Well, This Was Hilarious

There seems to be a new shoe style for women. According to the Orange News:

A German designer has created a bizarre new range of shoes - from dead animal parts.

Iris Schieferstein, 45, spends months creating high heel horse hooves, stilettos from snake skins and sandals sculpted from doves.
Ms Schieferstein, who designed a pair of horse hooves for Lady Gaga, sells the shoes for up to £3,900.
She collects the dead animals from her local butcher in Berlin, then spends a week stripping out the meat and bones from the animal's feet before the skin is sent to a tanner to be preserved.
The sculptor then sets the skin - complete with fur still in place - around a shoe model before doing any needlework to add insoles and lining.
She said: "I love horses and I love shoes so I thought this would be perfect. Horses have a beautiful walk and I wanted to recreate that with my footwear.

Ladies, would you wear a pair of these? It's a strange statement coming from someone that claims to love horses. I'm partial to cow parts, but I don't believe I'd wear a fillet Mignon. I guess I do wear leather though, so to each his own. Even so, I suppose accessorizing these would be a challenge. Ever wonder what happened to Mr. Ed?

I wonder how she'd do chicken feet?

Probably something like this...

Foghorn Leghorn

Harbingers of Spring

It's beginning. There's no stopping it. It's my favorite time of year...

 Brave Sir Robin comes to the window.

The crocus are putting on a show

The snowdrops are doing their thing...there's also some sedum pushing through in that first snowdrop picture. Look closely.

And let's hope this is over...

It might just be time for a little of this...

Springtime is God's reminder to us that He always brings life from death. The beauty of His creation and the ability to enjoy it are among His greatest gifts to humanity. I'm baffled that anyone could look at these living things and not see an intelligent design and the hand of a Creator.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

 Romans 1:20

Lord, we are thankful for a mild winter, but an early spring would be great.

First Timothy 3:1-7 Church Leadership

From the New International Version of the Bible, First Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.  The overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)

Commentary

So, having finished his instructions concerning public worship, Paul moves on to discuss church leadership. His focus in on the personal and spiritual characteristics required to qualify someone for a leadership post. He begins with the overseers in the church also known as elders, and in some places, even pastors and bishops. At the outset, Paul says it's a noble thing to desire to be an overseer. People chosen for such a post should want to be there. A genuine desire to shepherd God's church in the Spirit of Christ would ensure that candidates were not reluctant or timid in their approach to service and leadership.

But there is more to it than just wanting the job. Paul lists a whole host of qualifications that the successful elder must have in order to serve. An elder has to be above reproach. His personal integrity and reputation must be unassailable. He has to be blameless in legal and moral matters so that the whole church membership can look to him as an example.

The qualified overseer must also be the husband of but one wife. This means he can't be a bigamist or a polygamist or an adulterer. Lifetime monogamy and fidelity are required.

Elders must also be temperate, self controlled and respectable. They must be disciplined in all things - models of moderation. Also, hotheads need not apply. Short tempered, angry, emotional men are a bad choice to lead God's church. Full control over emotional and mental faculties need to be assured.

They must also be hospitable; kind to strangers, the poor, widows and all those in need.

Elders must be able to teach. A thorough working knowledge of God's Word enables the successful elder to correct errors, stop false teaching, and instruct the flock in the truth.

Besides all these things, there are some things that an overseer must not be. They must not be drunkards. This is part of self control. If a man is given to too much wine, he cannot be an elder.

Elders must not be given to violence either. Correction of errant church members must be gentle and non-physical. In the same way, they should not be quarrelsome. This may refer to physical violence or it could refer to being argumentative. Either way, self control is again the issue.

Finally, an overseer must not be a lover of money. Christ said we could either love love God or love money, but we cannot serve both. This was especially important for church leadership.

Then in verse 4, Paul resumes his list of things that elders must be. First, an elder must manage his family well, ensuring that his children are respectful. A man that can't manage his family effectively probably will not be able to manage the church either.

Paul also says that recent converts should not be brought into the eldership. His concern was that they might become conceited or proud; and as we all know, pride goes before a fall.  

