Many say that Romans 5:12-14 is one of the most controversial texts in the Bible. This is because there are many theological concepts and questions here that can be difficult to swallow—like the doctrine of original sin and the principle of representation. But the most important question raised by this text is rather simple and […]

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The Good News of God’s Son (Romans 1:1-4)

In the book of Romans, Paul is seeking to unify the church at Rome around his gospel and to enlist their support for his future mission to Spain. To do this, he has to introduce himself and his gospel, which he calls “the gospel of God.” He does all of this in the introduction of […]

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In the Beginning, Word (John 1:1)

Who do you say that Jesus is? If Jesus were to be here with us, he would have asked in this way, “who do you say that I AM?” We call Him Lord and Savior; we call Him the Son of God and Son of Man; we call Him the Messiah. Some called Him carpenter’s […]

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The Reason for the Hope, part 1 (Acts 24:1-27)

When Paul stood before the high priest and the Jewish council, he said: “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (Acts 23:6). Over and over, Paul makes this same assertion in his defense speeches in Acts. But why did he understand his all his […]

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In the last major section of the book of Acts, from chapters 21-28, Luke devotes a significant amount of space to the imprisonment, court appearances, and defense speeches of the Apostle Paul. Why? Because Scripture is not only concerned with showing us Paul as missionary, church planter, and encourager of the saints, but also as […]

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“There Is Another King—Jesus” (Acts 17:1-15)

Christians are those who believe that Jesus is the risen King. He was enthroned on a cross through the suffering of death yet was raised in victory three days later. Now, exalted as Lord and Savior, he grants forgiveness and eternal life to all who call on his name in faith; by grace, he welcomes […]

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In spite of humanity’s sinful rebellion and our repeated failure to trust our Maker, God has always been faithful to his promises. One promise in particular, made to King David, was that a son would come from his line who would one day reign in righteousness and restore all things in perfect peace. At the […]

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