1 John is a dip into the world of Gnostic thinking and once I got my head around that this book makes a lot of sense and is confronting many of the heresies that were going around the church in the late 80′s early 90′s AD.

The basics of Gnostic thinking that was going around were:

• God must be evil – the evil in the world points to an evil creator
• Jesus was an upgrade on Yahweh and was either full God and not human or was human and his divinity came and went depending on the situation.  (A god couldn’t suffer so Jesus couldn’t be God at the crucifixion)
• Believers were saved by attaining knowledge and what they did with their bodies wasn’t important

So John comes out with the intention of setting the record straight.  He was with Jesus – saw him, touched him, heard him teach – Jesus was really human but was also sent from God and fully God.  He also shows that Jesus was not separate from God and some upgrade on the original.  John reminds his reader that God is 100% good and there is no evil in him.  He created a perfect world and sin messed it up.

The Gnostic belief that matter was evil is strongly confronted by John as he challenges the believers to stop worrying about attaining knowledge and put their love into action with one another.   He reminds them again and again that if they say they love God they should love each other. 

John also drives home the need for a saviour, knowledge is not going to save a bunch of sinful people but the death of Jesus on the cross as an atoning sacrifice will. 

All in all this book is a reminder – Jesus is God and Saviour, God is good, Love one another!

John writes to the believers to encourage them in their faith. They are being deceived by false teachers who are teaching Gnosticism, and their faith is becoming shaky. John writes to correct the false teaching and encourages the believers with the truth about who they are as believers in Christ.

The false teachers were teaching things about God such as: he is evil, Jesus was not human, or the opposite, he was not divine. Another part of their teaching that came from Gnosticism was that these believers were not a part of the ‘enlightened’ group, or they didn’t know the ‘secret’ so they didn’t have salvation or eternal life. This teaching was confusing believers, causing them to doubt their own salvation, and producing within them fear, anxiety, and insecurity. John writes to tell the believers the truth: they have eternal life. He also comes against the false teaching of the false prophets with the truth that God is light, he is not dark, and he is not evil. He also shows that Jesus was human, and he is divine. John comes against the lies by declaring the truth.

Something that stands out to me in 1 John is the theme of love that John threads throughout the entire book. He not only urges the believers over and over again how they should love one another, he also speaks in such a way as to give them an example of this love. He calls them “little children”, and “beloved” over and over throughout the book (2.1, 3.2 are two examples). I was impressed with this and the fact that (as was mentioned in the lecture I heard by Kerry Neve), these people are teaching lies about Jesus, who John was with and loved very much, and yet he still approaches the situation, not by attacking the false teachers, but in a loving way teaching the truth. This whole book exudes love from John’s example and his exhortations to the believers. This was a challenge to me to really make an effort to love people, to put others first, to serve others, and to see others as better than myself.

Hebrews made me excited to study the Old Testament! I am glad we will go more in depth about the law, regulations, and stories in the Old Testament because I enjoyed learning about it in Hebrews!

The anonymous author of Hebrews is writing to Jewish Christians probably located in Rome who are suffering from the intense Neronian persecution. (if any of you have seen the Story Keepers, Nero is the guy who plays the harp haha! But he was much worse than they make him out to be…anyways..) The faith of these believers is being intensely challenged and shaken. They have two choices, 1. Persevere through the persecution and suffering, which could mean death, torture, loss of loved ones, etc., or 2. Go back to their old religion of Judaism, which would mean safety from Nero’s wrath, but also, as the author of Hebrews reveals, a loss of their faith. The author of Hebrews challenges these Jewish Christians not to go back to the old covenant, but to endure the persecutions, and be faithful to the faith. How does the author do this? By focusing in on the foundation of their faith: Jesus Christ. We see how Jesus has a better nature and ministry than the old covenant. The old covenant is merely a shadow of the new and living covenant through Jesus Christ.

