Tag: Pauline Epistle

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1 Corinthians 6

Chapter 6: 1 Corinthians 6: 1-20, lawsuits between Christians, glorifying God in body and spirit.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, open our hearts to hear from the Holy Spirit, open our understanding to apply scripture, and thank You for the ministry of the Word. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to correct, convict, rebuke, teach, train, and instruct us in righteousness, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

VV 1-6, 1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

Concerning lawsuits between Christians, Paul asked five rhetorical questions. He admonished them for going to the court to settle disputes among them. In Pauline theology, all born-again Christians are saints. Greek for saints is “hagio”, which means holy, sanctified, or separated for God. Paul’s position was that any disputes among Christian brothers and sisters should be taken to the local church tribunal instead of going to the secular court.

VV 7-11, 7 Now, therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Paul continued asking three more rhetorical questions. Taking up lawsuits in court to settle disputes among Christian brothers and sisters was already a failure and certainly a bad decision because they would be judged by non-believers. Christians brothers and sisters should try to settle disputes among themselves amicably in the local church. Christians should not deceive, cheat, or shortchanged one another. Unrighteous people who practice fornications, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, thefts, covetousness, drunkenness, or extortions will not inherit the kingdom of God. Christians are justified by faith in Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

VV 12-14, 12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

All things are lawful but not all things are helpful. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food but God is in control the food and the stomach. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and should not be used for sexual immorality. The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. God who resurrected Jesus from the dead will also resurrect Christians from the dead.

VV 15-18, 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Concerning sexual immorality, Paul asked three rhetorical questions. Christ is head of the body of Christ. Christians are members of the body of Christ. Christ is the chief cornerstone, and Christians are the living stones. Paul quoted Genesis 2:24. We should flee from sexual immorality because this is a sin against our bodies.

Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

VV 19-20, 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Paul asked one more rhetorical question. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies do not belong to ourselves but God. Therefore, we should glorify God with our bodies.

Application:

Christ is the head of the church. We are members of Christ. Christ is the chief cornerstone of the church and we are the living stones. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We should take good care of our bodies and not abuse them through reckless and immoral living.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, all things may be lawful but not all things are helpful. Legalism, food, and dietary prohibitions had no bearing on spirituality or righteousness. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices to serve You and sacrifices of praise to worship You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Corinthians 5

Chapter 5: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. The cancer of sexual immorality

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we give You permission to speak to speak, teach, convict, correct, instruct, and train us in righteousness as only You can. We pray for the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

VV 1-2, 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

Someone from the Corinthian church had written a letter to Paul to informed him that a member of the Corinthian church had committed incest but the church turned a blind eye instead of taking action against the culprit.

VV 3-5, 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul was absent from Corinth in person but was with them in spirit. Paul condemned that person, delivering him to Satan in the hope that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord’s second coming.

VV 6-8, 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Concerning sin, Paul asked a rhetorical question. A little bit on leaven in the dough will influence the whole lump. Leaven represents sin. Sin in the church is like cancer and will continue to spread if not radically removed. They should confront that person and persuade him to confess and repent. If he was unwilling to do so, the church would have no choice but to excommunicate him. Passover feast and Passover lamb are foreshadows of Jesus Christ. Passover lamb’s blood painted on the door frames of the Israelite’s houses on the Passover night was a foreshadow of the blood of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Passover lamb was a foreshadow of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

VV 9-10, 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

We should not shy away from non-Christians who are involved in sexual immorality but use this opportunity to share the gospel with them.

VV 11-13, 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Concerning sexual immorality, Paul asked one rhetorical question. We should not associate with Christians who are involved in sexual immorality unless they are willing to confess and repent. We should not judge non-Christians who are involved in sexual immoral but leave them to God. We should judge and counsel Christians who are involved in sexual immorality to bring them to repentance.

Application:

Sexual immorality is cancerous. If we detect cancer in our body, we must quickly go for radical surgery to remove cancer. If sexual immorality is detected in the body of Christ, and the person refused to repent, it is appropriate to excommunicate that person.

