Monthly Archives: December 2020

Daily Bible Study

January 1, 2021 Bible Study The Original Sin: Not Being Satisfied With The Way In Which God Made Us

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 1-3. When I started this blog I initially decided to use the New Living Translation(NLT) for various reasons.  The reason which continued to apply was that, because it was a translation I had not used in any other setting, it provided me with a fresh look at the passages.  I realized during the last year that I have been using the NLT for this blog for so long that it no longer lets me see the passages from a fresh perspective.  SO, I decided that come the new year, which has now come, I would switch to using the NIV, which overall I prefer to other translations.

I am not quite sure where I am going with this, but I think I see a message for us from bits from each of the two creation stories and the story of the Fall.  In the first of the two creation stories (which I believe to be two different perspectives on Creation, not competing and contradictory stories), we learn that God created mankind in His image, and as male and female.  I think it is telling that the composer of this story included the idea that God made mankind male and female in the part where we are told that God created mankind in His image.  Then, in the second creation story, after Adam has reviewed all of the animals and found none of them a suitable partner, God makes a woman from one of Adam’s ribs.  The primary point of this part of this story being that Adam and Eve were one.  The writer editorializes that this is why a man leaves his mother and father and is joined with his wife.  This passage is the foundation of marriage.

Finally we come to the story of the Fall.  Adam and Eve sinned because they were not content to be as God had created them.  The serpent convinced them that if they ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would be better than they were as God had created them.  This was their sin, they thought that God had not gotten it right and that they could do it better,  I think if you look around you can see how people today still think that God did not get it right and that they can improve on how He has made them.

Daily Bible Study

December 31, 2020 Bible Study It Is Finished

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 20-22.

The first thing which struck me was what the One sitting on the throne said to John after the new Jerusalem came down upon the new earth.  It was the phrase, “It is finished”.  This is the same thing which Jesus said upon the cross just before He died.  Perhaps I am mistaken, but I believe that John intended for us to make the connection of Jesus’ death bringing about the new heaven and the new earth.  I find it hard to fully express the comforting thought which this gives me.  It is finished.  Satan fights on, but he has already been defeated, and he knows it.  In the face of the trials and tribulations which we face let us remain faithful and never forget that it is finished.  For those who faithfully serve God there will be no more death, or suffering, or sorrow, or pain. It is finished and the promise is fulfilled, even if we do not yet experience the fulness of that promise.

Daily Bible Study

December 30, 2020 Bible Study The Rulers Of This World Hate That Over Which They Rule

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 17-19.

I find this portion of John’s vision this morning interesting.  So, as I understand the explanation, the woman who sat on the great beast with seven heads and ten horns is the country or city which rules over the world.  Additionally, the seven heads and ten horns of the beast represent kings who ruled her.  Nevertheless, those kings hated the woman and worked together to destroy her.  Let that sink in.  Those who rule over the most mighty nation of the world when John’s vision takes place hate that nation and work to take all of its wealth, destroying that nation.  Then a little further on we discover that those rulers, and their followers, stand against the One who is Faithful and True: they stand against all that is faithful and true.

Daily Bible Study

December 29, 2020 Bible Study Do We Need a Permit From the Beast To Buy and Sell

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 13-16.

As with much of yesterday’s passage I am unsure of the meaning of today’s passage, but there are some things which are clear to me.   One thing I think will be useful is to follow some of the threads which weave through this account.  Yesterday’s passage ended with the dragon pursuing the woman and her children.  The dragon is Satan, the one who promotes evil in the world.  Today’s passage begins with a beast which rises out of the sea.  This beast had been fatally wounded, yet lived.   I am not quite sure of the complete meaning of that fact, but the way in which it keeps getting mentioned makes me sure John wanted us to see it as an imposter to Jesus, Who had died and then rose from the dead.  The dragon gave its power to this first beast.

Then a second beast rose out of the earth and exercised the power of the first beast.  This second beast used the power it received from the first beast (which had received its power from the dragon) in order to make everyone worship the first beast.  This second beast caused a statue to be made of the first beast and then gave the stature the power to speak.  In describing the statue of the first beast, John felt it important to reiterate that the first beast had been fatally wounded, yet lived.  Once the statue was given speech it demanded that anyone who did not worship it be killed.  Further, it (or perhaps the second beast, the wording always leaves me unsure of this) required that everyone have a mark in order to buy or sell anything.  In light of the way things work today I find it somewhat disconcerting to realize that John is telling us that in the last days people will require a permit from the government of the beasts in order to buy or sell anything.