Lastly, an overseer must have a good reputation with those outside the church. His dealings in the world must reflect his Christian character. Failure in this could bring disgrace. It would make the church and the Faith look bad in the eyes of non-Christians.

Questions

1. Why is it important that a candidate for the eldership NOT be reluctant to serve? What makes desire for the job so important?
2. What can an over-eagerness to serve indicate about an elder candidate?
3. What does it mean to be above reproach and the husband of but one wife?
4. Can a woman be an elder?
5. What can happen if an elder comes up short in one or two of these requirements?
6. How can family dysfunction effect the ability of an elder to lead the church?
7. Can past family problems make someone more capable as an elder? Where do we draw the line?
8. Why is it important not to appoint a recent convert to the eldership?
9. Why must an elder have a good reputation outside the church? Why does anyone care what those in the world think of church leadership?
10. Do we tend to expect more from people in church leadership positions, than we do of ourselves? If so, is this appropriate?
11. Is there anything in the qualifications for the eldership that do not apply to every Christian? Does this mean that we all can or should be elders? 

P.S. I wonder why evangelical protestant elders don't wear snappy outfits and hats like these? Hmmm.

Spring Forward

Sometime around 2:00 AM we experienced our annual temporal shift forward in time. I hope it went well with you and that you did not experience any anomalies that might somehow change the time line for all of us. I especially hope that you are not an hour behind everyone else today, as you will be late for everything and change the time line in negative ways for all those around you. The best way to remedy that is to set you clocks forward one hour. I know that in the Star Trek genre time travel was always much more difficult. It involved moving a space ship into hyper-warp speed and moving faster than the speed of light at such a rate that time actually would move backward or forward. Getting back to your normal time on Star Trek was always pretty tricky too and there was always the concern that somehow your presence in the future or past would somehow change history. Fortunately, we are able to leave high technology out of the loop and simply turn our chronometers forward. It works rather well if we all do it together, but there are still those that don't get it done and invariably they show up late to church.

The times are definitely changing. We live in a different world today than our fore bearers did 100 years ago. I'm really not sure that it has anything to do with the quality of time however. It has more to do with the things we have abandoned because we have become more concerned with ourselves than we have the things of God. People do not have the time or the inclination to search out matters of faith. Men and women no longer raise there own children in the traditional sense. They leave it to daycare providers and the public schools. Families and marriages have become a matter of convenience. They are no longer the core of our society and the families that do exist tend to be dysfunctional, lacking proper role models. The result is that people never really grow up mentally and always require supervision even long after they have left what passes for a home.

What we get is a society that cannot take up the responsibilities of being a free people. Government then fills the void with more and more controls. Totalitarianism in one form or another then takes hold. We are experiencing this shift now in our society.

The cure for that lies in the people. A conscious decision has to be made that we will choose to take responsibility for our own actions, what ever those may be, and develop the maturity to deal with that on our own. A mature society does not rely on the government to take care of them. Rather, the people of a mature society contrive ways to take care of themselves rather than putting that burden on their neighbors.

Times are changing. Ultimately, I do not think we will like this new 'spring forward' and getting back to the way things were will become impossible.

These were just a few things nagging the Ground Hog this morning as he lay in his burrow with the alarm going off an hour earlier. He's at an age now where he can't afford to lose an hour. But then, if he lives long enough, he'll get it back in the Fall.

  

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Remember that Beatles song from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album in 1967? It was called, "A Little Help From My Friends". The intent of the song was a bit different from what we see here in the photograph, but it is none the less true. Even the most isolationist among us depend on certain people in our lives to help us out with things we cannot do alone.

The two creatures in the picture have a system worked out. One gets fed. The other gets relief. They are very unlikely friends, but their lives are better for knowing each other in this way. We humans are very similar. Perhaps you've noticed people together in public places that appear as though they do not belong together? It baffles, but there is probably something they have in common or things they enjoy discussing together, or whatever. When they come together, both lives are enriched in some way to bind them in friendship.

I have a friend like that. Atheists I know like to call Him my invisible friend, but I am forever dependent on Him. My life would not be complete without Him. It took me two thirds of a lifetime to figure it out, but you know what? I can't live life properly without Jesus. He is my friend, my counselor and my savior and he has done things for me that I cannot do for myself. On a day in the not too distant future, I'm going to meet Him for the first time in person and we will live together forever. I should be ready at that point.

