Paul writes, “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10b). Peter would have us to “honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). We are to honor our parents (Ephesians 6:2–3, Exodus 20:12). Masters were to treat their slaves” justly and fairly” (Colossians 4:1) while slaves were told…
Love one another The phrase “one another” is derived from the Greek word allelon which means “one another, each other; mutually, reciprocally.” It occurs 100 times in the New Testament with over half of those occurrences giving specific commands teaching us how to relate to one another. Loving one another is an imperative that occurs…
We have already shown that the spiritual gifts were imparted through the laying on of the hands of the apostles. We have shown with the impartation on the Samaritans (Acts 8) and the Ephesian saints (Acts 19) proves it was accomplished by apostles laying their hands on those who had been baptized in the name…
The fullness of Christ is not distinctly different from the Spirit’s indwelling. Similarly, we are taught that Christians are baptized into Christ (cf. Gal. 3:26-27). Thus, they are in Him and He is in them, but not is some mystical or physical way. We dwell in him because we are baptized into him, while God…
My nephew, who has been battling cancer, gave one of the best answers to a question that was asked him. The man asked, “Do you know where you’re going after this?” He said, “I’m going to heaven.” The thought-provoking question followed, “How are you getting there?” Without hesitation, he said, “On the wings of eagles.” …
In this phrase, some commentators adopt the word “age” as the translation of ἡλικίας in preference to stature. The older English versions of Wycliffe, Tyndale, and the Geneva all choose this term, and the King James places it in the margin. The original could be either meaning. John 1:16 reads, “Of his fulness, we have…
The highest point in the knowledge of Christ is, that He is the Son of God. But, this does not appear to be Paul’s point of emphasis. The point is knowing Christ. Philippians 3:8-11 emphasizes the same point. It reads: Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ…
If one applies the four phrases that follow “til we all come” to the development of the body of Christ, it must include Jews and Gentiles as fellow-heirs. If this was Paul’s meaning when he wrote this letter, then attaining to the unity of the faith is certainly accomplished by tearing down the hostilities and…
The words, “the faith” is not a reference to personal faith or trust in or on something or someone. It is a body of truth revealed by the Spirit. To demonstrate this, consider the following biblical passages. First, Acts 6:7 reads, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a…
After the seven days in the bridal chamber, the bride and bridegroom would join their guests (‘children of the bridechamber’) for a joyous marriage feast. The first meal that the bride and bridegroom shared with their guests was a festive meal that had religious significance. The purpose of the meal was to instill joy in…