In this section of Ephesians, Paul calls the Gentile believers to remember their past that they were separated from Christ, and excluded from citizenship in Israel, and foreigners to the promises of God, without hope, and without God. BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, things are different. Now they are brought near. Now they have peace, now God has made "on…

In this section of Ephesians, Paul compares their old way of life to their new life in Christ. The old walk of life was dead in sin, disobedience, full of gratifying ones cravings, and it was the ways of the world, with the destination being God's wrath. Yet God loved us, and because He was rich in mercy, those who believe in Jesus Christ, who are …

Paul gives thanks for the saints of Christ because of their faith in the Lord and their love for each other. Than Paul prays a prayer that they may grow in the Spirit with wisdom, revelation and enlightenment, so they can know the hope of their calling in Christ. He also shared that the same power of God which raised Jesus from the dead, is also th…

Usually the apostle Paul would give a thanksgiving after the opening of his letters, but this time, he explained a blessing. God is blessed and so are those who believe in Jesus Christ. All of these verses make up only one sentence, and Abraham Kuruvilla said it is "the longest sentence in the NT, composed of 202 words." Verses 3-6 focus on God the…

Paul finished his third missionary journey and brought an offering to the church in Jerusalem and while there he was arrested. He ended up appealing to Caesar, which brought him to Rome where he wrote this letter while in house arrest, which is why it is called a prison epistle. Paul starts his letter declaring his apostleship of Christ Jesus, and …

In these chapters we get to the climax of the story of Jesus, but in chapter 26 the conflict and rising action are still going on. The religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus which was conflict from others, and then after Jesus was anointed with very expensive perfume, Judas went to the religious leaders to see how much they would give him for givi…

B. W. Bacon entitles this narrative the "Conflict and Consummation," this discourse as "Revelation of the End," and the ending formula is found in 26:1, "When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples." Jesus has told His disciples twice that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and on the third day be raised to life. …

This section of Matthew, Jesus points out what life in the kingdom of heaven looks like, and it is very different than the world. We find that the King of the kingdom is compassionate. The king provides our needs, and the people of the kingdom are satisfied. The people of the kingdom are people of true faith of the heart, not of works created by me…

This section begins with John the Baptist asking Jesus if He is the One that was to come. If Jesus was the Son of David, the King, then why was He not taking the reigns? Then this section explains that the kingdom of God is different than an earthly kingdom. Jesus was ushering in a new era, and John the Baptist was the last great prophet, like Elij…

In these chapters we see that Jesus had authority over sickness, demons, and even creation as the disciples asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him" (8:27)! In this section, we see that everyone who came to Jesus was changed either one way or the other. We learn there is a cost of discipleship, and that we are to giv…

B. W. Bacon divides up Matthew into five books, with a prologue with chapters 1-2, and an epilogue with chapters 26-28. Book one covers chapters 3-7, and each of the books ends with a phrase like 7:28a, "When Jesus had finished saying these things..." and these are found in 7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1 and 26:1. Each book has a narration, and in these c…

Chapters 1-2 of Matthew tells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus, and Matthew points out that Jesus fulfilled Scripture by being the promises descendant of King David who will reign with an eternal kingdom, and that Jesus was also the son of Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel who will fulfill the …

As Paul wrapped up his letter to the church in Rome, he encouraged them by affirming they were full of goodness, knowledge, and competence. He shared he was hoping to come soon, after his visit to Jerusalem. The Gentile Christian churches had gathered an offering for the Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem, and Paul, and other people, were taking …

One of the main points in this passage is that as Christians we are not to judge other believers if they hold different views on "disputable matters." Some disputable matters that Paul addressed was eating meat sacrificed to idols and observing special religious days. He reminded us that every one will answer to God for their actions, and it is not…

Chapters 1-8 of Romans, Paul explained the Gospel. In chapters 9-11, Paul shared his concern for his fellow Jews, that they would accept Jesus as their Messiah and declare Him Lord. He also explained that because of their unbelief, the Lord "grafted in" the wild olive branch" of the Gentiles to become a part of the family of God, but when the "full…

Chapter 12 starts, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Paul has laid out God's mercy: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus Christ paid the debt for our sin when he died on the cross for us. We ne…

We see Paul's heart in these three chapters of Romans, and his heart is with his people, the Jews. If he could give up his own salvation so that the Jews would come to faith, he would. Paul used a lot of Old Testament Scripture passages in these chapters to show how God chose the Jews, and how He picked Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 9:16, "It does not…

