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Paul headed Rome by a circuitous route due to storms and shipwreck.   But the Lord preserved him and brought him to Rome as had been promised. But why Rome?   Why was this so important for just one more time of testimony?   Remember Acts 9:15: “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children...

We continue again today in the book of Acts after some time looking at Paul’s final letters, his so-called “prison” letters, since they were written while he was bound by a chain in Rome. The reason for the intermission from our overview of the Transition period as revealed in the Acts was to see how the truth was given to him by the resurrected Lord Jesus after Acts 28 showed much evidence of wha...

If I were to put a title on today’s lesson, I guess it might be this: “Paul’s Defense (or should I say, Testimony) Against Jewish Leaders in Jerusalem, Acts Chapter 22”.   We began with a little review of why we had departed from our studies on the Great Transition to look at Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians.   Our main point was that after the “to the Jews first” outreach...

In our overview of The Great Transition from the Pentecostal Dispensation to the Fullness of Grace revealed after the setting aside of Israel at the end of the Acts, we have considered by necessity the completed revelation give to Paul for the churches.  For that, we have looked at the prison letters of Paul.  Written after Acts 28, they reflect the Dispensation of Grace after...

Blessings Untold for the Colossians Too Under Grace: The Essence of Grace Doctrine, Colossians, Chapter 3: The Exhortation, Its Foundation (Chapter 2, Verses 20-23) The Exhortation, Its Foundation — Continued (Chapter 3, Verses 1-4) The Exhortation, Three Analogies —The Body of Christ (Verses 5-8) The Exhortation, Three Analogies — The Two “Men” (Verses 9-11) The Exhortation, Three Analogies — Gra...

Blessings Untold for the Colossians Too Under Grace: The Essence of Grace Doctrine, Colossians, Chapter 2: Our Privilege: Living Life to the Fullest, Filled with His Joy (Col. 1:1-11)   Our Position: Having Been Translated into the Kingdom of His Dear Son Who Is the Fullness of God (Col. 1:12-20)   Our Prospect: Being Found Holy, Unblameable and Unreproveable in His Sight (Col.1:21-23) &...

Paul’s teaching here in Colossians 1 and beginning in 2 gives us the Word and the Enabling for a Life of Joy: Paul’s Teaching is Clear: He Fulfilled the Sufferings of Christ in His Body   Paul’s Teaching is Complete: The Mystery Was Delivered to Him for Us   Paul’s Teaching is Powerful: We are Enabled to Suffer as Paul Did   Paul goes on in chapter 1 to finish his introduction with...

Blessings Untold for the Colossians Too Under Grace: The Essence of Grace Doctrine, Colossians, Chapter 1: Our Privilege: Living Life to the Fullest, Filled with His Joy (Col. 1:1-11)   Our Position: Having Been Translated into the Kingdom of His Dear Son Who Is the Fullness of God (Col. 1:12-20)   Our Prospect: Being Found Holy, Unblameable and Unreproveable in His Sight (Col.1:21-23) &...

Ephesians 5-6 — Walking by the Spirit Is the Key to Godly Living — Part 2: Living Grace — Parent - Child Relationships Are Transformed (6:1-4) Living Grace — Relationships In the World Outside Are Ennobled (6:5-9) Living Grace — Our Warfare Against Satanic Foes Will Continue (6:10-24) Paul here goes back to Moses’s Law because some principles of God’s administration over his creation are trans-dis...

Ephesians 5 — Walking by the Spirit Is the Key to Godly Living - An Introduction: In our study today we learned what Paul the apostle of the Gentiles reveals in chapter 5 of this great letter to the Ephesians concerning our current circumstances under which we are living today with the fullness of God’s wonderful grace a reality. There are three aspects to our teaching today: Things are not really...

Chapter 4 of the Ephesians further reveals Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians with the special focus on experiencing the full redemption we have in Christ Jesus!   This is a powerful and liberating message on how God is working today under grace.   There are no legalities here and nothing relating to Israel’s privilege as that has temporarily been set aside so that grace might reign towar...

