Jesus tells us that we will be hated as he was hated—but not all of us will actually experience severe persecution. Instead, many of us are blessed to worship God where, when, and how we want. The first Christians did not have this luxury, and they clung to Jesus’ promises…

Spurgeon Study Bible

“Spurgeon had a phenomenal grasp of theology, and his reading had afforded him a breadth of insight matched by few, but when it came to opening up the Scriptures, he was a master of clarity and simplicity. He warned his students about going down among miners with technical theological terms…

The Passion Translation New Testament Isaiah

This article is provided by BroadStreet Publishing Group, the publishing house for The Passion Translation. The Passion Translation is a groundbreaking attempt to re-introduce the passion and fire of the Bible to English readers. The Passion Translation is a new, heart-level translation that expresses God’s fiery heart of love to…

SOLI DEO GLORIA Sola scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus. Each of these on their own is a strong rallying cry and doctrine worth defending. Yet, each becomes stronger when joined with the final sola, soli deo gloria. Glory to God alone. This is the glue that holds all…

ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible

Have you heard about the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible? Its print version was so popular that it ran out of print when it was first published! If we could, we would have the same problem. Thankfully, that’s not possible! Some very well-seasoned and well-respected, theologians put together this study Bible:…

This article is written by Brian Simmons, lead Translator of The Passion Translation It would be impossible to calculate how many lives have been changed forever by the power of the Bible, the living Word of God! My life was transformed forever because I believed the message contained in the…

October 31st is the 501-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Many Protestants are celebrating this day, all around the world! Although Olive Tree provides resources to a wide-variety of denominations, we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk a bit about how the Protestant Reformation began. Throughout the…

reformation commentary

We’ve been looking for a helpful resource to write about for our Reformed friends. After some research, we found one that we think you all will enjoy greatly. The Reformed Expository Commentary Series is edited by Richard Phillips and Phillip Ryken: two Reformed pastors dedicated to Christ-centered preaching paired with…

Menno Simmons

Have you ever heard of Menno Simmons? Now is your chance to learn a little bit about this Reformation hero. Check out the tiny biography below. NAME: Menno Simmons BIRTH: 1496, date unknown DEATH: January 31, 1561 HOMETOWN: Witmarsum, Friesland, modern-day Netherlands VOCATION: Catholic priest, Anabaptist pastor and author FAMILY:…