To be “gods among men” requires a “pyramid” scheme with servants cooperating below. Picture the feudal system: serfs at the bottom, landowners under knights under the lords, with clergy then Pope and King at the top. Egypt and Rome were similar, with “god” rulers at the top, and slaves below. We might think that no ruler would believe in such fantasy nowadays, but consider French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, who...

The instruction of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians about restoration was critically important to that ecclesia. After listing the works of the flesh that would prevent inheritance of eternal life for the unrepentant, he then cataloged the expression of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:19-24).

Paul now conveys greetings to the Roman brothers and sisters from his companions. Once again in this chapter, we see how scrupulous he is to mention those companions’ names to his associates, his friends, and his brothers and sisters in Rome. Everyone is known by name; no one is a mere statistic...

Imagine the mixed feelings Tamar experienced when greeted with this proclamation. She most likely felt joy at the prospect of the birthright she’d risked her life to ensure. She’d orchestrated the plan to force Judah to provide the seed, the heir to the promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

A Warning Against False Teachers - “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned” Romans 16:17-20. Paul concludes his letter to the Roman ecclesia by warning the brethren against the danger of false teachers.

Here two groups of believers are mentioned without accompanying descriptions or commendations: “the brothers with them” (v 14), and “all the saints with them” (v 15). Apparently, Paul’s ties with these believers were not as strong as his ties with all the others who have been previously mentioned.

Faithful men and women of the Old Testament knew the written word well, and their study and meditation shaped how they met each crisis.

The first-century church organized its preaching with care, and every member had a part in spreading the word as the salt of the earth.

We know that Jesus chose His apostles for the most important mission in history. “And he said unto them, Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). But other than the New Testament accounts of the lives and the preaching of a few of the apostles, where did they all go and how did their lives end?

Cowering in a house in Jerusalem, their remaining hope was to escape the sword. Jesus had been crucified and buried along with their hopes of seeing his Kingdom established. The eleven who remained were scared. But soon, these same men would turn the world upside down. Soon they would spread God’s word the across the Roman world. How could that be possible?

John’s Gospel is different - Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the ‘Synoptic’ Gospels, because the events of Jesus’ life and ministry are seen from roughly similar perspectives. The Gospel of John is different. There is no account of the birth of the Savior, but an account of the spiritual rebirth of those who “received him.” “But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Some of the apostles listed in the opening article are known only by their recorded name in the New Testament. These individuals are often overlooked, but the context in which they are named indicates their vital importance in the first century ecclesias. It is perhaps surprising that so little is recorded about several of the twelve apostles, but we can often deduce much from the context and their names.