Thematic Bible: Explained


Thematic Bible




But God demonstrates His own love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Since we are now made right with God by the blood of Christ [i.e., by His dying on the cross], how much more certain it is that we will be saved from God's wrath [in the future] by Him! For if while we were [God's] enemies, we were restored to fellowship with Him through the death of His Son, now that we have been restored, how much more [certainly] will we be saved [from condemnation] by His life! read more.
And not only is this true, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have been restored to fellowship with God.

All [these] things are from God, who restored us to fellowship with Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of restoring [other] people to [such] fellowship. That is, God was in Christ restoring the world to fellowship with Himself, not counting people's sins against them. And He entrusted to us the message of restoring people to fellowship [with Him].


Now the natural person [Note: Since this person is contrasted with the spiritual person of verse 15, it is taken here to mean the person without the Holy Spirit] does not receive the things [i.e., truths] revealed by the Holy Spirit of God, because they are [considered] foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them because they must be discerned by using spiritual judgment [i.e., judgment aided by the Holy Spirit]. Verse ConceptsConfusionBeing Born AgainSpiritual Blindness, In UnbelieversInsightThe Sin NatureReceptivenessRevelation, Necessity OfRevelation, Responses ToSpiritualityUnbelief, Nature And Effects OfUnderstandingVeilsWasteWisdom, Source Of HumanAcceptance, Of The GospelThe Spirit Of ManResisting Holy SpiritAppraisalThat Which Is SpiritualDiscerning God's ThingsFoolishness Of GodLife In A Material WorldNot Understanding God's ThingsAtheism, Description OfSpiritualDiscernmentThe MindSpiritual Gifts

[Note: The following traits should be understood in the context of love for people]. Love is patient [with people], and is kind [to them]; love does not envy [what people are or have]; love does not boast [of being superior to others], it is not arrogant [in dealing with people]. [Love] does not act improperly [toward people]; it does not insist on having its own way [at the expense of others]; it is not easily irritated [by others]; it does not keep track of the wrongs [done by others]. [Love] is not glad about the evil [that people do], but is glad about the truth [i.e., the good in their lives]. read more.
[Love] conceals all [people's] faults; it believes [the best about] all people; it hopes [for the best in] all people; it endures [ill treatment from] all people.


Jesus replied, [Deut. 6:5] "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the foremost and greatest commandment. A second one, similar to it is [Lev. 19:18], 'You must love your neighbor the same way that you love yourself.' read more.
The entire law of Moses and the prophets hinge on these two commandments."

[Note: The following traits should be understood in the context of love for people]. Love is patient [with people], and is kind [to them]; love does not envy [what people are or have]; love does not boast [of being superior to others], it is not arrogant [in dealing with people]. [Love] does not act improperly [toward people]; it does not insist on having its own way [at the expense of others]; it is not easily irritated [by others]; it does not keep track of the wrongs [done by others]. [Love] is not glad about the evil [that people do], but is glad about the truth [i.e., the good in their lives]. read more.
[Love] conceals all [people's] faults; it believes [the best about] all people; it hopes [for the best in] all people; it endures [ill treatment from] all people.