The Gospel

A friend asks you "Have you heard the good news?"  Your reply, of course, is "What good news?" because you know that all good news isn't the same. Yet few people ask this when reading in the Bible the phrase "the gospel" — which simply means "good news."  They have been taught that "the gospel is the gospel" and "there is only one gospel."  But this is simply not true in light of Scripture.

God has not proclaimed only one gospel, one item of good news, down through the ages, but many.  He has qualified the word "gospel" by distinctive titles, like the "gospel of the Kingdom" and the "gospel of the grace of God."  When we come upon the phrase "the gospel" without any qualifying title, we should immediately ask "Which gospel?" and the context will give us the answer. 

For example, Luke 9:6 simply says that the twelve disciples went about "preaching the gospel," but verse 2 of the same chapter explains how the Lord had sent them "to preach the kingdom of God" — not the cross, but the kingdom, since He, the King, was in their midst. These disciples could not have been preaching "the word of the cross" as Paul later did (1 Cor 1:17-18), because it wasn't until at least two years later that the Lord began to tell them how He must suffer and die (Matt 16:21) and Peter "began to rebuke Him" (Matt 16:22) and none of the twelve even knew what He was talking about (Lk 18:31-34).

So contrary to what many say, the "gospel of the kingdom" and the "gospel of the grace of God" are not the same thing. That the Messiah had come and the earthly (millennial) kingdom was "at hand" was the good news of the kingdom, whereas the "gospel of the grace of God" is that God is extending grace, totally apart from works, to anyone who simply believes.  The "gospel of the kingdom" was committed to the twelve while Christ was on earth (and don't forget people were still under the Law at that time).  "The preaching of the cross" (as good news) — "the gospel of the grace of God" — was later committed to the Apostle Paul and to us (1 Cor 1:18; Acts 20:24).

Making this distinction isn't really all that important, is it?  Yes it is, because if we fail to observe progressive revelation, we may wrongly try to evangelize by preaching the gospel according to Israel's earthly kingdom and not according to what was later revealed to us through Paul.

Many try to combine the two.  But not only are these messages of good news not the same, they contradict each other.  Ephesians 2:8-9 flatly contradicts the message of faith plus works as the expression of their faith** that we find in the gospel accounts (Matt 5:19-20; 6:14-15; 23:2-3; Lk 10:25-28; 18:18-20).

Still, many try to reconcile these two gospels by one of the following ways:

•Read the kingdom gospel into Paul's gospel
•Read Paul's gospel back into the kingdom gospel

The first choice is what some Bible teachers have done in an attempt to make sense of the good news of the earthly kingdom and the good news later revealed to us. An example of this is the teaching of Lordship Salvation.

The second choice is what many evangelicals do. They understand the gospel of salvation as revealed in Paul's epistles. They teach that salvation today is apart from works and totally by faith alone in the finished work of Christ, but then explain away, rationalize, or spiritualize the teachings of the gospels that clearly teach faith plus works.

But there is a third choice — observe the progression of Scripture. This choice is the only one that allows God's Word to say what it means and mean what it says. Understanding Paul's unique apostleship and message allows the Bible to teach what the literal sense of the words clearly indicate — a message of faith plus works to the Jews in keeping with their earthly prophetic program under the law, and a message of faith alone to everyone today in keeping with the heavenly program revealed to us through Paul.


**"Faith will most assuredly approach God in God’s way at any time, and to seek to gain acceptance with Him in any other way would, of course, be unbelief and self-will. Thus, while works never did or could save as such, they did once save as expressions of faith…..Does this mean that works will be efficacious in themselves? No! They will avail only as the expression and evidence of faith..." (Stam)

Why do people reject God?

A man rejects God neither because of intellectual demands nor because of the scarcity of evidence.  A man rejects God because of moral resistance that refuses to admit his need for God.

Ravi Zacharias

Salvation and good works

Many people think that salvation is God’s reward to those who do their best to live good lives. But this isn't true because God’s Word says of those who are saved:

...who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began (2 Tim 1:9).

Referring to this "salvation that is in Christ Jesus," Paul says:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him (2 Tim 2:10-11).

