The purpose of Paul’s first letter to Timothy was to let Timothy know how “one ought to conduct himself in the household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). Paul wrote that letter to urge his friend to focus on certain matters where Timothy was preaching (1:3). In context, Paul’s words are those of an older preacher with much experience to a younger preacher in need of direction. How wise for a younger preacher to give ample consideration to good advice! Those who have fought the battles, maybe even learned some things the hard way and have been seasoned through years of valuable experience, sometimes have so much to offer younger preachers. In 1 Timothy, Paul’s experience was shared in what is called ‘trustworthy statements.’ These were truths Timothy could bank on, and although they were written first to a preacher, they are truths that will benefit us all. 1 Timothy 1:15 “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus did not come into the world for social reform, per se. He did not come to make His disciples wealthy. He did not come to make a “name” for Himself. He did not come for political activism or to seek man’s favor or approval. He came to save sinners (Luke 19:10). Paul strengthened this statement by using himself as proof. If Jesus could save the foremost sinner of all, He can save you and me. So many people in the world today feel that they are not saved and doubt that …

When studying the necessity of baptism with some members of particular denominations, a common response is to bring up the “thief on the cross.” They often ask, “What about the thief on the cross? He wasn’t baptized, was he?” The implication is that if the thief on the cross was not baptized, yet was promised by Jesus to be in paradise, then we do not need to be baptized. Does the thief on the cross prove that baptism is not necessary for salvation? Let us consider this incident as it relates to salvation. The Setting The dialogue between Jesus and the thief on the cross occurred while the Savior was being crucified (Luke 23:39-43). There were two criminals who were crucified with Jesus on that dreadful day (John 19:16-18). At first, both criminals blasphemed (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32). However, one of them had a change of heart. Before considering him, note what Luke says of the other, “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us’” (Luke 23:39). “Blaspheme [railed, KJV]” means to speak against (Mark 3:28-29; John 10:36; Acts 13:45; 1 Corinthians 4:13). “If You are the Christ…” was said in sarcasm just as others who passed by the cross had said (Matthew 27:39-44). In contrast to this, the other criminal, “answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward …

“When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:30-31). Those were Moses’ words to God’s people under the Old Covenant, but the principle is still valid for us. God is loving, patient and kind. When things aren’t going well in life, He’s still there—loving us, being patient with us and treating us with kindness. Our God is a God who works through the difficulties of life to refine His people. Today, how do you think God is refining you? Are you fighting it? How could you better work with Him through the difficulties?

Most of us are familiar with the apostle Paul and his thorn in the flesh. “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure”  (2 Corinthians 12:7). I would suggest that many of us have such problems. As a matter of my judgment, I would be leery of one that said, “I have no annoyances and no problems.” Perfect, we are not! According to definition by Webster, “thorn in the flesh (or side), a cause of annoyance, irritation, etc., especially a persistent one.” Paul’s reference to his thorn in the flesh has fascinated people for ages. Notice below an extraction from First & Second Corinthians Commentary by James Burton Coffman (480-481), a review of what many scholars thought Paul meant concerning this annoyance. Tertullian thought this was a headache. Klausner believed it was epilepsy. Ramsey identified it as recurrent malarial fever. Chrysostom said it was “all the adversaries of the Word.” Calvin made it “fleshly temptation.” Luther considered it “spiritual temptations.” Knox decided it was “infirmities of the mind.” Catholic commentators, generally, “lustful thoughts.” McGarvey: “acute, disfiguring ophthalmia” [inflammation of the eyes]. MacKnight spoke of some who believed it was “the false teachers.” Lightfoot suggested “blasphemous thought of the devil.” Alexander was sure it was “Malta fever.” Coffman added his view by stating, “It would seem rash to some to venture an opinion …

Trust is something with which many people struggle each day. Some people go through their entire lives thinking they can trust no one. The pain, hurt and lies pile up so high that many people do not think they can trust again. While we might want to keep to ourselves and never trust anyone, we all have to trust someone in order to get through life. The story of Ruth is a story full of trust. Ruth first trusted in Naomi in Ruth Chapter 1 following the deaths of Naomi’s husband and sons. Ruth had been married to one of Naomi’s sons, and Naomi had instructed her daughters-in-law to return to their own lands following the death of her sons. In Ruth 1:16, Ruth refused to leave Naomi alone and said to Naomi, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth obviously trusted Naomi. This was not the only time that Ruth demonstrated her trust in Naomi. In Ruth 3:5, Ruth said to Naomi, “I will do whatever you say.” Naomi had instructed Ruth to present herself to Boaz so that he may fulfill the role of kinsman redeemer and provide for Ruth for the rest of her life. Ruth trusted in Naomi and did exactly as she instructed. Boaz would be the kinsman redeemer of the family, and he would make Ruth his wife. In life, people occasionally let us down. Due …

