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Key Verse: 1 Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” As pointed out in the introduction, the Pastoral Epistles were concerned about establishing and defending a sound Christian orthodoxy in the developing churches of Asia Minor. Even as Christianity spread, […]

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” As stated in the introduction, these letters were written by Paul to Timothy when Timothy was less than twenty-five years old and pastoring the church […]

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” What Paul is about to say is “without controversy” or “beyond all question” (NIV). He […]

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 2:1,2 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, the we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” In the world of Paul’s day, the common thing […]

The Life of Faith 6:19 – 7:12 True Treasure vv. 19-21 The issue here is sustainability. As we live our lives we gather wealth, either earthly or heavenly. Earthly treasure is fraught with risk and always ends in total loss. Heavenly treasure, on the other hand, lasts forever. The case is not either/or but the […]

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 1:15 “This is faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” Paul is quoting something he, and presumably Timothy, have both memorized–perhaps it’s part of an early Christian creed or hymn: “Christ Jesus came into the world […]

Key Verse: 2 Thessalonians 3:10 “…If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” One commentator entitled verses 6-15 as “Off come the gloves.” Paul very bluntly confronts the members in the Thessalonian church who are living “disorderly and not according to the tradition which [they] received from us” (v.6). The “disorder” is very clear–they’re […]

Key Verse: 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2 “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.” […]

Key Verse: 2 Thessalonians 1:5 “…that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God…” Generally speaking, Paul, Silas, and Timothy were pleased with the Thessalonian church. In their estimation, the qualities of they believers there were “evidence that God’s judgment is right” and they were “counted worthy of the kingdom of God” (v. […]

Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:9,10 “For God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” Paul continues his teaching about the return of Christ. He points out the futility of attempting to […]

Alms, Prayer, & Fasting 6:1-18 Fasting vv. 16-18 There is only one fast declared in the Old Testament. On the Day of Atonement the Israelites were to fast (Le. 16:29, 31; 23:27-32; Nu. 29:7), meaning abstinence from food and drink for the twenty-four hour period from sunset to sunset. Later in Jewish history other fasts […]

Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, 17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be cut up together with them in the clouds […]