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Daily Bible Study

December 15, 2022 Bible Study — Avoid Godless Chatter And Foolish Arguments

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  2 Timothy 1-4.

As I read this I pulled out some verses which I think sum up Paul’s message to Timothy in this letter.  I may not quote them here as I try to write about how they connect together to help us manage our lives in Christ today, but I wanted you to know why what I write below comes out the way it does.

Paul calls on Timothy not to be ashamed of his testimony about the Lord, nor about the suffering which Paul was experiencing.  Paul himself had no shame in these things because he knew God in whom he believed and was completely convinced that God could guard his spirit and soul which Paul and entrusted unto Him.  I also know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard me until the Day when I will need guarding no longer.  This knowledge will help us to follow Paul’s advice on avoiding godless chatter and foolish arguments, both of which produce quarrels.  The more we get involved in foolish arguments, or spend our time talking about godless things the more ungodly we become.  On the other hand, the more we fill our thoughts with godly things the more we will find ourselves focusing on and doing God’s will.  When we find ourselves disagreeing with others, listen carefully to what they say, compare it to what is written in the Scriptures, and pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  If what they say passes these tests, allow yourself to be corrected.  On the other hand, if what they say does not align with the Scriptures, be prepared to gently instruct them in the hope that God will draw them to His truth so that they may escape the trap which the devil has laid for them.  The thought which helps me remain calm and gentle in such discussions is the realization that they will only come to the truth if God draws them to it.  Do not fall into the trap of thinking that you will bring them to God by force of reason, or force of personality.  I struggle with that.  All too often I fall into the trap of trying to use my intelligence and wisdom to bring someone to the Lord.  I have allowed God to speak through me just often enough to believe that He may do so again, but all too often when I try to speak God’s message I speak my message rather than God’s.

 

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

Daily Bible Study

December 14, 2022 Bible Study — Do Not Believe Those Who Preach Godliness As The Path To Wealth

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  1 Timothy 5-6.

Paul again warns Timothy against false teachers towards the end of this letter.  He describes them as being conceited and having an unhealthy interest in controversy.  Rather than pursuing godliness for the sake of goodness, they see godliness as a means to gain wealth.  Paul advises that we should be content with sufficient food and clothing, warning that those who who want to get rich run the risk of falling into traps and temptation.  In particular, Paul points out that the love of money has led many into sins of various sorts.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 13, 2022 Bible Study — Society Will Not Be Transformed For The Better By Enacting The Correct Laws

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  1 Timothy 1-4.

Early in his letter to Timothy, Paul writes that Timothy should command some people to stop teaching false doctrines.  He tells Timothy that these people want to be teachers of the law, but do not actually know what they are talking about when it comes to the law.  Then Paul says something to which I think we should pay more attention than we do: the law is not for the righteous, but for lawbreakers and the ungodly.  The law is for those who are constantly looking for loopholes.  You know, the people who constantly say, “Well, there wasn’t a rule against it,” as justification for something they have done which caused problems.  On the other hand, those who seek to do good, who seek to advance the interests of others do not need a set of rules which lay out what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behavior.  So, we do not create a righteous society by having the correct laws.  No, we bring about a righteous society by following Paul’s second piece of advice to Timothy; pray for all people.  If we want to transform society into the kingdom of God, and we should desire to do so, we must lift our hands in prayer, without anger or dispute.  Instead of adorning ourselves with expensive clothes and jewelry we should adorn ourselves with good deeds.  Let us pray for everyone, especially those in authority, not praying that they do what we think best, but that they do God’s will.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 12, 2022 Bible Study — Those Who Refuse To Believe The Truth Embrace Wickedness

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

In his second letter to the Thessalonian Believers, Paul begins by refuting the claim that Jesus had already returned.  Paul makes clear that there will be no doubt when Jesus has returned.  It will be clear to everyone.  Further, he writes that Christ’s return will be preceded by the rise of “the man of lawlessness”.  When I read what Paul writes here I go back and forth between believing that when Paul refers to “the man of lawlessness” that he is referring to a singular individual, or to society becoming lawless in its entirety.  In any case, Paul tells us that God will allow “the man of lawlessness” to spread delusion to those who choose to embrace wickedness rather than believe God’s truth.  If you look around at the people you know you can see how those who refuse the truth of the Gospel instead easily believe lies, often because they wish to embrace wickedness in one form or another.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 11, 2022 Bible Study — Those Who Follow Christ Should Not Fear Death

