Acts 15 records a decisive moment in the early Church—not because doctrine changed, but because God’s actions forced clarity. The Jerusalem Council was not debating abstract theories of salvation. The question was far more concrete: Must Gentiles take on Jewish covenant identity in order to belong to the Spirit-filled people of God? Within first-century Judaism, belonging followed clear categories. Jews were born into the covenant….
Story Tag: HolySpirit
Article 3: The Spirit as the Beginning of Salvation — Why Circumcision Was Never the Gateway truthsum.org
TS Writer
3 weeks ago in Plan of Salvation
Before continuing, it’s worth explaining the deliberate pace of this series. Many assumptions modern Christians bring to Paul’s letters were not formed directly from Scripture, but from generations of layered explanations, inherited frameworks, and well-intentioned yet flawed teaching. Over time, these ideas shape how the text is read automatically, often without being questioned. What should be a fairly understandable subject has been made unnecessarily complex….
What Is Spirit? – Steve Moody lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
1 year ago in Holy Spirit
The Bible presents God as a spirit (John 4:24), and angels are also spirits (Hebrews 1:13-14), suggesting that the entire spirit realm is composed of spirit, unlike the material world, which is made up of matter. This means that everything associated with God’s presence—including His throne (Ezekiel 10:1) and the heavenly sanctuary represented by the mercy seat on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17,…
Pentecost, the Spiritual Connection – Brian Orchard leadingtolife.org
Ryan Welsh
2 years ago in The Church
There are many lessons we can learn from God’s relationship with ancient Israel. By covenant, they became a called-out people destined to live by God’s law, with God dwelling among them (Exodus 25:8-9). However, this relationship was external. Israel did not have internal access to God’s Spirit; this changed with Christ’s sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14-15). Through Christ, the new covenant involves God’s Spirit dwelling within believers,…
The Sermon That Launched the Church – Joel Meeker lifehopeandtruth.com
Ryan Welsh
2 years ago in Pentecost
It was the morning of Pentecost, and Jerusalem buzzed with curiosity. Seven weeks had passed since Jesus’ crucifixion, dashing hopes that He was the Messiah. Stories of His resurrection circulated, but the disciples, who had seen Him alive, had no doubts. He had instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8). On Pentecost, as the disciples gathered, a…