If you're interested in meeting Him, I can tell you this. He will never betray you. He will always forgive you. And if the relationship gets rocky and you walk away, He will always take you back if you want that. If you don't know Him all that well, pick up a copy of His Word (the Bible) and let Him speak to you. Here's a lesson plan for you.

Go to the Old Testament and read Psalm 139:1-18 and then read the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Pray each day to Him as you study and listen to your own mind as you do this. You might even want to record your thoughts and reflect on it. Ask yourself questions. If your study makes you defensive or angry, ask yourself why. If it makes sad or reflective, ask yourself why. This sort of introspection will help you toward faith. When you get through John, read the book of Acts. It will tell you what to do with that faith. It's a history book, but it records what other people did once they discovered they believed in Jesus. When you figure it out, find a church that will help you with your belief and join that community of believers. As you grow in faith and knowledge, find ways to serve in His Kingdom. You will love it. Just keep in mind that you need to view others both inside and outside the church in the light that Jesus views you. Always have a willingness to forgive and to love and to show mercy and grace. Do this with a knowledge that you are human too.

If you can do this, then I'm sure you can work out relationships with people like our friends in the picture above. If we all worked together like those two, would it not be a better world?

So you ask, has the Ground Hog got this all worked out in his life? Is it all smooth and copacetic? Well, no, but then I'm a work in progress like you. When Jesus is done with me, I'll let you know. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the prize and I will see you topside. The Hope is the Thing, and when it's realized, it will be even more fantastic than we could have imagined. You really need to join us. You might even try darkening a church door Sunday. The building won't fall down and you might find that you can get by with a little help from those new friends.

Bad Joke Friday

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said,
“Jesus knows you’re here.”
He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.
When he heard nothing more, after a bit, he shook his head and continued.
Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard:
“Jesus is watching you.”
Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.
Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.
“Did you say that?” he hissed at the parrot.
“Yep,” the parrot confessed, then squawked, “I’m just trying to warn you that he is watching you.”
The burglar relaxed. “Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?”
“Moses,” replied the bird.
“Moses?” the burglar laughed. “What kind of people would name a bird ‘Moses?’”
“The same kind of people who would name a Rottweiler ‘Jesus.’”

First Timothy 2:9-15 Women in Worship

From the New International Version of the Bible, First Timothy 2:9-15:

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; It was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Commentary

Paul's focus for the rest of the chapter is the role of women in the worship of the church. Many have suggested that these recommendations to Timothy from the apostle Paul are historically conditioned or that they only applied to the Ephesian church. Others have maintained that these regulations are normative and were applied by Paul to all the churches and were intended for use in all times. Whatever the case, his words here are certainly controversial, especially in our era where women enjoy all the same freedoms as men. Let's look closer at what he is saying.

First, he imparts a dress code; women are to dress modestly. Their good deeds are to be their beauty. Expensive clothes and jewelry and excessive attention to personal appearance are a distractions.

Next, Women should learn in full submission to their male counterparts. They should not be permitted to teach or have authority over men in the congregation. They must be silent. Paul's reasons for this come from the book of Genesis. Because of the order of humanity's creation and the fact that Eve was deceived, women as a whole should not be in positions of authority over men within God's church. Then Paul offers his most enigmatic statement yet in verse 15. He says that women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love and holiness.

We must keep in mind that these are instructions for proper worship inside the church. We must also keep in mind that in Paul's day, women were not educated as men were. They would even sit in different places from the men in the worship service of the church. Hence Paul probably thought it best if the women would save their questions for their husbands after church. And the women of that day would certainly not have been equipped to teach. There is also the fact that Paul says this is what he does not allow. It's possible that this is his own opinion rather than the inspired rule of God. Things now are historically different from what they were then. Women are educated. Many would make fine teachers. Many Christian women I know have far more knowledge of God's Word then do some men in the church.

