The cause of the condemnation- willful ignorance (Romans 1:18-32) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The cause of the condemnation- willful ignorance (Romans 1:18-32)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries:Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Scriptrues reading Romans 1:18-32

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; ²⁰ for God hath shewed it unto them.For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 

 From Romans 1:18 to 3:20 is God’s indictment of the world, showing why man needs the righteousness of God. Man is condemned because truth was given to him (vv.19-20) and because he by his actions rejected it (vv.21-32). The things that are made (creation) reveal to all men the eternal power and divine nature of the true God, so that the rejection of this truth make a man without excuse before God.

 The book of Romans begins with man’s fall (in contrast to Ephesians, which begins with God’s selection and predestination in eternity past); continues through Christ’s redemption God’s justification, sanctification, transformation, conformation, and glorification; and finally, touches the mystery of God in eternity past (16:35).

Verse 18 The wrath of God is revealed – in the preceding verse the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to faith; here, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrigheousness of men. This show a contrast between the revelation of God’s righteousness and the revelation of God’s wrath. Originally, the wrath of God was revealed from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. However, since the gospel of God has come, the scene has changed. Now the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel to our faith.

Unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth, to hold down means to suppress. From the beginning mankind did not respect the truth of God but suppressed it unrighteously. The truth here refers to the first true thing, the first reality, concerning man and God in the universe. This reality is the sure fact that God and His existence are proved by the creation. This great reality, and great truth, should cause men to know God and thereby to glorify Him and thank Him (v.21).

However, instead of dealing properly with this reality, this truth, according to righteousness, in which God delights, men held down the truth in unrighteousness, which God hates, and did not approve of knowing God (v.28). Therefore, they despised and rejected God, changing the glory of God into idols(vv.21-23) and casting off self-restraint to fall they were given up, abandoned by God(vv.24,26,28).

            Verse 20 divine  Greek. Theiotes. Indicating God’s attributes, which are the special features, the characteristics, as the outward manifestations of God’s natures, or substance. It is different from theotes in Col.2:9 which denotes God’s Godhead and person. The characteristics of God’s nature can be verified through the created things; however, the created things cannot manifest God’s Godhead and person. Only the living person of Jesus Christ, the Word who is God and who declares God (John1:1,18), can express God’s Godhead and person, that is, the very God, God Himself. Here in this chapter, the apostle Paul speaks of the created things verifying God’s existence, but what is verified are only the attributes and characteristics of God. In Col.2:9 he speaks of Christ as the embodiment of God, and what is expressed is the Godhead and God’s person, that is, God Himself.

Being perceived - Man can perceive the invisible things of God by observing the visible things created by Him. Both the eternal power of God and the divine characteristics that express God’s creation. For example, the abundance of light in the universe shows that light is a divine characteristic, a divine attribute of the divine nature (James 1:17). The same is true of beauty and life.

Verse 21 The book of Romans chapter 1 Paul’s presentation of God’s creation  and man’s step-by step fall in undoubtedly based on the historical facts as recorded in Gen.1-19 and in subsequent books of the Old Testament. First, vv.19-20 speak concerning God’s creation; then vv.21-25 cover the fall of Adam and progress through the age of the flood to the worshipping of idols at Babel. Verses 26-27 progress further, from Babel to the shameful lust of Sodom, and vv.28-32 go on from Sodom to every kind of wickedness in the Old Testament time.Vain reasonings are the basic element in the daily life of fallen mankind. They change the glory of God into anything else is to forsake Him and to make an idol.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The righteous will live by his faith by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

The righteous will live by his faith

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

 

 Scriptures reading Romans 1:8-17

 The Power of God’s salvation

         ⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; ¹⁰Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.¹¹For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; ¹²That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  ¹³Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.¹⁴I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

  

Verse 7 saints – The word means holy ones or set apart ones. The N.T. designates all believers as saints because they are by position holy and set apart to God (Phil.4:21; Col.1:2)

