Romans 3
v21. As a matter of fact, not that it is different from the Law in that sense, but the very Law itself witnessed, along with the prophets that there was to come another form of righteousness which the Law could not give mankind. The Law then is not in opposition to God. God�…
Romans 1-5: A Paraphrase by Brother John Martin (4) Read More »
The Scriptures never cease to amaze us, and sometimes Yahweh speaks as powerfully by what He has chosen to exclude from the record, as by what He includes. This is especially true of the books of Chronicles, a record of the ‘acts left out’.
As the Chronicler shifts his focus from the genealo…
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Romans 3
v1. Having said that then, you may ask me, “Well, do we have any advantage at all in being Jews? Are we to cancel out all the privileges that the Old Testament says that we have?”
v2. No, I believe you do have advantages. But those advantages are a great responsibility because th…
Romans 1–5: A Paraphrase By Brother John Martin (3) Read More »
Sojourning in Moab
In the previous article, we saw how the opening phrase, “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled,” powerfully sets the scene for the book of Ruth. The horrific events that happened in Bethlehem in the book of Judges stand as a striking contrast to examples of…
It is true to say that the books of Chronicles contain many names; however, those names, inserted by Ezra through the Spirit, are merely a sample of the millions of names that existed in the nation of Israel throughout time. The genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1–9 were not intended to be a successive…
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Romans 2
v1-2. But what of the Jew, who stands in judgment as he looks on the rest of the world? One who thinks he is, by race, above the Gentiles, whose attitude may be expressed thus: “Yes, this is true of the Gentile world, but I am thankful that I am not like other men”. He has forgotten…
Romans 1–5: A Paraphrase by Brother John Martin (2) Read More »
Five women are mentioned in the royal genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 1. Four of these women are specifically named, three are Gentiles (Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth), two likely were alive at the same time (Rahab and Ruth), and one has an Old Testament book bearing her name.
Ruth’s mention i…
Introduction and Context Read More »
Our introductory article explained the purpose of the book of Chronicles. This is identified by the Septuagint title for the book, “the acts left out”, alerting us to the fact that it is a selective history. By the omission of some details and the insertion of others not found in the book of Ki…
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At first glance, the books of Chronicles appear to be merely a long series of unpronounceable names with no purpose or design. As we arrive at these books annually in our readings we may struggle to find the reason for their inclusion in Holy Writ. We might feel tempted to disregard this portio…
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Romans 1
v1. Paul, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle…that I may be a manifestation of Christ to demonstrate the good news that God has entered into the affairs of humankind. He promised to do this out of necessity because man could not extricate himself from the sin in which…
Romans 1-5: A Paraphrase by Brother John Martin (1) Read More »
