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  • Concerning This Salvation – a letter from 1 Peter – 1

    Concerning This Salvation – a letter from 1 Peter – 1

    Remembering Our Great Salvation

    Who needs to be encouraged more than believers in Christ suffering for His sake? And who trusted the Lord for their salvation more than any?

    First century Christians expelled from Rome and major cities of the Empire.

    Jews dispersed throughout the Empire, seeking to separate their identities from followers of The Way, increasingly persecuted believers of Christ, as did Roman authorities.

    The Apostle Peter writes to the church, primarily in first century cities in modern-day Turkey.

    1 Peter 1:

    Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ:

    To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

    Peter’s first encouragement of these persecuted believers of the dispersion is to call them elect or chosen by God the Father. He calls upon imagery of Israel as the Lord’s ‘chosen people.’ These faithful will also know prophesy from scripture of the Lord’s Messiah.

    “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
    My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
    I have put My Spirit upon Him;
    He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

    Isaiah 42:1 NKJV

    Peter speaks of the foreknowledge ‘through the sanctifying work of the Spirit’ and calls on believers ‘to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.’ This clear reference of his greeting reassures their anointing by the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

    Grace to you and peace multiplied.

    That the Lord chose you and me, as well as certain believers in these Asian provinces to whom Peter and other Apostles write, is great grace. We have received undeserved mercy and peace through Christ’s immeasurable love for sinners redeemed.

    Even so, Peter continues with an uplifting opening blessing, perhaps familiar to Christians from an opening call to your own worship.

    Blessed be God

    εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν δι’ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν - 1Peter1:3MGNT [Greek New Testament]

    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

    1 Peter 1:3-5 NASB

    Before considering the depth of this salvation introduced in Peter’s blessing, read what follows as one who has experienced the persecution of those to whom the Apostle writes:

    6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

    The Salvation of your Souls

    Salvation – σωτηρία – sōtēria { sō-tā-rē’-ä }

    Let’s begin with salvation, ‘the goal of our faith.’ Salvation is first deliverance, preservation, or safety. It includes deliverance from the molestation of enemies and our enemy is satan, ruler of this world, our temporal flesh and angelic opponent to Christ Jesus.

    In an ethical sense, salvation is ‘that which concludes to the soul’s safety,’ guaranteed by the Messiah of God.

    Future salvation is the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God. source: BlueLetterBible.com

    It’s worth mentioning that the root word for salvation in greek is σωτήρ {sōtēr}, meaning savior, deliverer or preserver. Christ Jesus has saved, delivered and preserved all believers born again to a living hope, as Peter encourages us.

    Preserve your body and soul

    Peter speaks here to the church in the plural, souls. Perhaps you recognize the anglicized greek word, psychē, from it much maligned meaning by unbelieving contemporary interpreters of our complex God-given life. Our soul is defined as: the breath of life, the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing; the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.), as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body).

    Much we could discuss here, yet Peter addresses it sufficiently in his letter to the church, the body of believers saved by Christ Jesus. One form of the greek word for soul used by Jesus address the cooling breath of life of those who no longer believe in God.

    Matthew 24:9-11 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

    Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. (Peter addresses this later in his letter in 1 Peter 4.)

    Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

    Matthew 24:12 NASB

    A Communion Plea

    communion cup of wine

    We do not presume
    to come to this your table, merciful Lord,
    trusting in our own righteousness,
    but in your manifold and great mercies…

    The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you,

    preserve your body and soul to eternal life.

    Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you,

    and feed on him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.


    The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you,

    preserve your body and soul to eternal life.

    Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you,

    and be thankful.

    from The Book of Common Prayer

    The Grace that would come to us

    Now Peter encourages from the foundation of scripture.

    10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

    Prophets also asked about the Christ before His own sufferings for us. Once Jesus suffered, died and rose again, what would follow?

    What follows for believers in Christ?

    In a word, grace.

    Grace – χάρις – charis

    Grace is that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness.

