The Holy Spirit comes.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 2:1-13
Pentecost was celebrated 50 days after Passover. It was also know as the day of first fruits. It began the Feast of Weeks also known as the Feast of Harvest. Pentecost was one of the three festivals that faithful Jews traveled to Jerusalem for. The first was Passover. Since Pentecost was only 50 days later, people who lived far away often stayed in the Jerusalem area for the whole time. So, Jerusalem was a busy place on Pentecost.
Luke says in Acts 2:1 that they were all together in one place. He doesn’t say who they were. Some believe it is the 120 mentioned in Acts 1:15. Others think it only applies to the twelve since they were mentioned last in Acts 1:26. You can make a great case either way. An argument for more than just the apostles is that there were 15 language groups mentioned in verses 8-11. In support of the idea of just the apostles is the question in verse 7 about the men being from Galilee. Also, in verse 15 Peter seems just to be talking about the apostles.
The other question is where they were. We usually picture the event in the upper room. But the scene suddenly shifts to the temple area in Acts 2:5. The word “house” is used in verse 2, but it is also used to describe the temple in Acts 7:47. Whatever happened seems to catch the attention quickly of the people at the temple area. So, they may have been gathered at the temple.
So what happened? There was a sound like a blowing wind. It was not a blowing wind but a sound. There was what seemed to be tongues of fire. It looked like fire. The fire split apart and came to each person and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they began to speak in other languages declaring the wonders of God.
In order to get the full picture we need to think about what Pentecost meant to the faithful Jews. The focus of Pentecost was commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. It was there that God spoke to His people and told them how to relate to Him. Remember the scene in Exodus 19. God told Moses that He would speak so that the people could hear and they would know that He was speaking to Moses. There was a loud trumpet. The mountain was covered with fire and smoke. There was thunder. The Jewish rabbinic legend (midrash) was that as God spoke the Law, it divided into the 70 languages of the world and went out. They believed that they actually saw the words of God in a fiery form come to each Israelite. It was under this understanding of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit came.
What was the purpose of the fire and smoke and sound at Mount Sinai? It was to give credibility to Moses. If Moses just showed up one day and told everybody what God had told him he would have been ignored. The events where to endorse Moses as the spokesman for God. The same holds true for the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. The incredible events following the same form of Mount Sinai were to endorse the apostles as representatives of God and to legitimize the gospel.
There is a lot of finger-pointing and emotion when it comes to the subject of tongues. There are four instances in Acts like this: 2:1-4, 8:17, 10:46, and 19:6. Each one of them is a new phase in the spread of the gospel. In chapter 2, the apostles begin the work of the church. In chapter 8, the gospel spreads to Samaria. In chapter 10, the gospel spreads to Gentiles. In chapter 19, followers of John the Baptist hear the whole gospel. The first three instances involved Peter and the last one involved Paul. All of these instances were to authenticate the spread of the gospel to a new group.
Tongues in Acts is the speaking of real languages previously unknown to the speaker. It is clear in chapter 2 that real information in real languages is being transmitted to real people. The purpose was not so much to explain the gospel. That could have been done in the local language. Everybody in Jerusalem probably spoke Aramaic and Greek. The gospel could have been given in that language. In fact, that is what Peter does beginning in verse 14. The tongues were to show that God was behind the message.
These were unique events. But the principle that the Holy Spirit enables us to do what we have been called to do is a timeless principle. We have been called to grow as disciples and to make disciples. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do it.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday Acts 1:15-26
Matthias is chosen to replace Judas.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:15-26
“In those days” means the ten days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost. The eleven apostles devoted themselves to prayer. At one point Peter addressed the crowd about the issue of only having eleven apostles. Luke tells us that there were about 120 people there.
Peter reviewed what had happened. Judas was one of the twelve then betrayed Jesus. There seems to be a discrepancy between Matthew’s account of what happened concerning Judas and Luke’s account in Acts. Matthew (27:3-10) says that Judas was overcome with remorse after betraying Jesus and returned the money to the Priests. They said that they could not keep the money so they bought a field to be used to bury foreigners and it became known as the field of blood. Judas hanged himself.
