At Home In The Word - John 1:14: Recent Episodes
At Home In The Word - John 1:14
Luke 24:28-29And they approached the village where they were going,
and He acted as though He were going farther.
But they urged Him, saying,
“Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening,
and the day is now nearly over.”
So He went in to stay with them.
Ruth 4:7Now this was the custom in former times in Israel
concerning the redemption
and the exchange of land
to confirm any matter:
a man removed his sandal and gave it to another;
and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
Ruth 4:1-2Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there,
and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said,
“Turn aside, friend, sit down here.”
And he turned aside and sat down.
He took ten men of the elders of the city and said,
“Sit down here.”
So they sat down.
Ruth 3:1-5Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her,
“My daughter, shall I not seek security for you,
that it may be well with you?
Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were?
Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.
Wash yourself therefore,
and anoint yourself
and put on your best clothes,
and go down to the threshing floor;
but do not make yourself known to the man
until he has finished eating and drinking.
It shall be when he lies down,
that you shall notice the place where he lies,
and you shall go and uncover his feetand lie down;
then he will tell you what you shall do.”
She said to her,
“All that you say I will do.”
Ruth 1:1Now it came about in the days when the judges governed,
that there was a famine in the land.
And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn
in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
Joshua 1:1-2Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD,
that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying,
“Moses My servant is dead;
now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people,
to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
Exodus 3:10-14Therefore, come now,
and I will send you to Pharaoh,
so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God,
“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh,
and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
And He said,
“Certainly I will be with you,
and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you:
when you have brought the people out of Egypt,
you shall worship God at this mountain.”
Then Moses said to God,
“Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’
Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’
What shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses,
“ I AM WHO I AM”;
and He said,
“Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Luke 24:27Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets,
He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Luke 24:13-14And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus,
which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
And they were talking with each other
about all these things which had taken place.
After Jesus was born, His earthly parents were careful to obey the Laws of Leviticus 12.
Leviticus 12:1-3Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying:
‘When a woman gives birth and bears a male child,
then she shall be unclean for seven days,
as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean.
On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Revelation 22:10And he said to me,
“Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book,
for the time is near.
Revelation 22:1-2 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal,
coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street.
On either side of the river was the tree of life,
bearing twelve kinds of fruit,
yielding its fruit every month;
and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying,
“Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
Revelation 21:1-2 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;
for the first heaven and the first earth passed away,
and there is no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven,
holding the key of the abyss
and a great chain in his hand.
And he laid hold of the dragon,
the serpent of old,
who is the devil and Satan,
and bound him for a thousand years;
and he threw him into the abyss,
and shut it and sealed it over him,
so that he would not deceive the nations any longer,
until the thousand years were completed;
after these things he must be released for a short time.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened,
and behold, a white horse,
and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He judges
and wages war.
Revelation 19:1-2
After these things I heard something
like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS;
for He has judged the great harlot
who was corrupting the earth with her immorality,
and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”
Revelation 18:1-2 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying,
“ Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place of demons
and a prison of every unclean spirit,
and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
Revelation 17:1-2 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
came and spoke with me, saying,
“Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot
who sits on many waters,
with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality,
and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk
with the wine of her immorality.”
Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air,
and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying,
“It is done.”
Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air,
and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying,
“It is done.”
Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon
and out of the mouth of the beast
and out of the mouth of the false prophet,
three unclean spirits like frogs;
for they are spirits of demons, performing signs,
which go out to the kings of the whole world,
to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
Revelation 16:13-14 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon
and out of the mouth of the beast
and out of the mouth of the false prophet,
three unclean spirits like frogs;
for they are spirits of demons, performing signs,
which go out to the kings of the whole world,
to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
Revelation 16:8-9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun,
and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
Men were scorched with fierce heat;
and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues,
and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Revelation 16:8-9 The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun,
and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
Men were scorched with fierce heat;
and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues,
and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Revelation 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels,
“Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
Revelation 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels,
“Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
Revelation 15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven,
great and marvelous,
seven angels who had seven plagues,
which are the last,
because in them the wrath of God is finished.
