COLOSSIANS - Christ, Pre-eminent in All Things.
The Apostle Paul also wrote this letter to the believers in Colosse, while he was in prison. Epaphras, a faithful minister to the believers at Colosse, had come to tell Paul of the heresies that were creeping into the church there.
These heresies had broken out among the younger believers, misleading them and calling for the worship of angels and a strict observance of Jewish ceremonies. This heresy was a mixture of Jewish, Greek a
PHILIPPIANS - Christ, Name above All Names.
The Apostle Paul is a prisoner in Rome but has just received a visitor, Epaphroditus. He has come from Philippi with a gift for Paul from the believers there.
It was to the Philippians that of all his converts, that Paul looked back with most loving affection and confidence, for from them alone he would accept things to relieve his personal needs.
While Epaphroditus was with Paul he was attacked by an illness which brought him to
EPHESIANS - Christ : God`s Eternal Purpose.
In this letter to the believers at Ephesus, we read of the greatest revelation of truth that God has given to man. It is the mystery that has been hidden before the foundation of the world.
`(God) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both of which are in hea
GALATIANS - Christ is our Justification.
During the Apostle Paul`s second missionary journey, he was delayed in Galatia by sickness. Though ill, this tireless servant of the Lord could not remain silent, but kept preaching God`s word. His theme was Christ crucified. (Gal. 3: 1)
It was at this time that many people became believers in Galatia. (Gal 1: 6) They were scattered over a rural district and the people were country folk. Teachers of the law followed after Paul moved on. They tau
1 & 2 CORINTHIANS - Christ is our Sanctification.
The Apostle Paul writes to the disciples that came to the Lord when he was in Corinth. He had stayed there for over a year, working as a tentmaker, with the help of Aquila and his wife, Pricilla. (Acts 18) The Jews opposed Paul so he then went to the Gentiles. They received him and learnt much of God`s word.
`And he (Paul) continued there (Corinth) a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.` (Acts 18: 11)
ROMANS - Christ is our Salvation.
The Apostle Paul writes this letter to the believers at Rome.
`Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.....to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints;...`(Rom. 1 & 7)
In his letter, Paul sets forth that Christ is the power of God unto salvation. He shows that all mankind have sinned and are guilty before God - zealous Jews, proud Greeks, boastful Romans and a multitude of
ACTS - LORD OF ALL.
When the Lord ascended to the right hand of the Father He sent His Holy Spirit to give salvation to every race and bring together an entirely new group - the Body of Christ. Thus under the Lord`s sovereign administration in the power of the Spirit, each race receives salvation.
Ham - Ethiopian eunuch, (Acts 8: 26 - 40)
Shem - Paul of Tarsus (Acts 9: 1 -31)
Japheth - Cornelius the Roman centurion. (Acts 10:24 - 48)
From Shem, Ham
CHRIST IN HIS BODY
After the Lord ascended to the right hand of the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to bring together a whole new group of people - the Body of Christ. This revelation was not known previously and Satan definitely would not have killed Jesus if he had known of this.
This new group would be made up of people from Israel and the Gentiles, (nations). They would be joined together by the Holy Spirit and built up on the truth of Christ, His character and His purpo
John - to the believers, revealing Jesus as the Son of God - Deity
We`ve seen the Lord`s authority in Matthew`s account; are amazed at His humbleness shown as a Servant, in Mark; then appreciate His compassion for the many hurting in Luke. Finally in John`s picture of the Lord we stand in awe in the knowledge that He is actually God come in the flesh.
`In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God....And the Wo
Luke - to the Greeks, revealing Jesus as a Man and Priest.
The writer of this aspect of Jesus is a doctor, Dr. Luke. He was an educated man and a keen observer. He wrote this account by the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus as the perfect Man to the Greeks. The Greeks possessed a wider culture, loved beauty and philosophy. Luke being a Greek himself, would be well fitted for presenting Jesus as the ideal of perfect manliness.
In Luke`s account we see God manifest in the flesh. Luke d
Mark - to the Romans, revealing Jesus as the Son of God, the Heir.
This account of Jesus was written to Roman readers. The Roman was different from the Jew. His genius was his strong common sense. His religion must be practical. He would have no interest in tracing beliefs back into the past. Legal genealogies and fulfilments of prophecy would leave him cold.
He might say, “I know nothing of your scriptures, and care nothing for your peculiar notions: but I should be glad to hear a pla
Matthew - to the Jews, revealing Jesus is their King.
Matthew`s aspect of Jesus was to specifically show the Jews that Jesus was their long - awaited King. He revealed Jesus as the Son of David by His genealogy and that His life fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament many times, and says that this event or that, took place that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of Jesus, by the prophets. We read of Jesus` authority and power.