    Certainly in this mortal life of suffering and persecution these hearers of Peter’s letter must have yearned for a return to a grace guaranteed beyond today.

    Grace is described [by Strong’s concordance] as a gift, a benefit, the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. It is good will and loving-kindness, the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

    Grace through the Holy Spirit

    Peter assures them that the Prophets prophesied about the grace that would come to you. He testifies that the Spirit of Christ was within them, a reference to the Holy Spirit, living breath of God in the Word of Christ.

    12b These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

    Be Holy

    ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.

    Leviticus 20:26 NASB

    Peter points back to Moses and several commands of the Lord. He uses Jesus’ familial authority of holiness.

    17 If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work…

    He urges followers of Christ (v.13b), set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And as Jesus taught, Peter urges us to be like Christ as an obedient child of the Father.

    14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

    What’s it like to be holy?

    13-16 [PHILLIPS] So brace up your minds… Live as obedient children before God. Don’t let your character be moulded by the desires of your ignorant days, but be holy in every department of your lives…

    … you should spend the time of your stay here on earth with reverent fear.

    22 [CSB] Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly, 23 because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

    Peter’s call to holiness in our Christian living and witness to the world is challenging enough. And for those facing true persecution and opposition to our faithfulness to the Lord, Peter encourages us in our new and permanent salvation in Christ, Redeemer of our sinful souls.

    This brief life of ours

    What more can Peter say to encourage those first century Christians suffering for their true faith in Christ Jesus?

    In fact, Peter has much more to say beginning with cautions about those ‘christians’ who disobey God our Father and Christ. We began this series with “They Stumble Because They Disobey,” from 1 Peter 2.

    Just prior to this, Peter reminds us that by comparison to eternity (and judgment) this mortal life in the flesh is very brief. Comfort to those faced with persecution or death for their faith in Christ.

    Once again, he quotes scripture, specifically the Prophet Isaiah, in the thought connecting their faithfulness and his caution against false prophets.

    Isaiah 40:

    The verses from Isaiah preceding 1 Peter 24-25 will be familiar to the persecuted church of the first century. Prophesy of John the Baptist and Jesus both resound in the powerful imagery of Isaiah 40:1-5.

    All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
    7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
    Surely the people are grass.
    8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
    But the word of our God stands forever.

    Isaiah 40:6c-8

    Beloved believer, we are like grass, yet so are opponents to our faith in Christ Jesus. By His grace we know our salvation.

    Isaiah urges us to be a bearer of the Good News.

    “Here is your God!”

    Behold, His reward is with Him

    Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
    In His arm He will gather the lambs
    And carry them in His bosom;
    He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

    excerpts from Isaiah 40 NASB

    Peter ends this opening of his first letter:

    25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.”
    And this is the word which was preached to you.

    To be continued...

  • They Stumble Because They Disobey – 1 Peter 2

    They Stumble Because They Disobey – 1 Peter 2

    The Apostle Simon Peter, who Jesus nicknamed, ‘the rock,’ warns the church about those who disobey God. He quotes scripture pointing to Christ as the cornerstone of the Temple and as a rejected stone causing some to stumble.

    As we suggested earlier in Apostates from Jude’s letter, these ‘religious’ opponents of Jesus often sway others to turn from the Lord. James also warns about Preaching to a Worldly Church, as do the Apostles.

    Peter reminds believers who hear his letter:

    For it stands in Scripture:
    See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and honored cornerstone,
    and the one who believes in him
    will never be put to shame.

    So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
    The stone that the builders rejected—
    this one has become the cornerstone,
    and
    A stone to stumble over,
    and a rock to trip over.

    They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.

    1 Peter 2:6-8 CSB

    The Cornerstone in Zion

    stone wall "city of David" in Hebrew and English
    Zion צִיּוֹן

    Peter had witnessed the injustice to Jesus by Zion’s rulers first-hand. These same scornful men, a brood of vipers leavening the crowds of John the Baptist and Jesus – these arrogant religious scofferes pursued Peter and the Apostles, James and the church, and also Paul, Apostle to the gentiles.

