The Amazing Bible. Book Club

In these chapters we get to the climax of the story of Jesus, but in chapter 26 the conflict and rising action are still going on. The religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus which was conflict from others, and then after Jesus was anointed with very expensive perfume, Judas went to the religious leaders to see how much they would give him for giving Jesus to them. This is conflict from within the...

B. W. Bacon entitles this narrative the "Conflict and Consummation," this discourse as "Revelation of the End," and the ending formula is found in 26:1, "When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples." Jesus has told His disciples twice that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and on the third day be raised to life. They did not underst...

This section of Matthew, Jesus points out what life in the kingdom of heaven looks like, and it is very different than the world. We find that the King of the kingdom is compassionate. The king provides our needs, and the people of the kingdom are satisfied. The people of the kingdom are people of true faith of the heart, not of works created by men. We find that life in the new community is one o...

This section begins with John the Baptist asking Jesus if He is the One that was to come. If Jesus was the Son of David, the King, then why was He not taking the reigns? Then this section explains that the kingdom of God is different than an earthly kingdom. Jesus was ushering in a new era, and John the Baptist was the last great prophet, like Elijah, who prepared people's hearts for Jesus. I...

In these chapters we see that Jesus had authority over sickness, demons, and even creation as the disciples asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him" (8:27)! In this section, we see that everyone who came to Jesus was changed either one way or the other. We learn there is a cost of discipleship, and that we are to give up all we have, all that we are, and t...

B. W. Bacon divides up Matthew into five books, with a prologue with chapters 1-2, and an epilogue with chapters 26-28. Book one covers chapters 3-7, and each of the books ends with a phrase like 7:28a, "When Jesus had finished saying these things..." and these are found in 7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1 and 26:1. Each book has a narration, and in these chapters it covers John the Baptist and h...

Chapters 1-2 of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and Matthew points out that Jesus fulfilled Scripture by being the promises descendant of King David who will reign with an eternal kingdom, and that Jesus was also the son of Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel who will fulfill the promise of an everlasting covenant. Also in the li...

As Paul wrapped up his letter to the church in Rome, he encouraged them by affirming they were full of goodness, knowledge, and competence. He shared he was hoping to come soon, after his visit to Jerusalem. The Gentile Christian churches had gathered an offering for the Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem, and Paul, and other people, were taking the gift to them. He shared that his goal was to t...

One of the main points in this passage is that as Christians we are not to judge other believers if they hold different views on "disputable matters." Some disputable matters that Paul addressed was eating meat sacrificed to idols and observing special religious days. He reminded us that every one will answer to God for their actions, and it is not our place to judge them. 14:4, "Wh...

Chapters 1-8 of Romans, Paul explained the Gospel. In chapters 9-11, Paul shared his concern for his fellow Jews, that they would accept Jesus as their Messiah and declare Him Lord. He also explained that because of their unbelief, the Lord "grafted in" the wild olive branch" of the Gentiles to become a part of the family of God, but when the "fullness of the Gentiles" are...

Chapter 12 starts, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Paul has laid out God's mercy: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus Christ paid the debt for our sin when he died on the cross for us. We need to confess and believe in J...

We see Paul's heart in these three chapters of Romans, and his heart is with his people, the Jews. If he could give up his own salvation so that the Jews would come to faith, he would. Paul used a lot of Old Testament Scripture passages in these chapters to show how God chose the Jews, and how He picked Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 9:16, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire...

Paul shared in the first part of chapter 8, that believers in Jesus Christ have the Spirit of God within them, and His Spirit testifies to our spirit that, "we are children of God." This makes us "co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory" (8:16-17). Now in this section Paul says that the sufferings here on earth do...

Chapter 8 begins, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Chapter 8 is a transition that focuses on the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, who enters our lives. This fulfills Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-27, where...

In these two chapters, Paul explained that a Christian is one who died to sin, was buried into Christ Jesus, and was raised in Christ with a new life. That is what baptism by emersion shows the world. Since Jesus is alive, so too are we. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23). Paul gave an example in chapter 7 of a married couple...

This chapter begins with Paul sharing the benefits to people who have faith in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. We are justified, "just as if I have never sinned." We have peace with God. We have access to God by faith. We have grace which enables us to stand, and we can rejoice because we have hope for the glory of God, and we can rejoice in our sufferings because they make...

In chapter 4 of Romans, Paul who had already said that the Law and the Prophets, and the Holy Scriptures showed us the gospel, and in this chapter he shows it through the life of Abraham. He also quotes King David with Psalm 32:1-2. Paul explained that when "Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness," it was before Abraham was circumcised, which means that at the time...

So far in the book of Romans, Paul explained the sinfulness of the Gentiles, and then he spoke to the Jews and reminded them that they were sinners too. God is not a respecter of persons. 2:28-29, Paul said to be a true Jew, it has nothing to do with outward things like circumcision of the flesh, but a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of God. Chapter three starts with a question, "What...

In this section of Paul's letter to the church at Rome, he give thanks that their faithfulness is known throughout the world. He expressed his desire to come and visit, and then he shared, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is reveal...

Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome, to let them know of his plans for coming to visit them on his way to Spain (15:23-29). We also learn in that passage that Paul had received the offering from both Macedonia and Achaia and he was heading to Jerusalem to deliver the gift, which would end his third missionary journey. This letter does not deal with issues found in the church, but instead...

Chapters 8-9 Paul deals with the offering which the Corinthian church had started (1 Corinthians 16:1-4), and now he plans on coming to receive it and their delegates would take it to Jerusalem. Paul reminds the people they are not to give due to guilt or pressure, but however they felt the Lord leading them, plus he added, "for God loves a cheerful giver" (vs. 7). He also reminded them...

The Apostle Paul had had a painful visit with the church at Corinth, plus then he sent a sorrowful letter to them, and he was anxious to hear from Titus who took the letter, how the Church at Corinth was doing. Once Titus came, and Paul heard that the church had repented and how they cared about Paul, his heart was encouraged. This is why the beginning of the letter stressed that God is the source...

The climax of this letter, and the climax of the Christian faith, is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (vs. 3-8). Plus, at the time of Paul's letter, some of the eyewitnesses of Jesus' resurrection were still alive. Some people said there was no resurrection, and Paul said in verse 19, "If only for this...

The Apostle Paul received news from members from Chloe's household of issues that were happening at the church in Corinth. The church had also sent him a letter with questions, so Paul wrote this letter to address these issues. The church was divided over who was their leader, Paul, Apollos, Peter/Cephas, and some boasted that they follow Christ. One of the church members was having sex with...

The Apostle Paul started the church in Corinth during his second missionary journey. We know from 1 Corinthians 5:9 that Paul wrote another letter to the church which we have no record of. In 1 Cor. 16:8 & 19, we learn that Paul is in Ephesus when he wrote this letter, so it is believed he was on his third missionary journey at Ephesus around AD 53, 54, or 55. In verses 1-9 we have Paul's...