Verse 9 serve in my spirit– the Greek word means serve in worship; it is used in Matt.4:10; 2Tim.1:3; Phil.3:3 and Luke 2:37. Paul considered his preaching of the gospel a worship and service to God, not merely a work. in my spirit Not the Spirit of God but Paul’s regenerated spirit. The Spirit is different from the heart, soul, mind, emotion, will, or natural life. Christ and the Spirit are with the believers in their regenerated human spirit (2Tim.4:22; Rom. 8:16). In the book of Romans Paul stressed that whatever we are (2:29; 8:5-6,9), whatever we have (8:10,16), and whatever we do toward God (v.9;7:6;8:4,13,12:11) must be in this spirit. Paul served God in his regenerated spirit by the indwelling Christ, the life-giving Spirit, not in his soul by the power and ability of the soul. This is the first important item in his preaching of the gospel.

     Verse 16 the Power of God -denoting a powerful force that in break through any obstacle. This power is the resurrected Christ Himself, who is the life-giving Spirit, and it is unto salvation to everyone who believes. Salvation-- to save the believing ones not only from God’s condemnation and from eternal perdition but also from their natural life and their self, that they may be sanctified, transformed, and built up with others as the one Body of Christ to be His fullness and expression (Eph.1:23). Salvation has three facets: past salvation from the penalties of sin (Luke7:50); present salvation from the power of sin in the daily life (Rom.5:10); and future salvation from the actual presence of sin (in heaven) (1Cor.3:15; 5:5). This salvation comes to everyone who believes. We receive and experience it through faith, which is both assent to the truths of the gospel and genuine confidence in the Savior Himself.

            Verse 17 righteousness of God. In John 3:16 God’s love is the source and motive of God’s salvation. In Eph2:5, 8 God’s grace is the means of God’s salvation. In Romans 1:17 God’s righteousness is the power of God’s salvation. God’s righteousness, which is solid and steadfast, is the foundation of His throne (Psa.89:14) and the base on which His kingdom is built (Rom.14:17). Legally, both love and grace can fluctuate, but righteousness cannot. It is even more so with God’s righteousness. It is God’s righteousness, not ours, that is revealed in the gospel of God. Hence, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

         Out of faith -- the righteousness of God justifies us that we may have God’s life (5:18) and live by it. In this way this life will sanctify and transform us thoroughly. This book covers mainly our being justified (1:1-5:11;9:1-11:36), our having life (5:12-8:39), and our living properly by this life (12:1-16:27).Since this verse also stresses these three points, it may be considered an abstract of the entire book.

A righteousness from God. I.e., the restoration of right relations between man and God, which proceeds from God’s gift through His Son. It is by faith from first to last. Faith from start to finish. The righteous will live by faith. Quoting Hab.2:4 Paul is emphasizing that one can be righteous in God’s sight only through faith; he who is just through faith shall live now and forever by faith. (Gal.3:11, Heb.10:38.). the righteous shall live (enjoy deliverance and abundance of life) by his faith, or better, faithfulness; i.e.., moral steadfastness. A person who has faith is a person who trusts and who can be trusted.  In vv.16-17 is the essence of Paul’s theology: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The Epistle of Paul to the Romans Chapter 1:1-7 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The Epistle of Paul to the Romans Chapter 1:1-7

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries:Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

The Gospel of God to make sinners sons of God in order to constitute the Body of Christ which is expressed as the local church

Scriptures reading Romans Chapter 1: 1-6 (KJV)

¹Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, ²(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) ³Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; ⁴And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:⁵By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: ⁶Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:⁷To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

 The book of Romans explains how the individual  Christ revealed in the four Gospels could become the corporate Christ revealed in Acts, collectively composed of Himself with all the believers. By means of the facts in the Scriptures and the experience in the Holy Spirit, Paul shows us that God’s New Testament economy is to make sinner sons of God and members of Christ to constitute the Body of Christ to express Him. The book of Romans offers a full definition of this, God’s goal, unfolding a general sketch and details of both the Chrsitian life and the church life.

The Book of Romans may be divided into eight sections: introduction, condemnation, justification, sanctification, glorification, selection, transformation, and conclusion. In these eighte sections three major structures can be seen: Salvation (1:1-5:11;9:1-11:36), life (5:12-8:39), and building (12:1-16:27).