Daily Bible Study

December 28, 2020 Bible Study The Last Days Will Not Be Short

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 9-12.

Every year when I read this passage I try to find an interpretation of the events John describes which feels like what John predicted, and every year I fail to be satisfied by what comes to my mind.  However, there are several things which are clear to me.  First, each trumpet blast takes place some length of time after the previous (for example, the suffering after the fifth trumpet blast lasts for at least five months). Next, the suffering brought about in response to the trumpet blasts was not directed at those who had been marked as being among those who serve God.  The final thing from this passage I want to comment on today applies to circumstances outside of those being described in this vision.  Those who experience plagues and other suffering because of their rejection of God will not respond to that suffering by repenting of their sin and turning to God.  This last never ceases to amaze me when I consider the number of people I have known who experienced suffering brought about by their own actions, yet refused to change those actions in order to reduce their suffering.

I am fascinated by the the account of the small scroll, the one of the two witnesses, and of the woman and the dragon.  Despite having some thoughts on those portions of today’s passage, I find myself unable to put those thoughts into a form which would allow me to write about them here.  Perhaps I should seek a small group study of the Book of Revelation where we can talk about what to make of these things.

Daily Bible Study

December 27, 2020 Bible Study Worthy Is The Lamb To Open The Scroll

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 4-8.

I do not believe that I have ever noticed before that in his vision of Heaven and the opening of the scroll John once again presents the idea that Jesus is both separate from God and God ( a central idea of the doctrine of Trinity).  So, John tells us that the twenty-four elders periodically bowed down to the one sitting on the throne (God the Father) and say “You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power.”  Then, when the Lamb (Jesus) comes forward and is given the scroll they bow down to Him and say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”  Notice how similar these two statements are.

I know I have mentioned this in previous years, but I think it is worth highlighting again.  The four horsemen mentioned in this passage do not ride out together.  Each of them rode forth before the next one was summoned after the breaking of the next seal.  I have some thoughts about the meaning of each of the four horsemen and how they are related to each other, but that is not the direction I want to go today with this blog.  I want to instead focus on the delay between each seal being broken.  Each seal is broken, then something happens before the next seal is broken.  It would be easy to read this as happening in quick succession, but I believe we are intended to perceive a delay between each seal.  I think this becomes most clear after the breaking of the sixth seal when one angel shouts for those holding back the winds to wait until those who serve God have been marked.  Those who serve God will be marked and protected when God pours out His judgement upon the earth.  One last point I want to make: reading this it would be easy to feel like the seven trumpets which are blown after the seventh seal is broken are separated by as much time as each of the previous seals.  However, I believe that each of the seals were broken with a significant pause in between for what happens after them, while the seven trumpets are blown in relatively quick succession.

Bible Study

December 26, 2020 Bible Study The One Who Is, And Was, And Is To Come

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

I want to comment on what Jesus said to John at the beginning of John’s vision.  Actually, I want to go back to what John wrote in his introduction, and forward into the intro portion of the message to each of the seven Churches.  In his introduction, John writes that God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,  I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”  Then when Jesus first speaks to John in John’s vision He says, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”  So, we see Jesus telling John that He is God, that He was with God in the beginning and will be with Him at the end.  For me, this passage represents the starting point for understanding the idea of the Trinity.  Yet, there is much more to it than that.  It is a message of hope.

If we go on and look at the introductions to the message to each of the seven Churches, we see the theme continued.  In the message to the Church of Ephesus, Jesus describes Himself as the “one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands.”  The “seven stars” are the angels of the seven Churches…their spirits, or their essence.  So, Jesus is telling John that He holds our essence, our spirit, in His hand.  In the message to Smyrna, He says He is the One who was dead, but is now alive.  Death has no power of Him, and since He holds us in His hand, death has no power over us.  To the Church in Pergamum, He describes Himself as the one who wields the sharp two-edged sword.  This is both a promise and a warning.  Because He holds the sharp sword, He can, and will, strike down our enemies.  Because that sword is two-edged, He can strike us down if we turn against Him.  To Thyatira, He describes Himself as having eyes of flame.  Nothing can be hidden from Him, and His gaze can strike down those who think their evil is hidden.  To Sardis, He says that He has the sevenfold Spirit of God.  Being sevenfold indicates that God’s Spirit is complete.  We too must seek completeness.  We cannot be satisfied with just a portion of righteousness, but must seek all aspects of it.  To the Church of Philadelphia, Jesus reminds them that what He opens cannot be closed, and what He closes cannot be opened.  When God gives us an opportunity, nothing can prevent us from taking advantage of it.  And when God closes a door nothing can come through it to harm us.  Finally, to the Church of Laodiciea He informs us that He is a faithful and true witness.  What Jesus has said is true and He will not change His testimony.

