… an apostle of Christ Jesus …
Summary: Paul begins by telling us who he is and, more importantly, who he represents.
Continue reading “Colossians 1:1b – The Right Path”Galatians 2:8 – World History in Four Parts
For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles.
Summary: Looking at the history of the world in four parts helps bring into focus the challenges God faced in redeeming his creation.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:8 – World History in Four Parts”Ephesians 4:17a – A Kind of Test
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do …
Summary: Paul’s problem is that people who believe in God act differently than people who don’t. Being the “Apostle to the Gentiles” carried with it the added burden of educating Gentile believers about this difference.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:17a – A Kind of Test”Ephesians 4:16 – What if God Sneezed?
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Summary: Paul continues with his description of the body of Christ, and with it, we continue our exploration of what that means.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:16 – What if God Sneezed?”Ephesians 4:11b – Circles of Faith
… apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers …
Summary: Understanding who these people are requires us to understand our relationship with Jesus, the body of Christ, and those who do not yet know our Lord.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:11b – Circles of Faith”Ephesians 3:5c – Marks of an Apostle
… to God’s holy apostles …
Summary: God’s Word gives us a lot of information about apostles. Pulling it together paints an intriguing picture of what an apostle looks like.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:5c – Marks of an Apostle”Ephesians 1:1 — Spreading the Kingdom
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…
Summary: As we begin our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the first question that comes to mind has to do with being an apostle. Who is an apostle, and what do they do?
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:1 — Spreading the Kingdom”2 Peter 1:1c — Fisherman
“…and apostle of Jesus Christ,”
Summary: God, through his Son, Jesus, has provided a means for us to know Him today. Peter was one of the Lord’s disciples, sent out with a mission, equipped for that mission, and given authority from God to implement that mission.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:1c — Fisherman”1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God
…an apostle of Jesus Christ…
Language is essential to civilization. It is how we share ideas. Without language so many things we take for granted would disappear. For example, look at the concept of time. For time to have any value, all of us have to agree on what time it is. Imagine a world where nobody could agree on what time it is. We all set our watches and clocks to whatever time we felt was right. We could all agree to “meet at 6 PM” but no two people would show up at the same time.
By the same token, if we cannot agree on the meaning of words, then we are at a loss to communicate. If we have a different understanding of a word’s meanings, then we might assume we have communicated when, in fact, we have not. The more technical the topic, the more critical a correct understanding of words becomes. Engineers have extremely detailed understandings for specific words. Without them, we couldn’t build bridges or send rockets into space.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God”