That’s right. What if the authors of the 27 books of the New Testament of the Bible had been limited to only one “tweet” on “Twitter” in order to get their main point across? That’s kind of a strange question and scenario, but in our “tweet-happy” world, maybe not so far-fetched.
I would actually have two answers to that question. First, I would say that we would be without so many of our favorite and beloved passages. But second, I would celebrate the rich Truth so easily brought into our minds and hearts in such a short and simple way.
Others before me have proposed “one-verse” capsules, but I share these with you labeled as “Bible tweets.” Please forgive me if any of them exceed 140 characters, but they’re close. I guarantee you that these will be the best tweets you’ll ever be tweeted!
• Matthew: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (5:48)
• Mark: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (10:45)
• Luke: “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (15:32)
• John: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (11:25)
• Acts: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (1:8)
• Romans: For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (3:28)
• I Corinthians: For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1:25)
• II Corinthians: For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (5:21)
• Galatians: Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (4:6)
• Ephesians: One Lord, one faith, one baptism. (4:5)
• Philippians: And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (2:8)
• Colossians: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (1:15):
• I Thessalonians: Rejoice always. (5:16)
• II Thessalonians: To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power. (1:11)
• I Timothy: Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (6:12)
• II Timothy: By the Holy Spirit Who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. (1:14)
• Titus: He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the #Holy Spirit. (3:5)
• Philemon: I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. (12)
• Hebrews: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (12:1)
• James: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (1:27)
• I Peter: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (2:9)
• II Peter: He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (1:4)
• I John: Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (4:8)
• II John: And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. (5)
• III John: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (4)
• Jude: Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (3)
• Revelation: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (21:1)
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[Kollmeyer is Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. If you’re looking for a church with sound Biblical faith, please come.]
