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Rob Velvet and Bob Satin are the AI-generated voices behind the video shorts we use. Listen to their audio introduction before watching the video shorts.
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A Better Future Now
Video Shorts
In these videos of 60 seconds or less, Rob Velvet discusses key topics covered on A Better Future Now.
LEGEND
Video Transcript
Let’s start with a question: why did Jesus come?
Common answers? He came to die for us, to forgive us, to save us, to make a way to heaven.
While these are all indescribably glorious blessings that are ours because of what Jesus accomplished, they are not the reason Jesus came.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Notice the emphasis on the Father.
He did not say, “No one gets saved” or “No one goes to heaven”.
Jesus came to reveal the Father! He came to reveal God’s parenthood.
You see, the goal is not salvation or heaven, but a love relationship with Father God.
After all, what is salvation but a restored relationship with Father? And what is heaven but the assurance that this restored relationship with Father transcends this present age?
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Let’s start with a question: why did Jesus come?
Common answers? He came to die for us, to forgive us, to save us, to make a way to heaven.
While these are all indescribably glorious blessings that are ours because of what Jesus accomplished, they are not the reason Jesus came.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Notice the emphasis on the Father.
He did not say, “No one gets saved” or “No one goes to heaven”.
Jesus came to reveal the Father! He came to reveal God’s parenthood.
You see, the goal is not salvation or heaven, but a love relationship with Father God.
After all, what is salvation but a restored relationship with Father? And what is heaven but the assurance that this restored relationship with Father transcends this present age?
Article Links
Video Transcript
In Jesus, humanity’s identity crisis is resolved.
You see, I will never know WHO I am, until I know WHOSE I am.
But get this: because God reveals Himself as a Father, I am a child of God!
My identity flows from His nature. Now that I know WHOSE I am, I know WHO I am. A child of God!
Paul makes this so clear in Romans 8.
In Verse 15, he declared that we have “received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’.” We are no longer orphans! We are restored to the Father.
But don’t miss the next part!
Paul continued in Verse 16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God!”
In Jesus, I am restored to the Father. In Jesus, my identity as a child of the Father is forever settled.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
In Jesus, humanity’s identity crisis is resolved.
You see, I will never know WHO I am, until I know WHOSE I am.
But get this: because God reveals Himself as a Father, I am a child of God!
My identity flows from His nature. Now that I know WHOSE I am, I know WHO I am. A child of God!
Paul makes this so clear in Romans 8.
In Verse 15, he declared that we have “received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’.” We are no longer orphans! We are restored to the Father.
But don’t miss the next part!
Paul continued in Verse 16, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God!”
In Jesus, I am restored to the Father. In Jesus, my identity as a child of the Father is forever settled.
Article Links
Video Transcript
The subject of God’s will is complex. On a personal level, it’s often a source of anxiety for many believers. We want to know God’s will, and we worry about missing it.
However, once we’ve settled the question of identity, the question of God’s will at a personal level becomes far simpler.
Remember, my identity flows from God’s nature. Because He reveals Himself as a Father, I am a child of God.
So, God’s will for us? It’s to grow up—to become a mature child: a son or a daughter.
The biblical idea behind the gender-neutral term sonship captures this idea of a mature child growing into their inheritance, reflecting the Father’s heart and representing His family well.
So, what’s God’s will for me?
From the secure place of Father’s love, I’m called to represent Him as His son—wherever I find myself, to use my time, talents and treasures to honour Him.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
The subject of God’s will is complex. On a personal level, it’s often a source of anxiety for many believers. We want to know God’s will, and we worry about missing it.
However, once we’ve settled the question of identity, the question of God’s will at a personal level becomes far simpler.
Remember, my identity flows from God’s nature. Because He reveals Himself as a Father, I am a child of God.
So, God’s will for us? It’s to grow up—to become a mature child: a son or a daughter.
The biblical idea behind the gender-neutral term sonship captures this idea of a mature child growing into their inheritance, reflecting the Father’s heart and representing His family well.
So, what’s God’s will for me?
From the secure place of Father’s love, I’m called to represent Him as His son—wherever I find myself, to use my time, talents and treasures to honour Him.
Article Links
Video Transcript
Let’s begin with a question: what is the Gospel?
Too often, the Gospel is conflated with getting saved and going to heaven.
While salvation and heaven are indescribable blessings, they do not constitute the Gospel message.
