Ephesians 3:10

It would be too easy to dismiss this dislike for church as only another symptom of original sin and love of moral darkness, but I believe that explanation is too pat to be wholly true. It doesnt explain enough. Some persons, for instance, find church intolerable because there is no objective toward which pastor and people are moving, aside possibly from the limited one of trying to enlist eight more women and 10 more men to chaperon the annual youth cookout or reaching the building fund...

For Reading and Meditation:     Galatians 2:15-21

We turn now to consider the second of our Lord's Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). It is important to note that there is a very definite order in these sayings of Christ. Every one is carefully thought out and is given a...

The church occupies a place of tremendous importance in the mind of Christ, and it should be extremely important in our estimation as well.

We sense its importance by the prominent space it occupies in the New Testament. Also it claimed a significant place in the ministry of the apostles. Paul, for instance, spoke of his twofold ministry - to preach the Gospel and to declare the truth of the church (Ephesians 3:8-9). The apostles spoke of...

You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. § Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. § The mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all...

Jesus … said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. § He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise. § To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers it the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. § That in the ages...