Author Archive for: Tom

About Thomas O'Brien

Tom O’Brien, a retired corporate lawyer, is a Canon and Examining Chaplain for Holy Scripture in the Diocese of Southeast Florida. He was a Lay Deputy to five General Conventions, a member of the Council of Advice to the President of the House of Deputies, and was a recipient of the House of Deputies Medal for exceptional service to the Episcopal Church. Tom has been teaching courses on the Bible and Theology for the last 22 years in various venues. He holds degrees from Notre Dame (magna cum laude), Yale Law School, and an M.A. in Theology (summa cum laude) from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL. He and his wife, Alison, live in Palm Beach Gardens, and summer in Plainville, CT.

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2016, July 10th ~ Deuteronomy 30:9-14 & Colossians 1:1-14

July 19, 2016 in Scripture in Context /by Thomas O'Brien

Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and is presented as if it were Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land. “Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and the book is a “restatement’ of the laws in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. […]

2016, July 3rd ~ Isaiah 66:10-14 & Galatians 6:1-16

July 19, 2016 in Scripture in Context /by Thomas O'Brien

Isaiah 66:10-14 The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel’s history. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and were written in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under direct siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and brings hope to the […]

2016, June 26th ~ 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 & Galatians 5:1, 13-25

July 19, 2016 in Scripture in Context /by Thomas O'Brien

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 The Book of Kings is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. These books emphasize that God controls history, and when the people (and their kings) worship Yahweh properly, good things happen to them. When they worship false gods, however, bad events […]