Blog – Page 116 – Read Through the Bible

November 16 / I Peter 2:1-25

I Peter 2:1-25

You may recall Paul’s “put on, take off” verses back in Ephesians 4:25-32. Today we have something similar in Peter’s writing, not “put on, take off” verses, but two “then, now” sequences: Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (v. 10) While I saw this sentence structure as interesting writing, it is also fundamental truth. What we were back then is not what we are today; it is only by God’s mercy and grace that we are what and where we are today.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that … they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. (v. 12) So often when I read these epistles I think of the young man, Jim, who led me to the Lord – how I saw his joy, his peace in his new life in Christ, in his earthly life in Christ – and how his faith was not an “I gotta get to heaven” thing! My Study Bible commented extensively on this …day of visitation… I see my own “…day of visitation…” as that evening in May of 1975 when I prayed that sinner’s prayer with Jim at my side and gave my life to Jesus. Truly, the Lord has visited me daily from that time forward and continues by His Holy Spirit to guide me as I seek and serve Him.

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil… (v. 16a) My Study Bible had a good take on this verse: “Liberty is not license to do as we please.” Liberty is not license…

November 15 / I Peter 1:1-25

I Peter 1:1-25

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia… (v. 1) Peter is writing to these “Dispersion” groups in these five regions. Three of these groups are mentioned in Acts 2 (Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia) when the Holy Spirit appeared as “tongues of fire” to those who were gathered “in one place” and they began speaking in other tongues, languages which their audience could understand as their native languages. It was to these listeners that Peter delivered his Pentecost speech (Acts 2:14-36). Herein I see evidence of Peter’s authorship of I Peter, an item which scholars debate. The other apostles and disciples certainly mingled further with the crowd (some 3,000 souls were added that day), explaining more deeply the words that Peter has spoken. But no doubt Peter connected with some of those new believers in his own special way, very possibly with that (modern-day central Turkey) central Asia crowd to whom he is writing this letter.

The Trinity: …according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood… (v. 2)

Verses 3 (…He has caused us to be born again…) and 23 (…since you have been born again…) I remember noticing “born again” the very first time I read 1 Peter, since this was a new Protestant phrase unfamiliar to my Catholic upbringing. (It is now much more common in the Catholic Church.) So today I looked online and found that the only other occasion where we see the phrase “born again” is in John 3 where Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus. Paul never uses that phrase, nor any of the other Gospel writers, nor any other New Testament authors – only Peter and only here! So if you are among those who claim to be “born again”, you can thank John (Jesus!) and Peter for that phrase!

November 14 / II Timothy 4:1-22

II Timothy 4:1-22

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (vv. 3-4) Yesterday I mentioned liberal theology as a problem for the church today. These verses recall that same warning: will not endure sound teaching; having itching ears; teachers to suit their own passions; turn away from … the truth… Those phrases have come full blown in today’s world. So many members in the larger Christian church are allowing the surrounding culture to guide their theology: rampant divorce, unmarried Christian couples living together, “pro-choice” values, same-sex marriage, politicians on both sides of the aisle grasping for power instead of the overall good, our enormous wealth inequality… Add your own items to that list. As I’ve said before, I fear for our children and grandchildren and the future world in which they will live.

There is one item about those verses quoted above that strikes me differently in the ESV versus the NASB translation. The ESV says …having itching ears… while the NASB has …but wanting to have their ears tickled… An itch and a tickle are two different things. An itch implies a real yearning, a need for relief, while being tickled suggests delight from whatever is happening outside our bodies. An itching ears person seems to want a preacher to “preach what I want to hear”, while a tickled ear person wants a preacher who will “make me feel good”. The ESV translation suggests a more aggressive person; the NASB suggests a more passive person. Unfortunately, in both cases, one’s theology is left to one’s desires.

So, as I note in the third link below, we now leave Paul’s epistles – unless, of course, Paul is the author of Hebrews (which we will be reading in a week or so). But first, on to Peter, Jude, and James!

November 13 / II Timothy 3:1-17

II Timothy 3:1-17

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses… (v. 8a) My Study Bible said that according to Jewish tradition these two men were Egyptian court magicians who opposed Moses when he went to Pharoah – Aaron threw down his staff and it became a serpent, then court magicians did the same (Exodus 7:11). But I was thinking also of other times when people opposed Moses – one of the two Israelites whom Moses found fighting (Exodus 2); Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12); Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16); the people who supported ten of the twelve “spies” who searched out the land in Numbers 13-14 (see especially Num 14:4, And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”); and any number of people who complained and grumbled during the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness. So Moses had more than his share of people opposing him. My guess is that the incidents reported in Exodus and Numbers only touched the surface!

Following verse 8 noted above, we have verse 9a, Paul’s reflection back to Jannes’ and Jambres’ attempts: But they will not get very far… True, Jannes and Jambres did not get very far. However, we can’t say the same about opposition in the church today. COVID and “the world” have brought church attendance down dramatically, and many who are still in the church today are under the influence of liberal theology that weakens God’s power in their lives. I fear for future generations. Come, Lord Jesus, come!!

November 12 / II Timothy 2:1-26

II Timothy 2:1-26

Phygelus and Hermogenes… (v. 1:15b) and Hymenaeus and Philetus. (v. 2:17b) In two chapters Paul mentions four people, with two sets of similar names and with similar charges against them (…turned away from me… (1:15) and …swerved from the truth… (2:18). Is this really one set of two names? Maybe Paul is recalling these names incorrectly? Maybe a misprint? Or maybe – two sets of two different people, as written…? Strange!!

