Greg Brown earned his MA in religion and MA in teaching from Trinity International University, a MRE from Liberty University, and a PhD in theology from Louisiana Baptist University. He has served over fifteen years in pastoral ministry, and currently serves as chaplain and professor at Handong Global University, teaching pastor at Handong International Congregation, and as a Navy Reserve chaplain. He also is the author of the Bible Teacher's Guide series, an Amazon Best Seller.
For more information, follow at http://www.pgregbrown.com/
Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and sp... more Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and spiritual abuse, stem from a poor understanding of who the church is in Christ and God’s purpose for her. Whenever we don’t understand the purpose of something, we are prone to misuse it. No doubt the newly founded churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor struggled with a lack of understanding as well and, therefore, were plagued with many of the same issues.
Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God’s great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights “mysteries”—truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body—including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God’s temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God’s great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let’s study the letter of Ephesians together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with h... more Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with him. Abraham was a pagan who worshiped idols; however, he left his home, family, and security to follow God. Abraham lived in a dark time where most no longer believed in the true God. It was the same way Paul described the pagan world of his day. In Romans 1:21–23, he says:
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The people of this world knew God but turned their backs on him. They suppressed the truth of God because of their love for sin (cf. Rom 1:18, John 3:19–20). It was in this dark world that Abraham began to follow God and declare his praises. Because of his steps of faith, God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem the earth (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through Abraham, as he was the father of Israel—God’s priests—and the great grandfather of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16).
Because of Abraham’s great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7). Though our faith journey is unique, we encounter many similar trials and tribulations, joys and victories, as Abraham, and like him, we are called to be lights in a dark world that denies God (Matt 5:14–16). As we study Abraham, we learn how to faithfully live our life of faith.
How can we become good ministers of Christ Jesus? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes his protégé Timothy, ... more How can we become good ministers of Christ Jesus? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes his protégé Timothy, who is overseeing the church in Ephesus, to encourage him to complete the work God called him to (1 Tim 1:18-19). False teachers had infiltrated the congregation, church members were looking down on Timothy because of his youth, and Timothy was frequently sick with stomach ailments. There were many obstacles to discourage and make him want to quit. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to be faithful (1 Tim 4:14-16, 6:11-12), instructs him on how the church of the living God should be run (1 Tim 3:15), and on how to be a good minister of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 4:6).
Although 1 Timothy is often called a pastoral epistle, it doesn’t just speak to pastors. It speaks to all of us, because we’re all called to ministry. It instructs us on issues like combatting false teaching (Ch. 1), prayer and worship (Ch. 2), church organization (Ch. 3), the minister’s life and doctrine (Ch. 4), the mercy ministry of the church (Ch. 5), and the believer’s relationship with money (Ch. 6), among other things. It also encourages us to complete our God-given tasks, amidst various obstacles (cf. 1 Tim 1:18-19, 4:12). As we read it, we are challenged, like Timothy, to become good ministers of Christ Jesus, at a time when the church desperately needs them. Let’s study it together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
In this study, we will look at the WHY of small group leadership. Why should we participate in an... more In this study, we will look at the WHY of small group leadership. Why should we participate in and lead them? We will consider the WHAT of small group leadership, as we look at types of small groups, their elements, and their focus. We will look at the WHO of small group leadership, as we consider qualities of good small group leaders. Christ said it is good enough for a student to be like his teacher (Matt 10:25). In one sense, small group leaders set the spiritual ceiling for the group and individual members. Therefore, small group leaders have a special calling. Finally, we’ll look at the HOW of small group leadership, as we consider the skills of a leader, the basic order of a small group meeting, and a sample lesson.
How should we pursue spiritual maturity--becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Phil... more How should we pursue spiritual maturity--becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Philippians, one of the dominant themes is spiritual maturity. Throughout the epistle, he encourages them to pursue unity, to be faithful in suffering, to rejoice regardless of circumstances, to live as citizens of heaven, to have the mind of Christ, and to practice many other virtues--essentially calling them to be mature. Then, in chapter 3, he specifically exhorts them to imitate his pursuit of Christlikeness (v. 17). He describes himself as a banker counting everything loss to gain Christ (v. 8) and as a runner seeking to win the prize of knowing Christ (v. 12-14). As we study Philippians, it will inspire us to new heights of spiritual maturity.
It is no surprise that when we look at many of our national and local elections, we often find ou... more It is no surprise that when we look at many of our national and local elections, we often find ourselves not voting for a person we want but voting for the lesser of evils. The world is in a leadership crisis, and the answer is not more training or more education. The answer is God. God is the ultimate leader and the reproducer of leaders. In fact, Scripture declares that there is no authority but that which comes from God (Romans 13:1). Leadership comes from the Lord and godly leadership is a gift from him.
Therefore, if we are going to fix the leadership crisis in our churches, our schools, our homes, and our nations, we must start with God. He is the giver of authority and leadership, and he is the one who takes them away. Therefore, the primary way that we can learn about leadership and, specifically, how to become a godly leader is by studying God’s Word. Second Timothy 3:17 says that the Word of God is useful for equipping the man of God for all righteousness. Leadership is a righteous act that Scripture is more than suitable to equip us for.
And, possibly the greatest book in the Bible that we can learn about leadership from is the book of Nehemiah. When somebody wants to learn about worship, they go to the Psalms. When somebody wants to learn about wisdom, they go to Proverbs. But where should a person go to learn about leadership? Most would say that we should go to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king of Persia, persuaded the king to support the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem (Neh 2:5) and motivated Israel to rebuild ruins that had been abandoned for more than 140 years (586 BC-445 BC). He led the rebuilding project while under the constant threat of attack by Israel’s antagonistic neighbors. He completed the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem within only fifty-two days. If this were not enough, Nehemiah demonstrated great humility and wisdom as he enabled Ezra and the Levites to help bring spiritual revival to the nation of Israel. The book of Nehemiah is a tremendous narrative on godly leadership. Let us drink deeply from it, and may God use us to be the answer to this leadership crisis in our communities and ultimately in our world today.
"For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will ... more "For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:2-5).
Purity is a raging battle that, unfortunately, many are losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, and our churches, and most importantly to honor God.
How can we keep ourselves pure? How can we win the battle for purity?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church and tells them to “avoid sexual immorality.” Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
This is startling because with many other dangers in Scripture, we don’t get such a command. In James 4:7, we are told to “resist the devil” and he will flee from us. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says that believers “wrestle” against powers and principalities which refers to demons. With Satan and demons, we resist and wrestle, but when it comes to sexual immorality, we should avoid it and flee from it.
This demonstrates how dangerous sexual immorality is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on our TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost.
It is for this reason that many stumble in this area and find themselves bound and unable to be set free. Sexual immorality is dangerous because when we commit sexual immorality, we sin against our own bodies. This sin affects one’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It can have drastic effects. It opens the door for physical disease and emotional baggage. It can even affect one’s sexual orientation. Those who have been sexually abused often grow up with perverse tendencies, whether that be towards the opposite sex or even children. Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one’s faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it.
One might ask, “If it’s so dangerous why did God create it?” When God created everything, including sex, he said it was “good.” However, when the world was perverted by sin, sex gained the potential of being destructive. In the confines of a marriage relationship—fulfilling God’s original plan—sex is good and powerful. It creates intimacy and pleasure between a husband and wife and has the ability to lead to procreation. However, outside of that, it is destructive. In fact, Romans 1 says that one of the primary results of denying God is a distorted sexuality. When a nation, a community, or a person has turned away from God, it will typically be demonstrated through pervasive sexual immorality. Romans 1:22-24 says:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (ESV)
This is what we are seeing and experiencing in today’s culture and this is why it is such a battle. The world has denied God, and therefore, sexual immorality is rampant.
Problem in Culture
This was also true for the early church including the Thessalonians. The fact that Paul calls for the Thessalonians to “learn” how to control their bodies implies that many did not know how to control the lusts of their bodies (v. 4). Thessalonica was part of Greco-Roman culture in which sex was glorified. In that culture, when worshiping the false deities, one would have sex with the priests and priestesses (religious prostitutes) of which there were thousands. This was normal family life, as sex was part of worship.
For the Greco-Roman mindset, marriage was not the primary avenue for gratifying sexual desires; it was for social advancement and to provide an heir. By unifying two families, one could climb the social ladder. Thus, a beautiful daughter was like a meal ticket for a poor family. To fulfill sexual desires, it was quite normal and acceptable for a man to have mistresses and concubines. The gratification of sexual desires was not the focus of marriage in that culture.
Also, homosexuality and bisexuality were rampant in that culture. In fact, it probably would have been considered strange for a man to prefer one sex over another. It was considered normal to enjoy both.i
Problem in Church
The pervasive sexual nature of the culture was in the church, and therefore, the Thessalonians needed to “learn” how to control their bodies. This was also true for the church of Corinth which was also part of the Greco-Roman culture. In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, the implication is that some were still having sex with temple prostitutes. Paul said this to them:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” (ESV)
In chapter 5, a man was even having sex with his father’s wife (1 Cor 5:1). The world’s sexual culture was in the church and they needed to learn how to keep their bodies pure.
Sex is also a problem for the modern day church. It is a problem for children, youth, college students, adults and even leadership, although it is rarely talked about. It is rampant. The enemy is aggressively attacking and defeating the church in this area. In the same way that sex was a problem in the early church, it is a problem for our churches.
In fact, in our culture, it may be even more pervasive. With the advent of the Internet, sex is more accessible now than in any other generation. At a person’s whim, it can be watched on his or her phone at any moment. Statistics say that 70% of men ages 18-24 watch porn and one out of three porn viewers are women. The average age for a child to first view porn is eleven years old. ii
Can we talk about sex? Can we talk about purity? If we don’t openly talk about this in the church, as Paul did, we cannot conquer it. And sadly, a lack of addressing this subject seems to reap the most consequences on our young people, who are even more susceptible to the influence of sexual culture.
The enemy is bringing a great assault against the church today in the area of purity, and sadly like the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, the church is losing. To win this battle, we must develop a battle plan. Better yet, we must adopt God’s Battle Plan in Scripture for purity. Through Scripture, God trains and equips the man of God for all righteousness—including purity (2 Tim 3:16-17). In this study, we will consider twelve strategies for victory against sexual temptation. May God thoroughly equip you to stand in this evil day. Amen.
Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our ... more Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our daily lives? Paul’s letter to the Colossians answers these questions. The Colossian church was being attacked by a cult with an early form of Gnostic doctrine that challenged the deity and the sufficiency of Christ. It taught Christ was not enough for salvation and that more was needed.
Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of deity dwells in him. He is the Creator, the Reconciler, the Victor, the Deliverer, the Head of the body—the church! He is the Firstborn and the Hope of Glory in the saints. Colossians teaches that our relationship to him should affect every aspect of our lives including thoughts, conversations, friendships, family, and work.
