马可福音.读后感

       在新约里,马可福音是最短的一卷. 新约里的四本福音很相似, "神的儿子" 是马可福音的主题. 第一章第一节就说明了基督是福音的起头.耶稣在约旦河受洗的时候, 有从天上来的声音, 道:"你是我的爱子,我喜悦你."

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       无神论学者不相信有神的存在 在资讯丰富的时代,科技发展到可以复制生物的程度,人们视乎忽略有更强大的力量存在.越来越远离神, 但是就连恶鬼也知道耶稣是神的儿子, 大声呼叫:"至高神的儿子耶稣,我与你有什么相干?我指着神恳求你,不要叫我受苦!" 

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       马可也记载耶稣登山变像,有声音从云彩后传来,说:"这是我的爱子,你们要听他的." 神两次用同样的方式提醒人们听从耶稣的教诲,也肯定了他的身份.作为神的儿子，耶稣拥有医病，赶鬼，行神迹奇事权柄，使群众为之慑服。当耶稣在十字架上丧命的时候,殿里的幔子被撕裂成两半,一位百夫长感叹说: 这人真是神的儿子!"圣经记载的神迹不少, 这足以表现耶稣是神子的真相. 但是他是完全的神,也是完全的人, 因为他也拥有人性, ---------"耶稣怒目周围看他们,忧愁他们的心刚硬,就对那人说:"伸出手来!"他把手一伸,手就复了原." 第三章第五节.

Day Twenty-Seven: God claims His own

I know I've been commenting a lot on how different some of the time estimates are to my reading - but this one is probably the furthest out yet! Four hours... Really?? I know it is a complex book - I thought at first I had forgotten how long it was - but no, it was still the twenty-two chapters it always had been, and the chapters are about the same length as most books in the New Testament. It took me one hour. One-quarter the time of the estimate. Now, I am relatively familiar with Revelation, having studied it in the past, and I chose not to get bogged down in chapters like I have done in some cases, but it was still a thorough read, and to take 1/4 the time estimated when I usually go over - that boggles my mind!

Anyway, on to more profitable discussion. The last book in the New Testament, by all accounts also the last divinely inspired revelation of God written down for our understanding - especially as it has a warning at the end not to add to or take away from what is written! Written by the Apostle John, exiled to the Isle of Patmos in the late 90's (no, not 1990's - but the 90's just before the end of the first century!), he writes very little of his own words. The intro and the epilogue is his own words, but everything else is written observations of revelation received directly from God, and ordered to write down.

Now the challenge - enjoy reading the book without trying to unpack it? Hmm. Harder done than said here, I think. Certainly I enjoyed reading the book, and being reminded of the future glory that God will finally claim for His own, and the glory he has also bestowed on us believers - but that also comes from a current understanding of the book having unpacked it in the past, and the picture it contains. Now, I cannot forget what I have already learned, nor would I want to - so I can't truly understand now what it would be like reading this for the first time, but I do remember it used to confuse me in the past (still does a lot, but slightly less than before).

I will be commenting on the themes of this wonderful book - hopefully I do not unpack it too much, but I also hope that I might shed a little light on some of the confusing elements, so we can better appreciate it. For those that after reading who want a more detailed overview of the book, I can recommend this link - A Jet Tour Through Revelation by John MacArthur. It's a sermon about an hour long - so no longer than reading through the book, with a transcript so can read through if you prefer that to listening. Those who want to unpack more can look to other resources, either on the same site or other sites - just be aware there are many ideas about interpreting Revelation, some more Biblically accurate than others, so be careful of your sources.

Now concerning echoes from past reading through the New Testament? In some ways, definitely, a lot of the themes are picked up, and repeated or brought to fulfilment. This is, after all the final event on God's calendar - things do get 'wrapped up' for the final eternal life. I will use another metaphor as well, though - I see Revelation as a rogue wave. A rogue wave is a very rare occurrence, and is formed when waves meet 'in-phase' and cause a mega-wave to be produced, at least twice as high as the height of the normal waves in that area. It comes out of nowhere - no warning - and can be devastating. The normal waves are like the earlier teaching and epistles - warnings and teachings during the period of grace we live in. Then like a rogue wave, the judgement of God is held off no longer,, and rises without warning. It's the same character as the waves before it, but this time it is much bigger - and there is no escape for those who are unprepared, and no way to ignore it. The teachings find their fulfilment - their full character and end are revealed, just like a rogue wave is bigger (and so can be seen better) than the normal waves.

I did like the quote by Ross Clifford and Philip Johnson. Nice way to sum up the book.



We begin with a look an introduction to Christ. Not Christ, the veiled Deity Who laid aside His glory to walk amongst - don't get me wrong, He WAS that - now we see Christ, the glorified One, the rightful Judge, showing all His glory.

First Christ directs John to write to the churches. These churches were real, historical churches at the time, and seem selected because they show the full spectrum of churches with their different errors and triumphs for Christ. All throughout history, there have been some examples of each of the churches, at some times one type dominates, at other times another, but all are present. We need to each heed the warnings and exhortation to these churches - no matter what type of church we are in! All of us desire to be Pergamos - about which nothing bad was said - or Smyrna, if we are under persecution. It is easy to fall into traps and deceit, through the world around us, false teachers, or forgetting our love for Christ. We also see some churches that are on their last legs - and nothing good is said about them. One of these is Laodicea, which seems an strong description of many churches today in the materialistic society. But whatever the evil that is in the church, Christ calls for repentance, and will answer if we repent and hear His voice - while there is still time.

Moving on from the churches, we go to heaven. It is a privilege having this glimpse into the heavenly realm! The glory of God is so magnificent, so majestic, beyond these simple words on paper, beyond anything we could imagine! Then we see the Lamb of God. Having paid the price for our sin, He alone is worthy to open the scroll and begin the judgement upon the earth He created, He redeemed, and now He will judge.

Through the next lot of chapters, we see many judgements. Through all of them, we see that the point is God's glory, that God is pouring out His wrath that mankind deserves, in keeping with His Holy and Righteous Character. Interspersed between the judgements are also messages of God saving people still on earth - The 144,000 Jewish evangelists, and we see converts from their witness praising God in Heaven. Another interlude, in chapter 10, recognises the bitter-sweet nature of the judgement - sweet to the mouth because God is finally glorified as He ought, and the wicked are being judged, but sorrow that so many did not repent and are suffering for their rejection of Him. We see two witnesses preaching in great power - God does not leave earth without people preaching His Word! Then, after this respite, the final judgement comes with a fury. Again and again we see reference to the same 42 months/1260days/3.5 years that is referred to here and in later interludes - often these are talking about the same period of time, the latter half of the 7 year period called the 'tribulation' when most of the judgement happens.

In chapter 12, we start to see things from a slightly different perspective. We see a struggle between Israel and Satan, and then leading into the 'beast' rising from the sea. So these chapters show things focused around Satan and the antichrist, and then the prophet that works with them - Satan's evil pseudo-imitation of the Trinity.

After the talk about the beasts, we see the witnesses again, and then the witness of angels preaching God's Word to those on earth. How can people still reject Him? He grants them so much time, so many warnings, so many chances to repent, and yet they still reject Him? Praise God that He saw fit to save me, and turn my stubborn heart to Him before it was too late! This section ends with more judgement, and the wrath of God poured out, as praise is rightfully given to God.

Another interlude, we backtrack to see something else that happened during the reign of the beast - we see a prostitute sitting on top of the beast. The prostitute is a symbol of idolatry, and false religion  - working hand in hand with the beast, and fighting with the beast against the Lamb of God. The antichrist then turns against the prostitute, destroying 'her' for his own ends, but also fulfilling the judgement of God on the false religions.

We return to Heaven, seeing again rightful praise of God, and the glorious marriage supper of the Lamb, where the church is presented as Christ's bride - those whom He has redeemed to Himself. Then He descends from Heaven, with the saints (Christians) with Him, bringing His Kingdom down to earth, and destroying all the wicked left upon the earth - a great slaughter!

The millennial (thousand year) reign of Christ is established, and Satan is bound so as not to cause trouble. Finally we will see a good and righteous government system! He grants us (the saints who were in heaven and are come back to earth with Him) the privilege of serving as judges in His Kingdom. The people left behind on the earth are the Christians saved during the judgement period, that have not already been martyred themselves - some did indeed turn and repent, through the many witnesses God sent to preach, and His wondrous grace! After the thousand years, though, there are some (presumably the descendants, since the original survivors would be truly God's) that will be deceived by Satan when he is released, and rebel against God. The judgement is swift, and they all die. Now all evildoers that have ever lived have died, the Great White Throne of Judgement occurs, and all who are not written in the book of life stand before God in judgement, and are sentenced to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. The believers are all glorified by this stage.

Then we have a marvellous description of the New Heaven and New Earth - created by God, for His dwelling alongside and with man. The judgement is done, no unrighteous are here - they are all condemned to spiritual death. Only those multitudes who Christ has redeemed to Himself, who have accepted His redemption, now live with Him forever! The glory of this place is beyond words - enjoy this glimpse of it, but never minimise it or think lightly of it - it is far greater than we can ever understand with our sinful minds!

John concludes the book, and we are told not to hide this revelation, but read it and speak it, and obey it. Never add to it, and never take away from it -- it is the Word of God! He is coming soon... O, Lord Jesus, COME!!!!!!!!!

Lord, we thank You for these insights into the future You have prepared. We glorify You for You alone are worthy - You, Who redeemed us by Your blood, dying for our sake - we praise Your Name! Thank You for the confidence we can have in Your sovereign care, Your timing, and Your judgement. We praise You that the wicked will be destroyed utterly in Your timing, and we praise You for the grace we have until that time. Help us ever to be ready Lord - help us to warn others and teach others Your truth, that they might receive the blessing of salvation and eternal fellowship with You. Lord, we pray for Your will to be done - You know what is best! Bless our lives, as we commit them to Thee, and hold us close we pray. We await You with glad anticipation. In Your name, and trusting in You, we pray. Amen.

