Thoughts for the Day

Woe to you teachers of the law and pharisees, you hypocrites!      Matthew 23:23 We might be a bit surprised at Jesus’ forthrightness here, but it’s not one of those “Did God really say?” moments.  I don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone who got upset at the Pharisees getting a dressing down!  Perhaps we might…

Flee from sexual immorality.                                                 1 Corinthians 6:18 Reading through yesterday’s blog – which was essentially scene-setting – I’m struck again by the fact that the Council of Jerusalem singled out abstaining from sexual immorality in their instructions to the new Gentile converts and by the stark contrast between the biblical view of sexual morality and…

Out of the heart come evil thoughts – … sexual immorality ..                       Matthew 15:19 I said I would come back to the matter of sexual immorality.  So, with the promised level of trepidation, here we are for a couple of days. It may seem curious that the judgment of the Council of Jerusalem singled out…

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’           Matthew 5:27 After Jesus’ breath-taking extension of the command ‘You shall not murder’, I wonder what the crowd might have anticipated on the matter of adultery – perhaps a detailed update of all acceptable or unacceptable sexual practices. That would certainly have…

You have heard that it was said to the people long ago …    Matthew 5:21 Jesus immediately moves from the general comments we considered yesterday to teach about specific moral laws.  “You have heard it said to people long ago….” What a disarming opening to a radical re-interpretation of one of the ten commandments, the…

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law … ?            Matthew 5:17 I have not yet finished with the Council of Jerusalem and promise to return, with some trepidation, to the matter of sexual immorality!  But today I simply repeat that surely Jesus’ teaching was being preached to Jew and Gentile alike. …

Avoid food sacrificed to idols …                                             Acts 15:39 I said previously I would return to the judgement of the Council of Jerusalem because it was so relevant to us today.  If food sacrificed to idols doesn’t sound that relevant, please bear with me! Paul wrote to the church in Corinth on just this topic in…

We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles …                Acts 15:19 It must have been natural for Jews who decided to follow Jesus to continue following Jewish rules and practices unless they were clearly contrary to Jesus’ teaching.  Likewise, it must have been natural for Gentiles (non-Jews) only to adapt their rules and practices…

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.                      John 14:23 I’ve been focussing on how Jesus tells us to respond to God’s love by displaying love to the world around us – to neighbours, enemies and one another.  But what about responding to God’s love by loving Him back?  Jesus himself said that the…