Posts by Matthew Williams

Matthew Williams

Matthew Williams is the chair of the New Testament department and director of the BA-MA programs at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Williams was awarded professor of the year by Biola University, and continues to preach and teach in various churches and conferences throughout the United States and Spain. He has published video Bible studies: Gospel of John: Finding Identity and Purpose, The Parables of Jesus, The Forgiveness of Jesus, The Life of Jesus, The Last Days of Jesus, The Prayers of Jesus, The Miracles of Jesus ; and co-edited What the New Testament Authors Really Cared About. He is also the general editor for biblical and theological books in Spanish: Comentarios Biblicos con Aplicacion: Serie NVI; Biblioteca Teológica Vida; and Colección Teológica Contemporánea. He has authored various chapters in books and articles, including The Synoptic Problem: Three Views of Gospel Origins, La Epístola a los Gálatas, and The Synoptic Gospels.

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The Good Book Blog
Is your “check engine” light on?
“You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.”
Matthew Williams — January 15, 2021
As we start a new year, I’m wondering if your “check engine” light is on—not the check engine light in your car, but your “check engine” light. I...
Talbot Magazine
Talbot's Five-Year B.A.-To-M.A. Programs Grow in Size and Impact
Matthew Williams — December 08, 2020
About six years ago, Talbot created an innovative program that gives students an accelerated path into ministry — allowing them to earn a...
The Good Book Blog
Looking for a new Bible Study?
"The Gospel of John: Finding Identity and Purpose" is a video Bible study taught by Talbot professors and graduates
Matthew Williams — October 14, 2020
I recently edited and was one of six teachers in a DVD Bible study, The Gospel of John: Finding Identity and Purpose, along with teaching from...
The Good Book Blog
¿Un avivamiento por la COVID? Ministrando a un mundo que sufre
Matthew Williams — October 02, 2020
This post is also available in English. Tengo cincuenta y seis años y nunca he visto al mundo sufrir como ahora. Es horrible, y no quiero pasar...
The Good Book Blog
COVID Revival? Ministering to a Suffering World
Matthew Williams — September 07, 2020
This post is also available inSpanish. I’m 56 years old, and I have never seen the world suffering as much as it is now. It’s horrible, and I don’...
The Good Book Blog
Un recordatorio de la presencia de Jesús conmigo
Matthew Williams — April 29, 2020
¡En estos tiempos de coronavirus, necesito este recordatorio mas que nunca! Mi perro se llama Barça, como el famoso equipo de futbol. Es un golden...
The Good Book Blog
Jesus’s View of Coronavirus
Matthew Williams — April 10, 2020
With over 1.5 million infected and 87,000 fatalities as of today, I wonder, “If Jesus were living today, how would He view coronavirus?” What Jesus...
The Good Book Blog
A Reminder of Jesus’s Presence with me
Matthew Williams — March 18, 2020
My dog’s name is Barça, named after the famous Barcelona soccer team. He is a golden retriever. As I write my book on the Gospel of John, Barça is...
Biola Magazine
Persistent Prayer
Matthew Williams — February 21, 2019
Why should we persevere in prayer? Great question. Here is Jesus’s answer, from Luke 18:2–7: In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared...
The Good Book Blog
Persistent Prayer
Matthew Williams — January 22, 2019
Why should we persevere in prayer? Great question. Here is Jesus’s answer, from Luke 18:2-7: In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared...
The Good Book Blog
Powerful Prayers
Matthew Williams — January 14, 2019
I was putting my sons to bed one night. I said my good nights, and I was just lying there for a few moments when I heard my six-year-old son say...
The Good Book Blog
Jesus’s Pattern of Prayer
Matthew Williams — January 09, 2019
That Jesus was a man of prayer is without question. My guess is he spent extended time each and every day praying to his Father in order to find...
The Good Book Blog
Luke 7:36-50, The Parable of the Two Debtors
Parables of Jesus video Bible study series
Matthew Williams — November 26, 2018
Religious leaders in Jesus’ day formed societies where men (and it was always men) sat in the evenings, ate meals and debated theology. There were...
The Good Book Blog
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Matthew 22
Parables of Jesus video Bible study series
Matthew Williams — November 20, 2018
If a king invited you to his son’s wedding, would you go? Of course you would go. It would be the highlight of one’s life to attend such a wedding....
The Good Book Blog
The Parables of Jesus: The Prodigal Son
