We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

In the cross we find a perfect reconciling of God’s blazing holiness, holy justice, incomprehensible wisdom, omnipotent power and unfathomable love.
Bob Kauflin

Canon of the New Testament: 1. Early Christian writings gradually collected. Gospels. Paul’s writings (2 Peter 3:16). 2. Marcion, Gnostic heretic (139 A.D.) determined list of writings. Rejected O.T., revised Luke’s gospel, ten Pauline epistles. Restricted list. 3. Montanus claimed divine revelation. Expanded list. 4. Church responded to these attempts to expand or restrict. 5. Irenaeus, 180 A.D. cites 22 writings as acceptable: 4 gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1, 2 John and Revelation. 6. Muratorian list - named after Italian Muratori (1740) who discovered such. Fragment dated late 2nd to 4th century. 22 books plus Apocalypse of Peter. Hebrews, 1,2 Peter, 3 John and James omitted. 7. Tertullian (150-230) – 22 books accepted: 4 gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1 John, Jude, Revelation. 8. Origen (185-255). Three categories of writings: a. Acknowledged: 4 gospels, 13 Pauline epistles, 1 Peter, 1 John, Acts, Revelation. b. Disputed: 2 Peter, 2, 3 John, Hebrews, James and Jude; also Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermas, Didache. c. Heretical: Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, etc. 9. Eusebius (260-340). a. Acknowledged: 4 gospels, 14 Pauline epistles (Hebrews included), I Peter, I John, Acts. b. Disputed: James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2, 3 John, Revelation. Spurious: Shepherd of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache, Acts of Paul. c. Heretical: Gospel of Thomas, Peter, Acts of Andrew etc. 10. Codex Sinaiticus (4th century). 27 books plus Epistle of Barnabas and Shepherd of Hermas. 11. Council of Laodicea (363) - 26 books. Revelation omitted. 12. Athanasius (367) - first time list includes the 27 books of present N.T. 13. Jerome's Vulgate included 27 books of N.T. 14. Augustine (397), 3rd Council of Carthage, accepted 27 books of N.T.
James Fowler

Bible Reading: DEC02: I Cor. 14-16

In chapter 15, Paul declares the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. What is this Gospel? It is the power by
which man is saved. The Gospel itself is that Christ
died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and was
buried and rose again on the third day. The word Gospel
means “good news.” What better news could be brought to
mankind than that Christ died for the sins of the world,
that He conquered death, hell and the grave, and is now
seated at the right hand of the Father making
intercession for His own?

In this chapter Paul also deals with the
resurrection of Christ. We must remember that the Greeks
did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. When
Paul preached the resurrection at Athens, some of the
people actually laughed at him (Acts 17:32).

The Greek philosophers taught that the body was
the prison of the soul, and that the sooner the soul was
set free in death, the better off the man would be. They
looked upon the human body as a source of weakness and
wickedness. They could not conceive of wanting to dwell
in that body after death. Paul gives several proofs of
the resurrection of believers in verses 1-34. He gives
historical proof (verses 1-11); personal proof (verses
12-19); doctrinal proof (verses 20-28); and practical
proof (verses 29-34).

In verses 35-49 Paul explains the process of the
believer’s resurrection. He then deals with the second
coming of Christ (verses 50-58) and what it means to
both the living and the dead. “We shall not all sleep,”
Paul says. The saints who are alive when Christ returns
will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. “But we
shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye.” The Christians who have already died will be
called forth out of the grave. This mystery concerns the
Rapture of the church. When Christ returns, the dead
shall be raised first; the living will then be caught up
with them, and all will be changed to be like Christ.
Hallelujah what a Saviour!