People

Editor: David Maas
{IDENTITY AND MISSION}

[Click on the title below to open an article]

  1. One People - {PDF Copy} - (By his Death and Resurrection, Jesus formed one covenant community - One New Man - based on faith in him, not ethnicity or nationality – Ephesians 2:11-22)
  2. City of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (New Jerusalem will be populated fulfilling the covenant promises to bless all nations in Abraham – Revelation 21:24-22:5)
  3. You all are Sons - {PDF copy} - (Returning to the custodianship of the Law would mean rebuilding the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles)
  4. Ekklésia - The Assembly of God - (The Christian use of the term church or ekklésia is derived from the assembly of Yahweh gathered for worship in the Hebrew Bible) - {PDF Copy}
  5. Arrival of the Spirit - {PDF Copy} - (On the day of Pentecost, the time of fulfillment dawned when Jesus bestowed the Gift of the Spirit on his assembled saints – Acts 2:1-4)
  6. An End Time People - {PDF Copy} - (The church is the battlefield where the final war is waged between the Lamb and the “Ancient Serpent,” Satan)
  7. Kingdom of Priests - {PDF Copy} - (Disciples reign with Jesus as priests who render service in his Tabernacle and mediate his light and Word in the World)
  8. Kingdom Slaves - {PDF Copy} - (To be a citizen of the kingdom of God requires a life of self-sacrificial service for others, not power over them – Mark 10:35-45)
  9. Sanctuary of God - {PDF Copy} - (The New Testament applies Temple language and imagery from the Hebrew Bible to the Body of Christ, the true Sanctuary of God)
  10. The Mission - {PDF Copy} - (The mission of the church between now and Christ’s return is to announce the Good News of his Kingdom to all nations – Matthew 24:14)
  11. Spirit and Mission - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus dispenses the gift of the Spirit to his people, and it empowers them to carry out gospel proclamation to all nations)
  12. Salvation For The Nations - {PDF Copy} - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)
  13. Inheritance of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (Believers are the heirs of Abraham, and the possession of their inheritance is secured by possession of the Gift of the Spirit)
  14. Covenant Heirs - {PDF Copy} - (With the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the blessings for all nations promised to Abraham commenced)
  15. Coheirs with Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The covenant with Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus, his seed and heir, including the promise of land – Romans 8:1-23)
  16. The Message - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every inhabited corner of the Earth)
  17. Both Jews and Gentiles - (The equality of Jews and Gentiles before an impartial and just God is pivotal to Paul’s Gospel. They stand or fall before Him on the same basis) - {PDF Copy}
  18. Kings and Nations - {PDF Copy} - (The promise to bless all nations in Abraham culminates in the vast multitude of the Redeemed that will inhabit New Jerusalem)

{FOLLOWING HIM}
  1. His Path - (Jesus proclaimed a new political reality, the Kingdom of God, and it bears little resemblance to the political regimes and ideologies of the world) - {PDF Copy}
  2. Fulfilling the Law - {PDF Copy} - (Mercy and love are defining characteristics of his disciples and reflect the true nature of his Father – Matthew 5:43-48)
  3. The Road to Calvary - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained what it meant to be the Messiah and the destiny of the suffering Son of Man - Mark 8:27-38) -  {PDF Copy}
  4. Imitating Jesus - {PDF Copy} - (The submission of Jesus to an unjust death is the pattern for the love and service to others that disciples are called to imitate)
  5. Revealed on the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (Unrecognized as the Savior of the World and Messiah of Israel, Jesus was rejected by all but the unlikeliest of men)
  6. Cost of Discipleship - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus means taking up the cross and following in his footsteps, even if it results in impoverishment or death - Mark 6:7-30)
  7. Mercy and Enemies - {PDF Copy} - (When Christians react in kind to hostility, whether from government, society, or individuals, Satan triumphs)
  8. Afflicted Disciples - {PDF Copy} - (The disciple who faithfully bears witness to the Gospel and Jesus will endure tribulation and persecution for his sake)
  9. Ransom for Many - {PDF Copy} - (His disciple is called to engage in self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:35-45)
  10. Embracing the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah entailed suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow his example – Mark 8:31)
  11. Leap for Joy! - {PDF Copy} - (The followers of Jesus are called to rejoice when they are found worthy to suffer for him and his Gospel)
  12. The Way of the Cross - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes requires a life of self-denial and mercy and sacrificial service to help others – Matthew 20:20-28) 
  13. His Righteous Kingdom - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus proclaimed a unique political reality, the Kingdom of God. It differs radically from the governments and ideologies of this age)

{APOSTOLIC TRADITION}
  1. New Testament Language - {PDF Copy} - (Was the New Testament originally composed in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Overwhelmingly, the evidence points to the first option)
  2. His Absolute Authority - {PDF Copy} - (At the end of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus claimed absolute authority for his words. Disciples who ignore them risk his rejection – Matthew 7:21-28)
  3. Literal vs Nonliteral - {PDF Copy} - (The Book of Revelation informs the reader from the start that it communicates visually and symbolically)
  4. Provided Interpretations - {PDF Copy} - (Revelation communicates symbolically, and it provides the reader with many of the most important interpretations of its images)
  5. His Mysteries Revealed - {PDF Copy} - (God’s previously hidden mysteries are now revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, and especially so in his death and resurrection)
  6. Unsealing the Scroll - {PDF Copy} - (Daniel was commanded to seal the Scroll, but the angel sent by Jesus commanded John NOT to do so since the season is now – Revelation 22:10)
Bible Study - Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
[Bible Study - Photo by Ben White on Unsplash]


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