Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ

I promised a post on peace "tomorrow." I should have said "next post." It’s been 3 days. So, here goes. Paul commonly blesses his readers with "grace and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ." Often it’s at both the start and end of the letter (though usually at the end it’s [...]

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Why Do We Do This?

I was reading one of my own archived posts, and I was reminded why we do this. What do we do? We take a stand for change. We preach a Gospel that demands the counting of the cost and explains the cost as everything. We say you cannot be a Christian without doing so because [...]

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Exhort, Encourage, Testify:
The Appearance of Paul, Part V

It takes me too long to get around to finishing series I started. This may be the most important blog I’ve ever written. If you DO this, it will change your life and the lives of all those with whom you have regular contact. I’m sorry if the post is boring, or isn’t broke up [...]

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Confused About Christianity?: Titus 2, Real Christianity, and the Pastoral Epistles

Confused about Christianity? Let’s wipe out all the confusion in one blog post. Yes, deliverance from all the competing doctrines of Christianity, and a straightforward, you-will-agree-with-this, Biblical description of the Gospel. Are you ready? Titus 2:1-10: Sifting Down to Sound Doctrine I talk about Titus 2:1-10 all the time. It says what sound doctrine is. [...]

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The Truth Even If It Condemns Me

I don’t want to write posts like the one I just wrote without telling you what I’m about to tell you. That post discussed true and false Christians—or disciples vs. mere believers—and I don’t want you to misunderstand what I mean by disciple. I’m not going to explain it to you; I’m going to give [...]

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Greed and Glory from Men: The Appearance of the Apostle Paul, Part 2

This series started by looking at Paul’s boldness and his avoidance of flattering speech. All of these attributes come from 1 Thessalonians 2, and they are all the result of one thing: Paul’s focus on and commitment to the Gospel of Christ. Paul never lost sight of the goal: preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ [...]

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The Appearance of the Apostle Paul

I stole the title of this post, "The Appearance of the Apostle Paul," from an old friend of mine. I don’t remember precisely what he taught, as that was 20 years ago, but I’m pretty sure it was similar to what I’m about to say. What I’m about to say comes from 1 Thessalonians 2. [...]

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Letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians: Chapter Two

If you haven’t been following this series, it begins with Ignatius’ introduction 3 or 4 posts ago on June 28. The Text of Ignatius’ Letter to the Ephesians 2 We’re on chapter 2 today. It reads as follows: As to my fellow-servant Burrhus, your most blessed deacon in all things pertaining to God, I plead [...]

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The Letter of Ignatius to the Ephesians: Chapter One

I started this series yesterday with an introduction to the early Christian writings. This is Ignatius’ epistle to the Ephesians, written in A.D. 107 or 116, about 50 or 60 years after Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesians and only about 30 years after the letter to the Ephesians found in Revelation ch. two. [...]

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Brand Loyalty to Christ

The problem is, Roman Catholic tradition and Orthodoxy do produce a brand you can recognize. They reliably produce worldliness, carnality, idolatry, and an indifference to the commands of Christ.

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