Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic
Showing 376 to 400 of 3314 results
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... 16–17; 9:11–12; 41:5–8).3And, if Paul’s audacious assertion that God justifies the ungodly by faith was not revolting enough, the apostle goes on to indicate that Abraham himself was ungodly and thus had no hope of obligating God to save him; his only hope was to ... (4:9–12), and logical (4:13–17a) arguments and now moves on to the experiential argument (4:17b–22). The apostle makes the point that both Abraham (4:17b–22) and the Christian (4:23–25) experience justification before God in the ...
377. Resurrection and History
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Teach the Text
Preben Vang
... that refers to a premature birth or mis­carriage, where the child, if surviving, could be severely handicapped.[5] God’s grace alone has made Paul worth more than a dead corpse (cf. Num. 12:12; Job 3:16; Eccles. 6:3). Paul’s unworthiness as an apostle is displayed by his life before his encounter with the resurrected Christ: he “persecuted the church of God.”[6] 15:10–11  his grace to me was not without effect. Contrary to some of the Corinthians, what drives Paul is not a sense of self-worth ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... calls the Twelve first to be with him, then to verbal proclamation of the gospel, and finally to cast out demons—that is, to oppose evil and demonic forces. Apostleship thus entails the whole person—the relational, verbal, and behavioral. All lists of the apostles in the New Testament give preeminence to Peter, James, and John as an inner circle among the Twelve. As far as we know, none of the Twelve was a Jewish religious leader. Rather, all were representative of the common and diverse extremes (e.g ...
379. Introduction
Romans 1:1-17
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... call to devote his entire life to serving Jesus Christ coincided with his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19). It was God’s gracious and effective call that brought him to faith in Jesus Christ and that caused him to work as an apostle. Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ (see 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1), an envoy called by God to work on behalf of Jesus Christ, to whom he belongs. (3) Paul has been “set apart”—that is, consecrated and commissioned “for the gospel of God.” The message ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... and undeserving of the title because, unlike the others, he had persecuted the church of God (15:9; Acts 9:1–2), Paul was still called by divine grace, which is “not without effect,” to do the work of an apostle. In response, he expended more effort in travel and ministry and reaped more success (because of the “grace of God that was with me”) in the founding of churches than any other (15:10). So whether the Corinthians wish to view Paul’s preaching, or that of those whose witness ...
381. An Appeal for Complete Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 6:3-13, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... 20; Jesus’s own ministry is characterized by the conjoining of proclamation and power [Luke 7:22–23]), and the weapons of righteousness (2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:14). Then, in a series of contrasts, Paul brings the paradoxical experience of the apostle fully and realistically into view. In external appearance Paul’s apostolic ministry may indeed at times have seemed to some, not the least of whom were Paul’s opponents, to be characterized by marks of ineffectiveness and failure. But Paul makes his appeal ...
382. Support for the Appeal
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... of the Spirit are significantly different from those that were originally proclaimed at Corinth. Consequently, since the comprehension of the gospel is at issue, Paul will not permit the church to entertain even for a moment the idea that his credentials as an apostle are at all inferior to those of anyone his detractors put above him. And no one, Paul trusts, will be blinded to this by the fallacious argument that his knowledge about the faith is somehow inadequate because his self-expression is ineloquent ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... , and 1 Corinthians includes the cosender and brother, Sosthenes. He includes the name of his coauthor, Timothy. Philippians is addressed by both Paul and Timothy, though here they are described not as apostle and brother but as servants (slaves) of Christ Jesus (see also Rom. 1:1). Paul usually identifies himself as an apostle, which in general means emissary or messenger but in the early church carried with it a special status of one especially chosen or gifted to speak authoritatively to the church. Paul ...
Sermon
Robert Leslie Holmes
... written about me in the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures" (vv. 44-45). History and Modernity Meet in Christ's Ascension Think once more about what we say in the Apostles' Creed: "He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty." Now listen once more and allow the transitional tense of verb sink in this time: "He ascended (past tense) into heaven and sits (present tense) at the right hand ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
... responsibility. 9:1–6 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. This authority should not be understood as extending to the forgiving of sins (as in 5:24). The disciples, sent out as apostles, were to heal and to exorcise as Jesus had done. Now they, too, were to preach the kingdom of God, as Jesus earlier had done (4:43). Jesus lays down the guidelines for their mission in vv. 3–4. They are to take nothing for the journey ...
Understanding Series
James R. Edwards
... Romans 9 Paul quotes nothing in this section from the OT. The passage is dominated by the illustration of the olive tree, which may have been inspired by Isaiah 56:3–8. Nevertheless, more than anywhere else in Romans 9–11, the script here is written by the apostle himself, and in it we come closer to an answer about the place of Jews in salvation history. 11:11–12 Did the Jews stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? asks Paul (v. 11). His concern is no longer with the remnant of Jewish Christians, but ...
Understanding Series
James R. Edwards
... chapter 8. But there the doxology was a hymn to God’s love in Christ; here it is a hymn to God’s wisdom in salvation. 11:25–27 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, begins Paul. At critical junctures of thought the apostle often employs solemn avowals like this one to underscore the importance of his argument (1:13; 10:1; 2 Cor. 1:8; 1 Thess. 4:13). The governing word in this section is mystery (v. 25). In the NT “mystery” generally means the purpose of God for salvation in ...