In other words, we have died with Christ.  It was not Christ’s death.  He was no sinner.  He had no death to die.  He was dying our death!  By faith we have been "crucified with Christ" (Gal 2:20). The penalty for all our sins have been fully paid because we have died in Christ AND have risen with Christ to "walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3-5).

This is all God’s doing.  Only now are we in a position to do good works that will please Him (Rom 6:6-11).  Paul also writes in 2 Tim 2:12:  "if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us."  When our service for Christ is reviewed, some of us "will receive a reward," but others "will suffer loss," though they themselves "will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor 3:14-15).

It will be deeply embarrassing for unfaithful believers to face empty-handed the One who gave His all — Himself — to save them. Yet salvation is by grace, so Paul is quick to conclude with these words:  "if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself (2 Tim 2:13).

So you see, our rewards depend upon our faithfulness, but our salvation (praise the Lord!) depends upon His.

Lord of Life

Though we rose to this tearful sunrise

With sadness for the dawn,

Now we find the grave-stone rolled aside,

Declaring Christ has gone.

 

Here we stand, trembling as an angel speaks,

We can't believe our eyes.

What a marvel, oh, what a mystery:

It's heaven's great surprise.

 

Hear the tomb as it echoes its refrain,

Which shouts of Jesus' pow'r;

Hear it ring with a triumph that proclaims

Salvation's finest hour.

 

Glory to the Great Redeemer,

Glory to the Risen Christ!

Our God reigns forever;

He is the Lord of life!

 

So all saints, let your loudest anthems ring;

We stand with hearts amazed.

Let us join as the heav'nly angels sing,

"He's worthy of all praise!"

 

Glory to the Great Redeemer,

Glory to the Risen Christ!

Our God reigns forever,

He is the Lord of life!

 

Hallelujah for this, our victory,

The end of sin's dark night.

As He lives once again then so shall we;

He is the Lord of life!

 

He is the Lord of life!

words and music by Tony Wood and Phillip Keveren

 

http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/lord-of-life/424108/?s=1

There is only one God

This is interesting. Found in Sir Robert Anderson's book The Coming Prince, is the calculation of the prophecy found in Daniel 9:25 where it says that the going out of the commandment to restore Jerusalem "to the coming of an anointed one [Messiah]" would be 69 weeks of years (cf. Gen. 29:27; Lev. 25:8). I thought we had always known the calculation of this very specific prophecy, but apparently it baffled to us for many years. Here's why: The predicted time of 483 years (69×7) did not match up with the time of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918) who realized that the problem was in the different ways Jews and Gentiles mark time. We number our years using a solar calendar in which each year has 365¼ days, but the Jews used a 360-day lunar calendar, with each year consisting of 12 months of 30 days each.

Evidence of this is found in Genesis 7:11, where we read that the flood began "in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month," yet exactly "150 days" later (Gen 7:24) "in the seventh month, of the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest" (Gen 8:3-4). The only way an exact period of five equal months can end 150 days later on the same day of the month is if each of those months has 30 days.

Further evidence is seen when we remember that the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week is sometimes said to last "forty-two months" (Rev 11:2), and sometimes it is said to last "for 1,260 days" (Rev 11:3). The only way 42 equal months can work out to 1,260 days is if each of those months has 30 days.

Once Sir Robert recalculated the prophecy using lunar years, he found that the 69 weeks "to the coming of an anointed one" worked out to the very day! the Lord Jesus rode the colt into Jerusalem and made an official presentation of Himself to Israel. No wonder the Lord wept later that day and said, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!" (Lk 19:42, cf. Zech 9:9).

We celebrated this day last Sunday on what we now refer to as "Palm Sunday" (Lk 19:28-42; Jn 12:12-15).  Today we are celebrating "Good Friday" — the anniversary of the day our Lord was crucified.  On Sunday we celebrate His resurrection from the grave.  He is alive!

The point of this whole post? When you are asked why people should trust the God of the Bible, why not give the reason God Himself gives — fulfilled prophecy! (Isa 42:8-9; 44:7-8, cf. Jn 13:19). To those who proclaim that all the religions and/or gods of this world are the same, God says, "Set forth your case…bring your proofs…let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen…tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods" (Isa 41:21-24).

The God of the Bible alone is God!

Are you sure?