In fact, when we conflate them with the Gospel, we miss the vital bit in between—the part that it actually addresses: God’s purpose for creation and humanity’s central role in that plan.
Jesus repurposed the imperial political phrase, “The Gospel of the Kingdom,” to contextualise God’s eternal purpose (Mark 1:14-15)—echoed through the covenants (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic), celebrated in John’s Revelation, but first told in Genesis, Chapter 1. As image bearers, humanity was to steward all creation on His behalf (Genesis 1:26-28).
The good news in Jesus is that, humanity is restored to the Father. Not only does this restore our identity as His children; it also restores our destiny as custodians of all creation.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Let’s begin with a question: what is the Gospel?
Too often, the Gospel is conflated with getting saved and going to heaven.
While salvation and heaven are indescribable blessings, they do not constitute the Gospel message.
In fact, when we conflate them with the Gospel, we miss the vital bit in between—the part that it actually addresses: God’s purpose for creation and humanity’s central role in that plan.
Jesus repurposed the imperial political phrase, “The Gospel of the Kingdom,” to contextualise God’s eternal purpose (Mark 1:14-15)—echoed through the covenants (Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic), celebrated in John’s Revelation, but first told in Genesis, Chapter 1. As image bearers, humanity was to steward all creation on His behalf (Genesis 1:26-28).
The good news in Jesus is that, humanity is restored to the Father. Not only does this restore our identity as His children; it also restores our destiny as custodians of all creation.
Article Links
Video Transcript
Jesus taught a radical new love-morality, a boundary-smashing love that expanded love beyond self, beyond family, to include our neighbour, the stranger and even the enemy (Matthew 5:43-48).
Love, He said, fulfils the moral code where the Mosaic Law failed—a love for God that expresses itself in love for people (Matthew 22:37-40).
When speaking about morality, Paul declared that “love your neighbour” fulfils all the people-focused commandments of the Big Ten (Romans 13:8-10). After listing all commandments six through ten, he emphatically adds, “IF there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”
To ensure no one missed the point, he concluded: “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.”
Yet religion still adds a “but”. Its reflex against Jesus’ radical love-morality is always the same: “But who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29).
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Jesus taught a radical new love-morality, a boundary-smashing love that expanded love beyond self, beyond family, to include our neighbour, the stranger and even the enemy (Matthew 5:43-48).
Love, He said, fulfils the moral code where the Mosaic Law failed—a love for God that expresses itself in love for people (Matthew 22:37-40).
When speaking about morality, Paul declared that “love your neighbour” fulfils all the people-focused commandments of the Big Ten (Romans 13:8-10). After listing all commandments six through ten, he emphatically adds, “IF there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”
To ensure no one missed the point, he concluded: “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.”
Yet religion still adds a “but”. Its reflex against Jesus’ radical love-morality is always the same: “But who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29).
Article Links
Video Transcript
The healing of a divided world is only possible through a people that “keep the unity of the Spirit,” to quote Paul in Ephesians 4:3.
Note, we don’t create this unity. Only the Father can do that, but it is our job to keep the unity the Father creates.
So, how do we do that?
In verses 4 to 6, Paul presents a concise doctrinal statement that foreshadows the later Creeds. While we may be tempted to add to these, they centre on the Godhead, reminding us that what we share with other believers is of far greater substance than what we don’t.
Yet, the real work of unity is found in verses 2 and 3, where Paul calls us to roll up our sleeves and practise humility, gentleness, patience, and a love that upholds one another.
Don’t miss this! The unity of the Spirit is NOT kept by agreement on every theological detail; rather, it’s kept, through self-giving love.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
The healing of a divided world is only possible through a people that “keep the unity of the Spirit,” to quote Paul in Ephesians 4:3.
Note, we don’t create this unity. Only the Father can do that, but it is our job to keep the unity the Father creates.
So, how do we do that?
In verses 4 to 6, Paul presents a concise doctrinal statement that foreshadows the later Creeds. While we may be tempted to add to these, they centre on the Godhead, reminding us that what we share with other believers is of far greater substance than what we don’t.
Yet, the real work of unity is found in verses 2 and 3, where Paul calls us to roll up our sleeves and practise humility, gentleness, patience, and a love that upholds one another.
Don’t miss this! The unity of the Spirit is NOT kept by agreement on every theological detail; rather, it’s kept, through self-giving love.
