In this new podcast series, we revisit a book authored by the podcaster several years ago entitled 'What is Man?' This reflection is occasioned by the upcoming annual conference of the British publisher Banner of Truth, who (whether intentionally or not) selected the title of this book as their theme. We will explore our understanding of who man is…

Like the beggar at the Temple gate we need material and financial provision to survive but do we give sufficient thought to our spiritual survival, something only the gospel can provide? The healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-10 draws attention to this and by analogy demonstrates that spiritual safety resides in a personal esperience of the power …

A cowardly Peter denied Christ three times, so what changed him into the fearless powerful preacher of the day of Pentecost? It was, of course, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Chris Boraston reviews the events of the day of Pentecost and traces Peter's failure, restoration and rise to leadership of the New Testament church. The same Holy Spirit …

What did Jesus mean when he said at the last supper "this is my blood of the new covenant"? We explore this question using Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer. 31:31-36) and extend our examination to the other two covenants which affect our eternal destiny, the "old covenant" given at Sinai and the overarching "covenant of promise" made by God with Abraham.…

Following the ascension of Christ, the disciples wait in Jerusalem for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but they are not idle (Acts 1:12-26). They review the fate of the traitor Judas, choose Matthias as his replacement, continue in united prayer and discover the sovereignty of God in all the seemingly chaotic events of the passover week…

The ascension of Christ is described only three times in the New Testament so is it unimportant? By no means! Pastor Chris Boraston explains what it meant to the disciples then and still means to us today. In Acts 1:6-14 we see that Jesus (1) retains his full humanity in heaven and thus his empathy with us, (2) exhibits his full deity, and (3) will…

It is Christ who builds His church not us, but we are his labourers in the work of construction. In this introduction to the Acts of the Apostles, Pastor Chris Boraston shows how the Lord equips His people for the task, providing the power of the Holy Spirit, the blueprint of the Scriptures, the tools of the gospel and the encouragement of His cons…

No building is more secure than its foundations and the only safe foundation for Christian churches and believers is Jesus Christ. So asserts the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:10. Expounding the whole of this chapter, Pastor Chris Boraston points out that only God can make the gospel seed grow and provide a sufficient foundation for life, but we …

Most people have heard some version of the "Christmas story" and many celebrate the event as a holiday, an opportunity for family reunions and a time for giving to good causes. But in this exposition of Hebrews 1, Chris Boraston takes us behind the scenes of celebration to contemplate the divine glory of Christ, who was "made flesh and dwelt among …

Why did God choose poor despised shepherds to be the first recipients of the news of Christ's birth when there were many more "suitable" people who might have been so favoured? Phil Watson explains in a heart-warming but penetrating exposition of Luke 2:8-20. He demonstrates that God consistently "resists the proud but gives grace to the humble" an…

Love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8) whereas prophecies, tongues and knowledge must cease when "that which is perfect" has come. We see that the Greek word translated "perfect" actually means "complete" and that it refers to the completion of New Testament scripture, whereas seeing Christ "face to face" (v.12) refers to our entry into glory, the consumat…

Love hopes and endures (1 Cor. 13:7) but hope concerns the unknown future, so how can love "hope all things"? Answer; because "all things" here mean things that God has promised in His Word and if we love Him we will surely trust Him to honour His promises. In the same way love endures hardship by trusting God and looking at the unseen realities of…

Chris Boraston takes us back to basics, addressing the confusion that often surrounds the concept of new (that is, spiritual) birth (John 3:1-21). We meet Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, who is confused and Jesus Christ, the teacher of Nicodemus and all who receive His words; none can either see or enter the kingdom of God unless they are born ag…

"Love bears all things and believes all things" declares the Apostle (1 Cor. 13:7). But what do these statements mean in practice? We see firstly that "all things" cannot mean "everything" and go on to show that bearing all things means bearing our fellow believer's burdens as far as we are able, while believing all things means believing only what…

Did you know that shepherds used to anoint their sheep with oil to protect their heads from invasive fly-borne parasitic infections? 1 John 2:30 tells us "you have an anointing from thr Holy One" and in this episode Phil Watson discovers this truth in Psalm 23:5 and unfolds how much it means to believers today.…

Did you know that shepherds used to anoint their sheep with oil to protect their heads from invasive fly-borne parasitic infections? 1 John 2:30 tells us "you have an anointing from thr Holy One" and in this episode Phil Watson discovers this truth in Psalm 23:5 and unfolds how much it means to believers today.…

