Values

Religion Will Not Take You to Heaven - Romans 2:17 – 2:24 (commentary)

Few people were more religious than young Paul of Tarsus. He knew all about religious orthodoxy and how it can make a sincere and zealous person the very enemy of Christ. Orthodoxy in religion requires both access to the truth and accountability to the truth. Paul was speaking to …

The Kingdom of Heaven - Matthew 13:44 – 13:52 (commentary)

In this fifth parable Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a  field (v. 44).  Since the Lord did not explain this parable there are various interpretations of how it can be applied.  Since the Word of God makes it very clear in many places t …

The Perspective of Rich and Poor - James 1:9 – 1:11 (commentary)

Having been given the resources needed to deal with the trials of life we are introduced to two specific examples of trials: The test of poverty (v. 9). James speaks first of the man of “low degree”. This is not refer­ring to spiritual condition but to earthl …

Jesus Selects the Twelve Apostles - Luke 6:12 – 6:26 (commentary)

The selection of the twelve Apostles was made after Jesus spent a night in prayer (v. 12). Jesus had a large number of disciples and from those He picked 12 who were to be Apostles (vv. 13-16). A disciple is a learner or an apprentice, while an apostle is a chosen messenger sent …