This message is still relevant today as many are attacking the deity and sufficiency of Christ, both for salvation and sanctification. Let us stand in awe of the glory of Christ, as we study Paul’s letter to the Colossians with the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marri... more Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marriage, a pre-marital or marital counseling curriculum, or simply to help one have a deeper understanding of marriage. It is good for pre-married couples, married couples, and singles studying the topic in a small group.
The focus of this study will be biblical premarital counseling, but the principles taught will be great for married couples as well. Unlike many premarital courses, we will not be focusing on psychology but on the Bible. We will do this because we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The “good work” Scripture will prepare you for through this study is marriage. God made marriage (Gen 1:27). He ordained it; it is meant to reflect him (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, Eph 5:22-27), and he gives instructions in his Word on how it should be developed and maintained.
In this study, we will consider eight foundations for a godly marriage: God’s plan, gender roles, commitment, communication, conflict resolution, training children, finances, and intimacy. Like the foundation of any building, if there are cracks structurally, the house will have problems and may not last. As mentioned, each of these foundations will be built or restored using the Word of God. In speaking about the Christian’s life, Christ said the house built on the rock of his Word will stand (Matt 7:24-25). Certainly, this is true of marriages as well.
What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?
In Latin, there is a term summum bonu... more What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?
In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means “the highest good out of which all good flows.” Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:
Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me. Jeremiah 9:23-24
The highest pursuit in life is a deep and intimate knowledge of God, and it is from this intimate knowledge that every good thing flows. Love, joy, peace, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, and anything else that is good flows from knowing God. Let us pursue a deeper knowledge of God together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
“Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word.”
—Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Emp... more The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. It was meant to both encourage and instruct them on how to live as pilgrims in a hostile society. This message is still relevant today.
Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by “all nations” because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are martyred every day, and more saints have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. The words of First Peter are a message of hope, desperately needed to encourage and prepare the Church for what lies ahead. Let’s journey through Peter’s letter together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Expositional, theological and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word. Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
This study could be used by pastors as an aid for sermon preparation, by small group leaders, or by any believer who wants to understand and apply God's Word personally. I can't imagine any student of Scripture not benefiting by this work. Steven J. Cole, Pastor, Flagstaff Christian Fellowship
How can one find a godly mate?
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He d... more How can one find a godly mate?
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He doesn’t actually conduct the search himself, but commissions his chief servant to do it. We don’t know for sure who the servant was because he is unnamed, but this was most likely Eliezer, who is mentioned in Genesis 15:2. He had previously been Abraham’s heir, before Abraham had a son. Eliezer’s selflessness is demonstrated as he served Isaac, even though he had lost his inheritance to him.
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, and from it we learn a great deal about finding a godly mate. Yes, in this ancient culture marriages were arranged for young people by their parents for "practical" reasons. Today, young people generally choose their own marriage partners, and do so based largely on “romantic” reasons. However, we can discern from this text that God is not bound by culture. He is involved in the selection of godly mates in any culture. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” He is the one who made and chose Eve for Adam, and he wants to guide our selection of mates today, if we will allow him. Sometimes in Scripture God tells us what to do, but other times he gives us principles to guide us. As we consider Genesis 24, we learn many great principles about finding a godly mate.
How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way? How should we comfort those who have lost love... more How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way? How should we comfort those who have lost loved ones?
One of the purposes of Scripture is to equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17), and one of these good works is responding to death well. Many don’t like to think about death; however, death is a reality that must be considered and prepared for. And in one sense, as Christians, we should be more prepared for death than others. Hebrews 9:27 in the KJV says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Scripture teaches us to live with a view towards eternity, and in order to do that, we must realistically view and prepare for death.
In this text, we see how Abraham responded to his wife’s death, and we will, eventually, see his death as well. This is important to consider because we all will experience the loss of a loved one and ultimately our own death. And it is also important because people close to us lose loved ones. How can we prepare to minister to them and help them respond in a God-honoring way?
When Paul was confronted with the possibility of dying while imprisoned in Rome, he said this in Philippians 1:20–21:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Paul’s desire in confronting death was that Christ would be magnified through him, and it must be the same for us. How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way—a way that magnifies Christ?
As we consider both Genesis 23 and 25, two of the last narratives on Abraham, we learn principles about how to respond to death in a God-honoring way.
How should women conduct themselves in church worship?
This is one of the most controversial sub... more How should women conduct themselves in church worship?
This is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine. People have looked at this text and called Paul a chauvinist. Others declare that this text is cultural or specific to the church in Ephesus and therefore has no bearing on church worship today.
However, if we believe Scripture is inspired, then we must accept that this is not Paul’s opinion (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). It is Divine. And as for saying this text only applies to the church of Ephesus, the problem with that is Paul says similar things to Corinth (1 Cor 14:34) and the church at Crete (Titus 1:5-9). What Paul teaches cannot be easily dismissed.
Though there is room to agree to disagree on this topic, we must all agree that understanding it and its ramifications are important. The context of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is public worship (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). If one studies worship throughout Scripture, one can clearly see how meticulous God is about worship offered to him. He gave detailed instructions to the priests and the Levites about how to offer acceptable sacrifices and festivals to him. We see several people killed or disciplined in the Old Testament because they did not follow God’s instructions for worship.
In John 4:23, Jesus said to the woman at the well that God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. Spirit refers to the heart of the worship and truth refers to alignment with scriptural truths. God doesn’t accept all worship. He rejected Cain’s offering because it didn’t come with a right heart (Gen 4). He rejected King Uzziah’s offering as he usurped the role of the priest—his worship didn’t align with truth (2 Chr 26). Again, though we can agree to disagree about the role of women in worship, we must all agree that it is important. God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. To have a right heart in worship is not enough; our worship must align with scriptural regulations.
Therefore, as we study this text, we learn more about how to offer worship that is pleasing to the Lord. The instructions in this text, though written about women, are relevant for all worshipers: How should women conduct themselves in public worship? How can we worship God in spirit and in truth?
Why do we need the law? What is its purpose?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the... more Why do we need the law? What is its purpose?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the law including its moral and ceremonial aspects. We see this often with Seventh Day Adventist and Messianic congregations that practice festivals, customs, food restrictions, and Sabbath days. Some believe that we are no longer under the curse of the law but under its blessings, as seen in the prosperity gospel camps. They take the blessings in the law of health and wealth and declare these are the rights of believers. Some believe we are only under the moral law—referring primarily to the Ten Commandments. Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law, but we are still under the moral aspects. This is common in reformed congregations. However, others believe we are not under the Mosaic law at all, as seen in those from a dispensational background. They believe that we are no longer under the Old Testament dispensation, but under the New Testament dispensation and there is a lack of continuity between the two. The Mosaic law is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine.
The Mosaic law was also a major controversy in the early church. Soon after the founding of the church of Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas ministered, Judaizers came into the congregation teaching the need for Gentiles to practice the Mosaic law in order to be saved. However, the apostles and elders from the church of Jerusalem gave a ruling denying the need for Gentiles to practice the law (Acts 15).
The false teachers in the church of Ephesus were also abusing the law. Because of this, Paul had already removed two leaders in the church, Hymenaeus and Alexander, (1:20) and was calling Timothy to complete the work of silencing these false teachers (1:3).
As Paul finishes his exhortation to Timothy and the church of Ephesus about silencing these false teachers, he digresses to talk about the true purpose of the law. He says, “But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately” (v. 8). The NIV translates this, “if one uses it properly.” In this lesson, we will consider proper and improper uses of the law. This is important because the law has been a hotbed for controversy and false teaching from the early church till today. By understanding the proper use of the law, it will not only allow us to use it properly but help keep us from being led astray or leading others astray through the improper use of it.
Tradition and scriptural evidence teaches that the apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossia... more Tradition and scriptural evidence teaches that the apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians. Paul, a former Pharisee, once persecuted and treated the early church as a false–teaching Jewish cult. However, while on his way to imprison Christians in a city called Damascus, Christ appeared to him in a shining light (Acts 9). In this vision, Christ called Paul to be an apostle and to carry the gospel to the Gentile nations. Paul suffered a great deal for this calling from both Jews and Gentiles (Col. 1:24). A prisoner in Rome at the time he wrote Colossians, around AD 60–62 (Acts 28), Paul wrote several other letters: Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon, often called the “Prison Epistles.”
Paul’s name appears three times in the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18), which supports his authorship. Unlike letters written today which give the author’s name at the end of the letter, ancient letters gave the name in the introduction. Colossians begins with “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” (1:1). Timothy did not co–author the epistle. His name is included because at its writing he accompanied Paul as his faithful disciple and “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Note that Paul includes his title as an “apostle of Christ” to show his official authority as a representative of Christ in order to address the issues happening in the church. In other letters, like Philippians or 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he simply addresses himself as Paul and sometimes adds the humble title of “servant of Christ,” which seems to reflect the gentler tone of these letters. The apostles were a select group of people who had seen Christ after his resurrection, were commissioned, and sent forth to build the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20).
Colossians shares some traits with another prison epistle. In Philemon, Paul mentions eight of the same people mentioned in the Colossians letter: Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas.1 In addition, Philemon contains evidence that Paul wrote it during his imprisonment. Many believe Paul’s fellow–servant Tychicus carried both letters to Colosse at the same time (Col. 4:7–9). This gives persuasive evidence that the apostle Paul authored Colossians.
Also, readers should note that the book of Colossians and the book of Ephesians contain many similarities. They both have a bifid format, discussing doctrine for the first couple of chapters and then turning practical. They both discuss the church as the body of Christ and Christ as the head (Eph. 1:23; 5:23; Col. 2:18–19). They share how the church has been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1) and emphasize the church’s union with Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col 1:2). They discuss the church as a mystery (Eph. 3:3, 4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). They include lengthy sections on the believer’s old man and new man (Eph. 4:21–24; Col. 3:9–10), family relationships, and the relationship between slaves and masters (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–25). In fact, it has been said that 54 of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to verses found in Colossians.2 These similarities also support Pauline authorship....
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you an... more “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 3:22–4:1).
What should a Christian worker look like? As we consider this, we also must ask, “Does the way I work represent my Christian faith?”
Each person is called to work. Some work as students, some work as teachers, some work as mothers, some as businessmen, etc. Everybody works for a living. The only difference is the pay. Some don’t get paid at all, some get paid a little, and some get paid a lot. What should the Christian’s work life look like?
Often, people think of work as a bad thing. Some may even think it is a result of the fall (Gen. 3:17–18). However, work was given before the fall. It was Adam’s responsibility to till the ground and take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).
In fact, Scripture teaches that we will work in heaven. In Luke 19:17, those who are faithful with their gifts and talents on earth will be rewarded with overseeing cities in the coming kingdom.
Also, in Revelation 21:2, we see the holy city of Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the earth. Just the fact that heaven is called a city implies many characteristics about eternity. A city has commerce, business, education, and government. Heaven will not be sitting on a cloud doing nothing. It will be worshiping and serving the Lord together in the heavenly city and on the earth forever. It has always been God’s will for man to work.
