As Paul writes his last will and testament in 2 Timothy, so Peter writes his in 2 Peter. It is A.D. 68, and Peter, like Paul, has been arrested during the persecutions under Nero, then tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. In his second epistle, Peter urges us to remember the foundational teachings of the Gospel and not to be led astray by false teachers and those who serve their own interests, rather than Christ’s. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as we bid farewell to Peter and listen to his last words of encouragement.

Traditionally attributed to the apostle John, 1 John is a very personal discourse on a variety of topics by one who had an extraordinarily intimate relationship with Christ. In this epistle, John discusses the appeal and challenges of emerging Gnostic beliefs in the early Church and the impact such beliefs have on a believer’s view of salvation. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as we explore this intimate epistle.

James, the brother of the Lord and leader of the church in Jerusalem, writes this epistle, sometime before A.D. 70. Paul had been very clear that we are saved by grace through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. At the Council of Jerusalem in A.D. 50, Peter, Paul, James and the other Apostles concurred with Paul’s position, and it is James who, as leader of the church in Jerusalem, orders that a letter be written to all the churches explaining the Council’s decision. In his epistle, James does not contradict himself by arguing the contrary....

In Ezra we witness the exiles’ return to rebuild the temple. Destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., the temple is rebuilt and dedicated in 516 B.C. But it is nothing like the fabulous temple Solomon built. In fact, when those who had seen Solomon’s temple see the second temple, they weep at its inadequacy!

Jonah is one of the great stories in the Bible. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as he tells this story as no one else can! When God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and preach against it, Jonah heads in the exact opposite direction—to Tarshish, in Spain! Follow the adventure as a huge storm tosses Jonah’s ship, the sailors hurl Jonah overboard and a huge fish swallows him!

Although remembered as a stunningly successful king, Solomon is the Bible’s greatest failure in the end. And in Ecclesiastes, he admits it. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as he explores Ecclesiastes, a study of Solomon in sharp contrast to his father, David.

Habakkuk is the prophet with a question mark for a brain! “Why,” he asks, does a God of justice allow injustice to flourish; why does violence prevail? And God provides an answer: “Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed, for I am going to do something in your day that you would not believe even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians!” Through Habakkuk God takes credit for using the Babylonians as his instrument of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem.

By 430 B.C. Israel is back in the land; the city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt; and the temple is operating once again. After the catastrophe of the Babylonian captivity one would think that Israel had learned its lessons. But, no. In Malachi, God levels eight accusations against his people, saying in effect: “I’ve got a number of bones to pick with you!”

In 2 Chronicles we continue the 1 Chronicles narrative, tracing the fall of the southern kingdom of Judah and its exile into Babylon captivity. As God observes in 1 Chronicles, “Israel went into captivity because of its unfaithfulness.” This is a harrowing story of man’s willful disobedience and God’s righteous judgment.

Paul sends 1 Corinthians to the church at Corinth, and when they receive the epistle, they are livid! They immediately write back to Paul in very harsh terms (the letter from Corinth has been lost, but Paul alludes to it in 2 Corinthians), prompting Paul to get on board ship in Ephesus, sail to Corinth and address the church in person. It is not a pleasant visit. When Paul gets back to Ephesus he has second thoughts about his “short but painful visit”, and he writes 2 Corinthians to smooth things over.

Traditionally ascribed to Jude, a brother of both James and the Lord, mentioned in Matthew 13:58, Jude had wanted to write a rather thorough theological treatise, but present circumstances in the church compel him to address a different topic: what believers can do in days of apostasy. Written sometime in the late 80s or early 90s, this epistle offers very practical advice for those living in what appear to be the "end times".

With Moses dead, Israel stands on the threshold of the Promised Land, looking to Joshua for leadership. Join Logos Bible Study as Dr. Bill Creasy takes us across the Jordan River and into the land of “milk and honey” in a brutal conquest - a campaign of extermination that raises profound moral and ethical questions in its day, as well as in ours.

The story of David continues in 2 Samuel. With the death of Saul and his three sons at Mt. Gilboa, the door opens for David to become king. But David has, in fact, no legitimate claim to the kingship; indeed, he has been working for a decade as a mercenary for Israel’s Philistine enemies. Listen as Dr. Bill Creasy follows David from the triumph of his kingship to his colossal fall and ultimate reconciliation with God.

In the Bible’s longest soliloquy, Moses imparts his final thoughts to the people of Israel. Deuteronomy is not a “repetition” of the Law, but a retelling of it to a new audience, on the backside of 40 years of experience. Join Logos Bible Study’s Dr. Bill Creasy as we listen to Moses address a new generation of God’s people on the plains of Jericho.

A very short personal letter by John to “the lady chosen by God and her children”, 2 John may be addressed to a literal woman and her children, or perhaps to a specific church (the “lady”) and her members (her “children”). In either case, John emphasizes that love must be rooted in truth, a concept that we often ignore today. Amusingly, John ends his short epistle by saying: “I have much to write to you, but I don’t want to use paper and ink.” Instead, he says, I’ll be stopping by for visit soon!