On their second journey Paul and company wanted to go to Asia, in particular the provincial capital of Ephesus, since it was such a strategic and important city in the Roman Empire (only surpassed by Rome and Alexandria). They tried to come in from the south and were forbidden to do so by the Holy Spirit. They also tried to come in from the north and were again denied. Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila (who Read more…
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints being in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: BLB Ephesians is one of the four letters Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome (the other three are Philippians, Colossians and Philemon). The letter is a little different from some of his other letters which leads some to doubt whether or not Paul actually wrote the epistle. Paul is Read more…
Genesis 12:1 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will Read more…
Genesis 11:1 The whole earth had a common language and a common vocabulary. 2 When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” (They had brick instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that Read more…
Genesis chapters 1 and 2 are a paradise but things start to unravel in chapter 3. Next, we see a pattern that begins by God telling humanity what He expects. (As image bearers, we have the capacity to connect with God and to respond). The response is an active rebellion as humanity proceeds to do the things God tells us not to do and to not do the things we should be doing. Then comes Read more…
Romans 2:14 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them 16 on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed Read more…
Genesis 6:1 Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose. 3 So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward Read more…
Genesis 4:16 Cain left Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech. WEB Some people will ask about Cain’s wife Read more…
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. BSB At the end of Genesis chapter four, we see that people were beginning to call on (“worship” in some translations) the Lord. Seth is continuing with an acceptable worship in the manner initiated by Abel while the Cain descendants are Read more…
Genesis 4:8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” It happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. 9 Then God said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And God said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Read more…