Moreover, our God is a worker too! He creates and sustains the world by the power of his Word (Heb. 1:3). He is not idle! He prays for his saints in order to save them to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). We serve a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps. 121:4). He is always active in his creation.
Work is something we do here on earth and something we will also do in heaven. It is a way that we imitate God and bring honor to him. If work is something we will do throughout eternity, we must ask ourselves, “How can we work in such a way that God is glorified?”
Paul says in Colossians 3 that our relationship to work should be radically different from the world’s because of Christ. In Colossians 3:1, he starts off with, “Since you have been raised with Christ.” The Christian has a new heavenly position in Christ that should affect everything he does. In Chapter 3 he says it should affect how he thinks and the type of “clothes” he wears, in reference to one’s actions, attitudes, and priorities (vv. 8–17). It should affect his relationship with his family (vv. 18–21) and even his work. Our relationship to Christ encompasses everything in our lives, including the workplace (vv. 22–25).
It should be noted that for many Christians God has called for the workplace to be their primary mission field. It is where they will spend the most time and often where they will be around the most people. For the teacher, her mission field is her co–workers and students. For the businessman, his mission field is both his clients and co–workers. For the housewife, her mission is her husband and children.
It is in the workplace that many of us have the opportunity to spread the salt and light of Christ to the most people in an intimate way (cf. Matt. 5:13–14). For this reason, this text is very important for us.
What should the Christian’s work look like? Can people at my job tell that I am a Christian? Does the way I work honor Christ to whom I am accountable? In this lesson, we will study the Christian’s responsibility in the work place.
Big Question: What are the Christians’ responsibilities in the workplace as an employee or an employer, and how do we practically live this out in our current jobs?
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not ... more “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Col. 3:18–21).
What was God’s original design for the family?
Sadly, when thinking about family, many don’t have great memories. In the Scripture, there are only four chapters without sin (Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22), and therefore even the Scripture has many tragic stories about families. It shows the devastating effects of sin on the family.
Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam responded by blaming his wife. They parented two male children, and one of the sons killed the other. Abraham, God’s chosen man, married two wives, breaking God’s design, and he eventually kicked one wife and her child out of the house. Jacob married several wives like his grandfather. His twelve sons eventually sold their younger brother into slavery. David too espoused many wives and his son raped his sister. Then the daughter’s brother, Absalom, killed the son that raped her.
When we consider the biblical narrative, we see many family relationships that were broken by sin. Today’s story is no different; sin still destroys family relationships, and therefore we don’t have great models of God’s design. In fact, today we even see the effects of sin in the redefinition of marriage. In some cultures men take many wives and in others homosexual marriage is acceptable.
What is God’s design for family, and how can we have the relationships God meant us to have? Are the relationships I have with my family a proper reflection of my heavenly standing in Christ?
Often, when a person comes to Christ there isn’t much change at all, but in Colossians 3 Paul says that one’s relationship with Christ should affect everything. He begins the chapter talking about the believer’s new position in Christ. Listen to what he says: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).
When a believer was saved, he was spiritually identified with Christ. He died with Christ; he rose from the dead with Christ. He is now seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). However, this position should not simply be a mental note or point of theology for a Christian; it should radically change his life.
It should change the way a person thinks. Paul says to think on things above and not on the things of the earth (v. 2). This position in Christ should affect every thought.
It should change the “clothing” we wear. Paul tells the church to take off the old clothing of sin and put on the new clothing of righteousness, which fits our heavenly position in Christ. Put on love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, bearing with one another, etc. (vv. 5–14).
In Colossians 3:15–17, he describes the priorities of our heavenly position, the outer garments of every believer. The Christian must let the peace of Christ rule in his life. We should make every decision based on the reality of whether this decision will disrupt our peace with Christ and his body. We must let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It must be our desire to know the Word of God more daily and to allow it to overflow in our lives. We also must do everything in the name of the Lord. We must seek his glory in everything we do. These are the priorities of the heavenly citizen.
However, the questions remain, “What about our relationships? How should my position in Christ affect my family life?” In this lesson, we will see the responsibilities of the family members in God’s original design.
Big Question: What are the responsibilities of each member of the family according to Paul?
“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in r... more “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:24–29).
How can we become effective ministers of Christ? How can we become an effective church?
When I was in seminary taking a homiletics class, I was told to pick a pastor I would like to model in his preaching. This is not only good practice for those studying preaching, but for any type of job or ministry. We learn by modeling others and we teach by example.
As far as ministry, there may be no better model to emulate than Paul. In many ways, Paul became Christ’s greatest apostle as he reached not only Jews but also much of the Gentile world.
In fact, God was so pleased with Paul’s ministry that he chose to set him as an example in the Scriptures of somebody to imitate. First Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Philippians 3:17 says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”
Paul is a model, and his ministry should be our constant study. In this lesson, we will learn characteristics of effective ministers by studying Paul’s ministry to the Colossian church.
Big Question: What are characteristics of effective ministers as seen through the model of Paul in Colossians 1:24–29?
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and askin... more “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:9–14).
Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you ever struggle with what words to say or knowing if you’re praying exactly what God’s will is?
In this text, we see Paul praying God’s will for the church. We can be sure that it’s God’s will and Spirit–led because God chose to include this prayer in the Holy Scripture as an example for us.
Paul had never seen or met with this church before (cf. Col. 2:1). At the time of this writing, Paul is in prison, and it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, who previously founded this church.
Shortly after Epaphras founded the church of Colosse, a group of false teachers entered the church and caused division. From the clues in the letter, it seems that this group was influenced by Gnostic teaching. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, “to know.” They said in order for a person to be saved or in order for them to be sanctified, they had to experience supernatural knowledge. They needed new revelation.
This is very much like many of the cults and liberal Christian groups today. They teach that the revelation of Scripture is not enough. They say the Bible is either not true or we need human reason to test the writings of Scripture to see what is true. They declare the revelation of Scripture is not enough and that there is a new authoritative revelation that all must hear.
This Gnostic teaching, just like Satan in the Garden, attacked the very foundation of our faith, which is the Word of God. Because the Colossian church was experiencing this teaching, it was in great trouble. The ground of their faith had been shaken as Satan, through false teaching, attacked the gospel message and Christ specifically.
But as we look at this prayer, we learn a lot about how we should pray for God’s church, which is always being attacked from without and within. This prayer shows us how we can intercede for the body of Christ throughout the world, for believers we know and those we don’t know. The characteristics of prayer in this text will strengthen our own prayer life. Let’s look at the text and see what we can learn.
Big Question: What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer that we can discern from this passage, and how can we put them into practice?
Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and sp... more Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and spiritual abuse, stem from a poor understanding of who the church is in Christ and God’s purpose for her. Whenever we don’t understand the purpose of something, we are prone to misuse it. No doubt the newly founded churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor struggled with a lack of understanding as well and, therefore, were plagued with many of the same issues.
Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God’s great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights “mysteries”—truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body—including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God’s temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God’s great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let’s study the letter of Ephesians together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with h... more Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with him. Abraham was a pagan who worshiped idols; however, he left his home, family, and security to follow God. Abraham lived in a dark time where most no longer believed in the true God. It was the same way Paul described the pagan world of his day. In Romans 1:21–23, he says:
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The people of this world knew God but turned their backs on him. They suppressed the truth of God because of their love for sin (cf. Rom 1:18, John 3:19–20). It was in this dark world that Abraham began to follow God and declare his praises. Because of his steps of faith, God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem the earth (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through Abraham, as he was the father of Israel—God’s priests—and the great grandfather of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16).
Because of Abraham’s great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7). Though our faith journey is unique, we encounter many similar trials and tribulations, joys and victories, as Abraham, and like him, we are called to be lights in a dark world that denies God (Matt 5:14–16). As we study Abraham, we learn how to faithfully live our life of faith.
How can we become good ministers of Christ Jesus? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes his protégé Timothy, ... more How can we become good ministers of Christ Jesus? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes his protégé Timothy, who is overseeing the church in Ephesus, to encourage him to complete the work God called him to (1 Tim 1:18-19). False teachers had infiltrated the congregation, church members were looking down on Timothy because of his youth, and Timothy was frequently sick with stomach ailments. There were many obstacles to discourage and make him want to quit. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to be faithful (1 Tim 4:14-16, 6:11-12), instructs him on how the church of the living God should be run (1 Tim 3:15), and on how to be a good minister of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 4:6).
Although 1 Timothy is often called a pastoral epistle, it doesn’t just speak to pastors. It speaks to all of us, because we’re all called to ministry. It instructs us on issues like combatting false teaching (Ch. 1), prayer and worship (Ch. 2), church organization (Ch. 3), the minister’s life and doctrine (Ch. 4), the mercy ministry of the church (Ch. 5), and the believer’s relationship with money (Ch. 6), among other things. It also encourages us to complete our God-given tasks, amidst various obstacles (cf. 1 Tim 1:18-19, 4:12). As we read it, we are challenged, like Timothy, to become good ministers of Christ Jesus, at a time when the church desperately needs them. Let’s study it together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
In this study, we will look at the WHY of small group leadership. Why should we participate in an... more In this study, we will look at the WHY of small group leadership. Why should we participate in and lead them? We will consider the WHAT of small group leadership, as we look at types of small groups, their elements, and their focus. We will look at the WHO of small group leadership, as we consider qualities of good small group leaders. Christ said it is good enough for a student to be like his teacher (Matt 10:25). In one sense, small group leaders set the spiritual ceiling for the group and individual members. Therefore, small group leaders have a special calling. Finally, we’ll look at the HOW of small group leadership, as we consider the skills of a leader, the basic order of a small group meeting, and a sample lesson.
How should we pursue spiritual maturity--becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Phil... more How should we pursue spiritual maturity--becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Philippians, one of the dominant themes is spiritual maturity. Throughout the epistle, he encourages them to pursue unity, to be faithful in suffering, to rejoice regardless of circumstances, to live as citizens of heaven, to have the mind of Christ, and to practice many other virtues--essentially calling them to be mature. Then, in chapter 3, he specifically exhorts them to imitate his pursuit of Christlikeness (v. 17). He describes himself as a banker counting everything loss to gain Christ (v. 8) and as a runner seeking to win the prize of knowing Christ (v. 12-14). As we study Philippians, it will inspire us to new heights of spiritual maturity.
It is no surprise that when we look at many of our national and local elections, we often find ou... more It is no surprise that when we look at many of our national and local elections, we often find ourselves not voting for a person we want but voting for the lesser of evils. The world is in a leadership crisis, and the answer is not more training or more education. The answer is God. God is the ultimate leader and the reproducer of leaders. In fact, Scripture declares that there is no authority but that which comes from God (Romans 13:1). Leadership comes from the Lord and godly leadership is a gift from him.
