Books of the Bible

While 1 Peter deals with the problem of external opposition to the gospel, 2 Peter confronts the even more insidious problem of internal opposition to the truth by teachers who profess to be believers, but distort the gospel. These false teachers “secretly introduce destructive heresies” (2:1) even to the point of denying Christ, and their …

First Peter gives us a divine perspective on living as aliens and strangers in a world that is increasingly hostile to the gospel of Christ. Each of its five chapters alludes to suffering as a very real part of the Christian experience. This letter provides us with counsel and comfort in times of adversity and …

James is a powerful and practical manual on the application of faith in Christ to the struggles and relationships we encounter every day. With force and clarity, this epistle relates Christlike conduct to a wide range of topics, and it is always convicting to read. James maps the behavior of belief and shows how faith …

Hebrews is a profound and powerful book that uses a wide variety of Old Testament passages to present a clear case for the superiority of Christ over everything that preceded Him. Hebrews builds a cumulative argument to demonstrate the superiority of Christ over the old covenant, priesthood, and sacrifices. This theme is developed in the …

Philemon is a brief but powerful testimony to the transforming power of faith, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ. This transformation on the vertical level should result in transformation on the horizontal level of our relationships with others. This epistle teaches us that spiritual change produces social change. Paul’s purpose in writing this letter was to …

This epistle is a concise manual of conduct for assemblies of brothers and sisters in Christ. Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 are critical to the organization of the local church because they outline God’s requirements for the leadership of the body of believers. Titus provides us with instruction on the ordination of elders, dealing …

Paul’s two letters to Timothy and his letter to Titus are collectively known as the Pastoral Epistles because they deal with issues of shepherding and oversight of local churches. First Timothy presents Christ Jesus as the one mediator between God and humanity who gave Himself as a ransom for all (2:5–6). Christ Jesus came into …

The truth of Paul’s teaching in his first epistle to the Thessalonians was distorted by false teachers who claimed that the day of the Lord was already taking place, and this led in turn to a mentality of passivity and idleness. This corrective epistle is of great value in clarifying the biblical teaching concerning the …

This warm and personal epistle encourages us to remain steadfast in our faith and to grow in sanctification. It gives us a model for relational ministry as Paul describes the way he worked with and nurtured the Thessalonians, and it exemplifies the kind of personal concern we should adopt for those we have been privileged …

Philippians is an epistle of joy and encouragement that inspires its readers to focus their thoughts and actions on the pursuit of Christ. When our joy is threatened by adverse circumstances (chapter 1), disunity among people (chapter 2), the quest for accomplishments (chapter 3), or anxiety (chapter 4), this letter is a powerful tool that …