Church Blog (Page 13)

The book of Acts is the Holy Spirit’s record of the establishment and growth of the church. Penned by Luke as an inspired “sequel” to the gospel record that bears his name, Acts illustrates how the apostles fulfilled Jesus’ instruction to spread the gospel message throughout the ancient world; “…ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The people, places, doctrines and…

The one passage of scripture nearly every sinner knows is found in Matthew 7:1 – “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” In the mind of every rebellious, self-willed individual, these words from Jesus should protect them from any censure or correction by those who seek their repentance – “Don’t you judge me! It’s a sin to judge!” John 7:24, however, puts our Lord’s instruction into its proper setting, however, noting that His disciples are to “judge” (select, choose, evaluate)…

Our Lord’s interview with Nicodemus in John 3 is truly a “highlight” of scripture because it is where Jesus first broaches the concept of “salvation by conversion.” Nicodemus was a “ruler” (ar-kon, a chief or prince – one of the Sanhedrin, John 7:50, the council who governed Judah under the high priest’s leadership) and a “teacher” (John 3:10) among the Pharisees (note Acts 23:8). For him, his physical birth was synonymous with his spiritual birth and identity. In his thinking,…

Unlike the synoptic (“same view”) gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke, John’s record of Jesus’ life focuses mainly on His ministry; there is no mention of His birth or infancy, and both Jesus and John the baptizer are presented as adults. John’s inspired account of the gospel is generally considered to have been written many years after Matthew, Mark and Luke, and is thought by many bible scholars to have been intended mainly for those who were already Christians.…

Pay close attention to Jesus’ words in Luke 16:16 – “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” His statement effectively “time stamps” the beginning point of new testament teaching. Since about 1970, a few preachers have loudly contended that the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – along with the first chapter of Acts – ought to be considered part of the…

The interviews in Luke 9:57-63 should be very instructive for Christians because they illustrate ways many people respond to the gospel. One man volunteers to follow the Lord “wherever you go” until he learns “the price of discipleship is higher than he expected (vs. 63 seems to imply that he did not make good his offer). Likewise, the man Jesus calls in verse 59 (and the second “volunteer” in vs. 61) is ready to be a disciple, but only after…

One of the unique details Luke presents about Jesus is his record of the relationship between Elizabeth (the mother of John the baptizer) and Mary (Jesus’ mother), in chapter one. According to verse 56, Mary stayed with Zechariah and Elizabeth for about three months (evidently, the last trimester of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and presumably the first months of Mary’s own pregnancy). Note in verse 41 that when the baby John heard the voice of Mary, he “leaped” inside Elizabeth’s womb. This…

In our new testaments, the third account of Jesus’ life is also the only record addressed to a specific audience, in this case an individual. Theophilus–whose name means “lover of God” –is also the “addressee” of the book of Acts, which is Luke’s sequel to the life of Jesus. Some commentators assert that “Theophilus” is merely a metaphor for all Christians. Theophilus was a fairly common name in the Gentile world of the first century, however, so there is no…

In Matthew 10:34-35, Jesus said He would “…set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law….” Jesus did NOT say He came to cause family strife; what He was illustrating is that His message can cause conflict even in families because some people accept it while others reject it. Later, He would say those willing to forsake home and even family for His sake and the gospel’s will be “compensated” a hundred times over for…

Mark 7 concludes with the words of Gentiles and half-breed Jews living in an area east of the Jordan River, across from Samaria (called the Decapolis). Their assessment of His mighty works? “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (ESV). The Decapolis was initially a province of ten cities built by Alexander the Great and modeled on Athens. They were originally populated with retired Greek soldiers and their families, and were…

The shortest of the four records of the life of Jesus, the book of Mark was evidently written for a mainly Roman audience. It presents Jesus as a grown man, focusing primarily on the things He did and said, with considerable emphasis on the miracles He performed. Mark’s account moves rapidly, as would befit a Roman military report. Brother Johnny Ramsey used to say that we should “obey now what you know now.” This is a quaint way of stating…

The parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-31 teaches a crucially important lesson about the nature of repentance. The very idea of “repenting” offends many folks today; every imaginable form of sin and perversion is practiced and defended openly. Much of Christendom embraces the idea that “sin” is not really connected to morality, and for most people repenting simply means offering a truculent “sorry” when they are caught in a sin. Jesus’ words, however, show clearly that there is…