Therefore, if we are going to fix the leadership crisis in our churches, our schools, our homes, and our nations, we must start with God. He is the giver of authority and leadership, and he is the one who takes them away. Therefore, the primary way that we can learn about leadership and, specifically, how to become a godly leader is by studying God’s Word. Second Timothy 3:17 says that the Word of God is useful for equipping the man of God for all righteousness. Leadership is a righteous act that Scripture is more than suitable to equip us for.
And, possibly the greatest book in the Bible that we can learn about leadership from is the book of Nehemiah. When somebody wants to learn about worship, they go to the Psalms. When somebody wants to learn about wisdom, they go to Proverbs. But where should a person go to learn about leadership? Most would say that we should go to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king of Persia, persuaded the king to support the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem (Neh 2:5) and motivated Israel to rebuild ruins that had been abandoned for more than 140 years (586 BC-445 BC). He led the rebuilding project while under the constant threat of attack by Israel’s antagonistic neighbors. He completed the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem within only fifty-two days. If this were not enough, Nehemiah demonstrated great humility and wisdom as he enabled Ezra and the Levites to help bring spiritual revival to the nation of Israel. The book of Nehemiah is a tremendous narrative on godly leadership. Let us drink deeply from it, and may God use us to be the answer to this leadership crisis in our communities and ultimately in our world today.
"For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will ... more "For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:2-5).
Purity is a raging battle that, unfortunately, many are losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, and our churches, and most importantly to honor God.
How can we keep ourselves pure? How can we win the battle for purity?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church and tells them to “avoid sexual immorality.” Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
This is startling because with many other dangers in Scripture, we don’t get such a command. In James 4:7, we are told to “resist the devil” and he will flee from us. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says that believers “wrestle” against powers and principalities which refers to demons. With Satan and demons, we resist and wrestle, but when it comes to sexual immorality, we should avoid it and flee from it.
This demonstrates how dangerous sexual immorality is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on our TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost.
It is for this reason that many stumble in this area and find themselves bound and unable to be set free. Sexual immorality is dangerous because when we commit sexual immorality, we sin against our own bodies. This sin affects one’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It can have drastic effects. It opens the door for physical disease and emotional baggage. It can even affect one’s sexual orientation. Those who have been sexually abused often grow up with perverse tendencies, whether that be towards the opposite sex or even children. Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one’s faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it.
One might ask, “If it’s so dangerous why did God create it?” When God created everything, including sex, he said it was “good.” However, when the world was perverted by sin, sex gained the potential of being destructive. In the confines of a marriage relationship—fulfilling God’s original plan—sex is good and powerful. It creates intimacy and pleasure between a husband and wife and has the ability to lead to procreation. However, outside of that, it is destructive. In fact, Romans 1 says that one of the primary results of denying God is a distorted sexuality. When a nation, a community, or a person has turned away from God, it will typically be demonstrated through pervasive sexual immorality. Romans 1:22-24 says:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (ESV)
This is what we are seeing and experiencing in today’s culture and this is why it is such a battle. The world has denied God, and therefore, sexual immorality is rampant.
Problem in Culture
This was also true for the early church including the Thessalonians. The fact that Paul calls for the Thessalonians to “learn” how to control their bodies implies that many did not know how to control the lusts of their bodies (v. 4). Thessalonica was part of Greco-Roman culture in which sex was glorified. In that culture, when worshiping the false deities, one would have sex with the priests and priestesses (religious prostitutes) of which there were thousands. This was normal family life, as sex was part of worship.
For the Greco-Roman mindset, marriage was not the primary avenue for gratifying sexual desires; it was for social advancement and to provide an heir. By unifying two families, one could climb the social ladder. Thus, a beautiful daughter was like a meal ticket for a poor family. To fulfill sexual desires, it was quite normal and acceptable for a man to have mistresses and concubines. The gratification of sexual desires was not the focus of marriage in that culture.
Also, homosexuality and bisexuality were rampant in that culture. In fact, it probably would have been considered strange for a man to prefer one sex over another. It was considered normal to enjoy both.i
Problem in Church
The pervasive sexual nature of the culture was in the church, and therefore, the Thessalonians needed to “learn” how to control their bodies. This was also true for the church of Corinth which was also part of the Greco-Roman culture. In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, the implication is that some were still having sex with temple prostitutes. Paul said this to them:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” (ESV)
In chapter 5, a man was even having sex with his father’s wife (1 Cor 5:1). The world’s sexual culture was in the church and they needed to learn how to keep their bodies pure.
Sex is also a problem for the modern day church. It is a problem for children, youth, college students, adults and even leadership, although it is rarely talked about. It is rampant. The enemy is aggressively attacking and defeating the church in this area. In the same way that sex was a problem in the early church, it is a problem for our churches.
In fact, in our culture, it may be even more pervasive. With the advent of the Internet, sex is more accessible now than in any other generation. At a person’s whim, it can be watched on his or her phone at any moment. Statistics say that 70% of men ages 18-24 watch porn and one out of three porn viewers are women. The average age for a child to first view porn is eleven years old. ii
Can we talk about sex? Can we talk about purity? If we don’t openly talk about this in the church, as Paul did, we cannot conquer it. And sadly, a lack of addressing this subject seems to reap the most consequences on our young people, who are even more susceptible to the influence of sexual culture.
The enemy is bringing a great assault against the church today in the area of purity, and sadly like the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, the church is losing. To win this battle, we must develop a battle plan. Better yet, we must adopt God’s Battle Plan in Scripture for purity. Through Scripture, God trains and equips the man of God for all righteousness—including purity (2 Tim 3:16-17). In this study, we will consider twelve strategies for victory against sexual temptation. May God thoroughly equip you to stand in this evil day. Amen.
Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our ... more Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our daily lives? Paul’s letter to the Colossians answers these questions. The Colossian church was being attacked by a cult with an early form of Gnostic doctrine that challenged the deity and the sufficiency of Christ. It taught Christ was not enough for salvation and that more was needed.
Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of deity dwells in him. He is the Creator, the Reconciler, the Victor, the Deliverer, the Head of the body—the church! He is the Firstborn and the Hope of Glory in the saints. Colossians teaches that our relationship to him should affect every aspect of our lives including thoughts, conversations, friendships, family, and work.
This message is still relevant today as many are attacking the deity and sufficiency of Christ, both for salvation and sanctification. Let us stand in awe of the glory of Christ, as we study Paul’s letter to the Colossians with the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marri... more Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marriage, a pre-marital or marital counseling curriculum, or simply to help one have a deeper understanding of marriage. It is good for pre-married couples, married couples, and singles studying the topic in a small group.
The focus of this study will be biblical premarital counseling, but the principles taught will be great for married couples as well. Unlike many premarital courses, we will not be focusing on psychology but on the Bible. We will do this because we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The “good work” Scripture will prepare you for through this study is marriage. God made marriage (Gen 1:27). He ordained it; it is meant to reflect him (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, Eph 5:22-27), and he gives instructions in his Word on how it should be developed and maintained.
In this study, we will consider eight foundations for a godly marriage: God’s plan, gender roles, commitment, communication, conflict resolution, training children, finances, and intimacy. Like the foundation of any building, if there are cracks structurally, the house will have problems and may not last. As mentioned, each of these foundations will be built or restored using the Word of God. In speaking about the Christian’s life, Christ said the house built on the rock of his Word will stand (Matt 7:24-25). Certainly, this is true of marriages as well.
What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?
In Latin, there is a term summum bonu... more What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?
In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means “the highest good out of which all good flows.” Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:
Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me. Jeremiah 9:23-24
The highest pursuit in life is a deep and intimate knowledge of God, and it is from this intimate knowledge that every good thing flows. Love, joy, peace, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, and anything else that is good flows from knowing God. Let us pursue a deeper knowledge of God together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
“Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word.”
—Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Emp... more The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. It was meant to both encourage and instruct them on how to live as pilgrims in a hostile society. This message is still relevant today.
Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by “all nations” because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are martyred every day, and more saints have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. The words of First Peter are a message of hope, desperately needed to encourage and prepare the Church for what lies ahead. Let’s journey through Peter’s letter together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Expositional, theological and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word. Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
This study could be used by pastors as an aid for sermon preparation, by small group leaders, or by any believer who wants to understand and apply God's Word personally. I can't imagine any student of Scripture not benefiting by this work. Steven J. Cole, Pastor, Flagstaff Christian Fellowship
How can one find a godly mate?
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He d... more How can one find a godly mate?
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He doesn’t actually conduct the search himself, but commissions his chief servant to do it. We don’t know for sure who the servant was because he is unnamed, but this was most likely Eliezer, who is mentioned in Genesis 15:2. He had previously been Abraham’s heir, before Abraham had a son. Eliezer’s selflessness is demonstrated as he served Isaac, even though he had lost his inheritance to him.
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, and from it we learn a great deal about finding a godly mate. Yes, in this ancient culture marriages were arranged for young people by their parents for "practical" reasons. Today, young people generally choose their own marriage partners, and do so based largely on “romantic” reasons. However, we can discern from this text that God is not bound by culture. He is involved in the selection of godly mates in any culture. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” He is the one who made and chose Eve for Adam, and he wants to guide our selection of mates today, if we will allow him. Sometimes in Scripture God tells us what to do, but other times he gives us principles to guide us. As we consider Genesis 24, we learn many great principles about finding a godly mate.
How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way? How should we comfort those who have lost love... more How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way? How should we comfort those who have lost loved ones?
One of the purposes of Scripture is to equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17), and one of these good works is responding to death well. Many don’t like to think about death; however, death is a reality that must be considered and prepared for. And in one sense, as Christians, we should be more prepared for death than others. Hebrews 9:27 in the KJV says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Scripture teaches us to live with a view towards eternity, and in order to do that, we must realistically view and prepare for death.
In this text, we see how Abraham responded to his wife’s death, and we will, eventually, see his death as well. This is important to consider because we all will experience the loss of a loved one and ultimately our own death. And it is also important because people close to us lose loved ones. How can we prepare to minister to them and help them respond in a God-honoring way?
When Paul was confronted with the possibility of dying while imprisoned in Rome, he said this in Philippians 1:20–21:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Paul’s desire in confronting death was that Christ would be magnified through him, and it must be the same for us. How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way—a way that magnifies Christ?
As we consider both Genesis 23 and 25, two of the last narratives on Abraham, we learn principles about how to respond to death in a God-honoring way.
How should women conduct themselves in church worship?
This is one of the most controversial sub... more How should women conduct themselves in church worship?
This is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine. People have looked at this text and called Paul a chauvinist. Others declare that this text is cultural or specific to the church in Ephesus and therefore has no bearing on church worship today.
However, if we believe Scripture is inspired, then we must accept that this is not Paul’s opinion (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). It is Divine. And as for saying this text only applies to the church of Ephesus, the problem with that is Paul says similar things to Corinth (1 Cor 14:34) and the church at Crete (Titus 1:5-9). What Paul teaches cannot be easily dismissed.
