The Lord Jesus declared: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). John Piper outlines ten ‘sightings’ of that authority. We see it:-
Why did Jesus perform miracles? A number of reasons may be suggested:-
Having set out what he regards as the five leading features of ‘evangelical religion’ (i.e. evangelical faith), J.C. Ryle then goes on to write about what it is not:-
1. It does not despise learning, although it steadily refuses to place any uninspired writings on a level with revelation.
2. It does not undervalue the Church, although it refuses to exalt the Church above Christ, or teach people that membership of the Church is identical with membership of Christ.…
JC. Ryle (1817-1900) was a doughty supporter and proponent of ‘evangelical religion’ (i.e. evangelical faith).
In his celebrated work, Knots Untied, Ryle set out what he regarded as the leading features of such faith:-
“These I consider to be five in number.
a) The first leading feature of Evangelical Religion is the absolute supremacy it assigns to Holy Scripture, as the only rule of faith and practice … Show us anything plainly written in that Book, and, however trying to flesh and blood, we will receive it, believe it, and submit to it.…
According to David Instone-Brewer, the people often referred to in the Gospels as ‘sinners’ (as in ‘tax collectors and sinners’) were actually prostitutes:-
…‘Prostitutes at that time were called “sinners” in polite company, just as they were called “fallen women” by the Victorians. Interestingly, the Gospels never record Jesus using a euphemism, so when he condemned the Pharisees he said: “Tax collectors and prostitutes will get to the Kingdom of heaven before you” (Matthew 21:31).’
(a) In what ways are we sometimes like Peter (Luke 22:54-62), denying Jesus rather than acknowledging him? What can we do when that happens?
(b) Why do you think that Luke describes the events surrounding Jesus’ death in such detail?
(c) Looking through this passage as a whole, what aspects of Jesus death are ‘ordinary’ (similar to other deaths), and what aspects are ‘extraordinary’ (unlike other deaths)? What (again trying to pick up clues from this passage) makes Jesus’ death significant for us today?…
Paul’s desire was ‘to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far’ (Phil 1:23).
That sparkling Puritan, Thomas Watson, writes:-
To a believer death is great gain. A saint can count what his losses for Christ are here—but he cannot count how great his gains are at death…Death to a believer is the daybreak of eternal brightness. To show fully what a believer’s gains are at death, would be a task too great for an angel; all hyperboles fall short of it; the reward of glory exceeds our imagination.…
How can heaven and hell possibly co-exist everlastingly (asks Philip Edgecumbe Hughes)? Would this not be incompatible with the redemption achieved by Christ? For,
Throughout his long ministry, J.C. Ryle (1817-1900) had to defend evangelical (that is to say, gospel) truth on a number of fronts. One of these concerned the threat posed by the Ritualism of the Anglo-Catholic movement.
Ian Farley reports that in 1877 Ryle identified five key teachings of the Ritualists:
1. What, would you say, are the main things that Adam and Eve learn here about God, Satan, and themselves?
2. This chapter gives some account of how the human race fell into sin. Looking at the world around us, what evidence do you see that humanity is, in fact, a fallen race?
3. Verse 15 is regarded as the very first promise of the Messiah. What does it tell us about Christ?
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