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One Incredible Expression of God’s Love: The Greatest Gift of All
In the Gospel of Luke the author looks back on events with the purpose of setting things in order. You see, something quite miraculous had happened; something that was not expected, and in the end changed the world. Luke begins his record by stating that he has undertaken the task of setting things in order for all that had been accomplished so that the most excellent Theophilus1 would have a full understanding of the events that surrounded Jesus’ life. Unlike other historical records, Luke’s was different because he was writing about a wonderful work that God had done; a work that would forever change the relationship of men to God and would bring about the downfall of our enemy, Satan; a work that was wholly unexpected from man’s point of view, for Luke’s history tells of something that no man could have ever thought possible. God came to be in the flesh.
So stunning was this new event, that not even the spirit beings could understand it. …which none of the princes of this age knew. For if, assuming it is true, they knew, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory2. How could the God who created the universe be in the form of a man who is created a little lower than the angels? You had made Him for a short time a little lower than the angels, You have crowned Him with a proper opinion and honor… 3 This was nothing they had seen before, even though many of times the spirit beings had been with the Son of God when He manifested Himself to men as the Messenger of […]
The Book of Romans
The original writing of the book of Romans was in the form of a letter. This translation has been put back into this form to emphasis the unity that is within the book, which is often interfered with by chapter and verse breaks that are very poorly placed and lead the reader to misunderstand the context – verses are often placed in the middle of sentences; some chapter breaks are in the middle of sentences and some are in the middle of a context, which lead the reader to believe a break has occurred when it has not. The verses have been superscripted to reduce distraction but still provide a reference point.
[] = Ellipsis
Italics = added for clearly. Either implied by the context or added for a smoother English translation.
a = “that which has quality of”. The Greek Language does not have the same concept of an inarticulate article as the English does.
The letter to the saints in Rome was written by Paul in A.D. 57-58 from Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul reminded the Corinthian saints what the message for salvation is – Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Salvation is by faith, not by any quality of work. In this letter Paul goes beyond initial salvation into the Christian life showing how to have victory over our sin nature and walk by the Spirit. This is a Gospel that he is not ashamed of and has the natural ability to save, 1:16.
The Book of Romans
1.1 Paul, a servant belonging to Jesus Christ, a called one, an apostle, having been set apart unto […]
Definition of Sin
The Definition of Sin
The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?
“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good […]
Sin, Trespass, and the Mind
The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?
“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good with the sling that […]