Revelation 14:14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man,
having a golden crown on His head
and a sharp sickle in His hand.
Revelation 14:9-10 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice,
“If anyone worships the beast and his image,
and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,
he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger;
and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the Lamb.
Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion,
and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand,
having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth;
and he had two horns like a lamb
and he spoke as a dragon.
Revelation 13:1
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.
Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,
having ten horns and seven heads,
and on his horns were ten diadems,
and on his heads were blasphemous names.
Revelation 12:7-9 And there was war in heaven,
Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon.
The dragon and his angels waged war,
and they were not strong enough,
and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
And the great dragon was thrown down,
the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world;
he was thrown down to the earth,
and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12:1-2 A great sign appeared in heaven:
a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
and she was with child;
and she cried out,
being in labor and in pain to give birth.
Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded;
and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ;
and He will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 11:1-2 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said,
“Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar,
and those who worship in it.
Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it,
for it has been given to the nations;
and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.
Revelation 10:1-3 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven,
clothed with a cloud;
and the rainbow was upon his head,
and his face was like the sun,
and his feet like pillars of fire;
and he had in his hand a little book which was open.
He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;
and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars;
and when he had cried out,
the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
Revelation 9:13-14 Then the sixth angel sounded,
and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet,
“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”
Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded,
and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth;
and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.
Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal,
there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Revelation 7:9-10 After these things I looked, and behold,
a great multitude which no one could count,
from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes,
and palm branches were in their hands;
and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:1–3
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth,
so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.
And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God;
and he cried out with a loud voiceto the four angels
to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying,
“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees
until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Revelation 6:12-13 I looked when He broke the sixth seal,
and there was a great earthquake;
and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair,
and the whole moon became like blood;
and the stars of the sky fell to the earth,
as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
Revelation 6:9-10 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal,
I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain
because of the word of God,
and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
and they cried out with a loud voice, saying,
“How long, O Lord, holy and true,
will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood
on those who dwell on the earth?”
Revelation 6:7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal,
I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying,
“Come.”
One last time, look back to Revelation 4:7. The Savior has broken the fourth seal on the scroll.
Just then, the apostle hears a familiar voice.
This time, it is the voice… of an eagle.
Revelation 6:5 When He broke the third seal,
I heard the third living creature saying,
“Come.”
I looked, and behold, a black horse;
and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
Revelation 6:3-4 When He broke the second seal,
I heard the second living creature saying,
“Come.”
And another, a red horse, went out;
and to him who sat on it,
it was granted to take peace from the earth,
and that men would slay one another;
and a great sword was given to him.
Revelation 6:1-2
Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals,
and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder,
“Come.”
I looked, and behold, a white horse,
and he who sat on it had a bow;
and a crown was given to him,
and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked,
and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne
and the living creatures and the elders;
and the number of them was myriads of myriads,
and thousands of thousands,
saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing.”
Revelation 5:6 And between the throne
and the four living creatures
and among the elders
I saw a Lamb standing,
as though it had been slain,
with seven horns and with seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God
sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 5:1-3 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne
a book written inside and on the back,
sealed up with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”
And no one in heaven
or on the earth
or under the earth
was able to open the book
or to look into it.
Revelation 4:8-11 And the four living creatures,
each one of them having six wings,
are full of eyes around and within;
and day and night they do not cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty,
who was and who is and who is to come.”
And when the living creatures
give glory and honor and thanks
to Him who sits on the throne,
to Him who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders will fall down
before Him who sits on the throne,
and will worship Him who lives forever and ever,
and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God,
to receive glory and honor and power;
for You created all things,
and because of Your will they existed,
and were created.”
Revelation 4:5-6 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning
and sounds and peals of thunder.
