Ephesians 4:11-12 KJV
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
[12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
If we read chapters instead of verses from the apostle Paul his teachings and come to light and we see both grace d truth working together
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Colossians 3:5-17 KJV
larger sections of the epistles cancel the confusion that arises when we not see one verse at a time
We should read the New Testament like lesson book designed by God meant for us to hear and learn from and let in the teachings and information given to us who accept Christ presented to all mankind in the gospel.
i feel like a lot of Christian’s think the Bible is thousands of seperate individual verses earth chi meant for us to interpret one by one and get a message out of every sentance but really it’s like any other book meant to tesch the Hearer the information that’s being conveyed in the Bible’s case “ what God has actually said and wants mankind to know and believe “
If we want to understand the Bible we have to see it as a book tha the not mysterious but is made plain for us to believe
perfect example is this isn’t hard to understand it’s a plain statement
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures
“and that
he was buried,
and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
It’s not a challenge to understand what’s being said , it’s a test of faith “
will you believe what all of the world says isnt possible because God said it ?”
This is faith to believe what you haven’t seen because you believe the message Jesus the Christ , who lived and died and rose two thousand years ago and then went to heaven and one day will return from heaven
and we Christian’s
believe the gospel that says it happened even though we can’t see or prove it tangibly we believe what we heard out Jesus in the scripture
It’s the only way that we can really believe what the scripture says about Jesus is to hear it especially what Jesus himself said when he walked among us
“So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God.”
Romans 10:17 KJV
Faith comes because we hear things like this in the gospel and believe
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 KJV
if I hear what Jesus said and believe it it’s going to make faith start to grow I believe now because I heard “ whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life “
I hear him again and my faith is watered and grows a bit more
“
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 KJV
I hear and believe
“This only would I learn of you,
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith?”
Galatians 3:2 KJV
“He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and
worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or
by the hearing of faith?
Even as
Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Galatians 3:5-6
for abraham to believe God he had to hear what God said to him like we have to hear the gospel and believe to have faith
“And he brought him forth abroad, and
said,
Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him,
So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
Genesis 15:5-6
abraham had to hear what god said to him and believe that is the common denominator of everyone ever of faith from Moses to David to the apostles everyone of them had to hear the lords word and believe him in order to have faith every Christian has that same denominator in common later our faith is going to be tested at times in this world and we need to act by what we say we believe
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
James 2:20-24 KJV
“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 KJV
That is this for us in Christ
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16
If we say then after hearing “ baptism is a work it’s not faith “
we’ve missed the lesson and we’re looking at the Bible all wrong thinking it’s a mystic mysterious book only a few select people can grasp
It’s not it’s like a text book wrotten by God for mankind to hear , believe and be saved knowing his true words of salvation in Christ bigger chunks of scripture are self interpreting and edifying