Resources by John Whittaker:
John Whittaker
John Whittaker is disciple of Jesus and a bible teacher whose goal is to provide what he calls “blue jeans theology”--theology for everyday life. He’s been a pastor and Bible college professor and a church planter. One of his greatest joys in life is being a husband, father, and grandfather. He is the creator of the Bible in Life online teaching ministry (at johnwhittaker.net) and of the Listener’s Commentary on the New Testament (listenerscommentary.com). He loves seeing people come alive to the joy and transforming power of walking with Jesus in the midst of their everyday life.
Summary of 1 Corinthians: Understanding the Basics of 1 Corinthians in the Bible
Here is a short summary of 1 Corinthians: 1 Corinthians was written to a young and struggling church in the city of Corinth. Paul had heard reports of divisions in the church and received a letter from the church asking all sorts of questions. The church was riddled with problems and 1 Corinthians sought to...
John Whittaker
Why Isn’t Jesus Enough to Fix My Mental Health Issues?
If you’re wrestling with this question, then I’m glad you’re curious and I’m also sorry for what you’re going through. In what follows, I’ll try to respond to this question with some biblical/theological frameworks which help me think about the issue. I’m sure a lot more could be said (and it would be helpful to...
John Whittaker
Summary of Galatians: Understanding the Basics of Galatians in the Bible
Here is a short summary of Galatians: Galatians was written by the apostle Paul to a handful of churches in the region of Galatia who were being led astray from the truth of the gospel. They were being told that in order to inherit the promise to Abraham, be justified, and be a full part...
John Whittaker
Summary of Ephesians: Understanding the Basics of Ephesians in the Bible
Here’s a short summary of Ephesians: Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus and the churches in the neighboring cities to help them see all that God had done for them in Christ and how that should shape their life. In the first half of the letter (chapters 1-3), Paul...
John Whittaker
Summary of Philippians: Understanding the Basics of Philippians in the Bible
Here is a short summary of Philippians: Philippians was written by the apostle Paul to thank the Philippians for the special offering they had sent him while he is under arrest in Rome and awaiting trial. In addition to thanking them for the gift, he updates them on his circumstances modeling how to evaluate one’s...
John Whittaker
Summary of 1 Peter: Understanding the Basics of 1 Peter in the Bible
Here’s a short summary of 1 Peter: 1 Peter was written by the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, to the Christians scattered all throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). These Christians were experiencing varying degrees of social rejection and mistreatment because of their faith in Jesus, so Peter wrote to help them stand...
John Whittaker
Summary of Colossians: Understanding the Basics of Colossians in the Bible
Here’s a short summary of Colossians: Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to teach the Colossian church that Jesus is all they need to experience the fullness of God. Someone had infiltrated the church and was deceiving them into thinking that they needed to add Jewish rituals, harsh treatment of their body, and mystical...
John Whittaker
How Did Jesus Die for Our Sins?
How did Jesus die for our sins? He did it by first entering our human story and being everything we had been created to be but failed to be. Then he was crucified after a sacrificial pattern we see throughout the Old Testament in the Passover, sin offering, and Day of Atonement. At the heart...
John Whittaker
Who Jesus Is: A 15-Scripture Tour Through Who He Is and What He Does
Jesus gets talked about and quoted a lot, but have you ever wondered who Jesus is? This 15-Scripture tour walks us through who Jesus is and what he does. The number one goal for a follower of Jesus is to know him (Phil. 3:7-10). So here are 15 Bible passages to help you get to...
John Whittaker
Was Jesus Jewish? A Summary of the Jewishness of Jesus’ Life and Ministry
Was Jesus Jewish? There are four ways in which Jesus’ life and ministry were thoroughly influenced by his Jewishness. He grew up and lived in a thoroughly Jewish world. His ministry was very Jewish. His mission to bring the kingdom of God summed up the entire Jewish hope. And his mission for us, making disciples,...
John Whittaker
Did Jesus Have Siblings?
Did Jesus have siblings? How many kids did Mary and Joseph have? At first glance, this seems like a rather easy question with a straightforward answer. The Gospels mention four brothers of Jesus and his “sisters” (plural). So it would seem Mary and Jospeh had a full house of kids. However… Our Catholic and Orthodox...
John Whittaker
New Testament Writers: Who Were They?
Who were the New Testament writers? There are 9 authors who wrote the 27 books that came to be known as the New Testament, and in this article, John Whittaker describes what we know about these authors. When reading the Bible, it’s important to remember that it wasn’t just dropped out of heaven to us....
John Whittaker
How Many New Testament Books and What Do They Teach?
How many New Testament books are there? There are 27 books of the New Testament arranged into five categories: Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, general letters, and Revelation. In this article, John Whittaker, creator of the Listener’s Commentary on the New Testament, shares the numbers and summarizes the books of the New Testament. There are 27...
John Whittaker