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2 Corinthians 11
[Bible]2 Corinthians 11 is the chapter in which Paul defends his apostleship against the false apostles who had entered the Corinthian church, boasting of himself "as a fool." He lists the hardships he has endured and declares that he will glory in his infirmities.
Fivefold Ministry
[Doctrine & Theology]The fivefold ministry is a collective term for the five offices named in Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Denominations and theological traditions differ on whether these offices continue today.
Luke 6
[Bible]Luke 6 records two Sabbath controversies and the choosing of the twelve apostles, followed by the so-called Sermon on the Plain, which consists of blessings and woes, love for enemies, the command not to judge, and the parable of the house built on a rock.
Seven Deacons
[Bible]The Seven Deacons were seven men chosen by the early church in Jerusalem to ensure the fair distribution of relief to those in need. They included Stephen and Philip, and their appointment is commonly regarded as the origin of the office of deacon.
Ethiopian Eunuch
[People]The Ethiopian eunuch is the treasury official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who appears in Acts 8. After Philip the evangelist explained a passage from Isaiah to him and proclaimed the gospel of Jesus, he was baptized.
Luke 24
[Bible]Luke 24 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Luke. It recounts the women's discovery of the empty tomb, Jesus' appearance to two travelers on the road to Emmaus, his appearance to the eleven apostles, in which he opens the Scriptures to them and appoints them as witnesses, and his departure as he blesses them near Bethany.
John 14:6
[Bible Verses]John 14:6 is the verse in which Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." It is a principal text for the exclusivity of Christian salvation and the verse most often cited in debates over the relationship between salvation and other religions.
2 Corinthians 12:7–10
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul confesses that he was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from pride. He prayed three times for its removal but received the answer "My grace is sufficient for thee." The passage is frequently cited as a key text on suffering and weakness, and interpreters disagree about the identity of the thorn and its bearing on the question of healing.
Gospel of Thomas
[History]The Gospel of Thomas is an ancient document containing a collection of 114 sayings of Jesus. Its complete Coptic text was discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. It is not included in the biblical canon.
Hebraic Jews
[Bible]Hebraic Jews, called "the Hebrews" in Acts 6:1, were Jewish believers in the early Jerusalem church who were distinguished from the Hellenistic Jews. They are generally understood to have come mainly from Palestine and to have spoken Aramaic or Hebrew.
Titus 1
[Bible]The first chapter of the Epistle to Titus, in which Paul greets Titus, sets out the standards for appointing elders in every city of Crete, and instructs him to rebuke false teachers sharply.
2 Corinthians 12:2–4
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul recounts, in the third person, an experience from fourteen years earlier in which he was caught up to the "third heaven" and into paradise, where he heard "unspeakable words." It is frequently discussed in connection with Paul's visionary experience, the meaning of heaven and paradise, and whether it can serve as a basis for testimonies of visiting heaven.
The Seventy Disciples
[Bible]The Seventy Disciples were a group of disciples whom Jesus Christ appointed in addition to the Twelve and sent ahead of him, two by two, into every city and place he was about to visit. They appear only in Luke 10. Some manuscripts and translations give their number as seventy-two.
Sending of the Seventy
[Bible]The Sending of the Seventy is an event in which Jesus appointed seventy others, apart from the Twelve, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every town he intended to visit. It is recorded only in Luke 10.
Ephesians 4:11–12
[Bible Verses]This passage states that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. It is a basis for the doctrine of church offices and for lay ministry, and whether the offices of apostle and prophet continue today remains debated.
Apostle
[Church Offices]An apostle, meaning "one who is sent," is one of those whom Jesus Christ personally appointed to proclaim the gospel and lay the foundation of the early church.
2 Corinthians
[Bible]Second Corinthians is the eighth book of the New Testament and the second letter Paul sent to the church at Corinth. It addresses Paul's defense of his apostleship, comfort in suffering, and the collection to aid the church in Jerusalem. Its verse 13:13 (13:14 in many English Bibles) is used as the benediction in worship.
Galatians 1
[Bible]Galatians 1 is the first chapter of Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia. Immediately after the greeting, Paul rebukes believers who have turned to "another gospel." He then defends his apostleship and his gospel as coming not from man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ, recounting his activities after his conversion.
1 Corinthians 12:28
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul lists the offices and gifts that God has set in the church, beginning with apostles, prophets, and teachers. It is frequently cited in discussions of whether spiritual gifts continue today, the ranking of church offices, the basis of Presbyterian church order, and modern claims to apostleship.
2 Corinthians 3:3-6
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul calls the Corinthian believers "the epistle of Christ." He declares that his sufficiency for ministry comes from God and that the new covenant is established "not of the letter, but of the spirit." Interpreters differ over the meaning of the saying "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."