Verse 1 Paul, formerly Saul, who persecuted the believers and devastated the church (Acts7:58-8:1a;8:3;9:1. After he was saved, when he went forth to preach the gospel, his name was changed to Paul(Acts 13.9).  A salve, according to ancient custom and law, was one who was purchased by his master and over whom his master had absolute rights, even to the extent of terminating his life. Paul was such a slave of Christ. A salve, verbs formed from this word are used several times throughout this book. One is translated serve as a slave in 6:6 and serve in 7:6,25;9:12; 12:11’14:18; and 16:18. Another is translated enslaved in 6:18,22 the noun slavery, from the same roots as slave, is used in 8:15,21. Paul’s use not a self-appointed apostle or one hired by the Lord; rather, he was one purchased to serve God and minister to His people, not in the natural life but in the regenerated life.

Christ, equal to Messiah in Hebrew, means the anointed One (John 1:41; Dan.9:26).

Jesus, equal to Joshua in Hebrew, means the salvation of Jehovah, or Jehovah the Savior (Matt.1:21; Num.13:16;Heb.4:8). 

            Gospel Lit., glad tidings, good news (vv.9,16;2:16;10:16;11:28;15:16,19;16:25). The gospel of God, as the subject of the book of Romans, concerns Christ as the Spirit living within the believers after His resurrection. This is higher and more subjective thatn what was presented in the Gospels, which concern Christ only in the flesh as He lived among His disciples after His incarnation but before His death and resurrection. The book of Romans, reveals that Christ has resurrected and has become the Life-Giving Spirit (8:9-10). He is no longer merely the Christ outside the believers, but He is now the Christ within them. Hence, the gospel in the book of Romans is the gospel of the One who is now indwelling His believers as their subjective Savior.

            Verse 2 The gospel of God was not something added along the way by accident; it was planned and prepared by God in eternity past and promised by God through  His prophets in many ways. (Gen.3:15;22:18;Gal.3:16;2Tim.1:9;Titus1:2).

the holy scriptures The Greek words hagios, hagiosune, hagiazo, and hagiasmos, used in this book are of the same root, which fundamentally means seprated, set apart, Hagios is translated holy in v.2; 2:5;7:12;9:1;11:16;12:1;14:17;15:13,16;16:16, and saints in v.7; 8:27;12:13;15:25, 26,31;16:15.  Hagiosune is translated holiness in v.4. Hagiasmos is translated sanctification in 6:19,22. Hence, to be holy is to be separated, set apart (to God). The saints are the separated ones, the ones set apart (to God). Holiness is the nature and quality of being holy. Sanctification (to God) is the practical effect, the character in activity, and the consummate state produced by being sanctified.

Verse 3 the gospel of God concerns the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord . This wonderful person has two natures –the divine nature (v.4) and the human nature (v.3), divinity and humanity. The Seed of David implies Christ’s human nature. By incarnation, the first step of Christ’s process, God was brought into humanity. In the Bible flesh is not a positive word. Nevertheless, the Bible declares that the Word became flesh (John1:14). The gospel of God concerns God who became the seed of a man.

Verse 4 Before His incarnation Christ the divine One, already was the Son of God (John1:18; Rom.8:3). By incarnation He put on an element, the human flesh, which had nothing to do with divinity; that part of Him needed to be sanctified and uplifted by passing through death and resurrection. By resurrection His human nature was sanctified, uplifted, and transformed. Hence, by resurrection He was designated the Son of God with His humanity (Acts 13:33; Heb.1:5). His resurrection was His designation. Now, as the Son of God. He possesses humanity as well as divinity. By incarnation He brought God into man; by resurrection He brought man into God, that is, He brought His humanity into the divine sonship. In this way the only begotten Son of God was made the firstborn Son of God, possessing both divinity and humanity. God is using such a Christ, the firstborn Son, who possesses both divinity and humanity, as the producer and as the prototype, the model, to produce His many sons (8:29-30). We who have believed in and received His Son. We too will be designated and revealed as the sons of God, as He was in the glory of His resurrection (8:19,21), and with Him we will express God.