Luke quotes Peter as saying that Judas bought the field. The priests said that they could not accept the money since it was blood money so they bought the field in the name of the donor of the money (Judas). So, in essence, Judas bought the field through the priests. It was called the field of blood because it was purchased with blood money.
Another problem is that Matthew said that Judas hanged himself while Luke says that Judas fell headlong and his body burst open. There are several possible explanations. In hanging himself, the branch of the tree might have broken and his body fell and broke open. Some people believe that after the body hung on the tree for a while, either the rope broke and the body fell or as people cut him down, the decomposed body fell and broke open. Some theorize that the body was removed immediately since it was the Sabbath and was thrown over the city wall into the Hinnom valley where it broke open. The point is that there are a variety of scenarios which reconcile the two accounts of the death of Judas.
Peter viewed Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 as applicable to their situation. David wrote these Psalms about his trusted associates which later betrayed him. Psalm 109:8 speaks of replacing the betrayer. Also, Jesus seemed to think that the proper number of apostles was twelve. That was an important number. There were twelve tribes of Israel. It made sense to replace Judas. Peter said that the replacement should have similar experience to the other apostles. He should have been a follower of Jesus from the time of Jesus’ baptism. He should be a witness to the resurrection. The group came up with two names, Justus and Matthias. I suspect that these were the only two that met the criteria that Peter gave. Both were qualified so how should they pick the right one?
Jesus chose the original twelve so it makes sense to let God select the replacement. They cast lots. The method was likely writing the names on two stones and putting the stones in a jar. The jar would have been shaken and either one shaken out or drawn out. Matthias was chosen. We never see him again in the New Testament, but whenever there is a reference to the twelve, it would include him.
So what do we make of this lot casting? Is it biblical? Should we practice it? We see several times in the Old Testament where decisions were turned over to God through the practice of casting lots. So it seems reasonable for the 120 in the upper room to use this method. Both men were qualified. However, we never see it used again in the Bible. A new way of discerning the will of God occurs in chapter 2. The Holy Spirit comes in power and changes forever how we follow God.
A couple of points for us to consider. First the importance of placing the proper people into leadership. Of the 120 people there, only two would be considered appropriate to appoint as apostles. They had high standards and sought God’s leadership. Secondly, they interpreted life in light of the scripture. They saw themselves as part of God’s unfolding plan and sought direction in view of the word of God. It is still the same for us. God’s plan is still unfolding and we are in the middle of it. We must interpret our lives in light of the scripture.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:15-26
“In those days” means the ten days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost. The eleven apostles devoted themselves to prayer. At one point Peter addressed the crowd about the issue of only having eleven apostles. Luke tells us that there were about 120 people there.
Peter reviewed what had happened. Judas was one of the twelve then betrayed Jesus. There seems to be a discrepancy between Matthew’s account of what happened concerning Judas and Luke’s account in Acts. Matthew (27:3-10) says that Judas was overcome with remorse after betraying Jesus and returned the money to the Priests. They said that they could not keep the money so they bought a field to be used to bury foreigners and it became known as the field of blood. Judas hanged himself.
Luke quotes Peter as saying that Judas bought the field. The priests said that they could not accept the money since it was blood money so they bought the field in the name of the donor of the money (Judas). So, in essence, Judas bought the field through the priests. It was called the field of blood because it was purchased with blood money.
Another problem is that Matthew said that Judas hanged himself while Luke says that Judas fell headlong and his body burst open. There are several possible explanations. In hanging himself, the branch of the tree might have broken and his body fell and broke open. Some people believe that after the body hung on the tree for a while, either the rope broke and the body fell or as people cut him down, the decomposed body fell and broke open. Some theorize that the body was removed immediately since it was the Sabbath and was thrown over the city wall into the Hinnom valley where it broke open. The point is that there are a variety of scenarios which reconcile the two accounts of the death of Judas.