    Peter quotes the prophecies of Psalm 118 and Isaiah, powerful imagery of the Messiah the Apostle had witnessed as he had entered Jerusalem with Jesus, who was crucified and then appeared alive after death on a cross.

    I shall not die, but live,
    And declare the works of the Lord.
    The Lord has chastened me severely,
    But He has not given me over to death.

    Psalm 118:17-18 KJV

    Two Herodian kings could not kill Christ and religious apostates who had turned against the Lord could not keep Jesus in the grave! Though the Lord rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey triumphant as a king, His victory is that over sin and death by His Holy and Perfect Sacrifice on a Cross.

    Christ the Cornerstone

    Perhaps you know some lyrics from the 19th century hymn, The Church’s One Foundation, which shares this same imagery.

    The church's one foundation 
     Is Jesus Christ her Lord; 
     She is his new creation 
     By water and the Word... 

    Mid toil and tribulation, 
     And tumult of her war, 
     She waits the consummation 
     Of peace forevermore...

    The Apostle’s first letter to the church points back to the scripture of Isaiah, who states that the Lord’s foundation is firmly placed.

    “Surely My hand founded H3245 the earth,
    And My right hand spread out the heavens;
    When I call to them, they stand together.

    Isaiah 48:13 NASB – Strong’s reference H3245 – יָסַד

    In Scripture familiar to Peter’s first century readers, Isaiah chastises religious leaders who claim the Lord, but turn to a covenant with sin and death.

    Isaiah 28

    14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
    who rule this people in Jerusalem!

    … for we have made lies our refuge,
    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”

    Isaiah 28:15c ESV

    Peter quotes the LORD God from scripture in his accusation against those who turn from Christ Jesus.

    Isaiah 28:16 Therefore the Lord God said:
    “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,
    a tested stone,
    a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
    the one who believes will be unshakable.

    Is your faith in the Lord unshakable?

    The church is Christ’s followers; saints all, every living soul gathered in His Holy Name. Peter refers to the faithful as living stones.

    No building of earth – not a Temple or grand Cathedral; but saved souls as living stones, placed by the Creator next to Christ our cornerstone. Unshakable – to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

    How firm is your foundation in the Lord?

    Peter shows us to be as unhewn but useful stones for the Lord’s holiest of Temples, the Living place of worship to the LORD founded in Christ.

    Isaiah 28:17-18

    “I will make justice the measuring line
    And righteousness the level;
    Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies
    And the waters will overflow the secret place.

    “Your covenant with death will be canceled,
    And your pact with Sheol will not stand;
    When the overwhelming scourge passes through,
    Then you become its trampling place.

    Surely Christ has cancelled our covenant with death by His Sacrifice on the Cross.

    Peter’s Guidance for the Church

    Peter opens his first letter to the church: “To those chosen” or “To those who reside as aliens” or “To God’s elect, exiles scattered.. or “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion.

    These living stones are not recognized in this world as the church the Lord creates for true and eternal worship.

    Are you one who does not stumble?

    The world, even your neighbors, will treat you as aliens and attempt to shake your faith. Christians are as unwelcome in our 21st c. culture as the recipients of Peter’s first century letters to the church.

    In Jesus, Peter reminds us, our faith is solid – a firm foundation, level and straight. Peter precedes this call to the church from scripture with a firm exhortation meant to keep us from stumbling.

    Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.

    1 Peter 2:1 CSB

    1 Peter 2:

    4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

    Do you stumble when you encounter Christ?

    How could you stumble? Or how will the faithful help you to keep from stumbling in your witness of Christ Jesus?