Paul shared in the first part of chapter 8, that believers in Jesus Christ have the Spirit of God within them, and His Spirit testifies to our spirit that, "we are children of God." This makes us "co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory" (8:16-17). Now in this section Paul says that th…

Chapter 8 begins, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Chapter 8 is a transition that focuses on the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, who enters our lives. This fulfills Old Testament prophets like Jeremi…

In these two chapters, Paul explained that a Christian is one who died to sin, was buried into Christ Jesus, and was raised in Christ with a new life. That is what baptism by emersion shows the world. Since Jesus is alive, so too are we. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23). Paul gave an e…

This chapter begins with Paul sharing the benefits to people who have faith in Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection. We are justified, "just as if I have never sinned." We have peace with God. We have access to God by faith. We have grace which enables us to stand, and we can rejoice because we have hope for the glory of God, and we can rejo…

In chapter 4 of Romans, Paul who had already said that the Law and the Prophets, and the Holy Scriptures showed us the gospel, and in this chapter he shows it through the life of Abraham. He also quotes King David with Psalm 32:1-2. Paul explained that when "Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness," it was before Abraham was c…

So far in the book of Romans, Paul explained the sinfulness of the Gentiles, and then he spoke to the Jews and reminded them that they were sinners too. God is not a respecter of persons. 2:28-29, Paul said to be a true Jew, it has nothing to do with outward things like circumcision of the flesh, but a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit of God…

In this section of Paul's letter to the church at Rome, he give thanks that their faithfulness is known throughout the world. He expressed his desire to come and visit, and then he shared, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the g…

Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome, to let them know of his plans for coming to visit them on his way to Spain (15:23-29). We also learn in that passage that Paul had received the offering from both Macedonia and Achaia and he was heading to Jerusalem to deliver the gift, which would end his third missionary journey. This letter does not …

Chapters 8-9 Paul deals with the offering which the Corinthian church had started (1 Corinthians 16:1-4), and now he plans on coming to receive it and their delegates would take it to Jerusalem. Paul reminds the people they are not to give due to guilt or pressure, but however they felt the Lord leading them, plus he added, "for God loves a cheerfu…

The Apostle Paul had had a painful visit with the church at Corinth, plus then he sent a sorrowful letter to them, and he was anxious to hear from Titus who took the letter, how the Church at Corinth was doing. Once Titus came, and Paul heard that the church had repented and how they cared about Paul, his heart was encouraged. This is why the begin…

The climax of this letter, and the climax of the Christian faith, is that Jesus Christ died for our sins. He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (vs. 3-8). Plus, at the time of Paul's letter, some of the eyewitnesses of Jesus' resurrection were still alive. Some people said there was no resurrection, and Paul …

The Apostle Paul received news from members from Chloe's household of issues that were happening at the church in Corinth. The church had also sent him a letter with questions, so Paul wrote this letter to address these issues. The church was divided over who was their leader, Paul, Apollos, Peter/Cephas, and some boasted that they follow Christ. O…

The Apostle Paul started the church in Corinth during his second missionary journey. We know from 1 Corinthians 5:9 that Paul wrote another letter to the church which we have no record of. In 1 Cor. 16:8 & 19, we learn that Paul is in Ephesus when he wrote this letter, so it is believed he was on his third missionary journey at Ephesus around AD 53…

The Gospel of Mark is the only gospel who called Jesus, the Son of Mary (6:3), plus mark included sisters in his "family of God" in 3:21. Mark compares the poor widow who gave only two small copper coins, yet gave all she had, to the rich who gave out of their wealth (12:41-44). In 14:8-9, the woman who anointed Jesus for burial was criticized by t…

Mark begins this section with Jesus sending out His disciples two by two. He gave them authority over evil spirits. They preached repentance, and healed many. Before we hear about their report on their mission, we have the story, or the meat of the "sandwich" which told the story of John the Baptist being beheaded. Once that story is finished, Mark…

Mark starts with quotes from the OT (Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3), about the messenger who prepares "the Way" for the Lord, and he points out throughout the book, that there are people who go their way, but He invites people to follow His way. The problem is His way leads through suffering, but after that comes glory. Some people like Blind Bartima…

Mark starts, not with the genealogy of Jesus like Matthew did, and he did not start with the birth of Jesus, like Luke did, but instead he started with a disciple of the Lord, John the Baptist, a faithful servant who in chapter one was arrested, and in chapter 6 was put to death. Jesus then called his 12 disciples, and many are said they "immediate…

