People knew not to put new wine in old wineskins or a new cloth patch on an old shirt. Likewise, Jesus' new way of life is incompatible with old habits and beliefs!

The Parable of the Cloth and the Wineskins concludes a much longer narrative. The context and reveals deeper meanings and applications of the parable.

What or who is the new man? The new man is Jesus Christ Himself, living in us by His Spirit, once we are baptized into Him.

Sin causes disease, but the person who becomes sick does not necessarily commit the sin. Because God alone can forgive sin, God alone can heal.

Jesus taught that fasting is an internal, spiritual good work, done in the inner self. Any other kind of fasting has little or no spiritual value.

Jesus shared many happy feasts with His disciples and attended banquets and celebrations, much to the chagrin of the self-righteous Pharisees.

Luke's gospel portrays Christ as the son of man, the high priest of man, and the savior of man, having all the feelings, compassions, and aspirations of man.

Repentance involves incorporating God's values, alien to our human nature—ones that will unify us with God and with others who accept His value system.

An irrational fear of loss prevents the development of agape love — we fear that keeping God's commandments will cause us to lose something valuable.

Only a converted person humbles himself before the truth, making a conscientious effort to follow the light of evidence, even to unwelcome conclusions.

God helps us to overcome our problems in an unraveling process, sometimes taking us back through the consequences of the bad habits we have accumulated.

Deuteronomy, which is to be reviewed every seven years, provides us with vision and instruction for living in our spiritual Promised Land.

The term "covenant" describes an agreement made by two parties and "testament" to describe the one-sided commitment made by God to improve the promises.

The minister's main task should consist of exhorting on spiritual matters rather than worldly ones, rejecting the profane in favor of the spiritual.