1 Corinthians Introduction

Book of 1 Corinthians Introduction:

We are beginning one of the most important letters that Paul wrote to the churches he had begun. The church at Corinth had been established on one of Paul's missionary journeys.
The city of Corinth was believed to be a city of about 600,000 people when this was written to them. One of the outskirts of Corinth was Cenchera, which was a seaport. This was a thriving city with much evil. They were thought of as being one of the wealthiest cities of the area. There was a mixture of nationalities here. Greeks and Romans made up the majority of the people.
This city had many false gods and goddesses. The most prominent of the false worship was of Aprodite. There were over 1000 prostitutes working to win converts to this very sensual religion. This was a very evil city. The democratic way of life was foremost here, and debates were allowed on all subjects. This, perhaps, was the reason Paul had an easy time being heard at first.
The most serious problem of the Corinthian church was worldliness, an unwillingness to divorce the culture around them. Most of the believers could not consistently separate themselves from their old, selfish, immoral, and pagan ways.
We will find in this book, as we do in many of Paul's writings that he deals with them within the confines of their customs. He does not try to change their life style. He shows them that Christianity is for all people. We will get into this a little more as we go along. One thing that we must remember from the outset: There were no iron clad doctrines that were to be used in all of these churches. We will see Paul trying to establish rules and regulations for each church that they could live with in the light of their customs.
In one way or another, wrong living always stems from wrong belief such as sexual sins including divorce, are inevitably related to lack of belief or trust in God’s plan for marriage and the family (7: 1-40)
Before, Paul had written the church other correspondence, (see 5:9) which was also corrective in nature. Because a copy of that letter has never been discovered, it has been referred to as “the lost epistle”. There was another non-canonical letter after 1 Corinthians, usually call “the sever letter” (2 Cor. 2:4). The introductions to Paul’s letters are frequently seedbeds for issues expanded on later; his prefatory words in 1 Corinthians are no exception. He touched on his calling to be an apostle, the Corinthians’ calling to be saints, and the unity which is theirs in Christ.

Romans Chapter 1 - Part Two

Romans chapter 1 Part Two

Romans 1:16

Emphasizing theme
Paul’s eagerness to evangelize sprang also from his estimate of his message, the gospel. (This is the fourth of five times Paul used the word “gospel” in these opening verses: Rom_1:1, Rom_1:9, Rom_1:15-17.) Many consider this the theme of the letter, which it is in one sense. At least Paul gladly proclaimed it as God’s panacea for mankind’s spiritual need. He identified it as the infinite resources (dynamis, “spiritual ability”) of God applied toward the goal of salvation in the life of everyone who believes regardless of racial background. He recognized, however, a priority for the Jew expressed in the word first, which has sufficient textual support here and is unquestioned in Rom_2:9-10. Not ashamed: Neither ridicule, criticism or physical persecution, could curb Paul’s boldness. He had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens, regarded as a fool in Corinth, and stoned in Galatia, but Paul remained eager to preach the gospel in Rome.
Power: The English word “dynamite” comes from this Greek word. Although the message may sound foolish to some, the gospel is effective because it carries with it the omnipotence of God. Only God’s power is able to overcome man’s sinful nature and give him new life.
Salvation: Used 5 times in Romans, this key word basically means “deliverance” or “rescue”. The power of the gospel delivers people from lostness, from the wrath of God, from willful spiritual ignorance, from evil self indulgence and from the darkness of false religion. It rescues them from the ultimate penalty of their sin, i.e. the eternal separation from God and eternal punishment.
Believeth To trust, rely on, or have faith in. When used of salvation, this word usually occurs in the present tense “is believing” which stresses that faith is not simply a onetime event, but an ongoing condition. True saving faith is supernatural, a gracious gift of God that He produces in the heart and is the only means by which a person can appropriate true righteousness.
1. Saving faith consists of 3 elements.
1. Mental: the mind understands the gospel and the truth about Christ
2. Emotional: one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace
3. Volitional: the sinner submits his will to Christ and trust in Him alone as the only hope of salvation.
Genuine faith wills always product authentic obedience.
Jew First: God chose Israel to be His witness nation and gave her distinct privileges. Christ’s ministry was first to Israel and it was through Israel that salvation was to come to the world.
Because the Jews were God’s Chosen People (Rom_11:1), the custodians of God’s revelation (Rom_3:2), and the people through whom Christ came (Rom_9:5), they have a preference of privilege expressed historically in a chronological priority. As the Lord Jesus stated it, “Salvation is from the Jews” (Joh_4:22). In Paul’s ministry he sought out the Jews first in every new city (Act_13:5, Act_13:14; Act_14:1; Act_17:2, Act_17:10, Act_17:17; Act_18:4, Act_18:19; Act_19:8). Three times he responded to their rejection of his message by turning to the Gentiles (Act_13:46; Act_18:6; Act_28:25-28; cf. comments on Eph_1:12). Today evangelism of the world must include the Jews, but the priority of the Jews has been fulfilled.
Romans 1:17

The theme of the letter is expressed in the phrase a righteousness from God is revealed. The subjective genitive (lit., “of God”) identifies this as a righteousness that God provides for people on the basis of and in response to faith in the gospel (cf. Rom_3:22). (NIV’s by faith from first to last render the Gr. ek pisteōs eis pistin, lit., “out of faith in reference to faith.”) Such righteousness is totally unachievable by human efforts. This righteousness is not God’s personal attribute; however, since it comes “from God,” it is consistent with His nature and standard. In response to faith this righteousness is imputed by God in justification and imparted progressively in regeneration and sanctification, culminating in glorification when standing and state become identical. “Righteousness” and “justify,” though seemingly unrelated in English, are related in Greek. “Righteousness” is dikaiosynē, and “justify” is dikaioō;. Paul used the noun many times in his epistles, including 28 times in Romans (Rom_1:17; Rom_3:21-22, Rom_3:25-26; Rom_4:3, Rom_4:5-6, Rom_4:9, Rom_4:11, Rom_4:13, Rom_4:22; Rom_5:17, Rom_5:21; Rom_6:13, Rom_6:16, Rom_6:18-20; Rom_8:10; Rom_9:30; Rom_10:3-6 [twice in Rom_10:3], Rom_10:10; Rom_14:17). And Paul used the Greek verb 15 times in Romans (Rom_2:13; Rom_3:4, Rom_3:20, Rom_3:24, Rom_3:26, Rom_3:28, Rom_3:30; Rom_4:2, Rom_4:5; Rom_5:1, Rom_5:9; Rom_6:7; Rom_8:30 [twice], Rom_8:33). To justify a person is to declare him forensically (legally) righteous. “Declared righteous” is the way the NIV translates dikaioō in Rom_2:13 and Rom_3:20 and “freed” is NIV’s rendering in Rom_6:7. “Righteousness of God” is better translated: “righteousness from God.” A major theme of the book, appearing over 30 times in one form or another, righteousness is the state or condition of perfectly conforming to God’s perfect law and holy character. Man falls woefully short of the divine standard of moral perfection but the gospel revels that on the basis of faith, and faith alone, God will impute His righteousness to ungodly sinners.
From faith to faith: This may be a parallel expression to “everyone who believes” as if Paul were singling out the faith of each individual believer, from one person’s faith to another’s faith to another’s and so on. Or, each person has a portion of faith, but some seem to have more than others.
To make our faith stronger, we must use it. Each time we depend on our faith it becomes stronger. This (faith to faith) above just means that trials come and we must have faith to overcome each trial; as we do, our faith grows. The just means, as we have said before, just as if we had never sinned. Faith believes in our hearts in things we cannot see with our physical eyes.
Paul’s closing words in Rom_1:17, The righteous will live by faith, are a quotation from Hab_2:4, also quoted in Gal_3:11 and Heb_10:38. As a result of faith (cf. “believes” in Rom_1:16) in Christ, a person is declared “righteous” (cf. Rom_3:22) and is given eternal life. What a marvelous work of God!

