This is our pastor’s article for our July congregational newsletter, helping us to see Jesus in the Old Testament. ———— While speaking to “the Jewish leaders [who] were trying all the harder to kill him,” Jesus said: “You pore over the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. These Scriptures testify of me” […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 24: Worship is to reflect the orderliness of God
June 21, 2015 by
Earlier in chapter 14, Paul told the Corinthians Christians to be infants in evil. Paul was pointing out that they were not infants, but adults, when it came to evil. The only negative topic of chapter 14, the evil to which Paul referred, was speaking in unintelligible tongues. Paul was not against speaking in tongues—but […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 5: Pastors and Deacons
June 17, 2015 by
At the end of 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul covered the role of men and women during worship, pointing to fall into sin as the reason men and women have different roles. Paul’s point was that our differing roles point backward to our fall into sin and, thus, our need for redemption. And although both […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 23: Seek the Understandable Word, not Intelligible Sounds
June 13, 2015 by
Starting with chapter 12, Paul has dealt with the topic of spiritual gifts, which many in the congregation at Corinth were abusing. Last week, Paul focused on the greatest expression of the Holy Spirit’s work in someone: agape love. He now revisits the proper use of “the Spirituals,” focusing on speaking the Word (prophecy) and […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 4: Roles of Men and Women in the Church
June 11, 2015 by
Having shared with Timothy the proper content and purpose of prayer during worship (2:1-7), Paul now discusses the proper role of men and women during worship (2:8-10), which then segues into the topic on women teaching (2:11-15). In the beginning of chapter 2, what Paul said about prayer was his request (2:1). Now his words […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 22: Love is a Verb
June 11, 2015 by
Having dealt with those who were misusing spiritual gifts (or doing what they thought were expressions of their spiritual gifts, but were not), Paul now moves to his main train of thought. He finished chapter 12 with these words: “And now I will show you the best way of all” (1 Corinthians 12:31). 1 Corinthians […]
Misreading Scripture Alone
June 11, 2015 by
This is an article that pastor came across last autumn. The author, Matthew Block, writes how many have succumbed to ancient heresies that the Church has long ago refuted. He also explains why he thinks this is the case. When the author uses the word “evangelical,” he means Protestant Christians who do not consider themselves […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 21: The “Spirituals”
May 23, 2015 by
Although 1 Corinthians is a joint letter from the Apostle Paul and Pr. Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1), the letter continues, for now, being from the Apostle Paul. Paul now switches to a different topic: Spiritual gifts. Paul begins this section with, “Now concerning,” to address specific questions he had received in a letter from the […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 3: Faithful Worship—Paul’s Pastoral Instructions to Timothy
May 21, 2015 by
Having commanded Timothy to “wage the good war” against the false teaching and teachers, Paul now shifts his focus to the Church and worship, “so you may know how someone should conduct himself in God’s household” (1 Timothy 3:15). The Church in Prayer Read 1 Timothy 2:1a Paul begins this section with a “so […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 20: How to Deal with Heresy and the Lord’s Supper
May 20, 2015 by
Last week, we heard Paul’s words of censure to the Corinthian congregation: “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup [of the Lord’s Supper].” Paul had directed those words to those who had committed, or were capable of committing, heresy. “Heresy” requires three things for it […]
