September 5, 2004

Reading through the Bible in one Year: 1 Chronicles 20-24

Weekly Memory Verse: Psalm 105-107

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Romans 16:1-16 (NASB95)
¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; ² that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. ³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; ⁵ also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. ¹² Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. ^[1]

What is amazing about this chapter is that Paul spent the time acknowledging the people who were significant in the ministry.  Phoebe was noted to have a church in her home.  This was the birth of the home churches.  Note also that she was a servant, or a helper of many people.  Here is one very important thing about her, she was a woman!  

Acts 18:1-3 (NASB95)
¹ After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. ² And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, ³ and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. ^[2]

Prisca and Aquila were tentmakers that Paul had lived with, they were tent makers, just like Paul was.  They also hosted a church in their house.  Epaenetus is noted to be Paul's first convert in Asia, (Turkey).  The list goes on, look at all of them that are servants and hard workers.  Note also that there are several households mentioned.  Paul spent a lot of time in prison, and made an impact on the prisoners that he spent time with.  It seems that as you read through this list, Paul is sending greetings to all who he had made an impact on during his ministry. 

When you consider that Paul was trained as a Jewish Pharisee, the credit that he gives to the women seems out of balance.  Normally the Jews treated women as if they were less than human, yet Paul acknowledged them as a vital and necessary part of the ministry of Christ.  He was promoting equality between men and women before it was fashionable. 

Note also that there are possibly five home churches mentioned in the list of the saints.  This may be because the church was still in it's infant stage, and the fellowship of believers took place in homes.  It could also have been due to increased persecution that was coming upon the Christians.  One thing that I wonder about is if the home churches resulted from entire homes being converted to Christianity, and proclaiming the truth from their homes. 

One thing that is certain, these folks were walking with the Lord and were making an impact on those around them.  We can learn from them by looking at their attributes and their decisions to live and serve Jesus Christ. I believe also that in our modern day churches we have short-changed ourselves by reverting back to the Jewish view of women in our churches.  Paul worked hard to make sure to acknowledge the women that were significant in the service of the Lord, and we make it a point not to appoint women to positions of authority in our churches today. 

The case can be argued according to Timothy against women in authority, but somehow it seems to be skewed.  I think that it is time that we re-think and re-organize our churches to come into compliance with God's word.  What we fail to realize is that it is not about the people, it is about Christ Jesus.  Look back through the list again and look at all the references to Jesus Christ, it is all about Him, therefore the servants that are mentioned are mentioned because they serve Christ, not their own interests. 

I was going to do the whole chapter today, but feel that it would be better to cut it off here.  If you wish to add to the study, be sure to write in.

Father, as we consider the list of servants that are in this chapter, I pray that each one of us will model them in our lives, becoming servants, workers and warriors in our churches.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

September 6, 2004

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Proverbs 22

Weekly Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Normally on a Monday we will switch to the Old Testament but due to only having ten verses left in Romans and since it is a holiday, I have chosen to finish Romans.  I would like to continue to remind all of you to keep praying and looking forward to the Forty days of purpose that is starting September 25th.  Email me if you would like to be a part of the Starbucks team.

Romans 16:17-20 (NASB95)
¹⁷ Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. ¹⁸ For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. ¹⁹ For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. ^[1]

Paul warned them against false teachers.  This should throw up a red flag for us when we read this passage.  Something was wrong.  It is commonly known that Paul had a bunch of well meaning Jews following him around polluting his ministry because they did not agree with him.  This happened right after the Jerusalem Council where Paul and the Council had reached an agreement on allowing Gentiles to be welcomed into the kingdom of God.  There were a few restrictions on them, but for the most part, the new Gentile believers were left alone.  This did not set well with the Jewish people who felt that since Christianity was an outgrowth of Judaism, they should also be required to be under Jewish Law.  It's hard to tell if these were the ones who were causing the problems or not.

There was also a sect of teachers who were in the business just for the money.  Verse 18 seems to be talking about teachers of this nature.  The shame of this is that the false teachers are still fleecing the flock of God.  I have had many to ask me about how to avoid these teachers, Paul gives practical instructions regarding this.  Since they are from Satan (v.20) God will soon crush them.  Paul gives the practical advice to put into practice the knowledge that they have, and to recognize the false teachers and then to avoid them.  False teachers are very smooth and convincing, to try to fight them is fruitless, it is much better just to let God do the judging. 