Peter viewed Psalm 69:25 and 109:8 as applicable to their situation. David wrote these Psalms about his trusted associates which later betrayed him. Psalm 109:8 speaks of replacing the betrayer. Also, Jesus seemed to think that the proper number of apostles was twelve. That was an important number. There were twelve tribes of Israel. It made sense to replace Judas. Peter said that the replacement should have similar experience to the other apostles. He should have been a follower of Jesus from the time of Jesus’ baptism. He should be a witness to the resurrection. The group came up with two names, Justus and Matthias. I suspect that these were the only two that met the criteria that Peter gave. Both were qualified so how should they pick the right one?
Jesus chose the original twelve so it makes sense to let God select the replacement. They cast lots. The method was likely writing the names on two stones and putting the stones in a jar. The jar would have been shaken and either one shaken out or drawn out. Matthias was chosen. We never see him again in the New Testament, but whenever there is a reference to the twelve, it would include him.
So what do we make of this lot casting? Is it biblical? Should we practice it? We see several times in the Old Testament where decisions were turned over to God through the practice of casting lots. So it seems reasonable for the 120 in the upper room to use this method. Both men were qualified. However, we never see it used again in the Bible. A new way of discerning the will of God occurs in chapter 2. The Holy Spirit comes in power and changes forever how we follow God.
A couple of points for us to consider. First the importance of placing the proper people into leadership. Of the 120 people there, only two would be considered appropriate to appoint as apostles. They had high standards and sought God’s leadership. Secondly, they interpreted life in light of the scripture. They saw themselves as part of God’s unfolding plan and sought direction in view of the word of God. It is still the same for us. God’s plan is still unfolding and we are in the middle of it. We must interpret our lives in light of the scripture.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday Acts 1:12-14
The disciples returned to Jerusalem.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples went back into the city of Jerusalem. They gathered together in an upper room and prayed. We are not told specifically where they assembled. Some people believe that it was the same room where they had celebrated the last supper and the same room where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. There is no harm in believing that, but we have no concrete information. The place is not really important.
Luke tells us who was present. The eleven disciples were there. Also there were several women. We don’t know who they were other than Jesus’ mother. We could guess that the women included: Mary Magdalene (John 20:18), Mary the mother of James (Mark 16:1), Salome (Mark 16:1), Joanna (Luke 8:3), Susanna (Luke 8:3), Mary and Martha (John 12:2-3), Jesus’ aunt Mary (John 19:25), and others.
Also present were Jesus’ brothers. Notice the difference between this point and John 7:5 where His brothers did not believe in Him. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus appeared to His brother James after the resurrection. Now His brothers are part of the faithful group in the upper room. Jude was probably there too. James and Jude are brothers of Jesus who became leaders in the early church and wrote books of the New Testament.
The group gathered together and prayed constantly. The picture in my mind is the eleven disciples and a few of the faithful staying in this building pretty much all the time for the ten days between the ascension of Jesus and Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. There were probably many followers of Jesus who filtered in and out for prayer during that timeframe. The eleven devoted themselves continually to prayer.
We know that there were hundreds of believers. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that during the forty days after the resurrection that Jesus appeared to a group of 500 believers. I suspect that the upper room was a vibrant place of prayer.
What do we do when we are waiting for God? We pray and we do what He has already told us to do. He told us to make disciples.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples went back into the city of Jerusalem. They gathered together in an upper room and prayed. We are not told specifically where they assembled. Some people believe that it was the same room where they had celebrated the last supper and the same room where Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. There is no harm in believing that, but we have no concrete information. The place is not really important.
Luke tells us who was present. The eleven disciples were there. Also there were several women. We don’t know who they were other than Jesus’ mother. We could guess that the women included: Mary Magdalene (John 20:18), Mary the mother of James (Mark 16:1), Salome (Mark 16:1), Joanna (Luke 8:3), Susanna (Luke 8:3), Mary and Martha (John 12:2-3), Jesus’ aunt Mary (John 19:25), and others.
Also present were Jesus’ brothers. Notice the difference between this point and John 7:5 where His brothers did not believe in Him. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus appeared to His brother James after the resurrection. Now His brothers are part of the faithful group in the upper room. Jude was probably there too. James and Jude are brothers of Jesus who became leaders in the early church and wrote books of the New Testament.
