This Bible study presents marriage as a divine covenant established by God, not a human invention or mere social contract. From the beginning, marriage was designed to reflect God’s purpose, order, and redemptive plan. Rooted in Genesis 1–2, marriage reveals equality in essence between man and woman—both created fully in God’s image—while affirming distinction in function. God declared that it was “not good” for man to be alone, establishing marriage as a partnership of companionship, strength, and shared purpose. The covenant formula of marriage is clear: a man must leave his parents, cleave to his wife in steadfast commitment, and become one flesh—forming a new, unified life together.\nThe New Testament deepens this foundation by revealing marriage as a living picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5). The wife’s calling is one of respectful, voluntary submission that mirrors the Church’s devotion to Christ, while the husband’s calling is to love sacrificially, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. Biblical headship is defined not by dominance, but by service, self-giving, and responsibility shaped by the cross. Together, husband and wife proclaim the gospel through daily acts of love, respect, forgiveness, and faithfulness.\nThe atmosphere of a godly marriage is sustained by agape love—patient, kind, humble, forgiving, and enduring (1 Corinthians 13). Scripture emphasizes mutual honor, shared prayer, and spiritual unity, warning that marital discord can hinder communion with God (1 Peter 3:7). Marriage also sanctifies physical intimacy, which is to be honored and protected within the covenant (Hebrews 13:4).\nIn a fallen world, covenant-keeping requires intentional communication, continual forgiveness, and guarded unity. God Himself stands as witness to the marriage covenant and takes covenant faithfulness seriously (Malachi 2:14-16). Ultimately, a marriage built on obedience to God’s Word, empowered by grace, and centered on Christ will stand firm. When the Lord builds the house, the union becomes a testimony of His faithful love to a watching world.

• Email: hpaulsilas@hotmail.com
• https://apostolicinternational.com/
• Statement of beliefs: https://apostolicinternational.com/statement-of-beliefs
• The sermon: https://apostolicinternational.com/sermons/THE_PROOF_OF_THE_PIERCED_HANDS.pdf

• “The Proof of the Pierced Hands” presents a profound and compassionate exploration of the apostle Thomas, moving beyond the shallow label of “Doubting Thomas” to reveal a disciple marked by fierce loyalty, realism, and deep grief. Long before his doubt, Thomas proved his devotion when he declared, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). His faith was not weak—it was concrete, courageous, and willing to follow Jesus even unto death. Yet this same realism made the resurrection incomprehensible to him.

  When the risen Christ was announced, Thomas demanded proof—not out of rebellion, but out of a need for continuity. He did not ask merely to see Jesus alive; he asked to see and touch the wounds. This fixation reveals a deep theological truth: the risen Christ is forever the crucified Christ. The wounds are not erased by resurrection but carried into glory as eternal testimony to sacrificial love. For Thomas, the wounds authenticated identity—only the crucified Jesus could bear those marks.

  Eight days later, Jesus graciously meets Thomas at the exact point of his doubt, inviting him to touch His hands and side. Whether Thomas physically touched the wounds is not recorded; the invitation itself breaks him. His response—“My Lord and my God”—is the highest confession of Christ’s divinity in the Gospels. The tangible proof leads him to transcendent faith.

  Thomas’s story affirms that Christian faith is not blind irrationality but historically and physically grounded. God is not threatened by honest doubt and meets sincere seekers with grace. The sacraments echo Christ’s ongoing invitation to “reach hither.” Most importantly, the wounded Christ assures believers that suffering is not discarded but redeemed. Our wounds, like His, can become places where resurrected life is revealed. Thomas stands as a witness that honest doubt, brought to Christ, can lead to the deepest and most enduring faith.

• Email: hpaulsilas@hotmail.com
• https://apostolicinternational.com/
• Statement of beliefs: https://apostolicinternational.com/statement-of-beliefs
• The sermon: https://apostolicinternational.com/sermons/THE_THEOLOGY_OF_SILENCE.pdf

• “The Theology of Silence” explores the profound spiritual power of restraint, obedience, and quiet faith through the life of Joseph, the earthly guardian of Jesus. While the Christmas narrative is filled with angelic proclamations and prophetic songs, Joseph stands at the center without a single recorded word. His silence, however, is not emptiness—it is active righteousness expressed through mercy, listening, and obedience.

  Joseph’s crisis begins when Mary is found to be with child during their betrothal. Under the Law, he had the right to expose her publicly, yet as a “just man,” he chose compassion over condemnation, resolving to put her away privately. This reveals the first principle of divine silence: a silence that conceals rather than exposes, reflecting God’s own merciful character. Joseph absorbs potential shame himself in order to protect another, foreshadowing the heart of the gospel.

  The second principle emerges when God speaks to Joseph in a dream. Because Joseph did not fill his anguish with loud protest or self-justification, he was able to hear the voice of God clearly. His response is immediate and unquestioning obedience. He takes Mary as his wife, later flees to Egypt by night, and returns when instructed—each time without recorded complaint or debate. His silence becomes the soil in which divine guidance grows.

  Joseph’s life demonstrates that God often entrusts His greatest mysteries to those who do not need to explain themselves. The Son of God was placed into the hands of a quiet, faithful man who knew how to listen and act. This theology of silence aligns Joseph with biblical figures such as Moses, Elijah, and ultimately Jesus Himself, who stood silent before His accusers.

  In a noisy world obsessed with visibility and opinion, Joseph teaches that true spiritual power is found not in many words, but in humble obedience. Silence, when rooted in faith, becomes a vessel for God’s greatest work.