Scripture Engagement

In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul mentions the dividing wall of hostility, that is the wall that used to divide Jews and Gentiles: 'Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and pe...

'The book of Romans wasn't written by Luther. The book of Romans wasn't even written by Calvin. The book of Romans was written by Paul, and Paul was a Jew, and we Jews, don't like Gentiles!' Martin Goldsmith, All Nations Christian College, 1991-92. We are so used to reading Romans through the eyes of Luther and Calvin that we forget that the reason it was written was quite different from the issues those venerable theologians faced. The problem, from a Jewish perspective, is that the Gentiles were considered to be so impure as to be beyond the bounds of God's saving grace. They were the uncircumcised, sexually immoral, idolatrous, unclean people who couldn't possibly by part of God's saving plan. But God's plan did include them (Gen 12:1-3), and Isaiah, amongst others, prophesied that 'all nations' would be included in temple worship (Isa 56:6-8). In this he was correct. Jesus' resurrection and ascension changed everything. No longer was ...

I had a chat with Graham Tomlin one time at New Wine after a seminar he led, and he really helped me regarding the New Testament teaching about predestination. His comment was this: that we are chosen in Christ . So what does that actually mean? In the Old Testament Israel was God's chosen people. You were saved in Israel   e.g. from the last and worst plague in Egypt, as long as your family had slaughtered a lamb and smeared the door jambs and lintel with its blood. As followers of Jesus we are saved in Christ . This is an eternal salvation. This means we are part of God's chosen people, which consists of those who are in Christ. We (as a whole) are predestined to be saved in Christ. Read Ephesians . Two groups are in focus, Jews and gentiles. Those who follow Jesus from either background are saved by grace. Our salvation has been won by Jesus the Messiah/Christ (Christ is the Greek for Messiah). This means it is Jesus who is the chosen one, first and foremost. Tha...