Favorite Chapter

We read the book of Romans for our Disciple Bible Study class this past week, and at our meeting last night, I made the comment that Romans 8 is probably my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. That got me thinking about other chapters (not just verses) in the Bible, and which one really is my favorite. Here are a few of the contenders (excluding any of the Psalms):

• Genesis 1 - The creation story
• Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount
• Luke 15 - Parables of the lost
• John 17 - Jesus prays before his arrest and crucifixion
• Romans 8 - Wonderful summary of Paul's theology - from forgiveness to hope to love
• 1 Corinthians 13 - The love chapter
• Hebrews 11 - The history of faith
• Revelation 21 - The new heaven and new earth

It's interesting to note that I tend to think of the Old Testament in terms of stories, passages, or verses rather than in terms of chapters, which is often how I think of the New Testament. I'm sure that I am leaving out some great chapters, so feel free to comment and leave your thoughts on one or more.

Of these, I think I have to stick with Romans 8 as my favorite, although Revelation 21 (the end of the story) and John 17 (Jesus' prayer for you and me) come in closely behind it. I love Romans 8 because it says so much good stuff:

• "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (verse 1)
• "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you" (verse 11)
• "For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words" (verse 26b)
  
• "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (verse 28)
• "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (verse 31b)
• "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (verse 37)
• "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (verse 38-39)

It's all in there - forgiveness, life in the Spirit, adoption into the family of God, the great hope of our salvation, and God's never failing love! No wonder it was on hearing Luther's preface to the book of Romans that John Wesley's heart was strangely warmed. What an amazing witness to who God truly is in our lives!