The authority issue is another matter. The model is that Christ is the head of the church and husbands are the head of their wives and children. Someone had to have the last word and God gave that to men for good or ill. This does not mean that things cannot be discussed in the family setting, but the last word on any issue in a Christian family must come from the man. It may be a compromise or it may in fact be the woman's point of view that wins the day, but it must be at the man's agreement. This is also a very good place to note that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Christ's love is a sacrificial love and likewise, so should be the love of a husband for his wife.  

Questions

1. Wow. Imagine reading this scripture at a NOW convention. Seriously though. What do you think? Is this bit of instruction from Paul historically conditioned? Does it apply to the Ephesian church only or are these regulations universal, timeless and inspired by God for use everywhere in all times?
2. Let's take inventory. How many of the women out there are wearing jewelry? What did you pay for your last hairdo? Just wondering (;>)))
3. Why in days past have men and women traditionally dressed up for church?
4. OK. Only men can respond to the next question. If any women reading here wish to respond, they will have to go through their husband....So when Paul said women should remain silent in church, was this only for Timothy's church in Ephesus or was he laying down a universal and timeless principle for the church to follow?
5. Why is Eve's deception by the serpent worse than Adam's deliberate rebellion and complete refusal to take responsibility? (I have no good answer for this)
6. Can you explain verse 15?

First Timothy 2:5-8

From the New International Version of the Bible:

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in it's proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle - I am telling the truth, I am not lying - and a teacher of the true faith of the Gentiles.

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Commentary

In this passage from chapter two, Paul tells us why prayer works and how it's even possible for us as sinners to be able to communicate with the one, true, living God. And more to the point, he explains that it's the same spiritual mechanism that enables anyone who desires it, to become a Christian.

As he says in verse 4, God wants all humanity to be saved, but there is only one way for this to happen. Since God is perfect and hates disobedience and sin, it became necessary for someone to stand between Him and sinful humanity to mediate the dispute. Even though God longs to communicate with us and wants us to be His Children, our sin stands in the way of that. But then Christ, His Son, came in the fullness of time and gave His life in payment for all our sins - past, present and future. And it was this act that mediated and closed the dispute between God and humanity. Those of us that have accepted these facts in faith can now approach God in prayer without fear or shame because the price of our disobedience has been paid in full. God can now look at us and love us as His children because the sin is gone. Jesus took it away.

Paul then goes on to explain that is is for this reason that he was appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles. It was to be his job to bring this truth - this good news - to the non-Jewish world. Salvation and fellowship with the one true God is now possible because of the work of God's son. For this reason, men of faith should put aside anger and disputes and lift up their hands in prayers of thanks for the wonders of salvation and for His love and grace.

Questions

1. Why do you think this discussion was relevant here? Paul had just finished talking about the importance of prayer in public worship, then he launched into an explanation of the spiritual mechanics of prayer and salvation.
2. Paul emphasized his appointment as an apostle to the Gentiles and his mission to reveal the truth of the gospel to them. How do you convince someone that you are telling them the truth about the gospel?
3. Paul advises prayer without anger or dispute. How do these things hinder our prayer life and what can we do about it?

First Timothy 2:1-4 Appropriate Worship

First Timothy 2:1-4 from the New International Version of the Bible:

I urge you then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Commentary

So, in chapter two, Paul begins a discussion about the public worship of the church - what's important, what's required and what's appropriate.

The first issue he explores is corporate prayer in public worship. That he mentions this first is indicative of its importance to Paul. It seems to be clear that Paul believed corporate prayer should be central to the worship service. And though he doesn't provide Timothy with a specific format for this, he's quite specific about what should be included. He mentions requests, intercession and thanksgiving should be made for and by everyone. You would think this pretty much covered everything wouldn't you? But Paul adds that prayers should be offered for all those in authority, including kings. He asks them to do this because it's his desire that God's church should be allowed to live and worship in peace as much as possible, unfettered by interference from government. Prayer to the Lord for the welfare of these authority figures could go a long way towards that goal.

"All those in authority" might also include the leadership of the church. Prayers for elders, pastors, evangelists and deacons that request God's hand on their lives can only help with church unity and growth.