Romans 1:18

God’s Righteousness Revealed in Condemnation
The first step in the revelation of the righteousness that God provides for people by faith is to set forth their need for it because they are under God’s judgment. The human race stands condemned before God and is helpless and hopeless apart from God’s grace.
Condemnation against pagan humanity
This section looks at the human race prior to the call of Abram and the establishment of a special people of God. This situation persisted in the pagan world of the Gentiles as distinct from the Jews.
Reasons for Condemnation
God never condemns without just cause. Here three bases are stated for His judgment of the pagan world.
For suppressing God’s truth
This verse serves as a topic sentence for this entire section. In addition, it stands in contrastive parallel to Rom_1:17. The continuing revelation (the verb is being revealed is in the pres. tense) of the wrath of God is an expression of His personal righteousness (which also “is being revealed,” Gr., Rom_1:17) and its opposition to human sinfulness. Therefore people need the continuing revelation of “a righteousness from God” (Rom_1:17) that He provides. God’s wrath is directed against all the godlessness (asebeian, “lack of proper reverence for God”) and wickedness (adikian, “unrighteousness”) of men, not against the men as such. (God’s wrath will also be revealed in the future; cf. Rom_2:5.) God hates sin and judges it, but loves sinners and desires their salvation. This is not an impulsive outburst of anger aimed capriciously at people whom God does not like. It is the settled, determined response of a righteous God against sin.
“Is revealed”: More accurately, “is constantly revealed”. The word essentially means “to uncover, make visible, or make known.” God reveals His wrath in two ways:
1. Indirectly, through the natural consequences of violating His universal moral law,
2. Directly through His personal intervention. The Old Testament record for the sentence passed on Adam and Eve to the worldwide flood, from the fire and brimstone that leveled Sodom to the Babylonian captivity, clearly displays this kind of intervention.
The most graphic revelation of God’s holy wrath and hatred against sin was when He poured out divine judgment on His Son on the cross.
God has various kinds of wrath:
1. Eternal wrath, which is hell
2. Eschatological wrath, which is the final Day of the Lord
3. Cataclysmic wrath like the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
4. Consequential wrath, which is the principle of sowing and reaping
5. The wrath of abandonment, which is removing restraint and letting people go to their sins.
Here it is that fifth form, God’s abandoning the wicked continually through history to pursue their sin and its consequences.
“Ungodliness”: This indicates a lack of reverence for, devotion to , and worship of the true God, a defective relationship with Him.
“Unrighteousness”: This refers to the result of ungodliness: a lack of conformity in thought, word and deed to the character and law of God.
“Hold the truth in unrighteousness”: Although the evidence from conscience, creation and God’s Word is irrefutable, men choose to resist and oppose God’s truth by holding fast to their sin.
Failure to give God His due inevitably results in failure to treat people, created by God in His image, the right way. Conversely, people (in their unrighteousness toward others) continue to suppress (katechontōn, lit., “holding down”) the truth (cf. Rom_1:25; Rom_2:8) concerning both God and man. People had God’s truth but suppressed it, refusing to heed it. And these wicked ones did this in an attitude of wickedness (en adikia). This suppression of the truth is Paul’s first reason for God’s condemnation of the pagan world.


Romans 1:19

For ignoring God’s revelation
These verses declare that knowledge concerning God is available to all. This knowledge is called natural revelation because it is seen in the created world, is accessible to the entire human race, and is not soteriological, dealing with salvation effected by Christ.
Paul called this knowledge plain (phaneron), which means visible or clear. This is true because God has made it plain (ephanerōsen, the verb related to the noun phaneron). Some scholars translate the phrase to them as “in them,” insisting that Rom_1:19 is speaking of the knowledge of God within the being of man through conscience and religious consciousness. Preferable is the position that Rom_1:19 states the fact of natural revelation and Rom_1:20 explains the process. One support for this view is the word “for” which begins Rom_1:20 and indicates a tie between the verses. Manifest means to make visible, real, or to make known. God has not hidden Himself. He has made Himself real to mankind throughout all ages in his creation. He has especially shown Himself to mankind in His Son (Jesus Christ).
God has sovereignty planted evidence of His existence in the very nature of man by reason and moral law.
Romans 1:20

“What may be known about God” (Rom_1:19) is now called God’s invisible qualities and identified as His eternal power and divine nature. Since “God is spirit” (Joh_4:24), all His qualities are invisible to physical eyes and can be understood by the human mind only as they are reflected in what has been made, that is, in God’s creative work. The self-existent God, however, is the Creator of all things, and therefore since the Creation of the world His “invisible qualities” have been clearly seen. Paul may have intended a play on words between the noun translated “invisible qualities” (aorata) and the verb translated “clearly seen” (kathoratai) because they share a common Greek root. Both the verb “clearly seen” and the participle “being understood” are in the present tense, which emphasizes the continuous nature of the action. The word theiotēs, translated “divine nature,” occurs only here in the New Testament and embraces the properties which make God Himself. Creation, which people see, reveals God’s unseen character — the all-powerful Deity. An Old Testament parallel to these verses is Psa_19:1-6. “Invisible things”: Or attributes, referring specifically to the two mentioned in this verse.
1. “The things that are made”: The creation delivers a clear, unmistakable message about God’s person.
2. “His eternal power”: The Creator, who made all that we see around us and constantly sustains it, must be a being of awesome power.

“They are without excuse:” God holds all men responsible for their refusal to acknowledge what He has shown them of Himself in His creation. Even those who have never had an opportunity to hear the gospel, have received a clear witness about the existence and character of God and have suppressed it if a person will respond to the revelation he has, even if it is solely natural revelation, God will provide some means for that person to hear the gospel. (Acts 8:26-39; 10:1-48; 17:27)
Paul’s conclusion to this description of natural revelation is important — men are without excuse. The witness to God in nature is so clear and so constant that ignoring it is indefensible. Their condemnation is based not on their rejecting Christ of whom they have not heard, but on their sinning against the light they have.
Romans 1:21

For perverting God’s glory
This reason for God’s condemnation of the pagan world builds on the preceding one just as that one built on the first. The relationship is seen in the use of the same Greek connective (dioti) at the beginning of Rom_1:19 and Rom_1:21, in the latter translated for. People’s suppression of the truth is seen in their rejecting the clear evidence of God as the sovereign Creator and their perversion of that knowledge into idolatry.
The clause although they knew God refers to an original experiential knowledge of God such as Adam and Eve had both before and after the fall. How long this knowledge of God continued before it was perverted is not stated, but God was known by people. This fact makes human actions all the more reprehensible. One would suppose that to know God would be to honor Him, but these people neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him. They turned from the very purpose for which God made them: to glorify Him for His Person and thank Him for His works. With such willful rebellion against God it is little wonder that their thinking became futile (emataiōthēsan, lit., “became worthless, purposeless”; cf. Eph_4:17) and their foolish (asynetos, “morally senseless”; cf. Rom_1:31) hearts were darkened (cf. Eph_4:18). When truth is rejected, in time the ability to recognize and to receive truth is impaired (cf. Joh_3:19-20). “Knew God”: Man is conscious of God’s existence, power and divine nature through general revelation. (Verses 19-20)
“They glorified him not”: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and Scripture constantly demands it. To glorify Him is to honor Him, to acknowledge His attributes, and to praise Him for His perfections. It is to recognize His glory and extol Him for it. Failing to give Him glory is man’s greatest affront to his Creator.
“Neither was thankful”: They refused to acknowledge that every good thing they enjoyed came from God.
“Vain in their imaginations”: meaning futile in their thoughts. Man’s search for meaning and purpose will produce only vain, meaningless conclusions.
“Heart was darkened”: When man rejects the truth, the darkness of spiritual falsehood replaces it.
Romans 1:22-23

When the true Source of wisdom is rejected (cf. Psa_111:10), people’s claim to be wise is an idle boast. Progressively they became fools (emōranthēsan, lit., “became stupid”), a reality demonstrated by the worship as gods of idols in the forms of people and animals (cf. Rom_1:25). The ultimate irony in humanity’s refusal to glorify the true God is the insanity or stupidity of idolatry described in Isa_44:9-20. Man’s refusal to acknowledge and glorify God leads to a downward path: first, worthless thinking; next, moral insensitivity; and then, religious stupidity (seen in idol-worship). Man rationalizes his sin and proves his utter foolishness by devising and believing his own philosophies about God, the universe and himself. The children of Israel, on the way to the Promised Land, tired waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain of God. They talked Aaron into making them a golden calf that they could worship. God is the Creator not the created. Those that worship things they can see with their physical eyes are worshipping idols.
They are substituting the worship of idols for the worship of the true God. Historians report that many ancient cultures did not originally have idols. The historian Eusebius reported that the oldest civilizations had no idols. The earliest record of idolatry was among Abram’s family in Ur. (Joshua 24:2) Although the false gods which men worship do not exist, demons often impersonate them.
Romans 1:24