One thing that the author of Hebrews does for the Jewish Christians is define exactly what faith is. I learned that it takes faith to even come to God, as it says in Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” It takes faith for anyone to come to God and seek him for help. Coming to God in prayer is an act of faith, because we are acknowledging that we believe he exists and rewards those who seek him. This also shows that it really pleases God when we do this. He wants us to come to him, to seek him for help, in little things and big things. It pleases him when we do this. This really encourages me to go to God with every situation I am concerned about. He will always be there, he will never leave, and he cares. He wants us to seek him. “So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

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2 Peter and Jude, written by two different authors, but both very similar. Both authors write to warn their audiences about false teachers. Both authors warn their audiences to fight against the false teaching, contend for their faith, and live in the knowledge of the truth of who they are. Both authors also defend the faith against apologetic claims made by the false teachers. These books deal with interesting issues such as God’s judgment, and the second coming. I wouldn’t have thought it, but I ended up really liking these books and what they had to say, I thought it was SO interesting, and it was cool to form foundational truths in my mind about what I believe about these topics, becuase before I didn’t know much about them.

One thing that really inspired me from these books is the emphasis on how important the faith is, and how it should be fought for, and how much everyone needs it. They urged the importance of how a non-believer needs a Saviour, which revealed the importance of faith in Jesus, and inspired me how important it is to share the gospel. When I look at the urgency in these letters through the truth they bring, I am inspired to be a witness of faith in Christ, to let my witness show, and to share the gospel with others. It reminds me of our need for a Saviour,  and how valuable our faith is, and how others need it desperately. Jesus IS coming, he will return, and he will judge the world. These books were very interesting and inspiring.

We hit two books in one go with 2 Peter and Jude.  In fact Jude covers much of the same content as 2 Peter 2 but both have important things for the church to hear about false teaching.

The further you get away from the start of anything the more things can get distorted.  This is what was happening with the believers in these two books.  People were coming in and telling them that what they had heard about Jesus wasn’t quite right and were offering to set them straight. 

These false teachers were claiming that because Jesus had not come yet he was never coming back and because God will not really judge people they could live any way they liked.

Well you don’t need to think too long to see where that kind of thinking will lead you – soon you are living with “anything goes” as your motto.  Peter reminds the believers that they can trust his testimony because he was actually with Jesus and heard what he said and watched him live his life.  I think this is so key.  2000 years on it is easy to wonder if Jesus was really who he said he was or doubt different parts of the story. 

BUT the good news is the people who wrote this stuff down were with Jesus and had been eye witnesses so we too can trust what they have to say.

So even as Peter and Jude encouraged people not to be lead astray by the false teachers by building up their faith and remember what Jesus did for them.   We too sometimes need to take a look back and remember why we got saved and what Jesus has done for us.  This knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ as Saviour and author of our faith will help keep our faith on the right road.

I wonder what kind of movement the Apostle Peter would lead if he were African American in the 1950s and 1960s…

In retrospect, King was successful in changing public policy for the better, but was he successful for the kingdom of God? How could he have led his movement differently – possibly more biblically?

1 Peter. Only two days to study a book that is packed full of so many truths, ones more simple and others difficult to understand. The main theme of 1 Peter is hard to miss, Peter uses a circular communication to get across his main theme: suffering. Peter talks about suffering from beginning to end. He mentions it, gives an example, mentions it again, talks about it in a different way, talks about it again…the discussion points back again and again to his main theme of suffering. Peter is talking to believers who are going through suffering because of the Neronian persecution. He writes to encourage them to persevere, to encourage them to continue to do good, be steadfast in their faith, and to support each other in the midst of this hard time. Peter offers them hope for the future, and points them to hope they have right now. He shows them how Jesus suffered for them and how He understands what it is like to suffer for doing good. He encourages them to keep doing good though they may suffer for it, because they are a witness to those watching.

One comforting thing I noticed at the end of 1 Peter in 5:7 is that he says “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” I was thinking about how much Peter loved Jesus. He knew him for a while, and many times during their time together Peter makes mistakes. Its interesting to me that Peter says this. The guy who made so many mistakes, who Jesus had to rebuke and correct so many times, he is the one who probably knows best, and can say for sure from his own experience that Jesus really cares. Though he went through (or should I say BECAUSE he went through) tough times, and made mistakes, he knew that this was true of Jesus. This is just really encouraging to me when I think about it, because I know that if Peter is saying it, and HE knows it to be true, then it is probably REALLY true, because he went through a lot of stuff with Jesus. This encourages me to do the same when I am feeling anxious about things.

If anyone thinks these little books towards the end of the bible are lightweight - think again.  In this letter to the believers though the region of Northern Turkey Peter encourages them to not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among them.

