A Look at Roman Law in Acts

Title image for the article 'Wingless Angels and Their Poetry

Here's a fresh view of Luke 2…¹

Ah, Christmas! What for others is a time of joy is for me a time to remember and mourn my felonious and heretical past life. The felony? Kidnapping. The heresy? Thinking that I could save God’s Son, Jesus. But like Saul of Tarsus, “I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in…” well, not “unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13), but because I was an innocent five-year old. I guess I need to explain.

Coinciding with my short career in crime, [continue reading…]

Tagged as: 1 Corinthians 13:11, 1 Corinthians 14:20, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Kings 3:1, Acts 12:15, Acts 1:9, angels, cherubim, Christmas, Daniel, Daniel 4:13, Daniel 4:23, Daniel 8:15-27, Daniel 9:21, dreams, Elijah, Ephesians 4:9-10, Gabriel, Galatians 4:14, Genesis 28:12, Hebrew poetry, Hebrews 1:14, Hebrews 1:5-6, Hosea 12:3-4, Incarnation, John 16:13, John 1:51, John 3:13, Judges 13:20, Luke, Luke 2:8-20, LXX, magi, Malachi 2:7, Malachi 3:1, Mark 12:25, Mark 7:13, Mary, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 1:20-21; Matthew 1:24, Matthew 22:30, Matthew 28:2, parallelism, Perry Mason, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 1:6, Psalm 23:1, Psalm 42:1, Psalm 97:7, Revelation 14:6-9, Revelation 18:1, Revelation 20:1, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:18, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 3:1, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 3:7, Revelation 7:2, Revelation 8:13, Second Presbyterian Church Amersterdam New York, Septuagint, seraphim, shepherds, wise men, Zacharias

Greater Works Than These

by Jim Kerwin on October 6, 2019

An excerpt from the forthcoming book
The John the Baptist Experience

Leaping deer, a photo by jmrocek, under license from 123RF.com at https://www.123rf.com/profile_jmrocek

In prophecy, when do deer walk
and when do they leap?¹

When the imprisoned John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to Jesus, he had one question in mind: “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3 nasb²)

Jesus didn’t answer them directly at first. He believed in “show and tell,” and Luke tells us what John’s two disciples saw with their own eyes:

At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

Luke 7:21

With the long day’s ministry over, the Lord approached John’s two representatives.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, [continue reading…]

Tagged as: Acts 14:8-10, Acts 3:1-12, Acts 4:22, Ascension, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, deer, healing, Isaiah 35:5-6, Jim Kerwin, John 14:12, John the Baptist, lameness, Luke 7:21, Matthew 11:3, Matthew 11:4-6, miracles, The John the Baptist Experience

The “Judicial Adventures” of Paul the Apostle

by Jim Kerwin on January 26, 2019

Nikolai Bodarevsky's painting of St. Paul on trial before Festus, King Agrippa II and Berenice¹

A Look at Roman Law in Acts

“Moving in a Roman World”

“The student of the New Testament is constantly made aware that he is moving in a Roman world,”² and awareness of the Roman environment is the first step toward understanding its significance and influence on the second volume of Luke’s magnum opus and on the life of Paul. By providing the serious Bible student a primer of [continue reading…]

Tagged as: 1 Thessalonians 2:18, 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 2 Corinthians 11:25, Acts 13:17, Acts 16:20-21, Acts 16:37; Acts 22:25-28, Acts 17:1-10, Acts 17:15-34, Acts 18:1, Acts 18:12, Acts 18:12-17, Acts 19:23-28, Acts 21:30-40, Acts 21:39, Acts 22:23-30, Acts 22:28, Acts 23:1-30, Acts 23:31-35, Acts 24, Acts 25, Acts 25:1-12, Acts 25:13-27, Acts 26, Acts 26:1-32, Acts 28:16-31, Battle of Philippi, Berenice, biennium, Claudius, consilium, Dio Chrysostum, Drusilla, duoviri, Ephesus, extra ordinem, Felix, Galatia, Gallio, Herod Agrippa II, imperium, Infallibility of Scripture, ius gladii, Jason of Thessalonica, Jerusalem, Julius Caesar, lex de ui publica, Messalina, Nero, Octavian, ordo, peregrini, Philippi, prefect, proconsul, provocatio, religio illicita, religio licita, Roman citizenship, Roman law, Rome, Sergius Paulus, Suetonius, Tarsus in Cilicia, Thessalonica