The group gathered together and prayed constantly. The picture in my mind is the eleven disciples and a few of the faithful staying in this building pretty much all the time for the ten days between the ascension of Jesus and Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. There were probably many followers of Jesus who filtered in and out for prayer during that timeframe. The eleven devoted themselves continually to prayer.
We know that there were hundreds of believers. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that during the forty days after the resurrection that Jesus appeared to a group of 500 believers. I suspect that the upper room was a vibrant place of prayer.
What do we do when we are waiting for God? We pray and we do what He has already told us to do. He told us to make disciples.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday Acts 1:9-11
Jesus ascended to heaven.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:9-11
Jesus finished his instructions to the disciples and ascended to heaven. The narrative is simple enough, but some questions bounce around in the back of my mind. Why did Jesus go back to heaven? Why is there this big delay between His first coming and His second coming? That is the same question basically that the disciples asked in Acts 1:6. They were concerned about schedules. So, when we ask about timetables, we are showing the same concerns. The answer was pretty simple, “The timeframe is God’s business. In the meantime, you have an assignment.” We often see what seems like delays in God’s plan. He waits until the time is right for the next phase of His plan. And from His perspective, the wait is part of the plan. God promised Abraham the land of Canaan. Yet there was a delay from our perspective. Abraham’s descendants had to go to Egypt for 400 years until the time was right. In Genesis 15:16, God told Abraham that they could not occupy the promised land until “the sin of the Amorites had reached its full measure.” God’s plan is complete. His plan was to bless Abraham’s family. It was also to bless the whole world through his descendants. But it was also to judge the sin of the Amorites.
When Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, they had a delay. It was because of their lack of faith. They had to spend 40 years in the wilderness so that the faithless generation could die off. However, it was during the 40 year delay that they conquered the Amorites (their sin was at full measure) in Numbers 21.
To us it seems like we are in another delay. Why is Christ waiting? Peter tells us (2 Peter 3:9) that He is waiting so that people can be saved. The world is not ready for final judgment and many are yet to be saved. That is were we come in.
Jesus ascended up into the sky and all of the disciples were just standing there looking at where He had gone. Two angels come along and ask, “Wuz up? What are you doing?” They said, “We are looking at where Jesus went.” The angels said, “Yup that’s where He went, and that’s where He’ll come back from.” I can imagine the angels then saying, “But in the meantime, you have a mission. Christ has completed His work here on earth. Now His work will continue through you in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, do like He said and get back into town and wait for the Holy Spirit.”
Our assignment is to be witnesses - in the power of the Holy Spirit – to continue the mission of Christ – which is God’s plan – until the time is right for the next phase of God’s plan.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:9-11
Jesus finished his instructions to the disciples and ascended to heaven. The narrative is simple enough, but some questions bounce around in the back of my mind. Why did Jesus go back to heaven? Why is there this big delay between His first coming and His second coming? That is the same question basically that the disciples asked in Acts 1:6. They were concerned about schedules. So, when we ask about timetables, we are showing the same concerns. The answer was pretty simple, “The timeframe is God’s business. In the meantime, you have an assignment.” We often see what seems like delays in God’s plan. He waits until the time is right for the next phase of His plan. And from His perspective, the wait is part of the plan. God promised Abraham the land of Canaan. Yet there was a delay from our perspective. Abraham’s descendants had to go to Egypt for 400 years until the time was right. In Genesis 15:16, God told Abraham that they could not occupy the promised land until “the sin of the Amorites had reached its full measure.” God’s plan is complete. His plan was to bless Abraham’s family. It was also to bless the whole world through his descendants. But it was also to judge the sin of the Amorites.
When Moses led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land, they had a delay. It was because of their lack of faith. They had to spend 40 years in the wilderness so that the faithless generation could die off. However, it was during the 40 year delay that they conquered the Amorites (their sin was at full measure) in Numbers 21.
