Paul's pen begins to sing as he blesses God. This doxology expresses heartfelt gratitude for the way God blesses his people in every conceivable way. He then reaches back to a place before time into eternity past where there was only God. God determined to make children through salvation in Christ Jesus before the world began. These children were deserving of judgment, but God would make them holy and blameless in love.
Paul still agonizes over his fellow Jews and longs for their salvation. It is his heart's desire as he prays for his people. Paul knows about the zeal of the Jewish people for God. The problem is not their enthusiasm; it is their lack of knowledge. It is frightening to think that one can be earnest and sincere and be sincerely wrong and misguided at the same time.
Paul begins with an oath declaring that his conscience is bound to the Holy Spirit. This is of the utmost importance, and he wants to emphasize what he says because of the anguish and sorrow he feels in his heart. Paul says that he is willing to be cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of his people, the Jews.
Paul reaches a conclusion about salvation after walking through sin, the law, and justification. Condemnation has been removed for those who are in Christ Jesus because he has set them free from the law of sin and death. Paul wants the believer to understand that the Spirit of life liberates the believer from the bondage of sin.
Paul answers the objections and questions that he anticipates from his Jewish readers. Paul has just asserted that being a Jew or having the sign of the covenant would not safeguard someone from the judgment of God, but that does not mean there is no advantage or benefit in being a Jew.
Paul was afraid that the Corinthians resented him due to his letter of rebuke, but Titus reported that the people were longing for him. Paul knew that his earlier letter caused grief and sorrow in the church and it left him with mixed feelings. Paul did not relish their pain and sorrow, on the contrary, he knew that the grief would only last a short time and it led to their repentance.
Paul is confident as he awaits resurrection life in the midst of groaning and longing for the heavenly dwelling. Paul uses the imagery of buildings and clothing to show that there is an eternal existence to come. God has prepared his people, and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the life to come so that the believer can be of real courage.
This letter gives words to the emotional distress Paul feels for the church at Corinth. Paul spent at least eighteen months in Corinth with before continuing his missionary work elsewhere, but after he left he would occasionally receive troubling reports about the Corinthians so he would write them letters. Paul loves the Corinthian faith community, but this father in the faith is receiving harsh criticism, and his authority is called into question.
Paul outlines the things of first importance for the Corinthian believers as he reminds them of the gospel by which they are being saved. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, and Paul wants to make sure that there is no confusion when it comes to the gospel and in particular the resurrection. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. Christ was buried and was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures as well.
Paul addresses the reality that giftedness is no substitute for love. The church in Corinth was very gifted, but as Paul points out, without love all other acts no matter how spectacular are negated. Love is the evidence of grace shown as the suit of the Spirit.
There is no such thing as a perfect church. Churches are made up of people and people fail, experience conflict, and struggle. Corinth was a wealthy metropolitan city that also had a reputation for its sexual immorality, religious diversity, and corruption. The church in Corinth was struggling with the many ungodly influences surrounding them. Paul writes to address and correct the issues and challenges facing this fledgling faith community.
The gospel is not just principles, it is power and should be adorned by the way Christians live. The law cannot save, but God writes his law on our hearts as love for him motivates our behavior. Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the teaching they received and the instructions they were given concerning godly living. These believers in Thessalonica were saved by faith alone, but it is not a faith that stays alone, and their good works serve to authenticate saving faith.
Paul explains the suffering of Christ and then proves that it was necessary for salvation. He concludes his proclamation with the resurrection from the dead as proof that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. The response was mixed as some were persuaded including Jews, Greeks, God-fearers, and some leading women. However, some of the Jews were jealous, and they enlisted the assistance of some wicked men who helped form a mob and set the entire city in an uproar.
The church has always had to contend with false teaching, so when the churches at Galatia were faced with those who wanted to add to the gospel, Paul addressed the issues directly. The churches of Galatia had been infiltrated by false teachers who sought to undermine Paul's authority and insinuated that his gospel was different from the one proclaimed by Peter. Paul details a visit made to Jerusalem with Barnabas, a Jew, and Titus, a Gentile. Paul went to see the apostles in Jerusalem because of a revelation from God, and there he sought to clarify the gospel he preached to the Gentiles.
James introduces himself as a servant of God and the Lord Christ. This introduction seems simple enough, but it is important to note that James is the half-brother of Jesus. They have the same mother, and they grew up in the same home, so James was witness to many things, but he did not always believe that Jesus was the Christ (John 7:5). Something changed, and now in humility, he declares his half-brother to be his Lord as he writes to those in the Dispersion.
The church in Antioch is flourishing as Paul and Barnabas teach and disciple the new believers. The prophets and teachers at Antioch were diverse and represented different countries and nationalities. These new believers were learning and seizing upon the means of grace. During worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit instructed this young church to set apart Saul and Barnabas for the work God for their ministry calling.
The news surrounding Peter's encounter with Cornelius and the Gentiles spreads quickly throughout Judea. The gospel is spreading just as Jesus said it would. The witness advanced from Jerusalem to Judea with little resistance. However, when Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans, there was some hesitation to receive those who believed, so the apostles sent Peter and John to evaluate the situation. They prayed for the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit. This news about Cornelius and the Gentiles was met with skepticism and criticized by the circumcision party.
The church is expanding, and the gospel is spreading despite persecution. The gospel is crossing generational, geographic, and cultural barriers. Peter is staying in Joppa where God will soon send him to share the gospel to Gentiles. Meanwhile, Cornelius is a Roman centurion who is stationed at Caesarea. He is what the Jews call a "God-fearer."
Following the martyrdom of Stephen, a man named Saul promotes the widespread persecution of the church in Jerusalem. Saul was determined to eradicate the followers of Jesus, and he was filled with hate and willing to commit violent acts against all who belong to the Way. To that end, he obtains letters from the high priest authorizing him to go into the Damascus synagogues and continue the search. Saul begins his march toward Damascus intent on destroying any who claim Jesus is the Christ and that he had risen from the dead. The entourage he travels with is intent on finding anyone that may have escaped persecution in Jerusalem.
The religious leaders try to silence them by arresting them and placing them in custody until the next day when they could investigate. The church is experiencing tremendous growth and favor. Luke includes that many believed and the number of men came to approximately five thousand. The religious leaders including the entire high-priestly family gathered the following day to address the disturbance.