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

In his letter to the Thessalonian Believers, Paul repeats his warning against sexual immorality, and contrasts it with living a holy and honorable life.  He, also, connects it once again with taking advantage of others.  As he transitions to other topics Paul contrasts sex outside of marriage with loving others.  Paul directly contradicts the idea in our society that having sex with someone other than your spouse is an act of love.  Paul emphasizes that one aspect of loving others is minding your own business and having a productive job.  We should live our daily lives in a way which generates respect from those who are not Believers and avoid, as much as possible, being dependent on others.

Paul then goes on to what I believe is the main point of his letter.  He encourages his readers not to grieve over the death of their loved ones who are Believers.  We need not grieve because we know that God will raise those who have died in Christ, just as He raised Christ.  We have God’s promise that He will do this when Christ returns.  Further, those of us who have not yet died will be transformed into heavenly beings and live with Christ for eternity.  Aware that his reference to Christ’s return will cause some to attempt to determine when that will occur, Paul tells us that the time will come like a thief in the night, echoing Jesus’ statement that no one knows the day or the hour.  Nevertheless, those of us who are Believers should be prepared for it when it comes.  We should live our lives as if Jesus will return at any moment, because He indeed might.  As my father used to say, we should live our lives as if this day will be our last, but prepare for the future as if we will live indefinitely.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 10, 2022 Bible Study — Do Not Treat Others As Objects, Or Objects As More Important Than Others

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  Colossians 1-4.

I have always struggled to explain Paul’s advice to not to be bound by rules with his condemnation of sexual immorality and greed.  I understood his point but found it hard to explain the difference between the rules we should not let bind us and the “rules” which should bind us.  I realized today that the rules Paul tells us to ignore are about items, what we eat or drink, following specific rituals, taking certain actions on specific days.  While the “rules” he tells us to follow are about how we treat, or think about, other people.  Sexual immorality involves treating other people as no more than objects to satisfy our desires.  Greed involves treating objects as having more importance than others.  Anger, malice, slander, and lies involve believing that others are less important than ourselves and our desires.  Foul language makes us feel that our anger and rage are justified.  Instead of those we should act with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  All of these can be summed up, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, as love.  As I noted yesterday, if we make the effort to be thankful for the good we have received we will find it ever easier to do as Paul writes.  That is, the more we remember to be thankful for the undeserved grace which we have received from God the easier it will be to patiently, humbly, treat others with compassion and kindness.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 9, 2022 Bible Study — Rejoice In The Lord Always

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  Philippians 1-4.

Everything Paul writes in his letter to the Church in Philippi can be summed up by three things: be humble, don’t worry, and rejoice.  Paul starts out by rejoicing that he is imprisoned, because his imprisonment has inspired others to proclaim the Gospel without fear.  Some of them did so out of envy of, and rivalry with, Paul, but for Paul that doesn’t matter.  All that matters to Paul, and all that should matter to us, is that Christ is preached.  Further, Paul was under significant threat of being executed at that time (and we know that he was executed not long after this letter was written).  Yet even that was cause for him to rejoice.  On the one hand, he might be delivered to go on living and doing the work which God gave him.  On the other hand, he might die, in which case he would be with Christ, which would be even better.  Both possible outcomes were sources of joy for Paul.

Paul then turns his attention to his readers and writes that they (and we) should value others above ourselves and look out for the interests of others against their own (our own).  We should not grumble or complain about what we do, nor do anything for our own glory or honor.  Whatever we have attained in this world, let us release so that we can fully embrace Christ.  Paul writes that we should not be anxious about anything, rather we should present everything to God in prayer.  He even gives us a hint about how we can pray so as not be anxious.  If we give thanks to God about what He has already done for us while we are praying about our currently perceived problems, we will be less likely to worry about the troubles we currently face.  In addition, Paul writes that if we focus on the positive things around us, we will find ourselves too busy rejoicing to worry.

whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I love that list of things we should be thinking about.  If we fill our minds with such things, we will not have time to think about that which might lead us to worry, and we will find ourselves rejoicing.  Let us learn, as Paul did, to be content with what we have, whether little or much.  When times are bad, let us rejoice because God has seen fit to allow us to suffer a little bit like Christ did.  And when times are good, let us rejoice because God has given us that which we can share with others.