We continue to explore in 1 Cor. 13 the characteristics of the love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" finding seven things that, in its humility, love does NOT do. We contrast these negative statements with the actions and attitudes of human nature exhibited in such things as the protest movements so common in our day.…

We continue to explore in 1 Cor. 13 the characteristics of the love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" finding seven things that, in its humility, love does NOT do. We contrast these negative statements with the actions and attitudes of human nature exhibited in such things as the protest movements so common in our day.…

Matthew 24:1-14. Jesus advises his disciples how to be overcomers in a turbulent world and his words of warning and comfort apply to our own day with even greater force.

In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul tells us what God means by the word "love", something very different from popular usage in our culture today. In this episode we begin to examine the characteristics of love, concentrating on the statement in v.4 that "love is patient and kind, love does not envy". Both kindness and the absence of envy (we will …

What purpose do spiritual gifts serve? Continuing our studies in 1 Corinthians we find the answer as we read the first three verses of chapter 13 alongside Ephesians 4:8-16. We learn firstly that the purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the church. We find secondly that this building up is the joint responsibility of every believer in a local …

What was and is the purpose of spiritual gifts or charismata? Paul begins his three-chapter answer to this question in 1 Corinthians 12:1 and in this episode we consider mainly chapter 12, examining in turn the problem of spiritual gifts, the provider of spiritual gifts and the purpose of spiritual gifts, and applying our conclusions first to the h…

Too busy to please God? We contiue our study of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 by considering the seed that falls on the weed-infested soil. Using the parable of the great feast in Luke 14 we identify the various ways in which the seed, having germinated, may still be choked to death. In contrast, the seed sown on good soil always produces …

Why is our evangelism so ineffective today? Is our evangelistic technique at fault? The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9) helps to put our thinking straight, showing that the problem lies not in the seed nor with the sower but in the soils, namely, those we seek to win for Christ. The ultimate sower is the Holy Spirit, who alone can bring a per…

The OT foretells the coming of Christ but did you know that it also predicts His second coming? In this episode we see that Psalm 2 does both, describing a thousand years in advance how Christ would suffer to secure the salvation of His people but also that He must return to rule the earth with an iron sceptre and carry out the final judgement. Les…

Chris Boraston shows how to abide in Christ as branches in the vine (John 15:1-11). Understand that Jesus is the true vine so shun imitations; obey His words; rely on Him in all things for the branch cannot bear fruit of itself; humbly submit to God's pruning. Finally, through the power of the Holy Spirit, yield fruit that pleases God .…

How can a sovereign God be in control of a dysfunctional world? How can we reconcile God's omnipotence with the rage of nations and the ungodly chaos we see around us? Psalm 2 provides prophetical answers to these questions, explaining what God has done about it by sending His King into the world and establishing His kingdom upon earth.…

Did you know that the Apostle Paul said heresies were necessary? In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 he explains that they help us distinguish real Christianity from false. Discussing the Lord's supper he manages also to explore the nature of heresy and how to negate it.

Visiting preacher Chris Boraston asks "Where did Jesus come from?" and finds the answer in the prologue to John's Gospel. There Jesus is identified as the creator; as the eternal Son and second Person of the Triune God; as the Word of God; as the incarnate Deity; and as the one in whom the Father is revealed to human sight and understanding.…

Few NT passages have caused more contention and debate than 1 Cor. 11:2-16 which deals with headship and head coverings and has earned Paul an undeserved reputation as a misogynist. In revisiting this passage we discuss what it really means and discover applications for churches and Christians today.…

"All things are lawful for me" declares Paul in the opening verse of today's passage (1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:1) and thus proclaims the grand theme of Christian liberty. But he spends his time explaining what it is and how we are to use it. We are to put others first, treat all people with courtesy as we seek to win them for Christ, and ultimately…

Poor sound quality due to recording error; sorry! 1 Cor. 10:13 showed us how to escape temptation individually. The verses that follow (14-23) show us how to do so together in Christian fellowship with emphasis on the Lord's Table ... which defines the church, defies the devil and delights the believer.…

All christians experience temptation and all sometimes yield to it and sin. But in 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul tells us that God provides a way of escape from temptation. What is this way and how can we avail ourselves of it? We find answers and encouragement in today's podcast episode.

