Hope for the Future “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house” (Isaiah 42:6, 7). Few can appreciate what it means to never have seen the light of day. In 2016, the US Census […]
The Acts of the Apostles This issue takes us through The Acts of the Apostles and the amazing transitions in the years following Jesus’ crucifixion. A start-up faith in the Roman Empire would be treacherous by any measure. But through the power of God, His resurrected son our Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy Spirit, the early church was born, never to fade away. These articles explore the events gracing each page of this remarkable record. Each article provides rich context and […]
The Book of Acts “If none of those things is true whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar” (Acts 25:11 RVIC). by Jim Parkinson Each book of the Bible was written with a purpose. The Gospel of Matthew shows Jesus Christ as the Messiah of prophecy.1 Mark emphasizes Jesus as servant of both God and man. John combats the much later Gnostic (salvation is by knowledge) apostasy.2 Luke writes to a Roman court […]
Acts 1-2 “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14 RVIC). by Todd Alexander If, as proposed in the previous article, the books of Luke and Acts are a two-part compilation of Paul’s legal defense before Roman authority, Acts chapters 1-2 unfold the critical proof of the endowment of power from Jesus Christ to his disciples. The most powerful evidence was the promise and descent of the holy Spirit. Paul’s work in […]