The book of Romans tells us that God’s full salvation is to make sinners (3:23), even His enemies (5:10), the sons of God (8:14). Through resurrection God designated Christ, who became flesh to be the seed of David, as His Son, that His Son, who is the mingling of divinity and humanity, might be the base and pattern for His making sinners His many sons. It is in the resurrection of His Son, i.e., in the resurrected Son, that God is producing many sons (1Pet.1:3) as the many brothers of the Firstborn (8:29), who was resurrected from the dead, and as the members of His Firstborn to constitute the Body of His Firstborn (12:5), which is His fullness (Eph.1:23), His corporate expresson.

The Spirit of holiness here is in contrast to the flesh in v.3. As the flesh in v.3 refers to the human nature of Christ in the flesh, so the Spirit in this verse does not refer to the person of the Holy Spirit of God but to the divine essence of Christ. This divine essence of Christ, being God the Spirit Himself (John4:24), the divinity of Christ, is of holiness , full of the nature and quality of being holy.

Verse 5 Grace is God is Christ as life and the life suppy. It affords the apostles salvation and life and becomes the capacity and supply for their apostleship (1 Cor.15:9-10). God’s unique commandment in this age, the age of grace, is that man should believe into His Son, the Lord Jesus. Whoever believes into Him will be saved; whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed into Him (John3:18). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of not believing into the Lord (John16:8-9), of not obeying God’s unique commandment. When we believe into the Lord, we have the obedience of faith, and the result is grace and peace. (v.7)

In the New Testament the complete gospel according to God’s New Testament revelation is the content of the faith, with the two natures of Christ, who is both God and man, and the redemptive work accomplished through His death and resurrection as its center(1Tim.1). To obey this faith is to turn from all pagan religions and philosophies unto this faith, believing and receiving it.

Verse 6 God calls us for the purpose of bringing us into Christ that we may belong to Him. All the fullness of God is in Christ (Col.2:9;1:19). When we are brought into Him and belong to Him, we partake of all the fullness of God. Of His fullness we have received all that is of God, even grace upon grace (John1:16). This matter is covered in detail in the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. (8:9).

Verse 7 Grace is God in Christ as our enjoyment (John1:14,16-17 and Rom.5 17); it is the source. Peace is the result of our enjoyment of God in Christ (John16:33).

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

The end of Paul’s fourth ministry journey and ministering in Rome (Acts 28) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The end of Paul’s fourth ministry journey and ministering in Rome (Acts 28)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel Music

 

Scriptures reading (Acts 28)

Paul in Malta and on to Rome

1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. ² The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ^3lPaul gathered a pile of brush wood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷ There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. ¹⁰ They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

¹¹ After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. ¹² We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³ From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶ When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Paul in Rome

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. ¹⁹ But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar not that I had any charge to bring against my own people.²⁰ For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

²³ They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening, he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. ²⁵ They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement;” The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:

“Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” ²⁷ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

 ²⁸ Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” ³⁰ For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹ Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Verse 9 On the sea in the storm, the Lord had made the apostle not only the owner of his fellow voyagers (27:24) but also their life-guarantor and comforter (27:22,25). Now, on the land in peace, the Lord made him furthermore not only a magical attraction in the eyes of the superstitious people (vv.3.6) but also a healer and a joy to them (vv.8-9). All during the apostle’s long and unfortunate imprisonment –voyage, the Lord kept the apostle in His ascendancy and enabled him to live a life far beyond the realm of anxiety. This life was fully dignified, with the highest standard of human virtues expressing the most excellent divine attributes, a life that resembled the one that the earth years before. This was Jesus living again on the earth in His divinely enriched humanity! This was the wonderful, excellent, and mysterious Godman, who lived in the Gospels, continuing to live in the Acts through one of His many members! This was a living witness of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, and God-exalted Christ! Paul in his voyage lived and magnified Christ (Phil.1:20-21). It is no wonder that the people honored him and his companions with many honors (v.10), that is, with the greatest respect and highest regard! An ambassador sent by God should be treated by men with such respect and regard.