Though there is room to agree to disagree on this topic, we must all agree that understanding it and its ramifications are important. The context of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is public worship (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). If one studies worship throughout Scripture, one can clearly see how meticulous God is about worship offered to him. He gave detailed instructions to the priests and the Levites about how to offer acceptable sacrifices and festivals to him. We see several people killed or disciplined in the Old Testament because they did not follow God’s instructions for worship.
In John 4:23, Jesus said to the woman at the well that God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. Spirit refers to the heart of the worship and truth refers to alignment with scriptural truths. God doesn’t accept all worship. He rejected Cain’s offering because it didn’t come with a right heart (Gen 4). He rejected King Uzziah’s offering as he usurped the role of the priest—his worship didn’t align with truth (2 Chr 26). Again, though we can agree to disagree about the role of women in worship, we must all agree that it is important. God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. To have a right heart in worship is not enough; our worship must align with scriptural regulations.
Therefore, as we study this text, we learn more about how to offer worship that is pleasing to the Lord. The instructions in this text, though written about women, are relevant for all worshipers: How should women conduct themselves in public worship? How can we worship God in spirit and in truth?
Why do we need the law? What is its purpose?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the... more Why do we need the law? What is its purpose?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the law including its moral and ceremonial aspects. We see this often with Seventh Day Adventist and Messianic congregations that practice festivals, customs, food restrictions, and Sabbath days. Some believe that we are no longer under the curse of the law but under its blessings, as seen in the prosperity gospel camps. They take the blessings in the law of health and wealth and declare these are the rights of believers. Some believe we are only under the moral law—referring primarily to the Ten Commandments. Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law, but we are still under the moral aspects. This is common in reformed congregations. However, others believe we are not under the Mosaic law at all, as seen in those from a dispensational background. They believe that we are no longer under the Old Testament dispensation, but under the New Testament dispensation and there is a lack of continuity between the two. The Mosaic law is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine.
The Mosaic law was also a major controversy in the early church. Soon after the founding of the church of Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas ministered, Judaizers came into the congregation teaching the need for Gentiles to practice the Mosaic law in order to be saved. However, the apostles and elders from the church of Jerusalem gave a ruling denying the need for Gentiles to practice the law (Acts 15).
The false teachers in the church of Ephesus were also abusing the law. Because of this, Paul had already removed two leaders in the church, Hymenaeus and Alexander, (1:20) and was calling Timothy to complete the work of silencing these false teachers (1:3).
As Paul finishes his exhortation to Timothy and the church of Ephesus about silencing these false teachers, he digresses to talk about the true purpose of the law. He says, “But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately” (v. 8). The NIV translates this, “if one uses it properly.” In this lesson, we will consider proper and improper uses of the law. This is important because the law has been a hotbed for controversy and false teaching from the early church till today. By understanding the proper use of the law, it will not only allow us to use it properly but help keep us from being led astray or leading others astray through the improper use of it.
Tradition and scriptural evidence teaches that the apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossia... more Tradition and scriptural evidence teaches that the apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians. Paul, a former Pharisee, once persecuted and treated the early church as a false–teaching Jewish cult. However, while on his way to imprison Christians in a city called Damascus, Christ appeared to him in a shining light (Acts 9). In this vision, Christ called Paul to be an apostle and to carry the gospel to the Gentile nations. Paul suffered a great deal for this calling from both Jews and Gentiles (Col. 1:24). A prisoner in Rome at the time he wrote Colossians, around AD 60–62 (Acts 28), Paul wrote several other letters: Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon, often called the “Prison Epistles.”
Paul’s name appears three times in the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18), which supports his authorship. Unlike letters written today which give the author’s name at the end of the letter, ancient letters gave the name in the introduction. Colossians begins with “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” (1:1). Timothy did not co–author the epistle. His name is included because at its writing he accompanied Paul as his faithful disciple and “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Note that Paul includes his title as an “apostle of Christ” to show his official authority as a representative of Christ in order to address the issues happening in the church. In other letters, like Philippians or 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he simply addresses himself as Paul and sometimes adds the humble title of “servant of Christ,” which seems to reflect the gentler tone of these letters. The apostles were a select group of people who had seen Christ after his resurrection, were commissioned, and sent forth to build the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20).
Colossians shares some traits with another prison epistle. In Philemon, Paul mentions eight of the same people mentioned in the Colossians letter: Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas.1 In addition, Philemon contains evidence that Paul wrote it during his imprisonment. Many believe Paul’s fellow–servant Tychicus carried both letters to Colosse at the same time (Col. 4:7–9). This gives persuasive evidence that the apostle Paul authored Colossians.
Also, readers should note that the book of Colossians and the book of Ephesians contain many similarities. They both have a bifid format, discussing doctrine for the first couple of chapters and then turning practical. They both discuss the church as the body of Christ and Christ as the head (Eph. 1:23; 5:23; Col. 2:18–19). They share how the church has been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1) and emphasize the church’s union with Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col 1:2). They discuss the church as a mystery (Eph. 3:3, 4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). They include lengthy sections on the believer’s old man and new man (Eph. 4:21–24; Col. 3:9–10), family relationships, and the relationship between slaves and masters (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–25). In fact, it has been said that 54 of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to verses found in Colossians.2 These similarities also support Pauline authorship....
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you an... more “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 3:22–4:1).
What should a Christian worker look like? As we consider this, we also must ask, “Does the way I work represent my Christian faith?”
Each person is called to work. Some work as students, some work as teachers, some work as mothers, some as businessmen, etc. Everybody works for a living. The only difference is the pay. Some don’t get paid at all, some get paid a little, and some get paid a lot. What should the Christian’s work life look like?
Often, people think of work as a bad thing. Some may even think it is a result of the fall (Gen. 3:17–18). However, work was given before the fall. It was Adam’s responsibility to till the ground and take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).
In fact, Scripture teaches that we will work in heaven. In Luke 19:17, those who are faithful with their gifts and talents on earth will be rewarded with overseeing cities in the coming kingdom.
Also, in Revelation 21:2, we see the holy city of Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the earth. Just the fact that heaven is called a city implies many characteristics about eternity. A city has commerce, business, education, and government. Heaven will not be sitting on a cloud doing nothing. It will be worshiping and serving the Lord together in the heavenly city and on the earth forever. It has always been God’s will for man to work.
Moreover, our God is a worker too! He creates and sustains the world by the power of his Word (Heb. 1:3). He is not idle! He prays for his saints in order to save them to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). We serve a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps. 121:4). He is always active in his creation.
Work is something we do here on earth and something we will also do in heaven. It is a way that we imitate God and bring honor to him. If work is something we will do throughout eternity, we must ask ourselves, “How can we work in such a way that God is glorified?”
Paul says in Colossians 3 that our relationship to work should be radically different from the world’s because of Christ. In Colossians 3:1, he starts off with, “Since you have been raised with Christ.” The Christian has a new heavenly position in Christ that should affect everything he does. In Chapter 3 he says it should affect how he thinks and the type of “clothes” he wears, in reference to one’s actions, attitudes, and priorities (vv. 8–17). It should affect his relationship with his family (vv. 18–21) and even his work. Our relationship to Christ encompasses everything in our lives, including the workplace (vv. 22–25).
It should be noted that for many Christians God has called for the workplace to be their primary mission field. It is where they will spend the most time and often where they will be around the most people. For the teacher, her mission field is her co–workers and students. For the businessman, his mission field is both his clients and co–workers. For the housewife, her mission is her husband and children.
It is in the workplace that many of us have the opportunity to spread the salt and light of Christ to the most people in an intimate way (cf. Matt. 5:13–14). For this reason, this text is very important for us.
What should the Christian’s work look like? Can people at my job tell that I am a Christian? Does the way I work honor Christ to whom I am accountable? In this lesson, we will study the Christian’s responsibility in the work place.
Big Question: What are the Christians’ responsibilities in the workplace as an employee or an employer, and how do we practically live this out in our current jobs?
“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not ... more “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Col. 3:18–21).
What was God’s original design for the family?
Sadly, when thinking about family, many don’t have great memories. In the Scripture, there are only four chapters without sin (Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22), and therefore even the Scripture has many tragic stories about families. It shows the devastating effects of sin on the family.
Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam responded by blaming his wife. They parented two male children, and one of the sons killed the other. Abraham, God’s chosen man, married two wives, breaking God’s design, and he eventually kicked one wife and her child out of the house. Jacob married several wives like his grandfather. His twelve sons eventually sold their younger brother into slavery. David too espoused many wives and his son raped his sister. Then the daughter’s brother, Absalom, killed the son that raped her.
When we consider the biblical narrative, we see many family relationships that were broken by sin. Today’s story is no different; sin still destroys family relationships, and therefore we don’t have great models of God’s design. In fact, today we even see the effects of sin in the redefinition of marriage. In some cultures men take many wives and in others homosexual marriage is acceptable.
What is God’s design for family, and how can we have the relationships God meant us to have? Are the relationships I have with my family a proper reflection of my heavenly standing in Christ?
Often, when a person comes to Christ there isn’t much change at all, but in Colossians 3 Paul says that one’s relationship with Christ should affect everything. He begins the chapter talking about the believer’s new position in Christ. Listen to what he says: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).
When a believer was saved, he was spiritually identified with Christ. He died with Christ; he rose from the dead with Christ. He is now seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). However, this position should not simply be a mental note or point of theology for a Christian; it should radically change his life.
It should change the way a person thinks. Paul says to think on things above and not on the things of the earth (v. 2). This position in Christ should affect every thought.
It should change the “clothing” we wear. Paul tells the church to take off the old clothing of sin and put on the new clothing of righteousness, which fits our heavenly position in Christ. Put on love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, bearing with one another, etc. (vv. 5–14).
In Colossians 3:15–17, he describes the priorities of our heavenly position, the outer garments of every believer. The Christian must let the peace of Christ rule in his life. We should make every decision based on the reality of whether this decision will disrupt our peace with Christ and his body. We must let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It must be our desire to know the Word of God more daily and to allow it to overflow in our lives. We also must do everything in the name of the Lord. We must seek his glory in everything we do. These are the priorities of the heavenly citizen.
However, the questions remain, “What about our relationships? How should my position in Christ affect my family life?” In this lesson, we will see the responsibilities of the family members in God’s original design.
Big Question: What are the responsibilities of each member of the family according to Paul?
“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in r... more “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:24–29).
How can we become effective ministers of Christ? How can we become an effective church?
When I was in seminary taking a homiletics class, I was told to pick a pastor I would like to model in his preaching. This is not only good practice for those studying preaching, but for any type of job or ministry. We learn by modeling others and we teach by example.
As far as ministry, there may be no better model to emulate than Paul. In many ways, Paul became Christ’s greatest apostle as he reached not only Jews but also much of the Gentile world.
In fact, God was so pleased with Paul’s ministry that he chose to set him as an example in the Scriptures of somebody to imitate. First Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Philippians 3:17 says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”
Paul is a model, and his ministry should be our constant study. In this lesson, we will learn characteristics of effective ministers by studying Paul’s ministry to the Colossian church.
