John the Baptist was both the fulfillment of prophecy (v 3) and a prophet himself (v 11). His attire, diet and lifestyle link him to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and his words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, – “You bunch of Snakes!,”” – link him to Jesus (Matthew 23:33).
John’s call to repentance was heard and heeded by many.
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After observing Abram for another fourteen years, the Lord made a deeper, more detailed commitment by converting his covenant to an everlasting covenant and, to emphasize his promise, changing Abram’s name to Abraham. Abram means “Exalted Father” while Abraham means “Father of a Multitude.”
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The church in Rome had Christians who were Jews and Christians who were Gentiles. Naturally there would have been friction between them. The relationship between Jewish and Gentile Christians was a major issue in the New Testament church. (See Acts 15 for an account of how the issue was resolved.)
Read More baptism, law, Gentile, circumcision, Jew“Well then,” a person might reason, “I might just as well go on sinning, since God will forgive me.” I suspect that when we read these words we think what a perverse way of reasoning that is! Yes, but don’t we all do it, consciously or unconsciously? Be honest. Think of the last time you struggled with a besetting sin.
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