The book of 2 Timothy

/0 Comments/in

At the writing of 2 Timothy, Timothy is still in Ephesus but Paul is in a different situation altogether. He has been arrested again (after writing 1 Timothy) and placed in Roman prison. This time however, he is without his parchments, companions, a rented house; and is inaccessible.

He is totally alone. Under Emperor Nero he is expecting that he will not even make the next big change of season. This is Paul’s last letter and nothing will be heard from his pen again. At least nothing new: we still have 2 Timothy with us and Paul speaks on!

His epistle is very personal. He mentions twenty-three individuals by name. Much like Paul’s tears when he left the Ephesian elders on the beach in Acts 20, you can almost hear the trembling, emotional crackle of an emotive voice speaking in this letter to Timothy: “Hold on”; “keep fighting the fight”; “stay the course”; “Jesus is coming”; “He is faithful”; “Don’t hold back” are some of his impassioned pleas.

2 Timothy is best read with the emotion and sobriety of a last-time meeting between you and your father, knowing you will not see the man again. Hear Paul, see his confidence and total assurance that we have not believed in vain, and then try to live so that one day you too can say: “I have finished the race and am waiting for my prize, because I did what I what supposed to do.”

The book of Hebrews

/0 Comments/in

Who the friend of the Apostle Paul is that wrote this letter will be unknown until Jesus returns! (Hebrews 13:23). The letter ‘to the Hebrews’ is obviously written to Jewish Christians but we don’t know where they were situated. But the more pressing issue is the reason for the letter – it seems clear from reading the whole letter that these Jewish Christians had faced troubled times of persecution from other Jews and more was to come.

They were under pressure about Jesus. False teaching or social pressure was pressing them to claim that Jesus was somehow less than God the Son and sent Messiah (Christ). If they proclaimed Jesus as no more than an angel the persecution would subside and life would be much easier. But they cannot do that, says this letter in many different ways. The Christians have many reasons to press on in faith and must not sin against what they know to be true.

Jesus is not an angel, He is the Son of God who became human to save humans (Hebrews 1-2)! Jesus is greater than Moses and these Christians need to be careful that they don’t fail to listen to God like their ancestors failed to listen to God through Moses (Hebrews 3:1-4:14). There is no point for them to turn back to Jewish religion because Jesus is the Great High Priest and he is the fulfilment of what the Old Testament priesthood pointed to (Hebrews 4:14-7:28). Jesus is also the one who mediates a new and better covenant than the previous covenant, the very way of relating to God that they had always hoped would come (Hebrews 8-10:18). The Christians have every reason to continue in faith. They need to take courage from each other, previous heroes of the faith, and from Jesus himself. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and he will be faithful to them. They are to seek the city to come while God gives them grace and peace to keep going in their tough times (Hebrews 10:19-13:25).

The common stumbling point for readers of Hebrews comes mostly in two areas – (1) the overall Jewishness of the letter, and (2) the strength of the warnings.

We’re not immediately familiar with Jewish tradition and way of life. You may need to brush up on your Old Testament to understand Hebrews better. The strength of the warnings is sometimes hard to interpret especially in the face of seemingly equally strong encouragements: “He has secured an eternal redemption” and “impossible to renew to repentance” seem to be contradictory.

It would be foolish for us to glibly answer these intensely debated questions in one small intro. The encouragement to you is make sure that you understand carefully what the warning is warning and what the promise is promising. Is the warning about blessing in this life or about ultimately going to heaven? Is the promise about blessing in this life or about ultimately going to heaven? Read carefully and follow the interpretative rules that hopefully you have learned up to now. If you do this, you will find Hebrews the deep encouragement that its original readers must have found it to be.

Pic: Adoration of the Lamb, by Jan van Eyck (1432), oil on wood, Ghent altarpiece, Cathedral of St. Bavo, Ghent.

The book of 1 Peter

/0 Comments/in

Suffering and hope make up forty of the words used in this short letter written by Peter. Here we can learn the connection between suffering and glory. No more sure understanding is needed today than the place of suffering for the Christian. Some think our life is all suffering while others claim that we suffer because we lack trust (faith). Which is it? Peter will tell you.