388. The Resurrection of the Dead
1 Corinthians 15:12-34
Understanding Series
Marion L. Soards
... in picture language Paul means to identify the seriousness of the threat he faced in Ephesus. Therefore, Paul cites Isaiah 22:13b to establish the necessity of the truth that the dead are raised: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The apostle’s remarks have been labeled opportunistic, but when read in their specific context, the statements are in no way unscrupulous. Paul’s mild sarcasm should not obscure his sincerity; he means to use the reality of the hardships he was willing to suffer to ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
... verses find no parallel outside of Luke and so are usually thought to have been derived from the evangelist’s special source. Verses 35–36a presuppose the sending of the Twelve in 9:1–6 and the Seventy(-two) in 10:1–12. Whereas the apostles on those occasions traveled lightly (taking no wallet, bag, or sandals), this time they will need provisions, for the ministry that lies ahead of them will be long and difficult. Indeed, it will be so difficult that they had better arm themselves with a sword ...
Understanding Series
J. Ramsey Michaels
... ) in the story of Jesus’ resurrection. She, not Peter (cf. 1 Cor. 15:5; Luke 24:34), was the first to see the risen Jesus. The disciples are never called “the apostles” in John’s Gospel. The Greek word apostolos, “apostle,” occurs only in 13:16, in the sense of “messenger.” But Mary was a kind of “apostle to the apostles,” a messenger sent to Jesus’ gathered disciples with the good news that he was rejoining his Father—and theirs (vv. 17–18). The Lord himself was close behind his ...
Sermon
R. Robert Cueni
... and replaced it with the fragrant scent of angels’ breath. You can almost hear singing in the background, “There is a sweet, sweet spirit in this place and I know it is the presence of the Lord.” That holy moment ended abruptly. Judas Iscariot, the apostle who was to betray Jesus, spoke: “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (v. 5). I imagine that remark elicited an audible gasp. What Judas said had an element of practical truth. Perfume worth a ...
392. From Deep Unto Deep
Luke 22:14--23:56
Sermon
R. Robert Cueni
... of the ancient walled city of Jerusalem; follow the Jericho Road across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives. The Garden of Gethsemane is partway up the steep hill. Jesus’ experience in the quiet garden of prayer was marked by anguish. Those trusted apostles had the attention spans of small children. They lost interest and fell asleep. How disappointed Jesus was in them. “Could you not even stay awake with me?” The master knew where this night was headed and he was not looking forward to it. He ...
Sermon
R. Robert Cueni
... went alone to the cemetery. When she arrived, she was stunned to find that the large stone covering the opening to the tomb had been removed. She raced back to where the closest followers of Jesus were staying. When she arrived, only Simon Peter and an unnamed apostle, described as the “one whom Jesus loved,” were up, out of bed, and out in the city streets. Mary Magdalene told them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” This little group of three ...
394. The House on The Rock
Lk 6:12-49 · Mt 5:1-12
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... he would try to win as many of them as he could. Jesus would later in his ministry claim that he could not bring back most of those from Capernaum and surrounding cities along the shores of the lake. But he would lay the seeds for an entire movement. The apostles would carry on his mission. God’s mission. It was very important for Jesus to lay the groundwork with his disciples early on as to what kind of journey they would be on with him. It would not be easy. It was important that they knew, he was not ...
395. Dressed for Success?
Luke 24:36-49, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:1-11
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... sermon called “Cloak of Power,” based on the scripture about Elijah and Elisha. Based on the Story Lectionary Major Text Luke’s Story of Jesus’ Ascension: Stay Here in the City Until You Have Been Clothed with Power from On High (24:36-53) Acts of the Apostles: The Story of the Promise of the Holy Spirit and the Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11) Minor Text God’s Promise to Abraham (Genesis 12 and 17) The Story of Elijah and the Cloak of Power (2 Kings) Psalm 5: The Cloak of Protection Spread Over ...
396. Via Maris
Luke 4:14-30, Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:23-25
Sermon
Lori Wagner
... ” (34:23-25). Jesus began his restoration of God’s kingdom not in Jerusalem, the city that boasted to be the mercy seat of God, but in Galilee of the Gentiles, those who had “waited” for 7 centuries for their apostle, their messiah, their restoration. Jesus would establish 12 apostles representing the 12 tribes of Israel. And he would not stop until he had called out to all of God’s forgotten children. The Via Maris is the “Way” Jesus chose, not just a “way” that followed a certain code ...
397. Treasures from the Past
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Sermon
Mary Austin
... in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. This deep knowledge of Jesus, even after his human lifetime was over, changed Paul’s life. I wonder if the same is true for us. This is our inheritance, too. It’s passed on ...
Sermon
King Duncan
... ; he was determined to lead as many people out of the darkness as he could. And that’s exactly what Peter and the apostles were called to do when they shared the message of God with the Gentiles. When we really understand the greatness of God’s ... in God’s eyes, there’s only one type of person: greatly loved and worth dying for. In the book of Galatians 3:28, the apostle Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ ...
399. Bible Wagon
Ephesians 5:8-14
Sermon
Dr. Ronald Love
... you believe in God the Father almighty?” The second question: “Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God…” and this question would continue with a portion of the Apostle’s Creed as we know it today. The third question, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit…” and again the question would continue with a portion of the Apostle’s Creed as we know it today. The candidate would then be immersed. As the candidate came up out of the water the congregation would sing a baptismal hymn, while the ...
Sermon
Richard Patt
... be viewed by Philemon as a new brother in the faith. Paul puts punch behind his request by offering to replace anything Onesimus might have stolen. How could Philemon refuse to receive lovingly his former slave after an appeal like that from none other than the apostle Paul? We assume that Onesimus returned to Philemon and in some respect lived happily ever after. So far the story. This story, I submit, reveals to us what is the crux of being a Christian. It all has to do with what Philemon here finally ...
Showing results