Our reading today begins with what is probably the most in-depth biblical teaching on what is the nature of true repentance, as opposed to a worldly and fleshly remorse (2 Cor. 7:5-13). I think as we read this passage, we get a profound sense that godly sorrow and true repentance over one’s sin is a […]
The Letters of Paul give us a great glimpse into his Pastor’s heart for the people of God. Paul certainly had his detractors in his day, and even today some people don’t like him very much. When he was alive, he was hounded and criticized by different groups within Judaism and outside Judaism. The Corinthian […]
In 1 Corinthians 12-14, the Apostle Paul has his most extensive teaching on the proper exercise of spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ, the Church. He begins his instruction by these words: “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Cor. 12:1). The sad truth is […]
Christianity is a very earthy and physical faith. We express our relationship with the invisible God through our very visible human bodies, and in relationship with other human beings. For example, in the middle part of the Book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses practical issues such as: a godly sexuality (1 Cor. 6:12-20); marriage (1 […]
In 1 Corinthians 1-6, we have the Apostle Paul’s most extended discussion on God’s wisdom, as compared with man’s wisdom. The Corinthian Church had been graced by God’s Spirit with generous spiritual gifts in their relationship with God’s Son, the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 1:4-9). But the Church in Corinth was characterized by divisions among […]
The second part of Romans (chapters 12-15), address the many specific areas of obedience which reflects God’s holiness in our lives. In the first section of Romans (Rom. 1-8), Paul has focused on what God has done for us in Christ. God has given us His best, His Son, in order to redeem us. God […]
In our reading today, we have a section of Scripture, Romans 9-11, that is often not preached on, and often not understood how it fits with the rest of the Book of Romans. I believe that in Romans 9-11, Paul is discussing the sticky issue, if Jesus is the long-expected Jewish Messiah, why did most […]
In the first 3 chapters of Romans, the Apostle Paul has dismantled any human confidence, either for the Jew or the Gentile, for attaining to the glory of God because of self-righteousness. Paul is like a lawyer in these chapters, convicting the whole world of its sin, whether religious or not, whether having the Mosaic […]
The Book of Acts ends with Paul being taken as a prisoner by ship to Rome and living under house arrest for 2 years, where he lived in his own rented house (Acts 28:30). For 2 whole years, Paul “boldly and without hindrance preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” […]
There was no one more important than the Apostle Paul in spreading the Christian faith beyond its beginnings in Jerusalem. From Acts 13 to Acts 28, the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys, and his appearances before 2 Roman governors and King Herod Agrippa, dominate the narrative. He was transformed by the Gospel from ‘Saul the Persecutor’ […]