Bible Study - Happy New Year - Discover as we Journey - January 4, 2026
Bible Study – Happy New
Year – 2026 - Blessings - January 4, 2026
We considered “New
Beginnings” in last week’s study.
What better time to ask
GOD to reveal truth than over this coming year. We seek to know and discover
truth as we walk with GOD through our faith in JESUS. Let’s explore!!!
We look around at planet
earth. Humans and earth are unique, as we live upon earth that contains all we
need to survive as humans. GOD has provided all the human, animal, and vegetative
worlds needed for all to exist.
We live in an age of the
dawning of AI (artificial intelligence) and self-driving autos.
Our last week’s study
was entitled “New Beginnings.”
JESUS led a lady, caught
committing adultery, to express her faith in HIM by calling JESUS “LORD.” When
we read John 8:10-11:
10 When Jesus stood up, he said to
her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, Lord,”[a] she answered.
“Neither do
I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin
anymore.”]
11 “No one, Lord,”[a] she answered.
WOW!!!
Notice what this dear lady said, “No one LORD!!!”
What do we
read in 1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore, I
want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of
God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say,
“Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
This lady
caught committing a sin which would, by the Law, mean her death, yet JESUS told
her to go and sin no more.
JESUS gave
this lady a new beginning.
Salvation is
not complicated. It is all about a person’s heart or the core of a person’s
being, where truth lives and resides.
GOD knows a
person’s heart or the very core of his/her being.
There are
many who have just uttered “LORD, I give up!!!” and became Spirit Born
Christians. Notice: “LORD, I give up.”
Salvation is
personal. It is not the words you say or how you say them that makes you a Spirit born Christian. It is all about your heart. You must acknowledge that you
are a sinner and ask JESUS to forgive you and ask HIM to come into your heart.
It is all
about a person’s innermost being or his/her heart, the core where truth
resides.
The instant the lady in
our scripture uttered the words “11 “No one, Lord,”[a] she answered”, JESUS saw her innermost
being/her heart. There was no deceit, she did not try to explain away her sin
or sins. She stood in the presence of JESUS WHO knew her true heart and when
she expressed “No one, Lord,” it was her expression of faith in JESUS.
So, what
took place in this lady’s life, was quicker than the twinkle of the eye?
2
Corinthians 5:17 (Christian Standard Bible)
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation; the old has passed away,
and see, the new has come!
All who
place their faith in JESUS begin immediately to build upon the solid foundation
or the cornerstone laid by GOD’S only SON, JESUS. JESUS willingly came to earth
to live a 100% human, sinless life, yet tempted as all humans are tempted.
JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless human life upon the cross, by shedding HIS
sinless blood, trusting HIS FATHER, GOD, to raise HIM from the physically dead
to eternal life. JESUS revealed himself to many upon earth and bodily ascended
into Heaven and took HIS seat at the right hand of GOD, HIS FATHER, to be the advocate
for all who place their faith in JESUS.
Why do we as
Spirit-born Christians need an advocate?
Simply, we
as Spirit-born children of GOD, will sin and we need an advocate. Why? Satan
watches all Christians’ every move. The instant any Spirit born Christian sins,
Satan accuses him or her before GOD.
JESUS steps
in as the “born-again” person’s advocate/Lawyer and defends that person in the
Heavenly court.
How can that
be? It is the sinless life of JESUS, HIS shed blood, physical death, HIS bodily
resurrection, bodily ascension into Heaven and took HIS seat at the right-hand
of GOD to be the counselor or advocate for all “Born-again”/” Spirit-born” Christians.
Does this mean
that “Spirit-born” Christians are free to sin? NO!!!
But all
“Spirit-born” Christians sin and Satan is their accuser, but JESUS intercedes
in a Christian’s behalf as we read in 1 John 2:1 ---
1 John 2:1 Christian
Standard Bible
2 My
little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if
anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the
righteous one.
For JESUS to
be a person’s advocate, a person must place his/her faith in JESUS and HIS physical
life upon earth through HIS physical birth by HIS mother, Mary, and HIS life
upon earth before HIS physical death upon the cross, HIS burial, resurrection
from physical death by GOD, HIS walk upon earth for 40 days after HIS
resurrection, witnessed by
1
Corinthians 15: 1-58:
15 Now
I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to
you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and
by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to
you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to
you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then
to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred
brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some
have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then
to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the
wrong time,[a] he also appeared to me (Saul/Paul).
(Saul/Paul’s
conversion is recorded in Acts 9)
Continue reading
1 Corinthains 15:9-58:
9 For I am the least of the apostles, not
worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of
God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his
grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of
them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether,
then, it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.
Resurrection
Essential to the Faith.
