A Paraphrase by Brother John Martin (5)
Romans 4
v1. Let us go back before the Law. If we do not boast about our national distinctions, which the Law made amongst men, we certainly boast about our descent from Abraham. Look at his life.
v2. Do you think that Abraham really did any…
Introduction: The Purpose of the Kingdom Age
Some view prophecy as a spiritual sandpit where we can build, refine, or even demolish our prophetic ideas at will. It’s as if this ‘part’ of God’s Word is a plaything; somewhere we can display our own intelligence or spiritual prowess and conv…
Behold, I Make All Things New (1) Read More »
There is no doubt about God’s willingness to answer prayers, “Call upon me and I will answer” (Jer 33:3). Again, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and t…
Why Some Prayers are not Answered Read More »
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 genealog…
Chronicles – The Acts Left Out (4) Read More »
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 the…
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 …
Chronicles – The Acts Left Out (3) Read More »
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 in…
Introduction and Context Read More »
