Tom Ruggirello

Lessons from Nazareth

3 months ago

Early Experiences “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out ofhis mouth” (Luke 4:22). — Tom Ruggirello After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, he was led by the spirit into the wilderness of Judea. There he spent 40 days and nights praying to his Father and contemplating the great work that lie ahead. After faithfully enduring the temptations of the Adversary, he departed for Galilee and began to teach in the synagogues. As he […]

Commandment 4

September 1, 2022

The Holy Sabbath “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). By Tom Ruggirello The remainder of commandment four reads as follows. “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Jehovah made […]

Daniel, A Prophet of Hope

May 1, 2022

An Israelite in Captivity “God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Daniel 1:17). By Tom Ruggirello Examining the book of Daniel in the context of God’s promise to Abraham is an exciting study. His life spanned an extraordinary period in the history of Israel. When taken captive into Babylon, Daniel found himself living his Jewish faith in a Gentile world. This captivity created many challenges for Daniel and his […]

Sin Offerings

September 1, 2020

Tabernacle Sacrifices “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who … offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13,14). by Tom Ruggirello In studying the sacrifices offered in Israel’s tabernacle, the student can be easily overwhelmed by the many occasions calling for different offerings. Sometimes […]

Memorial Issues

March 1, 2020

A Reverent, Thoughtful Examination “Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). by Robert Brand The commemoration of the Last Supper in our observance of the annual Memorial celebration has two important symbols: the bread, and the fruit of the vine. Our Lord makes it clear how to interpret those two symbols, in his statement that the bread “is my body” and the fruit of the vine “is my blood” (Matthew 26:26-28). We must be careful not only […]