What will happen tomorrow? What will the day bring? Will we feel well and enjoy the pleasures of the day? Will we be in pain, or maybe in deep sorrow? Tomorrow is a question for which we have no answers. Tomorrow is a mystery into which we would like to peer, but we cannot. In truth, tomorrow never comes. Tomorrow disappears with the strike of the clock. Tomorrow becomes today. Today is a thing that we can handle. Today is the tool delivered into our hands to mold as ours, depending upon the Lord. Although we will never live tomorrow, there is One Who is already there. Tomorrow is no mystery to the One who lives in eternity and is not bound by time. It seems only appropriate that since tomorrow resides in His hands, we should put our trust in Him, live for Him and love His ways (Philippians 4:13). Then, tomorrow will take care of itself.

We who are older remember well the Beatles. One of the popular songs they sang over 40 years ago was “Yellow Submarine.” Well, this article is not about a yellow submarine, but about a big yellow school bus, in fact, a couple of yellow school buses that come into our neighborhood every school morning. I see our neighborhood children congregating together waiting for the bus to come pick them up. In the afternoon those same buses come again into our subdivision to deposit those precious children at various spots along the way. How wonderful that the children have opportunity to be educated so that they can contribute to our society in various ways. There was a time in my parent’s generation that many boys and girls did not have the opportunity to obtain a high school education. Farm children were often kept out of school to work in order to provide food for the family. In contrast to the school days when the buses run through our neighborhood, it is quite a different sight on Sundays. I see very few automobiles coming by the house with families on their way to Bible classes anywhere. I wonder what percentage of school children attends Bible classes on Sunday at any religious organization. It probably would be discouraging to learn that most children are not taken by their parents to Sunday school. You see, many parents are too involved in the cares of this life to provide an education in the Word of …

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15 ESV). The Christian life is to be one characterized by love. We are called to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40). Those who do that, who follow God’s command to love, who love like Christ, belong to Him. Yet, where does our love stop? Is there a limit or are there things that we are not to love? The apostle John answered that question in 1 John 2:15. John started by warning us not to “love the world or the things in the world.” What was he talking about? We might think back to the Gospel according to John and remember that famous passage, the one everyone knows, the one we see at sporting events (John 3:16), which speaks of God’s love for the “world.” This is certainly a great passage of Scripture, one that teaches us the way that God loves the world. God has loved the world or has shown His love for the world by giving His Son, Jesus. However, how can God love the world and yet John instructed us not to love the world? Is this some kind of contradiction? The word “world” is like any other word. It has different meanings depending on the context in which it appears. If I said “grab the mouse,” you might not want to do that if I was …

Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:13-15) Do you know why the Dead Sea in Israel is “dead?” Most will tell you, correctly so, that the Dead Sea is dead because of the high content of salt and other minerals, which make the sea uninhabitable by living things. The minerals and salts are so thick that one need not ever worry about sinking. Even the largest among us would float on this super saturated sea. Yet, that is really only part of the story. The mineral and salt content is so high because the Dead Sea has no outlet. No water flows out of it, but the Jordan River continually dumps water in. The water evaporates off leaving behind the heavier minerals to saturate the water. For this reason, nothing grows beside the Dead Sea. There are no trees, shrubs, gardens or grassy dunes as one finds just slightly north along the River Jordan. Now, one might wonder, “Why would God create such a thing? How does that happen, and what purpose does it serve?” Well, I cannot give answers to these in their entirety, but I can tell you that it is a wonderful illustration of …

The Book of Proverbs is a book of contrasts. Look at 19:16. “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.” The Bible is filled with statements of the necessity of keeping the commandments of God. Jesus’ familiar statement “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” is one of them. Again, note the contrast. One keeps his soul and the other will die. What makes the difference? Of course, the obvious answer is that one keeps the commandments while the other is careless with his soul by just being religious. The latter did not keep the commandments. In the New Testament, there is an exact parallel to Solomon’s statement. It is found in Mark 16:16. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized [keeps the commandment] shall be saved: but he who does not believe [Is careless in his ways and does not obey the command] will be condemned.“ Question: Are you one who keeps your soul by doing the will of God, or are you careless in your ways?

Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encouraged Titus to give instruction that qualified as “sound doctrine” (2:1). In particular, Titus was to instruct the aged men (2:2), aged women (3-5), young men (6-8) and servants (9-10) how to live exemplary lives before God. In Titus 2:11-13, Paul provided an explanation for the exhortation to godly living. What should compel one to live according to the instruction found in Titus 2:10? The grace or unmerited favor of God! Paul began by declaring the revelation of grace with these words, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (11). The quality of God’s grace is exceptional; it is able to deliver mankind from sin that would otherwise result in spiritual death (James 1:15; Ephesians 2:8). God has clearly revealed or manifested His grace in the person of Jesus the Christ (John 1:1-4, 14; 2 Timothy 1:9-10). How is one to respond? With devotion to the God of Heaven who desires, purely out of good-will, the salvation of every person’s soul (2 Peter 3:9). A failure to live according to God’s Word is a demonstration of one’s disrespect for God’s grace, which has been revealed in His Son. Paul continued, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (11). With these words, one is to be motivated by the instruction of grace. The grace of God has been used by some to justify continuance in sin. This should not be …

The congregation that is pleasing to God has a positive attitude concerning His work. This attitude should permeate the whole membership—whether great or small—as members are truly men and women of faith, with the body of believers being in one accord and maintaining a healthy relationship with the divine Word. We need to progressively believe in the power of the divine message to radically change and positively reform our own personal lives and the lives of others. With such a strong faith in the power of the divine message, we will then be emboldened to take the divine message to our family, friends and neighbors in a measure and a frequency that God Himself and good men will applaud. With such potential before us, let us devote ourselves to a renewed study of the Word of God. With such a renewed study of the divine revelation, we have valid opportunities to grow beyond spiritual infancy and childhood unto the status of spiritual ones and spiritually mature men and women of God. Surely the prospect of genuine spiritual growth should motivate and mobilize the family of God.

It is a wonderful thing to see young men who show an interest in the Bible and in the church; it gives a sense of hope for future generations. The preachers actively working now in the vineyard of the Lord will not be around forever, and we need to plant a crop of young “seed sowers.” We dare not forget, however, that not only does the church need sound Gospel preachers, but she also needs biblically qualified men to assume the role of elders in various congregations of the church. I fear we encourage young men to preach to the exclusion of encouraging them to consider for the future the awesome responsibility of overseeing the flock. The very reason Paul left Titus in Crete was for the important task of appointing elders that things there might be “set in order” (Titus 1:5). Elders, according to the Bible, are not merely good businessmen or logistical strategists; they serve as watchmen over the flock, ensuring that the church operates within the divine precepts of Scripture. This being the case, elders must know the Word of God just as well as the men who herald the Word from pulpits week in and week out. Elders should not be appointed who happen to meet most of the qualifications. Rather, they must be mature men who, with years of study and preparation, have determined that the position of bishop is something they desire (1 Timothy 3:1). Further, they have been willing to work to meet all of the necessary …

We sing with our kids almost every day about the fruit of the Spirit. It’s a song that is one of their favorites about the Scriptures, based on, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22). There are times after we sing the song that I ask for examples of how they’ve demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit that day. They have to think a little about what it means to live and make decisions that conform to what they like to sing about. There are other times we talk about situations where they, or others they’ve seen that day, fell short. However, the point is that it’s often easy to read about praising God, loving Jesus or being a follower of Christ, but we should closely examine and understand what that means in the context of what we do each day—or refrain from doing. Praising God in song on Sunday morning may sound easy, but do we praise Him in our thanksgiving? “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). It’s easy to be thankful when things go well, but do we have the mindset of Paul when Jesus told him that His strength was made perfect in weakness? Paul concluded, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power …

