June 15 Paul feared that the church in Thessalonica might have wavered in their faith, so he sent Timothy to them to check on their spiritual health. Paul was greatly encouraged by what Timothy reported. So, in the first two chapters, Paul praised the church for how they had responded to the Gospel; here in…
June 12 Several times in Acts 17, we see more problems with Jews over the proclamation of the Gospel. They are clearly jealous that people are coming to faith in Jesus. (Acts 17:5) In this first instance, they formed a riot and raided the home of “Jason” in Thessalonica. Little else is known about Jason,…
June 7 In Galatians 4, we see a new dynamic in the relationship between God and His people. Under the Old Covenant, God’s people only knew God as an “out there” God. But in today’s Bible reading, we see that God is not “out there”. God’s people saw themselves as servants of God. However, under…
March 6 After celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Jesus walked with them to the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive grove just outside of Jerusalem where He often went to pray. (Luke 22:39) It’s interesting that He would choose this place to pray, especially this night. The name Gethsemane means “oil press.” Not surprisingly, Matthew…
January 30 Welcome to the Gospel of Matthew! Like John, Matthew was one of Jesus’ disciples, specifically one of the twelve apostles. Scholars also identify Matthew with the name Levi in Mark 2:14. (Compare with Matthew 10:3) You may have heard critics argue that Isaiah 7:14, the prophecy that Matthew quotes in verse 23, denies…
January 22 Once more, Jesus tells His disciples that He will leave soon, but in His absence His Father will send the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will expand on what Jesus has already told them. (John 16:7–15) There were many things Jesus taught His disciples, who often had no clue what He was telling them….