Results of Condemnation
In a real sense the results of God’s condemnation on rebellious humanity are nothing more than the natural consequences of suppressing truth, ignoring revelation, and perverting God’s glory. However, God did more than simply let nature take its course. God acted to abandon (the thrice-mentioned “gave them over” [Rom_1:24, Rom_1:26, Rom_1:28] is paredōken, “abandoned”) people to expressions of a corrupt lifestyle that deserved God’s wrath and the sentence of death (Rom_1:32).
Abandoned to fornication
One aspect of mankind’s corruption (to which God actively let people go) was sexual profligacy. The frequency of live-in lovers, wife-swapping and group sex parties today only confirms this result of God’s abandonment. Sex within marriage is a holy gift from God, but otherwise sex is impurity (lit., “uncleanness”) and the degrading of… bodies by using them contrary to God’s intent. “God gave them up” is a judicial term in Greek used for handling over a prisoner to his sentence. When men consistently abandon God, He will abandon them. He accomplishes this:
1. Indirectly and immediately, by removing His restraint and allowing their sin to run its inevitable course
2. Directly and eventually, by specific acts of divine judgment and punishment.
“Uncleanness”: A general term often used of decaying matter, like the contents of a grave. It speaks here of sexual immorality which begins in the heart and moves to the shame of the body.
Our heart condition determines what we are. Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
Romans 1:25

In a sense this verse repeats the truth of Rom_1:23, but it expresses more. The truth of God is not only the truth concerning God but also God’s truth concerning all things, including mankind. This truth is that people are creatures of God and can find true fulfillment only in worshiping and obediently serving God the Creator. A lie (lit., “the lie”) on the other hand says that the creature — angelic (Isa_14:13-14; Joh_8:44) or human (Gen_3:4-5) — can exist independent of God, self-sufficient, self-directing, and self-fulfilling. Mankind made himself his god in place of the true God. Because God the Creator is forever praised (in contrast with creatures who are undeserving of worship), Paul added Amen. This word transliterates in both Greek and English the Hebrew word meaning “so let it be.” As an affirmation, not a wish, it places approval on what has just been said.
Romans 1:26-27

Abandoned to sexual perversion
Also God gave them over to shameful lusts (lit., “passions of disgrace”). This involved, as the text states, both sexes engaging in homosexual instead of heterosexual relationships. Women deliberately exchanged natural relations (with men in marriage) for unnatural ones (with other women). This is the second “exchange” the unregenerate made (cf. Rom_1:25). Men… were inflamed with lust (orexei, “sexual lust,” used only here in the NT and differing from the more common word for lust in Rom_1:26).
The words translated women and men in these verses are the sexual words “females” and “males.” Contemporary homosexuals insist that these verses mean that it is perverse for a heterosexual male or female to engage in homosexual relations but it is not perverse for a homosexual male or female to do so since homosexuality is such a person’s natural preference. This is strained exegesis unsupported by the Bible. The only natural sexual relationship the Bible recognizes is a heterosexual one (Gen_2:21-24; Mat_19:4-6) within marriage. All homosexual relations constitute sexual perversion and are subject to God’s judgment. Such lustful and indecent acts have within them the seeds of punishment (due penalty). In these two verses, Paul mentions the woman first to show the extent of debauchery under the wrath of abandonment, because in most cultures women are the last to be affected by moral collapse.
God turned His back to these lesbians and homosexuals. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God for this very sin. It is natural for Paul to write of this particular sin to the Romans, because this very sin was rampant in their society. God calls this sin an abomination. It is also called against nature, which God created.
Sex is for the procreation of life and these unnatural uses do not create life, they create death. Notice the last sentence of verse 27 (the recompense of their error which was meets (due). God's wrath will fall on this person for this type of sin if they do not repent.
Romans 1:28

Abandoned to depraved lifestyle
Pagan humanity’s rebellion also included the rejection of the knowledge (epignōsei, “full knowledge”; cf. Rom_1:32) of God. In a sense they put God out of their minds. God’s responding judgment was abandonment (cf. Rom_1:24, Rom_1:26) to a depraved (adokimon, “disapproved”) mind, which expressed itself in attitudes and actions that ought not to be done (lit., “what is unfitting or improper,” a technical Stoic word). Reprobate or debased mind, in the sense it is used here, means (worthless, castaway, or rejected). Debased translates a Greek word that means “not passing the test.” It was often used to describe useless, worthless metals, discarded because they contained too much impurity. God has tested some mans’ minds and found them worthless and useless.
God has turned away from this type person, because they have rejected God and all His teachings. I believe it is possible for a homosexual or lesbian to be saved, but only if they walk away from their old life. I do not believe a person practicing homosexuality or lesbianism is saved. Things which are not convenient: means against nature.
Verse 28 is saying that the Holy Spirit stops pursuing them for salvation.
Romans 1:29-31

The mental vacuum created by dismissing God was filled (the perf. tense implies filled full) with four forms of active sin: wickedness (adikia; cf. Rom_1:18), evil (ponēria), greed, and depravity (kakia, “badness or malice”). These four in turn express themselves in 17 more specific types of wickedness. The first two, envy and murder, sound much alike in Greek: phthonou and phonou. Also the four vices in Rom_1:31 each begin with the Greek letter alpha (“a” in Eng.). In verse 29 we see where the reprobate mind leads to all unrighteousness. Fornication has to do with sex sin (adultery is one example) and also spiritual adultery (idolatry). Covetousness includes greediness, wanting what others have, and fraud or extortion. Maliciousness means all sorts of evil and meanness. Malignity means bad character. We know that covenant breakers are those who do not honor agreements they have made. Implacable means a truce breaker.
II Timothy 3:1-5 "This knows also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy," "Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good," "Traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;" "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
Can't you see our day here? This describes our day perfectly. These verses in 2 Timothy and in the Scriptures of Romans that we have been reading describe a people who are out of fellowship with God. We must repent and change now before God has turned our whole nation over to a reprobate mind. It is time to repent and turn to God.
Drug and alcohol problems will go away when we give our life to God. The answer for all of us is to heed the Scripture in II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Romans 1:32

This whole pattern of evil becomes the lifestyle of people who continue to do (pres. tense implies continuing or habitual action) these very things in open defiance of God, a defiance aggravated (a) by fully knowing (epignontes; cf. Rom_1:28) that such things deserve death and (b) by encouraging others in the same lifestyle. Such extremity of human rebellion against God fully warrants God’s condemnation. This is not just ignorance but blatant rebellion. We know that God is displeased. Just look around you. The weather pattern is messed up. Inflation is great. Earthquakes have increased and in fact all storms have worsened. AIDS and a lot of other incurable diseases have many people frightened. The threat of nuclear war is ever present. The normal life we used to have is now out of control. It seems we cannot depend on anything.
Luke 21:26 "Mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."
WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPENT AND TURN TO NOW. GOD

Romans Chapter 1 - Part One

Romans – Part One


Romans 1:1-2

The phrase Holy Scriptures refers obviously to the Old Testament and occurs only here in the New Testament (2Ti_3:15 uses different Gr. words for “holy” and “Scriptures”). Paul did not quote any prophets where the gospel was promised, but Philip’s use of Isa_53:7-8 with the Ethiopian eunuch is a good example (Act_8:30-35; cf. Luk_24:25-27, Luk_24:45-47). Since Romans is primarily a work of doctrine, it contains little historical material. Paul does use such familiar Old Testament figures as Abraham (chapter 4), David 4:6-8; Adam 5:12-21; Sarah 9:9; Rebekah 9:10; Jacob chapters 9-11. Chapter 16 provides insightful glimpses into the nature and character of the first century church and its members.
The overarching theme of Romans is the righteousness that comes from God: the glorious truth that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
Chapters 1-11 present the theological truths of that doctrine, while chapters 12-16 detail its practical outworking in the lives of Individual believers and the life of the whole church.
Some specific theological topics include principle of spiritual leadership 1:8-15, God’s wrath against sinful mankind 1:18-32, principals of divine judgment 2-16, the universality of sin 3:9-20, an exposition and defense of justification by faith alone 3:21-4:25, the security of salvation 5-11, the transference of Adam’s sin 5:12-21, sanctification chapters 6-8, sovereign election chapter 9, God’s plan for Israel chapter 11, spiritual gifts and practical godliness chapter 12, the believer’s responsibility to human government chapter 13, and principles of Christian liberty chapters 14:1-15:12.
In this very first verse Paul introduces himself to the Roman Christians. Notice that Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. Perhaps these Roman Christians have not heard that Paul was commissioned of Jesus Christ to bring the gospel (good news) of Jesus to the Gentiles.
In Greek culture a servant often referred to the involuntary, permanent service of a slave, but Paul elevates this word by using it in its Hebrew sense to describe a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects.
The Greek word for apostle is: “one who is sent”. In the New Testament, it primarily refers to the 12 men that Christ chose to accompany Him and Matthias, who the other apostles chose to replace Judas. Christ gave them power to confirm their apostleship with miracles and authority to speak as His proxies. I might also add that New Testament book was written either by an apostle or under his auspices. Their teaching is the foundation of the church. Christ Himself selected Paul for this position and trained him to fulfill this ministry.
Paul’s Jewish antagonists accused him of preaching a revolutionary new message unrelated to Judaism. But the Old Testament is replete with prophecies concerning Christ and the gospel.
In the book of Isaiah, we see numerous prophecies. Of course all of the Old Testament prophets prophesied of Jesus, but Isaiah probably had the most to say. At any rate, I will give you a number of these prophecies from Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 11 verse 3 prophesied Jesus would be Judge, chapter 42 verse 4 shows Him as Law Giver, chapter 42 verse 7 shows Him as Liberator, chapter 53 verse 4 shows Him as Burden-Bearer, chapter 53 verse 6 shows Him as Sin-Bearer, chapter 53 verse 12 shows Him as Intercessor, chapter 53 verse 5 shows Jesus as our only Savior. We see in chapter 7 verse 14, He is Immanuel (God with us), in chapter 9 verse 6, we see Him as mighty God. I could go on and on for there are 35 prophecies in Isaiah alone on Jesus. Of course Jeremiah, Psalms, Ezekiel and all the others prophesied of Jesus too.
Romans 1:3-4