Paul sets three examples for Timothy – soldier, athlete, farmer (vv. 4, 5, 6). And with each of these he offers positive behavioral characteristics – focused, honorable, deserving. It’s easy for us to ask ourselves if we are exhibiting these same positive behavioral characteristics: staying focused on Jesus, both in church and in our everyday affairs; if we are playing “according to the rules” set by society and by our own internal moral compass; and if we are being “rewarded” for our efforts, in whatever fashion that reward may take.

This third item, I think, applies more to spiritual leaders – deacons, priests, ministers, bishops, etc. But also missionaries come to mind here. Maybe it’s just Mark Bruner’s recent visit and his talk with Carol and me about his own financial struggles and his loss of support from churches year by year. Or newsletters from the Harkonens about their difficulties in fundraising. How can it be that people who fully believe that they are called to serve as missionaries can have such difficulties in raising their needed funds? Mystifying!

November 11 / II Timothy 1:1-18

II Timothy 1:1-18

Who was Onesiphorus? I’m surprised that I did not search this question last year. An online article said that “St. Onesiphorus was bishop at Colophon (Asia Minor), and later at Corinth. Both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches hold that he died a martyr in the city of Parium (not far from Ephesus) on the shores of the Hellespont.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onesiphorus) From Scripture his only mention is in today’s verse 16 and later in II Tim 4:19. In both of those verses Paul mentions “the household of Onesiphorus”, not Onesiphorus himself. In addition, Paul speaks of Onesiphorus only in the past tense; these two items lead some scholars to believe that Onesiphorus was dead at the time of Paul’s writing. One other item that struck me was the beginning of his name, with the first five letters identical to the slave, Onesimus, of whom we learned in Philemon. Is there some meaning to “Onesi”?

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you… [and] By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. (vv. 6, 14) My Study Bible commented further on these verses, that any gifting that we have received from the Holy Spirit is not a one-time thing, but an ongoing activity in our lives that needs to be nourished, developed, and used. So when you’ve seen me write or speak of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that exist in each and every one of us, know for sure that those gifts are not yet fully developed. God is working on bringing those gifts to fruition in you!

There are also a lot of comments from last year in the links below.

November 10 / Titus 2:1-3:15

Titus 2:1-3:15

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are useless and worthless. Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning… (vv. 3:9-10) I have been in many small group discussions and Bible studies. Occasionally these groups have included some people who were strongly antagonistic toward the Catholic Church, for whatever reason. Having been raised Catholic and feeling that I had gained substantially from that background, there were times when I felt it necessary to defend that Church or its teachings. Mostly these “antagonists” would back off a bit, but not always – sometimes coming back in a really argumentative fashion. And with that I would have to be the one to back off, not wanting to engage this divisive (factious) person on that topic. Paul offers good advice in those verses cited above – our Bible study groups and discussions should be about learning and building up the body. It’s OK to disagree – we’ve learned that in our Men’s Group discussions – but that disagreement needs to be gentle. There is much that I have learned when someone offers a second opinion to something I have said – when it’s offered gently!

November 9 / Titus 1:1-16

Titus 1:1-16

[An overseer must] … be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it. (v. 9b) I find that I am able to “preach the gospel” (when the occasion arises), but I’ve never been good at responding to negative responses. I’ve heard that the best testimony that we can offer in that situation is to ask questions instead of trying to argue for the truth. But I find difficulties in that approach, in that the more a person responds with what they believe, the more committed they might be to that wrong teaching or wrong doctrine. I’m thinking here of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you let them talk you’ll just get an endless repetition of what they believe – or more specifically, where they find fault with our doctrine. I have found it best to just be polite, commend them for their commitment, but remind them of who Jesus is and what He has done and where they are wrong, then dismiss them and shut the door. Then I am confident that “…the word that went out of my mouth would not return void, but would accomplish that which the Lord intended.”(Isaiah 55:11, edited)

November 8 / I Timothy 6:1-21

I Timothy 6:1-21

In Ben’s first sermon at St. Andrew’s he said something like “Jesus is so much more than anything we can imagine.” Paul is saying the same thing here: [Jesus] is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (vv. 15b-16) What struck me most here were the phrases, “…who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see …” I’m remembering when Moses asked God to show him His glory and God covered Moses face until He had passed by; then God said, “…you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:18-23) I’m also thinking of “near death” experiences where so many people report seeing a great light in the distance and coming closer. I believe Ben: “Jesus is so much more than anything we can imagine.”

November 7 / I Timothy 5:1-25

I Timothy 5:1-25

I have learned to share Jesus in small ways as often as it is reasonable. One such time is when someone performs a service for me/us, like a plumber or a mechanic. For those folks it’s reasonable to offer a tip – an add-on to a bill or a $5 or a $10 or even a $20, like we do in restaurants. Then when I do that, I often say, “Scripture says, … ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’”(v. 18) It’s a small item, but it tells people that I’m a believer and occasionally leads to a longer conversation. It’s not unlike my departure to the cashier at the grocery store, “The Lord bless you.” While it’s common to say “God bless you”, that small substitution makes a lot of people take notice and they often will reply with a “Thank you” or a “God bless you, too.” And if there’s no one behind me in line and I’ve gotten a nice reply, it’s a simple step further to ask, “Are you part of a local church?” You never know where that small conversation will go! Another reason to use the cashier instead of the self-checkout at the grocery store…!