The Original Aromas of Christmas

by Jim Kerwin on December 12, 2018

Burning frankincense, image used under license from https://www.123rf.com/profile_fotomem

All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King!¹

Your dieting resolve may be challenged as I enumerate the following list: pumpkin pie, gingerbread, Christmas cookies, roasted turkey and stuffing, eggnog, hot apple cider with cinnamon. Those are all holiday edibles, but I mention them not so much for their waistline-destroying properties as for their aromas. I can quickly add to the list of Christmas aromas from non-edible sources: the fragrance of a fresh pine tree, wreaths of pine branches, and seasoned oak burning in the fireplace. I would even add the tantalizing scent of “chestnuts roasting on a open fire,” but then we’d probably be back to derailing ongoing diets.

Those of you outside North America no doubt have your own aromatic reminiscences of Christmas. In any case, if you’re like me, you have a sort of mental database of aromas, of scents, of fragrances that you associate with Christmas. In fact, if one of those aromas registers on your nostrils, it may trigger events from your childhood, or certain Christmases that were special, or maybe certain Christmases that were difficult. I can’t think of another holiday that has such fragrant associations.

Decades ago, over the Christmas holiday I was on a short-term missions trip to India. On Christmas morning I arose before dawn to [continue reading…]

Tagged as: 1 John 1:7, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31-32, Advent, Birth of Jesus, Christmas, cleansing from sin, Colossians 3:9, Conviction of Sin, entire sanctification, Ephesians 4:22-24, Exodus 30:22-33, Exodus 30:34-38, Exodus 40:13-15, Frankincense, gold, Hebrews 1:8-9, Incarnation, incense, India, Isaiah 60:1-6, John 11:39, John 12:3, John 14:23, John 19:28-30, John 19:39-40, John 1:29, John 2:20, Joseph ben-Matthan, Joseph of Arimathea, Joseph of Nazareth, Leviticus 12:3-8, Leviticus 24:7, Leviticus 2:1-2, Leviticus 2:15-16, Leviticus 6:15, Luke 1:10, Luke 1:8-11, Luke 2:1-20, Luke 2:21, Luke 2:39, Luke 6:46, magi, Mark 12:30, Mark 15:23, Mark 15:36, Mary of Nazareth, Matthew 27:34, Matthew 27:48, Matthew 2:1-12, Matthew 2:16, Matthew 7:21-23, missions, missions trips, Myrrh, New Covenant, new heart, Nicodemus, Prayer, Proverbs 31:6, Psalm 141:2, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22:1, Psalm 45:6-8, Pure Heart, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3-4, Romans 10;9-13, Romans 6:6, Romans 8:7, shepherds, sin nature, sinning, Song of Solomon 1:13, Song of Solomon 3:6, Song of Solomon 4:6, Song of Solomon 5:1, Song of Solomon 5:13, Song of Solomon 5:5, worship

The Powerful Message Behind Jesus’ First Sermon

by Jim Kerwin on February 25, 2018

The Importance of Context

What is “the acceptable year of the Lord”?¹

Every time there is a “first” in the Scriptures, it is good to take note of it, because often the Holy Spirit is laying down a special foundation, or principle, or doctrine. I believe this is true in the case of Jesus’ first recorded sermon, which is found in Luke chapter 4.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me
because He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
¹⁹to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Part of what I teach leaders when I come to Latin America is the importance of context when they are reading and studying and teaching and preaching God’s word. The two most important points are these:

Every time we come to the Scriptures, as we are reading we must ask ourselves, “What is the context of this verse, this passage, this chapter, this book? What is the context within the text, and what are the historical, cultural, and original language contexts? What do I need to know to fully understand the passage like the first readers did?
The greatest context is that of the entire Bible, which is why I encourage all Christian leaders – indeed, all Christians – to read through the Bible cover to cover at least once every year.

