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Showing 1876 to 1900 of 4957 results

1876. Peter’s Vision

Acts 10:9-23a, Acts 10:23b-48

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... statement later, in verse 28, in reference to the Gentiles. In Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism, the observance of clean and unclean laws is often used as an identity claim whereby Jews are publicly set apart from the Gentiles (cf. Dan. 1:8–12; 2 Maccabees 6:18–25). God’s vision for Peter directly challenges this separatist claim, as God indicates that the Gentiles are now fully acceptable to him. While Peter is still trying to discern the meaning of the vision, the messengers sent by Cornelius ...

1877. Herod’s Death

Acts 12:19b-25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... against the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28. In rebuking this ruler, the Lord reminds him that he is “a mere mortal and not a god” (Ezek. 28:2), and he “will die a violent death” (Ezek. 28:8). Other prophetic books contain similar warnings that those who claim to be “like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14) will fall from their exalted place of power (Isa. 14:12). In the context of Acts, anyone who challenges the sovereignty of the “Lord of all” (10:36) will be overcome by the power of God. This point is ...

1878. The Riot in Ephesus

Acts 19:23-41

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in Ephesus and throughout Asia is described as one that is focused on undermining idols and foreign gods (19:26). The first part of verse 27 can be literally translated as “the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing” (NET), and this claim again can be compared to the anti-idol polemic of the Old Testament prophets (cf. Isa. 40:17). Although the rest of the narrative in Acts 19 does not portray the collapse of the cult of Artemis, the assertion that through Paul’s ministry the ...

1879. A Report of Factions within the Community

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... a group associated with Peter’s Jewish Christian views may have come into existence at Corinth). The final slogan, “I follow Christ,” has always proved difficult to interpret. Although it seems to designate a fourth group (whose apparent claim was allegiance to Christ’s teaching alone), it could denote the common claim of each of the three groups (“I am of Christ,” “No, I am,” etc.), or Paul’s own retort to all (“You follow so and so, but I follow Christ”). With a series of rhetorical ...

1880. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... :18–2:5) may be divided into three parts, in terms of its focus (1:18–25), its effects (1:26–31), and its claim to inspiration (2:1–5). Paul begins with a corollary of the point made in the last verse. Those who are perishing because of ... . (Paul’s statement implies that one effect of the search for wisdom has been that some at Corinth do indeed lay claim to these attributes either literally or figuratively. Jewish wisdom writings often ascribed to the wise man all the attributes mentioned here ...

1881. Wisdom from the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... God has prepared for those who love him. Over against the demonstrated ignorance of the rulers with respect to true wisdom stands Paul’s assertion that “God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (2:10). The remainder of the section enlarges on this remarkable claim. Verses 10 and 11 establish the Spirit of God as an adequate guide to such wisdom. For the Spirit is able to understand all the aspects of the wise plan of God, even its deepest secrets, just as the same capacity to understand our own plans ...

1882. An Appeal for Full Allegiance to Apostolic Authority

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... long as they look simply at the “surface” of such an allegation it may seem to have the appearance of the truth, especially when promoted by Christians who confidently proclaim that in offering this observation they “belong to Christ” (10:7). But the claim of allegiance to Christ is not an exclusive possession, and if it legitimately belongs to anyone, it certainly belongs to Paul as much as his detractors. Consequently, though the apostle will admit to a more open use of the authority that the Lord ...

1883. Paul’s Ambition and Joy Is the Gospel of Christ

Philippians 1:12-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... because he is not without help. He is supported by the prayers of the Philippians and the help of the Holy Spirit. Thus, Paul is confident that his condition will turn out not only for the benefit of the gospel but also for his own benefit (1:19). He claims that, through the help he has received, he will be delivered. In 1:20, Paul details how he was helped and the nature of his deliverance. Ultimately, Paul’s goal for his life is to continually exalt Christ in his body (1:20). He desires the courage to ...

