In Romans 6, Paul asserted that Christians died to sin through faith in Christ; we are joined to Him, therefore His bodily death is our spiritual death, and His bodily resurrection is our spiritual resurrection. In Romans 7, Paul asserts the same kind of "death" about the Jews. They are joined to Christ; His bodily death is their death to the 10 Commandments, and His bodily resurrection is their resurrection to life in the Spirit. That's the subject matter of today's study.
Mar 15, 2022•33 min
If you think the Apostle Paul means "sinful nature" when he speaks of "the flesh" in Romans 7, you haven't read the first 6 chapters carefully. It's much more specific and Jewish than that. We learn what he means in today's study. If the thought of the Church fulfilling God's purposes for the Jews is new to you, Blake White's book, "God's Chosen People," provides a helpful introduction to this glorious truth. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Chosen-People-Promised-Fulfilled/dp/0...
Mar 14, 2022•37 min
God's goal for history is not to "get people saved and take them to heaven." Those who are in Christ will live in the ages on earth. We will reign over it, just as death has reigned since Adam's sin. In this study, we look at the Apostle Paul's explanation of this in Romans 5. In light of today, you may find my book, "Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place," to be helpful: https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709 To register for courses at New Covenant School of Theology...
Mar 11, 2022•36 min
Christians are "under grace," not "under law." This is great news, yet some have taken it to mean that we are free to sin. The Apostle Paul confronts that error head on in today's study.
Mar 10, 2022•37 min
The Apostle Paul declares that Christians are "dead to sin." This doesn't mean merely that we should stop doing bad things, the implications run deeper. In today's study we learn of the new status believers have and the freedom that comes with it.
Mar 09, 2022•39 min
Christians have an enemy who wants us to believe that when it comes to certain sins we can't help it. "You're going to struggle with this all of your life; you may as well just accept it," he claims. We live defeated and discouraged, giving into the same temptations over and over again. But we shouldn't because those are lies. Christians are not slaves to sin. We can overcome temptation, indeed, we must. The Apostle Paul explains why in today's study.
Mar 08, 2022•35 min
You may have been told that "flesh" means sinful nature, and that Christians still have some relation to our old, depraved, Adamic nature. But is that what the Scripture teaches? Is that what the Apostle Paul means in Romans 7 and Galatians 5? We begin to answer that question in this first study of a new series on Flesh/Spirit. To apply to New Covenant School of Theology, click this link: https://www.newcovenantschooloftheology.org/application-forms/
Mar 07, 2022•33 min
"Jesus is Lord!" It's not just a confession, it's absolute truth. As Lord, King Jesus issues commands that are to be obeyed by every man, woman, and child. As we wrap up this series, we look at what the High King commands, beginning with the call to love. Here is the book by A. Blake White I mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Jesus-Blake-White/dp/1928965601 Visit our website: https://www.crosstocrown.org Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CrossToCrown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cr...
Mar 04, 2022•37 min
God gave Israel a Law appropriate for the Levitical Priesthood they were under, but when a priesthood changes, the Law must also change (Heb. 7:11-12). Jesus is the High Priest of the New Covenant, and His law is a perfect fit. The Old Covenant Law wouldn't work for the gospel era. If you're interested in taking a class, here's the link to apply to the New Covenant School of Theology: https://www.newcovenantschooloftheology.org
Mar 03, 2022•29 min
The Law of Moses was only given to Israel, and the New Testament doesn't expressly forbid bestiality and incest, so does that mean they are no longer considered sinful? In today's study, we consider these and other questions, such as: should Christians be against the death penalty.
Mar 02, 2022•38 min
God's Law is not written on the hearts of all men, only of Christians. It's a New Covenant promise. Yet all sinners are condemned before God and, in fact, all men know they are condemned. How can that be if they don't have God's Law either written down or on their heart. That is the question we discuss in today's study. Here is a link to the book by A. Blake White I mentioned in the broadcast. It's an excellent overview of the things we have been studying: https://www.amazon.com/Law-Christ-Theol...
Mar 01, 2022•43 min
God has a standard of righteousness by which all men will be judged. But what is it and how can men learn it? Some assume that it's the 10 Commandments, but that is theological presumption, contrary to what the Scriptures teach. So then, how do we know what please and displeases God? We talk about that in today's study.
Feb 28, 2022•39 min
Jesus said He didn't come to abolish the Law. The Apostle Paul said that Jesus did come to abolish the Law. Is this a contradiction? How do we make sense of Paul's assertion? We answer these questions in today's study. If you want more information on New Covenant Theology, visit the Cross to Crown website: https://crosstocrown.org. If you would like to take a course at the New Covenant School of Theology, apply here: https://www.newcovenantschooloftheology.org. As I mentioned, the song at the be...
Feb 25, 2022•35 min
Yes and no. Today we look at the "no" part. Jesus didn't simply come to obey the Law of Moses (though He did obey it perfectly), He came to embody the righteousness revealed by the Law. That's what He meant in Matthew 5:17-20, which we look at in today's study.
Feb 24, 2022•34 min
The Apostle Paul included "teachers of the Law" with those who taught myths, speculations, and other heterodox doctrines. He said it led to fruitless discussions and distracted from the gospel. Modern teachers would do well to reexamine their view of the Law of Moses.
