We covered a general survey of Paul’s Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) in Lesson 1 of 1 Timothy. For that reason, we won’t cover that specific information but delve directly into 2 Timothy. Introduction Author: The Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 1:1). Paul’s Situation and Date of Letter When Paul wrote […]
Luke 19:41-48: Jesus, the Incarnate Temple, Brings True Peace
August 10, 2015 by
Jeri was breathtakingly beautiful. All the men wanted to be with her, and all the women wanted to be her. But more than that, she was intelligent and industrious. She also had the best husband in the world, someone who was faithful, loyal, and caring, someone who sacrificed for her. Jeri’s husband made sure that […]
2 Corinthians, Lesson 1: Introduction
August 10, 2015 by
2 Corinthians among the letters that Paul had written to Corinth Paul’s first visited Corinth in 50-51 AD, when he was brought before Gallio, the Roman proconsul (Acts 18:12-17). Because of that, we can date that first visit accurately. It was during that time that the Corinthian congregation formed (covered in 1 Corinthians, Lesson 1, […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 12: Paul’s Final Words to Timothy
August 10, 2015 by
Paul now finishes with his first letter to Timothy. Personal words from Paul to Timothy as an overseer, continued Read 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (starting on 12b) What had Timothy done “in the presence of many witnesses?” What does “confess” mean? How does Paul describe that confession? Why did Paul say that Timothy […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 28: Conclusion
August 2, 2015 by
Paul now transitions to his conclusion, by saying “now concerning.” This was Paul’s way of responding to questions that he had received from the Corinthian congregation, as he did earlier in 1 Corinthians 7:1, 25; 8:1; and 12:1. But, more than that, he also expresses how the Corinthians could be “abounding in the work of […]
1 Corinthians 10:6-13: Take Heed, Lest You Fall
August 2, 2015 by
In our culture today, many may take offense at the confession of sins in a Lutheran service. But, that confession of sin, as distasteful as it may be, does teach us a valuable truth. It tells us that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” And it even teaches us to confess […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 11: Slavery, False Teaching, and the Dangers that Can Come with Wealth
August 2, 2015 by
Paul, having finished dealing with overseers/elders, he now deals with slaves and their masters. Slaves and Masters Read 1 Timothy 6:1 How does Paul want slaves to treat their masters? Why? Discuss: “the name of God” and “the Teaching” [note the definite article, “the”]. Read 1 Timothy 6:2a For believing slaves and […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 27: The Resurrection of the Body, Part 2
July 27, 2015 by
Some in the Corinthian congregation had denied, or downplayed, the resurrection of the body. To counter this error, and to show just how important that doctrine was, Paul contrasted the “natural” body with the “spiritual” body. The natural body is the “ensouled” body, the physical body that encases the soul. The spiritual body is the […]
Matthew 7:15-23: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
July 27, 2015 by
“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” That’s what one of my seminary professors taught me. But there is a problem with that statement. It can be misleading. Oh, it is true in this way: In our fallen natures, we may not care how much someone knows until we […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 10: Elders and Overseers Continued
July 23, 2015 by
Last week, Paul spoke of “honoring” elders/overseers: They were to receive a wage for their work. Moving from there, Paul then told Timothy how he was to handle accusations against an elder/overseer. Unless there were “two or three witnesses” for those accusations, Timothy wasn’t to consider them. This was to help prevent frivolous complaints or […]