Christ is our Passover. If we apply the blood of Christ to cover our sins, God justifies and declared us just as if we have not seen. If we confess our sins, believe that Christ died for us, and surrender our lives to Him, we have passed over from death to life, John 5:24.

John 5: 24, ESV, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You that Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us on Good Friday. Spiritually speaking, help us keep not to keep the Passover with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the new unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians, Chapter 2

1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Godly wisdom and earthly wisdom

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom, discernment, understanding, and insight into spiritual truths. We pray for our spiritual eyes to be opened and our spiritual blindness to be removed, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

VV 1-5, 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Paul acknowledged that he was not a great orator but he preached the gospel and declared his testimony through the wisdom of God. Paul’s priority was to preach the crucifixion of Christ. Paul acknowledged that he was trembling, fearful, and weak. He did not speak with human wisdom but through Godly wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul relied on Godly wisdom and not human wisdom.

VV 6-8, 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

There are two kinds of wisdom, Godly wisdom and human wisdom. Godly wisdom is contrary to human, earthly, or worldly wisdom. Paul spoke about a mystery concerning the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The rulers of this age, who were ignorant of this mystery crucified the Lord of glory.

VV 9-12, 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

The Holy Spirit revealed spiritual truths to born-again Christians but not to non-Christians because they do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit searched the hearts and minds of Christians to reveal, teach, convict, correct, instruct, and train in righteous living.

VV 13-16, 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Godly wisdom comes from the Holy Spirit, human wisdom comes from men. Godly wisdom is spiritual, earthly wisdom is earthly. The “natural” men cannot understand spiritual truth because they did not have the Holy Spirit. Satan had blinded the eyes of non-Christians so that they are unable to understand the things of God. Spirit-filled Christians can rightly discern and judge the things of God. The Holy Spirit enabled Christians to know the mind of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God”.

Application:

We should seek Godly wisdom and not human wisdom. We receive Godly wisdom from the Holy Spirit who searched our hearts and minds.

Non-Christians cannot understand spiritual truths because they are blinded by Satan. Before we can share the gospel with them effectively, we should pray for God to remove their spiritual blindness.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing to us the deep things of God through the Holy Spirit. Thank You for revealing spiritual truth and wisdom to us through the Holy Spirit’s presence. Thank You for opening our spiritual eyes to see, know, understand and discern spiritual truths, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Corinthians 1

Chapter 1: Introduction:

Author, Date, Recipients, setting

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian church in the spring of between A.D. 53-55 AD, during his third missionary journey, near the end of his three-year ministry in Ephesus, Acts 19: 21-22. Paul wrote four letters to the Corinthian church, but only 1 and 2 Corinthians had survived.

Acts 19: 21-22, When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

Corinth

Ancient Corinth and Ephesus are influential cities notorious for pagan worship and philosophy. Corinth is located near the isthmus connecting the southern Greek peninsula to the mainland. It has two ports, on the east and west, across the four-mile wide isthmus. Cargo ships on either port uploaded their cargo and transported them across to the other port by land.

Ancient Corinth is notorious for sexual immorality. To be a Corinthians means to be an immoral person. It was home to the temple of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Every night, temple prostitutes offered their services on the streets of Corinth.

Theme

Paul encouraged the divided Corinthian church to close ranks, restore the faith of the weak, and work together in the ministry.

Purpose

Paul was informed by an oral report and a letter from the Corinthian church regarding issues on church division, spiritual immaturity, sexual immorality, idolatry, controversies over eating foods offered to idols, disagreements on head covering for women, confusion over spiritual gifts, denial of the resurrection, doctrinal and theological other issues. Paul wrote this letter to encourage, admonish, instruct and address these issues.

Outline

1:1-31, Salutation, spiritual gifts, factionalism, power of the gospel, glory in Christ

2:1-16, Godly wisdom and earthly wisdom.

3:1-23, Evangelism a team effort, the foolishness of worldly wisdom

4:1-21, Servants and stewards, warning against pride

5:1-13. The cancer of sexual immorality

6:1-20, Lawsuits among Christians, glorifying God in body and spirit.

