The Commands of the Apostles

Book excerpt: The author of The Commands of Jesus presents a companion volume exploring 120 commands from the New Testament’s epistles and apostolic writings. Most studies of the epistles of the New Testament emphasize theology. In The Commands of the Apostles, noted devotional author Michael Phillips instead puts the focus of the practical commands of the Apostolic writers—and how we might follow them in our daily lives. Considering the important command found in Hebrews 6 1 2—“Let us go on to maturity”—Phillips suggests that spiritual maturity requires nothing more or less that attaining Christlikeness through obedience to commands. He therefore asks readers to put elementary doctrines aside and focus instead on the commands we as Christians are called upon to obey.