Big Question: What are characteristics of effective ministers as seen through the model of Paul in Colossians 1:24–29?
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and askin... more “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:9–14).
Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you ever struggle with what words to say or knowing if you’re praying exactly what God’s will is?
In this text, we see Paul praying God’s will for the church. We can be sure that it’s God’s will and Spirit–led because God chose to include this prayer in the Holy Scripture as an example for us.
Paul had never seen or met with this church before (cf. Col. 2:1). At the time of this writing, Paul is in prison, and it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, who previously founded this church.
Shortly after Epaphras founded the church of Colosse, a group of false teachers entered the church and caused division. From the clues in the letter, it seems that this group was influenced by Gnostic teaching. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, “to know.” They said in order for a person to be saved or in order for them to be sanctified, they had to experience supernatural knowledge. They needed new revelation.
This is very much like many of the cults and liberal Christian groups today. They teach that the revelation of Scripture is not enough. They say the Bible is either not true or we need human reason to test the writings of Scripture to see what is true. They declare the revelation of Scripture is not enough and that there is a new authoritative revelation that all must hear.
This Gnostic teaching, just like Satan in the Garden, attacked the very foundation of our faith, which is the Word of God. Because the Colossian church was experiencing this teaching, it was in great trouble. The ground of their faith had been shaken as Satan, through false teaching, attacked the gospel message and Christ specifically.
But as we look at this prayer, we learn a lot about how we should pray for God’s church, which is always being attacked from without and within. This prayer shows us how we can intercede for the body of Christ throughout the world, for believers we know and those we don’t know. The characteristics of prayer in this text will strengthen our own prayer life. Let’s look at the text and see what we can learn.
Big Question: What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer that we can discern from this passage, and how can we put them into practice?
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may ope... more “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:2–6).
How do we live a mission-driven life?
Often, when people prepare for a mission trip, they start going through rigorous training. They have days devoted to prayer, days of fasting, days of studying the Word of God, etc., to prepare. However, the reality is we are always on mission; people around us always need to be ministered to. Therefore, we should always be living a mission-centered life wherever God has placed us. Essentially, there should be no change when we go on a mission trip because we are already breathing mission—breathing the kingdom of God.
In this text, Paul is calling the Colossians, and therefore us, to live a mission-centered life. We see this call in his encouragement for them to partner in his ministry through praying for open doors and his preaching of the Word of God. Also, he encourages them to be wise in the way they “act toward outsiders” (Col. 4:5). He is essentially calling these Christians to be missional in their daily lives.
It should be noted, most Christians are not called to leave home and go to other nations in order to do missions. God places Christians in a family, a company, a school, or a workplace to be a light to the world (Matt. 5:14). The Scripture is full of people whom God placed in what might seem to be a “secular position” in order to be missional. We saw this with Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. We are all called to live a mission-driven life, whether at home or abroad.
A missional Christian is a Christian whose focus is seeing the kingdom of God come. They are not distracted from this aim by their schoolwork, their job, or their family life. They realize that God has placed them on this earth for a purpose, and that purpose is to be mission-centered. Right before Christ ascended into heaven, he said this to his disciples:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19–20).
The missional Christian understands that God has sent them to make disciples and the world is their mission field. Wherever they are placed, they realize it is their call to be actively involved in the great commission.
As Paul is finishing up his letter to the Colossians, he leaves them with a few missional exhortations. He exhorts them in their prayer life, their daily conduct, and their conversations. These are three areas in which we must daily pursue the work of missions.
Big Question: What are characteristics of the mission-driven life and how can we develop them?
How should couples develop intimacy in marriage?
Marriage should be the most intimate relation... more How should couples develop intimacy in marriage?
Marriage should be the most intimate relationship anybody experiences in life. It should be more intimate than a friendship, a mother-daughter relationship, a father-son relationship, a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, etc. But sadly, many couples often feel distant and alone in marriage.
Because man is body, soul, and spirit (cf. 1 Thess 5:23, Heb 4:12), married couples must cultivate each aspect of their being in order to develop intimacy. They must cultivate their friendship (soul), their sexuality (body), and their spirituality (spirit) in marriage. If one aspect of this tri-unity is missing, couples will lack the intimacy God desires. Therefore, all three must be continually cultivated.
How should married couples develop these three aspects of intimacy?
How can couples practice financial faithfulness in marriage? Many Christian couples give their ti... more How can couples practice financial faithfulness in marriage? Many Christian couples give their tithe and offering to God but act like the rest is theirs. However, this is an incorrect use of finances. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Crucial to financial faithfulness is recognizing that God is the owner, and we are simply stewards who will one day give an account (cf. Lk 19:15, Matt 25:19-20). When God created the earth, his intention was for humanity to rule over it under his dominion. To use his resources as though they were ours alone will always lead to unfaithfulness. Because of this predominant mindset among married couples, there is a constant misuse of finances, leading to financial stress.
Financial stress is one of the top reasons for marital conflict and divorce. This was never God’s will. It was God’s will for finances to be a source of blessing and a door for his overflowing grace in each marriage (cf. 1 Cor 9:6-11). But to be faithful and reap the blessings of God, couples must understand and follow God’s plan for their finances.
How can couples practice financial faithfulness in marriage?
How do we raise godly children in marriage? One of the reasons God brings two people together in ... more How do we raise godly children in marriage? One of the reasons God brings two people together in marriage is for the purpose of raising godly children, children who look like him. Malachi 2:15 says:
Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
But how is this accomplished? Obviously, the only perfect model of parenting is God the Father, and therefore, as we look at him and his Word, we can discern principles about raising godly children.
How should couples resolve conflict in marriage?
Conflict is, essentially, part of human natur... more How should couples resolve conflict in marriage?
Conflict is, essentially, part of human nature. After Adam sinned in the Garden, conflict ensued. When God asked him if he had eaten of the forbidden tree, he did not simply say, “Yes.” He said, “The woman you gave me, gave me the fruit and I did eat.” He indirectly blamed God and directly blamed the woman. The woman then blamed the serpent. When sin entered the world, so did conflict. In fact, God said that one of the results of sin would be conflict between the man and the woman. The wife would desire to control the husband and the husband would try to dominate the woman by force (Gen 3:16).
As we go throughout the biblical narrative, we continually see the fruit of sin displayed in conflict. In Genesis 4, Cain killed his brother Abel. In the same chapter, Cain’s son, Lamech, killed another man and boasted about it. In Genesis 6, the world was full of “violence,” and God decided to wipe out its inhabitants through the flood. However, the flood didn’t change the nature of man, and therefore, conflict has continued throughout history. The world has known no time without war or conflict, and unfortunately, marriages are not exempt.
Paul taught that one of the fruits of the flesh, our sin nature, is “discord” (Gal 5:20). We are prone to offend others, to be offended, to hate, to withhold forgiveness, and to divide. Sadly, all these fruits are prone to blossom within the marriage union. Couples should be aware of this, and therefore, prepare to resolve conflict in marriage. How should couples resolve conflict in marriage?
At the core of every healthy marriage is the ability of a couple to successfully communicate with... more At the core of every healthy marriage is the ability of a couple to successfully communicate with one another. Communication can be difficult because each individual may have a different background, experiences, and sometimes even culture, which all affect communication. In addition, 60 to 90% of all communication consists of body language, eye contact, facial expressions, and tone rather than words. Communication is a skill that must be learned and practiced in order to have a successful marriage.
The Bible teaches us a great deal about communication, since God, the author of the Bible, is a communicator. When he created the heavens and the earth, he did it by communicating. He said, “Let there be light.” In fact, through nature he speaks to us every day. David said this:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4
God speaks to us through nature, telling us of his great glory and splendor. He also speaks to us through his Son, who came to the earth not only to die for our sins but also to give us the Father’s words. In fact, John the Baptist called Jesus “the Word” (John 1:1); he was the very communication of God. Jesus said this about his teaching: “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me” (John 7:16). And, ultimately God speaks to us through the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). God is a communicator, and man, who is made in the image of God, is a communicator as well.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
What do you think Solomon meant when he said the power of life and death is in the tongue?
Solomon understood that as people made in the image of God, we similarly have power in our tongues. We have power to create and power to destroy. We can encourage people and lift them up with our words or destroy them with our words.
Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” was very mistaken. Many people carry great hurt and pain from words spoken over them years ago. They were ugly, skinny, fat, not smart enough, not athletic enough, not social enough, etc., and that stigma stayed with them for years. In the same token, people who have had encouraging friends, family, and community typically are confident and hopeful. In fact, words spoken over people can even affect their destiny. James, the brother of Jesus, taught that even though the tongue is a small member of the body, it controls the body. It guides the body like the bit in a horse’s mouth or the rudder of a ship (cf. James 3:1-6). There is a tremendous power in our words to give life or bring death.
The power of communication is especially important in the context of marriage. By our words, we can develop a beautiful and prosperous marriage that glorifies God. And, by our words, we can destroy the very gift and mission God has given us in marriage.
In this session, we will consider principles that will enhance communication in marriage. We will study the importance of growing in knowledge of your mate, honoring and accepting gender differences, always speaking edifying words, listening to your mate, and learning to remain in Christ.
Many marriages were destined for trouble from the utterance of the words “I do.” When the couple ... more Many marriages were destined for trouble from the utterance of the words “I do.” When the couple publicly declared, “I do”, they really didn’t understand what they were committing to. They had no comprehension of what true commitment was. They entered marriage thinking that divorce was a viable option in their pursuit of self-fulfillment and happiness, or they naively thought that it could never happen to them. For many there isn’t much difference between their commitment in dating and their commitment in marriage. Marriage is just another way to express how much they love someone.
In many cultures, including the biblical culture, they practice arranged marriages, which typically has a very low divorce rate. In those cultures, “love” is more than just feelings; it means commitment. Love as a feeling will have seasons of strength and seasons where it seems to diminish totally. Marriages based primarily on one’s feelings will have the consistency of the ocean during a lunar eclipse. This is why you often hear people say, “We just fell out of love,” when divorcing, which means they lost the early feelings they had in the marriage.
In this session, we will consider love as a form of commitment. My favorite definition of love is “to give not caring what one gets in return.” Many would call this love, agape, the Greek term for God’s love for us. To agape means a married person is saying to his or her mate, “If at some point I don’t have loving feelings for you, I will still love you. If you get sick and can’t respond in love towards me, I will still love you. If you treat me unlovingly, I will still respond in love towards you.” This type of love is divine, and it is this love God originally meant to be experienced in marriages.
In this session, we will discuss God’s roles for the husband and wife in the marriage union.
W... more In this session, we will discuss God’s roles for the husband and wife in the marriage union.
Why are gender roles so important in marriage? For one, God designed marriage, and when people do not follow his design, the marriage is destined for problems. It is important for us to know and follow his design, even when it is countercultural or contrary to what we are accustomed to.
