1. What does it mean? God’s wrath is his ‘resolute action in punishing sin’. It is the active expression of his hatred toward irreligion and moral evil. ‘The wrath’ (Rom 2:5; 5:9) may refer to the future ‘day of wrath’, or to ‘present providential events and processes in which divine retribution for sin may be discerned’ (such as the action of the law in stirring up latent sin, Rom 5:20; 7:7-13, and the role of the magistrate in sentencing criminals, Rom 13:4f.) …
1. Since God created the world, we have ample demonstration of God’s divinity, Jer 10:11; Acts 17:24. None but God can create. Two books God has written which are sufficient to leave all without excuse: creation, Rom 1:20, and conscience, Rom 2:15. Every star in the sky, every bird that flies, is a witness against unbelief.
2. Since God created the world, we have a mighty assurance for our faith. What cannot our Creator-God do? Ps 124:8.…
The Old Testament has laws about all kinds of things – stealing, retaliations, charging interest, homosexual acts, and so on. How can we tell which of these Jesus intended to apply to his followers?
Various answers are given:-
How can we begin to resolve this?…
Are we sufficiently mindful of the authority of Jesus Christ?
Consider:-
1. Its origin. Cf. Jn 3:35, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.” Mt 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father.” Eph 1:22 ‘God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.’ See also Ps 2:6-12; Ps 110:1. If all of Christ’s power and authority is derived from the Father, how much more is this the case with us.…
Transition: chapter division.
Ch 1: 19f ‘His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.’
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Home, body, diet, wardrobe, child, pet
Ephesians 2:1-10; 3:14-21; Philippians 2:1-18; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; 3:10-17
The following questions were designed for a study in a series on the story-line of the Bible. This particular study was entitled: ‘With God for ever – church expansion and growth: Growing in our relationship with God.’
There is a lot of Scripture here! I’ve suggested one question from each of these five passages. You might want to focus on one or two of the passages, or possibly get people to work in twos and threes.…
Donald Macleod has some perceptive things to say on this subject:-
Ancient Near Eastern myths appear to have influenced OT thought in a number of ways:-
These include: (a) the voice of God as thunder (2 Sam 22:14); (a) the wind as winged (2 Sam 22:11; Ps. 104:3; Hos. 4:19); (c) the sun as winged (Mal 4:2); (d) a mountain in the north (Isa. 14:13; Ps. 48:2 where the gods assembled; (e) the land “flowing with milk and honey”, which borrows from ancient concepts of paradise; (f) a Book of Fate, which recorded even pre-natal days (Ps.…
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) has attracted a variety of approaches to interpretation:-
1. The Sermon as an ‘Interim Ethic’. This was the view of Schweitzer. Jesus’ sermon sets out a radical ethic to be followed by Jesus’ followers in the light of the imminent end of the age. However, Jesus was mistaken: the end did not arrive. This interpretation has serious weaknesses. The Sermon itself contains no hint of being a short-term ethic. …
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