All t
CHRIST`S EARTHLY MINISTRY
The four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John reveal four different aspects of our Lord`s ministry and character - King, Heir, a Man, and Deity. Each writer was given by the Holy Spirit the specific emphasis, to reveal Jesus, to the Jews, the Romans, the Greeks and to the believer.
JESUS IS KING, HEIR, A MAN, & DEITY.
Prior to His coming to earth the Lord Jesus Christ, was King in the realms above. He was King of glory, King of heaven and Kin
OVERVIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
In 63 B.C. Rome gained possession of Palestine, preparing the way and the time for Jesus to be born. The Jews had some political liberty, but were required to pay a yearly tax to the Roman government. The Jewish religious leaders were mainly seeking for themselves wealth, position and power. The people were looking for the promised leader; their Messiah whom they thought would deliver them from the Roman control.
This is the situation in whic
FORETELLING OF CHRIST (Isaiah - Malachi)
The prophets were men whom God raised up during the dark days of Israel`s history. The period of the prophets in Israel covered five hundred years from the ninth to the fourth century B.C. These prophets spoke fearlessly to kings and people alike of their sins and failures.
The office of the prophet was instituted in Samuel`s time. When the kingdom was divided and Judah and Israel were established as separate monarchies, the great p
FOREKNOWING CHRIST (Job - Song of Sol.)
Here we come to the books of poetry and wisdom - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastics and Song of Solomon. These books tell of the experiences of the heart. Trials and suffering are not always for our punishment but sometimes for our education and training.
Here we see there is a knowledge of Christ beforehand. Christ is foreknown in Redemption, Mediation & Salvation. He is known to be the Saviour, the Shepherd, & the Sovereign
FORESEEING CHRIST (Joshua - Esther)
These books give the further history of the people of Israel. Joshua led the people into the Promised Land where they overcome their enemies. God tells him to -
`Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.` (Joshua 1: 7)
Once in the land the people are ruled by judges whom the Lord raised up to deliver His oppressed people. There were th
FORESHADOWING CHRIST (Gen. - Deut.)
The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Christ is foreshadowed in a variety of ways - symbols, signs, sacrifices all help us to understand His character, functions & vocations.
In the first book of the Bible we read of the beginning of things - Genesis, meaning origin. The beginning of the world, the human race, sin in the world, the promise of redemption, family and man-made
OVERVIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
Throughout the history recorded in the Old Testament and through the poetic and prophetic sections we see that there is one great purpose moving through the ages, the eternal design of the Almighty God focused on His Son.
In the first five books, the Pentateuch, written by Moses we read not only of the wonderful creation and of its marring, but of God`s great plan to bring restoration. Thus we see that God has planned that a man from Adam`s race
OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE
God`s word contains 66 books, written by 40 authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is God`s plan and purpose through Christ for mankind.
The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew (a few short passages in Aramaic). Then about a hundred years before the Christian era the entire Old Testament was translated into Greek, being the predominant language of that time.
The New Testament was written in the Greek language and our English Bible is
INTRODUCTION
I am looking forward to sharing and discussing God`s word together. When we read the Bible we can often get lost in the details and history, thus it is good to step back and see what God has said concerning His Son.
God`s word is written to reveal Christ, His character and His purposes for -
- The Body of Christ,
- Israel,
- The Nations.
I have written the Old Testament in summary, in four sections and the New Testament, book by book, in three
CONCLUSION
When God brings the earth and heaven to a close it is then time for the Great White Throne Judgment. This is for all mankind except the Body of Christ and the just men and women, (Old Testament saints).
`Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was no place found for them.` (Rev. 19: 11)
Those who had rejected Christ`s offer of salvation will be cast into the lake of fire. Those who had never he
MAN`S FINAL REBELLION
God had always purposed that Israel would rule righteously over the nations, and this will come about in the millennium. This is the final opportunity for mankind to turn to God without the influence of Satan.
However, we see that many people still want their own way. If that happens then there will be consequences.
`And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there wi
LIFE IN THE MILLENNIUM
The plagues through the tribulation and the great earthquake that caused the cities of the nations to fall, will cause such great devastation upon the earth that civilization as we know it will cease. No technology, no fuel, no food production, no medical facilities, no businesses of any kind, all will have crumbled, obliterated. There will be only few people upon the earth after the plagues, mass killings and persecutions.
Life in the millennium will have to sta
LIVING WATERS
When the Lord comes to the Mount of Olives, He will split the mountain in half and living waters will flow out to bring healing to the rivers and seas.
`The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley. Half of the mountain shall move towards the