    By the plumb line of Christ’s righteousness in your works:

    • You no longer show malice [ill-will, wickedness, depravity, evil,trouble] toward others.
    • Of course you no longer use deceit, a key tool of Satan, to mislead any.
    • Christians more than most receive the world’s indictment of hypocrisy where Jesus is just a false mask taken on and off as we please.
      • If all the world’s a stage, then all wear the masks of hypocrisy.
    • Envy also shows a worldly desire over our hope for eternal riches in Christ.
    • All slander [backbiting] must stop in redeemed Christians.

    The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

    Peter’s call to Christians, so clear to those introduced to Christ as a ‘chosen generation’ to proclaim the Gospel, bears repeating {from the NKJV} 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

    4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

    Now you are God’s people

    9 But you are a chosen generation… called out of darkness.. (the darkness of sin).

    Christ, the Cornerstone, called you into His Living Light, though you were once dead in your sins. Peter reminds the faithful saints called and hewn by Jesus into living stones:

    Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

    1 Peter 2:10 CSB

    Peter will continue to guide the church in our actions with each other and with others. Even some worshiping with us stumble, preferring our own easy grace, rather than be held accountable to our reshaping for a firm and level foundation formed by Christ Jesus.

    I have begun the first letter of Peter from his challenging scriptural call to faithfulness in the second chapter. Next, we will return to the Apostle’s encouraging opening in chapter one, God-willing.

    To be continued...
  • Jude -2- Necessity is the Father of Exhortation

    Jude -2- Necessity is the Father of Exhortation

    To Correct or Encourage?

    Do I just keep encouraging my child, servant or follower, or must I instruct them with words of exhortation? Every parent, master, or leader must judge between the value of correction versus positive reinforcement.

    Jude, a leader of the church no less loving of the recipients of his letter than the Apostles, faces this familiar dilemma of the parent. I want to encourage you, my beloved children, by acknowledging all of the good things you do. BUT, (Oh, oh, here it comes…) I have this against you.

    If this approach of dealing with the church and individual wayward relationships to the Lord and each other sounds familiar, it should. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John exhortation to the seven churches also takes this form.

    Like John, Peter, Paul and others, Jude has a close relationship with many individual saints of the church. As a father encourages a son or daughter, so the words of Jude touch the hearts of the hearers of his letter.

    They will hear Jude’s letter as words from a beloved mentor. Many know Jude, Servant of Jesus Christ as the brother of James or know of him.

    Jude’s greeting:

    Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

    Jude 1:2 KJV

    ἔλεος Mercy to you, Jude writes.

    It means kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. Jude not only knows them but cares about their struggles and community.

    When Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan, our Lord convicts us that we often fail to show mercy to our fellow man. We too tend to qualify which neighbor we choose for our mercy. Yet like those who questioned the Lord we know which one acted as Christ would act.

    “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
    Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

    Luke 10:37 CSB

    Jude shows the church compassion and mercy, also greeting them with peace and love multiplied. If you are one of those called by the Father you will recognize the same peace of Jesus Christ regardless of what exhortation will follow.

    “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

    The words of Jesus Christ, the Good News of John 14:27 NASB

    ἀγάπη – Love

    Love is much misaligned and misdirected in and by the church. Jude speaks here of agapē [ah-gah’-pay], the love by which all hearers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be known.

    ἀγάπη – Agape is affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love; that visible relationship between Christians. One key reason Jude and others must exhort individuals to such love is so that others will always recognize us as beloved children of our loving Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Jesus warns us in the Gospel of Matthew:

    “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.

    Did our Lord not describe this familiar brokenness of the church in these last days? Jude must warn the saints faithful to the Lord.

    Jesus added an encouragement to this caution about our potential loss of agape love:

    “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

    Jude will exhort believers to keep in Jesus’ love, abide in His love or live as Jesus taught us by His example.

    “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

    If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

    Encouragement of Jesus – Gospel of John 15:9-10 NASB

    Occasion of Jude’s Letter

    Jude – NRSV

    Jude clearly states the reason for his exhortation replacing unsalted positive encouragement.

