Apollos was an eloquent preacher. He was well-versed in the Old Testament Scriptures. He knew his stuff. But he wasn’t “up to snuff”. In today’s Bible reading, Dr. Luke tells us about an Alexandrian preacher named Apollos. Look at the positive words Dr. Luke uses to describe him: eloquent, competent in the Scriptures, instructed in…
Today’s Bible reading is Galatians 1. Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians to counter a dangerous theology that added to Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice. They began to believe a different gospel. A group of Judaizers (not just “Jews”) said that Jesus’ death was sufficient for our forgiveness, but in order to be a good Christian,…
James doesn’t mince words about suffering. He is clear that there is no shortcut to spiritual maturity. He begins his book by urging his readers to rejoice whenever they experience trials. And he concludes his book with today’s Bible reading, urging his readers to be patient in suffering. (James 5:7-11) He fills in the gaps…
In today’s Bible reading*, the Apostles come to a point where they realize they can’t do it all. They couldn’t even serve tables on their own. People began accusing the Apostles of overlooking the Hellenistic (Gentile) widows and giving preference to Jewish widows. That may or may not have been the case, but the accusation…
Today’s Bible reading tells us that Jesus’ Disciples devoted themselves to … prayer. (Acts 2:42) So what does it mean to devote yourself to prayer? As a pastor, I receive emails from time to time asking me to complete a survey in exchange for an ebook. I completed one of those surveys a few years…
In today’s Bible reading*, we read that after celebrating the Passover meal with His Disciples, He leads them to the Garden of Gethsemane, singing a hymn. Jesus asked three of His Disciples, Peter, James, and John, to pray with Him. He tells them that he is greatly distressed and troubled and asks them to remain there and…