God’s good news concerns His Son, identified as Jesus Christ our Lord. This asserts Christ’s deity as basic to His person and prior to His Incarnation, since His identification with David’s line “came to be,” a literal rendering of the participle genomenou, translated was. He was genuinely human too, as His tie with David and His resurrection from the dead show. Many well known ancient writers, including the Roman historian Tacitus, the familiar Jewish historian Josephus, and Pliny the Younger verify Jesus’ historicity.
John makes believing that Christ has come in the flesh a crucial test of orthodoxy. Because He is fully human, as well as fully God, He can serve as man’s substitute and as a sympathetic High Priest. In Matthew, we see Jesus as descendent of David.
Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham."
We can also see David in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke:
Luke 3:31 "Which was [the son] of Melea, which was [the son] of Menan, which was [the son] of Mattatha, which was [the son] of Nathan, which was [the son] of David," This genealogy is of the flesh and not the Spirit.
That resurrection declared Him to be the Son of God because it validated His claims to deity and His predictions that He would rise from the dead (Joh_2:18-22; Mat_16:21). This declaration was made through (lit., “in accord with”) the Spirit of holiness. This is the Holy Spirit, and not, as some have suggested, Christ’s human spirit. Son of God: This title used nearly 30 times in the gospels, identifies Jesus Christ as the same in essence as God.
Jesus was definitely God the Son. The proof was on the 3rd. day he arose from the tomb. The resurrection clearly declared that Jesus was deity, the expression of God Himself in human form. While He was eternally the Son in anticipation of His incarnation, it was when He entered the world in incarnation that He was declared to the entire world as the Son of God and took on the role of submission to the Father. His victory over death was the supreme demonstration and most conclusive evidence that He is God the Son.
Jesus not only had resurrection power, but is in fact the Resurrection and the Life, as he told Lazarus' sister on the way to the tomb.
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Jesus was the Son of God. God the Holy Spirit hovered over Mary and she conceived by the Holy Spirit of God.
Luke 1:35 "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
Spirit of holiness: In His incarnation, Christ voluntarily submitted Himself to do the will of the Father only through the direction, agency and power of the Holy Spirit.
We see that the power of Jesus was unlimited.
Ephesians 1:19-23 "And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places]," "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" "And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church," "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."
This leaves no doubt that Jesus is all powerful.
Romans 1:5-7

Paul’s ministry from Jesus was among all the Gentiles, which included the Romans, whom Paul addressed not as a church but as individual believers. Paul was the human agent (from and for Christ he received grace and apostleship, i.e., “the grace of apostleship”; cf. Rom_12:3; Rom_15:15) but the calling (God’s summons to salvation; cf. Rom_8:28, Rom_8:30) came from the Lord and set his readers apart as “saints.” Obedience and faith are often linked (cf. Rom_15:18; Rom_16:26; also cf. 1Pe_1:2). Grace is the unmerited favor which God shows guilty sinners. This is the book’s first reference to the most crucial part of the gospel message: salvation is a gift from God wholly separate from any human effort or achievement.
Faith is what saved Abraham. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
To become an apostle (one sent with a special message) we must have great faith and be obedient to God. We must make Jesus Christ not only our Savior, but our Lord, as well. We read in 1 Samuel that obedience is better than sacrifice.
1 Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams."
We were not saved by our great deeds, but were saved because we had faith in God. To work for God, we must submit our will to Him. We must be obedient to His Word and His will.
We will not know what His will is unless we know His Word. The term Apostleship refer to the twelve in a unique way, but in a broader and less official sense it can describe anyone whom God has sent with the message of salvation.
Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Just as Paul was a “called” apostle, so the believers in Rome were called to belong to Jesus Christ (lit., “called of Jesus Christ”) and called to be saints (lit., “called saints”).
Paul’s salutation like that in all his epistles, expressed the desire that they enjoy God’s grace and peace. Always in the New Testament epistles the “call” of God refers to God’s effectual call of elect sinners to salvation, rather than the general call to all men to believe.
Matthew 20:16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." Salvation is offered to whosoever will.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
God has called everyone to salvation, but He will not override our will. We have to decide to follow Him. “Beloved of God … saints”: The Greek text records these as 3 separate privileges:

1. God has set His love on His own. 5:5; 8:35; Eph 1:6
2. He has extended to them not only the general, external invitation to believe the gospel, but His effectual calling, or His drawing to Himself all those He has chosen for salvation. 8:30; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9
3. God has set believers apart from sin unto Himself, so that they are holy ones. 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; and Philemon 3
Ephesians 4:10-13 "He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things." "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"
There is a group of the called, who are called to the ministry. My own opinion of those who are called to work for God, is that the call was there even before birth. We see this in people like John the Baptist. God protects these people supernaturally until they accept their call. This is so even before they know there is a call.
Romans 1:8-15
Establishing rapport
Paul made a practice of beginning his letters with a word of thanks to God, a specific prayer, and a personal message to the recipients. For the Romans he rejoiced that news of their faith had spread all over the world, a hyperbole meaning throughout the Roman Empire. His constant intercession for them (Rom_1:9-10) had the new note of petition for his projected visit, a heart-desire of long standing that finally was definitely on Paul’s agenda (Rom_1:10; cf. Rom_15:23-24). It appears that long before Paul goes to Rome there are many Christians there. It seems they are so zealous for the Lord that it is common knowledge. This spreading of this information to the world just means that Rome is a trade center and people who come there to sell or buy have heard of the Christian movement in Rome. As the center of the Roman Empire and the inhabited world, whatever happened in Rome became known universally.
This visit would be mutually beneficial spiritually; he desired to minister for three purposes: (a) to the strengthening of the Romans (Rom_1:11; to impart… some spiritual gift means either to exercise his own spiritual gift on their behalf or to bestow on them spiritual favors, i.e., blessings); (b) to see some spiritual fruit (a harvest, Rom_1:13) among them and, in turn, (c) to be strengthened by them (Rom_1:12). We see here that Paul prays intercessory prayers for these new Christians in Rome. Notice in the verse above that Paul does not serve the Lord in his flesh, but in his spirit. I believe that Paul is saying (only God and myself) know the hours that I have spent praying for you.
In this sense Paul’s ministry at Rome would be the same as in other centers of the empire. Paul will leave Corinth here and go to Jerusalem and be sought after by the authorities. It will be several years after this is written before Paul actually reaches Rome. One important statement above is (by the will of God). Paul has submitted his will to God. Paul is speaking here of laying his hands on them that they might receive the power of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 explains what these Spiritual gifts are. You should read the whole chapter, but I will quote a little here.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;" "To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
The statement (that ye may be established) just means that power to minister will come upon them. Many very shy people, become bold workers for the Lord when they receive the Holy Spirit. Paul had written to these Roman Christians that he would pray for them to receive spiritual gifts to enable them to minister also. Paul says above (we are in this together) we are fellow workers for Christ. This statement in verse 12 is a humble statement by Paul. He is trying to make them understand the equality of the believers in Christ. Paul had felt even when he was at Ephesus, and Corinth, that God wanted him to go to Rome. He had desired from the beginning of his missionary journeys to go to his father's people, the Romans and minister to them. Rome was a center of trade, and if the gospel of Jesus Christ could be established in Rome it could affect all of Europe.
Paul explains, here, that he must continue to minister to the other Gentiles God has sent him to, until he gets to Rome.
Scripture catalogs 3 kinds of spiritual fruit:
1. Spiritual attitudes that characterize a Spirit led believer
2. Righteous actions
3. New converts
In this context, Paul is probably referring to the third one, a desire that was eventually realized during his imprisonment in Rome.
As a result of his “apostleship” (Rom_1:5) to the Gentiles Paul felt obligated (lit., “I am a debtor”) to the entire human race to proclaim God’s good news (Rom_1:14-15). The word translated non-Greeks is literally, “barbarians,” all other human beings from the viewpoint of the Greeks (cf. Col_3:11). Parallel to it is the word foolish (anoētois; cf. Tit_3:3) in the next couplet, which has the significance of uncultured. This is just another way of saying that God is no respecter of persons. God wants the wise Greeks and also the unwise to know Him. The very educated Greeks really thought all others to be barbarians. They were extremely proud of their schools of learning. Worldly education, however, does not impress God. God's message is for those who believe themselves to be high and mighty and for the lowly. I have observed through the years that it is more difficult for those who think themselves wise to receive the good news of Jesus Christ than it is for the humble uneducated person. The wise person has to figure everything out with his or her mind. Christianity is of the heart.
Paul’s sense of debt to the Gentile world produced an eagerness (I am so eager, Rom_1:15) to evangelize it, including Rome, capital of the empire. Debtor: Paul had an obligation to God to fulfill His divine mandate to minister to Gentiles. Paul is saying here that he will do everything he can to come to Rome and preach. In the book of Acts, we find that Paul did make it to Rome and preached in his home while he was under house arrest. All true ministers of God are the happiest when they can bring the true Word of God and see someone saved.