I have to confess I have a real problem with the notion today that believers must persevere until the end in order to prove that they're saved.  In other words, we must look at how we're living and what works we're doing to see if we're really one of the elect.  I'm hearing this more and more frequently, too, particularly from the popular speakers of today.

One well-known speaker says this in one of his books: "One thing, however, is certain.  There is clearly a link between our assurance and our sanctification." And yet he goes on to say that one can be "certain of his salvation."  Still further on he says this about those who have fallen away: "The first possibility is that their profession was not genuine in the first place"... "The second possible explanation of those who make a profession of faith, give outward evidence of conversion, and then repudiate the faith, is that they are true believers who have fallen into serious and radical apostasy, but who will repent of their sin and be restored before they die.  If they persist in apostasy until death, then theirs is a full and final fall from grace, which is evidence that they were not genuine believers in the first place."  So they were true believers who persisted in apostasy until death so they weren't really true believers?  So our salvation isn't sure?  But who are we to judge anyway?  Can we see the heart?  No, but God can.  And He looks to see if we've placed our faith in His Son's death and resurrection, not at our works or whether or not we've sinned. It seems to me this author is just setting us all up to judge one another.

And the thing is, if our assurance is based even in small part on our practical sanctification, then absolute certainty is impossible — because we all still sin.  Say, for example, you yell at your kids first thing in the morning.  Well there goes your assurance.  You get it back after you pray and confess, but then you think some unkind thoughts about your impossible neighbor before lunch and lose your assurance again.  And so it goes all day long and you've doubted your salvation again and again.  So how many days like that would it take to convince you that security is merely wishful thinking?

But never fear. Even Paul, in Rom 7:14-25, tells us that he frequently did the very things he didn't want to do. We all do.  Because we all still have our old sin natures, there's a battle raging within each one of us. But does Paul wonder if he is truly saved? No! In the very next two verses he breaks out with, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord ... there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 7:25-8:1).

Still many Christians today believe that true believers persevere and false professors don't. They say that both may believe the same things in their minds, but the only way to find out if you're truly saved is by seeing if you persevere.  Of course, you can't be sure you will persevere until you die because you might die before you confess your latest sin and then you haven't persevered until the end. "Oh come on," you might say, "that's just being nit picky. If you've persevered right up to the end but then fall short, you're still good to go." But who says? Are there degrees of persevering? If so, then who gets to decide the cutoffs? Seems to me the best you can do is look at your works and see if they look like the type of works the Spirit does. But that certainly isn't fool-proof either because false professors do some good works that look like the real thing, too. So how can anybody really know? The plain fact is, when we take our focus off Christ and what He's done and put it on ourselves and what we do, assurance is tentative at best.

I think this author summarizes the problem with this way of thinking rather well: "The bottom line in ... [this type of thinking] ... is that the subjective elements (the works we do and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit) are the real grounds of assurance.  The objective promises of God only apply to me if Christ died for me, and He only died for me if I am elect and I can only know if I am elect by subjective means."

So the question that comes to my mind is this:  Why would anyone look to their imperfect walk for assurance instead of to the firm promises of God?  Many point to 2 Cor 13:5: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?"  But let's not forget that context is king!  This verse does not tell us to look at our works for confirmation of our election.  Paul is continuing the subject of his credentials as a true apostle.  He begins this subject in 2 Cor12:11 and continues it through the end of the book.  In 2 Cor 13:5 Paul overwhelms the Corinthian believers by pointing out that if he is a reprobate apostle, then they are reprobate Christians because they are all his converts. He challenges them to examine themselves as to whether they are really Christians or not.  Of course they would promptly reply that they were, and so their confidence about themselves would admit and establish Paul's claim to be a true apostle. Now think back and compare this with 1 Cor 4:3-4 where Paul says he does not even examine himself: "But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord." Now it makes sense.

Over and over Scripture tells us that if we place our faith in Christ, we're saved, period (e.g., Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16-21; 3:1-3, 26-27). It's never about any works we do, either before or after we trust Christ. It's always and only about what Christ has done. So let's take our focus off ourselves and put it back where it belongs — on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).

Is weak faith enough to save?

