In the letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13, we read the second of two letters that contains only praise and encouragement from Jesus for the church. Although the church in Philadelphia looked weak, it was actually strong, because it had done the one simple thing that all churches and all Christians must do: keep Christ’s word. Jesus’ instruction to them (and to us) was correspondingly simple: hold on to what you have.
In the middle of writing about his sufferings for the church, Paul explained that the message he preached was a mystery hidden for generations...
The Thessalonian Christians show us what it looks like to live out God’s grace under persecution.
Jesus fulfilled the entire Old Testament by suffering, rising from the dead, and having forgiveness preached to all the nations.