Day Twenty-Six: Opposing false teaching

Closer to 5 min, I think, for this epistle. It's at least twice the length of the last two short letters by John.

Written by Jude, the author is commonly understood to be Jude, brother of the James that wrote the epistle by that name, and half-brother of Christ. Like James, he doesn't claim any relationship with Christ but as a servant - anything more would be presumptuous. He basically uses James as a name to drop so the recipients would be sure of who he was, so it makes sense that the James mentioned is the one who was a 'pillar of the church' at Jerusalem. Jude seems to be writing predominantly to Jews, given the numerous references to Old Testament times, and his assumption they are familiar with his examples.

The commentary linked to I found really good, nice short explanatory comments to help understanding of the passage.

I love the greeting Jude uses - called, beloved, and kept - looking to our past and the positional privilege that God has granted us when He called us and we came to Him in repentance - looking at our present, and the love that God shows us now, constantly - and looking to the future, God securing us for Himself, until we meet Christ again, either at death or Rapture.

The main gist of the letter is all about false teachers. Jude would prefer that there were no problems and he could just talk about the wonderful salvation we have, but no - this issue must be addressed!

He talks about false teachers and their sensuality (perverted sexual immorality) and rejection of the authority of Christ, and then uses two examples to illustrate the judgement that will come.
He talks about their reliance on dreams (either 'visions' or just thought up notions), possibly claiming they were from God. Defiling flesh (again sexual immorality), rejecting authority (again), and mentions blaspheming 'the glorious ones' (angels).
The term blasphemy is interesting here - he uses it again in the example of Michael the archangel 'not using blasphemous judgement'. Blasphemy is basically anything that shows contempt or disrespect for God, which fits these two cases well. Blaspheming angels could be either ascribing powers to them that they do not have (including Satan, who is a fallen angel), or worshipping them. The example with Michael shows that even rebuking the angel on his own authority would be blasphemy though - indicating even the idea that we can judge or have power over angels (fallen or holy) is blasphemous, because we are rejecting God's power over them and trying to use our own power.

The false teachers are shown as self-serving, promising what they can't deliver. The example of Balaam here is particularly interesting. Cain killed Abel and Korah rebelled against Moses and Aaron over pride, essentially, and serving their own desires, but we don't have too much info on them. Balaam, on the other hand, we have a little more info. Most Sunday school children would know the story of Balaam and his donkey, being asked to curse the Israelites, refusing at first then going, then getting stopped by and angel and the donkey speaking to him, then continuing to the place and blessing the Israelites instead. Not as many know he was still a 'bad apple' though - forced to bless the Israelites, he then tried to corrupt them using idolatry and sexual immorality, in order to serve himself in the King of Moab's sight (and gain that reward money he lost, presumably). Quite a typical false teacher - insisting on his way until he gets a 'confirmation' vision, and then maybe speaking the right words, but acting and plotting corruption in order to serve himself.

Again, judgement is pronounced upon them, executed by the Lord in His timing. It is interesting to summarise the descriptors of these false prophets that are to be judged: Ungodly; Morally perverted; Deniers of Christ; Defilers of the flesh; Rejecting authority; Blaspheming angels; Dreamers; Ignorant; Self-destructive; Grumblers; Malcontent (not content); Self-seeking; Arrogant; Playing favourites; Scoffers; Divisive; Worldly; Devoid of the Holy Spirit.
To combat them, we are primarily responsible for making sure we stand firm, and keep close to God, praying in the Holy Spirit, in the love of God. Those that are listening to the false teachers that can be persuaded, we should try to help them - some who are swaying, unsure, using compassion and lovingly build them up in the truth - others who are more involved with the false teachers and already mostly or fully persuaded, we can try to save them from the deception, but must be very careful that we are firm ourselves, not letting ourselves become corrupted by the false doctrine. An important warning, as many may enter into situations where they join a false group in order to try and minister or help those in the group, never thinking that they would fall, but many do fall - even debating with them on your home turf can sometimes be damaging to yourself if you are not prepared  -  thus the importance of staying close to God through prayer (and study of His Word). The same sort of caution can be applied to dealing with other religions (by other religions, I refer to those not claiming to be Christian. Technically all false teaching is teaching another religion to Christianity)- the differences may be more obvious, but caution is still required, as they can still be persuasive.

An illustration of a hole in the ice is appropriate here - if someone is out on a pond that you know has thin ice, you can sometimes call them back, and persuade them of the danger, if so, little harm done, and lesson learnt. Some won't listen, though, and will continue on to the thin ice regardless - or maybe they are already a long way out. Maybe the ice is starting to crack under them, or they fall in the water - or maybe it is apparently solid! Either way, if you go out on the ice without a rope or something holding you to the shore, you can just make the problem worse and be in severe danger yourself - possibly even causing them to fall through the ice by your extra weight (analogy here is if someone sees you getting involved with a movement that they are not sure about, it may confirm for them that it is all right). If you do go on the ice, even if you have the rope around you and know where the ice is a bit thicker, you still need to tread carefully and spread your weight to no get dunked in the cold water yourself (and so suffer harm). I am not saying don't go out on the ice, just make sure you are tied firmly to the bank with a lifeline, tread very carefully, don't go out unless you absolutely have to (other means of persuasion are exhausted), don't stay any longer than you absolutely have to, and knowing whether you can survive a dipping - make sure you are spiritually healthy, with a friend on the bank to help pull you out if fall in. Not a perfect analogy, but hopefully it illustrates some of the points.

The way Jude finishes off his letter - so profound! And so fitting to the tone of the whole letter.


Lord, thank You that You can keep us from stumbling. Thank You for Your call, Your love to us continually, and Your preservation of us for eternal life in Your presence. Lord, we pray for wisdom to be discerning of false teachers, and how we should interact with them (if at all). We pray for mercy for those influenced by false teachers, that they might be brought to knowledge of their deception, and understand the truth without going any further down the wrong path. Help us to deal with these people in love, Lord, these deceived people whom You love - Lord save them from this deception. Help us to know our limits Lord, and rely on Your power. Help us to realise the dangers of false teaching, and the dangers of being involved with these areas. If You call us to help in these cases Lord, give us strength, give us courage, give us wisdom, give us power and understanding, be with us we pray - and keep us in Your love. To You, our God and Saviour, to You alone be all glory and honour and praise!

Day Twenty-Five: Generous Hospitality

Again, a short epistle, quick 2 min read, but covering an important truth.

John is again the author, this time actually referring to himself as 'elder' - an impersonal descriptor, typically of John choosing not to use his own name. Addressed personally to Gaias - the only other epistle addressed personally was Philemon.

The subject of the letter is hospitality, similar to the last letter, which touched on the topic, but focusing on hospitality to those that were true teachers of the Word. There is a joy with which John writes as he commends Gaias for his hospitality, and encourages him to continue to do so. It is worth noting that John does not see hospitality given as a 'charity case', but rather an obligation - it is our duty as fellow-labourers in the church to support those who preach the Word. We are to be generous with the resources granted us, and use them wisely to support the work of God - whether it be itinerant preachers or other matters.

His actions are contrasted with another, who through pride refuses to assist, or even accept these itinerant preachers. Diotrephes is soundly condemned for this, and John shows his desire to put things right when he comes. It is always best for these sort of things to be dealt with, rather than leaving them to fester!

Leaving us with a final encouragement, he exhorts us to imitate good and not evil. The things we imitate show the nature of our life - you cannot keep living an evil life while being a Christian!

Lord, help us to receive Your children with love, and support those Who do Your work with gladness. We pray that You might protect us from falling to the temptation of pride, for we know we are all susceptible in part, but we also know that You have destroyed the power of all sin, and as we live in You, we will work righteously. Thank You for the ministry of many who serve by hospitality, preaching, or other work, and we pray for Your blessing upon them Lord. Help us to imitate You, and not seek to emulate any of this world. Amen.

马太福音. 读后感

        马太福音是新约的第一本书,以基督的家谱为开端, 吓坏了很多信徒,尤其是新信徒. 那么这个家谱的重要性是见仁见智.对在不同信仰成长阶段的人们有不一样的意义和感触.

       在我刚信基督时,我一眼苗过这么长的家谱,心里想,

 '家庭背景记录得仔细,但与我无关.'便省略第一章.

       其实到现在,很多名字我并不懂.但在考察耶稣的身份来历,它的意义非凡,并且牵涉了旧约的预言, 和上帝给的承诺. 

       马太记载了很多耶稣生前行的神迹和教诲.主题是信心.人对上帝的信心.耶稣赐给他的门徒们驱逐魔鬼和医治的能力, 但是他们的信心小,都没有赶走鬼;治好病.门徒们屡次猜疑耶稣,比方说在耶稣给五千人吃饱后,彼得叫耶稣让他到水面去,但因为风大,差点沉下去.耶稣紧握他的手,问他为什么迟疑. 那十二门徒跟随耶稣多日,目睹了多少神迹,听了多少教导,为什么猜疑像扎了根?

       人很脆弱,心更加容易被诱惑.我曾经心想自己如果生在耶稣的时代,自己必能做得比那十二门徒好.但仔细想想,这跟随基督的使命并不容易.耶稣三番四次提醒众人爱仇敌,施舍等.但没有人能够做的像耶稣那样完美无瑕.就连彼得也三次否认他.实在的,人的心就像水,把它摆放在怎么样的容器,它就变怎么样的形态. 