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from
the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the
dead”? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then
not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not
been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.[b] 15 Moreover, we are found to be
false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about
God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are
not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even
Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been
raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Those,
then, who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 19 If
we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more
than anyone.
Christ’s
Resurrection Guarantees Ours
20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the
dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For
since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also
comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so
also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the
firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then
comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when
he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For
he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The
last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God
has put everything under his feet.[c] Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it
is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When
everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject
to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Resurrection
Supported by Christian Experience
29 Otherwise what will they do who are being
baptized for the dead?[d] If the dead are not raised at all, then why are
people baptized for them?[e] 30 Why are we in danger every
hour? 31 I face death every day, as surely as I may
boast about you, brothers, and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If
I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do
me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we
die.[f] 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company
corrupts good morals.” 34 Come to your senses[g] and stop sinning; for some people are ignorant
about God. I say this to your shame.
The Nature
of the Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead
raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” 36 You
fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And
as for what you sow—you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed,
perhaps of wheat or another grain. 38 But God gives it
a body as he wants, and to each of the seeds its own body. 39 Not
all flesh is the same flesh; there is one flesh for humans, another for
animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There
are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of the heavenly
bodies is different from that of the earthly ones. 41 There
is a splendor of the sun, another of the moon, and another of the stars; in
fact, one star differs from another star in splendor. 42 So
it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in
incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in
glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a
natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is
also a spiritual body. 45 So it is
written, The first man Adam became a living being;[h] the last Adam (JESUS) became a
life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not
first, but the natural, then the spiritual.
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of
dust; the second man (JESUS) is[i] from heaven. 48 Like
the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; like the man of heaven (JESUS),
so are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have
borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man
of heaven (JESUS).
Victorious
Resurrection
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is
this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can
corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Listen, I am telling
you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet
will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be
changed. 53 For this corruptible body must be
clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed
with immortality. 54 When this corruptible body is clothed
with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then
the saying that is written will take place:
Death has
been swallowed up in victory.[j]
55 Where, death, is your victory?
Where, death, is your sting?[k]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of
sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be
steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you
know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Trust and
obey in JESUS THE CHRIST!!! Victory over death is faith in JESUS. Ask Jesus to
forgive you for all of your sins and ask JESUS to come into your heart and
experience the miracle of Spiritual Birth or being Born-again Spiritually –
Blessings!!!
Footnotes
- 15:8 Or one whose birth
was unusual
- 15:14 Or proclamation is
useless, and your faith also is useless, or proclamation is
empty, and your faith also is empty
- 15:27 Ps 8:6; 110:1
- 15:29 Or baptized on
account of the dead
- 15:29 Other mss read for
the dead
- 15:32 Is 22:13
- 15:34 Lit Sober up
- 15:45 Gn 2:7
- 15:47 Other mss add the
Lord
- 15:54 Is 25:8
- 15:55 Hs 13:14
Addendum for those who want to consider the chronology of
the Apostle Paul’s writings.
As we live, study and experience Christ and GOD in our
lives, we learn and discover – dynamic
Continue: Copied from BibleGateway.
Paul, Apostle of Christ,
Chronological Order of the Letters, Who Was Paul?, The Letter to the Romans
Paul,
Apostle of Christ
The Gospel of the
Gentiles
The Gospels are
certainly the most important of the New Testament writings, but they were not
the first to be composed. As early as the year A.D. 50, some young communities
of former Gentiles were receiving Letters from an “apostle,” namely, Paul, who
had not belonged to the Twelve or to the circle around Jesus. Of the great
figures of newborn Christianity, this “first Christian author” is the most
remarkable one known to us, and he remains such through the testimony he has
left us in his writings.
Chronological Order of
the Letters
Modern criticism has
come to the following conclusions in this area.
A first series of
Letters was written at intervals during the fifties and sixties; there is
practically no one who doubts that Paul was their author.
—1 and
2 Thessalonians: The first two Christian writings that have come
down to us. They were surely written in Corinth between A.D. 50 and 52, in
order to encourage a recently founded community and to clarify some points of
doctrine (although some scholars have questioned the authorship of
2 Thessalonians).
—1 and
2 Corinthians: Two Letters written in A.D. 56, during Paul’s time
in Ephesus. They contain rather spirited interventions occasioned by disorders
and divisions in the community.
—Philippians: A
Letter that is especially cordial in tone. It is the first Letter that Paul
wrote from prison and can be dated to A.D. 56, although others place it with
the Letters of Paul’s Roman captivity between A.D. 61 and 63. We know that Paul
was imprisoned more than once.
—Galatians: A
fiery Letter to a Church in full crisis; probably written in A.D. 56 or 57.
—Romans: A
lengthy theological writing, covering at greater length, and in a more serene
tone, the same themes the writer had dealt with in the Letter to the Galatians.
