It seems strange that Paul would thank God that he had not baptized people (vv. 14-15). Paul’s point in making this statement was not to suggest that baptism is unimportant; rather, it was that people should not seek to identify with the person who bap...

Having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, the missionaries Barnabas and Saul, with John as their helper, enjoyed smooth sailing and success in the early phase of their journey. However, in Paphos the missionaries encountered resistance in the person of ...

Reflect on the fact that James, a disciple of Jesus and brother of John, was executed at the hand of King Herod, while Peter, another disciple, would miraculously be set free. Did God display greater love to Peter than to James?

Neither angels nor an empty tomb were enough for Mary. She still assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen (vv. 2,13). Dead or alive, she wanted to be near her Savior but did not know where His body lay. Though she was slow to believe in the resurrectio...

Known as the “Hall of Faith,” Hebrews 11 reminds us of men and women throughout Old Testament history who walked with God in faith. In particular, the chapter speaks of their faith being evident in what these heroes did on the basis of what they believ...

Some years ago, the television show Touched by an Angel was quite popular. The show featured an angel in human form who visited people and offered them hope, healing, and other blessings and lessons. Its popularity evidenced our craving for hope in a h...

Jesus promised that the world would hate us because it hated Him (John 15:18-20). Paul told Timothy that “all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The early Christians in Jerusalem experienced this kind of su...

After reading Acts 11, you may wonder why Luke would retell the same account of Peter at Cornelius’s house from the previous chapter. Peter recounted his vision, and later the Gentiles’ conversion and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them,

Paul loved the Corinthian church. He had invested a year and a half in Corinth to preach and teach them the gospel. He labored like a father to provide for their spiritual needs so they would grow in faith and godliness. But then they turned on him.

Jesus taught His disciples that where your treasure is, there is your heart also (Matt. 6:21). He said this in the Sermon on the Mount as He taught about how disciples should not worry but trust the Lord to provide for their needs.