These people are suffering not because they have done anything to deserve it but simply because they are followers of Jesus.   This  is not a principle we are well acquainted with.  We like comfort.  We have our rights. 

Peter (who was with Jesus so he should know something) tells them to rejoice if they are sharing for the name of Jesus.  This is the will of God – WHAT!  God wants me to suffer?  Well from this book it appears that is, in fact, part of His plan for refining his followers. 

Are you willing to be insulted for following Jesus? 

Are you willing to lose business because you are a believer?

Are you willing to be beaten and maybe die?

Well as Peter so kindly points out Jesus was the forerunner in being insulted and persecuted.  He went so far as to lay down his life for those who would believe in him.  Peter also points out in a Sermon on the Mount kind of way that it is not our place to try to get justice for ourselves.  This is God’s job.

This book makes me think that Peter thinks the Sermon on the Mount was more than just a nice idea.  Are we really to turn the other cheek?  Are we really blessed when people persecuted us?  This is not what I would normally consider a blessing!

Food for thought.  This should really affect the way I live…..

Therefore let those suffering in accordane with God’s will enturst themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

If the content of a book doesn’t impact me then how can I expect it to impact the students. This was something that really challenged me while I was preparing to teach. The importance of the gospel and the centrality of the gospel really hit me. As the gospel was everything to Paul something that had so transformed his life, that he lived and died for and breathed every second of everyday! Has the gospel and the Jesus that captivated Paul’s life captivated mine in such a radical way? It is a tragdity but most of the time I am not transformed and motivated by the Gospel. I so long to be. So I really spent some time thinking about this question that I will pose to you:

Is the gospel with our lives?

What is it about this gospel that really has changed me?

Do I need the Gospel?

In what ways does my life right now not line up with the GLORIOUS GOSPEL?

I would encourage you to think through some of the questions they will change your perspective for sure!

Some other thoughts:

II Timothy was probably the last letter that Paul wrote before his martyrdom under the Neroian rule. So this letter to Timothy is so important as it is some of Paul’s last words to his dearly beloved son and co-worker in Christ, Timothy. Thus I can imagine Timothy would have paid special attention to all that Paul had to say within this letter. Paul is really encouraging Timothy to take hold of what he knows God is calling him to, which is to carry out his ministry and to stand firm in the Gospel. It really impacted me that Paul at the end of his life is thinking about others and not only thinking about himself, NEVER Paul seemed to be always outward focused and about fulfilling the ministry of Christ until his dying day. This is really challenging to me personally as Paul really is a great example of being sold out for Christ no matter what the cost.

I could go on and on for hours but I will leave with this statement of eternal perspective from Paul to Timothy!

” In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.” (II Tim. 4:1-2)

Really I am asking myself this question after the book of 2 Timothy. 

What will I make sacrifices for?  Family? God? Me?

Paul was an old man and writing his last letter to his apprentice Timothy.  They had been co-workers in the gospel for many years and now Paul is in prison and expecting to die soon.  He is handing on the baton to Timothy to continue to preach the gospel and spread the good news. 

Paul suffered intensely for the gospel – imprisonment, beatings, shipwrecks, stonings, friends and co-workers who have walked away.  Yet at the end of his life his message to Timothy is keep going! People need to hear the truth.   Paul felt so strongly that he was willing to die for his message and it is only because of the grace of God that he lasted so long.  In the end he did die for this message!

So now I am confronted with this question – how seriously do I take the gospel message?

So many people have died to see the message of the gospel go forth.  There are more Christian Martyrs in the last 10o years than all of history.  What is it that makes it worth dying for?

Do I really know just how much I need to be saved?  From myself, my sin and this world full of troubles and pain.  With a church on every corner and crosses shouting out from the side of the road – Jesus saves – it is easy to forget that this salvation I have came at a great cost.  It came at the cost of all those who have laid down their lives to see the message proclaimed, the truth to prevail and it came at the cost of Jesus laying down his life to save me.

What will I do to make sure that others can hear this message?  What will you do?

Wow,
Studying through James today, and wanted to share with you some challenges.  James addresses a Jewish church, probably one that has been existing out of their foundation place of Jerusalem after the dispersion of the persecution against Christians in the time that Stephen was martyred.  James is challenging them with what does faith and wisdom look like, what is the nature of these for the Christian life to a church who has lost the zeal, faith, and wisdom they once had.

