By God’s sovereign grace, Saul—who was a self-righteous Pharisee and a violent opponent of the Christian church—came to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. He called upon his name, he was baptized, and he joined the disciples in Damascus (the very people he came to imprison). But this story shows us […]
Under the old covenant, the ceremonial laws communicated the truth that God is holy, and that he is totally separate from all that is not holy. This is why people with diseases or deformities were considered unclean and separated from the assembly of Israel. It wasn’t that these things made people evil; they symbolized the […]
The persecuted church in Jerusalem had been scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, preaching the Word as they went. Philip the evangelist had gone to Samaria, where the city received the gospel with joy. But Luke also includes a specific incident involving a Samaritan sorcerer name Simon. This story serves to illustrate a profound truth related […]
Acts 8:14-17 has been at the center of all kinds of controversy regarding the book of Acts and its interpretation. The doctrine of a “second blessing” taught in many churches is based partly on these verses. But why exactly did the risen Lord Jesus wait to send his Holy Spirit on the Samaritan Christians? If […]
The first part of the book of Acts ends with Stephen’s death and the persecution of the Jerusalem church. However, the attempts of Saul and the religious leaders to destroy the Christian church only served to bring about the fulfillment of the words of Jesus spoken in Acts 1:8, as believers were “scattered throughout the […]
Isaiah 11 describes the hope of a renewed world and a redeemed people under a righteous King. There, we learned that this King is none other than the Lord Jesus, our Immanuel. Isaiah 12 concludes the first major section of Isaiah by describing the response of those who belong to this kingdom. This chapter is […]
From the very beginning of history, humanity has questioned God’s authority. We often find ourselves asking “Who’s running this show? If God is really in control, then why is this happening?” We then fall for all kinds of unbiblical answers to this question of who or what is in authority: Fate or destiny. Luck or […]
Immediately after the joy-filled promise of the Shining Son given in Isaiah 9:1-7, the prophet again turns to a message of judgment. He rehearses the many sins of which Israel was guilty in four stanzas, each concluding with the same refrain: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched […]
Most of us are familiar with Matthew’s explanation of the birth of Jesus, when he writes: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)” (Matt. 1:22-23). However, many […]
