Bible Commentary & Daily Devotional

 1 Timothy 3 - Conduct for Leaders           Paul says his aim was to set the mandatory standard for conduct in the household of God (1 Tim. 3:14).  I love how in just a few words Paul gives us overarching principles that every church everywhere must apply.  It is not a legal policy that covers every conceivable issue (what if I’m single, what about big churches versus little churches, what about societies that have such and such normative standards).  Thank God that He gives us reason and discernment to apply His principles wisely in every context.           It is interesting to pause for a few days on this chapter and to reflect on how we as modern Christians are living up to God’s household standards.           For those of us in our 50s and 60s, we’ve put a little wear on the tires.  Hopefully, we’ve learned a bit about leadership in our households, the church, and in our business organizations.  We know this for certain: we’ve made mistakes.  It’s tough to manage well, to parent w

 1 Timothy 3:1-7 - Leaders & Integrity           Me playing goal for the Seattle Thunderbirds (circa 1991)           Over time words can take on negative connotations that are inaccurate.  The term “elder” may be subject to that problem.  I don’t know what kind of a picture it draws for you.  Does “elder” imply boring, stogy, dull, or washed up?  Worse yet, perhaps narrow-minded, impotent, cunning, or old boys club?  It’s hard to say.  I suppose it depends on what your background is and what we mean when we refer to “elder.”  Where I grew up in Northern Saskatchewan the three Native Reserves in our area all had elders.  That was probably the first I ever heard of that term.  But what does the term mean when used here in this chapter?           The term means a senior leader in the church, a bishop, or an overseer.  In Judaism, the term elder meant older men who were leaders in the community.  According to my study Bible in Greco-Roman times the word elder meant a religious, civic,

 1 Timothy 3:1-2 - Christian Leadership           The Bible has a lot to say about leadership and lack thereof.  The message of this chapter needs to be at the center of what we teach the next generation.  We need young men who aspire to lead and manage their families in a way that honors God.           God has harsh words for poor leadership.  We see that throughout Scripture.  God has no time for greedy Pharisees or those who believe it is their academic pedigree or family connection that somehow qualifies them as church leaders.  God’s disciples were a motley crew.  Educated and uneducated.  God saw their hearts.  God is after servant leaders who get it.  First and foremost, they are men who love God, so much so that they show it in every aspect of their lives.  Their lives are above reproach.  And their reputation inside and outside the church honors God.  In spades.          I n the Book of Isaiah, we hear God’s point of view about what godly leaders are supposed to be like.  God’

 1 Timothy 2:9-15 - Faith, Love, Holiness, & Modesty           We are obviously fallible.  It’s a certain reality of this human condition.  Let’s remember the extent and depth of God’s love for us as we contemplate His standards.  God’s love for His servants and His covenant blessing will never be broken.  God doesn’t shift positions.  He’s as solid as a rock.  Our Rock.  God’s love is unconditional; you can’t take away how much God loves us.  It’s unfathomable.  God is faithful.  We, the created, are the fickle, the unfaithful (Isaiah 54:10).             God has an everlasting covenant with those who trust Him.  As believers in Christ, God expects us to change our ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong (Isaiah 55:7).  For help in this evil world we turn to God and He will forgive us generously.  God is faithful.  That's Christmas.           I’m the last guy on earth who can talk of this message of modesty.  But Let’s hear Paul together and let God speak through His wo

 1 Timothy 2:8 - Free from Anger and Controversy           Seven centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ the Prophet Isaiah preached a clear message from God.  It was this, trust God alone.  Not nations, or kings, or politicians, or alliances, or wealth.  God.  Alone.  Still true today.           The Father laid on Jesus the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6).  Jesus’ young life was cut short.  Jesus, the suffering servant, died with no descendants and was put in a rich man’s grave (Isaiah 53:9).  Isaiah got it right, down to the detail.  This was God’s plan.  Because of Jesus’ pain, sorrow, grief, and anguish, we now have life.  Those who believe in Jesus, reborn by the Holy Spirit, we are Jesus' descendants.           All honor goes to Jesus.  He was a soldier’s soldier.  A man’s man.  He did not fear death.  He laid down His life for us.  Jesus is our Victorious King.  The King of sinners and rebels.           Jesus went through the torture of the Cross because He wants every perso

 1 Timothy 2:1-8 - Pray for All People           Ukrainians.  Yes.  Russians.  Yes.  Palestinians.  Yes.  Israelis.  Yes.  Family members.  Yes.  Neighbors.  Yes.  Friends.  Yes.  Enemies.  Yes.  You get the point.  All people.           This is another one of those passages where we hear clearly what pleases God.  God is pleased when we pray for all people, asking Him to help them, because God loves all people.  And much like 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, we hear that we are to seek to live a quiet God-honoring life marked with hard work, godliness, and dignity.  That pleases God.  And note.  The opposite of all that displeases God.           Only one Mediator can reconcile God and humanity - the Man Christ Jesus (2:5).  Jesus is the only way to heaven.  That is the truth we share with everyone.  Jesus gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.  Let the reality of that sink in.  Simple.  Yet sadly controversial-  inside the Church and out.  Issues of the extent of atonement and predes

