Commands of Christ

Phebe probably did not realize that two thousand years after the quiet deed of service that her name would still be read and venerated. Little did she know that mothers would one day name their daughters Phebe (or “Phoebe”) in hopes that these little girls would grow up to become helpers and servants in the church, spreading the Gospel light to all around. Phebe was faithful to shine the light of Christ where she was. She did not seek applause. She did not seek recognition. She was a reflection of the true light which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Silas stands in Scripture as a man who learned the value of rejoicing in the midst of persecution. He was a man of deep, sincere humility, often appearing in second place. He was named seventeen times in the Bible, sometimes by his Greek name, Silas, and sometimes by his Latin name, Silvanus. Silas was not at all a minor player in New Testament events; in fact, he was noted to be one of the “chief men among the brethren” (Acts 15:22).

In Matthew 9:9, we read the first salvation testimony in the New Testament. It is the written record of the conversion and call of Matthew the Publican, from the pen of the man himself. According to this Scripture passage, “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”

Tax collectors were despised by all patriotic Jews in the first century. Tax collectors, or publicans as they were called in the Bible, were viewed as collaborators with Roman tyrants at best, and merciless parasites or outright thieves at worst! Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector. He was locally known in the region around Jericho as a chief tax collector, meaning he was not only wealthy but also an overseer of the other tax collectors.

John the Apostle knew what it meant to abide in Christ. It was John who devoted five chapters of his Gospel record to Christ’s discussion with His disciples on the night that He was betrayed. Bible scholars refer to this conversation as the “Upper Room Discourse.” During this discussion, Jesus introduced the imagery of the vine and the branches with these words: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4).

In 2026, for our next study in the MLD series, we believe that the Lord has been leading us toward a survey of the Commands of Christ, specifically how His commands have been obeyed and lived out by His disciples. This ministry has produced many articles, messages, booklets, and podcasts on the Commands of Christ over the years. However, we believe there is fresh ground to cover as we discover how these commands of our Lord have been lived out by men and women throughout history who have loved and served our Savior.