Yes, weak faith is enough to save because the most important thing about faith is not faith at all, but the object of our faith — Jesus Christ!  My pastor tells a story about three people on an airplane which illustrates this point very well.

“In the seat by the aisle is a businessman who flies all the time. In the seat in the middle is a student flying on her own for the first time. In the seat by the window is an old lady who has never flown before, and is already vowing that she will never fly again.

As the plane taxis to the runway, the businessman takes out his paper, the student in the middle is slightly on edge, and the old lady is holding onto the seat white-knuckled with fear.

When the lunch is served, the businessman eats the lot, the student eats about half, and the old lady can’t watch. She has her nose in the barf bag. Here’s the amazing thing: All three of them arrive in exactly the same place at precisely the same time, though their flights were enjoyed (or not enjoyed) in varying degrees.

Why? It’s not your degree of confidence, but the trustworthiness of the plane that will get you there.”

In like manner, our arrival in heaven does not depend on the degree of confidence we have in Christ, but on the Christ in whom we have placed our faith. Therefore, if we are in Christ, our destination is secure. Weak faith will get us there just as surely as strong faith, because it is Christ who saves us, not our faith.

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9).

 

 

 

Acts 13 - We need only believe.

Paul and Barnabas had seated themselves in the large synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. But they were soon recognized. "After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them saying, 'Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.'" 

These details are important because as Moses, in giving the Law, had declared God’s moral standards, the prophets had for centuries challenged the people to obey the Law and warned them of the consequences of breaking its commands. So passages from the Law and the prophets were generally read in the synagogues, and the religious leaders would then encourage the people to listen to the prophets and obey the Law.

 

Paul responded to the invitation to speak to the people gathered there. But rather than merely encouraging his hearers to keep the Law, he proclaimed Christ, who in love had died for all lawbreakers, closing with these words:

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses (Acts 13:38-39).

How we need this message today! We may forever encourage one another to keep the Law, but who of us hasn't already broken it? Instead, we should thank God that He is a loving Savior as well as a just Judge, and that as God the Son, He paid for our sins Himself at Calvary so that we might be "justified by His grace" (Titus 3:7; Gal 3:13a). We need only believe.

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31a).

I'm clean!

I've written quite a bit over the past several years but have never told you how I came to know the Lord.  I'd like to do that now.  Better late than never, I guess.

My testimony isn't as dramatic as some.  I didn't come out of the drug culture or any kind of self-destructing life style.  Nor did I go through a long period of searching for the true meaning of life before coming to Christ.  You see, I was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ as my savior when I was about 6 years old.

After church one Sunday I had a lot of questions about becoming a Christian.  My father very patiently answered them by showing me verse after verse in the Bible.  He explained to me that I could become a Christian by placing my faith in what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross and not by doing good things.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16).

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).

Then my father prayed with me.  My faith was very simplistic because I was so young, but I still remember it very plainly.

Over the years I've had spiritual growth spurts as well as plateaus and valleys, just like every other believer, as I constantly battle this old nature of mine.  But how freeing to know that I stand justified ("just as if I'd never sinned") before God because — and only because! — of His Son's death on the cross and resurrection!

It took me a while to fully comprehend this fact, though.  Too many times I had been told in church that I must constantly confess my sins to God, that I must "keep short lists" of my sins with Him, so that I wouldn't forget to ask for forgiveness for each and every one.  Of course this made me worry that I might actually forget to confess some of them...and then what?  I wasn't sure.  So I got into the habit of not only constantly focusing on and confessing every sin I could think of, but also, just for good measure, of saying a "blanket" prayer asking forgiveness for any sins I happened to forget.  Whew, I was covered!  But what a tremendous burden I lived under.

I remember coming across a book sometime during my high school years in which a young married couple talked about how joyful their Christian walks had become since coming to realize what Christ's death and resurrection for them really meant.  They seemed so happy, so free.  I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I knew I wanted to.

It was still several years after that — during my college years — before I finally understood that God had forgiven me — not only for my past sins, but also for my present and future sins — from the moment I placed my faith in His Son's death and resurrection on my behalf.  And now, because I'm in Christ (Col 2:8-12), I stand before God just as if I'd never sinned.  Isn't that amazing?!