A new Bible study tool
Matthew Williams — November 08, 2018
Matt Williams examines the story of the Prodigal Son which is featured on a new Bible study DVD series.
The Good Book Blog
Life of Jesus, Part Four
Jesus Cast Out Demons
Matthew Williams — February 27, 2018
When we begin to talk about spiritual warfare, Christians either overemphasis it, or underemphasize it. It is important to have a balanced and...
The Good Book Blog
Life of Jesus, Part Three
The Temptation of Jesus
Matthew Williams — February 20, 2018
I remember asking my son after church one week what he had learning at church that day. His reply, “Jesus was tempted by ... that other guy.” I...
The Good Book Blog
Life of Jesus, Part Two
The Baptism of Jesus
Matthew Williams — February 13, 2018
The baptism of Jesus is easily misunderstood. We often understand this important event as Jesus simply going into the Jordan River and being...
The Good Book Blog
Life of Jesus, Part One
Overview of "Life of Jesus" DVD
Matthew Williams — February 06, 2018
The “Life of Jesus” in the Deeper Connections Bible study series is the fourth DVD and participant’s guide to be released by Rose/Hendrickson...
The Good Book Blog
The Forgiveness of Jesus: No Longer in the Dark
Matthew Williams — August 23, 2017
This article gives an overview of one of the Bible studies from The Forgiveness of Jesus DVD Bible study in the Deeper Connections series: Jesus heals a blind man in John chapter nine. To most of us, this seems like a pretty cool miracle; and it is, but there is so much more behind this miracle that we miss because we do not understand the first century context. When we take the time to learn this historical context, the passage pops! ...
The Good Book Blog
The Forgiveness of Jesus: An Invitation to New Life
Matthew Williams — August 16, 2017
The following is an overview of one of the Bible studies from The Forgiveness of Jesus DVD Bible study in the Deeper Connections series: Do you ever feel like you are too far gone for God to forgive you? Or, maybe you feel like he might forgive you, but he does it grudgingly? This fear is the main reason that I published The Forgiveness of Jesus because nothing could be further from the truth. When Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13), it shows us that God seeks out the lowest of the low in order to show that he loves to forgive. But in order to fully understand the meaning of this text, we must understand the first century context. When we take the time to learn this historical context, the passage comes to life!
The Good Book Blog
Jesus’s Transfiguration, Last Days of Jesus DVD
Matthew Williams — April 11, 2017
... The Old Testament background is very helpful for understanding the deeper meaning of the New Testament scriptures. In the transfiguration account, we read in Matthew 17 that Jesus “was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” We remember that in the Old Testament, after Moses went up Mount Sinai to meet with God and receive the ten commandments, his face “was radiant,” and he wore a veil (Exodus 34:33-35). Matthew 17 is showing us that Jesus is the new (but better) Moses ...
The Good Book Blog
Resurrection of Jesus: Last Days of Jesus DVD
Matthew Williams — March 28, 2017
... Understanding the Jewish background of the first century helps us to understand the biblical story with a greater depth and appreciation. For example, most modern Christians mistakenly assume that the early followers of Jesus expected Jesus to resurrect from the dead. But that is far from the truth ...
The Good Book Blog
Last Days of Jesus: An Interview with Matt Williams
Matthew Williams — March 14, 2017
Up until about ten or fifteen years ago, Bible scholars mostly wrote for other Bible scholars, rather than for the church. In creating these Bible studies, I wanted to take the knowledge that we Bible scholars know and deliver it directly to the church in a creative and understandable way ...
The Good Book Blog
SHAME REMOVED; HONOR RECEIVED, PART 3
Matthew Williams — June 17, 2011
SHAME REMOVED; HONOR RECEIVED, PART 3 --Jesus' interactions with people in the Gospel of John...and today This is the third part of a series that looks at events in the Gospel of John in which we find Jesus interacting with various people who need help—physical help and spiritual help. In John 4, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman. It is interesting that John records this interaction right after his interaction with Nicodemus. The Samaritan woman could not be more different than Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a male Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council, and was Israel’s teacher (3:1, 10). He was the epitome of the best of the best that Israel had to offer.