From Legalism to Grace “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as [coming] from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate [as] servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, NASB95). — Nathan Austin In his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 3:24-27), the Apostle Paul emphasizes a key distinction between the Jewish and Gospel Ages. There was […]
Jesus is our Shepherd “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalms 23:1). — Todd Alexander One of the more beautiful pictures of the Gospel Age is found in David’s description of his relationship with God as one of God’s sheep. David details his total surrender to his Heavenly Father in this six‑verse description of how a good shepherd protects his sheep. By his example, he describes the right path for his Jewish brethren to surrender to God and find […]
Character Improvement Revealed by Joseph “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5, scriptures from NASB, unless otherwise noted). — Harry Wildblood Joseph is a bright luminary in the last fourteen chapters of Genesis, so bright, in fact, that it is easy to overlook his brothers. Jacob gave prophecies to these twelve brothers in Genesis 49, just before his death. But the question arises, did […]
The Timing of Jesus’ Sacrifice “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Romans 10:17, RSV). — Bill Dutka The timing of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and when the benefit of this sacrifice came to Jewish believers, and later to Gentile believers, seems meaningful. The holy Spirit came to Jewish disciples at Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2:1-16. The disciples “were filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, […]
A Long History, in Brief “The Remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from Jehovah, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of man” (Micah 5:7). — David Rice Micah the prophet was a younger contemporary of Isaiah. Sometimes in the book of Micah we have close similarities with the writings of Isaiah, on occasion in almost identical language, evidently Micah borrowing from his elder’s prophecies. […]