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  The Passion and Death of Jesus on the Cross   Luke 3:16 states: "John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'" Baptism by water symbolizes death. Jesus Himself received water baptism from John the Baptist, which foreshadowed His death on the cross. Jesus bestows the baptism of fire and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of fire is akin to the burning of the "old self" — much like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah — and serves as a form of refining fire for those who have strayed in their faith. The baptism of the Holy Spirit imparts a spiritual, resurrected life, leading to a new birth. After His baptism, Jesus spent three years in public ministry, ultimately bearing the cross to fulfill the will of God. His death on the cross was a death to sin and to the "body of sin....

  (3) Salvation Works Only When One Drinks the Blood of the Lamb and Eats Its Flesh   No one living in this world would think that they can live forever. While advancements in biotechnology may allow us to extend life, eternal life is something we cannot dream of. In other words, the fact is that humans must inevitably die someday. This is a fact known to everyone, whether they believe in God or not. Believers in the theory of evolution believe that the emergence of humans began with microorganisms and that they diverged from apes that were somewhere between monkeys and humans. They also believe that humans will continue to evolve in the future. However, those who believe in God know that God created humans. Yet, there may be some who wonder why God did not create humans to live forever. They hold the belief that God created the Garden of Eden where people could have lived forever, but because Adam and Eve sinned, they were expelled from the Garden of Eden and came to ...

  As it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord."   Luke 2:21 – 24: "And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, 'a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.'" The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, as recorded in Luke 1:31, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." Thus, on the eighth day, when the circumcision took place, Mary named Him Jesus. The rite of circumcision carries two ...

  The Coworkers of the Apostle Paul   Colossians 4:10 – 11: "Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions — if he comes to you, welcome him). Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only ones among the circumcised who are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me." Aristarchus heard the gospel and came to believe in Jesus while Paul was preaching in Macedonia; he joined Paul immediately thereafter. Although Paul ’ s missionary journeys were a continuous series of arduous and intense hardships, Aristarchus remained a faithful coworker, never once leaving Paul ’ s side from the moment he joined him. The "circumcised" refers to those of the circumcision party — legalists. Among these legalists, however, there were some who grasped the gospel and held fast to the faith; one such person was Jesus, who is cal...

  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.   Colossians 4:1 – 2: "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master (*hoi kyrioi*) in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer (*t ē proseuch ē *); keep alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." *Hoi kyrioi* refers to Christian masters. It means that masters should treat their slaves with justice and fairness in Christ. Colossians 4:1 is linked to 3:25; its placement in Chapter 4 is somewhat disconnected from the immediate flow of the text. *T ē proseuch ē * refers to the act of approaching God — who sits upon the throne and is present within the believer's spirit — to pray (specifically, contemplative prayer). Generally, prayer in other religions is termed *euch ē *; it is petitionary in nature, focused on the supplicant asking for the fulfillment of their own desires. In contrast, Christian prayer is called *proseuch ē *, formed by adding the prefix *pros-* to *euch ...