Romans 3:1-20 This is a truly sobering passage of Scripture. Paul’s summary assessment of humanity without Christ is this: all are under sin. Listen again to what Paul has to say: 10 “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With... Read more
Romans 2:17-29 Paul makes an interesting contrast in Romans 2, a contrast that would have been not only interesting but also shocking to 1st century Jews. His contrast is between true Jews and false Jews, in essence, but those he counts as “true” Jews are not necessarily the religious or ethnic Jews. Paul’s shocking contrast can be categorized something like the list below: Jew (regardless of ethnicity) non-Jews (regardless of ethnicity) circumcised heart circumcised heart, irrespective of physical circumcision Spirit ... Read more
Romans 2:1-16 “in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (verse 16). Brhrhrhrhrh! That’s the sound a massive shiver going up and down my spine and resounding throughout me from the micro to the macrocosm. God will judge my secrets – and yours! That could cause paralysis to set it, knowing full well, when we’re forced to such inner honesty, that we all have a lot of ‘splaining to do. But once again, I... Read more
Romans 1:1-17 Out of Paul’s life and into his head. This ought to be interesting, having just finished Acts to enter into Paul’s magnum opus, his letter to the Romans. Do you get the idea, reading Romans 1, that Paul thinks that the gospel of Jesus Christ is important? More than important, the gospel of Jesus Christ is to Paul an all-consuming passion that is intimately connected to Paul’s life and to the life of God’s people before and after... Read more
Acts 28:16-31 Here is what Jesus Christ told Ananias, things which I’m sure He also told St. Paul: “He is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). Was it worth it? Here is Paul’s abbreviated list of what he had to endure for Christ: “imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of... Read more
Acts 28:1-15 “When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage” (Acts 28:15). This little verse humbles me. It makes me think. It makes me feel. Here’s Paul, the greatest apostle in the world. He’s endured prisons in many cities, stripes above measure, the forty minus one stripes from the Jews five times, three times being beaten with rods, one stoning, three shipwrecks, a night and a day in the deep, thousands of miles of difficult travel, weariness, sleeplessness,... Read more
Acts 27:27-44 “And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then they were all encouraged and also took food themselves. And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship” (Acts 27:35-37). “Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and... Read more
Acts 27:9-26 “I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” Is this a sentence that you can say in all honesty? Naturally, the difficulty in believing what God has told you would depend on several variables: how unlikely and improbable the statement is; how strong your faith is; how certain you are that it is God who told you; what you believe about God and how He works, etc. But you know what I mean.... Read more
Acts 26:24-27:8 “A little learning is a dangerous thing,” they say. In this case, as in many others, I’ve figured out who “They” are: Alexander Pope. Well, I have a little learning, especially when it comes to New Testament Greek. This is, of course, no fault of my Greek teacher (he knows who he is!) My little Greek (I keep him in a closet in my house) cannot help me make a firm decision about the very verse I want... Read more
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Friday of Trinity 9 – Romans 3:21-31
Romans 3:21-31 Here i am. I stand alone and without defense or excuse. Here is a true and accurate judgment of myself and therefore upon myself: Made in the image of God, I have sinned and have fallen short of that image. Bearing His glory, I have fallen short of that glory. I am not righteous, and I do not understand. I have not sought God but have turned aside, away from Him. I have become unprofitable, and I do... Read more