  1 Timothy 1:19 - Strong Faith and Clear Conscience           Just think of all the speeches given over the centuries by politicians, preachers, and speakers at graduations, etc.  In this verse, we hear Paul’s clear message for his son in the faith, Timothy.  Paul's message is, “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.”  It’s a message every believer in Christ needs to hear daily.           God loves us so much that He wants us to understand and thrive in this short life.  God forgives us of our sins.  We regularly remember that God’s own son gave His body, and His life for us and that His blood was shed for us.  Taking communion together as brothers and sisters in Christ is a humble reminder of God’s love for us.  Communion is an important aspect of the Christian walk as to how we keep our consciences clear.  In James 5:16 we are told to confess our sins to each other and to pray for each other.  God makes it abundantly clear that He wants us, all of us, eve

 1 Timothy 1:8-18 - Shipwrecks           I love these letters from Paul.  Timothy and Titus.  I believe them to be letters from God to us, His children.  His Church.  They tell of the mission of the Church.  To preach the truth.  To advance God’s Kingdom in the world and promote the will of God on earth.  In Luke 13:21 we hear what Jesus says about His Kingdom.  The Kingdom of God “is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”  We advance the Kingdom as we follow God’s instructions in these letters.           This chapter tells us that we can shipwreck our faith by what we intentionally do.  There are slow shipwrecks (leaks that start in a storm and grow worse storm by storm) and fast sinkings (like the Titanic or what happens when you hit a reef).  By the way, ask me sometime about the reef we hit off Saltspring Island, British Columbia when sailing a 50-foot Benateau.  Scary s

 1 Timothy 1 - Fight Well           Merry Christmas.  What does Christmas mean?  Well, here’s what this chapter says, “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ - and I am the worst of them all” (1 Timothy 1:15).  Thank God for Christmas, God’s rescue mission.  His Gift, and Good News.           We hear in this chapter the loving message of Paul to Timothy.  But it is also God’s loving message to you and me.  This is a letter of instruction from our loving Father to help us to fight well in God’s battles (1:18).           For some people, a show of godliness is only a means to make money (1:6).  Paul urged Timothy to stand for truth and to stop the false teachers (1:3).  Paul had the authority of God as he was appointed by the command of God.  You see, some people would like to debate spiritual pedigree and various meaningless speculations.  I’ve definitely been guilty of this.  The end of the year and the start of t

 2 Thessalonians 3 - Never Idle          We repeatedly hear in the New Testament that  servant leaders should be the type of leaders who prefer to stay out of the limelight and let his or her actions show rather than their words.  Servant leaders are not idle or lazy.  On the contrary, they may very well be the hardest workers on the team.           We are told in this passage to take note of those believers who don’t follow the Apostle’s command to work hard and earn their keep.  We are not to see those Christians as our enemies, but we are to have nothing to do with them.  Tough love.           God’s business is people.  For some reason He loves us.  God really loves us.  All people.  All nations.  The Bible says that all the world will look to God for salvation.  There is salvation only in Jesus Christ, our God and Savior (Isaiah 45:21).           I believe that.  It pleases God to have a Father and child relationship with us. Think of how wonderful it is when a baby’s face lights u

 2 Thessalonians 2 - Trust God Alone           The problem is not God.  He’s faithful and just.  God goes so far as blotting out sin for His own sake.  The problem is with God’s people - right from the beginning (Isaiah 43:25-28).           The good news is that God loves all people so much that He wants to make people part of His family.  God does not want a dead, empty, or merely intellectual body.  He expects a live, vibrant body.  Real church.           At heart, we, as God’s people, know that we have to follow the Spirit of Christ shown in His word.  Not man-made rules, legalism, and tradition for the sake of it.  We want much more than entertainment.  As good as it is, a lecture from a guru once a week is dead.  Empty.  We want to be part of God’s body, healthy, alive, active, and powerful.  A family where we can love others and be loved.  Be done with dead church.  God is calling for us to live worthy lives in fellowship with His body and be obedient to Him.           God is not

 2 Thessalonians 1 - A Life Worthy of Our Call           The Church has come a long way since AD 52.  Yet nothing is new under the sun.  At the time Paul wrote this second letter to the early church, there was intense persecution of Christians by the secular Roman government and by the Jews.  Emperor Nero of Rome could not have been more wicked, and lawless.  He killed his own family members (for instance (as told by Tertullian) he had his mom assassinated) and even kicked his pregnant wife to death.  A real gem.           Nero’s best forgotten, but to the degree he is remembered, it is for the cruel tyrant that he was.  Nero thought himself greater than God and he took joy in torturing and murdering followers of Jesus.  Eusebius tells us that both the Apostles Peter and Paul were martyred during the reign of Nero.  Nero was an enemy of Christians and as such an enemy of Christ (and vice versa).           At that time false teachers abounded.  They claimed that the day of the Lord had