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Life-Giving Spirit

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Jesus declared, “ The Spirit makes alive. The flesh profits nothing. The words which I have spoken to you, they are spirit, and they are life .” His statement echoes the principle that life and the Spirit of God are inextricably linked. The “ flesh ” is not inherently evil, but it has no lasting life apart from the Holy Spirit. This principle was demonstrated at the original creation, and now the same Spirit is essential for the bodily resurrection of believers and everlasting life in the age to come.

Plight to Solution

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In his  Letter to the Romans , the Apostle Paul argues from plight to solution. The Gospel that he proclaims is the “ power of God for salvation .” Due to sin, two forces are at work in the world –  Righteousness  and  Wrath . In his Son, God has provided the solution to the desperate plight of all men that is now available to all on the same basis - “ from the faith of Jesus Christ .” Moreover, this “ Good News ” was promised beforehand in the Hebrew scriptures and is now being fulfilled as the Gospel is preached.

Until the Day of Christ

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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 .”

Faithfulness of God

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The righteousness of God refers to His faithfulness to fulfill His promises, and this is demonstrated by the salvation He has provided in Jesus . In Romans , Paul stresses the “ righteousness of God ” that is revealed whenever the Gospel is proclaimed. It is the “ power of God for salvation to everyone who believes .” In this message, His “ righteousness ” is proclaimed on the Earth to “ Jews and Greeks ” alike. Salvation is now available to all men through the “ faith of Jesus Christ ,” His “ Righteous One ” (“ From faith for faith… My Righteous One will live from faith ”).

Language of the New Testament

What was the original language of the documents that became the New Testament? For centuries, the scholarly consensus has been that it was written in the Koiné Greek dialect of the Eastern Roman Empire in the first century. However, there is a growing minority within the church that claims the New Testament was composed in the Hebrew or Aramaic language.