The Church: The Eternal Purpose of God
The Ephesian church was begun by Paul on his third journey, as recounted in Acts 19. At the conclusion of his second journey (where the greater part of his time had been spent in Corinth), Paul left the city carrying two trusted disciples with him: a man and his wife whose names were Aquilla and […]
Where Is the Kingdom? #2
The promise of Daniel 2:44 that “in the days of these kings” God would set up a kingdom that would never be destroyed was fulfilled when Jesus established the church. The church is God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is the church. When Jesus asked His disciples who men said that He was, they gave a response. […]
Preach Christ, Not the Church?
Some who claim to be gospel preachers and/or Christians, have put forth the call to “Preach Christ, not the church.” They said this from time to time because they perceive preaching about the “church” turns people off. Let us consider a point or two about this. First, one cannot read Ephesians 5:22-32 without understanding that […]
Where Is the Kingdom? #1
It was shown in our last article that the kingdom promised by the prophets would come in the “days of these (Roman) kings” (Dan. 2:44), it was declared both by John the Baptist and Jesus during their personal ministries to be “at hand” (Mt. 3:2; Mk. 1:15), it was promised by Jesus to come during […]
When Jesus Comes Again #3
Many doctrines of men are put forth to tell us about the return of Christ. When Jesus comes again, we are told, He will quietly “rapture” the saints. They will go to paradise for seven years and return with Christ for a 1,000-year reign on earth. A favorite passage cited for this theory is 1 […]
When Jesus Comes Again #2
Man, in his “wisdom,” invents many theories about the return of Christ. When Jesus comes again, some say He will establish His kingdom and reign for 1,000 years. Something they say He intended to do the first time but was stopped by the Jews. The Holy Spirit said, “… at His coming. Then comes the […]
When Jesus Comes Again #1
There is much speculation among men about what will happen when Jesus comes again. Some say the righteous dead will be raised, while the wicked remain in the grave for another 1,000 years. However, Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will […]
“And He Called His Name Jesus”
As any student of the Bible knows, Jesus was the Divinely appointed name for the One born of Mary (Matt. 1:21, 25). The name Jesus, says Vine, “is a transliteration of the Heb. ‘Joshua,’ meaning ‘Jehovah is salvation,’ i.e., ‘is the Savior’” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). Therefore, in the […]
“Preaching the Things of the Kingdom”
At the beginning and end of the book of Acts, it is stated first that Jesus spoke with His disciples “concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3), and then that Paul, in Roman imprisonment, preached the kingdom of God to all who came into his quarters (Acts 28:31). Paul had told the Ephesian elders that […]
“At the Beginning”
Peter was in trouble with his brethren. He had gone to Caesarea, spoken and eaten with Gentiles, taboo for all Jews in his day and when he returned to Jerusalem from there “they who were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and did eat with them” (Acts 11:21-22). […]