Next Paul answers the unasked question, Why is prayer so important in the worship of the church? It's important because it pleases God. He loves it when His people pray; when we talk to Him. It's his way into our lives. It's our discussions with Him that slowly help to bend our wills to His. We get to know Him better and He becomes more than our Lord. He becomes our closest friend. And since He already knows us better than we know ourselves, there is no reason to hide anything from Him.

God would like to have this relationship with everyone. He would like all the world to be saved; to be part of His church and come to a full knowledge of the truth.

Questions

1. So what do you think? Is there enough prayer during our worship services?
2. What do you think Paul envisioned in regard to corporate prayer? Should it be one person delivering the prayers of everyone? Everyone praying silently simultaneously? Or maybe one prayer after another that is audible by each member (that could take awhile)?
3. Do you feel comfortable praying out loud before a group of Christians?
4. Are there any aspects of prayer that should not be a part of corporate prayer?
5. Why pray at all? God knows what we need. He knows what's on our minds. He knows what needs fixed. So why pray at all?
6. Paul says here that God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Can our prayers increase the chances of non-Christians converting?
7. Paul also encouraged Timothy to have the Ephesians pray for government leaders. Why? Do we practice this enough? Is it all right to pray for the removal of certain leaders? Or even for their chastisement?   

2012 - Is It The Beginning of the End?

The short answer is, probably not, but I think we might be close. I'm not a dispensationalist by any means, but the world has never been in a better position to form a world government and a world economy; George Bush's New World Order.

Everything seems to be falling apart. The American Empire is reaching further by the day into the 4 corners of the earth stretching it's resources to the breaking point. Western economies are held back from the brink of financial collapse only by the creation of more currency. The debt of everyone deepens daily and that includes the bankers.

Non-western creditor nations may think they will hold out until the collapse and then declare victory, but that's the trap. If the west goes down and can no longer buy from the creditors, their economies will collapse too.  The world is ripe for military conflict and financial doom because of this.

There is also the specter of biological disaster and environmental doom lurking. Biologists have unlocked the human gnome and they are trying all kinds of unnatural things with what they have learned. Inter-species genetic engineering is becoming commonplace. There is talk of using this knowledge to artificially move human evolution forward, creating a post human species with all kinds of special abilities. Add in a few computer chips to aid the human brain and you'll get a whole new man; happy to work without sleep and never depressed. GMO crops that create their own herbicide and pesticide will feed the world...with poison. The new world is coming and I guess I'm just not ready for it

If the right person came on the scene today and presented a viable way out of the present mess that the majority could agree to, the world would become his oyster. I wonder if this One is not lurking out there somewhere right now. It kind of scares me.

The only thing that's missing is a new religion. I think that's coming too. It will just take the right event to get it rolling. United with the right person and the right politics, it could bring everything together. We will see.

There is definitely something in the air. Perhaps that feeling has been created by all the press about 2012. Then again, we know the Day is coming. Why not now?

I do know one thing. Whenever it happens, when all things finally wind down and the Apocalypse begins, the ultimately victory will belong to believers in Jesus Christ. I hope you are one of us when it happens.

First Timothy 1:18-20

From the New International Version:

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to the faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Commentary

So Paul now reveals to Timothy why he is telling him these things. These instructions are to help him fulfill what was predicted about him by prophets in the church and to help him in his fight to maintain the truth in the Ephesian church with a clear conscience. The task of safeguarding the gospel from the false teachers would be difficult and Paul wanted to be sure Timothy did not become discouraged. Paul knew that this could happen because he had seen it happen before with two of their mutual friends. With God's approval, Paul handed them over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. They could spend their lives outside the protection of the church until they were willing to repent.

Questions

1. Paul said that there were once prophecies made about Timothy's future and that his instruction was in keeping with these prophecies. What do you think this means?
2. How have the expectations of others shaped the way you are today? 

First Timothy 1:12-17

From the New International Version:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Commentary

So now Paul gives thanks to the Lord for the grace shown him and he reflects on his past, showing how Christ worked in him and changed him to make him what he became. He recounts his past sins. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man. He opposed the church. He jailed Christians and he stood by as vicious crowds stoned them to death. (See the book of Acts)

In all these things, he actually thought h  e was doing God's will, but then Jesus  plucked him off that Damascus road and set him straight. With His abundant grace and mercy, Jesus made Saul of Tarsus into Paul - the greatest missionary in history. If God can do that for Paul, who is the worst of sinners, then what can he do for us?

