Ritualistic religion and worldly religious philosophies were numerous in New Testament times. As the Christian church grew, these beliefs and practices started to infiltrate the church and misguide the believers. So, the apostle Paul wrote the churches to address this problem. What were these ideas, and do they exist today?
Before Jesus was arrested and executed, he spent his last evening teaching and encouraging his disciples. And on this night before he left them, he wanted them to learn an important lesson. So, he washes their feet. What was the lesson he was teaching by this?
Wisdom is so valuable. We all need it to succeed in life and to be healthy and safe. It guides us in our daily relationships and endeavors, our quest for truth, and our relationship with the Creator. But there are barriers to acquiring wisdom, and the greatest of these are human pride and arrogance.
Many Bible passages address believing in Jesus and the doctrinal truths about salvation and forgiveness. Others, especially in the gospels, emphasize following Jesus as a disciple and obeying his commands. What is the relationship between believing and following? Can we believe in him without following him, or vice versa?
Since the beginning of his earthly ministry, Jesus called people to follow him as his disciples. What did it mean to be a disciple of Jesus then? And what does it mean to be his disciple today? Is it the same today for us as with the original disciples?
Believers in Christ are adopted into God’s family and are heirs of a rich eternal inheritance. What is this inheritance, how and when do we receive it, and how is it preserved for us?
In arguably one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the apostle Paul describes love and its supremacy. Closely connected to love are faith and hope. Paul concludes that these three virtues—faith, hope, and love—remain. What does Paul mean by this? And why are faith, hope, and love so important?
Romans chapter 9 is one of the most disputed chapters in the Bible. In it we find an allegory about the potter and the clay, which has been interpreted in different ways. The apostle Paul used this allegory consistent with how the Old Testament prophets used it. So, let’s find out what he meant by it.
Besides being the Son of God, Jesus was also a great teacher, probably the greatest of all time. But much of his teaching was by means of parables. So, why did he teach in a way that was sometimes difficult to understand? Was this intentional? And are there rules and standards we should follow to interpret Jesus’ parables?
Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet illustrates some very important principles of God’s kingdom. He told it to Jewish people of the first century, but he also intended it to be for us today, as it speaks of the breadth and depth of God’s grace and the extent of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