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,
which are the seven Spirits of God;
and before the throne
there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal;
and in the center and around the throne,
four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
What John is witnessing begins with a scene that one can only imagine. Try and envision the surroundings Moses would have seen atop Sinai. We get glimpses from Scripture.
Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked,
and behold, a door standing open in heaven,
and the first voice which I had heard,
like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said,
“Come up here,
and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
Throughout chapters two and three of the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ, we have read about the Messiah’s Own Impressions of His church. Interestingly, the Observations are of all the believers who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. Christ knows it all.
So, our principal takeaway from this is an absolutely accurate Evaluation of how well mankind has persisted throughout the so-called “church age”.
Revelation 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen,
the faithful and true Witness,
the Beginning of the creation of God,
says this…
The Messiah completes His revelation to the seven churches with three extraordinary defining characteristics of Himself.
Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true,
who has the key of David,
who opens and no one will shut,
and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
Christ chooses the youngest and smallest of the churches to reveal three extraordinary attributes of Himself.
Revelation 3:1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this:
‘I know your deeds,
that you have a name that you are alive,
but you are dead.
Revelation 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire,
and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this…
During His ministry, Jesus most often referred to Himself as “son of man”.
Interestingly, throughout His life on earth, the ones who most often named Jesus “Son of God” were those who opposed Him.
Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this…
In His introduction to the third message to one of His churches in Asia, Christ continues revealing Himself.
The two-edged sword is introduced in His Word in Psalms 149:5-9...
Revelation 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life,
says this…
Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand,
the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands,
says this…
Revelation 1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,
and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying,
“Write in a book what you see,
and send it to the seven churches:
to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them
is the one who loves Me;
and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father,
and I will love him
and will disclose Myself to him.”
Let’s start here, in 1 John 3:2:
Beloved, now we are children of God;
and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,
but we know that when He is revealed,
we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is.
Revelation 1:1-2 The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants,
the things which must soon take place;
and He sent
and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
who testified to the word of God
and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,
even to all that he saw.
3 John 1:1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
The apostle uses the same term for himself as he did in the second epistle—elder.
The recipient of John’s third letter is the head of a church under John’s care, and he wants Gaius to know just how much he is appreciated and loved for his faithfulness.
2 John 1:1-3 The elder to the chosen lady and her children,
whom I love in truth;
and not only I,
but also all who know the truth,
for the sake of the truth which abides in us
and will be with us forever:
Grace, mercy and peace will be with us,
from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father,
in truth and love.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God,
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
As John brings to a close his letter to the churches in Asia, he explains why it was written in the first place.
1 John 5:9 If we receive the testimony of men,
the testimony of God is greater;
for the testimony of God is this,
that He has testified concerning His Son.
1 John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ;
not with the water only,
but with the water
and with the blood.
It is the Spirit who testifies,
because the Spirit is the truth.
1 John 5:1-4 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,
and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
God abides in him, and he in God.
In one sentence, John implores his reader to believe in the Trinity.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is from God;
and everyone who loves is born of God
and knows God.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
How many books, devotionals, blogs, or podcasts, for that matter, begin with the notion that one should test the spirit that provides its origin?
John is issuing an invitation for you to engage in that very pursuit. And that includes what you are hearing or reading right now.
On the subject of assurance of salvation, R. C. Sproul, in his book Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, points out four possibilities.
- First, there are those who are unsaved and they know that they are unsaved. They don’t make any claim of salvation.
- Second, there are people who are saved but do not know they are saved. They doubt their salvation, perhaps due to a troubled conscience.
- Third, there are people who are saved and know that they are saved.
- Fourth, there are those who are not saved but confidently believe that they are saved. They have false assurance.
The Apostle appears to address the second group—those who are saved, but have doubts—whether due to actual failings, or owing to a hyperactive concern about the quantity or quality of their deeds.
John wants his readers to know the basis and the blessings of true assurance.
1 John 3:1-2 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we would be called children of God;
and such we are.
For this reason the world does not know us,
because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God,
and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.