It may date from A.D. 57 or 58.
A second and later
series of texts is known as the Captivity Letters (which may include the Letter
to the Philippians, as noted a moment ago). They can be attributed to Paul,
although a bit tentatively, and dated from A.D. 61 to 63, the period of his imprisonment
in Rome.
—Colossians: A
Letter that encourages authentic faith and authentic Christian life in face of
the commingling of religions and new ideas.
—Philemon: A
short note of recommendation for a fugitive slave.
—Ephesians: A
circular Letter inspired by a profound theology and mysticism.
A third series of
Letters is addressed no longer to communities but to individuals, pastors of
souls, and is lavish with recommendations and guidelines for the exercise of
their responsibilities. These are known as the Pastoral Letters and must be
dated to A.D. 66 or 67 at the latest, if they are to be attributed to Paul.
Some exegetes think the Letters may be the work of disciples and written around
the eighties.
—1 and
2 Timothy: Two Letters.
—Titus: One
Letter.
Toward the end of the
1st century a final writing supposedly by Paul was in circulation, but the
attribution is most uncertain. It was written by someone else who remains
anonymous.
—Hebrews: A
lengthy piece of theology and exhortation, written either just before the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 or much later, between A.D. 80 and 90.
Who Was Paul?
Until His Conversion
Saul was born around the
beginning of the century, in Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia in Asia Minor, a
little city but open to cultural influences and commercial exchanges between
East and West. He was from a family of Diaspora Jews who belonged to the tribe
of Benjamin and were intent on a strict observance of the religion of their
forebears. They did not, however, reject all contact with the life and culture
of the Empire; in fact, they had acquired Roman citizenship and thereby become
the Paulus family.
In about A.D 36/37 a
mysterious event changed the course of Saul’s life in an instant. The
persecutor of Christians became the most ardent missionary of the Gospel.
On the road to Damascus,
he had a vision that changed his life. He saw Christ, who revealed that he was
totally one with all who believed in him: “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4).
After His Conversion
Paul underwent a radical
turnaround. From then on, he did nothing but put into practice the unshakable
certitude that he received on that day. His Letters set forth this conviction:
Christ is living and reconciles human beings in his Spirit; salvation is given
by him to the Gentile world and indeed to all peoples. His entire existence was
henceforth seized by this mission. His life and thought were animated by an
unconquerable love for Jesus.
Allowing Gentiles to
become part of the Christian communities posed theoretical problems. Paul was
present at the Council of Jerusalem in A.D. 48/49, which rendered liberating
decisions on this point (Acts 15; Gal 2:1-10).
Thereupon Paul traveled
to the great urban centers of the Mediterranean world, proclaiming the Gospel
of Jesus Christ and establishing churches, i.e., small groups of men and women,
free people and slaves, Jews and Greeks, who believed in Christ. His plan was
to go to the ends of the known world, possibly as far as the Spanish coast, by
way of Rome. All the while, he nurtured the young Churches by his Letters and
delegates, recalling the main lines of the Gospel—Jesus Christ is the only
Savior.
We have no sure
information on the subsequent course and end of Paul’s life. He would be
executed at Rome on the Ostia Road (Via Ostiensis), probably in A.D. 66/67.
Many, especially those who defend the attribution of the Captivity Letters to
Paul, think that he had once again regained his freedom, had visited the
Churches of Greece and Asia Minor, and perhaps had even gone to Spain. Arrested
once again, he endured a harsh imprisonment.
Writings
The traditional order of
the Letters, as seen in any Bible, is not based on chronology. Their order is
primarily one of length, longest to shortest. In reading them, however, it is
advantageous to follow the chronological order.
The Letter
to the Romans
Human Beings Are
Justified through Faith
Paul wanted
to visit Rome—the center of the universe in his day—on more than one occasion,
but he was prevented from doing so (see Rom 1:13). Now, in the
winter of A.D. 56–57, his third missionary journey has been completed and he
has established the Church in the principal Mediterranean urban centers, from
Jerusalem to Illyricum (Rom 15:19). In addition,
the great crises in Corinth and Galatia seem to have subsided.
Hence, Paul
seeks new fields. The West calls to him, and he projects a missionary journey
that will take him to the cities along the Spanish coastline. To get there he
must pass through Rome (see Rom 15:22-23), and he looks
for the welcome and assistance of the Christian community established in the
capital. He will not be a stranger there. The Jewish community at Rome has more
than 40,000 members and some fifteen synagogues. Moreover, the seed of the
Gospel has already taken root in its midst. We will probably never know who
were the first missionaries of Christ there. It may be that pilgrims from Rome
were among the witnesses and converts on the day of Pentecost in the year A.D.