Imagine you are in a heated discussion between two groups of people. You have a side picked out that you believe to be right. You argue and fight vehemently because you are certain your point of view is correct. As you truly listen to “the other side” of the discussion, you suddenly realize you are actually wrong. What do you do? Those men in Acts 2 who had just demanded that Jesus die had just such a discussion. About 3,000 of them realized just how wrong they had been and asked the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Their humility allowed their hearts to admit that they were wrong. Their desire to be right with God prompted them to find the truth and to correct their actions. Previously, they had a false sense of security; they were right in their own minds until they realized that they were actually wrong. Then, they heard the answer. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” They knew what they needed to do to be right with God. They simply had to obey the command of the Lord handed down through the apostles. Those 3,000 were immersed on that day for the forgiveness of their sins in the name of the Lord. Their false sense of security was replaced with true forgiveness, and the Lord’s church began that day. …

Preaching is often regarded as “foolish.” In many churches, it is being set aside for more culturally “relevant” methods to evangelize the lost and edify the saints. Many consider plays, athletic displays, panel discussions, musical extravaganzas, movies, multi-media presentations, clowns, puppets and liturgical dance as “more relevant” to our media generation than a “long and boring” sermon from the Bible heralded by one man speaking to mankind. Yet, with his last words, Paul charged Timothy: “Preach the Word!” He did not call him to adapt preaching to the entertainment methods of his own contemporary culture. In Paul’s day, Greek plays, athletic contests, magic shows, circus acts and give-and-take debates were all popular forms of entertainment. Yet, Paul did not encourage churches to wed the Gospel to such forms for the sake of evangelism or relevance. Paul held to preaching, the proclamation of God’s Word to men—to the very end of his life—no matter the culture, Jew or Gentile. Our forefathers would have considered these “relevant” and “creative” innovations in our worship services to be a violation of the biblical regulative principle of worship. However, this principle is the very reason we are who we are. It is the “forming principle” of Christ’s church. To violate the regulative principle of Christian worship and practice by substituting preaching with creative methods is to deny the theology that shaped our identity! Preaching and teaching God’s Word is the primary God-ordained means commanded in Scripture to bring sinners to Christ and to edify God’s people. “Faith …

“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest; and be strong all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts” (Haggai 2:4). Here God, through the prophet, commanded His people to be strong and to work. The background of Haggai’s work can be seen in the Book of Ezra. In the Book of Ezra, we have an account of the laying of the foundation of the second temple in Jerusalem. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, which had been torn down by Nebuchadnezzar. Eagerness and enthusiasm characterized this group as they cleared away the debris and set up the foundation of God’s house. Their zeal was soon cooled, however, by the hostility of the Samaritans (Ezra 4:25; Nehemiah 4:1-8). Due to a decree from Artaxerxes (a proper name or possible title for several kings of Persia), work on the Temple stopped, and nothing was accomplished for some 16 years! Served with this prohibition, the Jews not only yielded to it, but several years afterward, when the violence of opposition abated, they continued to be very indifferent to the work of rebuilding the Temple. The Jews had no spirit or courage to set about it again, but they seemed glad that they had an excuse to be idle. In these troublesome times, God raised up the …

One of the best things that ever happened for Bible study is the division of the text into chapters and verses. It makes certain passages easier to find and reference. Yet, one of the worst things that ever happened for Bible study is the division of the text into chapters and verses. In the citation of verses of a couple of phrases, students and teachers often forget the context and, even unwittingly, make the verse mean something never intended by the author. One example of this is a verse making the rounds on plaques and memes lately. Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The modern, feel-good context in which the verse seems to make its appearance is an implication that God would not allow any harm, that people who trust in him would get their way, and that life would just be grand. Or, maybe that is just me reading too much into the statements. Perhaps people mean that there can be a future and a hope even if they have to go through some tough trials. The latter is closer to the biblical context. The statement comes in this historical situation. Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem about the wickedness of the people there bringing God’s judgment upon them. That judgment would come via Babylonian armies who would overrun them. Some had already been taken …

The wise man Solomon observed “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). He had noted that generations come and go, like they always have (1:4); the sun rises and sets as it always has (1:5); the wind continues to blow and rivers flow (1:6-7)—as they always have. There are two ways of viewing this fact that there “is nothing new.” First, one might consider it proof that there is a hopeless monotony to life. Life is, basically, boring, unchanging and wearisome. Second, one might find the fact that there is nothing new under the sun as a comforting, stabilizing truth. There are some things we can count on. Solomon wanted to demonstrate a very important point: life without God is wearisome, repetitive and hopeless. Yet, life with God is comforting, exciting, stable and hope-filled. Considering the point that there is “nothing new under the sun,” there are several truths related to God that are not new. Solomon emphasized that all men must seek to do good and to live to please God. So also is it today. God wants all men to “conform to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29-30) and to obey His Word (John 12:48).