We know that when He appears,
we will be like Him,
because we will see Him just as He is.
John has just drawn a clear distinction between the antichrists and followers of Jesus Christ. There is no middle ground. Darkness—siding with Satan and his followers—is defined by denial…denying The Truth…denying Jesus as Messiah…even denying the Father.
1 John 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you
which you heard from the beginning.
If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,
you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
Here, the Apostle clearly defines the opposing side to denial—abiding.
1 John 2:18-19 Children, it is the last hour;
and just as you heard that antichrist is coming,
even now many antichrists have appeared;
from this we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us,
but they were not really of us;
for if they had been of us,
they would have remained with us;
but they went out,
so that it would be shown
that they all are not of us.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes
and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father,
but is from the world.
The world is passing away,
and also its lusts;
but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:9-11 The one who says he is in the Light
and yet hates his brother
is in the darkness until now.
The one who loves his brother
abides in the Light
and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
But the one who hates his brother
is in the darkness
and walks in the darkness,
and does not know where he is going
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:3-5a By this we know that we have come to know Him,
if we keep His commandments.
The one who says,
“I have come to know Him,”
and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar,
and the truth is not in him;
but whoever keeps His word,
in him the love of God has truly been perfected.
If you’re like me, you may have had some difficulty with the word “propitiation”. There are only four times it is used in the entire Bible: Once by Paul, in his letter to the Romans, once by the author of the letter to the Hebrews, and twice by John in his first letter to the churches in Asia.
The fact of the matter is this: Propitiation is the divine work that occurred at the cross.
Before Calvary, mankind was guilty of sin. Because God is completely righteous, and perfectly applies his justice, he was fully justified in demanding punishment from every man, woman and child alive and dead, born and unborn.
Have you ever stopped to consider The Creation?
God did the things Moses described in Genesis not because the objects of Creation were beneficial to Him. The Creation was for us, though we had to wait until the 26th verse before we were brought into being.
And, the very first object of God’s Creation was light.
There are scholars who resist naming John as the author of the fourth Gospel, the epistles that bear his name, and the Revelation. I do not claim the credentials of these learned students of the Bible.
But, with all due respect, there is one compelling bit of evidence that the Apostle not only links the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but bridges the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation.
The key is the name by which John refers to The Savior. Our English translation somewhat awkwardly renders the name as “The Word”.
It is a well-worn metaphor, used to describe the lifetime of a person.
Paul is preparing for winter.
In his prison cell in Mamertine, he is accompanied only by the physician, Luke, who is likely recording Paul’s final thoughts for his letter to Timothy in Ephesus.
Paul is completing his letter to Timothy.
The message could not be more clear: The torch is being passed to a new generation.
Paul is not the first, nor will be the last Apostle to lay his life down for the Gospel.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
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,
and will turn away their ears from the truth
and will turn aside to myths.
Despite how this passage begins, there are few who would disagree that not only will the time come, but the time is now.
The Ephesian church, and the church today, share in the unfortunate state being described by Paul.
The Apostle says the church will not “endure”, that is, be patient to hear sound doctrine.
Paul begins his "closing arguments" for Timothy.
Here, the Apostle urges that the Message be delivered.
Paul reminds Timothy of his spiritual roots.
First, the roots that were present in his family.
Last but certainly not least, he emphasizes the Word of God as the foundation, where the answers are located.
Sometimes, in the face of adversity, we need reminders.
We can almost become enamored with our suffering the face of adversity.
Paul write Timothy that Help is not on the way. Rather, Help has been here all along.
He just felt Timothy need a fatherly reminder.
The second half of Paul's second letter to Timothy in Ephesus begins with a dire warning.
Difficult times will come.
Make no mistake: We are in the last days.
Truth be told, the last days began the day the Holy Spirit arrived, giving birth to Christ's church.
The unfortunate description of the men to avoid persist over more than two thousand years.