Paul then closed this section with a short prayer of praise to God.

Questions

1. How can the path of Paul's life encourage us?
2. God used Paul as an example of how patient He is willing to be with difficult people. What does this tell us about how we should behave around difficult people?

First Timothy 1:8-11

From the New International Version:

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for the lawbreakers and the rebels, the ungodly and the sinful, the unholy and the irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

Commentary

Paul had previously identified the false teachers in the Ephesian church as self styled teachers of the law, but he wanted Timothy to know that this did not mean the law was bad. In fact, quite the opposite was true. The law is good if applied to the correct parties and the correct parties are not the righteous, but the wicked.

The law was intended for law breakers of all kinds and as you can see the list goes on and on. Why is it for law breakers? Because the law reveals sin. If there is no law, then there is no sin. So the presence of law reveals and convicts people of their sin.

These self appointed teachers of the law, by Paul's logic then, were preaching to the choir. The law does not apply to the church, but to those outside the church - sinners without faith that do not know Christ.

Questions

1. So, what is the purpose of the law? Who is it for?
2. Who are the righteous?
3. Why is the church righteous? What makes us that way?
4. So then, are Christians under the law?
5. Does this mean that the law is not useful to Christians?
6. If the law does not apply to us, does this mean that we can do whatever we want to do?
7. Paul concludes his comments here by saying that the test of sound doctrine is conformity to the gospel - a gospel that had been entrusted to him by God. So...in what sense are we all entrusted with the gospel?

First Timothy 1:1-7

To begin, let's look at the scripture from the New International Version of the Bible:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.

To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm

Commentary

So Paul's first letter to Timothy opens with an assertion of Paul's authority. He is an apostle of Jesus by God's command. His authority comes from a higher source than himself. This assertion of authority was probably not for Timothy's benefit. Timothy was well aware of Paul's authority. It was most likely intended for the Ephesian church and particularly those within the church that might challenge Timothy's methods as handed down by Paul. If they did question him, Timothy could show he was acting under instruction of an apostle. He could even read the letter to the church and he most likely did this. And having apostolic support would make it easier for him to unite this divisive church.

Paul also called Timothy a true son of the faith. It was a title indicative of Timothy's credentials. He had apostolic approval. He had studied under Paul for years. He was known for rightly dividing the truth; for teaching sound doctrine. Timothy was qualified for the leadership post that Paul had left him in and Paul wanted the Ephesian church to know this.

There is also a blessing here for Timothy. In addition to the usual grace and peace of his other letters, Paul also adds mercy. He knew that God's mercy would prove to be a constant need for Timothy as he worked in this troubled church.

Then beginning in vs 3, Paul dives right in to the first controversy. He explains that he had left Timothy in Ephesus to handle the problem of false teachers in the church. Timothy was suppose to command these heretics to cease teaching false doctrine and stop devoting themselves to Jewish myths and far fetched tales centered around obscure genealogical data. It was Paul's view that these things promoted arguments and controversies and interfered with God's true work.

Paul wanted to be clear that Timothy's commands in this regard were not to be punitive. The purpose was not so much to discipline, but to restore the errant individuals to the truth. This had to be done with love, a pure heart and a sincere faith.

Paul also knew that these false teachers had wandered away from the truth and toward meaningless self aggrandisement and self promotion that was of more interest to them than the real work of God. These men wanted to be self styled teachers of the law, but in reality, they were clueless. All the things they taught and all the things they were so sure of were just plain wrong. They had no idea what they were talking about and Timothy was going to have to address this. 