Introduction to the Book of Romans

Book of Romans

Introductory Matters

Epistolary greetings

The customary formula for letters in ancient times included (a) naming and identifying the author, (b) naming and identifying the recipient, and (c) a word of salutation. Paul followed this formula in this letter to the Romans despite the lengthy digression precipitated by the word “gospel.” The same formula is used in all the New Testament letters except Hebrews and 1 John. (See the chart, “Paul’s Introductions to His Epistles.”)
Paul identified himself first as a servant of Christ Jesus. “Servant” (doulos) means slave, a person owned by another. Paul wore this title gladly (Gal_1:10; Tit_1:1), reveling in the Old Testament picture of a slave who in love binds himself to his master for life (Exo_21:2-6).
Paul also identified himself as an apostle — one sent with delegated authority (cf. Mat_10:1-2) — a position to which he was called. (Lit., the Gr. is, “a called apostle.”) This calling was from God (Act_9:15; Gal_1:1), though it was acknowledged by men (Gal_2:7-9). It involved being set apart (from aphorizō; cf. Act_13:2) for the gospel of God, the message of good news from God that centered on “His Son” (Rom_1:2, Rom_1:9) which Paul was “eager to preach” (Rom_1:15) without shame (Rom_1:16). This setting apart did not keep Paul from making tents to support himself and his companions (Act_20:34; 1Th_2:9; 2Th_3:8) nor from mingling freely with all levels of pagan society. It was a setting apart to something — a commitment and dedication, not from things in isolation like the Pharisees. (Interestingly the word “Pharisee” means “separated one” in the sense of being isolated and segregated.) Before we begin in the book of Romans we need to take a look at the penman, Paul. Paul was also known by Saul. Saul means asked and this was the name he was using when he was persecuting the Christians. The name Paul means little. His Jewish name was Saul and his Roman name was Paul. I personally believe that Saul stopped using that name when he was saved by Jesus Christ, and used the name Paul from then on. He was a native of Tarsus, a city of Celicia. Paul was Jewish (in fact a Pharisee). He was from the tribe of Benjamin. Philippians 3:5 "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;" Paul was also a Roman citizen. His father was a Roman.

Paul was such a controversial figure that I feel our time will be well spent looking into his background. Paul was an educated man. He had studied in Jerusalem in a Jewish school under Gamaliel. We will see in Paul's teachings some leftovers from that early learning of the law. Remember Paul was a Roman citizen, from Tarsus, a Pharisee of the Hebrews. This may explain what he says in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22:
"For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;" "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law." "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some."

This should make it easier for all of us to understand the seemingly discrepancies in Paul's writings. He does not say the same thing all the time, because he is speaking to people who have different customs. Paul tries to reach them at their level of understanding at the time. He establishes a church in Philippi with 2
women in high position and then writes the Corinthian church for women to be silent in church. In this same 1 Corinthians we read that women should have their head covered when they prophesy in the church.
1 Corinthians 11:5 "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with [her] head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven."
1 Corinthians 11:15 "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for [her] hair is given her for a covering."
Paul fights for the new Christian doctrine of not having to keep the old Mosaic law and then observes it himself. The reason for this is not that he is doubleminded, but that as I said, he is keeping the customs of each person he ministers to. Paul was not really a hater of women as many thought, for he travelled with women ministers who worked with him. When God sent him to Macedonia, he ministered to the women on the Sabbath and Lydia and her family were saved. He moved into Lydia's house and established a church there.
Acts 16:12-15 "And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, [and] a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days." "And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted [thither]." "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard [us]: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." "And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought [us], saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide [there]. And she constrained us."
It really appears from this that Lydia was a leader of this church in her home.

Paul never married, but it was not because he hated women but because he was so busy working for God. All of chapter 7 of first Corinthians is about this very thing.
Many of the people of our day have deified Paul and that is very dangerous. It appears to me that this is very similar to what the Jews did about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was more acceptable to the Jews than Jesus was. If we Christians are not careful we will forget also that Jesus Christ the Son of God is the focal point of the entire Bible, John the Baptist was a messenger (a truly great servant of God), but Jesus was the Message. The messenger is not more important than the Message. Paul was a servant of Jesus as we read in his own words Romans 1:1
"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"
The One served is greater than the servant. Paul is not at fault in this, we Christians are. We must worship God alone. Paul's writings are really important (some of my favorites). We certainly do not want to down play them at all. Tremendous teachings of the basic Christian walk are taught in the books he penned. Gentiles owe much of their church beginnings to him and Peter.

Paul was a tentmaker by trade and even worked as a tentmaker while he ministered. He tried to make his own way so that he was not subject to any particular church.
Philippians 4:12 "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
Paul was satisfied with whatever he had. He did not complain.

Paul was a very special man. He went into the desert for 3 years after his encounter with Jesus and was taught of the Holy Spirit of God.
Galatians 1:16-18 "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."
Paul was also carried away into heaven at one point.
2 Corinthians 12:1-5 "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord." "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven." "And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)" "How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." "Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities."
Paul had been an arrogant man before he met Jesus, but he became humble to the point of calling himself chief among sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15 "This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
Jesus had called Paul to a life of suffering. Acts 9:15-16 "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."
We see that Paul himself lists some of these sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." "Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one." "Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;" "[In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;" "In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." "Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."
We also see in this verse above that his greatest suffering was for the churches he started. Some of these churches were the church at Corinth, the church at Ephesus, and the church at Philippi.
Paul helped establish the doctrine for the Christians when he fought so hard the Jews and even went to Jerusalem to get the last word from Peter stating that believers in Christ were not to circumcise males and were not to keep the Mosaic law. Chapter 15 of Acts tells of all they were to do in the way of a doctrine.
Acts 15:20 "But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood."
Paul's part in the founding of Christianity must be admired. He went on 3 missionary journeys establishing churches. He spent more time at Ephesus than any other of these places. On one visit he stayed two and one half years there. Much of his writing was done from Rome where he was under house arrest for a lengthy time.
Paul was a full apostle of Christ. Apostle really means (one sent with a special message.) Paul certainly fell into that category. He not only preached, but healed the sick as well. Paul covered a great deal of the known world at that time also.
He fulfilled the commission that Jesus gave in Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Paul carried a company with him every where he went to preach.
Philippians 4:3 "And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and [with] my fellow laborers, whose names [are] in the book of life."
We see also at Antiock, Paul and Barnabos were ordained for their missionary work together. This can be found in Acts in chapter 13 and 14. John Mark ministered for a short time with Paul and Barnabas. Luke (who wrote the books of Acts went with Paul on these missionary journeys and even went to Rome with him. Many times in Acts, Luke (the beloved physician), when he speaks of Paul`s journeys, says we.