7: 1-40, Marital relationship, sexual purity, divorce, remarrying, instructions to the spouse with an unbelieving partner, celibacy

8: 1-13, Knowledge puffs up, love builds up, instructions on eating food offered to idols

9:1-27, The rights of an apostle, be all things to all people, run to receive the imperishable crown

10:1-33, Old Testament types, instructions on overcoming temptation and idolatry

1 Corinthians 11:1-34, Instructions on head covering, misconduct, instructions, and appropriate conduct at the Lord’s Supper

12:1-31, Spiritual gifts, one Body, diversity of members, one Holy Spirit, diversity of spiritual gifts and ministries.

13:1-13, tongue, prophesy, faith, hope, and love

14:1-40, Prophesy and tongue

15:1-28, Risen Christ, victory over death, resurrection body, final victory

16:1-24, Collection for the mother church, final encouragements, farewell

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lesson 16

Lesson 16

Prayer:

Titus 3: 1-15, submit to authorities, avoid foolish disputes, farewell

VV 1-3, 1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Christians should submit to authorities and rulers, be obedient, not speak evil of others, peaceful, gentle, and humble, remembering that they were once foolish, disobedient, deceiving, lustful, malicious, envious, and hateful.

VV 4-7, 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

People are not saved by doing good works but by Christ’s mercy and grace, through the washing of the Word of God and regeneration of the Holy Spirit. People are saved and justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When people believed in the finished work of Christ on the cross, they are regenerated or born again and adopted as heirs of God.

V 8, This is a faithful saying and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Good work is not a prerequisite of salvation but the result of salvation. Faith in Christ is a prerequisite of salvation. Good work is our response to God’s grace, mercy, and love.

VV 9-11, 9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Christians should avoid disputes on doubtful matters, genealogies, and legalism. Christians should reject argumentative and disruptive people after going through the due process of admonitions.

VV 12-14, 12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. 14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.

Paul would be sending Artemis or Tychicus to Titus in Crete. Paul would be meeting Titus in Nicopolis in winter.

V 15, All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

In his farewell address, Paul pronounced a blessing of grace to Titus.

Application:

As Christians, we should submit to authorities and rulers, obedient, peaceful, gentle, and humble, remembering that we were once foolish, disobedient, deceiving, lustful, malicious, envious, and hateful. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ. We are saved by faith in Christ, not by works. We do good work in response to Christ’s grace, mercy, and love.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the energy, strength, and perseverance to complete 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. Thank You for Your timely Word. that transcends culture and time. We pray for wisdom to understand and apply scripture into daily living, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lesson 15

Lesson 15

Prayer:

Titus 2: 1-16, Christian relationships

VV 1-5, 1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Paul spelled out proper Christian relationships according to sound doctrine. The older men should not be drunk with wine, respectful, calm, faithful, loving, and patient. The older women should be respectful, not slanderers, and not be drunk with wine. She should teach younger women to love their husbands and children and be good, discreet, chaste, and obedient housewives.

VV 6-10, 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. 9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Young men should not be drunk with wine, be above reproach in character, sound in doctrine, respectful, incorruptible, and graceful in speech. Slaves should obey to obey

and not pilfer their master’s goods.

VV 11-15, 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

People are saved by the grace of God. Christians should stay away from ungodliness and lust, not be drunk with wine, live righteous and godly lives in the present age while anticipating the second coming of Christ. Greek for appearing is “epiphanes”, which means manifest or become visible. The glorious appearing of Christ speaks of His second coming. Christ gave Himself for us on the cross to redeem us from sin. Paul encouraged Titus to encourage, and correct the people under his care with authority and allow no one to despise him.

Application:

As Christians, we should not be drunk with wine, respectful, calm, faithful, loving, and patient. We should be above reproach in character, sound in our doctrine, and graceful in our speech. Christian employees should obey and not pilfer their employer’s goods. Christians should live righteous and godly life.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we acknowledged that scripture is the Your inspired, infallible, and inerrant words to us. Sanctify us by Your Word of truth so that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lesson 14

Lesson 14

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for inspiring the writings of apostle Paul that transcends time and culture. Thank You for the life of an apostle par excellence to the Gentiles, in Jesus’ name, Amen. .

