There is something within us as human beings that says, “I can do it.” There is something in us to drives us to take agency, to want to take control. “Mine!” is heard throughout the house if you have ever had a couple of toddlers playing in the same place together. So often, we are […]
It is clear that Paul’s work was not just Paul’s work. He saw his work as a catalyst for a much greater final work that would involve people from all over to be involved and be part of what he was doing. In Romans 16, by my count, Paul tells the church in Rome to […]
This jumped out at me today while reading Romans 15: May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 Paul is […]
Living out our faith together as a community of believers, we can find that there are different interpretations and beliefs on various issues. Some of these differences might be based on questions related to the scriptures, whereas other differences are related more to cultural contexts. In Romans 14, Paul addresses some of these issues using […]
Paul says that we should not let any debt remain outstanding except our debt of love: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not […]
Paul had just finished his discussion in Romans 11 saying that the Gentiles had been grafted into the tree of faith. The tree in that case represents God’s people, so while it had started with the people of Israel, God then placed the Gentiles within the tree, although establishing them there as a graft into […]
Paul has been talking about his own people, the Jews, as he discusses the fact that the Jews have been cut off from God’s favor, his mercy and grace, as a result of their disobedience. In Romans 10, he talks about the fact that the Jews are zealous for God, but they didn’t understand who […]
Last week, I met a Gambian man named Abba. We were out together playing cornhole and riding “crazy bikes”, an activity that we do from time to time in an effort to connect with people and share the Gospel with them. I asked Abba what his name meant in his mother tongue language as we […]
It is difficult to even begin to imagine the nature of the righteousness of God. God is perfect, holy, righteous in every way, but we as sinners don’t have a way to truly appreciate what that means. How is it possible that I could know what complete righteousness and perfection are? How can I even […]
Paul is signing off on the final paragraphs of his letter to the Thessalonians when he asks them to pray for he and his band of leaders who are leading the way in spreading the messsage of the Gospel. He asks for prayer in two separate areas: First, he asks that the Thessalonians would pray […]