WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:04.240 Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel. 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.599 God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:12.400 We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:17.760 We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:33.679 The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold, and we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:37.600 Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.719 It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision. 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.240 Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:54.399 It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:04.879 We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.359 In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:11.599 Never treat what God has said lightly. 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:14.400 There's truly nothing more important to you. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:19.120 Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.599 So we're once again gathered around God's word. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.840 I wish more people did that. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:27.920 I wish more people were inclined. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:45.599 I wish that more people felt the driving need to understand God's word, because that really is the answer to all of the false religion, all of the things that the church has done wrong, all of the tradition that has crept into our normal worship. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:51.280 If we all spent more time focusing on God's word, all of that would go away. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.159 But the Bible tells us that won't actually happen. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:02:01.120 People will continue to fall away, and that will happen all the way until Jesus comes back and corrects all of that. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:01.760 That's fine. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:02.959 That's his will. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:10.159 In the meantime, how about we together study more about him, learn more about him, get to know him because we love him? 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:15.039 Let's get to know the one that we love so much together as we study his word. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:16.240 It's our best source. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:17.439 It's not our only source. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:24.719 We have the Holy Spirit, we have each other, but the word of God really is our primary source of getting to know God. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:30.879 So make sure that you're with us each week, twice a week now, as we try to study more and more in his word. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:34.560 Old Testament, one part of the week, New Testament another part of the week. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.639 So we are in the book of Romans here this week. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:43.520 We are studying the still in the first chapter, still in the first verse. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:49.039 We're gonna get started on in, we're going to get started again in this letter to the Romans. 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:52.240 Let's read that opening sentence again. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:54.960 Romans 1:1. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.680 Actually, we're gonna read that opening sentence that actually, believe it or not, spans seven verses. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:07.439 The first sentence in the letter to the Romans goes all the way through the first seven verses. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.479 We'll read those first seven verses here. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:21.680 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:04:00.319 Verse 3, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead, by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name, among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ, to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:08.960 Like few other writers in human history, Paul sure can pack a lot into one sentence. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:18.160 These first seven verses are as good a summary of the Christian faith as I think I've ever read. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:20.639 We're going to be here for a while. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:24.560 So far, we've talked about the name Paul goes by. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:33.680 In case you think that's a waste of time, let me again point out how important it is to know Paul's backstory. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:49.600 His life before conversion set the stage for his value to us all the way down to our very day and right up until the Lord appears in the sky on his way back to finish the job. 00:04:50.160 --> 00:05:04.079 Knowing Paul is Paul, but hasn't always been Paul is part of the reason the Christian church got off the ground in those early decades following our Lord's resurrection. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.639 No time to cover all of that again. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:12.720 Now, let's talk about the next statement in this first verse. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:19.759 Paul, formerly Saul, calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:33.439 Now, if you're only even a little familiar with the things we teach in this ministry, then you know that this is a topic that we have covered in the past quite thoroughly. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:37.759 And we do so because nothing is so important. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:45.199 Listen to me, nothing is so important in the Christian life as knowing your place with God. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:49.439 There are just some things we never want you to forget. 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:53.439 There are some things that Paul never wants you to forget. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:59.839 Now, as important as this verse is, it's actually mistranslated. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:05.600 Well, let me put it this way: there could be a better way to translate it. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:09.920 The English word servant isn't strong enough. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:16.560 Servant doesn't adequately render what Paul was saying originally. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.560 Of course, this isn't a criticism per se. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:27.600 When the King James was written, the word servant may have been a good choice. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:36.319 No doubt the translators felt it would properly invoke the correct imagery in the mind of the reader. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:52.240 In fact, we know from history that being a servant during the late 16th and into the early 17th century when this edition was published was quite a bit different than it is today. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:56.480 The word servant carried a different meaning then. 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:01.519 Being a servant today is nothing like it was in those days. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.800 Therefore, as I said, I'm not complaining. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:07.519 Maybe I'm just calling for an update. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:13.519 In fact, I'm sure most contemporary Bible scholars agree. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:18.319 But we haven't really seen much change yet. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:26.560 Every time a new English language translation comes out, it still uses the word servant. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.399 And that impacts the meaning of this verse. 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:40.079 Listen, I'm convinced that if Paul wrote this letter here in the 21st century, he would not have used the word servant. 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.639 But unfortunately, the word servant remains. 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:49.519 Now, I must say, I'm not really surprised by that. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:57.519 The original intent of verse 1, the original message of verse 1 is not very popular. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:03.519 People don't want to think they have this type of relationship to Jesus. 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:06.959 They want someone who will be a servant to them. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:15.519 If we preach that Jesus will bind himself to us or as our property, well then fine. 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:19.600 That will fill your church and satisfy the crowds. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:21.519 They'll love that message. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:28.240 Scholars would gladly change the Bible to reflect that delusion. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:40.799 But if we want to accurately convey what Paul thought of himself with respect to Jesus, we would have to use a much more expressive word. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:46.720 Most of you regulars know precisely what word I'm speaking of, don't you? 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:54.639 In fact, most lovers of truth and of the New Testament, especially Paul's portion of it, do. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:09:01.200 The original Greek word is doulos, and it doesn't mean servant. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:11.919 If Paul wanted to communicate the idea of servant as we use the word servant today, there were several other Greek words he could have used. 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:33.679 Now we won't get into that here, but there are Greek words that would better translate into the English word and modern concept of servant, but none of those words are used here because they wouldn't have accurately characterized what Paul was trying to say. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.440 Paul didn't choose those other words. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:41.600 Again, the word he did use is doolos. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:49.200 In fact, let me read you a few definitions of this word from various dictionaries. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:52.320 Now, why are we going to so much trouble? 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:58.559 Well, hopefully that question will be answered through this next little exercise. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:08.240 First, let's read from the venerable standard of all biblical scholarship, Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:25.679 Quote, Dulos, a slave, literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily, frequently, therefore, in a qualified sense, listen to this, of subjection or a subserviency. 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:34.000 Now, you tell me, have you ever heard the word subjection or a subserviency from the pulpit of your church? 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:36.080 I never heard it from mine. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:47.200 Listen, it's long been my goal to get anyone who will listen to know their true relationship to Christ. 00:10:47.360 --> 00:11:00.000 Long ago, I grew tired of people who like to play church, who dare to call themselves Christian without having the slightest clue as to what that means. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.120 I feel like reading from Strong's again. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.440 Dulos, the word that Paul used to describe himself. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:22.559 Dulos, a slave, literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily, frequently, therefore, in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:25.840 Shock on the face of the listeners. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.759 Well, that's pretty strong. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:29.360 That's pretty harsh. 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:30.000 You know what? 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:39.360 Maybe James Strong, the author of the Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary, maybe he was just a little too conservative. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:47.919 Maybe he was just trying to please those mid-19th century Bible thumpers with an over-the-top rendering. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:55.600 Maybe he was only trying to make a point and that the truth is, you know, a little bit further to the left. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.360 All right, let's see. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:02.720 Let's read from the Munz concise Greek English dictionary. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:08.320 Bill Munz is a very well-respected contemporary, meaning today. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:09.600 He's alive today. 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.360 He's still an important Greek scholar today. 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:19.840 His dictionary states this listen, quote, Dulos is a male slave. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.679 Doesn't get any exact than that. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:29.759 But then he adds, I suppose, for well, I'm not going to guess. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:35.519 And then he adds, or servant of various degrees. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:44.559 He finishes the definition by stating that this applies to one, quote, pledged or bound to serve. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:48.879 Now I think that last part is very important. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:13:03.360 In fact, the word do loss comes from the primary Greek verb dio, which means to bind or to be in bounds, in bonds, not bounds, in bonds. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.519 You know what that means, right? 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.600 You know what bonds are. 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:15.360 Bonds are referring to things like chains, shackles, handcuffs, leg irons. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:24.000 The very word do loss carries with it an image of a slave being bound. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:39.600 To bind someone, listen to me, to bind someone means to put their movement under under your total control, whether literally or figuratively. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:50.960 Friends, if you've hired a servant lately and you feel like you can put them in chains to get the work done, well, let's just say the law may be a coming soon. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:58.240 The use of the word do loss is very evocative and specific. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.279 Let me read one more definition. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:11.120 This time we'll consult Spiro's Zodiades, another contemporary, though no longer with us, Greek scholar of great renown. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:11.919 Dr. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:34.320 Zodiades, often referenced complete word study dictionary, states under the entry for dulos, quote, a slave, servant, spoken of in voluntary service, especially, or for example, a slave as opposed to a free man. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:43.279 Now that's clear, I think, but he too adds to his definition, and I actually like this edition. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:58.159 He says that dulos also means, quote, metaphorically spoken, of voluntary service, a servant implying obedience devotion. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:09.440 Now, if I may, I'd like to say this is a perfect compromise between this idea of slave versus servant. 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:21.279 The slavery that Paul speaks of, the slavery that he associates himself with, is one that must be born out of choice. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:28.720 We as Christians must choose to be douloy, which is the plural of doulos. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:37.279 We must choose to be duloy of Jesus Christ because that's the heart of our relationship. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:46.720 Yes, I know John Kelvin would argue with me, as would many others, including many men who I deeply respect. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:51.600 But I must say, listen to me, salvation is a love thing. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.480 Salvation is based on love. 00:15:54.799 --> 00:16:01.600 Christ's love to the Father, the Father's love to us, and our love to the Father and to Christ. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.399 This is a great mystery. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:19.919 But there just happens to be a whole lot of choosing going on in the Gospels, and this applies to our bondage to our Lord. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:29.120 He is our master, literally our master in the slave master sense, in a real way. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:34.879 But it's a matter of choice, I believe. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:44.080 It is, as Spiros Zodiac says, a voluntary service, a voluntary slavery. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:50.240 But that's where the dissimilarity to all other forms of slavery ends. 00:16:50.559 --> 00:17:03.519 All other aspects of the institution of slavery are preserved in our relationship to our good master, except that ours is voluntary. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:04.799 But there's more. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:08.160 Let's read our subject verse again. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:09.359 Romans 1:1. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:20.480 Paul, a servant, a doulos, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.759 Now, this is an incredibly rich statement. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:33.599 At the moment, we're trying to get a clearer idea of why Paul called himself a doulos, a servant, a slave. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:40.799 As we've already discovered, this is not as obvious as it may at first appear. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.960 Now, part of the problem, I believe, is cultural. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:52.960 The world is quite a bit different today than it was in Paul's day, radically different, as a matter of fact. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.759 The societal roles are especially different. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:05.599 Servants and slaves in Paul's day were found at all levels of government and society. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:16.160 Some slaves, some du loi, even became wealthy leaders of men while still being considered the property of someone else. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:32.640 And very often the interaction between different positions in the government, for example, blurred the lines of slave and master, at least in our view, in our cultural view, in our view as we look back. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:40.079 You see, in the ancient East, kings ruled with absolute power. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:48.960 And the relationship between the monarch and his courtiers was very nearly the same as a slave and master. 00:18:49.279 --> 00:19:02.319 Therefore, to be a slave in this sense also carries with it a dignity and an honor and a great deal of authority, even over free men. 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:09.759 Now, perhaps this is the best fit for what Paul is describing here in verse one. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:16.880 As we said before, the members of the church at Rome had not met Paul yet. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:24.960 And as far as we know, this was the only communication they had received from him up to this point. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:32.480 So he is establishing with them his credibility before he even gets started. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:38.160 Listen, he doesn't want anyone picking up this letter and thinking, who's this bozo? 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:42.799 And why does he think he can send us this gibberish? 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:48.559 The early church was nothing like we know of today. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.960 Local churches by and large ran independently. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:57.039 There was really no central leadership to speak of. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.559 And this became a bit of a problem from time to time in the early going. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:14.079 Every convert was a new convert, so guidance was needed and greatly appreciated from those who had experience and authority. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:21.839 Well, in this first sentence, Paul is letting those Roman converts know that he's their guy. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:31.680 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:42.319 Yes, Paul was calling himself a slave, but he was saying he was a very special slave under the employee of the King of Kings. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:51.200 That's exactly what those Roman Christians needed, as well as every other Christian in the world. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:57.599 Someone of authority, someone with influence that knew what he was talking about. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:03.759 And what's more, this was a position that Paul loved. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:07.680 Nothing was more amazing to him than this. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:22.960 You know, reading through his epistles, you just can't help but to pick up on his wonder, astonishment, and joy at being the slave of such a master as this. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:35.359 Nonetheless, what Paul is trying to convey here at the outset is that the contents of this letter carry a great deal of weight. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:43.200 What he has to say is important, as important as any other royal decree. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:52.880 He wants it known that he's speaking on behalf of his master, who is none other than Jesus himself. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.359 But you know, that was always an uphill battle. 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:01.920 Wherever Paul went, this Was a struggle for him. 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:15.839 The constant problem Paul had to face was the well-known, often mentioned fact that he was not a member of that inner circle at the very beginning. 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:21.119 Paul wasn't even Paul in the days that Jesus walked the earth. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:33.279 He was still that devout Jew Saul, who may have been even among those who opposed and resisted the teaching of our Lord during his ministry here on earth. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:43.359 We know he was that afterwards for a while, but what was his attitude as Jesus was spreading that gospel himself while he was here? 00:22:46.079 --> 00:23:00.240 Is convinced that Paul, that Saul, was actually at the crucifixion as one of those who were jeering and mocking and sticking out their bottom lips at Jesus as he was dying. 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:12.079 Of course, Paul was by the time this letter arrived in Rome a convert, but that's sort of the point, because so were those he was writing to. 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:24.559 Some may have wondered, and not just at Rome, but throughout the early Christian world, they may have wondered who this guy was and why anyone should listen to him. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.519 After all, he's no different than we were. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:30.240 What makes him so special? 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:42.079 So just about everywhere he went, he had to spend some time convincing the crowd that he wasn't just any old convert. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:43.759 I'm Paul. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:46.400 I'm a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:53.359 That title at least made people pause and pursue the matter. 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:59.599 Now, one more point to make about this servant of Jesus Christ business. 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:01.920 I love what Dr. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:04.160 Martin Lloyd Jones says here. 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:13.119 I'll just read it because paraphrasing a preacher like Martin Lloyd Jones is a lot like pinch hitting for Miguel Cabrera. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:14.079 Dr. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:14.880 Jones, Dr. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:31.920 Lloyd Jones was the one-time pastor of Westminster Chapel, not Westminster Cathedral, not Westminster Abbey, Westminster Chapel, the same Westminster Chapel, once pastored by another of my pulpit heroes, G. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:33.279 Campbell Morgan. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:34.480 This is what Dr. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:40.079 Martin Lloyd Jones says about this opening verse of the letter to the Romans. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:46.000 Quote, take then this first phrase, a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:50.640 That is who I am, says the apostle, and that is what I am. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:58.480 Now, if you go through his epistles, you will find that this is his characteristic way of describing himself. 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:14.640 He thinks of himself instinctively in terms of this blessed person, as if to say the most important thing about this man, Paul, who's writing to you, is that he is a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:31.279 In other words, whatever else they might know or not know about him, whatever else they might remember or forget, he was anxious that they should at once think of this blessed person who had become the center of Paul's life. 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:42.880 Still quoting, Paul's whole bill Paul's whole being revolved around this person, and he could not think of himself apart from him. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.880 Unquote. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:47.279 To Paul? 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:51.359 That's all he was, and that's all he cared to be. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:58.319 I am a slave, but one who is under the direct authority of the king. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:07.119 No, not just any slave, but a slave on a mission, a sent mission in the service of the crown. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:12.000 And that, by the way, is what an apostle is. 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:19.599 An apostle is one who has been sent on an assignment, a very important assignment. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:23.279 And that's where we'll pick it up next time. 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:24.480 See you then. 00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:29.599 We hope this study has blessed you. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:39.680 God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:43.519 It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners. 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:45.599 Please join us again soon. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:50.319 New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:27:01.519 For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:09.279 And if God 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