       要做到耶稣的标准比登天还难.正因如此,上帝叫我们不要论断他们.没有人在神的眼里是无罪的.自己若犯了同样的错不能指着他人,这是不公正的.偷窃与杀人,那个罪较重?今天的法律按你所犯的刑条而判刑,偷了东西可能被关几个月;杀了人要关上几十年,甚至死刑.这个系统重视以牙还牙,你要为你的行为负责任.相反的,对上帝来说,偷窃与杀人的罪一样,都是罪.所以不要以异样的眼光论断他人,因为每个人在上帝的眼里是平等的.他不以我们的社会地位,家境,样貌去评断;而是我们的心.一颗凭信心去依赖神,实行并且宣扬基督的教诲. 

       圣经像一座城堡,每一个角落藏着不一样的宝藏.每一章,每一节表达了神对人的爱. 

       马太福音以基督的降生为开始,人称他为 "Immanuel"，神与人同在的意思, 在结尾恰到好处地应验了上帝的承诺, 说道:

 "凡我就常与你们同在, 直到世界的未了." 马太 (二十八章二十节)

       上帝与人同在了,直到永远.

Day Twenty-Four: Love in Truth

Here we have, if I recall correctly, the shortest book in the entire Bible, at least if you count number of verses, and it does literally take only 2 min to read, at the most.

Short book, so short comments, as I don't want to turn this into an intense Bible study:

Written by the apostle John again, but without his name - for reasons mentioned in the last epistle, he writes to believers that he knows, and hopes to visit shortly. There is some debate whether 'the elect lady and her children' is someone in particular that John knows, or whether it is a pseudonym for the church in another town (this was written from Ephesus). I am not certain, although some of the letter seems to support the idea of it being a particular person. It makes only little difference,  since he is addressing believers in any case.

Love and truth are inextricably linked in this epistle. (If you don't know what inextricably means, it means basically 'so tangled and entwined and together that it is impossible to separate'). Love is again linked to obedience to the commands of God, and truth is emphasised in contrast to the deceit of false teachers - here particularly those that teach Christ was not truly human. So important is the truth of God, that anyone teaching anything that is a distortion of the basic, fundamental, saving truths - they cannot even be greeted by a Christian, we cannot benefit or aid them in any way, not even being friendly to them, because they dare to corrupt the doctrine of God.

It is important that our love is linked with the 'right truth'. Those that are deceived and love a lie, thinking it true, are in danger of becoming deceivers and false teachers themselves! We must ALWAYS come back to the Word, the Divinely inspired Scriptures, which we know to be true, and seek the Holy Spirit's help in understanding His truth - that we might live out the love of God, and not the fraudulent love of a lie.

Lord, we thank You for Your Word of truth, preserved for us throughout many generations, and translated into a form we can readily understand. May we stand firm on Your truth, and be willing to oppose those who speak lies, who teach anything contrary to the truth. Those with minor distortions or with misguided motives, help us to approach in love and show them out of Your Word the Truth. Those who are set in their ways, teaching a contrary gospel, give us the discernment to recognise these despite their deceit, and not show them any acceptance or friendly greeting. Lord, we know that You desire all men to come to You and receive the free gift of salvation, and I pray that You would convict the hearts of those that teach contrary to Your Word. Help them to realise the error of their ways, and come to you, whether it is by the preaching by one of Your servants, or their own reading of Your Word, or even an argument or discussion with someone after they teach who challenges them that they are not preaching Your Word. If this may not be, Lord, knowing that You are in control of all things, I pray that You might limit their impact. Deafen the ears of those who hear these false teachers - make their memories of the false teachings flow in one ear and out the other without taking root. Help them to see that the false teaching is indeed false, and bring others into their lives that will teach them Your Truth in love. Amen.

Day Twenty-Three: Love in black and white

About 15 minutes reading through this, the first of John's epistles today.

As in the gospel he wrote, John doesn't explicitly identify himself in this letter, but his style is characteristic throughout the letter, and there is no other person who could write like this and expect to be accepted without identifying himself (John was the last of the apostles to die, and this was probably written after all the others had died).

Love is the most prominent theme throughout the letter. Mentioned 52 times, this is one of the reasons the apostle John is known as the apostle of love. There is a second theme that also pervades the whole book - the black and white nature of Christianity. Possibly no other author in the New Testament so sharply draws the line between those for God and those against God  - you are in either one camp or the other. Hence the emphasis on love is paramount - the firmness of the division must be related, but it must always be kept in the perspective of the love of Christ, which characterises the true Church of God.

John appears to be countering false teachers - but never directly addresses them. Unlike Paul, who argues with their points head on, John counters false teaching by simply affirming and repeating the truth - and showing us ways to test whether people are false, or whether from God.

He begins with the assurance of his knowledge - his assurance of God, and quickly leads into the purity and absolute righteousness of God, which righteousness we have been granted judicially by Christ's death (not that we can claim not to have sinned, but we have the privilege of having our sins forgiven). Having been forgiven, the love we receive from God works out in our lives, and we desire to keep his commands - if we do not, it is proof we do not know the love of God. We may still sin, but in this case Jesus advocates for us (speaks for us), and sins is no longer characteristic of us.

The command to love is not new, is has been God's standard for all ages. It has always been and will continue to be characteristic of God's people. John continues by emphasising the growth of a believer from 'little children' to 'young men' to 'fathers' - showing people maturing spiritually. And then the love of Christ is contrasted with the love for the world (fleshly desires, coveting with eyes, pride).

Leading on to deal more specifically with false teachers, John shows that it is better for false teachers to be shown as frauds and leave, rather remain and appear to be Christians. He gives a few test that we might know them by. He goes on to talk again of the confidence we have in Christ, and the love He has given us before emphasizing again that a believer is not characterised by sin - only unbelievers. New believers he addresses particularly in this area, because they are more susceptible to being deceived, but he urges them to recognise this that they be not deceived.

John emphasizes love again, contrasting the example of Cain with Christ, and linking again the obedience to God's commands with love - again, the idea of one or the other, you either obey or don't.

Then he returns to testing anything you hear or are taught - and gives another test: they must acknowledge that Christ came as a human - a polar opposite to the Gnostic heresy which was emerging at the time.

Again, back to love, and this time applied to loving each other. Using God as our example, he shows what love is like in a believer's life. Again a test, and again the idea of love = obey commands. Then we are back to assurance and testimony, then a summary of the whole book, going over main arguments again briefly. You may have noticed by now that John is a bit of a circular writer - unlike Paul who presents things in logical order (which British/American culture is used to) - John argues in circles/spirals, returning again and again to areas, slowly building on things (more similar to other cultures, Ecuador is an example I know of). Isn't it marvellous how God caters to all different types of culture and people by presenting things in different ways!

The final statement is curious - he has not mentioned idols before in the letter, but yet it fits so beautifully. If we love God, we have time and glory only for Him, we have no place for idols in our lives. In the Old Testament, too, idols and love for God were continually contrasted.

Lord, God of love, God Almighty. Father, we love You, because You first loved us, and sent Your Son to die for us. Jesus, we love You, because You first loved us, and gave Yourself for us. Thank You for coming in human form, and dwelling amongst us so that You might perfectly fulfil our suffering, that You might show love to us, who are undeserving, and that You might make us righteous in Your eyes. Lord, we seek to obey Your commands because we love You. We seek to love our brothers in sisters - both familial and spiritual - but we need Your help. We need You continually by our side to show Your love to others. Thank You for promising us that You will never leave us or forsake us. Lord, thank You that we can know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, for You and against You. Thank you that there is no middle ground that we might be confused - for You are not a God of confusion - there is no darkness in You, only light. Open our eyes Lord, to see You better, and to see ourselves and others as You see them. Help us to love unbelievers as You love them - recognising they are against You, and at enmity with You, but seeking to lead them to knowledge and experience of the love we have received from You. Keep our eyes focused on You, our Lord, and Our God.

Day Twenty-Two: Reminders of God and Warnings

A few days ago we looked at Paul's final letter (II Timothy), and contemplated on that. Here we have Peter's final letter, also written at the end of his life, when he anticipates death in the near future. About 10 minutes reading for this letter.

Very good quiet time reading resources - I do my Bible study at the end of the day, so I didn't read the resources through the day as suggested, but they provide constructive and thoughtful comments and questions. Only one thing I would add to the last 'quiet time': It says "Pray that you will be always ready for Christ's return" I would tend to say - Pray that you ARE ready for Christ's return, and that you would remain that way - that you would always be ready. I know, 'always' suggests any time from now, but people tend to see the future tense, they think things can be put off, and they will get to that point eventually - but we must be ready NOW - if we are not, then we need to get ready now, so that we ARE ready.

Remember this - now live this! Remember this - don't forget it! Remember this - be assured of it! Remember this - don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Remember this - woe to those who turn their back on God! Remember this - and be ready! Remember this - and stand firm! Remember this - and keep growing!

As you have probably gathered from my previous paragraph, the theme I noticed coming through in Peter's words was a call to remember things. 'This' is, respectively:
The grace of God shown to us; That we were/are cleansed from our sins; The knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Glory; The Divine inspiration of the Scriptures; Those forsaking God and following their own desires are worse off than if they never knew God; Christ will come in conquering power and judgement, on His timetable; Others will try to twist the Scriptures for their own ends; All of the above!
Now, piece them together, or read them separately - as you like!

Let us encourage each other in the study of the Scriptures, in living out the way of righteousness, and in defending the glorious gospel of Christ from those who distort it and try to deceive us and others. Be very aware of false teachers - they will seem legitimate! (at least under cursory examination.) Rely on God, and not our own power to resist spiritual forces - and for wisdom to discern and answer false teaching. Also, something I think many of us fail at - and myself especially here - REMIND EACH OTHER!!!! Remind each other of the truths of God - this is not a once learnt, never forgotten thing like riding a bicycle - Peter was always reminding people, Paul was always reminding people, and we should follow their example!