 

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

Daily Bible Study

December 8, 2022 Bible Study — Humbly Putting On The Armor Of God

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  Ephesians 4-6.

At the end of his letter to the Church in Ephesus Paul writes that we should put on the full armor of God.  He describes that as the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, fitting our feet with the readiness which comes from the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith, wearing the helmet of salvation, and wielding the sword of the Spirit.  All of that is a good summation of how we can be prepared for battle against the spiritual rulers, powers, and authorities of this dark world.  However, I think truly understanding that armor requires us to look at Paul’s instructions from earlier in today’s passage.  We learn the readiness of which Paul wrote by being humble, gentle, and patient.  We truly wear the belt of truth when we speak the truth, and not just any truth, but that truth which is helpful in building up others.  We should never use the truth as an excuse to hurt others (NOTE: sometimes truth which others need to hear in order to become better people hurts, but sometimes we tell ourselves we are telling the hurtful truth because we are trying to help, but we really just want to hurt the other person).  We cannot put on the helmet of salvation until we get rid of bitterness, rage, brawling, slander, and every other form of malice.  Finally, we must put aside all sexual immorality, greed, and idolatry in order to put on the breastplate of righteousness.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 7, 2022 Bible Study — Reconciled To God, And Through Him, To All Other People

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

Paul writes here that we are saved by grace, through faith.  But, that faith is a gift from God as well, so we cannot even boast to be better than others because of our faith.  Paul emphasizes that we are not saved by works, we are not saved by doing good.  Our salvation is entirely a gift from God, our actions have no impact on that salvation.  However, Paul’s next sentence puts an interesting twist on this.  God has given us these gifts in order that we might do good works, works which God prepared in advance for us to do.  As a result of Paul’s teaching about salvation by grace, many people think that we have no reason to do good.  So, Paul writes that we are not saved because of the good works we do, or anything else we have done or will do, but that our salvation results in us doing good works.

Paul points out that before our salvation, before our adoption as children of God, we were divided up into various groups and tribes in conflict with each other.  However, God reconciled us to Himself, and, through that reconciliation to God, to each other.  No longer are we strangers, foreigners, or enemies of anyone who has also accepted God’s gift to be adopted into His Family.  Rather, we are citizens together with them of the Kingdom of God.  I find an interesting corollary to this.  Since our citizenship in the Kingdom of God did not result from anything we did, or anything we were, we should not view anyone as a foreigner, stranger, or enemy, because how can we know that God will not extend His gift of adoption to them through gifting them with faith in Him at some point in the future, if He has not done so already?  Anyone we meet and/or interact with may be, or may soon become, a piece in the building of God’s Holy Temple, no matter how they act, or what they look like.  Let us be reconciled to all others, even if they refuse to be reconciled to us.

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

Daily Bible Study

December 6, 2022 Bible Study — Let Us Not Become Conceited

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Today, I am reading and commenting on  Galatians 1-6.

Here, in his letter to the Galatian Believers, Paul warns against following teachers who fail to preach Christ crucified.  Paul writes that we have been freed from the Law of Moses by putting our faith in Christ.  He tells us that we have been freed from the Law by putting our faith in Christ.  We should not allow ourselves to be enslaved once more.  However, our freedom does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be caught up once more in doing sinful things.  Our faith has allowed the Spirit to live within us, so we should live within the Spirit and according to the Spirit.  We should not gratify our fleshly desires by partaking in sinful actions such as sexual immorality, selfish ambition, factions and envy, and the other sins Paul lists here.  Instead, we should follow the Spirit and serve our fellow Believers with humility.  As I read this, it seems that the preachers against whom Paul was writing suggested that it was okay for one to indulge in the fleshly desires Paul described here as long as one followed the rituals of the Law of Moses (such as getting circumcised).  I am going to finish with a few verses from this passage which I find inspiring:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

 

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