Questions

1. From the introduction to this letter, it seems obvious that Paul was Timothy's spiritual mentor What qualities make for a good spiritual mentor?
2. If you could choose your own mentor, who would that be?
3. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to deal with the false teachers in the church. Instead of concerning themselves with God's work, these teacher liked to delve into more speculative matter. They were distracted by unimportant things and they wanted to distract others. What matters of speculation are distracting Christians in church today?
4. Paul told Timothy to correct the false teachers with loving intentions, a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. The purpose of the correction was not to discipline, but to restore them to the truth of the faith. What can happen when the goal of correction is punishment rather than redemption?
5. Is there a point at which correction has to become disciplinary or punitive in the church?
6. The false teachers at Ephesus had obviously wandered away from sound doctrine. They were pursuing and speculating on things that didn't matter and they were misleading others. They thought they knew everything, but they actually knew nothing. so...

    First, What is sound doctrine? Give some examples.

    Second, give some examples of false doctrine.

1 Timothy - An Introduction

First Timothy is one of four epistles in the New Testament that the apostle Paul wrote to specific individuals. The others were Second Timothy, Titus and Philemon.

Normally Paul would write his letters to entire churches, but these particular letters were intended to offer specific advice and instruction to these individuals. Timothy and Titus were young evangelists that Paul had assigned to the troublesome churches in Ephesus and on Crete. In his absence, Paul sent them letters to confirm what had to be done and to encourage them in their efforts. These letters from Paul also gave these young preachers an authority in their respective churches that they might not otherwise have enjoyed. They had credentials from Paul.

Taken together, First and Second Timothy and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles. The letter to Philemon represents an even more personal correspondence concerning an escaped slave and his master. Today, however, we concern ourselves with First Timothy.

There is little doubt that Paul wrote it, though more liberal commentators have suggested the there are words used in these epistles to Timothy that are used no where else in Paul's work. One only needs to look to the fact that these are personal communications and private instruction to know that the language might be a bit different. These men were friends and the older Paul was Timothy's personal mentor and father figure. So naturally Paul might use more familiar language with Timothy than when he would address an entire church. 

The date of the book is assumed to be after the events of Acts 28, possibly between AD63 and 65, after Paul had been released from his first imprisonment. He had recently left Timothy in charge at the Ephesian church and departed for Macedonia on a hypothetical fourth missionary journey. I say hypothetical because there is not such a journey recorded in scripture, but there were many places Paul still wanted to preach and there are hints of this throughout scripture. One such place was Spain. 

Paul's purpose in writing this first letter to Timothy was to give him as much instruction and encouragement as he could in handling the numerous problems of the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was a troubled church. There were what Paul regarded as false teachers there promoting forms of decadent Judaism, asceticism and also primitive forms of Gnosticism - a heresy that would plague the church for centuries.

There was also a leadership crisis in the Ephesian church, no doubt prompted by all the doctrinal confusion. So Paul made sure that Timothy knew how to appoint appropriate leaders to fit the church's situation.

Paul also offers diverse advice in the letter on the various social groups in the church - everything from the deportment of widows and slaves to stern warnings to the rich and wealthy.

In all, if you have an interest in church politics and diplomacy, this and the other Pastorals are the epistles for you. It's great to read other people's mail and if you ever wondered what preachers talk about when you're not there, well, this should give you an idea. So let's take a look...

A New Plan For an Old Ground Hog

For years now, I've been a cynically inclined lurker with this blog, making  comments about conspiracies and  offering opinions about politics and the government. After a long winter's nap, I've decided that it's time to make a change. I may still have the occasional political commentary, but I will make the bulk of my work something new here. As an adult Sunday school teacher in my church, I will begin sharing my lessons with anyone that wants to read or study or offer their thoughts on the content. As a Christian, I find that I'm more and more in need of discussing these things. The Word of God is not something to experience alone. It must be shared. When it's shared, it always seems to provoke a reaction. It makes people think. It can make them angry. It can make them joyous and even sad. But most of all, it is the power of God for salvation of anyone who longs to know Jesus and live forever. So join us as I share these studies. Comment if you like.

Some who are new may wonder, "why a ground hog?" Ground hogs are careful. They observe. They are wise. They know when it's time to go back to the hole and when to fight. In their communities they are reliable. They fight to maintain what is theirs and they stand against the forces of a world that would actively shun them or hurt them or try to destroy them. So join me in the hole if you like. For the next few weeks, we will be studying the Pastoral Epistles (1&2 Timothy and Titus). Let's see where it takes us.