A couple more thoughts on my own perspective on death/His coming again. I am reminded of my 21st Birthday party, where a friend asked me random questions to put me on the spot. One of them was - what is on your bucket list? Now, I'm not one for giving expected answers at the best of times - far more interesting to throw a spanner in the works and surprise people! But at the same time, a lot of these answers simply come out of a desire to be honest with people, being willing to be seen to be different, because I am different - I am Christ's! Wow, bit of a mouthful - better actually tell you my answer now: I answered "I don't have one" After another prod, I explained: I am ready to die right now, if that is what God decides - there is nothing I want to do before I die - nothing I need to do, I'm ready now." After that, we settled for explaining a couple of things I might enjoy doing if I did stay around - but the point was made.
I'm quite happy to live here on earth, while God has purpose for me here, and I'll plan for the future to use the time He has given wisely, but I would love far more to be with Him. 'Whether He will give me a chauffeured trip or in mass transport with all my friends' (dying, or ascending directly in the rapture) as my elder used to say (he got a chauffeured trip), it will be glorious either way. Be ready for His coming again - it could be today, it could be while I'm still typing this sentence. Ok, it wasn't that soon - maybe this one. No - not that one either - anyway, you get the picture. It could also be years or decades away - it is His timing, not ours. We just need to be ready.


Lord, thank You for these reminders of the wonderful truths. Thank You for the assurance You have given us, and the grace You have granted. Help us grow, Lord. Help us stand firm and not be deceived. Give us a passion for Your Word that cannot be put out by an apathetic or malicious world - and wisdom to discern the false from the true, and any distortions of Your truth. Lord, we wait earnestly for Your coming again - that glorious day when You will finally be awarded the praise You deserve! Lord, whether we ascend to You through death, or at Your call in rapture, we long to see Your face. While here, keep us growing in You, using our time, resources, and skills that You have granted us wisely, and living in the way of righteousness, according to Your character. In Your Name we pray - Blessed be Your Name!

Day Twenty-One: Godly authority

A nice, short 20 minutes reading time, but covering a lot of topics!

Peter, the author of this epistle and one of the twelve apostles, was probably in Rome at the time of writing this - judging by the greeting from 'Babylon', a common alias for Rome. There are not many hints in the letter about the time, except that it is probably not long after a period of persecution, where believers were scattered from Rome. The common understanding is that this was just after Rome burned and Nero began an avid persecution of the Christians, about AD 64.

Suffering is one of the themes that keeps coming up in the letter. It is seen as temporary, within God's sovereignty, and to be endured with joy after Christ's example, trusting in God - Who has authority over our circumstances.

Holiness is another theme that runs throughout. The contrast between our old lives and the new life we have, chosen by God to be holy, set apart for Him. Linked with this is the idea of example to unbelievers. In public life, in relation to governmental authority, in the home, and indeed everywhere! By living a holy life we honour and glorify God, Who is the Cause of this change in our lives. Though others may seek to accuse us of all sorts of things, living our lives humbly according to His Word, and answering their questions respectfully and gently - this will be a witness to them, toward their repentance, or toward their judgement if they don't repent.

Humility, service, working together - all these are intertwined in the pages. Being willing to be recognised as a Christian - willing to speak about it to others - not shamefacedly, but with joy, confidence, and (in some ways) pride.

Our God and Father, we come before You seeking Your continued grace and mercy. Lord, we are continually in awe of Your sending Christ to earth, to die on our behalf. As we read and seek to understand more fully Your example of humility, Lord help us to show this same humility in dealing with each other, and with non-believers. Thank You that You are the Shepherd, the Overseer of our souls, and we can entrust ourselves to Your care. Help us to live out lives holy, set apart for Your glory, as we relate with government, non-believers, other authorities, and in the home. Grant us strength to resist temptation to sin, and fall to the old desires that are no longer characteristic of our lives Lord. In Your glorious Name, we pray.

Day Twenty: Working Righteousness

Just over 15 minutes to read through James. It's an interesting read - very different in style to Paul's letters.

Possibly the earliest of the New Testament letters, written to the 'twelve tribes scattered' - a common way of referring to the nation of Israel. Since he doesn't mention the Jerusalem Council, this is probably before that occasion, during one of the series of persecutions. At the Jerusalem Council, the Gentiles were recognised as being equal recipients of the grace of God - before that time, the Gentiles coming in were considered to be 'under the umbrella' of Israel, and thus we can see that the 'twelve tribes' is therefore indicative of all believers, and is equally applicable to us. The author James is evidently well-known, because he doesn't give any introduction of himself personally, and due to this and other hints in Acts and the various epistles, it is agreed that the author is James, son of Joseph and Mary, and brother of Jude - making him the half-brother of Christ. He was a 'pillar of the church' at Jerusalem, and therefore had a reputation that would justify the greeting in this letter with little introduction. It is significant that he doesn't list his blood relationship with Christ, but simply calls himself a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

James is a very practical letter - it is not primarily a doctrinal letter, although we can see the doctrine that underlines the passages. He is writing to believers (or at least people who consider themselves believers), and he does not touch much on salvation, except in a past sense. There is a strong emphasis on a life consistent with belief in God - again and again hypocrisy is condemned, apathy and compartmentalisation is condemned, and elitism is condemned. He assumes knowledge of salvation and faith, and shows how they cannot stand alone unseen by others and be genuine - the genuine will be evident to those around. It is both a statement of fact, and an encouragement to live this out even more - to embrace the fact. The teachings are in many ways a test - for those with genuine faith, it is an assurance and encouragement to go on; the people without genuine faith are shown for what they are - and the tests provide a means for us to examine our own lives, and be aware of false profession by others.

James gets right into the thick of it straight-away. Starting out with the circumstances of persecution, he shows that with the wisdom that God has already promised, we can have joy in difficult times - not necessarily because of the difficult times, but because of their results, and confidence in God's sovereignty. Some translations use different words for 'temptation' or 'trial' between the first twelve verses, and from verse thirteen on - in the Greek the root word is the same, but the early section uses a noun to speak of external temptation, and from verse thirteen it uses the verb form, which focuses on the active part, and indicates internal temptation.
We see the corollary to Hebrews looked at yesterday - Christ was tempted in all points like we are (yet without sin), and here we see that God cannot be tempted. The difference is a bit like our own lives - we can be tempted to do evil and resist it without sin, but as soon as is takes root in our desires (lusts), we sin - God can never sin. He is Righteous and Holy, and there is no lust or sin in Him.

James goes on to talk about our speech, and the importance of meekness and listening. There is a saying I like about meekness - "Meekness is not weakness, but strength under control" - important to remember. He then goes on into the responsibility of acting upon what we have heard, and the evidence of a person that is not genuine, and the evidence of the genuine.

The idea hinted earlier about elitism is expounded further with an example of both poor and rich entering a church. There is nothing wrong with how the rich is treated - it is the treatment of the poor that is wrong, and the difference of treatment between them based solely on their wealth. Another important teaching about how even minor infractions of the law means that we have broken the law - nothing can be 'glossed over' - once it is broken at all, we have no longer met the perfection the law demands. He also shows the futility of trying to claim that belief by itself is enough  - it doesn't help anyone, and even the demons believe the truth!

Looking more closely at teachers, James calls them to understand the seriousness of the role they are considering. Their speech is more important and more influential than others, and thus they have even more responsibility to guard their tongue, and seeking heavenly wisdom. Responsibility that we all have, but especially teachers.

He goes on to show the perverseness of a life ruled by lusts and pride, and how to combat it by submitting and drawing near to God. Not just drawing near by words either - but by cleansing and purifying our lives, through His power. This humbling of ourselves is in contrast to those who build themselves up by condemning others' actions, and not looking to their own.

Returning to wealth and the pursuit of worldly gain, he exhorts us to be humble in all we do, and remember our lives are in God's hands. We must also be just in our dealings with others, and not cheat them for our gain (or others' gain, for that matter). Without mentioning it directly, he is basically preaching against allowing money to be our god.

He concludes with encouragement concerning suffering and persecutions, and talks about the way we are to love each other during these times. Remaining confident in God, relying on God, supporting each other in the community in prayer and by meeting physical needs (anointing with oil in this context seems to be oil for massaging sore muscles). The importance of prayer both for ourselves and others is emphasised, and forgiveness associated with a repentant person's prayer.

O Lord, we seek You and Your wisdom as we live here on earth. Grant us this, as You have promised, that we might know how to respond appropriately in all circumstances. Lord, keep us from pride and arrogance, but keep us humble, and draw us near to You - search our hearts, and purify our lives, Lord - may we listen to You, and cleanse our lives of anything repulsive to You. Lord, thank You for the privilege of prayer. Thank you for leading us in this way of dependence upon Yourself, and moulding our hearts to Yours. May our lives shine as a lamp on the hill, evident to all around, despite any persecution, animosity, apathy, and malice around us - let us shine to Your glory, and not our own.

Day Nineteen: The Christ of the New Covenant

Only just over the time estimate this time - 50 minutes for the whole epistle.

Interesting that there is no author's name for this book. There are many theories, but none conclusive. Though the original recipients must have known, since the author does say 'I will see you soon' at the end, this information has not been preserved for us, and we must accept it in its anonymity. All we know is that he was an associate of Timothy, and probably a respected leader of the church at the time. In a way, the anonymity is a lesson to us, because the only person we can give credit to is God, the Holy Spirit - Who inspired all of Scripture, this letter, and all the rest of the NT.

There are a number of themes throughout this book  - and it covers a number of important doctrinal principles in-depth. Primary among these themes is an exposition of Christ, His glory, and His willing humility. We see also a number of contrasts drawn between the Old and the New Covenants, showing the superiority of the new way that Christ has made possible to the old system. Faith, and the importance and character of belief keeps occurring, and the outworking of that faith is exhorted both by teaching and example.

