Romans 9-11 So what about Israel? What about the Jews? In light of the Gospel of faith in Jesus Christ, what about all those promises to “God’s people”? These are a few of the questions that Paul addresses in today’s reading. Unfortunately, it seems that many Christians widely ignore these chapters altogether. For example, many …
Monthly Archives: December 2023
December 11 / Romans 5-8
Romans 5-8 Most of us, I think, are missing out. Most of us read these chapters of Romans and nod our heads in agreement but do not really believe what we read. Or, rather, we’ve been conditioned to interpret Paul’s words narrowly as applying only after we physically die. We read “saved”, and we think …
December 10 / Romans 1-4
Romans 1-4 What is your standard? What rules or guidelines do you think people should follow? What’s the bare minimum for acceptable conduct? It does not matter what the standard is. The standard could be God-given, like the Ten Commandments or the rest of the Torah, or it could be societal norms, or it could …
December 9 / II Corinthians 8-13; Acts 20:2-3a
II Corinthians 8-13;Acts 20:2-3a But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, …
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December 8 / II Corinthians 1-7
II Corinthians 1-7 Today we are racing through several chapters that I find to be some of the most difficult to understand in all of Scripture. Part of the problem that we have is that the context is very unclear. In Acts, Luke does not tell us absolutely everything about Paul’s comings and goings, so …
December 7 / I Corinthians 15-16; Acts 19:23-20:1
I Corinthians 15-16;Acts 19:23-20:1 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. …
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December 6 / I Corinthians 12-14
I Corinthians 12-14 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. I …
December 5 / I Corinthians 9-11
I Corinthians 9-11 Americans often seem to be obsessed with “rights”. Insofar as we stand firm to protect the rights of others, particularly those who might otherwise be powerless or oppressed, that is a good thing, for without the protection of individual rights or the rights of a minority, a democracy can quickly become indistinguishable …
December 4 / I Corinthians 5-8
I Corinthians 5-8 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20 The immediate context here regards sexual conduct, with the …
December 3 / I Corinthians 1-4
I Corinthians 1-4 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. I Corinthians 1:10 How are we doing on that? If one looks at …