You've probably noticed that I frequently post this quote from Bob George based on Heb 10:1-14.  I like it because it explains so vividly where I was then and where I am now:

When the Israelite who hears that Christ's sacrifice has taken away his sin continues to go on the Day of Atonement to offer animal sacrifices, what is he saying about the blood of Christ? When the Catholic continues to rely on his priest for forgiveness, what is he saying about the Spirit of grace? When the Protestant continues to send up prayers of confession to bring about forgiveness, what is he saying about the blood of the covenant? The Christian world tells the Israelites, "You no longer have to offer animal sacrifices." The Protestants are saying to the Catholics, "You don't have to confess to a priest, you can go directly to God." And God in heaven is saying to all of us, "IT IS FINISHED."

I wasn't going to the confessional per se', but I might as well have been.

I still struggle with my old sin nature, of course, just like every other believer.  The Apostle Paul talked about these struggles:

So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Rom 7:17-8:2).

But now I know that in Christ I'm clean!

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21). 

I've also come to learn that it's in fully understanding God's grace towards me — not confession — that helps me to say no to sin.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).

I look forward to the day when I no longer have to struggle with my old sin nature and we are all together in heaven with our Savior.  What a wonderful day that will be — AND, it's going to be forever!

justme ("just as if I'd never sinned" me)

What is saving faith? cont.

Interestingly, James also used Abraham as an example to illustrate the importance of having living faith in relation to the message he proclaimed to the circumcision — "the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad" (James 1:1).  James, however, specifically singled out the account when Abraham was called upon to offer his son, Isaac, upon the altar.   This is significant because we know Abraham was already saved prior to this testing.

Approximately two years after Abraham was justified God gave him the covenant of circumcision (Acts 7:1-8) and changed his name from Abram to Abraham (Gen 17:5).  This covenant of circumcision was what separated him from the ungodly heathen nations around him.  Technically, this was the birth of the Hebrew nation, and it was not too long after this that Isaac was born. 

The sign of circumcision was the seal of righteousness of the faith that Abraham had placed in God (Rom 4:11-12).  Today, the seal is the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14).  But clearly, the covenant of circumcision was a covenant of works (Gen 17:10-14; 26:4-5).  The most obvious example of this is, every male child was to be circumcised the eighth day in order to be made a child of the covenant.  Although the rite didn't save him, in Israel a male couldn't be saved if he wasn't circumcised.  Circumcision gave him an opportunity to be saved.  It seems to me that it was under this program and message that James wrote:

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone (James 2:20-24).

James' question, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works?" merely indicates that Abraham's works confirmed his faith. The combination of faith and works verified that Abraham's faith was a living faith, which manifested itself by works. According to James, Abraham served as a pattern to the circumcision that faith plus works were required for salvation at that time.** And what time was that? The transitional period, which ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

**A few years after the Book of James was written, the Jerusalem Council was held, which concluded that Gentile believers needn't be circumcised nor keep the Mosaic law in order to be saved (Acts 15:1-21).  Nothing, however, was said about whether or not Jewish believers were to remain under the law.  It seems they assumed they were because no revelation had yet been given to them that they were freed from it.  Also, even later in Acts 21:17-26 they were still "all zealous for the Law."  Apparently the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile was gradually broken down.

What is saving faith?

What does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Paul used the above quotation from Genesis 15:6 to prove that "the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom 4:2-5).

It's wonderful that God doesn't require — in fact, doesn't even permit — human works for salvation. He requires only faith. But what is faith? And what kind saves?

There is no indication in Scripture that "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) or "the preaching of the cross" (1 Cor 1:18) was proclaimed to Abraham. We must go back to the passage which Paul quotes to see what Abraham believed. Genesis 15:5 says:

And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

But that wasn't the first expression of Abraham's faith because Hebrews 11:8 says:

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

This took place considerably before the Genesis 15 incident, and we are specifically told that through his faith he "gained approval" (Heb11:2). 

From all this it is clear that Abraham believed what God told him and was counted righteous, which we now know was through a redemption still to be worked by Christ in the future.  Today we must also believe what God tells us — and this is nothing less than the account of Christ's all-sufficient finished work on the cross for us (Rom 4:25).

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Rom 3:21).

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (Rom 7:6).

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen (Rom 16:25-27).


(to be continued)