Verse 8-9 Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on the isle of Melita, what is now Malta. The father of the governor of the island was desperately ill, and Paul went in to see him. He laid hands on the sick man as a point of contact and prayed for him. And God healed him. Then many other sick people on the island came and were healed. According to the Greek in verse 8 and 9 have both been translated as healed. In verse 8 the word healed implies healing by divine means, while the same word in verse 9 implies healing by medical means. Luke, the physician and the author of Acts, practiced medicine side by side with Paul as he prayed for the sick, and the people were healed. In Colossians 4:14, the evangelist, and Luke, the physician, each followed their calling, but put their calling together merging medicine and prayer! Healing, whether or not comes through prayer or medicine, comes from our Source: God. I believe that there on Melita we have the first record of a healing team of the Christian faith. Paul, the evangelist, and Luke, the beloved physician, ministering by prayer and medicine to the sick and needy of the island. The city of faith is an extension of this concept established by Jesus in Paul and Luke.

Verse 15 The warm welcome of the brothers from Rome and the loving care of those in Puteoli (vv.13-14) show the beautiful Body life that existed in the early days among the churches and apostles. This life was a part of the heavenly kingdom life on the Satan-darkened and man-inhabited earth. Apparently, the apostle, as a prisoner in bonds, had entered the region of the dark capital of the Satan- usurped empire; actually, as the ambassador of Christ with His authority (Eph. 6:20;Matt.28: 18-19), he had come into another part of the participation in the Body life of Christ’s church in the kingdom of God on earth. While he was suffering the persecution of religion in the empire of Satan, he was enjoying the church life in the kingdom of God. This was a comfort and an encouragement to him.

Verse 15 took courage This indicates that the apostle was quite human. Although he had been encouraged by the Lord directly (23:11) and was very courageous throughout his voyage (27:22-25), 33-36), he still took courage at the brothers’ warm welcome. It was in his uplifted humanity with its human virtues that Christ with His divine attributes was expressed during his voyage. He magnified Christ continually in his adverse situation (Phil.1:20)

Verse 26 God the Father spoke this word to the stubborn children of Israel in Isaiah 6:9-10. God the Son quoted this word to the rejecting Jew in Matt.13:14-15. And now God the Spirit through the apostle repeated this word as He spoke to the hardhearted people. This indicates that in all the moves of the Divine Trinity the children of Israel were disobedient to the God of grace. Thus, He turned to the Gentiles for the carrying out of His New Testament economy in the spreading of His kingdom for the building up of the churches through the propagation of the resurrected and ascended Christ (v.28).

Verse 30 During this time the apostle wrote the Epistles to the Colossians (Col.4:3,10,18), Ephesians (Eph.3:1;4:1;6:20), and Philippians (Phil.1:7,14,17), and the Epistle to Philemon (Philem.22) he was expecting to be released from imprisonment. Probably after these two years he was released and visited Ephesus and Macedonia (1Tim.1:3). In addition, he visited Crete (1Titus 1:5), Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), Troas, and Miletus (2Tim.4:13,20).

Verse 31 This was the end of the apostle’s fourth ministry journey which began in 27:2.

 Verse 31 “The kingdom of God” The kingdom of God is one of the matters emphasized in this book. Luke’s writing here both begins (1:3) and ends with the kingdom of God. The book of Acts was not actually ended; rather, it was left open that more may be added. The reason for this must have been that the work of the Holy Spirit in preaching Christ for His propagation, multiplication, and spread through the believers of Christ was not yet completed and needed to be continued for a long period of time. Such an evangelistic work for Christ’s propagation, multiplication, and spread is according to God’s New Testament economy for the producing of many sons for God (Rom.8:29) that they might be the members of Christ to constitute His Body (Rom.8:29) for the carrying out of God’s eternal plan and the fulfillment of His eternal will. This is revealed in detail in the twenty-one Epistles and the book of Revelation, which follow this book. The church produced by Christ’s propagation and multiplication is the sphere in which God is expressed and in which He reigns in Christ; hence, the church becomes the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, along with Chrsit’s propagation and multiplication, grows out of and spreads from God’s life. Acts is a record of the spreading of Christ; it is also a record of the kingdom of God, because the kingdom of God is the expansion of Christ. The gospel that is widely preached in this book is the vary Christ as the gospel (5:42), the gospel of Christ and it is also the kingdom of God as the gospel (8:12), the gospel of the kingdom of God. The preaching of such a gospel will continue and advance until the whole earth becomes the kingdom of Christ (Rev.11:15).