Titus 1: 1-16, Salutation, criteria for selecting elders and bishops, rejecting false teachers

VV 1-4, 1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, andpeace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Paul’s spelled out his credentials, a slave of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, and God’s elect. God who cannot lie, promised in eternity past the promise of a Saviour who came in the flesh through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Paul committed himself to preach the gospel of Christ. Paul pronounced a greeting of grace, mercy, and peace to Titus from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

VV 5-9, 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Elder, “presbuteros”and bishop, “episcopos” refer to the same office, the overseers. Paul spelled out the criteria or qualifications of an elder or a bishop. He must be above reproach, husband of one wife, and had faithful children. He must not be self-willed, not quick tempered, abstain from wine, gentle, not money greedy, hospitable, sober, just, holy, self-controlled, faithful to the Word, and able to teach sound doctrine to encourage, convict, and correct.

VV 10-16, 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

“Those of the circumcision”, were the Judaizers, the Gnostic, legalistic, heretic teachers who peddled in the teaching of Jewish myths, Mosaic law, circumcision, and Jewish rituals. Paul rebuked them for idle talking, abusing the gospel for dishonest monetary gain, lying, evil, laziness, and gluttony. Paul said that to the pure everything is pure, but to the impure nothing is pure because of corrupt and defiled conscience. These people profess to know God denied the existence of God by what they did.

Application:

Not all teachers teach sound doctrines. We should be able to discern and reject heretic teachings and doctrines. We must avoid idle talking, abusing the gospel for monetary gain, legalism, dishonesty, laziness, and gluttony. Churches will do well if they follow Paul’s criteria for selecting elders, bishops, and leaders.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom to discern and reject heretic doctrine and heretic teachers. Protect us from deceptions, thieves, robbers, and scammers, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lesson 13

Lesson 13

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for Your living bread, living manna, living eater, and living Word of eternal life to nourish, strengthen, sustain, and nurture our souls, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction to Titus

Author, date, recipient, setting:

Apostle Paul wrote the epistle of Titus from an unknown location to a person named Titus in Crete, between 63 and 65 AD, after his release from his first Roman imprisonment but before his rearrest to serve his second Roman imprisonment in 66 AD. Paul wrote a personal pastoral letter to Titus, his protege and spiritual godson in the faith, to help him lead the churches in the Crete.

Crete:

Crete, modern-day Candia, is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean. Crete was prosperous with a large thriving population, but Cretans were notorious for immorality. A Crete poet Epimenides said, “all Cretans are liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” Titus 1:12.

Themes:

The main themes are the relationship between faith and practice, belief and behavior, truth and heresy, instructions for Christian living, and the criteria for selecting church leaders.

Purpose:

After release from his first Roman imprisonment, Paul visited Crete. He left Titus in Crete to oversee the churches that he had planted. He advised Titus to reject the heretic, gnostic, Judaizers, Titus 1:10, 14. This “circumcision party” had insisted that Gentile Christians believe in Jewish myths, keep the Mosaic law, and undergo circumcision. Paul instructed Titus on Christian living, to select elders and bishops, and to reject heresy,

Outline

Titus 1: 1-16, Titus 1: 1-16, Salutation, criteria for selecting elders and bishops, rejecting false teachers

Titus 2: 1-16, Christian relationships

Titus 3: 1-15, submit to authorities, avoid foolish disputes, farewell

Application:

The epistle of Titus transcends time. Paul’s instructions, encouragements, and teachings to Titus also apply to us. Heretic doctrines in first-century Israel continued into our days. We must be able to discern and reject heresy and deviant teachings that are so rampant today.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, teach us Your Words and Your doctrines. May we walk away from here refreshed, renewed, and recharged. We acknowledge that Your Word is Holy and True and is powerful to save lives. May we remain in You, and may Your Word remain in us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, lesson 12

Lesson 12

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us to students, teachers, and preachers of the word. Help us be ready to share our testimony, to teach, and preach the gospel in season and out of season, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 4: 1-22, preach the gospel, come before winter, farewell

VV 1-2, 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Greek for appearing is “epiphanes”, which refer to Christ’s second coming. The three Greeks words used for Christ’s second coming in the Bible are “parousia”, “apokalupsis”, and “epiphanes”. At His second coming, Christ will judge the living and the dead at the great white throne judgment, Rev 20:11-12. Paul charged Timothy to be ready to preach the word on any occasion, whenever and wherever an opportunity arose, to convict, correct, encourage, and teach with patience.