The Christians that Peter is writing to are facing terrible times from hostile Jews and fanatical Gentiles. General Christian dislike was threatening to become active persecution and would do so under Emperor Nero in the near future. Peter himself would be caught up in the slaughter of Christians and tradition holds he would die in  an upside down crucifixion.

What a different Peter we hear from in this letter. The impulsive, restless, and sometimes cowardly, sometimes fearless Peter of the Gospels is now patient, loving and secure. Our persecutions are from Rome’s emperors but pressures loom from all sides: coolness in faith, pursuit of comfort, and persecution for radical faith are all like the lion Peter promises is waiting to devour us.

1 Peter is a deeply encouraging letter. When times are tough, Peter’s words will help you. It is a letter worth memorising. There are also concepts worth cherishing in the heart. Concepts like foreknowledge and choosing are most exquisite, as well as being born again to a living hope.

One more thing to add: the word ‘hope’ has a slightly different meaning today to Peter’s usage. Remember, the Bible was written in a different language! Hope here is better understood as ‘anticipating’ or ‘eagerly expecting’ – a far more positive view as opposed to our way of thinking of hope, which is something more vague and more like wanting something to happen, but not being sure if it will. Peter is sure when he uses the word – he is telling us to expect and anticipate glory. He is far from asking for a vague little encouragement that we should “hope” things will turn out okay.

What is this about the “spirit’s in prison”?

The “spirits in prison” is a famously difficult passage (1 Peter 3:19-20):

“In the Spirit also he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. They were the ones who did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight people, were brought safely through water”.

As with all interpreting, following the argument carefully is key. Peter’s argument in verse 17 is that we should make sure we only suffer for good reasons. Jesus also suffered for doing good (3:18). Then comes the culmination of his encouragement. Following the argument and avoiding long explanations of interpretive detail leads  to this understanding of these verses: when the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead, He claimed victory over all the activity of the evil spirits behind all the trouble of his death and days. These same evil spirits were behind the wickedness of Noah’s day. God was being patient with the people who did not believe in Noah’s time and he is also being patient with the wickedness of the persecuting Romans. Noah was rescued when judgement fell in a decisive victory, and Jesus too has ascended in total victory. Therefore the assured victory over the evil of their day is assured. There is no need to panic. He is using the days of Noah as a picture, an example, of what God can and will do.

Pic: St. Peter, by Guercino

The book of Titus

/0 Comments/in

Paul wrote 1 Timothy and Titus at the same time, during house arrest arrest in Rome. While Timothy was at Ephesus, Titus was given the task of going to Crete.

Crete must have been a tough place – you may chuckle when you read Titus 1:12-13! Titus had a solid track record and had done good work for Paul and the gospel, solving the problems in Corinth already. When Paul heard that Apollos was about to go to Crete he decided to send this letter to Titus.

Good works feature prominently in the letter. Titus is to ordain elders, keep the doctrine sound, and administrate a few particulars in the church. Look at this strong statement in Titus 1:16 – “…they profess to know God but deny him by their lifestyle”. Times in Crete are both unlike but also much like today. It seems that there were people who professed faith and love for God but a quick examination of their lifestyle didn’t reflect that in the slightest. Mere talkers, obviously. This letter to Titus reminds us that what we believe is supposed to work itself out in our behaviour.

What’s interesting is that today we have the same problem. People who profess to know God but we don’t see much good work in their lives. We may well see that they aren’t bad people and they have ‘cleaned up’ and are moral upstanding citizens, but never get to good works at all. They are kind of in neutral: not bad people, but no good works feature. Paul tells Titus to get these types of people moving.

The book of 1 Timothy

/0 Comments/in

Sometimes your mind wonders to what the people of the Scriptures must have actually looked like. Here we have a letter to Timothy, a young guy who converted to Christianity while Paul was ministering in Lystra. What kind of young man was he? Paul was especially fond of him. He needed a lot of encouragement and spurring on. During Paul’s second missionary journey he took Timothy as his companion when he passed through Lystra again. Some time later he assigned Timothy to the church in Ephesus right into the deep end in the thick of ministry and leadership. Both 1 & 2 Timothy are sent to the young man while he is at Ephesus.

