Tag: commentary
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I’m No Prophet or Messiah: Daily Devo, John 1:19-34
John the Baptizer begins his public ministry, comprising mostly preaching Old Testament messianic passages and baptizing Jews who come to him. Some leading Jews come out from Jerusalem to question John, but John was not trying to be the next public teaching figure. Unlike others, he was not claiming to be the literal resurrection of…
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No One Can See God at Any Time: Daily Devo, John 1:14-18
The Word, Jesus, became flesh. I don’t understand this to mean that the divine transformed into flesh but rather assumed human flesh, such that the human flesh and nature was added to the divine nature without losing the divine nature in any degree or respect. In this incarnation, we were finally able to behold God—full…
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Children of God, Born of God and Not The Will of Men: Daily Devo, John 1:6-13
Here, John the Apostle tells us about John the Baptizer. The Baptizer was sent from God to bear witness to the light in fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6. John the Baptizer told the world that life had finally come into the world as has been promised repetitively since Genesis 3. At this moment, John the Apostle…
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Life is the Light of Men, and DArkness Will Not Overcome Life: Daily Devo, John 1:1-5
As I reflect on John’s introduction, I find it interesting to see that the light is not Christ Himself in this instance. Life is the light of men. The Word of God, who is God and is with God in the beginning, is the one in whom life is—from the beginning, not merely from the…
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The Problem of Pain: Perfect Paradox
God is perfect, at least that’s what you claim. Tell me how a perfect God can create anything imperfect. Yet, according to your holy book, the very prize of God’s creation fails. The most important of God’s works is also the most depraved and the cause of all suffering in the world. People are selfish.…
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Be Disciplined: The Bible’s Instructions Directly to Pastor Search Teams
Paul has explicitly given Timothy the responsibility to protect the church in Ephesus from unsound doctrine. He implies that Timothy is responsible to appoint new pastors and deacons for the church in Ephesus. Paul even provided character qualifications for the two offices and reminded the congregation that, even as people are being appointed, the church…
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Redemption From Religious Burdens: Considering the Gospel of Freedom Against Strange Doctrine in 1 Timothy
We have seen the character qualities we should all strive for in life and ministry. If we are to summarize all the qualifications into one word, I think it should be selflessness. We don’t want to be the types of people who gain for ourselves, whether that be monetarily, positionally, or emotionally. That’s why we…
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The Congregation in View: Reflecting on 1 Timothy 3 for Transitional Churches
We tend to stop after we read the qualifications for pastors and deacons. We stop directly after reading the qualifications because we are reading with the intent to judge others. Doubtless we want pastors and deacons whose character is reflected in 1 Timothy 3. We want pastors and deacons who sincerely love the congregation, are…
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Deacons, Likewise: Considerations for Transitional Churches in 1 Timothy 3
After stating the character qualifications for pastoral candidates, Paul inserts qualifications for deacons. Not all ministry involves pastoral work, strictly speaking. There are also deacons. In some way, the deacon office is like that of an overseer or pastor—but not the same. Paul exhorts the church through Timothy, Deacons likewise must be men of dignity,…
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God’s Covenant Faithfulness According to The Law: The Psalmist’s Reflection in Psalm 119
The psalmist continues to look for encouragement in Psalm 119. He is surrounded by enemies. He feels dead. He wants to feel alive again and has dedicated himself to God’s ways rather than his own. God’s ways bring happiness, life, peace, and justice. They are good for him and all of society. As a repentant…