30.
In any case,
merchants and travelers could surely have encountered the Gospel and the Church
on their travels and in their business dealings and could then have become the
promoters of a new community at Rome. St. Peter himself was there for a time
and eventually suffered martyrdom under the infamous Emperor Nero, but
doubtless his coming took place later than the date of this Letter.
The Church
of Rome seems to have developed rapidly. In the year A.D. 49 an edict of
Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews. Jewish Christians like Priscilla and Aquila
were also affected; they found refuge and work in Greece and Asia (see Acts 18:2, 18, 26; 1 Cor 16:19). As a
result, converts from paganism became the majority of Christians in Rome. This
brought new problems and some difficulties, especially when the exiles returned
after two or three years.
In order to
announce his coming, Paul dictated a Letter to his secretary, Tertius (Rom 16:22), and entrusted
it, apparently, to Phoebe, “a deaconess of the Church at Cenchreae” (Rom 16:1), who was about to
travel to Rome. But if he wanted simply to announce his arrival, why did he
send so lengthy a Letter? It is probable that his person and ideas were
sufficiently well known in Rome and that there was debate over the positions he
had taken. Writing thus to a community, Paul gave free expression to the main
concerns that preoccupied him concerning the life of the Church and, above all,
concerning faith. To facilitate the reading we can group its themes around
three main centers: the necessity of faith, the riches of the faith, the
demands of the faith.
We shall
discover, contained in these central ideas, the most profound intuitions
regarding the realism of the incarnation (Rom 1:3-4), justification
and redemption (Rom 3:21-26; 8:2-4), the universality of
sin and salvation (Rom 5:12-19), the Paschal
Mystery present in Baptism (Rom 6:2-5), the hope of
Christians and the future of the universe (Rom 8:19-23), the divine
sonship (Rom 8:14-17), the certainty
of salvation (Rom 8:28-39), the mystery
of Israel and the theology of history (Rom 9–11), spiritual
worship (Rom 12:12), and the new
priesthood (Rom 15:15-16).
Paul sets
forth on a theological level what Jesus himself signified and practiced when he
mingled with tax collectors and sinners; he did not condone what they did, but
he affirmed that justice is a grace of the Father and that it is not acquired
by a person’s moral, legal, or cultural effort—no matter how scrupulous that
might be. God’s love is offered to everyone by God; it is he who sets free, and
it is up to each person to embrace this liberation as a source of life. The
redemption and salvation of human beings is of another order than that of
social, personal, and historical situations. It pertains to a human
transformation inaugurated in Jesus.
Hence, if
such liberation is given in the mystery of Christ, in Baptism that enables one
to participate in it, and in faith in his Gospel, what is the value of the Law
and the whole Old Testament and what is the destiny of Israel? This is a
question that needs an answer to show the fundamental unity of revelation, of
the promise of fulfillment in Christ. Such an answer is even more necessary
since non-Jewish Christians ran the risk of ignoring the plan of God
inaugurated in Creation and the time of preparation that constitutes the Old
Testament and even looking down on Jewish Christians. It is an answer that Paul
carefully provides in this Letter (Rom 9:1—11:36).
The Letter
presents the essence of Paul’s message and his mission. It is regarded as the
first formulation of Christian theology. Yet its tranquil tone is far different
from the stormy character of the Letter to the Galatians whose themes it
amplifies. Nonetheless, we sense herein the stirrings of an impassioned soul,
for example beneath some uncalled-for blow (Rom 2:17ff), in the trust
of being in God’s grace (ch. 8), in the convert’s
compassion for those of his race (Rom 9:1-15; 10:1; 11:14-16), and in the
enthusiasm of the Apostle of Christ (Rom 11:33-36). The Letter
to the Romans also distinguishes itself by its literary variety. In its
construction, Paul makes use of liturgical pieces and hymns; he follows the
expository style of the rabbis or employs the methods of orators of his day.
All of this adds up to an exceptional example of Paul’s work.
Did Paul
really reach Rome? Yes, but later than he had hoped. In the spring of A.D. 58,
he arrived at Jerusalem with the funds collected for the poor Christians of the
Mother Church (2 Cor 8–9). He was
arrested in the temple and spent two years in custody at Caesarea before
appealing to Caesar as a Roman citizen. In the spring of the year A.D. 60,
Paul, apostle and prisoner of Jesus Christ, entered Rome (Acts 28:16) and was
welcomed by the Christian community there.
The Letter
to the Romans may be divided as follows:
Prologue (1:1-17)
I: Justification through
Faith in Jesus (1:18—4:25)
II: Faith, the Riches of
Life (5:1—11:36)
III: The Need for Faith
in Daily Life (12:1—15:13)
Epilogue: (15:14—16:27)
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