Perhaps Paul was closer to Timothy than any of these others. He loved Timothy so much that he speaks of him as a son.
2 Timothy 1:2 "To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."
This was not Paul`s son in the flesh, but in the spirit. Paul took Timothy as a youth and trained him for a minister of Jesus Christ. We would go on and on like Dorcas who many believe helped Paul financially. He was popular among the followers of Jesus.

Paul was sorry that he had consented to the stoning of Stephen. He and Peter had a few differences which were settled quickly. Paul worked diligently for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church after he received the Lord. At the end Paul was able to say in II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day."
We will finish the last of verse 8 out in saying O that I might be like Paul and receive this crown of righteousness.
2 Timothy 4:8 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Preparation for the Last Seven Vials

Revelation 15

Revelation chapter 15 begins the preparation for the last seven vials. The wrath of God began with the seven seals in chapter 6 and will be finished with the last seven vials. Chapter 15 is an introduction to these last seven and final plaques on mankind.
Throughout history God has poured out his wrath in judgment on early sinners. Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden brought the entire human race under judgment.
By Noah's days, people had turned so wicked, that God sent the judgment of the flood to destroy the entire world except eight people. Noah, his three sons and their wives.
Centuries of disobedience and wickedness by the Jewish people eventually led to their judgment and captivity. First the northern 10-1/2 tribes in 722 bc by the Assyrian Empire, then the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 bc by the Babylonian Empire.
Cities named Sodom and Gomorrah was completely destroyed by God with fire and brimstone.
Now in Chapters 15 and 16 we see the final outpouring of God's wrath before Christ's return. That wrath is expressed by the effects of the seventh trumpet which was opened in chapter 11, verse 15. Chapter 15 is very short and begins the introduction to those last seven judgments.
This chapter in the book of Revelation sets the stage for the last seven vial judgments that cover the last three and one-half years of the tribulation which are described in Revelation chapter 16.
The seven angels prepare to administer the last seven Tribulation judgments of Christ: the seven vials). Vials are actually shallow bowls (these are called the bowl judgments), used for pouring libations (5:8; 1 Chronicles 28:17; Jeremiah 52:18; Zech. 9:15; 14:20). The bowls are full of the wrath of God (2 Thess. 1:7 - 9). God has the right to judge, because He is the Eternal incense that filled the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. Until the seven plagues are finished, no one is able to enter into the temple. The time for intercession is past; God's judgment will now be completed.
This "seven" just means this is the end. The only good thing about these plagues is that the Christians are in heaven when this occurs. The wrath of the devil is bad, but to fall into the hands of Almighty God and have His wrath fall on unbelievers is the very worst thing that could happen.
These plagues will conclude with the wrath of God on sinful mankind for rejecting His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The last seven plaques indicate that these are in order and this finishes the 21 total plaques on mankind before the end of time.


Revelation 15:1-2

The seven angels introduced
With the background of the scene in heaven described in Rev_14:1-20, John then recorded more details of God’s judgment. He wrote that he saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign. Seven angels — each having a plague which all together were described as the seven last plagues — were introduced as the final step in the outpouring of God’s wrath on the earth. This final “sign” relates to the preceding great signs of the woman in Rev_12:1 and the red dragon in Rev_12:3. These seven angels should not be confused with the two groups of three angels in the preceding chapter (Rev_14:6-20) or with any other previous group of angels.
John also saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. This is probably the same sea that was described in Rev_4:6. Beside this sea John saw the martyred dead, the same group described in Rev_7:9-17. The sea of glass was before God's throne in Rev. 4:6. "And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind."
John was seeing the same crystal platform, but now it was mixed with the fire of God's judgment.
The victory over the beast has been won through faith in Christ and refusal to submit to the Antichrist. These are the Tribulation Martyrs who are rejoicing over the victory they have won. The harps indicate they are rejoicing and singing praise to God. These believers are rejoicing because their prayers for God's vengeance on their persecutors are about to be answered.

Revelation 15:3-4

The victorious saints sang with harps the song of Moses… and the song of the Lamb. These may be two separate songs, the first referring to God’s faithfulness to Israel and the second referring to their present situation in the Great Tribulation. Some, like Walter Scott, refer the song of Moses to Exo_15:1-27 where Israel triumphed over the Egyptians. Others, such as J.B. Smith, suggest that this is the song of Deu_32:1-52, which gives a comprehensive review of God’s faithfulness to Israel. In this song in Rev_15:3-4 God is praised for His great deeds, justice, truth (cf. Rev_16:7), glory, and holiness. This "they" are the believers in Christ. The "song of Moses" and the "song of the Lamb" are the same. This is the song of redemption. God used Moses to redeem His people from bondage in Egypt. Moses had lead the people out of the land of Egypt to the Promised Land prefiguring now Jesus is leading the Saints to that promised land we call heaven.
Who purchased this for us? Who did all the work Himself? Jesus. His works are "marvelous". It is beyond our imagination to see a beautiful snow-capped mountain and realize that the One who created that, also loved us enough that He climbed on the cross and suffered for us. He has every right to be our King. Remember in all of this, He is not just a loving God, but a "just and true" God as well.
The exclamation, "just and true" reflects the Old Testament truth that all of God's works are true and His ways just Dan. 4 v.37; Deut. 32 v.4; and Hosea 14 verse 9.
"Lord God Almighty" celebrates God's omnipotence, essential to the triumphant power of the last judgments and appears frequently in Revelation. This name just tells us of His overwhelming power.
This description of praise to God and prediction of universal worship is in keeping with many other Scriptures and relates, of course, to the second coming of Christ and worship of God by the entire world in the millennial kingdom (Psa_2:8-9; Psa_24:1-10; Psa_66:1-4; Psa_72:8-11; Psa_86:9; Isa_2:2-4; Isa_9:6-7; Isa_66:18-23; Jer_10:7; Dan_7:14; Zep_2:11; Zec_14:9). The awful hour of wickedness and blasphemy against God, which will characterize the period leading up to the Second Coming, will be followed by a full vindication of God’s judgment and holiness in the next period. Then a prediction is made that all the nations will worship God. In Proverbs 9:10 we read "The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding."
We are not to fear the world or its people. We are "to fear" (Reverence) God.
This "all nations shall come and worship", is speaking of the time when Jesus will sit on a throne in Jerusalem and rule the world. There will be a yearly pilgrimage by everyone to worship. We see Jesus is the only Holy one.
Philippians 2 verses 10 -11 says "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father."
After God's righteous acts of judgment has been made manifested or revealed, the time of Isaiah will come: "And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD."