As Paul's second letter to Timothy continues, the warnings to the young minister increase, both in number and intensity.
In this week's lesson, the Apostle goes so far as to compare the false doctrine in Ephesus to the horrific malady of gangrene.
Listen here, as Paul sounds the alarm.
When you hear the word “grace”, what comes to mind?
I strongly suspect John Newton’s soaring anthem is in the top five.
“Amazing” is one of those words, I fear, that has become brutally overused and misused. However, when applied to the grace of God, “amazing” is the most appropriate use of all.
The Apostle, in his present reduced circumstances, is not afflicted with an identity crisis.
He knows exactly who he is. More importantly, he knows exactly whose he is.
First, he has temporarily been given the title prisoner. It is important to note here the Authority Paul recognizes. It is that of our Lord, not of Rome.
By the Authority of our Savior Christ Jesus, he acknowledges his appointment to three intertwined roles: preacher, apostle, and teacher.
The year was 67 Anno Domini.
The place was Rome, during a horrific time in the history of Christians who found themselves under the dominion of the Roman Empire.
The Apostle Paul was situated in the deepest, darkest hole in the entire empire, the "guest" of the emperor himself.
Paul writes what will be his last letter to Timothy in Ephesus.
The first indicator of false witness is inconsistency.
The doctrine to which Paul refers in today's lesson has two touchstones, but one Cornerstone.
The words of Jesus Christ, and godliness are two definitions of the same criteria.
Godliness is that state to which we all aspire, but cannot attain in this world. The Gospel, made manifest in the teachings of Jesus here on earth, is the perfect expression of godliness.
The institution of slavery is a reality, in the first century Roman Empire, and in the twenty-first century world in which we live.
There are a lot of people that say that race is the foundation of slavery.
In a slavery relationship, there must be a “greater” and there must be a “lesser”.
Paul has always placed a high value on the elders, or overseers, of the flock in Ephesus.
His concern reaches back to his journey from Miletus to Jerusalem, when he stopped in Ephesus, and called the elders to him, as described in Acts 20:28-31.
Paul rightly considered the elders the first line of defense against the “savage wolves”, the purveyors of false doctrines.
Widows are important.
How do we know? Well, for one thing, the subject is brought to mind in the Bible as early as Genesis 38.
To really understand the nature and substance of “widowhood” (yep, it’s a word), one should put oneself back in a time long past.
The first widow named was Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law.
Welcome to Episode 52 of At Home In The Word!
This lesson is dedicated to all of you who were there a year ago, when we launched this podcast with Then They Will Know.
This time, we review Paul's lesson to Timothy about discipline from 1 Timothy 4.
May we all share in this understanding of God's meaning, as we continue our journey with Him.
Paul continues to spell out for Timothy the clear choice to be made by the Ephesian church.
There is no middle ground.
There is no grey area.
It is for the Ephesians, and us, a Time of Choosing.
To anchor the instructions he is giving Timothy for the church in Ephesus, Paul declares a confession.
Some call 1 Timothy 3:16 "a hymn", to be sung by the church.
In its essence, the single verse declares what every Christian should agree about Jesus Christ.
So, what do you believe?
Timothy and the Ephesian church are engaged in active spiritual warfare.
For the battles, Paul knows there needs to be leaders in place who have strong moral character.
Listen to the instructions Paul gives Timothy on discerning the right leaders for Christ's church.
Paul continues to instruct Timothy in creating bulwarks in Ephesus to defend against spiritual attacks.
The attacks in Ephesus are particularly interesting, given the pagan worship environment there.
Listen, as Paul's words reinforce the Ephesian church against the enemy's assaults.
After a full chapter of Paul warning Timothy about false teaching, he begins with the phrase "First of all".
The second chapter reminds the church at Ephesus that there is a framework for conducting public worship.
Listen, as Paul establishes first things first.
Paul, continuing his introduction for his letter to Timothy in Ephesus, completes a trilogy.
