Jesus used vivid and memorable images to describe his followers. In his most famous sermon, he calls his followers the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14). In the Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald unpacks how those who original heard Jesus’ teaching understood these…

How should we understand the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption throughout human history? One of the ways some theologians answer this question with the system known as dispensationalism. A key and influential proponent of this system was C.I. Scofield. Let’s learn a little more about how Scofield articulates the…

The Chronological Study Bible is an excellent resource for reading about the birth of Jesus. Since it arranges all the biblical events in chronological order, you’ll read through John’s prologue first, then move back and forth between Luke’s and Matthew’s accounts. We want to give you a glimpse of what…

We are now featuring video content in the Olive Tree Bible App! The recent release of this new feature puts more Bible content in your hands inspiring you to read and study the Bible like never before. Just as the addition of our Audio feature transformed how you listen to…

Matthew summarizes Jesus’ teaching with these words, “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable” (Matt. 13:34). Rather than being easy-to-understand illustrations of his message, Jesus uses these parables to overturn people’s expectation and cut to the heart of…

The book of Proverbs can be difficult to preach since it seems like a collection of unrelated sayings. That’s where a resource like Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old and New Testament can be a great aid. Instead of a detailed exposition of the entire book, Wiersbe groups some of…

The prophet Malachi chastises the returned exiles for their lackluster and disobedient worship. He rebukes the priests for offering polluted food, blemished animals, and ill-gotten offerings. He even intimates that it would be better to just shut the doors of the temple altogether (see Mal. 1:10). How do we know…

Balaam is probably one of the most enigmatic figures in the Pentateuch. He plays a pivotal role in blessing Israel even when he is hired to curse them. Plus, there’s an irony in the seer not seeing the angel of Yahweh and being rebuked by a talking donkey. The IVP…