1884. Follow the Example of Paul As He Follows the Example of Christ

Philippians 3:12-4:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Paul’s life that he can offer himself to the Philippians as a model of what it means to live a life conformed to the truth of the gospel, and here he urges them to join him in allowing Christ to claim their lives. The Greek phrase touto phroneō of 2:5, translated as “your attitude should be the same,” is echoed in the touto phroneō of 3:15, translated as “all . . . should take such a view of things.” This echo is not accidental. Paul wants the Philippians to have the mind ...

1885. The Hymn to Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... The cross made peace between God and his creation; it reconciled all things, which suggests that its power was not limited to human sin but covered the ramifications of sin throughout all creation. This reconciliation is available to all by faith. Paul is not claiming a universal salvation here; rather, he is emphasizing the scope of Christ’s redemptive work—all people can be reconciled, through faith (1:23; see also 2 Cor. 5:10). 1:21–23 · The Colossians stand firm in faith and hope: After finishing ...

1886. The Example of Paul’s Suffering

Colossians 1:24--2:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... passed on by a qualified teacher. Paul uses the same language in 1 Corinthians 11:23, when speaking about the Eucharist, and in 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3, when he summarizes the gospel message. In proclaiming Jesus as Lord, Paul draws on the church’s ancient claims about Christ, as evidenced in the baptismal confession of Romans 10:9 and the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:6–11. Paul enjoins them to gain a better understanding of their faith that they might live strong and with joyous thankfulness (see 1:12; 3 ...

1887. Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

Colossians 2:6-23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... .) The description “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21) suggests Jewish piety, here relegated to the present age, which works off human tradition and its limited wisdom (see also Matt. 15:9, citing Isa. 29:13). Paul does not claim that Jews were legalistic. By observing the law, Jews expressed their status as God’s chosen people. Paul does not dismiss these practices outright but rather relegates them to a secondary status in light of the surpassing greatness of Christ. Paul is speaking ...

1888. Set Your Heart and Mind On Things Above

Colossians 3:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... minds (see also 2 Cor. 4:16). Genesis 1:26–27 speaks of humankind being made in God’s image, but later sin destroys that perfection (Gen. 3:6–19). Colossians 1:15 insists that Christ is the image of the invisible God, and Paul’s claim in 3:10 indicates that, in Christ, humanity has been restored to fullness and completeness. Today we tend to read such passages as referring primarily to the individual, but Paul was clearly thinking of the entire church, because he goes on to describe the body of ...

1889. Rules for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18-4:1

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... few slave owners among the congregation. Also, Paul has been speaking twice to the paterfamilias (the family head) as husband and father. As in those important roles, so here, the male slave owner must wield his responsibility mindful of the Lord’s own claims on his life. The master is enjoined to be just even as Christ will judge fairly. Finally, Paul is sending an entire letter to a slave owner, Philemon, in their midst, where he more fully expresses his opinions on Christians owning Christians. While ...

1890. Exhortations to Persevere in Christian Faith

Hebrews 10:19-39

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... in every believer’s life, over which one mourns, of which one repents, and for which one turns to Christ (Heb. 4:15–5:12), but to the renunciation of the faith (3:12; 6:6). If, having once become acquainted with and having laid claim to the final and perfect sacrifice of Christ, one rejects it as the hope of salvation, all hope is forever lost. The Levitical sacrifices that this readership is tempted to prefer cannot make anyone perfect, and God will not grant repentance to apostates. This striking ...

1891. To Abide in Christ Is to Attain Victory over Sin

1 John 2:28--3:10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jesus movement. Consider the appeals of the religious leaders in the Gospel: “We are disciples of Moses!” (John 9:28). “We are Abraham’s descendants” (John 8:33). They claimed that whoever speaks of himself is a presumptuous prophet, not a true prophet. Therefore, Jesus in the Gospel is presented as addressing those claims with his authentic mission from the Father (see Deut. 18:15–22). Here the emphasis is placed on the spiritual anointing that believers have received from the one who abides ...

