Last week, we explored Paul and Timothy’s use of a chiasm to mention that God seals and anoints His people in the New Covenant. We explored that and saw that such sealing and anointing was what the Church later came to call “confirmation.” Explanation for 2 Corinthians Paul earlier explained why he and Timothy […]
2 Timothy, Lesson 4: Persevere
September 21, 2015 by
Last week, we explored the relationship between Paul and Onesiphorus, how Onesiphorus helped Paul in prison when others had abandoned him, and how Paul prayed for Onesiphorus after he had most likely died. Paul now continues to encourage Timothy to be faithful in what God had given him to do. Persevere in Suffering to […]
Comfort, even in the Darkest Valley
September 21, 2015 by
This is our pastor’s newsletter article for the October 2015 edition of our congregational newsletter. In our midweek Bible class, we are studying the New Testament book of 2 Timothy. It’s a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to (you guessed it!) Pastor Timothy. Although it’s written for a pastor, it still contains many […]
A Look into Praying for the Sainted Dead (2 Timothy, Lesson 3)
September 15, 2015 by
This is a lesson from our study of 2 Timothy. Paul mentioned that he prayed for a man named Onesiphorus, who most likely had died when Paul prayed for him. So, we look into this to see what we can learn. ———– Read 2 Timothy 1:16-17 In what tense (past, present, or future) does Paul refer […]
2 Corinthians, Lesson 3: An Excursus on Confirmation
September 12, 2015 by
This is an excursus that we took on the origins of Confirmation while studying 2 Corinthians. In the last lesson, Paul and Timothy referred to themselves by saying, “God has establishes us with you into Christ and has anointed us” (1 Corinthians 1:21). Their use of “you” shows that the Corinthian congregation was included in […]
2 Corinthians, Lesson 2: A Further Explanation for the Letter, Part 1
September 10, 2015 by
Paul and Timothy finished 2 Corinthians 1:7 on the theme of suffering and God comforting during times of suffering. They continue on the topic of suffering, but then transition into discussing life and death. Life and Death Read 2 Corinthians 1:8 “we do not want you to be ignorant”: This expression served two purposes. […]
2 Timothy, Lesson 2: Fan into Flame to Guard the Deposit
September 10, 2015 by
Having greeted Timothy, Paul reminded him of the faith that he, his mother, and grandmother all had. Reminding him of that, Paul now transitions to the main premise of this entire letter. Fan into Flame Paul now tells Timothy what needs to take place so he can endure the suffering that may come with […]
2 Timothy, Lesson 1: Introduction
August 13, 2015 by
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 […]
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 […]
