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Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

De: Dr. Steven R. Cook
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Dr. Steven R. Cook is the founder of Thinking on Scripture, a platform that has attracted over one million visitors. Steven is a Christian educator who has taught undergraduate theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary and recently joined the faculty of Chafer Theological Seminary. He is a Protestant, traditional dispensationalist, and a traditional Free Grace Bible teacher. His studies in the original languages of Scripture, ancient history, and systematic theology have been the foundation for his teaching and writing ministry. Steven has written several Christian books, dozens of articles on Christian theology, and recorded more than fifteen hundred hours of audio and video messages. He hosts a weekly Bible study at his home in Arlington, Texas, where he records most of the Bible lessons for his podcast and YouTube channel. Steven’s ministry activity is freelance and entirely voluntary, and he appreciates donations to help with ministry expenses. Since 2004, he has served as a full-time Case Manager with a local nonprofit agency dedicated to assisting poor, elderly, and disabled members of the community.

Copyright 2013 Steven Cook. All rights reserved. Ciencias Sociales Cristianismo Espiritualidad Ministerio y Evangelismo
Episodios
  • The Spiritual Life #53 - Trials and Suffering as a Means of Growth

    The Spiritual Life #53 - Trials and Suffering as a Means of Growth
    Oct 19 2025

    Trials and Suffering as a Means of Growth

    A mature Christian is one whose faith has been tested and refined through the experiences of trials and suffering. Yet it is not the mere experience of testing or hardship that produces maturity, but the believer’s faith response to it (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38). God, in His sovereign wisdom, tailors each situation to the unique needs of His children. For example, Jonah needed only three days in the great fish to learn humility and obedience (Jon 1:17; 3:1–10), while Nebuchadnezzar required seven years of suffering before confessing that “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind” and that “He is able to humble those who walk in pride” (Dan 4:34, 37). Whether brief or prolonged, God’s purpose in affliction is refinement, not ruin. Through suffering He burns away the dross of weak character and refines the golden qualities He wants to see in us. As He said of Israel, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa 48:10). Constable notes, “The difficult times that Israel had been through were fires of refining (‘furnace of affliction’), not fires of destruction.”[1] God’s affliction is not to destroy, but to transform. And He refines us so that when He looks into the smelter’s pot, He sees His own reflection, for then we will bear those qualities that mirror His character; qualities which bring Him glory and honor. However, God’s furnace of refinement never brings us to a place of total purity, but only begins a process that is perfected when He brings us home to heaven; for then, and only then, will we be free from all the impurities of sin. To understand how God employs adversity for spiritual growth, Scripture distinguishes between trials (peirasmos, πειρασμός), the testing that demonstrates and refines faith, and suffering (pathēma, πάθημα), the affliction that trains the soul through endurance and dependence on divine grace.

    Trials (peirasmos) refer primarily to tests of faith—circumstances designed by God to reveal and refine the believer’s trust in Him. The term can mean either “testing” or “temptation,” depending on the context, and must be discerned by whether the source is God or Satan. James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials [peirasmos], knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam 1:2–4). Trials are opportunities for spiritual growth, intended to prove and develop faith much like gold refined by fire (1 Pet 1:6–7). God never tempts His children to sin (Jam 1:13); rather, He tests them to strengthen spiritual maturity and endurance.

    Abraham’s experience in offering Isaac exemplifies a divine trial. His faith was tested, not to destroy him, but to demonstrate that his trust in God had grown strong and mature (Gen 22:1–12; Heb 11:17–19; cf. Rom 4:19–21). Similarly, Job’s ordeal serves as another example of peirasmos in the broader sense of testing. Though afflicted by Satan, the trial was permitted by God to prove Job’s integrity and to bring him to deeper understanding and humility before the Lord (Job 1:6–12; 42:1–6). The Hebrew counterpart to peirasmos is the verb נָסָה (nāsāh), meaning “to test” or “to prove.” It conveys the idea of examining something to reveal its quality or genuineness, much like peirasmos in Greek. For instance, “God tested (nāsāh) Abraham” (Gen 22:1), the same event later referenced in Hebrews 11:17 with peirazō, showing that both words share the same essential meaning. Whether in Hebrew or Greek, the concept emphasizes that divine testing is not punitive but pedagogical, meant to produce steadfast faith and experiential knowledge of God’s faithfulness (Deut 8:2; 1 Pet 1:7).

    Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

    [1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Is 48:10.
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    1 h y 1 m
  • The Spiritual Life #52 - Blessing as a Means of Spiritual Growth