 In the four Gospel God was incarnated, passed through human living, died, and resurrected, thus completing Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God (Col.2:9). In Acts this embodiment of God, as the life-giving Spirit (1Cor.15:45), spreads Christ into His believers. i.e., works the processed Triune God into His chosen, redeemed, and transformed people to make them the constituents of the church, through which God may be expressed. The ultimate issue of the church will be the New Jerusalem in eternity future as God’s full and eternal expression, which will also be God’s eternal kingdom as the sphere in which He reigns in His divine life in eternity forever and ever. This should be the reality and goal of all gospels preaching today.

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 

 

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck and encouragement (Acts 27) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck and encouragement (Acts 27)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

 

Paul’s voyage and shipwreck

Scriptures reading Acts 27

 

¹ When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.² We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

³ The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. ⁴ From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. ⁵ When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. ⁶ There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. ⁷ We made slow head way for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. ⁸ We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

⁹ Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, ¹⁰ “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” ¹¹ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. ¹² Since the harbor wa unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

¹³ When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.¹⁵ The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. ¹⁷ When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

²¹ After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said; “ Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²² But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” ²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. ²⁶ Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”     

²⁷ On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. ²⁹ Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. ₃₀ In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. ₃₁Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

³³ Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food you haven’t eaten anything. ³⁴ Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” ³⁵ After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ Altogether there were 276 of us on board. ³⁸ When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

³⁹ When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. ⁴¹But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.

⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. ⁴³But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. ⁴⁴ The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

           

Verse 2 Adramyttium. A port on the west coast of Asia Minor (Modern Turkey), just south of Troas.

             Verse 4 to the lee of Cyprus. The prevailing early autumn winds came from the northwest, making headwinds difficult for a coastal vessel to handle in open ocean. So, the ship sailed around the east end of Cyprus, the lee side, and headed north for the coast of Cilicia, where it would then head west, close to shore for many miles.

          Verse 9 it was after the Fast. Only one fast was prescribed by the law and that was on the Day of Atonement (Lev.16:29-34). If this was the year 59, the fast was on Oct.5. This means Paul left Caesarea in August or September and did not arrive in Rome until the following March.

Verse 14-25 The apostle Paul found himself a passenger on a storm-tossed ship. The timbers of the ship were popping as it floundered in the sea. Death rode the dark waves that night. The crew had given up hope. But an Angel of God appeared to Paul to minister for him, and Paul was able to tell the passengers they would all be saved. Paul had four anchors of faith that helped him have confidence in the face of danger. And these anchors will also hold your life steady when the fury of life’s storms roar against you. First, Paul told them, “I belong to God” Paul, as a covenant man realized that he was God’s property and the devil couldn’t harm him. Second, he said, “I serve God.” As a covenant man, he would do everything God wanted him to do and then God would do what He said He would do. Third, he said, “I am God’s witness.” God calls us to be witnesses of Him too. That’s why He promised us His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). When we are obeying God, we can fulfill His plan for us and finish our course. Fourth, Paul said, “I believe God.” The fact that God had spoken caused Paul to put his faith on God’s word. He believed it in his heart, did not doubt, and spoke the word: I believe God. (Mark11:23,24 gives us the faith formula Paul used here, and which we can use every day of our lives.)

            Verse 44 “The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.” The people on the boat benefited from Paul’s covenant with God even though they themselves were not in the covenant. When you have a covenant with God, your family and loved ones will also benefit from it. God will pour out His blessing on you, and much of it will spill over on the people around you! 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 assures you that even your unsaved loved ones are blessed when you are in a covenant with God. I call my covenant: My Blessing-Pact with God. It means everything to me as a Christian. And I believe every one of my partners who I have it with, have it because it works!

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.