The Apostle Philip, Simon the Sorcerer, and the Conversion of Many (Acts chapter 8, verses 4–17) Last week when we left off at verse three of Acts chapter eight, we all became better acquainted with the story of Stephen, the first martyr of Christendom after Jesus Christ. As you recall, Stephen defended himself with the Word of God. He spoke truth…

Congress and the President Had Better Learn to Work Together, or They Will Face the Wrath of the People — (Romans 13, verses 1–4; Luke 6, verses 24–26) by Rev. Paul J. Bern There is a well-known quote from the Book of Romans in the New Testament that says, “Everyone must submit themselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities…

The Ultimate Sacrifice of Stephen, the First Century Church Leader (Acts chapter 7, verses 51–60; chapter 8, verses 1–3) Last week when we left off at verse 50 of Acts chapter 7, Stephen was continuing to give his testimony regarding the phony charges against him. Stephen had just finished reminding his accusers that God didn’t need their big, fancy temple…

Spiritual, Not Religious: The Message of the Social Gospel Grows As More Become Disenchanted With Traditional Religion Still, Believers in a Higher Power Keep Searching for Answers by Pastor Paul J. Bern So-called “experts” call them “unaffiliated,” as in a recent Pew poll, or “nones” — or even just ‘not very religious.’ A 2013 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute divided these groups further into “unattached,” “atheists”, “agnostics,” and “seculars.” That was nine years ago. One…

Steven the Church Leader Continues His Powerful Testimony During His Trial (Acts chapter 7, verses 39–50) Part 3 of 4 When we last left off at verse 38 of Acts chapter 7 in our ongoing studies of the writings of the apostle Luke, the early Church leader and evangelist Steven was still vigorously defending himself against the trumped-up charges of the flotilla of false witnesses…

Do You Believe In Jesus? Congratulations, You’ve Been Adopted As Relatives by Rev. Paul J. Bern All you long-time readers of mine (thank you all so much!) have come to expect considerable insight and analysis of the Bible taught from a modern perspective whenever I post something new. I do this to point out that the Word of God is more…

Steven, the Great Early Church Leader and Evangelist, Continues With His Response to the Court — Acts chapter 7, verses 20–38 Last week when we concluded part 1 of Acts chapter 7, Steven had been asked for a response to the charges that had been leveled against him by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Namely, that Steven was guilty of blasphemy, inciting unrest and sowing…

Twenty-three Uncomfortable Facts The Mainstream Media Still Won’t Discuss “You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor” (Exodus 20: 16) by Rev. Paul J. Bern The Ninth Commandment, as it written in the Book of Exodus chapter 20 verse 16 is very explicit — you shall not lie (or “thou shalt not”, if you prefer). Yet for its…

The Evangelist and Healer Steven Is Put On Trial (Acts chapter 7, verses 1–19) When we left off last week, we had just concluded chapter 6 of the Book of Acts, where Steven had been detained by the same authorities who had handed Christ over to Pontius Pilate. As with Christ, Steven was accused by the temple ruling council…