Paul continues in chapter 3 of Ephesians to reveal both the eternal purpose of Almighty God and its consequence for us grace believers.   God worked it out according to his eternal plan, settled in eternity past.   But it is being worked out today in and through us called out ones.   And we have a ministry as his children: to know the depth of his love and grace, and then to reveal...

Paul continued in his letter to the Ephesians to reveal what Christ had been teaching him during those years while he was imprisoned, first by Roman deputies in Israel and then finally in Rome under probably Emperor Claudius initially.   These doctrines are so necessary for us to know, and the most central teachings are the main focus here such as the Body of Christ and then the many other di...

Paul revealed so much more it seems in this letter than what is recorded by Luke in Acts 20.   Christ had been teaching him very much during those years while he was constrained by Roman deputies in Israel and then finally in Rome.   These doctrines are for our maturing.   This is all in his introductory chapter.   Enjoy! Our positional blessings in Christ Jesus: 1:3ff Our elec...

Paul Completes His Third Journey Meeting the Ephesian Elders:  “Blessings Untold for the Ephesians But As Always, Grace Rules — Part 2” Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — Israel’s Spirituals Given to Gentiles Paul’s Testimony to the Ephesians — To and Through Elders in Acts 20

“Blessings Untold for the Ephesians But As Always, Grace Rules” In Acts 18 & 19, The Second Journey Concludes and the Third Begins:  After Visiting Ephesus, the Second Missionary Journey Ends Triumphantly Paul Begins His Third Missionary Journey into Asia Confirming the Saints Miraculous Signs Multiply Also for the Gentiles, “To Make Them Obedient”!

Paul left Athens after a time of unimpeded ministry there according to the end of chapter 17 and the first verses of chapter 18.   But only a few had been saved and no church was founded.   He traveled then to Corinth where he immediately made the acquaintance of a couple, Jewish tentmakers from Rome recently come as immigrants having been expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius.   A...

Today we will focus on what Paul preached in Athens and how that was at the heart of his preaching to the Gentiles, whether we look at the record in the Acts or in his letters.   Interestingly, his letter to the Romans, both in chapters 1 & 2 and in chapter 10 reflect and build on the fact that the Lord God revealed himself to sinful mankind through his creation, both in the heavenly real...

Paul’s speech on Mar’s Hill before the Aeropagus or Greek High Court was brilliantly crafted.   It was launched as we saw last time from his observation that there was in Athens a monument “to the unknown god”.   Paul in his speech directly addressed that by stating simply and clearly that he would reveal the one true but “knowable” God in contrast.   He had an objective in all of t...

Our subtitle today, “Paul in Athens, Pagan Capitol of the Gentiles” was chosen from the content of Acts chapter 17 where we read that the apostle Paul was “delivered” by the Berea believers to this leading ancient city, the capital of the pagan religions of the west.   Athens was named after the presumed goddess Athena where the greatest monument to her was located. That monument, one of the...

Our subtitle today, “A Time of Remembrances”, was chosen in the light of what Paul wrote to the assembly he had founded in Thessalonica.   In that letter (his first to this church body) he often reminded the believers of what he had already taught them while with them for only about three or four weeks during his Second Missionary Journey.   He had taught them both practically and doctri...

Chapters 16 and 17 are wonderful and revealing chapters about how this new missionary journey would bear fruit.   First and foremost was the founding of church at Phillipi although the churches of the Thessalonians and the Bereans were also established afterwards.   In Philippi, Paul and Silas were imprisoned after a demonic woman was delivered of her possession.   Paul was troubled...

Chapter 15 opens with this leading statement:   “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said , Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.   When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apost...

Chapter 14 includes the preaching of Paul and his associates in a number of cities.   But unbelieving Jews followed him from city to city and attempted a stoning in one city and accomplished one in another, but nevertheless the ministry bore much fruit.   Finally, after retracing their steps they returned by sea to Antioch from which they had been sent forth to the Gentiles by the grace...

Soon after Paul and Barnabas returned from a quick visit in Jerusalem, they went to Antioch, where, the Holy Spirit spoke commanding them to depart for Gentile lands and so they did. In Crete they spoke in the synagogues leaving behind a blinded Jewish false teacher and an enlightened Gentile.   Then they left Crete and arrived by ship in our present day Turkey where considerable Jews had mig...