To us it seems like we are in another delay. Why is Christ waiting? Peter tells us (2 Peter 3:9) that He is waiting so that people can be saved. The world is not ready for final judgment and many are yet to be saved. That is were we come in.
Jesus ascended up into the sky and all of the disciples were just standing there looking at where He had gone. Two angels come along and ask, “Wuz up? What are you doing?” They said, “We are looking at where Jesus went.” The angels said, “Yup that’s where He went, and that’s where He’ll come back from.” I can imagine the angels then saying, “But in the meantime, you have a mission. Christ has completed His work here on earth. Now His work will continue through you in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, do like He said and get back into town and wait for the Holy Spirit.”
Our assignment is to be witnesses - in the power of the Holy Spirit – to continue the mission of Christ – which is God’s plan – until the time is right for the next phase of God’s plan.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday Acts 1:4-8
Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:4-8
Luke is providing a slight overlap with his gospel. Notice the similarity between Acts 1:4-5 and Luke 25:49. He told them to stay in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit.
They understood the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in terms of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-32). Joel described the Day of the Lord. They understood this to be the restoration of Israel to the way it was in the days of David and Solomon. So, when Jesus told them they would receive the Holy Spirit in just a few days, they asked about the restoration of the kingdom.
Jesus told them that the issue of schedule was not a concern. In fact, their understanding of the kingdom was way off base. The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality. It is spread by the proclaiming of the gospel. It will not be spread by a political event orchestrated by God, but by the people of God acting as witnesses of Jesus.
A witness tells the truth as he or she understands it. All you can do as a witness is tell what you know to be the truth. As witnesses for Christ we tell how we were saved and how another can also be saved. We tell about Christ. The miraculous part is that we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel would spread from the city of Jerusalem to the surrounding region of Judea to the neighboring region of Samaria to the rest of the world. That is the story of the book of Acts – the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:4-8
Luke is providing a slight overlap with his gospel. Notice the similarity between Acts 1:4-5 and Luke 25:49. He told them to stay in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit.
They understood the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in terms of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-32). Joel described the Day of the Lord. They understood this to be the restoration of Israel to the way it was in the days of David and Solomon. So, when Jesus told them they would receive the Holy Spirit in just a few days, they asked about the restoration of the kingdom.
Jesus told them that the issue of schedule was not a concern. In fact, their understanding of the kingdom was way off base. The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality. It is spread by the proclaiming of the gospel. It will not be spread by a political event orchestrated by God, but by the people of God acting as witnesses of Jesus.
A witness tells the truth as he or she understands it. All you can do as a witness is tell what you know to be the truth. As witnesses for Christ we tell how we were saved and how another can also be saved. We tell about Christ. The miraculous part is that we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel would spread from the city of Jerusalem to the surrounding region of Judea to the neighboring region of Samaria to the rest of the world. That is the story of the book of Acts – the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday Acts 1:1-3
We have finished reading through the gospel of John and Paul’s letter to the Romans. We now begin the book of Acts.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:1-3
As we begin Acts, we may ask, “Who wrote this book and who did he write it for?” This book has been attributed to Luke since it was first written. He begins Acts with a reference to his first narrative. That would be the gospel of Luke. Notice the similar way of beginning both works. He addressed “most excellent Theophilus” in Luke 1:3. Here in Acts 1:1, he just calls his reader “Theophilus.” The name could mean either “lover of God” or “beloved of God.” There is debate over whether this is a real name or just a pseudonym that Luke uses. The use of “most excellent” in Luke 1:3 makes many believe that this Theophilus is a government official. Paul used that form of address when he spoke with Felix (Acts 23:26) and Fetus (Acts 26:25). The historian Josephus also used that form of address to his patron, Epaphroditis.
When was the book of Acts written? The last event recorded is the imprisonment of Paul which probably occurred in 62 AD. Yet the major event of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is not mentioned. So, it is probably safe to date Acts between 62 and 70 AD.
Luke gives a quick summary of the gospel. Jesus preached and taught then rose from the dead and spent 40 days with His apostles. He provided clear evidence of who He was though miracles. He taught about the Kingdom of God.
