Commuter Bible NT

While traveling and teaching, Jesus visits Samaria, a region that the Jews intentionally avoided at all costs. Remember, in the history of Israel, there was a time when Israel split from Judah and tried to establish a center of rule and worship outside of Jerusalem; that location is Samaria. Though it would have been taboo in Jewish culture to do so, Jesus speaks to a woman there and asks her for...

Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding, where the party is about to stop short because there is no more wine. Jesus miraculously turns water from purification jars into wine that tasted better than all the other wines that came before it. In so doing, Jesus proclaims through the miracle that the promised Messiah has come. He is the better bridegroom and the better wine that has come at the...

Today, we’re beginning the gospel of John. Of the four gospel accounts in the New Testament, John is the outlier, as it is not “synoptic” with the other accounts. In other words, John doesn’t record the life of Jesus using parallel accounts used by the other gospel writers. This gospel is rich in theology, revealing the nature of Christ to a deeper degree, including his own teaching about his rela...

We have reached the final chapter of the book of Romans, and it is here that Paul includes a significant amount of text greeting those whom he knows and loves in the Lord at Rome. Take note that Paul is not writing as some emotionally distant patriarch or as an apathetic advisor abroad, but as one who has deep connections with those to whom he is writing. In contrast, Paul warns the church against...

If you are a mature and well-developed Christian, Paul charges you to be humble and patient with those who are weaker. It can be tempting to use your knowledge of Scripture or your insight into counseling or your experiences in the faith in such a way that talk down to those who have not become strong in those areas. As we remain humble in our maturity, we mirror Christ, for lived to serve, pleasi...

If you’ve been a Christian for even small window of time, you know that there will be issues over which you and another Christian disagree. Some disagreements may be very sharp and worth making distinctions about, including the deity of Christ, the exclusivity of salvation by Christ, and the inerrancy of Scripture. There are plenty of other issues, however, over which it’s OK to disagree about. Su...

Paul reminds the church that faith in Christ includes humble and God-honoring submission to those who are governing authorities. This is not to say that we should do everything we are told to do especially where it concerns honoring the Lord above all else; Paul’s life was often marked by gracious-yet-firm civil disobedience when he was asked not to preach the gospel. We should, however, respect t...

Since God has been so incredibly merciful to us, our lives and our bodies should be used to give glory to God. We are not to conform to the world, but instead, we should strive to be transformed by the Word of God that we may do his will. Knowing that we have received mercy when we should have received judgment should humble us, and serve as an encouragement to work together with the Lord’s church...

Paul loves Israel dearly, and wants them to know that Jesus is, in fact, their promised Messiah. In preaching about putting the law to death, he doesn’t want to communicate that Israel has somehow been forgotten or rejected in the process. While not all of Israel will be saved, there will be a remnant chosen by grace. Paul turns to address the Gentiles of Rome directly to show them how important I...

While our last chapter broadly brought up questions and concerns about God’s sovereignty, we needn’t forget that Paul was talking specifically about how God’s sovereignty relates to the history of Israel. He continues to speak of Israel today, saying that his heart’s desire and prayer is that they might be saved. How will they be saved? If they confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and belie...

Chapter 9 of the book of Romans is arguably one of the chapters that is most challenging for believers to fully grasp, sometimes because it falls out of our immediate comprehension, but sometimes simply because we don’t understand how it could be fair. Here, Paul explains that God shows mercy on whom he will show mercy, and he hardens the hearts of those through whom he wishes to display his power...

Romans 8 is full of life-giving truths about the believer’s relationship to God in the Holy Spirit. Paul begins by assuring the believer that there is now no condemnations for those in Christ Jesus, explaining that the Spirit gives life to those who have put the flesh to death. It is by the Spirit that we are able to cry out to God as our Father, for we have been adopted into his family through th...