Revelation 15:5-8

As John continued to look at the heavenly vision, he saw the temple described as the tabernacle of Testimony. The vision of a temple in heaven seems to be the heavenly counterpart of the earthly temple actually the earthly temple was designed and laid out by God the Father as it is in Heaven where His Throne resides. This "tabernacle" is the original tabernacle in heaven that the one on the earth was patterned by. Moses was given instruction by God how to build the earthly one. The tabernacle was opened by Jesus, as the temple curtain which was in front of the Holy of Holies, was torn from the top to the bottom, when Jesus died on the cross.
In an earlier vision given John, God's throne room was opened so the faithful could see in. We see here that it "was opened" (past tensed). Now the heavenly tabernacle, which the earthly tabernacle was a copy, was opened to reveal the most severe earthly judgment ever on the unrepentant.
The tabernacle was sometimes referred to as the tabernacle of the testimony, so named as it contained the testimony. The two stone tablets which God had written the ten commandments on.
As it was opened, the seven angels with their plagues exited from it. The clean, shining linen of the angels indicates their purity, and the golden sashes around their chests point to the glory of God. Seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. These are the "plagues" that will strike the earth in the last three and one-half years to punish those who have chosen to serve the Antichrist, doing his bidding to persecute the saints for their faith in Christ.
So many people in this current, new wave of believers think that all punishment comes from the devil and no bad thing comes from God. They better take another look at this Scripture right here. These "angels" are operating under God's orders. They have just come "out of the temple" (which shows the origination). They are clothed in white (which shows they are good angels and not demons). The gold of their breasts show that they have been in the presence of God.
John saw one of the four living creatures give the seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God to the seven angels. Here, again, we see these "vials" are from God, because they are gold. These "sevens" just show the completeness of it all.
And again, we see the eternity of God in the forever and ever. They are ready to pour the wrath out on the inhabitants of the earth. God has the power to put an end to sin so that it can never exist again in His holy presence. When this was done, smoke filled the temple, making it impossible for anyone to enter it until the seven plagues were poured out on the earth (cf. Exo_40:34-35). Taken as a whole, Rev_15:5-8 presents a fearful picture of impending divine judgment on a wicked world. The judgments which are to be poured out (Rev_16:1-21) fully justify this ominous introduction. As soon as the angels in verse 6 come out of the Temple, great smoke from the glory of the presence of God and His power and wrath fills the Temple so that neither angels nor human beings can go back into worship until "the seven plagues of the seven angels are completed."
We know that in the tabernacle in the wilderness, no one could go inside. God is a consuming fire as we read in Hebrews 12:29 "For our God is a consuming fire."
During this time no created human being will have access to the presence of God on His throne until the end of the Tribulation, for He will not be dealing with people in mercy, as is His usual custom. During the latter three and one half years of the Tribulation, He will deal with human beings in judgment.
This glory cloud will remain in the heavenly temple until the earth is completely purged, cleansed and prepared for the King and His kingdom that is coming.
This "smoke" is from the Majesty of God. The children of Israel were led by God Himself. We read that a fire led them by night and a cloud by day, Exodus 13:21. This is the very same presence we read of here. No mere man can enter this holy place. Jesus enters here for us and takes us with Him after we are covered by His (Jesus) blood.
God sees Jesus' shed blood, instead of us, when we enter (after we are a believer); and that shed blood is what keeps us from being burned up in God the Father's presence.
God's anger is kindled at those on the earth who have caused such sorrow to the church and the true believers, and His fury has come in His face. These plagues, as we said before, are from God. What a terrible thing it is to fall into the hands of the Living God and be judged by Him guilty and deserving of His wrath.
In Hebrews 10:30-31, we read about just how terrible it is for the sinner to fall into His hands.
Hebrews 10:30-31 "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." "[It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

The Resulting Scene In Earth And Heaven Rev.14

Revelation 14

Revelation 14:1-2

The Resulting Scene In Earth And Heaven (chaps. 14-15)


The 144,000 on Mount Zion (Rev_14:1-5)

In Rev_14:1-20 and Rev_15:1-8 various other details of the world scene in heaven and earth are introduced in preparation for the final series of seven bowl judgments in Rev_16:1-21 and the judgments in chapters 17-18.
First, another view is given of the 144,000 who were standing on Mount Zion with the Lamb. It is reasonable to conclude that this is the same group mentioned in Rev_7:4-8, except that here they are in a later period of the Tribulation. Chronologically the vision anticipates the triumph of the 144,000 still intact at the time of Jesus Christ’s return from heaven to earth. In contrast with many others who become martyrs, these people live through the period. But they are not the only ones to survive, as many Gentiles and Jews will turn to Christ in the end time and somehow escape martyrdom and be honored to welcome Christ at His return.
Again the scene in heaven is dramatic with a loud noise similar to rushing waters… thunder, and harpists (cf. “thunder” in Rev_4:5; Rev_6:1; Rev_8:5; Rev_11:19; Rev_16:18; Rev_19:6).

Revelation 14:3-5

John wrote, And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. These singers were apparently a heavenly group. They could be the multitude in white robes mentioned in Rev_7:9-17. But there is no justification here for symbolizing Mount Zion as heaven. It is better to take the chorus as the 144,000 (cf. Rev_14:1) who had not yet died and would still be on earth at the literal Mount Zion.
Reference to the purity of the 144,000 could be recognition that during the difficult times of the Tribulation they could not have led normal married lives. Or it may refer to spiritual purity, often symbolized by virginity (cf. 2Ki_19:21; Isa_37:22; Jer_18:13; Jer_31:4, Jer_31:21; Lam_2:13; Amo_5:2). In 2Co_11:2 the concept of virginity is extended to the entire church, including both sexes.
Some people believe that the 144,000 will be evangelists in the Great Tribulation. But there is no indication that the 144,000 were preachers or prophets; their testimony was largely from their moral purity and the fact that they were not martyred like many others. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. John further stated, They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. The word “firstfruits” suggests that these converted Israelites precede many others who at the Lord’s second coming will turn to Him (Zec_12:10; Rom_11:15, Rom_11:26-27). They were also described as blameless (amōmoi, a word used of sacrificial animals without defect) and as those who, living in a period of great satanic deception, were free from lying. The passage as a whole is a prophetic foreview of the triumph of the 144,000 when Christ returns.

Revelation 14:6-8

The message of the three angels (Rev_14:6-12)
John was then given a vision of an angel carrying a message called the eternal gospel. The angel was commissioned to bring his message to every group of people on the earth. Because of the word “gospel,” some have felt that this was a message of salvation or the good news of the coming kingdom. The context, however, seems to indicate otherwise, for the message is one of judgment and condemnation. The angel announced, Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. So the “eternal” message seems to be a message of God’s righteousness and judgment rather than a message of salvation.
The first angel was followed by a second angel who announced that Babylon the Great, which intoxicated others (the nations of the world) with her adulteries, has fallen.

Revelation 14:9-12

A third angel followed with another judgment that worshipers of the beast and his image who receive his mark will be objects of God’s wrath and will be destined for eternal torment along with Satan, the demon world, and all unsaved people. The everlasting character of this judgment is stated plainly in Rev_14:11 : The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they will have no rest. Those who keep God’s commandments and are faithful to Him will need patient endurance (Rev_14:12; cf. Rev_13:10). The doctrine of eternal punishment, though unpopular with liberal scholars and difficult to accept, is nevertheless clearly taught in the Bible. Jesus and the Apostle John say more on this subject than does all the rest of the Bible. Here is the patience of the saints - Here the faith of the true Christians shall be proved; they will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, they keep the commandments of God, and are steadfast in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes ἡ ὑπομονη, patience or perseverance, is taken for the reward of these virtues; the text therefore may be thus understood: Here is the reward of the perseverance of the true Christians; for although they die for the testimony of Jesus, yet they shall be unutterably blessed.

Revelation 14:13

The blessing of the faithful saints (Rev_14:13)
After the solemn pronouncement of the third angel John heard a voice from heaven commanding him, Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. To this the Holy Spirit added the promise, they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.
This passage is often quoted in regard to God’s general blessings on all Christians, but the context indicates that the blessing is especially for those who die in the Great Tribulation. For them it is a blessed release from persecution, torture, and trial and a deliverance into the glorious presence of the Lord.

Revelation 14:14-16

The messages of the second group of three angels (Rev_14:14-20)
John in his vision next saw seated on a white cloud one like a Son of Man wearing a crown of gold and holding a sharp sickle. Though some have identified “a Son of Man” as an angel, it is more probable that it is Christ Himself who is frequently called “the Son of Man” (cf. Rev_1:13). In the Book of Matthew alone this title is ascribed to Christ more than 25 times (Mat_8:20; Mat_9:6; Mat_11:19; Mat_12:8, Mat_12:32; Mat_13:41; etc.). The sickle in His hand suggests judgment. And this is supported by the messages of the three angels (Rev_14:15-20).
An angel called out to Christ to reap, because the harvest of the earth is ripe. The ripeness is in the sense of withered or overripe (exēranthē). What follows is judgment as the sickle is swung… over the earth.

Revelation 14:17-20

Another angel had a sharp sickle, and a fellow angel commanded him to gather… clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe. Here a different word is used for ripe (ēkmasan), meaning “to be fully grown” or “in prime condition.” The grapes were full of juice and ready for harvest. In obedience the angel gathered the grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled there outside the city, probably Jerusalem (cf. “the great city” in Rev_11:8).
The custom was to produce grape juice by trampling on grapes in a winepress. The result here, however, is different. Blood flowed out of the press rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia, about 180 miles. While this distance may be literal and may designate the area of judgment as around the city of Jerusalem, it is of course impossible for the blood to reach a height where it would touch horses’ bridles. What this affirms is a tremendous bloodletting in which blood is spattered as high as the bridles of horses. This is a graphic picture of a great slaughter (Isa_63:1-3). Other Scriptures (e.g., Rev_16:14; Dan_11:40-45) make it clear that there will be a world war of tremendous scope underway at the time of the second coming of Christ, and this may be a partial fulfillment of these prophecies.
Taken as a whole, Rev_14:1-20 on the one hand refers to the preservation of the 144,000 through the Great Tribulation. And on the other hand it graphically declares some of the terrible judgments that will be inflicted on the world which rejects Christ and follows Satan’s substitute for the Lord.