Now for a summary of the thoughts in the book, with these overall themes shown in each passage:

The book starts with a reflection of the many ways and times in which God revealed Himself in the past - and the change from times past as we now hear from His Son, and not just ordinary prophets. This sets the scene for the teaching to follow.

We see the Son glorified, superior to the angels. The angels are associated with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai - this was shown to be reliable - so pay attention to the Son, Who is superior to the angels. The salvation we know was declared by the Son, and confirmed with miraculous signs of God. We see this Son as ruler, with all power given to Him, and yet He chose to lay aside that power and control. He became fully human - taking the name Jesus (deliverer), in order to walk as one of us, to participate in life as we do, and yet without sin - so that He might better help us in our walk in this world, as we can feel empathy with Him - that He might die, and destroy death, and deliver us from our sins.

Having accomplished this work, we see Him as Apostle (One Who is sent to speak for Another [God]) and High Priest (One Who represents us before God). In this, we see Him as greater than Moses - also associated with the founding of the law - Moses was faithful, but not as great as Christ. Moses was a faithful testimony - and we also must faithfully hold fast to the hope (assurance) given to us. Unbelief will keep us from God, and we must examine ourselves that we are not deceiving ourselves, thinking we believe but really holding back - for false belief will cause us to fall away. But true belief will never fail, but will be strengthened, and stand fast to the end, and we are entered into His rest. Oh, what joy it is to have that peace, joy, and assurance of entering into the rest of God! Resting in Him! We enter His rest through the testimony of the active Word of God - and everyone who hears is responsible for his choices to accept it or reject it.

We continue with greater exposition of Christ as High Priest. We see Him as able to fulfil the role perfectly, being eminently qualified. We see Him as superior to the priests of the Levitical system - they died, but He continues ever.

Abruptly, Paul stops - he wants to continue, but the readers will not understand, because they do not grasp properly the basic truths, despite having heard them before many times. So he goes over the need to be firmly founded in the doctrine of Christ, but to continue on growing in spiritual maturity, and not falling back into the old system of external signs. Again we see the responsibility of those hearing the Word of God to respond - and the curse upon them if they still choose to reject Him, even after coming so close, having 'tasted' the goodness of God - if a person knows and experiences everything that God has revealed, and still rejects Him, there is only one end in store for him. Praise God He brought me into repentance, and salvation! What assurance we have, having entered into God's family! He even chose to use the human method of swearing an oath to further assure us that His promises are sure - He cannot lie!

Again, we return to the picture of the high priest, using the 'type' of Melchisedek, whose story is in Genesis 14. A great study for another time to go through all these similarities and what it reveals about Christ, but the whole point is again, His superiority.

He is also superior in having completed the work - the Levitical priests never actually atoned for any sins - otherwise they could theoretically have finished at some point - but there was no possible way for them to finish, because they did not pay for any sin. Whereas Christ did pay for all sin, and the work is finished - no more sacrifices! This sacrifice is the basis for the New Covenant - and instead of being external, it is internal, because it changes things on the inside, the spirit.

The new temple is also superior - the earthly one was just a shadow of the true temple, in heaven. His blood offered was superior to the blood of livestock. The Old Covenant dealt with copies of things - the New Covenant deals with the originals in all their glory. The law was just a shadow - and could make nothing perfect, but Christ has made us perfect. There is no longer anything blocking us, as there was before, from the presence of God - we have full access, being made perfect in and through Him, we are accepted in God's presence! We cannot keep living in sin - we now live in love and show our love in good works and encouraging each other in Christ. The Lord will judge. He will judge those that keep living in sin, those that reject Him - it is not our vengeance to take, but His. We can have joy and contentment in suffering, because we have a heavenly possession - and trust Him to deal justly with the oppressors.

We are led into some great teaching about what faith is, and how it shows itself in the life of believers. Great testimonies, great examples, and as the writer says near the end - the list is not short for want of examples, there are many more! The examples include Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - important to the Jews, as they knew God as the 'God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'. All in this chapter are like witnesses to us - not that they see us, but by their deeds they set an example that we should follow - and knowing this, we are accountable to show faith in God like they did. We have even more responsibility than them - they looked forward to the promises, trusting in God - we have the benefit of the promises already being fulfilled, so we have even more assurance!

Practically outworking this faith, we must get rid of everything that holds us back - both sin and those good things that are not sinful, but are not 'best', because they hinder us from the best. Christ has gone before us, and endured much more than we ever will - He will go with us - how can we not endure whatever life throws at us? Rejoice in discipline - God is purifying you, and His discipline is a blessing, because of its results, and as a proof He cares about improving and maturing you. Keep on living uprightly - for our kingdom is in heaven, not on earth. Love one another, and esteem marriage in honour - keeping the beauty of sexual intimacy He has granted us within the bounds he has designed it for. Don't love the things of this world, but stand firm in the Word of God. Praise God, obey spiritual leaders who teach of God, and pray for them.

He conclude with a prayer for his readers, showing by example how he lives as he preaches.



Christ, You, Who are glorified and seated on the right hand of the Majestic Jehovah God, in Your rightful place, being God in Person! Lord and Christ, we extol You for all You have done - how that You were willing, though deserving of all glory and honour, chose to descend to earth, laying aside Your glory and dignity, becoming lower than the angels, and suffering death as one of us. Lord we glory in Your death and resurrection, Your triumph and victory as You completed the perfect sacrifice that once for all truly atoned for all our sin! We come in faith, Lord - we can come through nothing else, for all we have or do is worthless to save us. Lord, as we see these great examples of faith outlined in Scripture, we pray for Your continued preservation, grace, and guidance as we live out our lives in faith. Strengthen our faith Lord, and use our lives to Your Glory. Lord, we know You have suffered temptation like us, but unlike us, You did not sin - could not sin. Lord, thank You for that promise that You will not allow us to be tempted above what we can bear, and for the assurance that You will grant us power to escape any temptation. Help us to rejoice in the discipline, sufferings, and temptations You allow in our lives Lord - help us to use those times to grow closer to You, to learn from You, and be more moulded into Your glorious Image. Praise be Yours forever and eternity, Lord, our Saviour, and High Priest.

Day Eighteen: A transformed slave

The shortest of Paul's letters, Philemon only takes a couple of minutes to read through, but the words it contains are rich! A personal letter, about a personal matter - but notice how it all revolves around Christ.

The theme of this letter is the transformation that has occurred - both in Onesimus and Philemon. Onesimus was a runaway - breaking the law and shirking responsibility. After salvation, he was a fruitful worker with Paul, and was willing to travel back to his master, accepting responsibility for his actions. Paul appeals to Philemon through the transformation that has taken place in Philemon's life, too. Philemon was saved at Ephesus under Paul, and the transformation in his life showed through his witness to the city of Colosse, and the establishing of a church that met in his house. As he has experienced love from God, Paul asks him to show that love toward Onesimus. It shows the relationship between fellow believers on matters such as this too - not one of compulsion, but loving requests.

Lord, we thank You for the transformation that You have wrought in us, and the love You have given us. Help us to treat all brothers and sisters in love, as we have received love from You. We pray for Your guidance, and trust in Your provision for all the saints. Blessed be Your Name, O Lord! Blessed be Your Name.

Day Seventeen: Putting lives in order

Forgot to notice the time I stopped reading this time! I think it was about the 5 min mark.

Many parallels here to 1 Timothy  -  both letters were written about the same time, and both written to younger men Paul had left in charge of growing churches.Titus was located in Crete, and is ministering there, at least until others come to take up the work (Artemus and/or Tychicus). He was heavily involved with the church at Corinth, as seen by his many mentions in 2 Corinthians, during Paul's 3rd missionary journey.

Great visual depiction of the outline of the book in that image in the intro. I like the venn diagram system of overlapping emphasis and the way they have 'godly people' showing in a different font with two ways of using the two words.

Putting that aside for now, though, I would relate the theme of the book as 'order'. First we have God, putting things in order (in the proper time), and then we lead in to the instruction to Titus to put the leadership in order, so that they may lead according to God's order (way of doing things). We see the false teachers being condemned - they are putting things out of order, upsetting families with deceit and false teaching. Titus is also to teach the people to be in order - he is to teach the proper roles for the old and the young men, and the older women. Interesting to note that he is not directed to teach the younger women specifically - that role is left to the older women, and this gives us some indication of the practical out-workings of a pure and blameless life that is required for a leader. He is to put his own life in order, that he might be an example. Slaves (employees)  must also live their lives in God's order, as serving God, not man.
And why? Because God has wonderfully wrought salvation for us, that we might escape the entrapment of the world, and live purified and orderly lives in Him, waiting for that blessed day when He comes for us.
While we remain here on earth, though, we must participate in the order of the land we are in, subject to authority that God has placed over us. To be orderly in our relationships with people, not quarrelsome, but courteous. Focusing on Christ, and standing firm in His Righteousness, justified freely by His grace - not listening to those who preach otherwise, causing division. If they do, and refuse to listen to the truth and warnings, they should be cut off from the church, to prevent their influence.

Lord, thank You for Your glorious order revealed for our lives in Your Word. Thank You for the blessing of the authorities and leaders You have placed over us, exhorting us and leading us according to Your Word. And Lord, may we learn to discern truth from error and recognise those who would try to teach any thought that detracts from Your glorious work and grace given to us - any quarrel that detracts from the beauty and glory of Your Name - any suggestion that You are not trustworthy, or Your salvation is not enough. Lord, strengthen those of us You have called to be leaders. Help us to know when to teach, when to encourage, when to exhort, when to rebuke, when to condemn, and when to cut off. Guide us in Your truth, and never let us lose sight of Your centrality to the message preached. You are the centre of our lives, Lord. May we by Your grace show this by example to others.

