First Day

PART II (NASB) "13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." The legal practices o...

Chapter 5 (NASB) Chapter five begins with a declaration: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.” "2 Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is obligated to keep the whole Law.4 Yo...

PART II (NASB) Paul begins this section urging the Galatians to become as he as, as one who has set aside the legal practices of the Law of Moses—as someone who has stopped seeking to be justified through his own merit. In this way, he has become like the Galatians: He now lives by faith—by Christ.  "12 I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have...

Chapter 4 (NASB) Paul now begins here in chapter 4 to elaborate on this transformation of identity that he introduced at the end of chapter 3—which was, itself, an explanation of what he means back in chapter two when the apostle declares, “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” "Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he...

(All scripture quoted is from the New American Standard  Bible, © 1960,1962,1963,1968.1971,1973,1975,1977,1995.2020 by the Lockman Foundation, A Corporation Not for Profit, La Habra, CA, All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted.) In our last episode we hear Paul tell the Galatians that to adhere to the Law is to condemn oneself, but he then goes on to quote scripture from Leviticus, Deuteronomy...

(All scripture quoted is from the New American Standard  Bible, © 1960,1962,1963,1968.1971,1973,1975,1977,1995.2020 by the Lockman Foundation, A Corporation Not for Profit, La Habra, CA, All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted.) I mentioned earlier that I think many Christians have come to the thought that believing in Jesus as the Messiah is the only thing necessary to receive salvation and t...

Chapter 3 (All scripture quoted is from the New American Standard  Bible, © 1960,1962,1963,1968.1971,1973,1975,1977,1995.2020 by the Lockman Foundation, A Corporation Not for Profit, La Habra, CA, All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted.) Thank you for listening to the First Day podcast. I am Patrick Cooley, the pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I am so glad you’re spending some time w...

In this episode I spend a little more time fleshing our the differences between "faith in" and "faith of" Christ. If you notice a change in the podcast's sound, it's because I recorded it at my home studio (i.e., the dining room table). 

PART III (NASB) We closed out last episode with Paul taking up one of the most unavoidable subjects in our world today: identity. “Who am I,” Paul asks. “Have I changed or am I the same person that I have always been?”  Have you seen those widow decals on cars that are from that Hawaiian lifestyle company: HE>i? Their website states that it’s referring to John 3:30— “He must become greater and...

(All scripture quoted is from the New American Standard  Bible, © 1960,1962,1963,1968.1971,1973,1975,1977,1995.2020 by the Lockman Foundation, A Corporation Not for Profit, La Habra, CA, All Rights Reserved, unless otherwise noted.) At the end of our last episode, Paul is relaying a story to the Galatians about a visit that Peter makes to Antioch and the problem that arises from it. Even though Pe...

Chapter 2 (NASB) Thank you for joining me today on the First Day podcast. I am Patrick Cooley. Visit the First Day website at firstday.us and become a subscriber.  In Galatians chapter one we come to learn that there is a problem in the church—one serious enough Paul believes that the Galatians are in danger. We do not know the specifics, just that some other gospel—some other proclamation of the...

Part 2 (NASB) A review of why the Galatians should trust in Paul’s message:  You can trust me because I was called by God to bring you this message. This is something that many of us in the West are quite fearful of: the claim that is made by some that God has called them to whatever their spiel happens to be.  I remember back when I had fewer rings, Orel Roberts telling the world that God had cal...

Part I (NASB) Thank you for listening to the First Day podcast. I am Patrick Cooley, the pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I am so glad you’re spending some time with me.  As I mentioned in the last episode, Paul’s letter to the Galatians is quite different from James’. He is writing to Gentiles who had converted from paganism, while James was writing to Jews who had accepted Jesus as Mess...

I recorded this a few months ago (back in January) and didn't get around to publishing it, but it works well, I think, as a summary for James, and I thought that this would be a good fiftieth episode for First Day. It will say this is episode 48, since Galatians chapter 1 is already in the queue, but I've decided to go ahead and publish it anyway. Live long and prosper.   

Thank you for listening to the First Day podcast. I am Patrick Cooley, the pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I hope that your faith will grow as we take a look at this second oldest book of the New Testament.  In the last series we took a deepish dive into James’ letter to Jewish Christians who were facing trials and, apparently, giving into temptation. He wanted to let his brothers and si...

PART VIII (NASB) Thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you can be notified when a new episode drops.  Many, many, many—is that enough manys—years ago, I spent a few years practicing Ju-Jitsu. Each year the school would do a fund raiser to raise money to pay guest teachers from other martial art systems to c...

PART IX (NASB) Thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when a new episode drops.  This is part nine—and the final part—of our study of James. I am so happy that you have chosen to tune in today.  Trials will come and within them there will always be temptation. How we overcome temptation...

PART VII (NASB) Hello. I am Patrick Cooley, pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I want to thank you for spending some of your time with me today at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when new episodes drop. To turn a phrase from President George Bush the elder, James is trying his “level best” to teach a Church and individual Christia...

PART VI (NASB) Hello. I am Patrick Cooley, pastor of Northport Methodist Church, and I want to thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when a new episode drops. Whereas chapter two expands of James declaration in chapter one that “true religion is this…” here in chapter three, James is go...

PART IV (NASB) Thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when a new episode drops.  Deuteronomy 10:17-21 reads,  “For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the LORD of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality or take a bribe. He executes justice for...

PART V (NASB) Thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when a new episode drops.  Now let’s continue in James chapter two. Read verses 14-17 14 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is...

PART III (NASB) Thank you for listening to First Day. I ask that you share the podcast with others, and I am glad that you are here. In this first chapter, James is concerned with helping his fellow Christians navigate a world of difficulties that include open persecution, temptation, anxiety, and disagreement.    We ended last episode with a look at verses 19 and 20, but verse 21 makes me think t...

PART II (NASB, 2020) So as we covered last episode, James’ letter is addressed to Jewish Christians “dispersed throughout the world.” These Jewish Christians are not having the easiest go of it, and I am pretty sure that some of them—particularly the ones in Judea—might be questioning their decision to embrace Jesus as Messiah. Remember, King Herod Agrippa I is actively persecuting the Jewish foll...

In 41 CE, Claudius succeeded Caligula as emperor of the Roman Empire. He remained in power until 54 CE—thus making him emperor through at least four books of the New Testament: James, Galatians, First and Second Thessalonians—with 1 Corinthians perhaps being a fifth.   Claudius was a bit of an awkward man before his ascension, and it seems was never even considered to be in line for the throne. Bu...

I'm starting a new series about the development of Christian thought by reading through the New Testament chronologically by publishing date. I know that there is much disagreement amongst scholars about these dates, but I don't think we should let that deter us. I have made the decision to base my chronology on Carson's & Moo's dating recommendations and arguments in their survey of the New T...