Good morning. Notice
Paul’s approach as he talks to these philosophers. He does not scold them like
some Christians would. He uses the very things that agitated himself – their
idols. Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I
also found an altar with this inscription, “to an unknown God“ (they wanted to
make sure they did not leave out any god and make him angry). Therefore what
you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. He uses this to segue into a
proclamation of the gospel. He even uses a parallel to what one of their poets
had written. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the
divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and
thought of man. So he is condemning the idols without condemning the people. He
is appealing to their logic. Having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is
now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has
fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man
whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from
the dead. My Bible says that immortality of the soul was accepted by the
Greeks, but not the resurrection of a dead body. Of course some rejected his
statement, but others wanted to hear more about it. Father thank You that You
care about all people, even those whom we might deem unreachable. Help us to
have the right words and attitude when we deal with them; so that they might
come into Your kingdom.
Law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners
Good morning. So, was the law a bad thing? We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully (not to control people, as some were), realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the Blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer etc. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. Formerly Paul was good in the eyes of the law, but unrighteous in the eyes of God. Despite that, God was more than able to use him in a magnificent way to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Father thank You that Your Grace is gre...
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