Day Sixteen: Rejoicing in life and death

Still not sure how someone can get through 4 chapters in 5 minutes! 10 minutes for me, and a very interesting read, considering how the world thinks about death compared to Paul's thoughts.

As the intro states, this is Paul's last letter, written during his imprisonment in Rome - not the time recorded in Acts, but after his release and continue work for God, he was again imprisoned and this time he was executed. Interesting notes about a couple of characters we have seen before. Mark is mentioned here, as a valued brother and friend of Paul; when we saw him in Acts there was a dispute between Paul and Barnabas over his desertion from a mission trip: his inclusion here indicates the relationship is reconciled. Demas is also mentioned, but this is the opposite case, where someone previously recorded as a worker with Paul has now turned to the world and its attractions, rejecting God.

Paul is well aware of his impending death. Not in denial about it, nor angry, nor sorrowful, he shows joy. He knows he has served the Lord well since his conversion on the way to Damascus, and that his time on earth has come to an end - he is ready to see his Lord face to face. He rejoices both in what God has brought about in his life, and the anticipation of Heaven.

Knowing he must leave, he seeks to encourage Timothy (and others) again before he leaves. The life of a Christian is not easy, especially as a Christian leader. He exhorts Timothy to be confident in the truth, in preaching the gospel, in the knowledge of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. To be bold in correcting false doctrine, but gently - in grace, but with firmness upholding the truth - God may bring them to repentance. Sometimes reproof is called for, sometimes a harsher rebuke. He warns again of the persecution that will arise, the decadence of society, and the tendency to ignorant quarrels about nothing important. As in all his previous letters, he continues to exhort him to live a life of example, riding his life of iniquity - focusing on the Godly desires and pursuits. And all this he teaches and we live, because of Christ, and all He has done for us, as Paul reminds us again and again through his letters of this wonderful Foundation, Source, Anchor, and Fountain.

I've seen the movie bucket list - haven't seen the other two items linked there. Watched the trailer for 'Tuesdays', but didn't gather much from it. The lecture, I didn't watch much of, just skipped here and there a bit to get a feel for it. Not really impressed - just seems to be a lot of rhetoric common in today's society - although I can't form an authoritative view, since I didn't watch the whole thing. The Bucket List is another story - I really enjoyed the movie, but in terms of the philosophy it taught - it was really boiled down to 'you deserve to have a bit of fun while you can' and 'remember the important things in life' / 'find the joy in your life' (family). Paul, on the other hand, focuses our eyes heavenward, and teaches us to live in the light of the knowledge we have been granted. There is a passion for sharing the good news given to us, a compassion for those who are on the path to hell, a concern for people who might be deceived by false doctrine, a zealousness for God's name that He might be glorified and not grieved by our lives.

Lord, we lift our eyes heavenward to You, and we rejoice in the hope and assurance You have granted. Lord help us to follow the example of Godly men like Paul, who lived to please You, willingly suffering for Your Name, and preaching Your Word whether there was opposition or not. Lord by Your Spirit, keep bringing to our remembrance the things that we have learned, that we might walk in them, and live worthy of Your calling. Our strength and confidence is in You.

Day Fifteen: Leading by example

Read this one in just over 15 min this time, just a bit longer than the estimate.

Quite a change as we head into the pastoral epistles (those written to Timothy and Titus). These epistles are written later in Paul's life than the doctrinal epistles we have been working through - after the book of Acts finishes its record, and after Paul gets released from the first imprisonment.

Writing to Timothy, Paul's young protégée, probably mid thirties by now, and Paul is encouraging him in the leadership of the church in Ephesus. It is a very practical letter, and it seems at points quite formal for the close relationship Paul and Timothy had - possibly indicating that Paul intended this epistle to show to some of the other teachers that though young, Timothy knew what he was talking about, and had Paul's support behind him.

Throughout the epistle, I noticed a theme of leadership by example, and living out what you say. First of all, you must be sure that what you say is true, and beneficial - not getting tied up in wild theories or other nonsense that distracts from the true gospel. Paul continues by recounting both his authority from Christ and humility before Christ to lend weight to what he says.

Paul exhorts Timothy to pray for those in authority, earnest, interceding prayer, not just routine 'get it over and done with' prayer. He goes on to remind Timothy to respect and teach of the different roles men and women play in ministry, offering justification for this against those who oppose it. Neither role is better or worse, we are all equal in worth, and God designed us to fulfil different roles so we could complement each other. Both men and women should lead Godly lives as an example to others.

The qualification for overseers (elders) and deacons are listed, essentially that they must be spiritual leaders of their own lives and household first, before attempting to lead in God's house. They must also be granted the skills by God to do the task required, and be well thought of (respected) by outsiders.

Paul goes on to warn about false doctrines that would arise, and to be ready for them. Meanwhile, Timothy is to work with the other leaders, and train spiritually - working hard, and teaching with authority.

Widows also are meant to live Godly lives as examples, and rules are included here to limit people committing  their lives to the church and expecting to be supported, but then just becoming gossips and busybodies. Instead, the church should look after those that do need help and are living in a Godly way.

Elders who live Godly lives are to be honoured (even more than others), but they are held to a high standard in a public position, and if they sin, they must be rebuked publicly also.

Paul finishes by exhorting Timothy to watch out for people distorting the gospel, and to fight the fight of faith in God. People encouraging unprofitable debates and arguments, people who slander and envy, people who take pride in material possessions - all are indicative of false preachers. Paul also exhorts him not to let the rich people take pride in their wealth - they should put their trust in God, not material things or worldly knowledge.

Lord, You have granted us many skills, gifts, and resources! Often times we struggle to know what we should do with them all, to make wise use of them for You. Help us listen to Your guidance Lord. Help us to accept and embrace the roles that You have designed for us as men and women of God, some serving as teachers, leaders, ministers of the church - others of us behind the scenes, working quietly for You in ways often unrecognised - but You still see. Lord thank You for the diversity of gifts and skills! Thank You for the skills You have given me! Help us lead others by example, Lord, and we pray for all in authority over us, both spiritually and governmentally, that they would lead by Godly example, leading lives according to Your Word.

Day Thirteen/Fourteen: Trusting in God, and the resurrection

Been moving into a flat the last couple of days, and had a while without internet, so having read the two epistles to the Thessalonians, I'm going to cover them both in this post. About 15 min for the first letter, and 10 min for the second one.

Quick historical note: in Acts we have recorded that when Paul was in Thessalonica he preached for 3 Sabbath days in the synagogues, indicating he was there for about three weeks. It is unclear exactly how long he was in the city though - because he would have continued preaching outside the synagogue after those three Saturdays. Regardless, he was with them a short time, but long enough to teach them thoroughly the Word of God. The first letter is written to encourage them and explains he hasn't abandoned them, and the second is trying to root out the false teaching that was occurring, and encouraging them in the face of persecution.

Trust is not a major point in the epistles, but seems to under-gird the teaching, the encouragement, and the reasons for hope. I am reminded especially as I read through these epistles about the classic hymn: "When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way. When we do His good Will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey" As in the hymn, so in this epistle we see the theme of trust running through, and the outworking of obedience that is expected.

In the first epistle, we see Paul praising God for how the Thessalonians received the Word that was entrusted to Paul, and that he preached. We see him thanking God that they trusted in the Word preached as from God, and not from men. Having been comforted by the fresh news that the Thessalonians continued in faith and love, he continues to encourage them. He exhorts them to trust God with all areas of life, and to obedience in areas of sexual purity and diligence in work. He encourages them to trust God concerning the resurrection, reminding them that the dead will not 'miss out', but will rise with those left on earth during the rapture (he doesn't call it the rapture, but this is the term used today to refer to this event). We must trust in God's timing too, as the Second Coming is according to His schedule, and no one on earth knows the time. Instead of trying to predict times, we must remain alert and active spiritually, not becoming complacent or dulling our senses by living in sin as those who are in darkness, but living as children of light. Trust also those in authority over you - respect them and love them.
He concludes with patterns of Christian life that should be characteristic of us always: rejoicing, praying, giving thanks to God (no matter what!), not quenching the Spirit with sin, listening intently to instruction - and checking everything we hear holding only the good, and to avoid doing any evil like the plague - even the littlest things.

In the second letter, Paul continues to praise God for their testimony, evident despite persecutions and suffering. I wonder sometimes - is my testimony evident during the hard times as well as the good? I pray for God's help that it might be.
He encourages the believers that though the persecutors in this world seem to get away with it, God will judge all people righteously, and they will receive due punishment in eternity, if they don't repent. He continues to pray for them, and God's purposes for them.
He then confronts some false ideas that some were promoting, that the rapture had already occurred and they had missed the boat, as it were. Here we have very interesting information about this event, as Paul reminds them of what he taught them, and exhorts them to stand firm in this knowledge, being comforted in Christ.
Paul requests their prayers, concerning his own persecution, indicating that he was going through similar things as the Thessalonians. With the request, he encourages their faith in the Lord in the midst of persecution.
As a final teaching, he condemns the idea that because the Lord is coming soon, we should give up supporting ourselves and earning our keep. Evidently some were doing this to spend their whole time for God, but they quickly became idle. No, Paul reminds them, we should all work and labour for our own sustenance and God's glory. Paul was a full time minister, and had the right to be supported by the community - as do many preachers today - but this is not true for all believers, and even Paul worked to buy his own bread so that he wasn't a burden, leading by example.
Concluding, he encourages them to continue doing good, and to encourage each other to do the same.

Lord, we thank You for the hope and confidence we have in the resurrection, based in our knowledge of Your own triumph over the grave. We trust our lives to You Lord, and all of our actions, and seek to obey Your Word in all we do, but we admit that we do sometimes grow weary. Lord, thank You for the encouragement we have in these epistles of Paul, the example of many who have gone through much worse than us, and the reminder of the blessed privilege we have of knowing You. Thank you for entrusting us with the gospel, and we pray You would help us to walk, speak, and act worthy of the knowledge and love that You have granted us. To You be the glory, now and forever, Amen.