Article Links
Video Transcript
What many people miss is that the separation of church and state is a two-way street: it protects the Christian faith from government intrusion and shields government from Christian interference. Remember, it was the latter that plagued Europe and drove the pilgrims to flee the corrupt union of Church and State.
Yes, there is everything Biblical about praying that your government honours God in restraining evil, voting for moral policies, and appealing to the public conscience on matters of conviction. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).
But it’s another thing entirely to seek a government that enforces Christianity upon the nation.
Jesus never coerced faith or imposed morality. He was, in fact, most incensed by religious and civil gatekeepers who used religion to control others (Matthew 23).
Sadly, history shows that when men fail to demonstrate Jesus’ self-giving love, they resort to legislating religious law, creating another Empire of Man. (For example, Imperial Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, colonising empires like the Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, French and British, national empires like the Russian, German and South Africa under Apartheid.)
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Video Transcript
What many people miss is that the separation of church and state is a two-way street: it protects the Christian faith from government intrusion and shields government from Christian interference. Remember, it was the latter that plagued Europe and drove the pilgrims to flee the corrupt union of Church and State.
Yes, there is everything Biblical about praying that your government honours God in restraining evil, voting for moral policies, and appealing to the public conscience on matters of conviction. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).
But it’s another thing entirely to seek a government that enforces Christianity upon the nation.
Jesus never coerced faith or imposed morality. He was, in fact, most incensed by religious and civil gatekeepers who used religion to control others (Matthew 23).
Sadly, history shows that when men fail to demonstrate Jesus’ self-giving love, they resort to legislating religious law, creating another Empire of Man. (For example, Imperial Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, colonising empires like the Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, French and British, national empires like the Russian, German and South Africa under Apartheid.)
Article Links
Video Transcript
Jesus transcended the culture wars of His day by refusing to take sides. He didn’t build a “better” conservative movement or a “kinder” progressive one. He refused to play those political games. (For example, Matthew 22:23-33.)
He didn’t take sides—but Jesus wasn’t neutral either. He confronted what was wrong on an issue without being co-opted by who was right on that issue.
Yet He went deeper still. He addressed the mess from a higher vantage point: the panoramic lens of the Father’s heart (John 14:6) and the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15). He remained grounded by advocating for the outcast, the oppressed and the marginalised—those branded as “sinners” by the religious establishment. And He maintained His prophetic appeal by reserving His sharpest rebukes for those who abused power (Matthew 23).
When we become entangled in culture wars, we compromise our prophetic appeal. When party loyalty becomes the lens through which we view faith, we surrendered our moral credibility.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Jesus transcended the culture wars of His day by refusing to take sides. He didn’t build a “better” conservative movement or a “kinder” progressive one. He refused to play those political games. (For example, Matthew 22:23-33.)
He didn’t take sides—but Jesus wasn’t neutral either. He confronted what was wrong on an issue without being co-opted by who was right on that issue.
Yet He went deeper still. He addressed the mess from a higher vantage point: the panoramic lens of the Father’s heart (John 14:6) and the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15). He remained grounded by advocating for the outcast, the oppressed and the marginalised—those branded as “sinners” by the religious establishment. And He maintained His prophetic appeal by reserving His sharpest rebukes for those who abused power (Matthew 23).
When we become entangled in culture wars, we compromise our prophetic appeal. When party loyalty becomes the lens through which we view faith, we surrendered our moral credibility.
Article Links
Video Transcript
Neither Jesus nor any writer of the New Testament ever advocated for a Christian geopolitical nation. It was only when Rome co-opted the Christian faith in the fourth century that church and state became entwined—a union few would deny was unhealthy and contrary to the Gospel.
We are sent into the world; we are not of it (John 17:14–16). Our mandate as salt and light is to transform society from within, not through a religious-political agenda (Matthew 5:13-16).
There is everything biblical about praying that government honours God in restraining evil, voting for moral policies, or appealing to the public conscience on matters of conviction.
But Christian Nationalism is none of these. It is a sociopolitical ideology that seeks to impose Christianity as a state religion, sacralising the nation itself and blurring the line between loyalty to Jesus and loyalty to country. In many respects, it mirrors Islam’s Sharia law.
Such thinking sets up an idolatrous Empire of Man and undermines the church’s prophetic witness. Under such a regime, religious oppression is inevitable—and it opens the door for another faith to usurp government.
A political gospel trades the power of love for the love of power—it’s a false gospel that misrepresents Jesus.