What convicts me today James writing on speech, and how much power our words have.  I’ve had a recent conversation with a friend that I know I was not wise, and was not slow to speak and quick to listen.  My communication needs to change.  I have such an opportunity to affect others, not just in teaching, but in how I relate to others in the body.  My words have an opportunity to reflect my Creator, or it has the potential of creating unrighteousness.  Such challenge.

The first letter Paul writes to Timothy could have been after his first stint in Rome. Thus the book might have been written some time in the 60s.  The main idea of the book is to stay strong in faith, hope, and love in order to boldly teach the glorious gospel. He is warning Timothy about false teachers and telling him to stay clear of and watch out for false doctrine in order to keep the church pure of anything less the sound doctrine. Paul establishes guidelines for the church practices, and he encourages Timothy in his personal conduct–specifically his conduct with regards to the ministry.

This is a great instruction book for any church administrator but it must be understood in its context. Paul was writing a personal letter to Timothy and it dealt with some specific issues with the culture in Ephesus at that time.

For example lets take the women teaching passage in chapter 2. At first glance this sounds almost anti-women and traditionally grounded. But if taken into historical context and by examining both letters we find that there were some reasons for the instruction. First Women were typically not allowed to learn. So Paul is clearing up this issue by saying let them learn. The temple of Artimus was in Ephesus and the spiritual leaders were essentially temple prostitutes. Paul is trying to combat that aspect of creeping into the Christian church by telling them to dress modestly and to submit to learning like respectful students. There also seems to have been a feminist movement during this era where women tried to act like men and take control of things. So Paul might have been combating this worldview by saying that their role is not be authoritative. Then there may have also been myths asserting that women were created first and inherently spiritual, if they did not have children. Paul recounts the creation story to set that myth straight and then says that yes even if they have kids they can be saved.

Okay, all this to say that, todays culture is much different then that culture and situation.  Women are obviously not inferior to men. And if anyone would argue otherwise, that would go against a central theological thesis of Pauls that ”all are created new in Christ” (Gal. 3:26-29). Plus there seems to be a bunch of women teachers/ church leaders throughout the New Testament (i.e. Pricilla, Phoebe, Lydia, Junia…ect). So needless to say, women can teach.

Here are some of the timeless truths that I learned from this book.

1. fight for the faith of others and yourself
2. don’t teach if you don’t understand, be silent.
3. the church is meant to guard the truth of the gospel.
4. be content with what God has given.
5. give freedom to other believers to be guided by the Spirit
6. pray for what God desires (one thing he desires mentioned in 1 Timothy is for all people to be saved)
7. An elder must be above reproach and able to wisely guide and disciple the church like a father instructs his children.
8. Leaders should lead through example in godliness.
9. Godliness is worth more than knowledge.

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to watch over the church there. The church had just gone through a major church split where some wicked men (Alexander and Hymenaeus) led many believers away from the faith. On top of this many widows and other women in the church thought that they had great understanding and knowledge. But in fact what they were teaching were myths and lies. Timothy is given the task of helping to set the church back in order.

This letter has been written by Paul to Timothy in Ephesus.  It seems that Paul left Timothy there to deal with some of the false teaching that has begun to creep into the church and also deal with some other aspects of church life.

Timothy has a task on his hands as some false teaching has crept into the church.  This letter shows that some people are teaching the Jewish law, others are being shipwrecked in their faith because of false beliefs.  Timothy is a major challenge on his hands.  The way Paul instructs him to deal with this is by teaching the true gospel and holding firm to his faith.

In the midst of this book there are some interesting passages on women – it seems to me that it was an issue of context as the Ephesians came from a culture were woman ruled the religious systems in the Temple of Artemis and the Temple Prostitutes certainly had a liking for bling!   Bringing this into the picture Paul says to the women of Ephesus – learn but don’t do it like the pagans do.  And please don’t look like they do either!    So it is not so much about how big your gold earings are in church today or if you can speak or not but learning the truth of God.  Paul was a forerunner in womens rights desiring that they should learn the word of God and be able to discern heresy from the truth for themselves.

There is also some interesting passages from Paul on caring for the widows in the church and it is a reminder to us today that we have a responsiblity towards our relatives as they get older. 

Exciting stuff.  I’m off to polish my earings for church tomorrow!