30th, 31st & 32nd Occasions of Believe in Acts - Paul in Ephesus:
Volume 4, Number 42Like Corinth, Ephesus played a key role in the Apostle Paul’s ministry. It was a seaport on the Mediterranean, bustling with commerce and religion but the religion was idolatry. One temple after another to the pagan goddess Artemis (or Diana, as identified in Acts) had been built, destroyed and rebuilt. During Paul’s time that temple was a magnificent marble structure, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient World. Artemis/Diana was the goddess of fertility, its idol was the figure of a woman with multiple breasts and eggs hanging from her body. The temple and city ruins have been partially... Continue reading →
29th Occasion of Believe in Acts & The Apostle Apollos:
Volume 4, Number 41We’ve studied the context of the 27th and 28th occasions of the word “believed” in Acts where used in regard to Paul’s ministry in Corinth: “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed (27th occasion) on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, (28th occasion) and were baptized.” Acts 18:8. Today, we’ll cover the 29th occasion, also involving Corinthians who “believed,” but this time used in relation to the Apostle Apollos’ follow-up ministry there: “And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who,... Continue reading →
The Transitional Nature of the Corinthian Church
Volume 4, Number 40“Believe” in Acts: Part 19 - “The Transitional Nature of the Corinthian Church”:First, let me advise that I misspelled Samson’s name on my website, which was announced in the last Faith Study. I had it spelled Sampson and am surprised that only one reader caught the error. Thanks to that one reader, the error has been corrected on the website.Today’s study was presented at the West Valley Grace Fellowship in Sun City West on October 14, 2018. The video is 55 minutes long and can be viewed from the website below, or downloaded directly using the following link.Video unsupportedhttps://www.faith-studies.com/videos/18-10-14-corinthians-transition.mp4... Continue reading →
Announcing New Faith Studies Website
Volume 4, Number 39Announcing new Faith Studies Website.But first, I’d like to recognize and thank Mr. David Kinkead, Chairman of the Board at Grace Bible Church, Phoenix, AZ for creating the website I’ve used for many years. He has faithfully maintained it and answered my questions about its intricacies. Thank you very much David, I appreciate your friendship and assistance through the years.The old web site will be operational for a few days but the new website is operational, as follows:https://www.faith-studies.comThe new website is titled “Jim Humphrey Consulting - Author of Faith Studies - Investigator/ Consultant.”Below that title are 3 tabs: on the... Continue reading →
Corinth - Paul’s Ministry to Kings, Jews & Gentiles
Volume 4, Number 38“Believe” in Acts: Part 18 - Corinth - Paul’s Ministry to Kings, Jews & Gentiles:Upon arrival in Corinth from Athens, Paul met a Jew named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Aquila was born in Pontus, which is an area along the south coast of what is now the Black Sea, where many Jews took up residency when Israel was driven from their land in the dispersion. (Acts 2:8 indicates there were Jews from Pontus in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and Peter writes to Jews scattered throughout Pontus and other countries, 1 Peter 1:1.) Aquila and Priscilla had been... Continue reading →
Corinth - The Lord Jesus Christ's Words in Acts
Volume 4, Number 37“Believe” in Acts: Part 17 - Paul in Corinth and The Lord Jesus Christ’s Words:The last two Faith Studies published (Vol 4, Nos 35 & 36) were narrated slide shows of observations made during my tour of Israel in May. Prior to that, we were examining the Greek word “pisteu’o,” usually translated believe, found 39 times in the book of Acts. Faith Study Vol 4, No 34 (emailed from Israel in May, incorrectly dated April 14th) covered the 26th occasion of “believe” in Acts, dealing with Paul’s ministry in Athens, Acts 17:15 - 34. From Athens, Paul traveled to Corinth... Continue reading →
Part 2 of Slide Show of Israel Tour - May 2018
Volume 4, Number 36Part 2 Slide Show of Tour of Israel May 8 - 17, 2017:Greetings to All:This issue of Faith Studies is slide show: Part 2 of observations made during my recent tour of Israel. If you were at my church, West Valley Grace Fellowship on June 3rd, you’ve seen it.You should be able to view it by clicking on the following link or copying the link and pasting it in your browser. It’s about 46 minutes in length if you do want to take the time to watch and listen to it. Once you start the movie, it proceed through the... Continue reading →
Part 1 or Slide Show of Israel Tour - May 2018
Volume 4, Number 35Greetings to All:This issue of my Faith Study is a slide show: Part 1 of observations made during my recent tour of Israel. If you were at my church, West Valley Grace Fellowship on May 27th, you have seen it.You should be able to view it by clicking on the following link or copying the link and pasting it in your browser.Its about 50 minutes in length if you do want to take the time to watch and listen to it. Please note there is a slight pause between each slide, but it will go the next one by itself... Continue reading →
Paul in Athens
Volume 4, Number 34Dateline: Jerusalem, Israel“Believe” in Acts: Part 16 - Paul in Athens: Our last study found Paul and his group in the town of Berea (Greece), where, as was his custom, he taught in the Jewish Synagogue, Acts 17:10. He found “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” Acts 17:11 & 12. (This is the 25th instance of the Greek word... Continue reading →
Paul at Thessalonica & Berea
Volume 4, Number 33“Believe” in Acts: Part 15 - Paul at Thessalonica and Berea:After a short hiatus to study for sermons presented on Palm and Easter Sundays, I’m back to our study of the 39 passages the Greek word “pisteu’o,” usually translated believe, are found in the book of Acts. We’ve already examined the 23rd and 24th occasions, both of which reference the Philippian jailer who, in Acts 16:30, asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved and they answered him in Acts 16:31 “... Believe (23rd occasion) on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and... Continue reading →