yohan...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . John Mark   Identity Mark may not be John Mark. John was a common name in the Jewish world, and Mark a common name in the Roman world. And having a Greco-Roman name along with a Semitic name was not uncommon. Even if John Mark is not the writer of Mark, you can still derive some benefit from our study. Some identify him with the young...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introductions Aquila Aquila means "eagle." There are 7 well-known Aquilas in ancient times, including our Aquila. He is always mentioned with his wife. Priscilla Her name means "venerable." There are 2 well-known Priscillas—one martyred in the 2nd C, and our Priscilla. She is Priscilla in Acts 18:2, 18, 26. She is  Prisca in Rom 16:3;...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background This study is not primarily about Paul. (For that, please watch the iFaith video sermon on Philemon, or listen to the Philemon unit in The Prison Epistles, or read the NT Chapter Study notes on Philemon, all at this website.) Rather, we will explore the interplay between Philemon and Onesimus. This is a personal letter, and...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Agabus (Acts 11:27-29)   A Jerusalem prophet, like Judas and Silas (Acts 15) Hagabos means "locust"—which is interesting, given the connection of locusts with famines. The famine prediction was made 43/44 AD. The "whole world" is the Roman world, as in Luke 2:1. Claudius was emperor 41-54 AD. Suetonius and Tacitus, Roman historians, r...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background Lydia is from Asia (Thyatira), but resident in Europe (Philippi). She is the first convert from Europe in the book of Acts. Philippi is a Roman colony—there's no synagogue. Still, Jews and those Gentiles attracted to Judaism had regular places of prayer, typically outside the city and out of doors—like at rivers. Paul (and...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction Silas is mainly referred to in Acts 15-18. “Silas” first appears in Acts 15:22. He is referred to by his full name, Silvanus , in 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; and 1 Pet 5:12. His ministry is rich: Silas is a  prophet —one of two who encourage the faithful in Antioch (15:32). In some sense, bringing the Word of Go...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction Titus was a major figure in Paul’s life, although not mentioned in Acts (which is selective). We come across him 13x in NT, 8 times in 2 Cor—also Gal, 2 Tim, Titus. Unlike Timothy, he had no Bible background. A true gentile! Paul, we notice, was effective at working with people from biblical background as well as with tho...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction Most biblical figures give us few insights into the heart or the personality. Timothy is one of the persons about whom we know much more, mentioned some 30x in the N.T. He was in the circle of persons trained by the apostle Paul. ACTS 161 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose m...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Major text : Rom 16:1-2 Supporting texts : Acts 15:22-23; 30-32; Rom 12:3-8; 1 Tim 3:4; 1 Thess 5:12 Rom 16:1 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe , who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea , 2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she ha...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Scripture : Luke 2:36-38 . Bio : Hannah (Hebrew) = Anna (Greek & Latin). In some ways she reminds us of her OT namesake (faith, presence at the house of God, deep spirituality). Luke supplies her father’s name, Phanuel , but not her husband’s. (She is more integral to the biblical story than he is.) Luke mentions her tribe, Asher. She...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Scripture : Luke 2:25-35 . Bio : Simeon is righteous and devout. He takes the infant Jesus in his arms—suggesting he may have been a priest at the temple. (Jesus was taken there on his 40th day and his parents made the required offering—see Lev 12:1-8.) Having recognized the Messiah, Simeon is now ready to die. (This implies that he i...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Orchestrated execution of Jesus Christ. How could the holy priesthood established by Moses and Aaron become the mortal enemy of Jesus, the Messiah? Unrighteous priesthood How does the 1st century priesthood violates the original Levitical plan? It was supposed to be: High priesthood a lifetime appointment (Heb 7:23). Holy — not assimi...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Here is the sixth and final lesson (19 minutes) in our special Mary series. We hope you have enjoyed Vicki's lessons on Mary -- which is her favourite biblical character.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Mary ponders what God is doing, treasuring what he has revealed to her. Her expectations, heart, and thinking are an upward call to us all.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Here you can listen to the fourth lesson in the series (38 minutes). Mary interacts with many other women in the circle of Jesus -- yielding rich insights for us all.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The lesson is based on Luke 1. Listen to Vicki Jacoby as the series continues...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The next in the series of Vicki's lessons on Mary (30 minutes). In this podcast, we recommend Gary L. Thomas, Sacred Marriage.