So, why did Luke record all of this? Again, we have to look back at the gospel of Luke. He told Theophilus the reason in Luke 1:4, “So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” In Luke 1:3, Luke said that he made a careful investigation. He verified the accounts from the eyewitnesses to determine the truth of the gospel. Then in Acts chapter 16, a shift takes place in the narrative. Luke changes his account from “they” to “we”. Paul mentions Luke as one of his companions in some of his letters (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, and 2 Timothy 4:11). So, for much of the book of Acts, Luke was a participant.
The book of Acts is the account of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to the other parts of the world, from a few Jewish followers of Jesus to all people. It is the story of the beginning of the church.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 1:1-3
As we begin Acts, we may ask, “Who wrote this book and who did he write it for?” This book has been attributed to Luke since it was first written. He begins Acts with a reference to his first narrative. That would be the gospel of Luke. Notice the similar way of beginning both works. He addressed “most excellent Theophilus” in Luke 1:3. Here in Acts 1:1, he just calls his reader “Theophilus.” The name could mean either “lover of God” or “beloved of God.” There is debate over whether this is a real name or just a pseudonym that Luke uses. The use of “most excellent” in Luke 1:3 makes many believe that this Theophilus is a government official. Paul used that form of address when he spoke with Felix (Acts 23:26) and Fetus (Acts 26:25). The historian Josephus also used that form of address to his patron, Epaphroditis.
When was the book of Acts written? The last event recorded is the imprisonment of Paul which probably occurred in 62 AD. Yet the major event of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is not mentioned. So, it is probably safe to date Acts between 62 and 70 AD.
Luke gives a quick summary of the gospel. Jesus preached and taught then rose from the dead and spent 40 days with His apostles. He provided clear evidence of who He was though miracles. He taught about the Kingdom of God.
So, why did Luke record all of this? Again, we have to look back at the gospel of Luke. He told Theophilus the reason in Luke 1:4, “So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” In Luke 1:3, Luke said that he made a careful investigation. He verified the accounts from the eyewitnesses to determine the truth of the gospel. Then in Acts chapter 16, a shift takes place in the narrative. Luke changes his account from “they” to “we”. Paul mentions Luke as one of his companions in some of his letters (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, and 2 Timothy 4:11). So, for much of the book of Acts, Luke was a participant.
The book of Acts is the account of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to the other parts of the world, from a few Jewish followers of Jesus to all people. It is the story of the beginning of the church.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday Romans 16:25-27
Paul closes his letter with a prayer.
Click here for an online Bible. Romans 16:25-27
Paul ends his letter to the church of Rome. He has provided teachings on the basis of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He has provided some practical applications on how to live by faith. He closed with personal greetings to those in Rome and from those in Corinth.
His closing words are a prayer. It is a long run-on sentence that we can rearrange and break up into smaller pieces.
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ.
He is able to save you through the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
This gospel was given by the eternal God as revelation to the prophets long ago.
The purpose of the gospel is so that all nations might believe and obey Him.
Amen
This is the bottom line. It is all about the glory of God. We can experience His glory through faith in Christ. We have this message as the gospel which was given to us and to all people for all time.
We have finished the book of Romans. I hope that you are making daily Bible reading part of your routine. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.
We will continue our daily reading by starting the book of Acts tomorrow.
Click here for an online Bible. Romans 16:25-27
Paul ends his letter to the church of Rome. He has provided teachings on the basis of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He has provided some practical applications on how to live by faith. He closed with personal greetings to those in Rome and from those in Corinth.
His closing words are a prayer. It is a long run-on sentence that we can rearrange and break up into smaller pieces.
To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ.
He is able to save you through the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
This gospel was given by the eternal God as revelation to the prophets long ago.
The purpose of the gospel is so that all nations might believe and obey Him.
Amen
This is the bottom line. It is all about the glory of God. We can experience His glory through faith in Christ. We have this message as the gospel which was given to us and to all people for all time.
We have finished the book of Romans. I hope that you are making daily Bible reading part of your routine. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes.
We will continue our daily reading by starting the book of Acts tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
