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My Galatians The letter is a kind of apogee of Paul’s gospel, when he could not refer to Peter and co. for authority to back his teaching that the gospel excels the law, and that it is self-defeating to hold the law as the standard when one comes to Christ. He traces the origin of his message to only his personal interaction with Christ, though at a point he returned to Jerusalem to present his message for verification (2:1-2).  He repudiated Peter’s ceremonial separation as contradictory to the gospel of Christ who embraces all nations without discrimination (2:18). Paul asserts that those to whom the law was given could not uphold it perfectly and are therefore under the “curse of the law” (3:10). Salvation has therefore always been by faith, and not by the law which came several years after God’s covenant promise to Abraham. The purpose of the law was therefore as caretaker until the empowerer came (3:18,21). If righteousness by the law could give life, there wo...

Five Proclamations of the Blood of Jesus Main Readings: Luke 4:18-19 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes . (1Cor 11:26 NKJV) But you have come to …  Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel (Heb 12:22-24 NKJV) Introduction The blood of Abel, who was killed by his brother, most probably called for vengeance (just recompense, See Gen 4:10-16), which, though in itself not bad, God has reserved for Himself (Heb 10:30). The blood of Jesus however made room for the offender to escape the just consequences of his sin through repentance, and inherit even far more than he had before the fall. Blood is used in the Bible as evidence of death, or life given. God alone gives and has the right to take life. Under the Old Covenant, for example, when life was wilfully taken without recourse to God, the offender forfeited every right to his own ...