The Decree of God to Evangelize, Save, and Work Through the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:15-30)
Acts 9:15-30 reveals the story of the Apostle Paul's hearing of the Gospel, salvation, and follow-up:
Tagged “new-testament”
13 articles.
New Testament Evangelism Conversations
Regarding evangelism and its Message, Charles Spurgeon declared, "If a man is to be used as a winner of souls, he must have spiritual life to a high degree… When the Holy Spirit dwells within a living child of God, He later rises out of the very midst of Him as a fountain or a river, so that others may come and participate in the Spirit's gracious influences." Spurgeon's declaration is best noticed in the life of Jesus, who possesses this spiritual life to the utmost degree and "serves as a model evangelist." Furthermore, the latter part of Spurgeon's quote demonstrates the perpetuation of the Gospel in that Jesus personally evangelized His disciples first to save them and then to make them "fishers of men." These followers, empowered by the Holy Spirit they received at Pentecost, are mimickers of Christ's evangelistic endeavors insofar that they would go on to evangelize the entire world.
God Is Unchangeably Good: James 1:13-18
Patrick Schreiner, in his book The Visual Word: Illustrated Outlines of the New Testament Books, declares that James "1:13-18 issues a warning about distorted human desire, which can lure people away from relying on God's providence in their lives, especially during these hard times. They should not think God is tempting them during trials, because God only gives good gifts." This excerpt from James is essential for Christians because it demonstrates the wickedness and sinfulness of humanity, reminding them that everything evil is from themselves; everything good is from God above, who is immutable.
Revelation: An Overview
Most scholars agree that the Book of Revelation is not pseudonymous, though they debate which John authored it: John the Apostle, John the Elder, an unknown John, John Mark, or John the Baptist. However, the latter two have not gained serious support, leaving the former three as potential authors of the Book. John identifies himself three times as the author of the Letter (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8), and throughout the Greek Book, the syntax and idiosyncrasies "that reflect Semitic syntax," demonstrate the author's native tongue of Galilean Hebrew.
Jude: An Overview
While there is much debate surrounding the authorship of the Epistle of Jude, "there is no serious doubt that Jude, the full brother of James and half brother of Jesus, is the author of the book bearing his name." Jude's authorship is due to his introduction, "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James (Jude 1)," and this self-attribution as the brother of James clarifies his identity. Jude's epithet is necessary in identifying himself as the Epistle's author as "James was much better known… but Jude is hardly mentioned elsewhere" except when he is mentioned alongside his brothers (Mark 3:21, 31; 6:3; Matt.
1 Peter: An Overview
Martin Luther, the great Protestant and Lutheran reformer "recognized 1 Peter (along with the Gospel of John and Paul's Letters) as 'the true kernel and marrow of all the New Testament Books. For in them [readers]… find depicted in masterly fashion how faith in Christ overcomes sin, death, and hell, and gives life, righteousness, and salvation.'" The significance of 1 Peter throughout Church history, therefore, cannot be understated "as It is confidently woven into the fabric of Christian theology and identity."
Hebrews: An Overview
Because the author of Hebrews is unknown, it can only be said that the Epistle is the work of "one of the [greatest] theologians of the New Testament." While it is unclear to whom this title belongs, there have been many assumed authors, such as the Apostle Paul. However, Pauline authorship is not accepted by many scholars today. Other candidates for the authorship of Hebrews include "Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Apollos, Luke, Silas, Priscilla, Philip, and even Mary the mother of Jesus." The obvious problem with these assumptions is that there are no known texts written by any of these supposed authors apart from Luke, and Lukan authorship is mostly refuted due to linguistic and rhetorical differences.
Titus: An Overview
In a similar fashion to all Pauline epistles, the Apostle Paul greets Titus by acknowledging himself as the author: "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ" (Titus 1:1). For this reason and more, the Epistle to Titus was unequivocally attributed to the Apostle Paul, apart from Marcion, until the nineteenth century. Since then, it has been debated whether Titus constitutes pseudonymous literature of the early church or if Pauline authorship of various New Testament letters includes the Epistle to Titus.
Philemon: An Overview
The Apostle Paul's authorship of Philemon, the shortest book in the New Testament, is uncontested by most of all New Testament Scholars. The only occasion of an argument against Pauline authorship was made by the Tubingen School in the nineteenth century and has since been dismissed as irrelevant and untrue.
1 Corinthians: An Overview
The first letter to the Corinthian church has Paul addressing a plethora of issues. The church at Corinth, plagued by "division (1-4), sexual immorality (5-7), and disordered worship (8-10)," is having a difficult time shaking off Greco-Roman values. However, this is not the first time that Paul writes to the Corinthian church.
Romans: An Overview
Paul begins the letter to the Romans with an introduction: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God" (Rom. 1:1). He immediately identifies himself as the letter's author and establishes genuine authority due to his apostleship and purpose as a minister of the Gospel.
Maturity and Unity (Ephesians 4:7-16)
Ephesians 4:7-16 is a wonderful passage that explains how Jesus gifted the church with the Apostles and elders in order for them to be "[His] assistants [in] shepherding His churches." By examining this section of Scripture, readers will come to understand that Christ is the chief administrator over all other administrators, including the administrators and leaders He establishes, and the church offices are to communicate God's Word and promote unity under the headship of Christ.
The Plot to Kill Jesus (John 11:45-57)
John 11:45-57 is a very interesting section of Scripture where the story of Jesus' life begins to really speed up and become more dramatic. If the prior text of the Gospel of John was an upward sloped hill, verse 45 is where the hill turns to a mountain. In other words, the historical account of Jesus in the Gospel of John begins to become more profound and intense at the time that Jesus' fame increases significantly after the raising of Lazarus.