    3 Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

    His indictment is clear, a warning to the saints to watch out for those ungodly ‘christians’ who have stolen their way into the trust of the church. They pervert grace into licentiousness.

    Because now we rarely hear such pointed exhortation, let’s look just a bit closer into the problem outlined in verse 4.

    • Certain intruders pervert God’s grace.
      • It’s not everybody or even the majority of the saints.
      • These sinners were marked out beforehand for condemnation, pointing to their same sins from the Old Testament. Jude’s following verses point to these OT examples.
    • This is Jude’s and the church’s general condemnation of ungodly persons who turn from the grace of God, as opposed to the repentance possible for those God allows to return to righteousness.
    • They pervert the grace of God into licencentious.
      • one of Jude’s two serious indictments
    • and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

    How can ANY man or woman identified as a ‘christian’ deny Jesus as the Messiah (Christ), Lord God & ONLY lord and master of your mortal and eternal life?

    Jude, bondservant of Jesus, would have us ask this question of every hearer of his letter. Who truly serves Jesus Christ as your Master and Lord?

    Other Description of Jude’s purpose

    The Geneva Bible of 1599 states:

    3 He warneth the godly to take heed of such men, 4 that make the grace of God a cloak for their wantonness:

    Like licentiousness, wantonness leaves us thinking of an archaic approach to sin rarely mentioned in this day and translated gently for contemporary readers of Jude’s exhortation.

    All will agree that Jude urges the saints (all Christians) to contend earnestly or defend the true faith handed down to the church by Christ and through the faithful word of God in the the Old Testament. From there we easily stray when called upon to confront a false claimant of Christ.

    Who are these?

    Jude writes, ‘certain men have crept in unnoticed,’ or ‘by stealth’ some versions translate.

    Let’s examine Jude’s two-part accusation.

    ἀσέλγεια – Licentiousness

    Defined: unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence

    We tend to think of the sin of these men Jude describes as sexual sin, a sin which may accurately describe just part of their specific acts against God. Yet other sinful behaviors men and women would hide from the saints with whom they worship certainly apply to Jude’s warning.

    Jude’s exhortation describes a general conduct thought to be private which would cause a public disgust. These shameless excesses could include gluttony, tyrannical demeanor, greediness and other excesses of the fleshly senses, which include hunting for victims prone to your sins.

    You may notice the similarity of the Greek word translated as licentiousness, ἀσέλγεια, and it’s Hebrew root, ἄλφα.

    “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

    Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 22:13 KJV

    This Greek description as a compound negative participle of Alpha, the word of God and Christ, indicates an antichrist, a description other New Testament writers use of those opposed to the Gospel.

    ἀρνέομαι Ἰησοῦς Χριστός – Deny Jesus Christ

    This is the most serious of Jude’s two accusations against these antichrists who have found their way into the church, men and women against whom he must warn other followers of the Lord.

    Ungodly persons [ἀσεβής] καὶ τὸν μόνον δεσπότην καὶ κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενοι, that is: “only Master and Lord our Jesus Christ deny.”

    • Jesus is our Lord, the LORD God
    • The LORD IS our only Master
    • Jesus IS the Messiah, the Christ
    • We serve ONLY Him.

    Many deny the Lord, our personal Master whom we serve as Christians. Ungodly persons may claim Jesus or claim God, yet not serve Him. Many more will claim a god or antichrist because they oppose the LORD.

    Jude is not alone in his exhortation for believers. The Apostle John also warns of such antichrists:

    … so now many antichrists have come. …They went out from us, but they did not belong to us… I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you.

    First Letter of John, excerpts from 2:18-19 & 26 NKJV

    Biblical warnings from the Old Testament

    Next we will continue in Jude’s letter to saints of the first century church with his Old Testament examples. Remember, the Old Testament was the only Bible for Jesus, Jude, James and the Apostles. But feel free to preview these few verses as if you knew only this Bible, still applicable today.

    To be continued...