Note also that the false teachers prey upon the unsuspecting.  The key there is not to be unsuspecting!  How can a false teacher take you for a ride if you have spent lots and lots of time in God's word?  He gives us a few things to watch out for, a few warning signs.  First, what are they doing with their money?  Is the teacher taking God's money and investing in huge cars, huge houses, and toys? Or is he living according to the norm of his congregation?  I have heard some horror stories about how that pastors will preach for money, then cut themselves a fat check for the effort. 

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB95)
³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴ and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. ^[2]

The second warning sign is "smooth and flattering speech", this could be taken to be a worthless sermon that really says nothing. In his letter to Timothy, he described this as having their ears tickled.  It's a lot like a cotton candy sermon, there is a lot of fluff, but not much content.  Where then is the meat developed when teachers lead men in the churches?  Doesn't this come from diligent study of the Word of God with an equal application of it to their lives?  I return again to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:1-3 (NASB95)
¹ I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB95)
⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.^[3]

Paul exhorted Timothy to put his words into action, and Paul backed up his story by saying that he had already done it himself.  The trick is that Paul was not teaching something that he was not willing to put into practice.  He had already put into practice what he was teaching to the people.  That is what to look for in a teacher, one who speaks from the authoritative position of having done it. 

Returning once again to verse 17, in order to discern these false teachers, a person must spend time in the word himself.  Brothers and Sisters know what you know, believe what you believe, but make sure that you know why you believe what you do and know what you do.  If it is only because of a flowery sermon that you heard or a conference that you attended, then it is someone else’s ideas and not yours (in other words you may have already fallen victim to the false teacher). The only way to master the Word of God is to spend time in it and spend time applying it to your lives.

Note also that in verse 19, Paul indicates that from the reports that he had received, they were not guilty of failing in this area.  He was writing them because of trends and observations that he was making regarding the false teachers.  He goes further in that verse telling them to make sure to keep their eyes focused upon what is right and not to be sidetracked by evil. 

Verse 20 is finished by a prayer that they will stand under the grace of Jesus Christ.  Considering this, it is only by God's grace that we have wisdom, and that we have the ability to study and know God's word. 

Romans 16:21-27 (NASB95)
²¹ Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. ²² I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. ²³ Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. ²⁴ [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.] ²⁵ Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, ²⁶ but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; ²⁷ to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.^[4]

Verses 21-24 are more greetings to fellow believers, as well as a recognition of Tertius who wrote the letter for Paul.  Apparently he penned a few lines as a personal greeting to the church.  Isn't it interesting that that is the only credit that he received? 

Verses 25-27 This set of verses is very interesting because Paul throws his hardest punch at the orthodox Judaism here.  He indicated that the prophets had spoken of the mystery of the Gospel, and that it had been kept secret during the Old Testament times.  Then he went on to say that now God had fulfilled the prophesies in the Old Testament through Jesus Christ by making Him "known to all the nations".  This was a direct hit on the ones who opposed the Gentiles coming to know Jesus Christ.  He bridged the gap between the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Jews and the Nations by indicating that God had fulfilled all of them to God's Glory and only according to the wisdom of God.

“The closing benediction is the longest one Paul ever wrote. It reflects his special ministry to the Gentiles. “The mystery” has to do with God’s program of uniting believing Jews and Gentiles in the one body, the church (see Eph. 3). This was Paul’s special message. It was because of this message that the Judaizers persecuted Paul, because they wanted to maintain Jewish privileges. Both Jews and Gentiles in the Roman churches needed to know what God’s program was. Some of this Paul had explained in Romans 9–11.” ^[5]

In closing, consider the thoughts that Paul had presented in this passage today.  In order to recognize a false teacher, we must be diligent in our own study of the Word so that we are qualified to make a judgment.  Paul demonstrated his knowledge of the word in the last three verses of the chapter, it is time that we can demonstrate what we believe through our own study of the scriptures. 

Questions for thought:

What can you see as a warning against false teachers in the text today?

How can you avoid being suckered by these false teachers?

Father, as we consider Your word today, impress on each of our hearts the need to study it diligently, making sure that we put Your word into our minds and into our hearts so that we can effectively use it in our lives.

In Him,

Joe Turner.