What is Jesus’ response? We don’t need to guess.
John 6:15 reads: “When Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed…”
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Neither Jesus nor any writer of the New Testament ever advocated for a Christian geopolitical nation. It was only when Rome co-opted the Christian faith in the fourth century that church and state became entwined—a union few would deny was unhealthy and contrary to the Gospel.
We are sent into the world; we are not of it (John 17:14–16). Our mandate as salt and light is to transform society from within, not through a religious-political agenda (Matthew 5:13-16).
There is everything biblical about praying that government honours God in restraining evil, voting for moral policies, or appealing to the public conscience on matters of conviction.
But Christian Nationalism is none of these. It is a sociopolitical ideology that seeks to impose Christianity as a state religion, sacralising the nation itself and blurring the line between loyalty to Jesus and loyalty to country. In many respects, it mirrors Islam’s Sharia law.
Such thinking sets up an idolatrous Empire of Man and undermines the church’s prophetic witness. Under such a regime, religious oppression is inevitable—and it opens the door for another faith to usurp government.
A political gospel trades the power of love for the love of power—it’s a false gospel that misrepresents Jesus.
What is Jesus’ response? We don’t need to guess.
John 6:15 reads: “When Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed…”
Article Links
Video Transcript
Jesus did not come to start a new religion. Nor did He come to revive an old one (Matthew 5-7).
Even a casual reader of the Gospels is struck by the contrast between Jesus’ compassion toward those labelled “sinners” and His rebuke of the religious gatekeepers, whom He accused of misrepresenting His Father and leading people into bondage (Matthew 23).
To put it plainly, Jesus opposed religion in all its guises. He confronted it directly and explicitly whenever and wherever it surfaced. He stripped religion bare, showing its worthlessness and warning of its danger.
Of course, religion was humanity’s desperate attempt to reach God. But in bridging the chasm, Jesus ended all need for religion. He revealed a new way of living from the Father’s heart that transcends religion entirely.
So, it begs the question: Why do we, the followers of Jesus, propagate a religion in His name?
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Jesus did not come to start a new religion. Nor did He come to revive an old one (Matthew 5-7).
Even a casual reader of the Gospels is struck by the contrast between Jesus’ compassion toward those labelled “sinners” and His rebuke of the religious gatekeepers, whom He accused of misrepresenting His Father and leading people into bondage (Matthew 23).
To put it plainly, Jesus opposed religion in all its guises. He confronted it directly and explicitly whenever and wherever it surfaced. He stripped religion bare, showing its worthlessness and warning of its danger.
Of course, religion was humanity’s desperate attempt to reach God. But in bridging the chasm, Jesus ended all need for religion. He revealed a new way of living from the Father’s heart that transcends religion entirely.
So, it begs the question: Why do we, the followers of Jesus, propagate a religion in His name?
Article Links
Video Transcript
Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The link between faith and hope is clear, yet the context of this statement is often overlooked.
The author of Hebrews was writing to believers facing immense hardship, calling them to endure by holding fast to divine hope.
Get this: the preceding verses point to a hope centred on Jesus’ Parousia—His return! (Hebrews 10:35-39).
Simply put, biblical hope enables us to live “this day” in the light of “that Day” (2 Timothy 4:8).
Can you imagine a world where every human being lives for the glory of God and the good of His creation?
Then you are seeing a glimpse of the age to come … and you’ve tapped into divine hope.
Are you now, in response to this Parousia vision, living in such a way as to bring this to pass?
If so, you are now living, by Biblical faith!
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The link between faith and hope is clear, yet the context of this statement is often overlooked.
The author of Hebrews was writing to believers facing immense hardship, calling them to endure by holding fast to divine hope.
Get this: the preceding verses point to a hope centred on Jesus’ Parousia—His return! (Hebrews 10:35-39).
Simply put, biblical hope enables us to live “this day” in the light of “that Day” (2 Timothy 4:8).
Can you imagine a world where every human being lives for the glory of God and the good of His creation?
Then you are seeing a glimpse of the age to come … and you’ve tapped into divine hope.
Are you now, in response to this Parousia vision, living in such a way as to bring this to pass?
If so, you are now living, by Biblical faith!
Article Links
Video Transcript
Eschatology means the study of “last things.” Popular left-behind thinking has reduced it to an obsession with decoding end-time events.
Yet Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6-8).