We can discern the importance of gender roles by considering the first marriage in the Garden of Eden. Gender roles was essentially the first thing Satan attacked leading to the Fall. By tempting Eve instead of Adam, Satan was manipulating her to usurp the authority God had established. The Fall happened when Adam followed Eve who was deceived by Satan (Genesis 3:1-6).
God’s original intention was for the husband to lead the marriage, which can be clearly discerned from Scripture. In this lesson, we will establish the husband’s authority by looking at the creation narrative. We will consider the perversion of gender roles as a result of the Fall, and then we will consider God’s reestablishment of the husband’s and wife’s roles by looking at other key Scripture passages.
Let’s first start with a biblical foundation for male leadership. How do we see this established in the creation story?
In this session, we will consider God’s plan for marriage as primarily seen in the Genesis narrat... more In this session, we will consider God’s plan for marriage as primarily seen in the Genesis narrative. Most married couples miss God’s best simply because they do not know what God desires for marriage. If you don’t know the purpose of something, it is destined for misuse. Therefore, over 50% of marriages end in divorce, and a large number of those who remain married continue to miss God’s purpose for their union.
Today, we will help move your marriage or future marriage in the direction God desires through studying his Word. In this session, we will consider five aspects of God’s plan for marriage.
When we open our Bibles, some might expect to find a large apologetic treatise on the existence o... more When we open our Bibles, some might expect to find a large apologetic treatise on the existence of God. It would be expected that the writers of the Bible would begin by proving and defending his existence. “These are the reasons and proofs that there is a God...” However, the Bible does not begin this way, because the Bible assumes that all mankind believes in God. Genesis begins with this: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Similarly, Paul speaks of the entire world having knowledge of God, and therefore, being without excuse for not believing in him. Romans 1:20 says this:
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.
Why does the Bible teach that every person knows that there is God? How is God revealed? What are the evidences of his existence?
The reason Scripture does not argue the existence of God is because God has made himself known to all of mankind. Theologians call God making himself known “revelation.” God has revealed himself to man, and therefore, man is without excuse for not believing in him (Romans 1:20).
Implied in the word “revelation” is the fact that God must make himself known to us. On our own, we cannot know God. Revelation must come from his initiative. Consider what Wayne Grudem says about revelation: “If we are to know God at all, it is necessary that he reveal himself to us. Even when discussing the revelation of God that comes through nature, Paul says that what can be known about God is plain to people ‘because God has shown it to them’ (Rom. 1:19).”1
In what ways has God revealed himself? There are two primary forms of revelation. The first is called general revelation, which is revelation that everybody has received. Charles Ryrie explains general revelation this way:
General revelation is exactly that—general. It is general in its scope; that is, it reaches to all people (Matt. 5:45; Acts 14:17). It is general in geography; that is, it encompasses the entire globe (Ps. 19:2). It is general in its methodology; that is, it employs universal means like the heat of the sun (vv. 4–6) and human conscience (Rom. 2:14–15). Simply because it is a revelation that affects all people wherever they are and whenever they have lived it can bring light and truth to all, or, if rejected, it brings condemnation.2
The second is specific revelation, which only some people have. Erickson defines special revelation this way: “God’s manifestation of himself to particular persons at definite times and places, enabling those persons to enter into a redemptive relationship with him.”3 We will look at both of these revelations, but we will be considering general revelation first.
What evidence is there of God's existence?
In this lesson, we will look at special revelation.... more What evidence is there of God's existence?
In this lesson, we will look at special revelation. “Whereas general revelation is available to all people generally, specific (or special) revelation is only available to specific people and at specific times and places.”1 We will be looking at six primary ways which God has chosen to reveal himself specifically to people throughout history.
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Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God’s great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights “mysteries”—truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body—including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God’s temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God’s great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let’s study the letter of Ephesians together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The people of this world knew God but turned their backs on him. They suppressed the truth of God because of their love for sin (cf. Rom 1:18, John 3:19–20). It was in this dark world that Abraham began to follow God and declare his praises. Because of his steps of faith, God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem the earth (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through Abraham, as he was the father of Israel—God’s priests—and the great grandfather of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16).
Because of Abraham’s great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7). Though our faith journey is unique, we encounter many similar trials and tribulations, joys and victories, as Abraham, and like him, we are called to be lights in a dark world that denies God (Matt 5:14–16). As we study Abraham, we learn how to faithfully live our life of faith.
Although 1 Timothy is often called a pastoral epistle, it doesn’t just speak to pastors. It speaks to all of us, because we’re all called to ministry. It instructs us on issues like combatting false teaching (Ch. 1), prayer and worship (Ch. 2), church organization (Ch. 3), the minister’s life and doctrine (Ch. 4), the mercy ministry of the church (Ch. 5), and the believer’s relationship with money (Ch. 6), among other things. It also encourages us to complete our God-given tasks, amidst various obstacles (cf. 1 Tim 1:18-19, 4:12). As we read it, we are challenged, like Timothy, to become good ministers of Christ Jesus, at a time when the church desperately needs them. Let’s study it together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Therefore, if we are going to fix the leadership crisis in our churches, our schools, our homes, and our nations, we must start with God. He is the giver of authority and leadership, and he is the one who takes them away. Therefore, the primary way that we can learn about leadership and, specifically, how to become a godly leader is by studying God’s Word. Second Timothy 3:17 says that the Word of God is useful for equipping the man of God for all righteousness. Leadership is a righteous act that Scripture is more than suitable to equip us for.
And, possibly the greatest book in the Bible that we can learn about leadership from is the book of Nehemiah. When somebody wants to learn about worship, they go to the Psalms. When somebody wants to learn about wisdom, they go to Proverbs. But where should a person go to learn about leadership? Most would say that we should go to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king of Persia, persuaded the king to support the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem (Neh 2:5) and motivated Israel to rebuild ruins that had been abandoned for more than 140 years (586 BC-445 BC). He led the rebuilding project while under the constant threat of attack by Israel’s antagonistic neighbors. He completed the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem within only fifty-two days. If this were not enough, Nehemiah demonstrated great humility and wisdom as he enabled Ezra and the Levites to help bring spiritual revival to the nation of Israel. The book of Nehemiah is a tremendous narrative on godly leadership. Let us drink deeply from it, and may God use us to be the answer to this leadership crisis in our communities and ultimately in our world today.
Purity is a raging battle that, unfortunately, many are losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, and our churches, and most importantly to honor God.
How can we keep ourselves pure? How can we win the battle for purity?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church and tells them to “avoid sexual immorality.” Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
This is startling because with many other dangers in Scripture, we don’t get such a command. In James 4:7, we are told to “resist the devil” and he will flee from us. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says that believers “wrestle” against powers and principalities which refers to demons. With Satan and demons, we resist and wrestle, but when it comes to sexual immorality, we should avoid it and flee from it.
This demonstrates how dangerous sexual immorality is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on our TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost.
It is for this reason that many stumble in this area and find themselves bound and unable to be set free. Sexual immorality is dangerous because when we commit sexual immorality, we sin against our own bodies. This sin affects one’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It can have drastic effects. It opens the door for physical disease and emotional baggage. It can even affect one’s sexual orientation. Those who have been sexually abused often grow up with perverse tendencies, whether that be towards the opposite sex or even children. Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one’s faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it.
One might ask, “If it’s so dangerous why did God create it?” When God created everything, including sex, he said it was “good.” However, when the world was perverted by sin, sex gained the potential of being destructive. In the confines of a marriage relationship—fulfilling God’s original plan—sex is good and powerful. It creates intimacy and pleasure between a husband and wife and has the ability to lead to procreation. However, outside of that, it is destructive. In fact, Romans 1 says that one of the primary results of denying God is a distorted sexuality. When a nation, a community, or a person has turned away from God, it will typically be demonstrated through pervasive sexual immorality. Romans 1:22-24 says:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (ESV)
This is what we are seeing and experiencing in today’s culture and this is why it is such a battle. The world has denied God, and therefore, sexual immorality is rampant.
Problem in Culture
This was also true for the early church including the Thessalonians. The fact that Paul calls for the Thessalonians to “learn” how to control their bodies implies that many did not know how to control the lusts of their bodies (v. 4). Thessalonica was part of Greco-Roman culture in which sex was glorified. In that culture, when worshiping the false deities, one would have sex with the priests and priestesses (religious prostitutes) of which there were thousands. This was normal family life, as sex was part of worship.
For the Greco-Roman mindset, marriage was not the primary avenue for gratifying sexual desires; it was for social advancement and to provide an heir. By unifying two families, one could climb the social ladder. Thus, a beautiful daughter was like a meal ticket for a poor family. To fulfill sexual desires, it was quite normal and acceptable for a man to have mistresses and concubines. The gratification of sexual desires was not the focus of marriage in that culture.
Also, homosexuality and bisexuality were rampant in that culture. In fact, it probably would have been considered strange for a man to prefer one sex over another. It was considered normal to enjoy both.i
Problem in Church
The pervasive sexual nature of the culture was in the church, and therefore, the Thessalonians needed to “learn” how to control their bodies. This was also true for the church of Corinth which was also part of the Greco-Roman culture. In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, the implication is that some were still having sex with temple prostitutes. Paul said this to them:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” (ESV)
In chapter 5, a man was even having sex with his father’s wife (1 Cor 5:1). The world’s sexual culture was in the church and they needed to learn how to keep their bodies pure.
Sex is also a problem for the modern day church. It is a problem for children, youth, college students, adults and even leadership, although it is rarely talked about. It is rampant. The enemy is aggressively attacking and defeating the church in this area. In the same way that sex was a problem in the early church, it is a problem for our churches.
In fact, in our culture, it may be even more pervasive. With the advent of the Internet, sex is more accessible now than in any other generation. At a person’s whim, it can be watched on his or her phone at any moment. Statistics say that 70% of men ages 18-24 watch porn and one out of three porn viewers are women. The average age for a child to first view porn is eleven years old. ii
Can we talk about sex? Can we talk about purity? If we don’t openly talk about this in the church, as Paul did, we cannot conquer it. And sadly, a lack of addressing this subject seems to reap the most consequences on our young people, who are even more susceptible to the influence of sexual culture.
The enemy is bringing a great assault against the church today in the area of purity, and sadly like the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, the church is losing. To win this battle, we must develop a battle plan. Better yet, we must adopt God’s Battle Plan in Scripture for purity. Through Scripture, God trains and equips the man of God for all righteousness—including purity (2 Tim 3:16-17). In this study, we will consider twelve strategies for victory against sexual temptation. May God thoroughly equip you to stand in this evil day. Amen.
Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of deity dwells in him. He is the Creator, the Reconciler, the Victor, the Deliverer, the Head of the body—the church! He is the Firstborn and the Hope of Glory in the saints. Colossians teaches that our relationship to him should affect every aspect of our lives including thoughts, conversations, friendships, family, and work.
