WHY DID CHRIST APPEAR TO SAUL OF TARSUS By: Randy Kea Why did Jesus appear to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1-22? There are several vital lessons that we can learn from the three accounts of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9, 22, 26). Remember, Luke records his conversion in Acts 9 and Saul (Paul) presents these facts in his own preaching later in Acts 22 and 26. Please note these crucial points: 1) A person can be genuine, sincere, honest, and conscientious and yet be religiously wrong. ...
Category: Salvation
Book of Ephesians
BOOK OF EPHESIANS By: Randy Kea The book of Ephesians is an essay on the New Testament church. As you study this remarkable epistle of Paul, three fundamental facts emerge concerning the church. First, the church is singular in number. In Ephesians 4:4, Paul says in no uncertain terms, “There is one body.” In Chapter One, he has already established the fact that the “church” and the “body” are the same: “. . . the church, which is His body . . .” (Ephesians 1:22-23) Secondly, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians clearly teaches that Jesus...
Why Did Jesus Die on the Cross?
WHY DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS? By: Randy Kea Why exactly did Jesus die on the cross? There are several scriptural reasons: First, we note that it was God’s plan for Jesus to die on the cross. In fact, it was a matter of Old Testament prophecy (Matthew 27:35; Isaiah 53: Luke 24:44-47). Jesus himself foretold of His own death time and time again (Matthew 16;21; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; Luke 9:22; 18:31-33). Jesus died on the cross to abolish the Old Testament Law (Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:14-16). We now live and...
The Conversion of Cornelius
THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS By: Randy Kea The conversion of Cornelius and his house is recorded in Acts 10. Peter relates the account to his Jewish brethren again “by order” (Acts 11:4) in Acts 11:1-18. Later in Jerusalem, Peter alludes to these events again (Acts 15:7-11). The case of Cornelius is special and unique. Nothing like it had ever happened before or since. Please study carefully the following points: Cornelius was a good man, but he was a Gentile and needed to hear the Gospel (Acts 10:1-2, 28; 11:14-18). Until this case, the apostles...
Repentance
REPENTANCE By: Randy Kea What does repentance mean? In the Old Testament there are two words for repentance ~ “to grieve” in Genesis 6:6 and “to change” in Ezekiel 14:6. In the New Testament there are two words as well ~ “regret” in Matthew 27:3-4 and “to change” in Acts 17:30. Repentance does not simply mean regret or sorrow. It does mean, simply, to stop doing what is wrong. It does mean to simply start doing what is right. It is more than just going forward at an invitation song. It is not merely being...
New Life in Christ
NEW LIFE IN CHRIST By: Randy Kea In II Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” Please consider the following analysis of this verse. “Therefore if” – This phrase sets forth the conditional nature of gaining and maintaining a right relationship with God. The word “if” is found throughout the New Testament denoting the fact that salvation is conditional. For instance, in John 8:31, the Lord said, “If ye continue in my...
New Testament Salvation
NEW TESTAMENT SALVATION By: Randy Kea Please consider some fundamental facts about New Testament salvation: 1. Every accountable person is lost because of sin: “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23), “all the world is guilty (Romans 3:19). “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15), “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The word death means separation in the Bible. The body separated from the spirit is “dead”...