The main topic of these letters is directed towards pastors, elders, etc.
Everyone can benefit from these letters.
Some topics covered today
B1 False teachers
B2 Prayer
B3 Qualifications for church leaders
B4 Jesus is God
B5 Warnings and reminders given to church members
B6 Helping needy believers
B7 Timothy’s health
B8 Living the Christian life
B9 Endurance
B10 Suffering and persecution
B11 Characteristics of the last days
B12 The importance of Scripture
B13 Preach anyway (if suffer and persecuted)
B14 Abandoning the faith
False Teachers
B1 Christian doctrine has a standard. The standard is the New Testament interpreted in the plain, normal sense consistently. We have to be careful that teachers would use standard definitions of words, take the passage in context, and not corrupt it in some ways by their personal beliefs.
B2 False teachers deviate from this standard for various reasons. Maybe one of the following or a combination.
C1 Money: Consider Balaam
D1 2 Peter 2:15 GW These false teachers have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Balaam, son of Beor. Balaam loved what his wrongdoing earned him.
D2 Micah 3:11 GW Your leaders exchange justice for bribes. Your priests teach for a price. Your prophets tell the future for money. But they rely on the LORD when they say, "After all, the LORD is with us. Nothing bad will happen to us."
C2 Power: Acts 13:6-8 NRSV When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
C3 Sex: Jeremiah 23:14 GW Say this about the prophets of Jerusalem: I see something horrible. The prophets of Jerusalem commit adultery and live a lie. They support those who do evil so that no one turns back from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me, and those who live in Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.
B3 To avoid the effect of false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, false preachers, etc. we must know the truth. We must study the Scriptures and know its teachings (doctrine).
Prayer
B1 I believe God created humans for fellowship and to serve God. In prayer, we fellowship with God. Adam and Eve did in the garden before sin. Other examples are Enoch (Genesis 5:22), Noah (Genesis 6:9), and Moses (Exodus 33:11).
B2 It is coming to the throne of the King of all kings, Lord of all lords, King of the Universe to be a priest for others.
C1 Hebrews 4:16 NRSV Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
C2 Revelation 5:10 PickNT and You have made them kings and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.
Wilbur Pickering Ph.D. notes regarding this verses 9 (note5) and 10 (note 6): 5 Every Greek manuscript except one, of inferior quality, reads "us". Many modern versions follow that lone manuscript and omit the pronoun, but that leaves the transitive verb "redeem" without a direct object, so they usually supply "men" or some such thing. But the true reading is obviously "us", so the 2 elders are among the redeemed, and they are already in heaven wearing crowns.
6 A very few late manuscripts read "us", as in KJV, but almost all the manuscripts read "them". The 2 elders exclude themselves when it comes to reigning on the earth—evidently they will not be involved in the administration of the millennial kingdom.
B3 Qualifications for church leaders—churches should be very careful to follow these instructions. It appears that many do not, instead seeking someone who is cool, trendy, and has a lot of advanced degrees. Nothing wrong or sinful about being cool, trendy, and lots of advanced degrees, but when a congregation considers that criteria as a priority, there will be problems.
B4 Jesus is God. Wilbur Pickering Ph.D. notes:
Instead of 'God', 1% of the Greek manuscripts read 'who', and most modern versions follow this 1%. But 'who' is nonsensical (in the context), so most of them take evasive action: NEB and NASB have "he who"; Phillips has "the one"; NRSV, Jerusalem, TEV and NIV render "he". Berkley actually has "who"! In the Greek Text the relative pronoun has no antecedent, so it is a grammatical 'impossibility', besides being a stupidity—what is so mysterious about someone being manifested in flesh? All human beings have bodies. The pronoun can be accounted for as an easy transcriptional error, a simple copying mistake, so why not stay with the 98.5%? "God was manifested in flesh"—now there you have a mystery! elders exclude themselves when it comes to reigning on the earth—evidently they will not be involved in the administration of the millennial kingdom.
B5 Warnings and reminders given to church members
C1 Passage: 1 Timothy 4:1-5 LEB Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who are seared in their own conscience, 3 who forbid marrying and insist on abstaining from foods that God created for sharing in with thankfulness by those who believe and who know the truth, 4 because everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thankfulness, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
C2 Some things we learn:
D1 We are taught that some will leave the faith, that is, true doctrine that Jesus and the Apostles taught.
D2 These will turn to mysticism and experiences instead of the Scriptures.
D3 Some will turn to lying teachers who have no problem with lying and teaching false doctrine.
D4 Some will forbid marrying.
D5 Some will insist of food laws.
D6 That foods are sanctified by the word of God (He said so) and (our) prayer.
B6 Helping needy believers
B7 Timothy’s health: it is OK to drink a little wine as medicine.
B8 Living the Christian life: a number of rules for various situations arising in the church. These are principles for all believers. Some topics are work, widows, meeting needs for Christian workers (food, clothes, housing, etc.), dealing with those who teach false doctrine, contentment, money, philosophy, etc.
B9 Endurance
C1 Not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His gospel: 2 Timothy 1:8-10 LEB Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but suffer along with me for the gospel, according to the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been disclosed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought to light life and immortality through the gospel,
C2 To remain steadfast and faithful to the faith: 2 Timothy 1:13 NRSV Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
B10 Suffering and persecution: 2 Timothy 2:10-13 NRSV Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
B11 Some characteristics of the last days (of the church age): 2 Timothy 3:17 WEL Know this also, that in the last days perilous times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, braggers, arrogant, users of abusive language, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, impossible to please, false accusers, unable to control themselves, fierce, despising those who are good, 4 Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 Having an appearance of godliness but having spurned its power. From such turn away. 6 For this type are those who wheedle into houses and captivate gullible women loaded with sins carried away with various evil desires, 7 Ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
B12 The importance of Scripture:
C1 2 Timothy 3:16-17 WEL All Scripture is inspired and is beneficial for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in righteousness, 17 So that God’s people may be completely ready, fully equipped for all good works.
C2 John Wesley writes on this verse: All scripture is inspired of God - The Spirit of God not only once inspired those who wrote it, but continually inspires, supernaturally assists, those that read it with earnest prayer. Hence it is so profitable for doctrine, for instruction of the ignorant, for the reproof or conviction of them that are in error or sin, for the correction or amendment of whatever is amiss, and for instructing or training up the children of God in all righteousness.
C3 Matthew 4:4 NIV Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
C4 An article: In What Sense Is the Bible the Inspired Word of God?
B13 Preach anyway (if suffer and persecuted)
C1 2 Timothy 4:3-5 NRSV For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
C2 We learn
D1 People will begin not listening to the teachings of Jesus.
D2 Christians will want cool, trendy, degreed pastors, instead of godly, practical, and degreed or not pastors. As noted above, these pastors are chosen based on the criteria as a priority.
D3 We must not quit even if discouraged. We must always pray for pastoral staff and all believers.
B14 Abandoning the faith: 2 Timothy 4:10 NRSV for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
Our goal: 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NRSV I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
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