Obviously, the severity of Paul’s language in Philippians 3:2 reveals the seriousness of the threat of the Judaizers to Christianity. Perhaps it is worth considering for a moment the worth and danger of using harsh language to describe theological realities. Given that our current society tends to value kindness over truth (likely an overcorrection of …
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, …
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word …
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 16:25 ESV What proverb better describes life in the aftermath of the Fall? Our sin clouds our judgments. It covers our eyes. We seek after things that seem to bring joy, pleasure, and happiness, but they …
And God spoke all these words, saying, I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:1-3 ESV Throughout our study on the Ten Commandments, we will seek to focus a great deal upon …
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Colossians 1:1-2 ESV Like all of Paul’s letters, the opening greeting is full of introductory concepts and phrases for us to …
The first five books of the Bible, commonly called the Pentateuch or Torah, are not merely the opening act of God’s revelation to humanity nor should we read them simply as a historical account of our faith’s roots. Instead, alongside the rest of the Old Testament, we affirm these writings to be the presently applicable …
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13 ESV Whenever I begin to finish a sermon series, I almost always have a longing to set aside my previous plans for the following series in order to repeat the current one again. This is because, after having spent dozens of hours …
Author The author of Colossians is blatantly stated to be Paul (1:1). Timothy likely served as the scribe while Paul dictated the content with exception to the final verse of the letter, which Paul wrote with his own hand. Many scholars have tried to argue that Paul did not author this letter; rather, someone (who …
Of all the various philosophies to choose from, Stoicism is particularly fascinating to me (as I've noted previously). Far from the stereotype of seeking to remain emotionless through life, Stoics seeks to live each day as if they might not have another, to master their primal appetites and desires, and to face with resolve and …
B. C. Newton 