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 […]
Mark 8:1-9: In Compassion, Jesus Feeds Us
July 19, 2015 by
“In the beginning, God” (Genesis 1:1). “The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground.” The Lord God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden.” There, the Lord God “put the man he had formed.” “The Lord God caused to grow out of […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 26: The Resurrection of the Body, Part 1
July 18, 2015 by
Paul has delivered what it means that God the Father has raised Jesus from the dead by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:20, Romans 8:11). Because Christ was raised alive, those who are in Christ will also be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). But this will happen at His “coming,” when He returns on the […]
1 Timothy, Lesson 9: An Overseer’s Relationship with the Congregation
July 15, 2015 by
Paul, having finished with a string of imperative verbs (that is, commands) that Timothy must do, Paul now switches between imperative verbs and other verb forms to help highlight between what is beneficial (or what may have to be done because of circumstances) and what must be done. Older Widows in the Church Note: […]
