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Several passages in Acts provide us with first-century examples that help us to understand what it means to “preach Jesus.”
The expression “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 has long been a matter of interest and discussion among the people of God.
Those who teach that salvation is solely by faith, without further acts of obedience, have a difficult time reconciling Paul with himself. Study this matter with us.
"Salvation" is the result of having been "saved." The verb "save" (sozo) had a variety of ancient meanings. It could signify to deliver, to heal, to liberate, to preserve, etc., depending upon the context. Most prominently in the N.T. it has to do with deliverance from the guilt and ultimate cons...
There is much confusion in the community of “Christendom” as to what constitutes “conversion.” There need not be. A collective consideration of those cases in the book of Acts wonderfully clarifies the matter. Study this theme with us.
The Holy Spirit was promised by Christ to his apostles for their special work.
First, no evidence shows that anyone other than the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They had been promised that blessing (see Acts 1:5, 8). The only other exception was to the household of Cornelius, in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, as a divine token th...
Between the end of the Old Testament era, and the commencement of the New Testament period, four centuries passed. During these times important events transpired that impacted the commencement of Christianity. Every Bible student should familiarize himself with this history.
The Holy Spirit is a divine being who is spirit in nature (Luke 24:39) and holy in character. • The Holy Spirit is not a mere force (as some cultists insist, e.g., the "Jehovah's Witnesses"); rather, he is an individual entity, a person, who speaks, teaches, helps, etc. (1 Timothy 4:1; John 14:26...
The act of "laying on of hands" served several functions in the N.T. (a) Some parents brought their children that Jesus might lay his hands upon them (Mt. 19:13). This involved no magical ritual; rather, it was a symbolic act designed to invoke Jehovah's blessings upon these children. (b) Laying ...
More than a dozen words are used in the Greek N.T. to represent various aspects of "sin" (e.g., bad, evil, transgression, iniquity, trespass, godless, unrighteous, etc.). The most frequently employed word is hamartia (173 times), which provides the picture of "missing the mark." The word is used ...
Did Jesus receive a fair trial? Part 1 of this study examines the nature of the Lord’s path through the legal system of the time.
An in-depth study of the interesting encounter between Jesus and an unnamed Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well recorded in John chapter four.
Here are several important references to the church at Ephesus.
When we think about miracles in the New Testament, we often consider the miracles of Christ in the Gospel accounts. There are, however, many miracles recorded in the book of Acts. A survey of these miraculous works is worthy of our reflection.
This word derives from the Latin term rapio, "to snatch." The corresponding Greek expression is harpazo, signifying "caught up" (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2, 4) or "caught away" (Acts 8:39). At the time of Christ's return to raise the dead (Jn. 5:28-29; Acts 24:15), the Lord's people will be "caught up" to b...
In the parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus predicted that his kingdom would start in a small, relatively obscure fashion; exhibit extraordinary growth; and increase to a large size in proportion to its beginning. History has wonderfully demonstrated the fulfillment of the Savior’s words.
Although baptism is mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament, the rite has been so grossly misunderstood in a great variety of ways.
Words are vehicles of information; even the smallest words can be packed with meaning. Such is the case with the term “must.” Often overlooked; more often ignored, this important word must be studied carefully.