Lesson for December 16, 2020

Knowing the Bible

Lesson 30

The Epistles of Paul – cont’d

The Book of Titus

Date:62-68 A.D.

Theme: Qualifications of Pastors

Titus 1:5-9, “For this reason, I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders (pastors) in every city as I directed you,namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer (pastor) must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word, which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Overseer is the Greek word “episkopos,” which means bishop and is a word of authority, a synonym for the pastor. This word emphasizes the function of leadership, the authority of a pastor. The Greek word for steward is “oikonomos,” which means an administrator with authority. The connection here between “oikonomos” and “episkopos” establishes a principle that subordinates all church administrators to the pastor of a church. While the deacon functions in administration and have administrative authority, it is never independent of the pastor. The pastor is the final authority in all matters in the function of the local church. (Hebrews 13:7) This means that the deacons and other administrators within a local church are to help the pastor. This local church is to operate as a team.

The Book of Philemon

Date: 64 A.D.

Theme: Practical Righteousness and Restoration of Fellow Believer

Philemon 1:10-12, “I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart.” In verse 10 we have the beginning of the appeal from Paul to Philemon to take Onesimus back as a fellow believer not as a slave. Paul both evangelized and taught Onesimus. Onesimus came to Rome as an unbelieving slave, but he would leave as a spiritually mature believer. He mentioned the name last to prepare Philemon for the shock. His runaway slave was now a believer and had been a student of Paul’s. The uselessness of Onesimus to Philemon in his previous life as his slave is a reference to being spiritually useless. Now that Onesimus was a spiritually mature believer, he would be useful to Philemon, spiritually, as he was already to Paul. Paul obviously had a great love for Onesimus from his statement in verse 12 that he was sending his very heart. 

The Book of Hebrews

Date: 70 A.D. by Unknown Author Most Believe it was Paul

Theme: Christ is the End of the Law and Our Great High Priest

Hebrews 7:17-21, “For it is attested of Him, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” For, on the one hand, there is the nullification of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, there is the introduction (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”)” On the Cross Christ fulfilled His priestly function in offering Himself a sacrifice for our sins. In His humanity, Christ had to learn discipline to the Father’s authority or there would be no salvation. This required the greatest of self-discipline and the greatest respect for authority in all of human history. The Father and His plan were the absolute authority. Christ was designated as a high priest in eternity past as a part of the divine decrees and He was commissioned as a priest to go to the Cross and perform a sacrificial ritual. Instead of a spotless lamb, He offered Himself as the “spotless lamb” for the sins of the world. Our King-Priest Jesus Christ was qualified to offer Himself because He was a royal priest, and He was a qualified sacrifice being without sin. Now at the right hand of the Father, Jesus Christ functions not just as a priest but as our High Priest and He constantly makes intercession for us.

Books by Author’s Name

The Book of James

Date: 45 A.D. approximately

Theme: Demonstrating Faith by Works

James 1:22, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.” James 2:18, “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The book of James was written from the viewpoint of Christian application and production, two words that could summarize this book. The great focal point of the earlier chapters has to do with faith and the principle of justification by works. James is not discussing salvation, as many think. He is discussing the Christian way of life. James talks about justification by works before people, not before God. Believers are justified by the application of Bible doctrine before people. Doctrine is on the inside and cannot be seen but its application can often be seen. Your faith in Jesus Christ is on the inside and can’t be seen, but the result of your faith can be seen by means of your ambassadorship. There are many overt manifestations of what goes on inside of you. Inside of you is faith in Jesus Christ. Inside of you is justification by faith. The fact that you are justified by faith is a reality, a principle of truth, but it is something in the soul that is unobservable just as the soul is unobservable. The thing that confuses people in this verse is the word “save” — “can that faith save him.” The answer is yes if you’re talking about faith for salvation, but James is not talking about salvation. The Greek word for save is “sozo,” which means to be delivered. So, we ask, “Delivered from what?” 

The Book of I Peter

Date: 60 A.D.

Theme: The Christian Life and Suffering for Blessing

I Peter 1:15-16, “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” God the Father put you in His plan at the moment of your salvation. You are in the plan of God. Therefore, when you are thinking human viewpoint it is incompatible with His plan, with Who and what He is. He is called the Holy One because He has a perfect character. Each attribute in the essence of God is held together by grace. And you belong to Him now. He has norms and standards which He brings to you through Bible doctrine. That’s what it means by “like the Holy One Who called you.” You can’t become holy until you are in the plan of God, which means to take on the character of God and obviously if you are going to be holy it means to have Bible doctrine in your soul.

I Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” The purpose here refers to the previous verse where the believer is suffering unjustly. We call this undeserved suffering, which is a test of our faith. Passing this test involves making the decision to utilize the doctrine in our souls to pass the test and glorify God in the process. Every believer will suffer during his or her lifetime here on earth. If Christ suffered, it should be no surprise to us when we too suffer.

The Book of II Peter

Date: 66 A.D.

Theme: False Teachers

II Peter 2:1-3, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” The apostate false teachers are those that reject or distort the truth of the Word of God for selfish motives. These teachers are called false, which is the Greek word “pseduo.” They represent themselves as true in order to gain entrance into a ministry. Peter says they come in covertly, like a spy would infiltrate an organization. We know the false teachers Peter refers to are unbelievers from certain words in the context, such as destruction. Destruction is the Greek word “apoleia” and it means eternal destruction or eternal separation from God. Some of these unbelieving teachers deny the deity of Christ and deny the saving power of the Gospel.

The Book of I John

Date: 90 A.D.

Theme: The Love of God

 I John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Divine love expresses the deep, constant love and interest of a perfect God towards imperfect, and therefore unworthy, objects (unbelieving mankind). Upon faith in Christ, this love and interest has the potential of producing in these now perfect and worthy (positional sanctification) objects (believers) a love towards God. In turn, God’s love is able to produce in the life of the believer virtue-love towards others. Virtue-love is a synonym for divine agape love. Virtue-love is love based on the virtue of the one doing the loving. This virtue-love desires to see others come to know the source of this love. Under the control of the Holy Spirit, this divine love can be reproduced in the life of the believer. (I John 4:18-21)

The Book of II John

Date: 90 A.D.

Theme: Warning to Followers of False Teachers

II John 1:9-10, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” The followers of the apostate teachers are those who allow themselves to be seduced. They are those who reject truth and believe the fabricated lies of the false teachers. Peter tells us that many will follow their evil ways, so it should come as no surprise when these ministers of Satan “pack the pew.” The pivot (remnant according to grace) has always been a small elite group of believers that refuse to compromise accurate Bible teaching. The others that follow after the “about to” ministers (God’s about to do this or that, but never seems to get around to doing it), have become enemies of the Cross of Christ and partakers in satanic activity. They have been enticed by words of flattery, which promise wealth and physical healing from a “fairy god mother” type of god. (II Timothy 3:6, 4:3-4; II Peter 2:2,3,14,18; Jude 12,16)

The Book of III John

Date: 90 A.D.

Theme: Walk in Truth

III John 1:11, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

The followers of the apostate teachers fail to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions, entering into the arrogance of self-justification, self-deception and self-absorption. Because of their instability from lack of Bible doctrine in the soul, they are easily lured away into apostasy themselves. Like a fisherman catching a fish, these false teachers entice the weak believer, not only into taking the bait, but paying for it! But no one has an excuse before God for being seduced by false doctrine.

The Book of Jude

Date:66 A.D.

Theme: Contending for the Faith

Jude 1:3-4, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the ^[a]saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand ^[b]marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behavior and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Contend earnestly for the faith means to diligently fight for. The Greek word for contend is “epagonizomai” meaning to do combat. It is a reference to spiritual warfare in the Angelic Conflict. It was true then; it is true today. It is intense fighting for accurate Bible doctrine. The word “faith” is technical here for the whole body of doctrine. The greatest defense for Christianity is Bible doctrine not some philosophical argument or human reasoning. You don’t have to have debater’s technique, meet argument with argument to defend the faith; what you need is Bible doctrine stored in your soul. You cannot even recognize error until you know doctrine. Doctrine must be in your soul so that you have the basis for detecting apostasy and many believers are led into apostasy because they do not have that doctrine. Believers are in a battle with apostasy and many do not even know it.

The Book of Revelation

Date: 96 A.D.

Theme: The Final Days

The author of the book of Revelation is the Apostle John, while he was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea.

Revelation 1:1-3, “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, everything that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” The Greek word for revelation is “apokalupsis” and means to uncover or unveil. Therefore, the book of Revelation is the unveiling of future events by the Lord Jesus Christ to the Apostle John by means of His angel. Angels were commonly used as messengers by God (the word angel means messenger). It is God’s purpose for believers to understand this book, as indicated by the Greek word for show, which is “deiknumi.” This word means to show by making known. The Greek word for signify is “semaino” and means to indicate or to communicate. God wants us to understand this prophecy of coming events.

The subject of the book of Revelation is Jesus Christ. It is the record of the end times from the rapture of the Church to God’s eternal kingdom being established for all eternity. It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ in all His glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is a book that reveals the ultimate victory over Satan and the fallen angels. It is a book of hope for the believer because it reveals the last chapter in human history and the final triumph of good over evil as Satan and the fallen angels are cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.