I love the part of John's vision where he sees an innumerable crowd of Christians shouting out glad praises to God. Here's how it goes: After these things I looked, and here was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the …
Owned by Jesus (Bridges)
Several times in the New Testament we read that God's people are "owned" by the Lord. For example, Peter writes that Christians are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people of his own..." (NET; emphasis mine). The same theme also shows up in Titus 2:14, 1 Corinthians 6:20, and a …
Invocation of Saints and Prayer to Mary?
The Roman Catholic Catechism still teaches and affirms prayer to Mary and invocation of the saints for help (see paragraphs 2675, 2676, 2683, 956, etc.). In Protestant theology, specifically in the Reformed catechisms, prayer to Mary and to the saints is said to be idolatry – a violation of the first commandment. Why or how …
“To the Saints” (What is a Saint?)
What does it mean when Paul calls God's people "saints?" (cf. Phil 1.1 - to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi [NIV]). Barth (the young [1926/7] exegete!), in his commentary on Philippians, said this. "[Saints]...describes the condition in which they find themselves on the ground of a specific mind and attitude towards them …
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