When the Israelites traded slavery in Egypt for freedom in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:1-5), God provided for them in six specific ways which foreshadowed his provision for believers under the stii-future new covenant. They gained no profit because of their unbelief but those who embrace God's provisions in the gospel of grace reap rich rewards.…

There were "other gospels" even in Paul's day just as there are today, so we need to know what the authentic apostolic gospel really looks like. We find the answer in 1 Corinthians 9:18-27 where we examine the liberty, strategy and urgency of the gospel Paul preached.

Should Christians defend themselves when criticised or simply turn the other cheek (1 Corinthians 9:1-18)? The Apostle provides the answer by defending his apostleship not out of pride but to protect the Scriptures of which he is the author and the interests of the gospel of God's grace and those who preach it.…

When Peter stood up on the Day of Pentecost he had not only to prove that Christ had risen from the dead but also that He died to bear the sins of those who trust in Him. How did he do it? He relied on Old Testament prophecy rather than the circumstantial evidence or even personal testimony (to which he assigned a secondary role) . Should we not co…

Influencers tell us what we must have to enjoy life and collect commission on the sales they make to gullible followers. But when we turn to the Bible we quickly find that there are spiritual "must-haves" that Christians need if they are to be effective in their service to Christ. We find them in Philippians 4:4-7; joy in the Lord, gentleness towar…

Out of the moral chaos in the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 6:13-20) there emerge God-glorifying views of the unmarried state (married to Christ), the local church (members of Christ) and the everyday Christian life (slaves of Christ, which is perfect freedom).

The "still waters" of Psalm 23 hold hidden truth. Unlike the broken cisterns where the world vainly seeks satisfaction, they provide the pure water that satisfies our souls and provides the eternal life that Christ gives to those who trust in him and who rely upon his grace and power to continually restore their souls throughout this present life.…

We examine the glorious gospel truth of justification by faith in Jesus Christ, considering first the definition of justification, secondly the means of justification and thirdly the fruit of justification. Using 1 Cor. 6:11 as our springboard we see how God has "committed them all to unbelief that He might have mercy on all [that is, Jews and Gent…

How can the worst of sinners be transformed into faithful followers of Jesus Christ? Paul's explanation (1 Cor. 6:11) has a brevity equalled only by its profundity. They are "washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God". We examine this amazing truth.

GUEST MESSAGE BY PHIL WATSON. When will sheep lie down? When they feel safe. When they are properly cared for. And when they are well-fed. As the believer's "good shepherd" the Lord Jesus Christ provides the spiritual blessings which the Psalm symbolises by these physical provisions.

In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Paul rebukes the Corinthians for taking fellow believers to secular courts to obtain redress for wrongs done to them. But this passage opens up a rich study of the biblical principles to apply when Christians disagree.

Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians makes depressing reading but it opens up the grand theme of the forgiveness of a true Christian who falls into sin. We learn that we should deal with such a person firmly but humbly and with a remedial intent, considering ourselves lest we also be tempted.

Paul sets out to teach the wayward Corinthians how to behave in a way that pleases God (1 Cor. 4:6-21). They should imitate him as he imitated Christ. He appeals to OT scripture without giving a reference but we find a definitive statement on the subject in Isaiah 66:2 which we all should follow as individuals and churches.…

Paul presents a high view of the local church in 1 Corinthians 3:16-4:5 declaring it to be the temple of God. But he also warns that it can be destroyed. We see how this can happen and how it can be avoided.

The incarnation of Jesus Christ marked a turning point in human history but also underlined the tragedy of His rejection by the universe He had made, by the people He had chosen and by an unbelieving human race. But there was also an overwhelming triumph, for as many as did receive Him through the grace of God became and still become children of th…

Why and from whom is God's wisdom hidden, and to whom is it revealed? In 1 Cor. 2:6-16 the Apostle explains what he calls the "mystery" of divine wisdom, showing that it is hidden from human understsnding until the Holy Spirit reveals it to those who God calls out of the darkness of sin-blinded minds into the light of the gospel of the glory of Chr…

Why was Paul fearful as he began to evangelize Corinth? (1 Cor. 2:1-5). We consider several reasons and conclude that one was the fear of false conversions among the polytheistic gentiles of that great city. He sought to prevent this by not employing his eloquence and wisdom but focussing on "Christ and Him crucified". Meanwhile God in a special vi…