Blog (Page 223)

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.” vs. 5 The congregation in Corinth was giving Paul fits. Instead of celebrating their unity in Christ they were choosing sides, with one group claiming connections with Apollos, the silver-tongued orator who had come to them after Paul, and the other claiming special allegiance to Paul, the church planter. And now the two groups were at odds,…

Psalm 119:5-8 “O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” vss. 5-6 The psalmist prays with all his heart that he will be able to keep the statutes of the Lord and thereby avoid being put to shame. We shouldn’t doubt his sincerity…it reflects our own desire to lead a good and blameless life. And he rightfully names shame, the faithful…

Psalm 119:1-4 “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1 This is the longest of all the psalms that have come down to us and has been carefully crafted to pay homage to the law and to offer encouragement to those who seek to obey it. The psalmist begins by observing that those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord, are blessed…and we would have to…

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him;” vss. 19-20a The book of Deuteronomy, one of the most precious documents to come down to us from our ancestors, presents itself as Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites before they leave the wilderness…

Matthew 5:17-20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 20 Though Matthew is obviously drawing parallels between Moses, the great lawgiver, and Jesus in his introductory chapters, the first words Jesus speaks to the disciples, the beatitudes, are a powerful statement of grace, and not a list of rules. He tells them clearly that they are the light of the world. But he follows…

Matthew 5:13-16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vs. 16 For some Christians, especially those who love Pauline theology, good works are regarded with a certain suspicion. For them salvation is all about grace and faith alone and any talk about works can be a dangerous distraction. Their emphasis on grace can be appreciated, yet it’s also important for us…

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vss.1-2 Many contemporary evangelists have used a non-Pauline approach in the proclamation of God’s mysteries. By using market surveys they can discover the needs and desires of their prospective audience…and then they craft a message that meets those needs…and…

Psalm 112:6-9 “They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.” vs. 9 In discussing the attributes of the righteous, the psalmist includes some reflections on how they will be remembered. While folks in those years probably had no strong hope of an afterlife, he does believe that deeds of righteousness would not be forgotten, that they would endure forever. And these many years later, we who live in…

Psalm 112:1-5 “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.” vs. 4 The community of faith has long recognized that their manner of life is an important witness to the world. Even in the days of the psalmist, hundreds of years before Jesus, there was an understanding that faithful godly living would have an impact, that the life of the God-fearer would be like light in the midst of darkness. According…

Isaiah 58:4-9a “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” vs. 6 The words of the prophet in this chapter have been an inspiration to millions of people through the centuries. They’re certainly a huge blessing to any who want to walk in the Way of Jesus. Those who take them to heart know that the…

 Isaiah 58:1-3 ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.” vs. 3 In this verse, the prophet imagines a brief dialogue between worshippers and the Lord. The people are wondering why good things aren’t happening since they’ve been following the rituals of worship so faithfully. They’ve expected the Lord to be pleased with their precise attention…

Matthew 5:7-12 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vs. 11 Most people enjoy hearing good things said about themselves and love the affirmations that come with popularity. To put it simply, we like being liked! In order for that to happen however, we’ll have to refrain from controversy as much as possible. We’ll have to be careful about what we say or do, even…