Letters to the Church

Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the role of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ described in the  Book of Isaiah . Unlike Adam, he did not attempt to grasp the “ likeness of God .” Instead, he humbled himself and submitted to a shameful death on the Roman cross. For this reason, God highly exalted him and made him “ Lord ” over all things. His exaltation did not precede his death – His enthronement followed it, and he died utterly alone.

Paul is adamant. “ In Jesus ,” no longer can there be “ Jew or Gentile .” The old distinctions are wholly inappropriate for the One People of God. By his shed blood, he “ dismantled the middle wall of partition ” that separated Jews and Gentiles so “ he might reconcile them both in one body for God through the Cross .” In him, God is building Jews and Gentiles into one building, one habitation of God “ in the Spirit .”

In Romans , Paul presents his most detailed explanation of the “ Good News of God ,” a message centered on His Son, Jesus Christ. He was dealing with conflicts between Gentile and Jewish believers in the Assembly of Rome and preparing the ground for taking the Gospel to the western regions of the Roman Empire. In the process of doing so, he addressed several related topics, including death, redemption, the Law, resurrection, and the New Creation.

In the opening thanksgiving of his Letter to the Philippians , Paul prepares his readers for one of its key themes: Going on to perfection in Jesus . The promised bodily resurrection is necessary for the consummation of this process - It is an integral part of the future salvation that believers will receive when Jesus appears “ on the clouds of Heaven .” What God began in the Philippians at their conversion He will continue to perform until that day, “ the Day of Christ .”

The  Gospel of Matthew  begins by declaring that Jesus is the “ son of Abraham .” This is more than a genealogical notation. It sets the stage for the theme of fulfillment in this gospel account. The lowly man from Nazareth is the Messiah and King of Israel, the promised “ Seed ” of the Patriarch. In him, all the covenant promises find their fulfillment. He is the true Seed of Abraham, the heir of the covenant promises, and the receipt of the inheritance is based on faith in him.