Let’s think about the context of Jesus’ message in Luke 4. In the previous chapter, Luke 3, Jesus was water-baptized by John; immediately the Spirit of the Lord [continue reading…]

Tagged as: 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 Corinthians 3:10, 1 Peter 2:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, 2 Samuel 5:11, Acts 15:8-9, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Exodus 21:2, Forgiveness, Hebrews 10:17, Hebrews 10:24-25, Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 3:15, Hebrews 3:7-8, Hebrews 4:7, Hebrews 8:12, Helen Griggs, hermeneutics, Isaac Watts, Isaiah 49:8, Isaiah 61:1-3, Jeremiah 17:9-10, Jim Kerwin, Leviticus 25, Luke 4:16-21, Mark 1:14-15, Mark 7:37, Matthew 24:30-31, Matthew 4:6, Micah 7:19, Percy Gutteridge, Psalm 103:12, Psalm 22, Psalm 95:7-8, redemption, restoration, Revelation 1:10, Revelation 21:1, Samuel Medley, sanctification, slavery, spiritual inheritance, temptation, the Holy Spirit, the Sabbath Year, The Year of Jubilee, trial

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: Matthew 10: The Cost of Doing Kingdom Business (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 10:
The Cost of Doing Kingdom Business
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

In our in-depth Bible study in the Gospel of Matthew, Pastor Jim Kerwin
of Finest of the Wheat Teaching Fellowship looks at Jesus’ commissioning
of the Twelve Apostles in

Matthew 10

and what the Lord warned them about
The Cost
of Doing Kingdom Business.

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 6; Week 11 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 6
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 11
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

Pastor Jim Kerwin finishes up his series called The John the Baptist Experience
by exploring the fear of God and how the Holy Spirit uses it to prepare our hearts for the coming
of Jesus.
(Notes used during the live Bible study can be downloaded
here.)

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 5; Week 10 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 5
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 10
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

The Scriptures say that God created Man in His own image. That truth plays a key role
in understanding the importance of repentance, as you’ll hear in this fifth message
of the series, The John the Baptist Experience, taught by Pastor Jim Kerwin.
(Notes used during the live Bible study can be downloaded
here.)

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 4; Week 9 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 4
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 9
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

In Pastor Jim’s careful exploration of “The John the Baptist Experience,”
we find that the Scriptures teach us a surprising truth—that God’s moral law
is part and parcel of proclaiming the uncompromised and uncompromising New Testament Gospel.
(Notes used during the live Bible study can be downloaded
here.)

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 3; Week 8 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 3
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 8
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

Pastor Jim continues exploring Matthew chapter 3 and the “The John the Baptist Experience” by focusing on the New Testament’s
consistent theme of true and deep repentance. (Notes used during the live Bible study can be downloaded
here.)

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 2; Week 7 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 2
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 7
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

As we consider the “John the Baptist Experience,” it is important to understand
the prophecies about John in Isaiah and Malachi. Pastor Jim Kerwin continues a multi-week
Bible study on John the Baptist as he continues teaching through the Gospel of Matthew.
(Notes used during the live Bible study can be
downloaded here.)

Finest of the Wheat: Audio: The “John the Baptist Experience” (Part 1; Week 6 of Study in Matthew) (by Jim Kerwin)

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series Bible Study In The Gospel Of Matthew (audio)

The “John the Baptist Experience,” Part 1
In-Depth Bible Study
in the Gospel of Matthew, Week 6
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

Why did John the Baptist need to prepare the way for Jesus and His ministry? And if a
“John the Baptist experience” had to precede Jesus’ first coming, is such an
experience necessary before He can return a second time? Before He can truly come to an
individual? A church? The Church? Pastor Jim Kerwin looks at all
of these questions in the first part of a multi-week series in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter
3. (Notes used during the live Bible study can be
downloaded here.)

Seven Words from the Cross: Jim Kerwin

by Jim Kerwin on October 13, 2015

Seven Words from the Cross
an Audio Bible-Teaching Message
by
Jim Kerwin

A careful reading of the Crucifixion accounts in all four Gospel accounts reveals that Jesus
spoke from the Cross seven times. What were those words and why are they significant to us as
Christians? Jim Kerwin introduces those brief, poignant, revealing utterances of the dying Savior.