Rev 20:11-12, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books”.

VV 3-5, 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In the last days, people will not listen to sound doctrine. They will listen only to false teachers who will say what they want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn towards heresy. Paul encouraged Timothy to be vigilant, endure hardships, and evangelize to fulfil his God-ordained ministry,

VV 6-8, 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

In his goodbye address, Paul predicted that his life would end as a drink offering for God. He had fought the spiritual battle of faith, and he had run the spiritual race of faith. There was nothing more that he could do except to wait for the crown of righteousness from Christ on the Day of His second coming.

VV 9-16, 9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica, Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, and the books, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. 16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

Paul singled out Demas who left the faith for the world. Paul singled out Alexander the coppersmiths who had betrayed him. He mentioned those who were faithful to him by name, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, and Tychicus. He instructed Timothy to bring along John Mark, his books, and his cloak. John Mark was the writer of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas. He had abandoned Paul on his first missionary journey but Paul had reconciled with him.

VV 17-18, 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

The Lord was with Paul, strengthening, protecting, preserving, and delivering him into His heavenly kingdom. Paul gave glory to Christ in a doxology.

VV 19-21, 19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. 21 Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

Paul acknowledged and mentioned Prisca, Aquila, the family of Onesiphorus, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia by name.

V 22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

In closing, Paul pronounced a blessing of grace to Timothy from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application:

As Christians. We should be ready to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. Time is running out. The dispensation of grace will soon be over as the second coming of Christ is imminent. We should do the work of an evangelist to share the gospel whenever and wherever there is an opportunity.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us be diligent students and teachers of Your Word. Help us be ready to teach and preach Your Word in season and out of season to anyone, anywhere and at any time, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Lesson 11

Lesson 11

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the ministry of Your Word. We claim the promise that Your Word will accomplish its purpose and will not return to You void, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Timothy 3:1-17, apostasy, heresy, Word of God

VV 1-5, 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

In the last days, difficult times will come and people will fall away from the faith. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderous, defiant, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, traitorous, unfriendly, pleasure-seeking, and ungodly.

VV 6-9, 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

Ungodly men would come into houses to take advantage and seduce gullible women. Jannes and Jambres were Pharaoh’s magicians who could replicate some of the miracles of Moses., Exodus 7:11, Exodus 7:22, Exodus 8:7. Paul could have quoted non-biblical sources in antiquity as the names Jannes and Jambres are not found in the Old Testament. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, these ungodly men opposed the truth of the gospel.

Exodus 7:11, “Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts”.

Exodus 7:22, “But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said’’.

Exodus 8:7, “But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt”.

VV 10-11, 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Timothy was a godly man who followed Paul’s doctrines with purpose, faith, patience, love, and perseverance. Paul remembered persecutions and afflictions under by the hostile Jews at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra and how the Lord had rescued him.

VV 12-15, 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Everyone who lived godly lives in Christ will suffer persecution by evil men and imposters. Timothy must continue to remain faithful to Holy Scriptures because it had the power to save those who believe in Christ.

VV 16-17, 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible is written through God’s inspiration and is useful for teaching, convicting, correcting, encouraging, training, and equipping Godly people in righteous living and to do God’s work.

2 Peter 1:21, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Application:

In the last days, false teachers will appear and many will fall away from the faith. Godly people will suffer persecutions in the hands of the antichrist. We must continue to remain faithful to Christ and share the gospel. The acronym for BIBLE is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We should have a high view of scripture and study it diligently.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine protection in the face of trials, tribulations, sufferings, and persecutions in the last days. We pray for divine assistance to remain strong in the faith and stay true to Your calling, in Jesus’ name, Amen.