Paul continues to make his case concerning the relationship between the follower of Christ and the law. How should we think of the law as it relates to sin and is it relates to freedom in Christ? In today’s reading Paul says that if a woman’s husband dies, then she is no longer bound to that man. Likewise, Paul says that we are to put our relationship with the law to death so that we may engage in...

Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Salvation came by faith for Abraham, and it also by faith for us today. We have been declared righteous by this faith, because we now have the righteousness of Christ credited to our account. In Christ, we experience an overflow of grace that is extended to many, for the gift of his perfect righteousness is given to all who trust in...

The Jews considered their forefather Abraham to be a paragon of virtue, a man with whom no fault could be found. Paul refutes this idea, saying that Abraham, like all other men, was a sinner saved by grace. It is not Abraham’s works that justify him before a holy God, but his faith, for as it says in Scripture, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” In other words, if...

Here in chapter 3 Paul poses a series of questions from an opposing party’s point of view, as if he is being challenged by someone making arguments against his position. After most of these questions, Paul will respond by saying, “Absolutely not!” and will then proceed to explain why his opponents’ proposition doesn’t hold up. The overarching theme is that man is not justified by works of the law,...

In chapter 1, Paul covered natural revelation, that is, the concept that everyone begins with an understanding that God exists because the natural world reveals it to men. Men suppress this truth in unrighteousness, and are guilty of any number of sins. Even though such is the case, Paul tells that church that they ought not concern themselves with casting judgment as much as they ought to concern...

Paul’s letter to the house churches of Rome is full of rich, theological truth, often presenting ideas that are both mind-boggling and comforting all at once. In today’s passage, Paul begins to present his case for a righteousness that comes by faith. He begins by explaining that the world rejects God because they love their unrighteous behavior more than their Creator. Claiming to be wise, they b...

In our last episode, Paul boasted about his works in order to show the church at Corinth that if boasting were a contest, he would win against his so-called competition, the super-apostles. In the end, however, he concluded that it was better to boast of his weaknesses. He continues where he left off, telling the church that the Lord gave him a “thorn in the flesh… a messenger of Satan to torment...

As mentioned in previous episodes, the church at Corinth has been influenced by false teachers whom Paul calls “super-apostles.” They came to town with eloquent speeches, self-exaltation, pedigrees of varying kinds, and, unsurprisingly, requests for money. Paul is jealous for the church at Corinth as a husband would be jealous for his bride. He doesn’t want the church at Corinth to be impressed wi...

In earlier sections of 2 Corinthians, we read about the distress the church experienced when Paul came to them with confidence and authority in addressing the sins of one of Corinth’s church members. Today, he assures them that his boldness comes from a desire to demolish arguments, not people. There are some in the church who say that Paul isn’t all that captivating or bold in person, he just tal...

Today, Paul commends the churches of Macedonia who have sacrificially given to support the work of ministry. Our ultimate example in sacrificial love and giving is Christ Himself, who became poor so that we might become rich. Paul also praises the work of Titus, whose life displays this kind of loving sacrifice as is evident in his devotion to the church. Having appealed to the church at Corinth t...

The reality of ministry is that it is filled with joys and sorrows, highs and lows, glory and dishonor. Paul highlights suffering for the gospel, which seems pointless to those who don’t know the treasure of Christ, but worthwhile to those who know the joy of our Savior. Joy and affliction seem like an impossible pairing, but Paul reminds the Corinthian church that God comforts the downcast, and t...

Paul longs to live his life in a way makes the truth of the gospel clear to all. Unbelievers cannot see the gospel clearly because the god of this age, that is Satan, has made their minds blind. The same God who pronounced “Let light shine out of darkness,” must also shine into the hearts of men so that might see and believe. Our frail and humble bodies carry the infinite worth of Christ like jars...

Judging from Paul’s words of concern in today’s reading, it seems that he had a painful visit with the church at Corinth and wrote a letter after that visit. There seems to be a reference to the act of church discipline and the restoration of a repentant sinner into the fold of the church. As we get further into the book of 2 Corinthians, we’ll discover that the church had become impressed with a...