In 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus, we have Paul’s only letters to individuals. Remember at this stage of church history there is no formalised canon of Scripture to turn to for guidance. They were ironing out many issues as history moved on. Eyewitness apostles and strong voices in the faith were few and far between. Paul knows Ephesus like no other leader. His writing to Timothy shows this clearly. Timothy is to continue the fight against persistent false teachers who encourage a lot of arguing and very little godly living. He is to order the leadership and various other matters in the church. His letter is wholly on practical matters of church life, while sandwiched in between is Paul’s genuine encouragement and support for young Timothy.

This letter is a lesson on many things. We’ll find teaching on practical matters in the church but also for older members in the church working with younger believers who show a good conscience and sincere faith. It is worthy of more than a quick glance through.

The book of Philippians

/0 Comments/in

Paul’s preaching to the Philippians is the first evidence we have of the gospel’s arrival in mainland Europe. Acts 16 tells us it was the Holy Spirit who brought Paul and his companions to Philippi. Paul’s usual strategy was to preach in a synagogue when he first arrived in a town, but there wasn’t one in Philippi so he met with a Jewish ladies’ prayer meeting. Lydia was a convert from this meeting and her and her whole household were baptised.

Paul lands up in trouble and is jailed, and here we have read of the miraculous conversion of the jailer. The church in Philippi was made up of Lydia and her household, the jailer, and potentially a few women from the prayer group. Paul could only have spent a few weeks at the longest in the town.

He writes the letter many years later from house arrest in Rome. The Philippian church had sent physical help to Paul under house arrest. The help was in the person of Epaphroditus. But he had become sick and almost died. This was a great concern to Paul and to the Philippians. Paul sends Epaphroditus back to Philippi with the letter we now have.

The letter is positive and loving. It is often referred to as the epistle of joy because Paul uses the word joy more than in any other of his writings. Two other notable themes are fellowship and working out our salvation. Fellowship is a concept closer than ‘a little tea after church’ for Paul. Fellowship is akin to siamese twins sharing blood. He succeeds and they succeed, they fail and he fails. He sees their relationship as that close. In chapter 2:12 he encourages them to work out their salvation. Not work for salvation, but to work it out. His primary way for us to work it out is to co-operate with Christ working within each of us. And for this Paul is full of joy. He is so thrilled and assured by Christ’s working power in each person that the whole letter has the tone of praise and glorious hope. How uplifting a read!

The book of Ephesians

/0 Comments/in

Ephesians is very similar in structure and content to Colossians, so it is assumed that the letter was written at the same time as Colossians and Philemon. There are a few puzzles about the letter’s purpose and whom it was written to exactly. The letter is very general – Paul doesn’t deal with any questions or heresy, which is surprising considering that the Ephesian church was the closest to Paul of all the churches.

Paul’s exploits in Ephesus make for exciting reading (in Acts 19) and must have been even more so to live through. The message of Jesus flourished in Ephesus amid staunch pagan religion. The Ephesian god Artemis, who apparently sent a shiny, black, ‘many breasted’ meteorite, was shown up to be no god at all. For two years Paul established the church that developed there.

This letter is almost split in two distinct halves, showing how we become believers and, once we are believers, how we are to live. We are not saved by good works but are saved for good works. The letter can be read and re-read and you will find every time that there is something new you will see. It touches many areas of practical life – marriage, slaves, life in the church, relationships and children and parents; all packed with words of wisdom for heaven.

It would be good to note the overall process Paul follows in the letter. The order of the Christian life is important here. Many religions require good works in order for a person to come to a place of right relationship with their god. They require goodness before acceptance. Christianity is different and Ephesians shows this clearly. Acceptance comes before goodness. God accepts us in order to make us who he wants us to be. The order is vitally important to grasp. We cannot live the Christian life until we are in right relationship with God. We do not live the Christian life to be in right relationship to God – rather, we have faith in Jesus and that makes our relationship right with God!

Two concepts in Ephesians raise their head as tricky to deal with. Predestination and Chapter 6 on spiritual warfare present trouble for many. Here is some quick advice: what I have noticed over a few years is the tendency people have to focus in on the tough questions at the expense of easier ones. I would say focus in on the easier to understand concepts and explore them thoroughly. Even in Chapter 1 there are beautiful concepts – God’s choosing, Christ’s redemption, God’s grace, and the seal of the Spirit, which are matters that we should explore deeply. You will notice when you spend time on the majors the others take their rightful place of importance.