He then made our focus clear: “The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
His focus was the advancing Kingdom of God, not so-called signs of the times. His vision imparts faith, not fear!
Thus, the early church lived in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return. They were not deceived or deluded.
Rather, they understood what many miss: the coming of Jesus isn’t a timeline to track, or a code to crack.
It’s a posture to embrace, as we partner with the Father in His Kingdom come, His will manifest on earth (Matthew 6:9-10; Isaiah 9:6-7).
Article Links
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Video Transcript
Eschatology means the study of “last things.” Popular left-behind thinking has reduced it to an obsession with decoding end-time events.
Yet Jesus said, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6-8).
He then made our focus clear: “The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
His focus was the advancing Kingdom of God, not so-called signs of the times. His vision imparts faith, not fear!
Thus, the early church lived in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return. They were not deceived or deluded.
Rather, they understood what many miss: the coming of Jesus isn’t a timeline to track, or a code to crack.
It’s a posture to embrace, as we partner with the Father in His Kingdom come, His will manifest on earth (Matthew 6:9-10; Isaiah 9:6-7).
Article Links
Video Transcript
Biblical Accommodation is the principle that God accommodates the language, culture, understanding and even weaknesses of human beings, working graciously to lead all people into a fuller knowledge of His truth.
In short, God worked with what He had.
For example, in an ancient, violent age, God’s redemptive work had to start with the violent, simply because there was no one else. He chose those who were relatively less violent and guided them toward greater humanity, teaching the sanctity of life while restricting the use of violence to self-preservation, self-defence and righteous judgement.
While God continues to work with what He has today, in Jesus the Father calls us to perfect self-giving love—even for those we would deem our enemies (Matthew 5:43-38).
Biblical Accommodation—an ancient Jewish hermeneutic principle recognised by theologians such as Origen, Augustine, Luther and Calvin—is reflected in the wisdom writer’s words: “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).
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Video Transcript
Biblical Accommodation is the principle that God accommodates the language, culture, understanding and even weaknesses of human beings, working graciously to lead all people into a fuller knowledge of His truth.
In short, God worked with what He had.
For example, in an ancient, violent age, God’s redemptive work had to start with the violent, simply because there was no one else. He chose those who were relatively less violent and guided them toward greater humanity, teaching the sanctity of life while restricting the use of violence to self-preservation, self-defence and righteous judgement.
While God continues to work with what He has today, in Jesus the Father calls us to perfect self-giving love—even for those we would deem our enemies (Matthew 5:43-38).
Biblical Accommodation—an ancient Jewish hermeneutic principle recognised by theologians such as Origen, Augustine, Luther and Calvin—is reflected in the wisdom writer’s words: “The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).
Video Transcript
What was Paul’s primary passion? Advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom!
What was his primary concern? That believers and church communities would uphold the witness of Jesus, because the advance of the Kingdom depended on it.
See Paul through that lens and his approach comes into focus.
Take slavery as an example. Why didn’t he attack it head-on?
In the first century, dismantling slavery would’ve collapsed the social order, harmed the most vulnerable, and stalled the advance of the Kingdom.
It wasn’t a battle for that moment, the world not yet ready for the better way—a clear example of Biblical accommodation.
But Paul didn’t stay silent.
He planted the seeds for slavery’s eventual demise (Galatians 3:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Philemon), giving later generations the tools they needed to face the battle when the time was right.
The point? His primary concern was the church’s public witness so that his primary passion, the Gospel of the Kingdom, could flourish.
Article Links
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Video Transcript
What was Paul’s primary passion? Advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom!
What was his primary concern? That believers and church communities would uphold the witness of Jesus, because the advance of the Kingdom depended on it.
See Paul through that lens and his approach comes into focus.
Take slavery as an example. Why didn’t he attack it head-on?
In the first century, dismantling slavery would’ve collapsed the social order, harmed the most vulnerable, and stalled the advance of the Kingdom.
It wasn’t a battle for that moment, the world not yet ready for the better way—a clear example of Biblical accommodation.
But Paul didn’t stay silent.
He planted the seeds for slavery’s eventual demise (Galatians 3:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Philemon), giving later generations the tools they needed to face the battle when the time was right.
The point? His primary concern was the church’s public witness so that his primary passion, the Gospel of the Kingdom, could flourish.
Article Links
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Dayspring Project
Video Shorts
In these videos of 60 seconds or less, Bob Satin discusses key ideas covered on the Dayspring Project.
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