1892. Love One Another

1 John 3:11-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... them and their Lord in order to escape Roman persecution showed up for worship and expected to continue in fellowship with other believers? Was this the sin mentioned in the early part of the epistle, and were Gentile Christians claiming it was not a sin, therefore claiming to be without sin for participating in Roman civic life? Following this appeal to willingly suffer the ultimate of sacrifices for the love of Christ and his beloved, however, the elder swings to the most mundane of considerations. Verse ...

1893. The Antichrists Are Coming! They Deny Jesus Came in the Flesh

1 John 4:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... by a docetic Christology. Therefore, the way to test false prophets is to examine their christological claims. While their assimilative teachings might have excused social and religious compromise in the name of “ ... origin of the adversaries explains why the worldly listen to them, but the elder contrasts himself and his audience with the antichrists and their cohorts. Claiming to be from God, those who heed the elder show themselves also to be knowers of God; conversely, those who are not rooted in God ...

1894. Let Us Love One Another!

1 John 4:7-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... to love God, whom one has not seen, without loving one’s brothers and sisters in faith, whom one has seen? The appeal to the believer’s identity and aspiration is a winsome move. One cannot authentically claim to love God without also loving those God loves—brothers and sisters within the beloved community of believers. This makes the original commandment of the Lord that much more compelling: those who love God must love Christian brothers and sisters. They have no choice. To refuse to embrace the ...

1895. Here's Mud In Your Eye

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... , grief, or fear? Do you need to be healed of cynicism? Do you need to know his power to overcome sin, lust, or addictions? Hear these words again through the ears of your heart: The Christ we follow is still the same, With blessings that all who will may claim. But how often we miss Love's healing touch, By thinking, "We must not expect too much." The blind man's neighbors are blinded by their low expectations. They do not believe much, expect much, or get much: "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg ...

1896. A Happy Ending

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... in ways that we never thought we would live. We arrive at a level of faith we never thought we could experience. We sense God’s sanctifying and glorifying grace at work within us, all because we said, “Yes,” to a new beginning! I challenge you to claim the new beginning that God has in store for you. Don’t stay in the wilderness of the end when a new beginning is calling you to “Go,” as Kipling said, “Go and look behind the ranges. Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you ...

1897. Dying To Live

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... ? What would happen? I know. God would come to us in Christ and gently take off our old, shabby, dirty, ugly coat and say, “Bring to me the family robe of righteousness, for my child has come home.” All we have to do is shed our sin and claim our inheritance as children of God! A beggar sat every day on a street corner across from an art studio. For days, an artist had seen him and decided to paint his portrait. When the artist completed the portrait, he invited the beggar into the studio. The artist ...

1898. I Wonder if God Exists

Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... are not sure about the nature of God. Is God loving or hateful? Does God care about the world or has God abandoned us? They study world religions and it just confuses them more. In addition, many of them look to the behavior of those who claim to believe in God and are not impressed with what they find. This is a sobering indictment on the church. When I speak with Christians about the existence of God, surprisingly, many are not able to articulate reasons why they believe in the existence of a benevolent ...

1899. Prayer Changes Things

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... healed and I believe your prayer healed me. I don’t know if you felt it, but when you prayed for me I felt a warm wave come through your arm and hand and into my body. This was when my healing started.” I don’t claim to be a faith healer but I do claim this: There is power in prayer! Howard’s experience taught me this again. This experience also taught me that we need to take a second look at how we pray. Many of our prayers are simply anemic. We put caveats in them like, “Maybe Lord, if ...

1900. A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... have people call them “Rabbi” (v. 7; rabbi transliterates the Hebrew raḇ (“great”) with the suffix “my” (hence, “my great one”). Verses 8–11 appear to be addressed to Jesus’ disciples only. He cautions them that they (the Greek is emphatic) are not to claim the title Rabbi, because for them there is only one “great one” and they are all brothers of equal rank. No one on earth is to be called father because they have but one Father and he is in heaven. What Jesus is speaking against ...

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