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Articles by Bobby Kelly
Bible Q&A: Unto us a Child is born
It is easy to rebuke others for making Christmas about all the wrong things. Santa Claus, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, catchy tunes like Elmo and Patsy’s “Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer,” a stirring rendition of “Twas the Night before Christmas,” or fruitcake and figgy pudding, just to name a few. More importantly, however, God’s people must focus on THE glorious truth of Christmas, the incarnation.
The Baby that fulfills every promise
Luke 24 relates the account of Jesus, immediately after the resurrection, on the way to Emmaus with two travelers who have not yet recognized they are walking with the resurrected Jesus. They were discussing the events that had transpired the past couple of days, including Jesus’ crucifixion. Luke comments that Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, interpreted to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).
Virginia Baptists join fight against malaria to propel Ghana church planting movement
HENRICO, Va. (BP) – In its ninth year, a partnership between the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and the Ghana Baptist Convention is looking to decrease the number of malaria cases even more while increasing the number of church plants. More Than Nets began as a multi-year partnership between the two Baptist groups in 2013 – a couple of years after BGAV leaders visited Ghana to determine the country’s most pressing physical need.
Kentucky officials seek pro-life gains on two fronts
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Kentucky Senate approved a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion a day after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide if the state’s attorney general can defend a pro-life law previously invalidated by lower courts.
FIRST-PERSON: An Easter meal is nourishment for hungry souls
SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP) – Numerous Easter traditions fill the memories of my youth in southeastern Kentucky.
Bible Q&A: Easter meals: Nourishment for hungry souls
Numerous Easter traditions fill the memories of my youth in southeastern Kentucky.
Bible Q&A: Good News for all people
Ask any parent or grandparent about the birth of a new baby, and they will describe the event in great detail. I could fill this article with stories from the birth of our two sons, stories of false labor pains, rear-ending a friend’s car in our driveway in a panic to get to the hospital, and nearly fainting when asked to cut the umbilical cord, just to name a few.
Bible Q&A: Christ the victor over the virus
Posted on April 8, 2020 By Bobby Kelly We have been reminded over the past few weeks just how fragile our physical bodies can be. We are susceptible to all manner of contagions and viruses, the deadly Coronavirus, or COVID-19, to name one. At the time of writing, there have been more than 3,000 confirmed deaths in the US, with the possibility of 97,000 more. This disease has quickened the sense of our powerlessness, limitations and instability.
Bible Q&A: Is Thanksgiving a biblical holiday?
Posted on November 26, 2019 By Bobby Kelly Setting aside a Thursday in late November to give thanks is woven into the fabric of American life. Perhaps the most famous Thanksgiving observance occurred in the autumn of 1621, when local Native Americans were invited by Plymouth governor William Bradford to join the Pilgrims for a three-day festival in gratitude for God’s provision. In 1789, George Washington designated Nov. 26 a day of national thanksgiving for the U.S. Constitution.
The power of the resurrection
Home » Feature » The power of the resurrection Posted on April 17, 2019 By Bobby Kelly Jesus’ resurrection has changed the world. Nothing has been the same since the disciples discovered the empty tomb and Easter happened. The empty tomb means Jesus has defeated the cosmic powers, the spiritual forces of evil that rule over this present darkness. The empty tomb means that age old barriers between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor have been demolished.
Bible Q&A: Spilled blood & falling towers
Posted on November 25, 2018 By Bobby Kelly I can’t think of any saying of Jesus that seems more relevant than His words in Luke 13:1-9, a somewhat forgotten parable about tragedy and its connection to sin. On His way to Jerusalem, it was reported to Jesus that some Jews from Galilee were murdered at the temple in Jerusalem while trying to worship. The image of the spilled blood of worshippers seems so today’s newspaper.
Bible Q&A: Is there a sin that cannot be forgiven? (Mark 3:28-29)
One of the most difficult statements that Jesus utters is found in Mark 3:28-29 and involves Jesus warning against blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (see also the parallel in Matt. 12:31-32). Mark narrates a series of conflict stories between Jesus and the Pharisees. The conflict began when Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins forgiven. The Pharisees thought to themselves, “Why does He (Jesus) speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).
Bible Q&A: Why Such Praise? (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9)
On Tuesday of Passion Week, an unnamed woman poured out a vase of very expensive ointment/perfume on Jesus’ head (see Matt. 26:6-9; Mark 14:3-5). While the anointing of someone’s head could be done with cheaper olive oil, it was a common mark of courtesy to a guest. The value of the anointment indicates this is more than a simple courtesy. In fact, the text indicates that the perfume was worth 300 denarii, nearly a year’s wage.
Bible Q&A: Could Jesus appear in the clouds at any moment?
We sometimes want to have our cake and eat it too. On the one hand, we want to proclaim that Jesus could come again at any moment. On the other hand, we like to point to predictions/prophecy that must be fulfilled before Jesus can return. So, which is it? The place to begin is the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13:5-13).
Bible Q&A: Is there anything Jesus didn’t know?
One of the most difficult sayings of Jesus to understand comes during His address to His disciples on Tuesday of Passion Week, often called the Olivet Discourse. Having left the temple after a contentious exchange with the religious leaders, Jesus looked back on the temple mount in all its glory and said to his disciples, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another—all will be thrown down” (Mark 13:2; CSB).
Bible Q&A: Do not judge? (Matt. 7:1-5)
Having listened to Jesus speak of giving His life for the world (John 6:60), His disciples exclaimed, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” This would not be the last time one of Jesus’ followers would express such a sentiment. In fact, there are many sayings of Jesus that fit the description of a “hard saying.” One such saying is found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matt.
Bible Q&A: Turn the other cheek?
Because some of Jesus’ sayings appear too radical to live out in everyday life, many assume that Jesus often set up an ideal ethic that is not realistic for people who live in this present evil age. As a result, there is a school of thought that argues Jesus’ more strenuous sayings were meant to drive us to our knees in recognition of our inability to keep God’s lofty moral standards. True enough, we are all in need of God’s grace, not only in conversion, but every day of our lives.
Bible Q&A: Should Christians hate their parents (Luke 14:26)?
Southern Baptists hold a high view of Scripture, believing that inspiration involves even the words of the text, the words and their interpretation matter. In the vast majority of New Testament passages, the meaning and application is reasonably clear. Notice that I said, “vast majority.” The truth is, there are some texts that present a major challenge for understanding what the Jesus, Paul or Peter meant.
Bible Q&A: John the evangelist
Despite the fact that the fourth Gospel does not make an explicit claim about the identity of its author, the early church was virtually unanimous is ascribing it to John, the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 19:26-27; 20:2; 21:7; and 21:20). But who was he, and what do we know about him? John, the Son of Zebedee and brother of James appears 30 times in the New Testament. Our first glimpse of him is his call to be one of Jesus’ 12 apostles.
Bible Q&A: Luke the evangelist
The author of the third Gospel almost certainly composed the Book of Acts as well, meaning that this single individual, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote more of the New Testament than any other individual, roughly 28% of the words found in the Greek text (37, 933 of the 138, 020 words). Paul, by contrast, wrote approximately 23% (32,417 of the 138,020). This fact alone makes Luke one of the most important yet underappreciated historian/theologians in history.
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