In this lesson, we look at the various roles of Jesus found in the gospel of Mark. The book begins and Mark calls Jesus the Son of God, and the book ends with the Centurion who saw how Jesus died, and he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God." In the middle God the Father says, "You are my Son, whom I love" both at Jesus' baptism and on the Mt.…

In these last two chapters of Galatians, Paul shared that since we are saved by faith in Jesus alone, and that is what justifies us before God, not our works, we are to live in freedom, not be in bondage again to the sinful nature. Circumcision, or other works of the law, do not make us right before God. Verse 6b, "The only thing that counts is fai…

The apostle Paul starts off chapter 4 with an example of a child who is an heir, but unable to receive any money until he becomes the age which the father sets. A guardian or trustee watches over the child until that time comes. Then Paul says in verse 4, "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redee…

In chapter 3, Paul draws from the Old Testament to show that faith came first through Abraham before the law came with Moses, which shows that faith supersedes the law. Paul then says that all who have faith are blessed like Abraham. He also explained the problem with the law was that it cannot produce righteousness, because all humanity has sinned…

Chapter two of Galatians continues Paul's story of his calling and ministry, and now it is fourteen years later, and Paul, Barnabas, and Titus, spoke to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. The topic was do Gentiles need to become Jews in order to become Christian? No, they do not, because we are saved by faith not by the law. Paul and Barnabas …

We learn in the first chapter of Galatians, that Paul the apostle was not called by humans, but by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They only deserve the glory. We also find that Paul is not happy with the churches in the region of Galatia, because someone has come and distorted the gospel, the good news of Jesus, (and we learn later it wa…

We find in these chapters the reason for Paul's second letter to the church at Thessalonica, and that was they received word that the Lord Jesus had come back and they missed it. Paul encouraged them to remember what he had told them while there, plus to trust the letters that he sent. He explained the things that must take place before Christ come…

This is Paul's second letter to the church at Thessalonica, which was probably a few months after his first letter. Paul started the church there, but then he had to leave due to persecution, so his first letter was sent with Timothy to make sure that the church was still growing. In this second letter, Paul is thankful that they are still growing …

With these last two chapters of Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica, he gave instructions on how to live in Christ. Believers are to live in such a way as to please God (4:1) and to love others (4:10), and both of these we are to do "more and more!" Paul also addressed sexual immorality, loving believers, living in such a way as to not be a…

Paul wrote this letter on his second missionary journey. He had to leave Thessalonica because Jews had caused a riot, so Paul and Silas left at night and left to Berea, but the Jews in Thessalonica followed them there, so Paul sailed on to Athens and then Corinth, and Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea (Acts 17:14). Paul kept hoping to go back to th…

The letter of James is an exhortation to encourage his readers to stay faithful, and this type of writing is called a Paraenesis. They have 5 characteristics, 1) commands or imperatives, 2) the use of moral examples, 3) a close relationship between the author and recipients, 4) the use of traditional materials, and 5) that it can be applied to ever…

These chapters cover the kings of Judah during the divided kingdom. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam told his people he would be harder on them than Solomon so the people rebelled, and the ten northern tribes broke away from the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Rehoboam tried to get them back by force, but the Lord told him to not fig…

These chapters cover the reign of king Solomon, the son of David. The Chronicler wrote to encourage his readers that God was in the midst of their history, and therefore would be in their future as well. Solomon's kingdom was the greatest in Jewish history, yet king David was the greatest king in their Jewish history because of his faithfulness to …

Now that king David is established in Judah and Jerusalem, he has a desire to build the Lord a house, but the Lord tells him he cannot because David shed blood in battle, but his son Solomon will build it, and his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. David was amazed at the Lord's words to him. Chapters 18-20 tell of David's victories in taking …

After the genealogies in chapters 1-9, the Chronicler starts with the death of King Saul, and in verse 13 he explains it was because of Saul's unfaithfulness to the Lord. In chapter 11, David becomes king of all Israel, as the Lord had promised through Solomon (11:3). David conquers Jerusalem, the city of David, and many mighty men join David. Chap…

The book of First Chronicles was written to encourage the Israelites to have hope, even though life is not the same back from exile, their God is still faithful to His covenant. The covenant with Abraham said his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky, and so reading these first nine chapters with the majority of them being his descendant…