The first segment warned of the false teachers Paul knew were roaming throughout the city, clouding the Gospel with strange doctrinal heresy.
The second part involved itself with the lawful application of the Law.
To conclude the prologue, Paul puts himself forward as an example … encouragement for his young leader to press on…
Paul continues his letter to his young leader in Ephesus, Timothy.
His message illustrates how the Law should be applied.
He learned at the feet of the great Gamaliel.
The first century Jewish leader, Nicodemus, learned at the feet of The Master.
Hear how the Law should be applied: Lawfully.
Discernment enables believers to determine true teachers.
Paul and Jesus give us direction in making this determination.
Hear as Paul continues his letter to Timothy at Ephesus.
Paul, from Philippi, wrote to Timothy in Ephesus.
His message is about the church. Specifically, he wants Timothy (and us) to be wary of those who would teach something other than the Gospel.
Hear just the first part of Paul's warning about false teachers.
Think about what you are hearing today...
Be alert.
Three examples--one from the 21st century, one from the 20th century, and one from the first century A.D.
Each instance represents a "lawful" prosecution.
Each amounts to a persecution.
Paul offers us a message from his letter to the Ephesians on how to prepare for our own persecution.
Paul invites us into a place most of us do not wish to go--Self-Reflection.
Listen to where we are led by the fifth chapter of the letter to the elders of Ephesus.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians includes a clear message about their role in Christ's church.
The message is for us, too. Right here, right now.
Paul delivers an assignment to the Ephesians in Chapter Three of his letter.
The assignment is for us, as well.
Listen carefully to God's assignment for each of us through the Apostle.
This Christmas season, listen to the story of the first couriers of the Good News.
The story, written three score years ago by a master storyteller, reminds us of the humility of The Day Christ Was Born.
The letter to the Ephesians contained a warning about disunity within the church.
Just as the Gospel itself, the message begins with a cautionary tale, but not without a solution.
The Solution is found according to God's grace.
Paul has completed his journey to Rome.
It was time to send a message to Ephesus, knowing that the message would be spread throughout Asia.
The first part of the message was designed to reinforce God's blessings to His children.
The Holy Spirit is bringing to a close Paul's missionary journeys.
He is being propelled to Jerusalem and beyond.
But first, Paul must leave the elders of the Ephesian church with a farewell sermon.
Battle lines have been drawn...
Satan is not giving Ephesus without a fight.
He has chosen the idol makers union as his proxy.
God has chosen the "town clerk", an Asiarch.
Paul and Luke are observers.
The enemy has control of the city of Ephesus.
God is going to take control from the enemy.
The enemy will do his best to keep it.
God will win.
Witness the opening salvos in the battle for Ephesus.
Paul went on three separate journeys, looking for the place where God would have him establish a key church for his ministry.
The Spirit led Paul to Ephesus.
The creation of Christ's church in Asia had to have a beginning.
In this lesson, we explore how this came to be.
The first season of At Home In The Word has come to a close.
Now, this week we focus on Transitions.
Literally, we're moving. Moving from what was, through what is, toward what will be.
Our faith provides the foundation for how we adapt to changes in our life.
Jesus is the One Who provides the Bridge...
This time, we examine a contrast of two worshipers in the temple.
One, a Pharisee, who believes he has the right.
Another, a tax collector, who believes he has no right.
Jesus explains the difference, and the differing results.
The entire Bible contains a mystery.
Beginning in the Book of Daniel, the long process of revealing the mystery begins.
Explore with us how a Gentile receives the Solution, long before Revelation.
Now is the time to wake up.
Jesus referred to the dead who are capable of being awakened as being "asleep".
When we are separated from God, we are asleep.
It is time for a Great Awakening.
Are you awake?
The deceiver floods our existence with distractions.
News, entertainment, even casual conversations are filled with topics that cause us to divert from our real purpose.
Jesus Himself, very early in His ministry, was allowed by God to be tempted--three times.
In fact, He received a visit from none other than Satan himself.
