Acts 8:1–25 records the great persecution of the church by Saul and the consequent spread of the gospel to Samaria through Philip. “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ” (Acts 8:5), and “there was much joy in that city” (Acts 8:8; cf. 8:6–7).1 Prior to Philip’s coming, “a… Continue Reading
In Acts 6:11–14, Stephen is falsely accused of blaspheming God by speaking ill of the Mosaic Law and the temple. Acts 7 then records his speech, notable because it is the longest speech in Acts and one by a non-apostle. Given a quick read of his speech, we might wonder why it took Stephen 50… Continue Reading
Any church or Christian organization can feel somewhat lost when a pastor or leader steps down, especially if he does so suddenly or resigns because of sin. In the absence of his leadership, there is a time of limbo for God’s people while they search to fill the previous leader’s shoes, or, even if an… Continue Reading
What did it mean that Stephen’s “face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15), and why did it look this way? We first meet Stephen as a deacon, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). He was appointed to coordinate meals for widows (cf. Acts 6:1–7), but he… Continue Reading
The devotional study below was a challenge given at my own church this past week. May you find it encouraging for your own soul, and have a Merry Christmas! Introduction The point of Matthew 1:18–25 is to tell how “the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way,” that is, in the way described… Continue Reading
Does Acts 6:1–7 tell us anything about deacons, technically speaking? After all, the word deacon is not used, some of the seven men appointed to ministry also preached (Stephen and Philip), and the seven’s appointment was for a singular task, not serving the church’s tangible needs as a whole. While such a description may push… Continue Reading
Where I live, we just had several inches of snow. Not only does the Bible say a few things about snow itself, but it also uses several wintry analogies to teach us truths and lessons to live by today. Winter’s Origin, Purpose, and Duration God created winter (Gen 8:22; Ps 74:17) so that we would… Continue Reading
Psalm 124 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving, a psalm that instructs us how to thank God together. This psalm also instructs us as to one of the ways for how to thank God as well.1 The psalm was written after having escaped some enemies, perhaps in battle, and assuming the superscription’s accuracy, David was… Continue Reading
Psalm 23 has been precious to the saints throughout the ages. It gives comfort in the midst of death, and it strengthens our delight and trust in the Lord because He is our Shepherd. Its author is David who knew the Lord as Jacob did, “the God who has been my shepherd all my life… Continue Reading
Acts 3–4 records how Peter and John healed a lame man. As their spokesman, Peter explained to the Jewish people (Acts 3:12–26) and their leaders (Acts 4:8–12) that the healing took place by faith in Jesus’ name, that is, that by believing in the one named Jesus who has the power to give salvation and… Continue Reading
The body of Christ is something bigger than the local church, and believers should in theory be able to serve at one church just as at another. However, heresy, ecumenicism, ungodly living, misunderstanding, and disagreements abound in many churches today, making it necessary for a local church to spell out in detail its confession and… Continue Reading
This post is the last of three in this brief series on congregational singing, and the points below are conclusions made from an examination of Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16. Read these posts here (Eph 5:19) and here (Col 3:16). — A comparison and contrast of Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16 give us some helpful… Continue Reading
Last week, we begin this short series by looking at Ephesians 5:19 with a view towards learning how to worship with singing and music in a congregational assembly. This series continues this week by examining Colossians 3:16. — Having examined Eph 5:19, it will become clear that the terminology and some of the concepts of… Continue Reading
Note: This post is the first of a three-part series. This post examines Ephesians 5:19, the next post examines Colossians 3:16, and the final post will offer some conclusions based upon the examination of these two passages. — The purpose of the discussion below is to examine Eph 5:19 and Col 3:16 in order to… Continue Reading
Among other reasons that could be given, I believe the practice of formal church membership is necessary in our context in light of the presence of denominationalism, false churches, and worldly living that is clearly at odds with the Christian life. Individuals commit to a church’s confession and covenant in order to identify themselves in… Continue Reading
Psalm 110:1 enjoys more references in the NT than any other verse from the OT. It is quoted 5 times and given allusion 15 times. From my own study, I’ve grouped these quotations and allusions into the headings below, and every reference cited is to one of those quotations or allusions.1 Perseverance “Jesus…endured the cross,… Continue Reading
Matthew 28:18–20 states, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have… Continue Reading
While I realize that many disagree with cessationist beliefs (i.e., that special revelation and its occasionally-accompanying sign-gifts such as tongues were limited to the apostolic era and have thus ceased), it is helpful for anyone to study the topic of speaking in tongues as it involves multiple chapters in Acts and 1 Corinthians. I know… Continue Reading
In Acts 2:36, Peter concludes his sermon in this way: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (ESV cf. Acts 2:14–36). Let’s look at these two titles for Jesus. First, Jesus is Lord. David identified Him as his… Continue Reading
In Acts 2:14–41, Luke records Peter quoting or alluding to a half-dozen passages or so in his Pentecost sermon. These passages are listed below along with a snapshot explanation for why Peter quoted each passage. Joel 2:28–32a in Acts 2:16–21 Peter quoted Joel to identify the cause for speaking in tongues as something of the… Continue Reading