Knowing Christianity

I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians. 2:2) The recipients of these words were the members of the Corinthian church. They had become divided into competing factions, with some declaring, “I am of Paul,” and others, “I am of Apollos.” Such sectarianism, though addressed in the first century, remains a persistent danger within the church, even in contemporary postmodern contexts. Tragically, similar divisions continue to surface in many churches today, often because believers lose sight of a foundational truth: ultimate allegiance belongs not to human leaders but to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He is the author and finisher of our faith, the One who purchased the church with His own blood, bore the penalty of sin, and accomplished redemption and reconciliation with God. Accordingly, the church bears a serious and ongoing responsibility to safeguard the integrity of its life and witness. This includes mai...

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.   (Romans 8:28)   The promise of Romans 8:28 has been a source of deep comfort to Christians for centuries. Our focus today is on the opening phrase of that promise: We know . Scripture provides abundant evidence that this confidence is well‑founded. Through his own experience, Paul affirmed that in every ci rcumstance of life, God is actively at work for the good of those who love Him. The same God who shaped Paul’s life had a clear objective for him—to conform him increasingly to the image of Jesus Christ. Paul learned this truth, and we can learn it as well, through several avenues: Sickness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10) …Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it wou...