Day Twelve: Be Alive in Christ

Twenty minutes instead of ten this time! Not so bad as the 3x overshoot of the last 10 min estimate, but still 10 min is quite low for getting through four chapters.

This is quite an interesting letter of Paul's. It is one of only two letters written to a church that he had not yet visited - the other one being Romans. In this case though, Paul is writing in response to heresies in the church. Apparently Epaphrus founded the church at Colosse after being saved during Paul's ministry in Ephesus, and he went back to his home town - working in both Colosse and Laodicea (a nearby city). The heresy that Paul is combating is Gnosticism (see link for more info). To combat this, Paul reminds them of who they are in Christ, Who Christ is, and teaches a proper understanding of the flesh and spirit.

Beginning with thanksgiving to God, Paul encourages the believers with the testimony that he has heard of them via Epaphrus. We are seeing a repeated theme of thanksgiving for the work of God throughout Paul's letters - it reminds me of the importance of praising God for his work, seen in the world around us.

He then begins in a wonderful monologue about the deity of Christ, dwelling in flesh and dying in the fleshly body. This stands in direct contrast to the Gnostic idea that since God (spirit) is good and flesh is evil, then God could not have become man.

Paul goes on to speak of his ministry through Christ, and the yearning he has to see the Colossians and Laodiceans. His yearning that they may be assured in the truth and work together in love - so that no one can deceive them. Note he calls the deceptions plausible arguments - we are not just confronted by the ridiculous, but by things that sound right on the surface and hide ugly heresies.

Now Paul leads into an appropriate understanding of the flesh and spirit of a Christian. He reminds them that the new walk as a Christian is a result of dying to the flesh and discarding human traditions as worthless. Human regulations are of now use in subduing the flesh - only the work of Christ can do that! In the same way, the worship of spirits (angles or otherwise), obsessing about visions, and prideful boasting are indications that a person is not walking with Christ as Head.
A Christian walk does not mean renouncing all bodily things, though! As we have put off an old self, we put on a new self, living with heavenly motives and goals in a community on earth - and Paul proceeds to give characteristics of this community.

Concluding, he exhorts them to pray, including a prayer request for himself as they pray. There is an interesting last point he makes: "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious,seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
The outsiders are obviously non-believers, possibly referring especially to the heretics preaching these Gnostic ideas. Salt was used as a preservative and flavouring - indicating our words should not be bland, but lively, and should have substance that can stop heresy from corrupting things - answering these things, not ignoring them and allowing them to spread.

The letter finishes with the usual greetings - note how Paul exemplifies the love that he talks about when he speaks of other believers, and his concern for keeping them informed.

Christ, our Redeemer, our Creator, seated on the right hand of God, we praise You. You came amongst us, willing to take on flesh and die for our sakes, that we might be redeemed and live in You. Lord, we praise You for the work that goes on around us, and indeed also for that which we cannot see! You are at work in many people's lives, we see Your encouragement, Your conviction, and Your redemption at play. We praise You for the boldness You give to preachers of the gospel, and we ask for grace to show boldness for proclaiming Your truth to others also. Lord I need You every day, to walk in the light of Your Word, to live out the new life You have granted me. I pray for myself and those around me that we would grow in knowledge and assurance of You. We need You every hour - You are our gracious Lord.

Day Eleven: A letter of thanks and encouragement

Wow! I actually managed to read the book in the estimated time period - they must have got their watch fixed before estimating this one. About 20 min, easy reading.

Written to the Roman colony town of Philippi, Paul ministered there during both his second and third missionary journeys. He spent a bit of time in prison there - interesting, considering how prison is one of the topics in this letter. Written during his imprisonment in Rome, he had received a gift from the Philippians via Epaphroditus, and due to Epaphroditus having fallen ill during his service in Rome, Paul was sending him back to Philippi to encourage the people there, and sending this letter along with him.

There is a general theme of thanksgiving and praise in the epistle. Being in prison, Paul chose to elucidate further the reasons why he was content in prison - encouraging the Philippians not to think of it just as a bad thing, but part of God's plan. He also has words of explanation about their brother Epaphroditus, and a few greetings to other believers in Philippi. Small sections about contentment, the Christian walk, the humility of Christ, and warnings about false teachers constitute the teaching in this epistle. Unlike many of the other epistles, it's primary purpose wasn't the teaching, but as a letter of thanks. Paul simply uses the opportunity to encourage them with teaching.

This epistle teaches a lot about living for Christ in any situation we find ourselves in. Are people oppressing us? Praise God, be content, and look for situations within this hostile environment that we can use for the glory of God, especially those we might not otherwise have. Are people taking advantage of our suffering for their own ends, seeking to exalt themselves by taking our place or putting us down? Praise God for those situations where He is glorified despite their wrong motives.

The epistle begins with thanks, and Paul encourages them, relating his prayers for them, and his joy at their witness. Not that they should become complacent - he prays that their love will continue to increase. If we are not growing, we are moving backward! He also encourages them about his own situation, which I've covered above. He relates his confidence in Christ, and is ready for either continued service on earth, or dying to be in the presence of his Lord.

He encourages them twice to strive together, being of one mind, in humility, as Christ exemplified in His life. He was greater than all, and became the least of all for us. They must continue forward whether human mentors are watching (or hearing from) them or not, they are living for God, not man - continuing content in every situation.

Paul continues with an explanation about Epaphroditus, and praises him for his faithful service.

He exhorts them not to listen to false teachers, who seek to place our confidence in the flesh, but to keep our confidence solely in faith in Christ. Anything else is worthless, any efforts of our own - only faith can bring us to know Him. Knowing this, we press boldly on, exerting ourselves to all effort in order to please Christ - not for our salvation, but out of a desire to please God. He encourages us to use faithful men and women who have lived uprightly as our examples, in contrast to the world of animosity to Christ. We are proud to be citizens of Heaven.  Many Philippians were proud to be citizens of Rome, but we have a far greater citizenship.

He mentions a couple of women who had worked with him when he had been in Philippi, and exhorts the other believers to help them resolve the animosity between them. He exhorts the whole church to rejoice, and not worry about things that the things of life - not to waste time and effort on fret and anxiety when we have the Lord with us - can we not have confidence in Him? He concludes with a final encouragement for the believers to follow Godly characteristics of life.

Finally, he declares His confidence and joy in the Lord in every situation, and for the gift from Philippi.

Lord, we thank You that You will supply all that we need to do Your will. Help us to learn to depend on You Lord - Jehovah Jireh. In this land, it is easy to think of our provisions being provided by our own efforts, but Lord we know You are the Source of all things - help us to appreciate You more for this. Our God, we seek Your peace in this life, trusting in You in all situations, whether pleasant or hostile. Thank You that we can be content in any situation, because our confidence is not in the situations of this world, but in Yourself and Your death and resurrection!

Day Ten: Walking right by knowing Him

Well, whoever has been estimating these reading times, I think their watch stopped when timing this one! I seem to be taking a bit more than the estimate usually - but at 30 min this time, I really don't think anyone but a practised speed-reader is going to get through it in 10 min!

Had a glance at the commentary that was linked to on the intro page. The principles at the start seem solid, good exegetical advice. The commentary would be good for a Bible study chapter by chapter, but I think it is a bit too much to go through the whole commentary and Ephesians in one go. The notes I did look at for one of the chapters to check out what it was like seemed reasonable, interspersing thematic studies as short (or long) breaks from the study of the Ephesians text. Do remember though, that the point of a Bible study is to work through issues yourself - commentaries help you do that, but they should be a substitute for your own meditation and thinking it through!

Ephesians was a city in which Paul had done a lot of ministry during two missionary journeys. The temple of Diana was there, and he had a lot of opposition from the idol-merchants, but also the joy of many converts to Christ. There are a few suggestions that this letter was not written only to the Ephesians, but was to be circulated around the churches, and the name of the individual church 'filled in' for each one. This thought comes partly because the name 'Ephesus' does not appear in some of the early manuscripts, and provides some explanation for why little is mentioned about any specific people or situations in the Ephesian church. Be that as it may, it is very relevant teaching for us, and wholesome instruction for all churches today.

We get a real sense of the passion of Paul in the first part of his letter particularly. His thoughts seem to flow without breath together as he almost exhausts himself trying to explain the wonderful work of Christ and the knowledge and blessings we have through Him. In the second half of the letter, he urges all to walk worthy of this knowledge - to live in the light of Christ, working together in truth. Not walking again as we did previously, and standing firm against spiritual opposition. Prayer is throughout this letter - Paul both prays and exhorts others to prayer. These themes work together seamlessly - no one can truly understand this knowledge without living it out, and none can walk like this without understanding the knowledge we have been granted.

Paul begins by recounting blessings. The blessings of being chosen, elected by God's grace according to His purpose. The blessing of redemption and forgiveness, and the granting of wisdom and insight. The blessing of inheritance in Christ, confirmed by the Holy Spirit.
We see Christ in His glory, reigning in Heaven, the Head over His church. On the other hand, we are reminded of what we have been freed from - understanding where we have all come from is key to appreciating the grace we have now been given. We have been saved through faith, a gift from God - and why? So that we might walk according to His purposes! What a blessed privilege! There were once divisions, once Jew and Gentile, but now we are all equal, all treated the same in God's eyes, by the work of His Son. We are built together, all believers participating together as one body, with many members (implied here, expounded fully in 1 Corinthians). Paul continues to confirm this oneness, reminding them of the ministry given him by God, to preach this very thing.
He concludes this section with a prayer for them - note he doesn't ask for external things, but everything is internal, because transforming power works inside us first - by His Spirit. To Him be the glory.

