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 […]
Who are the people of God today? Who can say, “The Lord is our God and we are his people”? Scripture declares that, after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, God graciously chose a people for himself out of all the nations of the world to be his treasured possession, obeying his […]
Under the Old Covenant, when the Law was given to the people of God on tablets of stone, three thousand fell by the sword (Ex 32:25-29). But under the New Covenant, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on God’s people to write the Law on their new-creation hearts, three thousand were saved, baptized, and […]
Over the course of redemptive history, there have been several pivotal moments that revealed who our God is and what his saving purposes are for the world. For instance, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the building of the temple, and the ascension of the risen Lord Jesus. However, before the final moment in […]
David’s prayer in Psalm 86, like the prayers throughout the Psalter, is highly instructive and illuminating for our times of communion with God. He makes a total of fifteen requests, yet he is essentially he is calling upon the name of the Lord his God for one thing: grace. In the first seven verses, David focuses […]
In the Old Testament, the Messiah (or Christ) was understood to be the anointed king through whom God would establish his kingdom on earth. Israel was anxiously awaiting this coming king who would conquer his enemies and rule the nations in righteousness. Moreover, one of the distinguishing marks of this long-expected Messiah was that he […]
Following Jesus’ declaration of coming not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, the Pharisees and scribes immediately defend their religiosity. Rather than hear, understand, and recognize their sinful condition before a holy God, they continue to boast in their self-righteousness and cling to their faithful law-keeping. But Jesus explains that the old covenant system of approaching […]
Luke’s gospel begins with two angelic announcements and two prophetic songs. In these narratives, through both the words of the angel and the doxologies of Mary and Zechariah, we are given a further glimpse into God’s plan of salvation that would soon find its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. John’s miraculous birth prompted Zechariah to use his loosed tongue […]
While the psalmist has praised the Lord for his protection, strength, and victories won for his people in the first half of the psalm, he now calls for the gates of the temple to be opened that he may worship the Lord in his presence (Ps. 118:19). But even while God may have been the defense […]