Feb 23, 2022•33 min
In Romans 5, Paul reveals a surprising purpose of the Law of Moses. But then, maybe it's only surprising because we tend to read the Bible from a systematic theology perspective. Also, in today's study: more Q&A and Doug challenges the purpose statements of John Piper and Westminster. Here is a brief series on the difference between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd_Cg2aOGm3TNF8_aEgQQJ2r
Feb 22, 2022•35 min
The NT doesn't view the Law of Moses as God's eternal moral standard for all men, but as His temporal moral standard for the Jews. The Apostle Paul called it a guardian given to underage Israel until she reached adulthood in Christ. Once Christ came, she is no longer under the guardian, i.e. Israel is no longer under the Law of Moses. And remember, Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses, therefore, now no one is.
Feb 21, 2022•33 min
The Apostle Paul did not interpret the Bible's teaching about the Law of Moses/10 Commandments from systematic perspective, but from an historical one. He understood its role in the drama of redemption. God's promises to Abraham were fulfilled in Christ; Moses was a supporting cast member who gave way when the leading character appeared on the scene.
Feb 16, 2022•33 min
Before Christ, God divided the world into two groups: Jews and Gentiles. What distinguished them? According to Paul it was things like adoption, promises, covenants, and glory. But the heart of the division between Jews and Gentiles was the Law of commandments, especially the 10 Commandments. They formed the core of God's unique covenant with Israel. When Paul became a Christian, he regarded himself as no longer a Jew under the Law. Did that include the 10 commandments? We talk about it in today...
Feb 15, 2022•34 min
Jesus said that He didn't come to abolish the Law of Moses (Matt. 5:17), yet most Christians don't think it's sinful to get tattoos, or to plant a field with multiple kinds of vegetables, or to eat pork—things prohibited in the Law. Why do we consider those commands abrogated in spite of what Jesus said? If your answer includes categories such as "civil, ceremonial, moral law," you are reading theology rather than studying the Bible. You won't find those divisions in the Scripture. So what do we...
Feb 14, 2022•29 min
Today, we wrap up "The Sabbath Debate" series with a Q&A.
Feb 11, 2022•37 min
The Apostle Paul charged believers in Rome to make up their own minds about whether they would observe a sabbath day or not. He would have been entirely out of line if sabbath observance was still a command of God. In other words, if God still requires sabbath-keeping, no one, including Paul, has the authority to tell people: "The choice is yours." That's the topic of today's study.
Feb 10, 2022•31 min
Christians debate about whether the Law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments, are binding on believers in the New Covenant. But we shouldn't. The question was settled early by the apostles and elders of Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul took their decision and spread it through the Gentile churches and wrote it in many of his letters, which we look at in today's study.
Feb 09, 2022•31 min
The Pharisees taught their precepts as though they were God's commands. Systematic theologians are tempted to do the same, especially when they pledge allegiance to a confession. Case in point is the arbitrary division of the OT Law into moral, civil, and ceremonial categories, with an insistence on keeping the sabbath.
Feb 08, 2022•33 min
The primary significance of the Jewish Sabbath was neither rest nor worship. God established it to remind Israel of her unique relationship with Him. To work on the seventh day was an act of utter disregard for God's special love. Today's passage puts modern day sabbatarians in an exegetical dilemma.
Feb 07, 2022•35 min
Contrary to common theological presumptions, the Sabbath was not given to Israel primarily as a day for rest and worship. God was testing the Jews to see whether they would obey Him or not. That is why Moses charges them to "Remember" the Sabbath. If they "forgot,", they would bring God's wrath on their own heads, and on their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We look at the original giving of the Sabbath in today's study.
Feb 04, 2022•36 min
Our study of the Sabbath must begin in Genesis. In this video, we see that in the beginning the focus was on God's rest, not man's. And the ultimate purpose for the seventh day transcends the Jewish Sabbath observance.
Feb 03, 2022•29 min
For many Christians, Sunday is a day or rest and worship, and is rightly referred to as the "Christian Sabbath." For others, "Sabbath" is a Jewish term no longer applicable to God's people. And then there are the questions of whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday, what should be done on the Sabbath, and what is forbidden on the Sabbath. In this series, we examine the Scripture's teaching on the Sabbath and come to conclusions about those questions.
Feb 02, 2022•37 min
It sounds almost cliche when missionaries refer to supporters as "partners." And missionaries usually feel compelled to say something like, "Even if you can't give, please pray, which is more important than money." That's true, of course, to a degree, but Christians must never downplay the significance of giving to Kingdom work. God doesn't downplay it at all. In fact, He tracks it and rewards it.
Feb 01, 2022•29 min
God does not want us to live in a victim mindset. The government wants you to feel oppressed, so that you will turn to it for provision and protection, but God wants you to live with a different perspective. The Apostle Paul—who knew real oppression and injustice—learned that perspective. He will teach you in today's study. Here is a sermon series from 2020 that you may find helpful for thinking through social justice, racism, government, and other current cultural issues: https://www.youtube.co...
Jan 31, 2022•35 min