Continuing into applying this knowledge into the way we walk - the way we live our lives, Paul begins with unity. Our unity is found in Christ - all equal, but with different roles. This unity is also not at the expense of compromise of doctrinal issues either - we are to work together specifically that we don't get swayed by the errors and lies that are out there, and the compromises that are suggested. No, the truth is spoken in love, under the authority of the Head.
This walk is contrasted with our previous way of life and the life of the world around us. Sensuality and greed defines them, but not us. Righteousness and holiness define us. Truth and not deceit, work and not theft, righteous anger when appropriate - not sinful anger, wholesome words and not foul speech. To imitate the world or to not imitate Christ (no in-between - you do one or the other) is to grieve the Spirit within us. Love defines our walk, just as Christ loved. More characteristics of unsaved people are listed - and we are warned that people characterised by the same are not of God - though people may try to convince us in spite of their lifestyle, they are. Again, the warning not to become partners with them (seen in the 2 Corinthian letter too), or to participate in their deeds, but expose them to light. Just talking about some of these things is dangerous. We see today the flippant speech about serious immorality, and I have seen first-hand how it desensitises people to the idea that this behaviour is sinful. Drunkeness also is condemned - it is completely wrong to let our body be influenced by drugs to that extent - we are controlled by the Spirit of God, not drugs/alcohol! No, we are to sing and praise and work together in love - this is pleasing to God.

Moving on to relationships, Paul deals with the home first. A brief mention on a wife's role to be subject to her husband, just as the church to Christ - and then he goes on to a longer teaching on the responsibility of the husbands to love their wives self-sacrificially, as Christ loves the church.
As I am a man, I challenge the men on this - understand this passage. Meditate on it, mull it over. Think through the applications and the implications in your role as spiritual leader in your household. If you are married, you are called to live this out. Prepare before marriage, live it out in marriage, and never ever shirk this responsibility! Too many of us are willing to slack off and not lead, not love like we should love. Seek Christ, plead for His help to live out this love - as He has already promised to do. The love we have experienced from Him is more than we can ever imagine.
Challenge over, moving on. This love must also be applied to the relationship between parents and children. Children are called to obey, fathers are called to disciple and instruct, that they might grow up in the Lord. Not to provoke them, but to love them.
Slaves and masters (read employer/employee to apply it to nowadays) must also show love to one another. We do all these things because of God, not man. It doesn't matter if the other party in the relationship (whether husband/wife, parent/children, slave/master) reciprocates or not, we are still called to love them!

Paul concludes with a illustration of the Christian's fight against spiritual forces using the Roman legionaries as the pictorial representation. The emphasis is on standing here. Not seeking them/him out (Satan or his demons), but standing to resist and repel when attacked. The belt in Roman kit held up his tunic - kept him from getting caught in the long fabric during battle. Truth keeps us from being hindered, too. The breastplate was made out of plates, and you would have it on always during the day. Their shoes were studded, to help prevent wear from marching, but also to dig into the ground for a firm footing - again, coming back to the 'stand' idea. The shield mentioned here is the large rectangular shield - from the word for 'door', you could hide completely behind it - it would be covered in leather and soaked in water before battle to extinguish fiery projectiles. The helmet was good protection from attacks from above, strapped on so it wouldn't come off. and the only offensive weapon  mentioned is a sword - not a massive longsword that would require lots of effort to wield, but a short sword that worked well for jabbing and wielding in close quarter combat, and wouldn't tire the person out so fast. Prayer is associated with the offensive combat, but there is no parallel in Roman equipment for prayer! Note also that the Romans are renowned for their success in battle - due to their discipline and working closely together - both key truths that have been emphasised earlier in this epistle. The unity is hinted at here in praying for all the saints, and for Paul who is in prison - not that he would get out, but that he would proclaim boldly God's word while in prison.

Paul finishes with a message about Tychicus, and then with a blessing of peace and grace in God.

Lord, we have such privilege with the knowledge You have granted us, and yet we still don't understand it fully. Continue to teach us Lord, and awaken in our lives a hunger for Your truth, and knowledge of Yourself that we may grow evermore in our walk with You. Lord, we pray for grace to live out the love You have given us, imitating Your love in our relationships with others, whether spouses, children, parents, employers, or those we employ. Strengthen us, Lord, mighty in battle, to withstand the onslaught of spiritual opposition. We honour and praise You, for You have given us the armour, the equipment, and the weapons effective in this fight, and You have already defeated our opponent, reigning victorious. Lord, may Your wisdom and knowledge be granted to all who believe in You, that churches may awake and that their passion for You would be a testimony and a light to this dark world. Lord on High, we praise You! Thank You for all You have granted us!

Day Nine: There's only one gospel

Well, I finally got through a book in the estimated reading time! Fancy that - 13 chapters in the last book was meant to be half an hour, and now this book with less than half the chapters is the same time, with fewer tongue twisters! So yes, half an hour was comfortable to read through this one.

Interesting comic style cartoon there, trying to sum up the thoughts of the letter - I also liked the summary of the context and background of the letter in the link with the cartoon - it summed it up nicely. The first link, though very thorough, felt more like a full session in itself just trying to follow the various thoughts and possibilities on the setting of the letter. Certainly good for an in-depth study on the topic, but perhaps not so good for light reading to get a bit of background before reading the book through.

We have quite a strong and simple theme running throughout the book. He is defending the gospel. (Here gospel refers to the good news preached, not the four first books of the New Testament specifically). The letter was written soon after the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), and there were a lot of people still teaching either that you were saved through the Mosaic law, or that after salvation, everyone had to obey the full Mosaic law. Paul shows how wrong both of these positions are - going through the logical fallacy behind it, referring to the teaching of Christ Himself - how He rejected these teachings, and using Israel's initial history to teach how wrong it is. Whereas Romans was a letter to ground the recipients in the true gospel, this letter is written to those already being influenced by those teaching a false one.

Paul gets into it straight-away after the greeting, using strong language to show the severity of this issue, twice repeating a curse on anyone distorting the gospel. The quick repetition is another way of showing how serious this is. He shows how he himself used to be part of the fanatical followers of the Mosaic law, but how he was brought out of that, not by the law, but by grace. He received his teaching directly from God (see the reference to Arabia, which we learnt more about in the last letter). He did not receive his teaching primarily from other apostles, although he did confirm he was preaching the same gospel as the other of God's apostles, when he met them. He was accepted, and commissioned by them, and they agreed with him on the matter that the outward sign of circumcision was not necessary for the Gentiles.

He then relates the occasion where he has to rebuke Peter openly for participating in the error of treating the Gentiles as unclean. Since Peter was a leader, sinning openly, his rebuke had to be public also, to limit the damage - note though not recorded here explicitly, it is implied Peter repented, and this is confirmed by Peter when he mentions the topic in his epistle. This incident leads Paul on to an exposition of how the gospel cannot be, in any part, based on salvation by works - it is both logically false, and would condemn Christ too, as He taught that nothing outward could make you unclean, only the inward.
Having started by grace, we cannot claim to then be perfected by the law, as if the law can get us to righteousness, now our justification is taken care of. No, we begin in faith, and go on in faith. He shows how the law and faith are opposite in their character and their results - one leads to life, the other to death. The history of Israel began based on faith - the law came later, added to limit transgression until Christ fulfilled the promise made to Abraham. Let no one think that the law and the promise are contrary in purpose though! They work together to fulfil the plan of God.

Paul now begins expounding our character as free men through faith. We are all equal in Christ, and are sons/daughters of God. Paul uses an example of children being brought up under a guardian (governor/governess/nanny depending on your culture). This guardian was the law, necessary until Christ came, but now we are 'of age' and released from the strictures of the law, receiving our full status (graciously granted by God) as sons/daughters and heirs. For those coming from idolatrous backgrounds, he exhorts (strongly encourages) them not to go back, nor to place any trust in observing ceremonies or rituals to save them. He reminds them of their joy when they first heard the gospel preached. Looking to an analogy with Hagar and Sarah, he shows the difference between the slave and the free. The slavery of the law is unprofitable - we are free in Christ. He again exhorts them to remember the truth preached to them, and not to listen to false prophets.
But what are we to do with this freedom? Should we enjoy the pleasures of the flesh because we are no longer under the law? NO!!! Freedom's purpose is to love one another - the love that was the standard of the law. We are led by the Spirit now, not the flesh - it is the law that is associated with the flesh - and the law condemns the works of the flesh. We now are in the Spirit and have been empowered by the Spirit to produce the fruit of the Spirit, such things that the law cannot produce. Only those who have come in true repentance, crucifying (binding, restricting any action of, and dealing a death blow to) the flesh belong to Christ and have received the Spirit - how can we return to the flesh?
If someone does slip up and fall to the temptations of the flesh, do not condemn him, but bear him up in love, knowing that we can all fall to such temptations - the person who thinks himself more immune to temptation is actually more susceptible! As we learn, so must we teach. And there are consequences for our actions, good and bad - not karma, but by the grace and the justice of God.

Paul concludes noting that even the false teachers themselves cannot keep the law that they try to enslave others too - stay away from them, and boast in Christ. Outward signs mean nothing, we are created new inwardly.

Christ, our gracious Saviour, may we ever uphold the truth and worth of the good news that You died to save us. Not of anything we have done, not by works, following the law, or keeping feasts, but entirely of You. Lord we thank you for Your Holy Spirit, working in our lives to produce fruit pleasing to You. Help us to live out the love You have filled us with, towards those around us. May we pass on the teaching that we have learned that more may hear of the great news of salvation, free to all men/women everywhere! Lord, we honour and adore You for what You have done. We stand in awe. Blessed be Your Name for ever and Evermore, Amen.