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Second Corinthians 3 Part 5 The Glory Of The New Covenant of Better Hope

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The glory of the old covenant pales in comparison to the glory of the new. 2 Corinthians 3:6-8  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  7)  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:  8)  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?  God's law and it's ceremonies were glorious in that it highlights the unchangeable beauty of His holiness and the unyielding perfection of His righteousness. God's law is holy and righteous. It's main function is to condemn us for our sins. The Old Testament sacrifices were God's provision to cover people's sins because He always made a way for people to approach Him. However, the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away ...
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Second Corinthians 3 Part 4 The Glorious Power Of God's Spirit And Christ's Gospel

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Each Christian is like a living letter written by God's Spirit on our heart. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3  Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?  2)  Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  3)  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.  Paul was guided by God's Spirit to address the disrespect some false teachers had for the apostle.  Jesus continued to minister on this earth through His apostles, and His Father would not let professing Christians dismiss His servants. False teachers and Judaizers sought to diminish Paul's office as an apostle of Christ. They sought to dismiss apostolic teaching so that they could spread heresy. They came to the churches with lying letters...
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The Book Of Nehemiah Part 6 The Sheep Gate Points To The Lamb Of God Slain For Us

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  Here is a note about an index containing all Bible lessons posted on this blog since its inception in 2019.   An index for  all lessons  posted from 2019 through 2021, was published on  September 7, 2022. An index for all lessons posted in 2022, was published  J anuary 24, 2023. An index for all lessons posted in 2023 was posted on  February 28, 2024.  Each index lists lesson titles and the date each one was posted, so that you can study subjects that we have written about. The link below will take you to the YouTube channel of the church my family attends, Heritage Baptist Church in Smithville, Ohio. Part 6 of our lessons on Nehemiah focus upon the Sheep gate in Jerusalem. This was also called the gate of the sinner's sacrifice because sheep for sacrifice were sold outside of the gate.   Then they were washed and led into the temple to be offered as a burnt offering for sin.  The sheep gate reminds us that a sacrifice for sin is ...
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Second Corinthians 3 Part 3 Staying On Track To Live For God's Glory

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In chapter three, Paul begins to address the lack of respect to his authority from God as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul did not need letters of commendation from men. 2 Corinthians 3:1  Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?  First, what are the "letters of commendation" that Paul refers to?  These were letters of commendation from various churches carried by teachers who opposed the apostle.  False teachers came to Corinth with letters of approval from other churches. When they left Corinth they sought to obtain similar letters from the Corinthians to other churches.  Recorded in early records of church councils we see in the thirteenth canon of the Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) the following requirement.  “Clergymen coming to a city where they were unknown, should not be allowed to officiate [preach] without letters commendatory from their own bishop.”...
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Second Corinthians 2 Part 2 The Power Of Life And Death Is In The Gospel Of Christ

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The Spirit of God opened doors for Paul to preach the gospel in Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 2:12-13  Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,  13)  I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.  Paul continued to address some of complaints against him lodged by those who cause dissension and discord in the church at Corinth. He shared some of the afflictions and suffering he endured for the sake of the gospel of Christ.  He reminded the Corinthians of his missionary journeys and how  his heart was made heavy  because he did not locate Titus.  Later, we will read that Paul previously sent Titus to the Corinthians to bring the apostle a status report on how they were doing and their response to his first letter.  In a pastoral letter written to Titus, Paul referred to Titus by using the same affectionat...
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The True Christmas Story Part 9 Concluding Thoughts About the Birth Of Jesus Christ

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This morning I want to wish all of our readers around the world a blessed and safe Christmas.  Our church is having a Christmas service on December 22 which is a joyous and contemplative service. I wish the same for all of you.  Please remember to pray for Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith that our wonderful God would place a hedge of protection around them.  Please remember to share the living truth of God's eternal word with other people that you come in contact with because scripture is what God uses to change lives.  Finally, please pray for America. The spiritual needs in our country are vast so it is best to follow the pattern Paul in the text below. 1 Timothy 2:-4  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3...
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