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” He had said in Chapter 1:17, “not with wisdom of words, that the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” I have come very near envying those preachers who apparently have a special gift of eloquence. (I expect most “special gifts” have been developed by long arduous hours of study and work.) When I come to some grand theme of the Bible and my heart is almost bursting with the desire to express more adequately the inexpressible love and grandeur of God, I feel like a tongue-tied moron. Then, I wish the Spirit would do for my preaching what He does for my praying (Romans 8:26). However, as I was musing about my weaknesses and shortcomings in this and other areas, I thought of what Paul said, and the language of Jesus and the apostles as they taught. Then, I remembered hearing an eloquent elderly evangelist engaging in earnest entreaty to the Eternal One. He began something like this: “Our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and ever-to-be-adored heavenly Father.” He continued in that style for several minutes, capturing (or at least intriguing) my mind with adjectives I had almost forgotten. He closed with something like this, “And when we come to the end of the …

Are Bible classes a waste of time? Some people think Bible classes are not important and may consider them to be just “a waste of time.” What should our attitude be toward Bible classes? Why do we have Bible classes? Do we have them just because others do? Do we have them just so we can say we are doing something? Until we come to understand the significance of Bible classes, we will not appreciate them. If we appreciate them, attitudes and attendance will change for the better. Bible classes are significant because (1) they help promote the work of the church, (2) they help provide a way “to feed” the flock, (3) they help produce tomorrow’s elders, deacons, preachers and teachers, (4) they help prevent unfaithfulness in the church and (5) they help prepare one for eternity (Jerry Joseph). I appreciate brother Joseph’s comments on Bible classes, and the article brought other things to mind. Often Bible class attendance is faltering, and I encourage each one to make every effort to be present for those classes. Bible classes not only help us to grow spiritually, but they also encourage us in our daily living and the way we deal with life and its problems. Mid-week Bible class is like “a shot in the arm” to help one get through the rest of the week. When we have Bible classes, we are with others who want to know God’s will so they can more capably do His will. Bible classes …

These days, almost everything one purchases comes with a set of instructions on how to assemble it, operate it, repair it or anything else that applies to its use. Most people, typically men, only resort to the instructions if they have to, after trying everything they can on their own, trying to undo some problems that arise by not knowing what to do. How often could it be said, “Did you read the instruction manual?” Statistical research shows that less than 10% of “professing Christians” have read the entire Bible. I don’t know how many “New Testament Christians” spend time every day in God’s Word, but it should be all of us. Why? This is the way God communicates with us, revealing His will to us and providing to us answers for life. Without input from Scripture, we’re receiving input from the world around us, which may not be and many times is not valid. Our information will originate from desires, the opinions of others, and prevailing attitudes in the world. This will not lead to godliness or a divine rationale for making choices on how to live. We handicap ourselves and create more problems to resolve when we don’t let God speak to us by reading His Word. Paul reminded Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). As …

The question that serves as a title for this article is, admittedly, an unusual one. I cannot remember anyone ever asking me. It is, however, a good question. The answer might help each of us stay on track to read our Bibles through in a year. My Bible has 1,096 pages, with 843 in the Old Testament, 248 in the New Testament, 3 blank pages and 2 title pages. Reading it from “civer to civer,” as the old woman said, requires me to read three pages per day, not counting the blank and cover pages. It is really simple to complete the task. I can usually read three pages while I eat a leisurely breakfast. I use the Bible app on my phone to keep track of my progress. Reading the Bible from the app on my phone also means that I almost always have my Bible with me. Waiting in lines or at doctors’ offices is much less frustrating when I can delve a little further into the Word of God. My annual trek through God’s Word has caused me to have a deeper appreciation of some passages. It has helped me to see the correlation between Old Testament shadows and New Testament substance. God’s patience and His unfolding plan are clearer because of my growing knowledge of the entirety of truth. How many pages are in your Bible? Will you join me in reading it all the way through in each year? I guarantee it will help make …