Satan did not disappoint. The adversary threw three challenges at The Savior.
So, how did Our Lord deal with the distractions? Find out here...
In this, our six-month episode, we explore the importance of names.
As Juliet famously said in Act II, Scene ii of Romeo and Juliet,
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.
What is it that identifies you? Your profession? Your race? Your nationality?
We examine a movie example of a character who just wants to be "a man".
Then, we have a look at what it means to be "in Christ Jesus"...
Jesus Himself gave us The Rule of Love.
Our problem (present company included, unfortunately) is obeying...
Here, we offer some of the reasons for obeying The Rule of Love.
The more our culture defines new words, and redefines existing words, the more confused we become.
Let's examine what is taking place, right under our very noses, and compare that to what Scripture says.
You may be surprised. Or, not...
Have you heard of copybooks? Are you aware of how they can be used, for good or for ill...?
Join us, as we explore the copybooks of the early 20th century, along with a copybook you may not have known exists in your own Bible.
Torah was the Law when Jesus grew up.
When His ministry began, however, John proclaimed a New Covenant.
Explore with us the continuing journey Cleopas and his companion walked with The Savior, explaining how Torah works in the Kingdom.
Let's enter the Holy Place, then the Holy of Holies.
But, let's keep in mind we are hearing from the Messiah, and how this journey reveals Him as we approach the Mercy Seat.
Explore God's planning for the tabernacle, beginning with the Outer Court.
The Way into the tabernacle is a map of the Way to Jesus Christ.
There is much to learn about the Dwelling of God - the Tabernacle.
Join me as we explore the first phase of the Tabernacle Project -- Acquisition of Resources.
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. Beginning with the fall of man, through the redemption of the Hebrews from Egypt, continuing on the journey through the wilderness, the Messiah was there then. He is here now.
Moses is both the prophet who foretells of the Messiah as the Deliverer, both of Israel and all nations.
His story, both as told by God to him, and recalling his own life story, foreshadows the coming of the Promised One, Jesus of Nazareth.
In order to explain Messiah to the Emmaus travelers, it seems appropriate that the first subject would be Illumination.
The Light provides the basis for all remaining characteristics describing Jesus Christ.
Since Day One of creation starts with The Light, we'll start there...
Let's suspend for fifteen or so minutes our understanding of Jesus. We have a much more robust vision of who Messiah is, since we've had the New Testament our whole lives.
Let's put our view of Jesus Christ on hold for a while, and learn who Messiah is to those who were alive when Jesus was, who walked with Him, who actually heard Him speak...
Then, the unthinkable came to pass, Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified as a common criminal.
Was He Messiah?
Two disciples encounter "a stranger" on the road to Emmaus. Their ignorant conversation becomes an object lesson of Biblical Proportions, as the Stranger becomes the Teacher...
Jesus encounters a man blind from birth. The miracle He performs, enabling the man to see, becomes an object exercise for His disciples, the people who knew the blind beggar, and the Pharisees.
Jesus, while teaching in the temple, is confronted by scribes and Pharisees. They accuse a woman of adultery. Hear how Our Savior deals with the situation.
Jesus has three encounters on the road to Jerusalem, each with their own distraction. Likely, these distractions will prevent them from accompanying Jesus on His Mission.
King David calls for a census of the men of Israel. The results are disastrous. Here is why ...
Peter encounters the collectors of the temple tax. After questioning Peter about the tax and its legitimacy, Jesus provides a unique means of paying the tax.
Jesus' confrontation with the Jewish elites reaches a milestone, while the disciples' learning continues. A blind man is healed outside Bethsaida. A tribute to Ravi Zacharias.
Journey with Jesus and His disciples into Gentile country, from Tyre and Sidon, to Decapolis. Learn how important this journey is to Gentiles, and the importance of the holidays of Shavuot and Pentecost.
From the Gospel of John, Chapter Six, explore the familiar story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand in the context of The LORD Will Provide.