In this passage, Paul demolishes any lingering hope that we, out of our own effort and power, could overcome sin and obey God’s law. It shows clearly that no matter how much we want to do what is good we do not have, within ourselves, the power to carry it out. We will see how sin uses God’s good law to bring us into death but in the process it is unmasked by the law for the evil that it is. Paul is not ‘anti-law’, but does show how the law is impotent to deliver us from both the power […]

Philip’s request: ‘Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us’ reveals both his profound ignorance of what Jesus was doing all along but also the truth of the utter sufficiency of such a revelation to meet our deepest need even if Philip, at the time, had no understanding of the significance of what he was saying. Coming to know the Father is ‘enough for us’ in ways that go far beyond the assurance that Philip was seeking. As we take a fresh look at how the Son has revealed the Father and shown us so clearly […]

There are two errors that we can so easily fall into regarding spiritual conflict: one is to underestimate the relentless and fierce determination of the evil one to destroy us and our faith. The second error is to be ignorant of both the capacity and nature of Christ-empowered resistance to overcome the power of our enemy and cause him to flee. When, through spiritual drowsiness, we become complacent and inattentive towards God’s word, our faith is left vulnerable to serious attack. Likewise, being ignorant of Christ’s powerful resources to resist and overcome the enemy can lead to an unsettling apprehension […]

None of us are beyond the need to be shepherded. Not even those who are entrusted with the care of God’s flock! In fact ‘elders’ are given special attention by Peter who recognizes both the blessing and the pitfalls of such ministry and so as a fellow elder he shepherds them! He knew from personal experience that there is no one ‘too big to fail’. No one is exempt from the risks associated with inflated views of their own importance. The context of Peter’s exhortation is a church that is under the pressure of persecution. Times of trial and stress […]

God’s uncompromising directive for Israel to completely destroy the inhabitants of Canaan seems cruel and unjust to many who see it as just another example of the terrible genocides that have plagued human history in the name of religious or racial purity. Is this another tragic account of so called ‘ethnic cleansing’ or was it a clear reminder that God does not leave evil to go unchecked forever? This word would be a warning to every future generation of the danger of growing careless of God’s awe and complacent regarding their calling as God’s holy, treasured possession. Just as Israel […]

The story of Jonah is more than the story of a prophet who has been swallowed by a big fish. It is the story of our struggle with God and the foolishness of thinking we can get away with it. It is the story of a love that will not let us go but instead mercifully turns us around to do His will. We will see in this brief series that God wants Jonah to not only do His will but to reflect His heart. Not only to proclaim His name but to reflect His character. Unlike Jonah God cares […]

As Paul comes to the end of his letter to the Corinthians he makes it clear that the holy jealousy he feels for their spiritual welfare is no light matter that can be ignored or pushed aside. He warns them that when he comes he will not spare those who are unrepentant. Some have wrongly assumed that Paul was too weak to be able to bring them to account. If they would not acknowledge the power and authority of Christ that was evident in his life and ministry they would meet that power face to face when he visited. In […]

It is not simply the fact of Christ’s resurrection that we are called to affirm but the power of His resurrection. It is true that to throw doubt on the reality of the bodily resurrection of Christ is to throw doubt on the whole claim of Christian faith. Biblical faith is grounded in real historical event even if that event is beyond present explanation. Reducing the truth of the resurrection into a consoling metaphor or a triumphant symbol of good triumphing over evil while being skeptical about its historicity may satisfy trendy theologians and find some acceptance by a despairing […]

In 2 Corinthians as a whole and particularly in this passage we may be surprised by Paul’s frankness and forthrightness. He speaks openly about his opponents and their criticism of him and is not afraid to defend himself. Does this mean the apostle is absorbed in self vindication? Isn’t it better to ignore criticism and simply get on with the job? I am sure that Paul often ignored the criticism and slander of those who opposed him and simply entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. But where the integrity of his ministry and message came under attack by […]

How free are we in the ‘grace of giving’? Paul calls giving an ‘act of God’s grace’ because he knows that behind giving that flows from a free and willing heart is the clear action of God’s grace. But God’s grace is never merely something that floats free in a sea of subjective emotion – it involves the action of our wills: we are called to excel in ‘the grace of giving’ to demonstrate the sincerity of our faith as those who know ‘…the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Ultimately, we need no other example than the incarnation of […]