Then on predestination: it is very mysterious. How it works exactly, we cannot know. There’s nothing wrong with this: even science will tell us there are things we don’t know! What can be said, however, is the Bible never teaches what is know as double predestination, which is the teaching that God preordains who gets saved and who doesn’t. The Bible only teaches that God predestined those who are saved and those who are sadly lost chose completely for themselves. Mysterious!

Regarding spiritual warfare, one comment will suffice. Paul teaches many things in chapter 6 but it has to be noted that he is teaching them so that they may ‘stand’ (6:11). Paul is not teaching active ‘binding of the devil’ and ‘casting out of every trouble’, he is telling us what we are to do so that we stand and don’t fall. He wants us to be strong as the enemy attacks us. We aren’t encouraged at all to attack back. We stand and stand strong: that’s it, and Paul tells us how.

The book of Philemon

/0 Comments/in

Traditionally, Philemon has been believed to be a member of the Colossian church. Paul writes him this delicate letter asking him to reinstate his former slave, Onesimus. Onesimus fled to Rome after robbing Philemon – a fatally punishable offense. Somehow he came into contact with Paul in Rome and came to faith in the Lord Jesus. The former slave changed quickly and became someone particularly helpful to Paul, so much so that Paul calls him a ‘dear brother’. Interestingly, ‘Onesimus’ means useful and Paul suggests to Philemon that this former slave convert to Christ will be exactly that to him in his new state.

There are a few different lenses with which to read this letter. Let’s examine them.

The social lens. The issue of slavery and Christianity is an interesting one. Many have noted that Paul makes no effort to teach about the practice of slavery at all here. He simply asks that Philemon receives Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a Christian fellow brother and helper.

The moral lens. There is such a thing as dealing with our past and making matters right. Onesimus had to face up to his past and place himself in the hands of Philemon. Paul sent him back there. Facing up to our past, admitting, making right and honouring broken situations is often a requirement from God.

The spiritual lens. David Pawson in his book, Unlocking the Bible says that this letter is a wonderful picture of the gospel. We are slaves that have robbed and dishonoured God and fled. We meet Jesus and He sends us back to the Father, now becoming useful to God. Beautiful.

The book of Colossians

/0 Comments/in

Colossians boldly claims that the Christian can and should rejoice in the fact that they can and should reject any means to spiritual gain other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is more than enough for all matters of life and godliness. We need hold onto nothing and no one else – ever.

Paul writes from prison in Rome upon hearing about the situation in Colossae from Epaphras. It is assumed that Epaphras planted the church and came to Rome to gets Paul’s counsel and advice. The letter deals with a multifaceted heresy. Much like 1 Corinthians, it’s difficult to understand exactly what the problems were in Colossae, but it is worth a good try. Colossians 1:18 is a big clue for us. It reads, “that in everything he might become preeminent”. At first the sentence doesn’t make sense. Paul has just said Jesus is above everything in the universe, now he says he needs to become ‘above all things’. But Paul is saying that Jesus needs to become preeminent to them. He is in reality, but apparently not to them. It seems they were thinking too little of the Lord Jesus. There is talk of philosophy being exalted, angels worshipped, strict worldly elements of religion and Jewish Law being brought in. Paul deals with each of these in the letter, although his overarching treatment for all the problems is that Jesus is all a person needs for every matter in the spiritual life. A real living connection with the Lord Jesus Christ is needed, everything else is smoke and mirrors – a waste of time and energy.

What is interesting to note, and it appears clearly in Colossians, is that the Bible is not loosely connected facts and thoughts but a chain of reasoning and arguments. The Scriptures argue, test and prove our faith against other options. The letters build arguments to prove why certain beliefs are right and others wrong. This is why it’s not healthy to simply open the Bible and read ad hoc. We need the arguments clear in our own thinking. I am sure this is what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians where he says we ‘pull down strongholds with reasoning’. A stronghold is a strong reasoning system built up to cause us to doubt the truth. The answer to it is to reason strongly back.

Enjoy the letter. You might want to answer some questions for yourself that the letter teaches while you read it through.

  • How does Paul say they and I can grow up in my connection with Jesus?

  • What does it mean to ‘live on Christ?’

  • How does Paul say we grow in godliness?

  • What are the wrong ways that Paul says we can go about answering the above questions?