    The Spiritual Life #52 - Blessing as a Means of Spiritual Growth
    Oct 12 2025
    Blessing as a Means to Spiritual Growth God’s blessings are intentional expressions of His character and His grace. He blesses all humanity with the gifts of life, provision, and the sustaining order of creation that reflects His goodness. As Jesus declared, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). Likewise, Paul explained that God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). In these passages, God’s grace is freely given to all, and this because He is gracious by nature. Yet, His blessings toward His children are of a richer kind, flowing from a covenant relationship that imparts both spiritual and temporal benefits (Eph 1:3; Jam 1:17). These blessings not only make life enjoyable but also serve as reminders of the Giver Himself, calling believers to gratitude, humility, and faithful stewardship. God entrusts His children with resources, whether material, relational, or spiritual, so that they might use them for His glory and the good of others (1 Cor 4:2; 2 Cor 9:8-11; 1 Pet 4:10). Scripture affirms that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17). The Hebrew word bārak (בָּרַךְ), often used in the Old Testament (Gen 12:2-3; Num 6:24; Psa 103:2), carries the sense of endowing with benefit, prosperity, or favor, and reflects God’s purpose to enrich the lives of His people according to His covenant love. According to Oswalt, “To bless in the OT means ‘to endue with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.’”[1] It means the one whom God blesses is granted a life marked by richness, abundance, and fullness (John 10:10). Its New Testament counterpart, eulogeō (εὐλογέω), conveys the same idea of divine favor and gracious bestowal, emphasizing both God’s act of blessing His people and their reciprocal act of praising Him in gratitude (Eph 1:3). Paul echoes this truth in the New Testament, teaching that God “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim 6:17). These blessings are not only for our personal delight but also to reveal the goodness of the Giver, that our enjoyment might lead us into deeper worship and thanksgiving. Yet with blessing comes responsibility. Moses warned Israel that prosperity could easily lead to spiritual amnesia, saying, “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God…otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them…then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God” (Deut 8:11–14). According to Wiersbe, “If we forget God, then success has a way of making us proud (Deut 8:14), and we forget what we were before the Lord called us.”[2] The danger is that blessings, if received without humility and gratitude, can foster pride and self-sufficiency. Paul raised the same concern when he asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor 4:7). Thus, blessings must be received with gratitude, humility, and a recognition of stewardship under God. Blessings are also designed to teach us about God’s good nature and His desire to bless His people. David wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things” (Psa 103:2–5). Ross states, “God satisfies us with good things, i.e., things that enhance and benefit our lives, so that we may be renewed (spiritually and/or physically).”[3] God blesses because He is gracious and generous by nature. In the New Testament, Paul affirms that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph 3:20). Blessings therefore serve as tangible reminders that God is good, gracious, and personally involved in the well-being of His people. Moreover, God blesses His people so they may in turn bless others. This principle is rooted in the Abrahamic covenant. God told Abraham, “And I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing” (Gen 12:2). The blessings given to Abraham were never meant to terminate with him but to overflow toward the nations. Fruchtenbaum states, “These blessings upon Abram included both material and spiritual blessings…Since Abram is to be blessed by God, as contained in the first three promises, he is now to become a blessing to others.”[4] Likewise, Paul emphasized to the Corinthians, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all ...
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    1 h y 6 m
  • The Spiritual Life #51 - Knowing and Doing the Will of God

    The Spiritual Life #51 - Knowing and Doing the Will of God
    Sep 28 2025
    Concerning the permission of divorce, Jesus said the Pharisees, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way” (Matt 19:8). God’s permissive will can be observed on a national level, as Paul said, “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways” (Acts 14:16). This explains much of the poor behavior we see among the nations as we study world history. Though God desires righteousness among the nations (Prov 14:34), He allows them to pursue their own values and priorities. Yet He never relinquishes His sovereignty, and in time, He will hold every nation accountable for its actions (Ps 9:17; Rev 20:12-13). God is always righteous and directs people to righteous living. However, God is no bully, as He does not force people to obey Him. When people turn negative to God, He permits them to pursue their sinful ways, though they are not free to choose the consequences of their actions. One who plays with fire will eventually get burned. Concerning those who “suppress God’s truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), three times it is written that He “gave them over” to “the lusts of their hearts” (Rom 1:24), and “to degrading passions” (Rom 1:26), and “to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom 1:28). Once God permits a person to operate by his/her sinful passions, they are given a measure of freedom to live as they want. These are described as “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful” (Rom 1:29-31). Fourth, there is God’s overruling will, which refers to those occasions when He hinders His creatures from acting contrary to His sovereign purposes. Throughout Scripture we observe God intervening in the actions of fallen angels and people. After God permitted Adam and Eve to disobey Him, He then drove them from the Garden of Eden and overruled their ability to go back in and eat from the tree of life (Gen 3:22-24). After Abraham lied to Abimelech and told him that Sarah was his sister, Abimelech took her as his wife. However, in order to protect Sarah, God intervened and told Abimelech, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married” (Gen 20:3). Abimelech pleaded with God and claimed his innocence (Gen 20:4-5). God, being just, told Abimelech, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore, I did not let you touch her” (Gen 20:6). Jacob served his uncle Laban for twenty years, but during that time his uncle had mistreated him, and by the end, he saw his uncle “was not friendly toward him as formerly” (Gen 31:2). Realizing it was time for Jacob to leave his uncle, he told his two wives, Rachel and Leah, “your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me” (Gen 31:7). During the tribulation, there will be hostile unbelievers who will try to flee from God’s wrath by seeking death. But God prevents them from this escape, as John writes, “in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them” (Rev 9:6). When Satan wanted to attack Job, God granted him permission, saying, “Behold, all that he has is in your power” (Job 1:12a). But then God restrained Satan, saying, “do not put forth your hand on him” (Job 1:12b). When Satan came back a second time, God granted him permission to attack Job’s body, saying, “he is in your power” (Job 2:6a), but then told him to “spare his life” (Job 2:6b). When Job’s wife advised him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9), he responded, saying, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10). During the seven-year tribulation, demons are released from an angelic prison and “power was given them” to hurt unbelievers (Rev 9:3). However, they were restrained, as God told them, “not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months” (Rev 9:4-5a). Satan is currently active in the world (1 Pet 5:8; 1 John 5:19) and will be during the tribulation. However, God intervenes at the end of the tribulation and has Satan arrested and “bound him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:2). God’s arresting angel “threw Satan into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a ...
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    1 h y 10 m
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