Listen to The Daily Word online.  What is the purpose of Christian theology?  Since I was a high school student, I have enjoyed reading books about God. Not devotional books, however—much to my mother’s alarm. No, I enjoy reading theology books, and the bigger they are, the better. I enjoyed reading books about God so much, in fact, that I chose a career likely to pay me for reading them.  Over the last twenty years, however, I have noticed something about big theology books. Many of them inform us about God, but they do not inspire us to worship him. … Continue reading The Purpose of Theology (Romans 16.25-27)

Listen to The Daily Word online. Today, I want to talk about God, Satan, Jesus, and you.  In Romans 16.20, the Apostle Paul brings all four together when he writes, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Let’s take a closer look at each phrase.  First, the God of peace. What a wonderful description of God, especially in the turbulent times in which we live! How many times have we turned on the TV news lately only to see stories about radical jihadists who are killing innocents … Continue reading God, Satan, Jesus, and You (Romans 16.20)

Listen to The Daily Word online. This past spring, just in time for Easter, the National Geographic Society released a documentary on The Gospel of Judas, along with the text of the gospel and a book about its discovery. That gospel was a fourth-century copy of a second-century text, purporting to describe a secret conversation between Jesus and Judas Iscariot. It did not tell us anything historically valuable about Jesus or Judas, although it did give us interesting information about a small sect of second-century Christian heretics. So why did The Gospel of Judas get so much attention? In my opinion, … Continue reading Spiritual Novelties (Romans 16.17-19)

Listen to The Daily Word online. The final chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans seems anticlimactic. Chapters 1-11 teach Christian theology. Chapters 12-15 teach Christian ethics. But chapter 16 merely sends Christian greetings to 26 individuals, 24 of whom Paul names. Those greetings may seem anticlimactic, but in reality, they are the point of the entire letter.  Think of the issue this way. The theology of Romans tells us that God saves sinners by grace through faith. The ethics of Romans tells us that God empowers those whom he has saved to perform good works. But sinners and saved … Continue reading Names (Romans 16.1-15)

Listen to The Daily Word online. “Life is difficult.”   That is the first sentence of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck, and it is one of the truest sentences I have ever read in any book. We cannot escape life’s difficulties; we can only struggle with them. And as Christians, we struggle first and foremost by praying.  The Apostle Paul knew how difficult life could be from personal experience. In 2 Corinthians 11.23-28, he enumerates some of the hardships he endured in his missionary journeys:  Frequent imprisonment At least five floggings with a whip At least three beatings … Continue reading Struggle by Praying (Romans 15.30-33)

Listen to The Daily Word online. We all know that the Apostle Paul was one of the greatest missionaries of the first century (or any century). But did you know that he was also one of the greatest fundraisers? Paul mentions his fundraising activities in Romans 15.25-29:  Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in … Continue reading Fundraiser for Jesus (Romans 15.25-29)

Listen to The Daily Word online. There’s no retirement from Christian service. When you sign up with Christ you sign up for life. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example of the unretiring Christian. In Romans 15.17-22, Paul speaks freely about the scope of his Christian service. “So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum,” he writes in verse 19, “I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” Geographically speaking, the area between Jerusalem and Illyricum includes the modern nations of Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, and several Balkan nations (Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, and Slovenia). I tire just thinking … Continue reading The Unretiring Christian (Romans 15.23-24)

Listen to The Daily Word online. Looking back on your life, have you spent your time well?  In Romans 15.17-22, Paul reflects on his life so far with evident satisfaction: Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It … Continue reading Ambitiously Pursuing Christ’s Purpose (Romans 15.17-22)

Listen to The Daily Word online.  I have been writing and emailing The Daily Word for more than five years. During this time, I have expressed my opinion on what the Bible means and how it applies to our lives. But sometimes I ask myself, “Is my opinion really worth sharing with others?” I asked myself that question again when I read Romans 15.14-16, where Paul writes:  I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to … Continue reading Grace to Remind Boldly (Romans 15.14-16)