Matthew chapter 24 and 25

MATTHEW CHAPTER 24 AND 25

The following study will provide much light on the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, correct many errors concerning the rapture, and help in a better understanding of the end of the age and the fulfillment of Rev. 6 – 19 during the Seventieth Week. These chapters picture a series of events that are in consecutive order as given. The occasion of this discourse was when the disciples showed Christ the beauties of the temple. Jesus then said, “There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.” This brought forth three questions as follows:

“Tell us when shall these things be?”

This question refers to the above statement of Jesus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled in 70 A.D. by the Romans, (Ref. Dan. 9:26; Luke 21:20-24. This question fully answered in these scriptures.

“What shall be the sign of thy coming?”

This question does not concern the rapture, but the second coming of Christ to the earth with the saints. The disciples new nothing of the rapture for that was reserved for Paul to reveal (Ref. 1Cor. 15:51-58). The disciples had often heard of the Second Advent, (Ref. Mt. 18:1; 19:28). This is further proven by Luke (Ref. Lk. 21:29-33). This question is fully answered in Matthew chapter 24 versus 4-26, 37-39; Mk. 13:5-23; Luke 21:8-19. These passages give the signs of Christ’s second coming that have to do with the answer to this question.

Signs of the Second Coming of Christ

False messiahs before the middle of the Week, or the setting up of the abomination of desolation, (Ref. Mt. 24:4-5, 15; Mk. 13:5-6; Luke 21:8; Dan. 9:27).

Wars and rumors of wars, (Ref. Mt. 24:6; Mk.13:7; Luke 21:9).

Nations against nations, (Ref. Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Luke 21:10).

Famines, pestilences and earthquakes, (Ref. Mt. 24:7; Mk. 13:8; Luke 21:11).

Persecution of the Jews by all nations, (Ref. Mt. 24:9; Mk. 13:9-11; Luke 21:12).

Many offenses and betrayals, (Ref. Mt. 24:10; Mk. 13:12-13; Luke 21:16).

False prophets before the middle of the Week, (Ref. Mt. 24:11, 15; Dan. 9:27).

Iniquity abounding and love waxing cold, (Ref. Mt. 24:12).

The gospel of the kingdom to be preached again as a witness to all nations, (Ref. Mt. 24:13-14).

The abomination of desolation set up, (Ref. Mt. 24:15; Dan. 9:27; 12:7-11; Rev. 13:1-18; 14:9-11; 20:4-6).

Flight of Israel into the wilderness, (Ref. Mt. 24:16-20; Mk. 13:14-18; Isa. 16:1-5; Ezk. 20:33-35; Hos. 2:14-16; Psa. 60:8-10).

The great tribulation days, (Ref. Mt. 24:21-22; Mk. 13:19-20).

False messiahs after the middle of the Week, (Ref. Mt. 24:23-26; Mk. 13:21-22).

False prophets after the middle of the Week, (Ref. Mt. 24:23-26; Mk. 13:22).

Conditions of the days of Noah repeated, (Ref. 24:37-39).

Fearful sights and distress on the earth, (Ref. Luke 21:11).

Great signs in the Heavens, (Ref. Luke 21:11; Acts 2:16-21).


All these signs, as well as many others, must take place before the second coming of Christ which the disciples had in mind. This proves that the coming asked about by the disciples was not the rapture, but the Second Advent at the end of the tribulation period.

The first nine signs will be fulfilled down to the middle of the week when the abomination of desolation will be set up, as stated in Mt. 24:15. The first four signs were given and then Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” The word “sorrows” means “birth pangs” and refers to the agonies of Israel under the ten kings and the whore (Babylon) in the first three and one-half years of the Week. The “birth pangs” must continue until Israel comes to birth at the end of the Week. This means that, from the first sign to the last, there is to be an increase of these sorrows. They are to last throughout the whole Week. Perhaps they will begin sometime before the Week, for Israel seems to be persecuted when Antichrist makes the covenant with her to protect her for seven years, [Ref. Dan. 9:27].

There are three questions that naturally rise at this juncture, in view of this method of exposition:

QUESTIONS
How do we know that Israel is the one primarily dealt with in these chapters instead of The Church or Christians?



THE REASONS ARE


Jesus is speaking to the Jews and is answering a question which is purely Jewish, for it concerns their Messiah and His coming to deliver them.
The deceptions by false messiahs primarily concern Israel.

The fifth sign above can be harmonizing only with what is prophesied of Israel and their times of sorrows.

The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth signs are also connected to these days of “birth pangs,” and times of sorrows and the end of the Week.
The time of the fulfillment of all these things is during one generation at the end of that age, for those who suffer these things are blessed only upon condition that they endure to the end of the age.

“The gospel of the kingdom” is Jewish and is the good news that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, because of the nearness of the King of the Jews. This gospel will be preached during the tribulation as “a witness to all nations,” and then shall come the end.

The abomination of desolation proves a Jewish connection, [Ref. Mt. 24:15; Dan. 9:24-27.]

The fleeing of the Jews in Judea proves a Jewish connection, [Ref. Mt. 24:16-20; Isa. 16:1-5; Ezk. 20:23; Hos. 2:14; Psa. 60:8-10; Rev. 12:6-17; Dan. 11:41-45].

The “Sabbath day” which would limit the flight of Jews from the Antichrist to a mile proves a Jewish connection, [Ref. Mt. 24:20-22; Jer. 30:1-7; Dan. 12:1].

The great tribulation primarily concerns Israel.

The “elect” in Mt. 24:21-26 are Jews, as proven in Mt. 24:31: Isa. 11:11.
The coming of Christ, referred to in the question, is to deliver Israel and fulfill all the prophecies of their restoration, [Joel 3: Zech. 14:1-21; Rom. 11:24-29].

The judgment of the nations is based upon how they have treated the Jews or “brethren”, [Mt. 25:31-46.

In none of these passages could we insert the Church or Christians, for they are raptured before “all these things,” [Ref. Luke 21:34-36].

QUESTION 2

Are these things fulfilled in one particular generation? That they are fulfilled in one and the last generation of that age is clear from the following:

“The days of Noah” refer to one generation only, (Ref. Mt. 24:37-39; Gen. 7:1).

That one generation only is referred to in these chapters is stated in Mt. 24:34, and clearly taught in the parable of the fig tree.

Jesus plainly promised that some would escape “all these things” and such could not be true if they were being fulfilled throughout the ages.

Some will “endure to the end” and such could not be unless those who endure were not living at the end of that age.

The abomination of desolation will be set up in the middle of the Week shows that the first nine signs immediately preceding this can easily be fulfilled in the same generation (Ref. Mt. 24:15).



QUESTION 3

If these things are to be fulfilled during the last generation of that age, what signs are being fulfilled today to show us that we are near the Second Advent and can look for the rapture at any time? The above signs are concerning a definite period just before the end of that age and after the rapture of the Church, as has been proven. If the Church is to escape “all these things” above then all of them must be fulfilled after the rapture of the Church.



3. “And the End of the Age?”


This end of the age is the same “end” mentioned in Mt. 24:13-14. It was a familiar subject of the disciples, as was also His coming, for He had often spoken to them of both.
(Ref. Mt 13:37-42; 49-50; 22:13; 24:3; 25:31-46). This third question is fully answered in Mt. 24:27-25:46; Mk. 13:24-37; Luke 21:24-33.


In the last division of the book of Revelation we have scenes in heaven and events on earth during the final seven years of that age – Daniel’s Seventieth Week – happenings between the rapture of the Church and the second coming of Jesus Christ back to the earth with the “Bride” (Church) to reign for ever (Ref. Rev. 6:1-22:5).

Not one detail of Rev. 4:1-19:21 that concern any event on earth have been fulfilled as yet, but will all be fulfilled after the rapture and at the second coming of Christ. Revelation 20 reveals a thousand year reign of Christ on the earth to put all enemies under His feet and bring an end to rebellion (Ref. Rev. 20:1-10; Eph. 1:10; 1Cor. 15:24-28). Revelation 21:1–22:5 reveals the eternal reign of God, Christ, and the saints on earth after all rebellion has been put down.

If one will take all these events as being literal and in consecutive order as to fulfillment, there will be no mystery about the Book of Revelation, and it will not be hard to understand. We must remember, however, that if we do not keep in mind that every detail of Rev. 4-22 is to be fulfilled after the churches – after the rapture of the Church – we will immediately become confused regarding the fulfillment of “these things which must be hereafter” the churches.