This is truly the first of the Commands. Its importance is self-evident. The nature of a command requires obedience. A "command" is not a "suggestion." A command is a command. Obedience is compulsory. And yet...there remains such a thing as disobedience.

No name is so familiar to so many as the name Jesus Christ. Familiar...yes. Understood, no.

Jesus, an Obedient Son will be our next port of call.

Separation from the world is not high on the list of objectives for third mellenium Christians. Just the opposite.

It might be said that there are two kinds of Christians in the world--bumper sticker Christians and character Christians.

One of the hallmarks of youth is zealous energy and passionate vision. How well I understand!

Paul was no fan of the welfare state. His disdain for laziness was so strong that he gave the Thessalonians the memorable command, If a man will not work, let him not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

Having seen that scriptural modesty is undermined by an obsessive attempt to fit in with every fashion, we now find ourselves facing the question: How then are we to look in the world's eyes?

It is probably true that on the whole Paul's commands are more difficult for women to swallow than men. Paul irks modern sensibilities.

We take the world's habits and attitudes far too easily and thoughtlessly for granted.