Archive for August 2023
August 26-31, 2023
In keeping with the Bible reading plan we are using, the last days of each month are designated as “free days.” August 26-31 then are intended to allow you to catch up on reading you may have missed or to study passages more in depth that intrigued you during the first 25 days of the month.…
Read MorePhilemon 12-25: What Grace Does
Esther 9-10, Proverbs 17:15-28, Luke 20:20-26, Philemon 12-25 Philemon 12-25: Paul is appealing to Philemon to accept Onesimus – a runaway slave – as now no longer a slave but as a Christian brother. As we observe how Paul appeals to Philemon, we learn about the power of Christ to set us free, and the responsibility we have…
Read MorePhilemon 1-11: An Appeal Based on Love
Esther 7-8, Proverbs 17:1-14, Luke 20:9-19, Philemon 1-11 Philemon 1-11: Philemon is a particularly important book for us today because of its witness to Paul’s desire that a runaway slave be no longer treated as a slave but as a brother. He must bring Philemon around to this point of view and persuade him to see that the gospel…
Read MoreTitus 3:9-15: Devoted to Doing What Is Good
Esther 5-6, Proverbs 16:17-33, Luke 20:1-8, Titus 3:9-15 Titus 3:9-15: As Paul comes to the end of this letter to Titus, he guards against taking his counsel to the other extreme, and also then underlines once more his main message. First, in verses 9-11, he guards against taking his counsel to extreme. He has been saying that Titus…
Read MoreTitus 3:1-8: Doing What Is Good
Esther 3-4, Proverbs 16:1-16, Luke 19:39-48, Titus 3:1-8 Titus 3:1-8: We have seen that Titus has been left in Crete by Paul. Titus’ task is to set in order the church in Crete. To do that, he must commission a team of elders. And then he must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine – he must…
Read MoreTitus 2:11-15: Grace, Applied and Taught
Esther 2, Proverbs 15:18-33, Luke 19:28-38, Titus 2:11-15 Titus 2:11-15: We have mentioned several times that this section in Titus contains the key controlling theological principle that reverberates throughout the rest of the letter. Paul has left Titus in Crete to straighten out what was left unfinished. To that end, he is to appoint elders to help encourage…
Read MoreTitus 2:1-10: Making the Gospel Attractive
Esther 1, Proverbs 15:1-17, Luke 19:11-27, Titus 2:1-10 Titus 2:1-10: Paul is commissioning Titus to set in good order what was left unfinished at the church in Crete. He has urged him to appoint elders to help him with the task of teaching the truth and correcting error. Now, Paul introduces another aspect to this strategy: what we…
Read MoreTitus 1:10-16: Refutation
Nehemiah 13, Proverbs 14:19-35, Luke 19:1-10, Titus 1:10-16 Titus 1:10-16: Paul is asking Titus to straighten out what was left unfinished in Crete. This, we have seen, means first of all that he needs to appoint elders to help with this task. This team of gospel-driven leaders will need to encourage and also correct. What is it that…
Read MoreTitus 1:1-9: Put in Order What Was Left Unfinished
Nehemiah 12, Proverbs 14:1-18, Luke 18:31-43, Titus 1:1-9 Titus 1:1-9: Titus has been given a rather different task to that of Timothy. He has been left in Crete to “put in order what was left unfinished.” We are not sure exactly what that means, but it is apparent from the rest of the letter that in Paul’s view…
Read More2 Timothy 4:9-22: Grace and Glory
Nehemiah 11, Proverbs 13:13-25, Luke 18:18-30, 2 Timothy 4:9-22 2 Timothy 4:9-22: As we come to end of this Paul’s final letter, we would expect to find Paul trailing off and describing an inactive and somewhat depressing life in his final days. But nothing could be further from the truth. He is still very active, and in describing…
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