I hope the words I have written above convey the message of hope which reading this passage inspired in me.

Daily Bible Study

December 25, 2020 Bible Study Warnings Against False Teachers

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Merry Christmas!

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

John’s two letters which we are reading today and Jude’s letter were written to different people.  Yet, all three letters have much the same theme.  The writer in each of these letters emphasizes the importance of loving our fellow believers and not following false teachers.  In fact, I read them as saying that loving our fellow believers will aid us in resisting the teachings of false teachers.  The writers also seem to suggest that following these false teachers leads us to not love our fellow believers.  Each letter also gives us guidance about the sorts of things which false teachers will teach.  In the first letter, John warns us against those who teach that Jesus did not have a physical body, that it is the teachings which are attributed to Jesus which matter, not His actual existence.  In the second letter, John tells us that false teachers will discourage us from listening to anyone but them.  They try to silence all opinions which might run counter to their own.   In the third letter we are reading today, Jude gives us a series of behaviors, each of which provides a warning that someone may be a false teacher..  First, they live immoral lives.  Any one who claims to teach the Gospel, but lives an immoral life is a false teacher.  The other behaviors, while not individually decisive indicators, give us warning signs that a teacher may be teaching false doctrine.  They grumble and complain, they brag loudly about themselves, they flatter others to get what they want from them.  We should also take Jude’s letter as a warning against allowing such behaviors in ourselves.

Daily Bible Study

December 24, 2020 Bible Study Living In the Light of God’s Love

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 John 1-5.

John uses the metaphor of light for goodness and it is really a good metaphor.  In his metaphor, the sun is kind of like God.  Just the sun pushes aside all darkness, so God pushes aside all evil, all sin.  If we live in God’s light, God’s love, we will love all of those who also live in God’s light.  Furthermore, there is no room within God’s light for hate.  In fact, John really focuses his letter on two points. First, he emphasizes the importance of loving one another.  We cannot truly claim to be obedient servants of God if we do not love our fellow believers.  Second, John repeats the point that those who live as children of God will not live in sin.  I have always found John’s way of putting it comforting.  If we do sin, we have Jesus to intercede for us with God.  So, John’s point seems to be that while we may sin after accepting Christ as our Savior, we cannot think, “Oh, that’s OK, God will forgive me,” and just go on sinning.  On the other hand, he also does not want us to despair when we do sin.

Daily Bible Study

December 23, 2020 Bible Study Building Upon Our Faith Enables Us To Avoid the Teachings of False Teachers

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Peter 1-3.

I really like the way that Peter shows us how we should build our lives of faith in this passage. In particular, I think the NIV translation of 2 Peter 1:5-7 gives us the clearest picture.  Following those guidelines will help us escape the corruption caused by sinful desires.  We start with faith.  To which we add goodness, but it is not enough to intend to do good, we must actually know what is good.  Once we know what is good, and therefore what is not good, we must have the self-control to do that which is good.  At that point we must stick it out to continue to do good, even when it doesn’t seem to make any difference in the short term.  As we stick it out, we can either become godly, or become bitter.  Let us choose the former.  Everything Peter writes up to here is very hard, but everyone I have known  who gets to this point has a genuine sense of goodwill (affection) for everyone they meet and truly shows God’s love to everyone. So, by the time you get to the last two steps, they seem to come naturally, or maybe by then you have gotten so used to the hard work of taking the next step that you just do it.  I hope to someday find out which it is.

In any case, Peter goes on the tell us why doing all of that is necessary.  We need to do all of that because there will be false teachers among us who will teach destructive heresies.  But if we have built ourselves up according to the process Peter outlined we will be prepared to resist their clever arguments.  Peter emphasizes that many of these false teachers promote sexual immorality.  Peter saying that about false teachers is interesting to me because when I read about cult leaders the first thing which many of them did which made some people question them was teach some form of alternate sexual practice. Actually, I want to note that Peter spends quite a bit of time in this letter warning us about the dangers of sexual immorality.  Sexual sin entices us away from God and righteousness.  Peter tells us that God rescues godly people from their trials, but the wicked continue to experience punishment.