Israel lived by the Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). Jesus lived by the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). The church should live by the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). In many ways the little epistle of 2 Peter is about living by the Word of God. It is in the written Word of God […]
Week 33 Study | Christ Is Preeminent
Our oldest son had a T-shirt that read, “There are two things you can be sure of: 1) There is a God. 2) You are not him.” The Colossians needed an 18-wheeler full of those T-shirts. After Epaphras had planted the church in Colossae (1:7) the church experienced a heresy that threatened to undo the […]
Week 32 Study | Giving Justly
Three activities occupied center stage for the earliest church in the book of Acts. Those three activities were preaching the gospel, baptizing the converts, and planting the church. But running under the radar of those three was the collection for the saints. Jesus had taught his disciples to care for the poor (John 12:5-8). The […]
Week 31 Study | God’s Justice
We rarely do justice well. God always does justice well. Romans is about the justice of God—real righteousness. As Paul built a bridge between Jews and Gentiles in the church at Rome he explained what God’s justice looks like. Following the opening greeting and his typical thanksgiving, Paul stated the thesis (Romans 1:16, 17). The […]
Week 30 Study | Parable of the Great Dinner
Eating is a form of thanksgiving and table fellowship is sacred. Jewish table grace went something like this: “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” When we eat we are acknowledging that God has provided for our needs. When we sit down at table […]