This message is still relevant today as many are attacking the deity and sufficiency of Christ, both for salvation and sanctification. Let us stand in awe of the glory of Christ, as we study Paul’s letter to the Colossians with the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
The focus of this study will be biblical premarital counseling, but the principles taught will be great for married couples as well. Unlike many premarital courses, we will not be focusing on psychology but on the Bible. We will do this because we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The “good work” Scripture will prepare you for through this study is marriage. God made marriage (Gen 1:27). He ordained it; it is meant to reflect him (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, Eph 5:22-27), and he gives instructions in his Word on how it should be developed and maintained.
In this study, we will consider eight foundations for a godly marriage: God’s plan, gender roles, commitment, communication, conflict resolution, training children, finances, and intimacy. Like the foundation of any building, if there are cracks structurally, the house will have problems and may not last. As mentioned, each of these foundations will be built or restored using the Word of God. In speaking about the Christian’s life, Christ said the house built on the rock of his Word will stand (Matt 7:24-25). Certainly, this is true of marriages as well.
In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means “the highest good out of which all good flows.” Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:
Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me. Jeremiah 9:23-24
The highest pursuit in life is a deep and intimate knowledge of God, and it is from this intimate knowledge that every good thing flows. Love, joy, peace, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, and anything else that is good flows from knowing God. Let us pursue a deeper knowledge of God together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
“Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word.”
—Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by “all nations” because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are martyred every day, and more saints have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. The words of First Peter are a message of hope, desperately needed to encourage and prepare the Church for what lies ahead. Let’s journey through Peter’s letter together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Expositional, theological and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word. Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
This study could be used by pastors as an aid for sermon preparation, by small group leaders, or by any believer who wants to understand and apply God's Word personally. I can't imagine any student of Scripture not benefiting by this work. Steven J. Cole, Pastor, Flagstaff Christian Fellowship
Articles by Greg Brown
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He doesn’t actually conduct the search himself, but commissions his chief servant to do it. We don’t know for sure who the servant was because he is unnamed, but this was most likely Eliezer, who is mentioned in Genesis 15:2. He had previously been Abraham’s heir, before Abraham had a son. Eliezer’s selflessness is demonstrated as he served Isaac, even though he had lost his inheritance to him.
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, and from it we learn a great deal about finding a godly mate. Yes, in this ancient culture marriages were arranged for young people by their parents for "practical" reasons. Today, young people generally choose their own marriage partners, and do so based largely on “romantic” reasons. However, we can discern from this text that God is not bound by culture. He is involved in the selection of godly mates in any culture. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” He is the one who made and chose Eve for Adam, and he wants to guide our selection of mates today, if we will allow him. Sometimes in Scripture God tells us what to do, but other times he gives us principles to guide us. As we consider Genesis 24, we learn many great principles about finding a godly mate.
One of the purposes of Scripture is to equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17), and one of these good works is responding to death well. Many don’t like to think about death; however, death is a reality that must be considered and prepared for. And in one sense, as Christians, we should be more prepared for death than others. Hebrews 9:27 in the KJV says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Scripture teaches us to live with a view towards eternity, and in order to do that, we must realistically view and prepare for death.
In this text, we see how Abraham responded to his wife’s death, and we will, eventually, see his death as well. This is important to consider because we all will experience the loss of a loved one and ultimately our own death. And it is also important because people close to us lose loved ones. How can we prepare to minister to them and help them respond in a God-honoring way?
When Paul was confronted with the possibility of dying while imprisoned in Rome, he said this in Philippians 1:20–21:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Paul’s desire in confronting death was that Christ would be magnified through him, and it must be the same for us. How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way—a way that magnifies Christ?
As we consider both Genesis 23 and 25, two of the last narratives on Abraham, we learn principles about how to respond to death in a God-honoring way.
This is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine. People have looked at this text and called Paul a chauvinist. Others declare that this text is cultural or specific to the church in Ephesus and therefore has no bearing on church worship today.
However, if we believe Scripture is inspired, then we must accept that this is not Paul’s opinion (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). It is Divine. And as for saying this text only applies to the church of Ephesus, the problem with that is Paul says similar things to Corinth (1 Cor 14:34) and the church at Crete (Titus 1:5-9). What Paul teaches cannot be easily dismissed.
Though there is room to agree to disagree on this topic, we must all agree that understanding it and its ramifications are important. The context of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is public worship (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). If one studies worship throughout Scripture, one can clearly see how meticulous God is about worship offered to him. He gave detailed instructions to the priests and the Levites about how to offer acceptable sacrifices and festivals to him. We see several people killed or disciplined in the Old Testament because they did not follow God’s instructions for worship.
In John 4:23, Jesus said to the woman at the well that God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. Spirit refers to the heart of the worship and truth refers to alignment with scriptural truths. God doesn’t accept all worship. He rejected Cain’s offering because it didn’t come with a right heart (Gen 4). He rejected King Uzziah’s offering as he usurped the role of the priest—his worship didn’t align with truth (2 Chr 26). Again, though we can agree to disagree about the role of women in worship, we must all agree that it is important. God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. To have a right heart in worship is not enough; our worship must align with scriptural regulations.
Therefore, as we study this text, we learn more about how to offer worship that is pleasing to the Lord. The instructions in this text, though written about women, are relevant for all worshipers: How should women conduct themselves in public worship? How can we worship God in spirit and in truth?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the law including its moral and ceremonial aspects. We see this often with Seventh Day Adventist and Messianic congregations that practice festivals, customs, food restrictions, and Sabbath days. Some believe that we are no longer under the curse of the law but under its blessings, as seen in the prosperity gospel camps. They take the blessings in the law of health and wealth and declare these are the rights of believers. Some believe we are only under the moral law—referring primarily to the Ten Commandments. Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law, but we are still under the moral aspects. This is common in reformed congregations. However, others believe we are not under the Mosaic law at all, as seen in those from a dispensational background. They believe that we are no longer under the Old Testament dispensation, but under the New Testament dispensation and there is a lack of continuity between the two. The Mosaic law is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine.
The Mosaic law was also a major controversy in the early church. Soon after the founding of the church of Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas ministered, Judaizers came into the congregation teaching the need for Gentiles to practice the Mosaic law in order to be saved. However, the apostles and elders from the church of Jerusalem gave a ruling denying the need for Gentiles to practice the law (Acts 15).
The false teachers in the church of Ephesus were also abusing the law. Because of this, Paul had already removed two leaders in the church, Hymenaeus and Alexander, (1:20) and was calling Timothy to complete the work of silencing these false teachers (1:3).
As Paul finishes his exhortation to Timothy and the church of Ephesus about silencing these false teachers, he digresses to talk about the true purpose of the law. He says, “But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately” (v. 8). The NIV translates this, “if one uses it properly.” In this lesson, we will consider proper and improper uses of the law. This is important because the law has been a hotbed for controversy and false teaching from the early church till today. By understanding the proper use of the law, it will not only allow us to use it properly but help keep us from being led astray or leading others astray through the improper use of it.
Paul’s name appears three times in the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18), which supports his authorship. Unlike letters written today which give the author’s name at the end of the letter, ancient letters gave the name in the introduction. Colossians begins with “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” (1:1). Timothy did not co–author the epistle. His name is included because at its writing he accompanied Paul as his faithful disciple and “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Note that Paul includes his title as an “apostle of Christ” to show his official authority as a representative of Christ in order to address the issues happening in the church. In other letters, like Philippians or 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he simply addresses himself as Paul and sometimes adds the humble title of “servant of Christ,” which seems to reflect the gentler tone of these letters. The apostles were a select group of people who had seen Christ after his resurrection, were commissioned, and sent forth to build the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20).
Colossians shares some traits with another prison epistle. In Philemon, Paul mentions eight of the same people mentioned in the Colossians letter: Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas.1 In addition, Philemon contains evidence that Paul wrote it during his imprisonment. Many believe Paul’s fellow–servant Tychicus carried both letters to Colosse at the same time (Col. 4:7–9). This gives persuasive evidence that the apostle Paul authored Colossians.
Also, readers should note that the book of Colossians and the book of Ephesians contain many similarities. They both have a bifid format, discussing doctrine for the first couple of chapters and then turning practical. They both discuss the church as the body of Christ and Christ as the head (Eph. 1:23; 5:23; Col. 2:18–19). They share how the church has been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1) and emphasize the church’s union with Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col 1:2). They discuss the church as a mystery (Eph. 3:3, 4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). They include lengthy sections on the believer’s old man and new man (Eph. 4:21–24; Col. 3:9–10), family relationships, and the relationship between slaves and masters (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–25). In fact, it has been said that 54 of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to verses found in Colossians.2 These similarities also support Pauline authorship....
What should a Christian worker look like? As we consider this, we also must ask, “Does the way I work represent my Christian faith?”
Each person is called to work. Some work as students, some work as teachers, some work as mothers, some as businessmen, etc. Everybody works for a living. The only difference is the pay. Some don’t get paid at all, some get paid a little, and some get paid a lot. What should the Christian’s work life look like?
Often, people think of work as a bad thing. Some may even think it is a result of the fall (Gen. 3:17–18). However, work was given before the fall. It was Adam’s responsibility to till the ground and take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).
In fact, Scripture teaches that we will work in heaven. In Luke 19:17, those who are faithful with their gifts and talents on earth will be rewarded with overseeing cities in the coming kingdom.
Also, in Revelation 21:2, we see the holy city of Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the earth. Just the fact that heaven is called a city implies many characteristics about eternity. A city has commerce, business, education, and government. Heaven will not be sitting on a cloud doing nothing. It will be worshiping and serving the Lord together in the heavenly city and on the earth forever. It has always been God’s will for man to work.
Moreover, our God is a worker too! He creates and sustains the world by the power of his Word (Heb. 1:3). He is not idle! He prays for his saints in order to save them to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). We serve a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps. 121:4). He is always active in his creation.
Work is something we do here on earth and something we will also do in heaven. It is a way that we imitate God and bring honor to him. If work is something we will do throughout eternity, we must ask ourselves, “How can we work in such a way that God is glorified?”
Paul says in Colossians 3 that our relationship to work should be radically different from the world’s because of Christ. In Colossians 3:1, he starts off with, “Since you have been raised with Christ.” The Christian has a new heavenly position in Christ that should affect everything he does. In Chapter 3 he says it should affect how he thinks and the type of “clothes” he wears, in reference to one’s actions, attitudes, and priorities (vv. 8–17). It should affect his relationship with his family (vv. 18–21) and even his work. Our relationship to Christ encompasses everything in our lives, including the workplace (vv. 22–25).
It should be noted that for many Christians God has called for the workplace to be their primary mission field. It is where they will spend the most time and often where they will be around the most people. For the teacher, her mission field is her co–workers and students. For the businessman, his mission field is both his clients and co–workers. For the housewife, her mission is her husband and children.
It is in the workplace that many of us have the opportunity to spread the salt and light of Christ to the most people in an intimate way (cf. Matt. 5:13–14). For this reason, this text is very important for us.
What should the Christian’s work look like? Can people at my job tell that I am a Christian? Does the way I work honor Christ to whom I am accountable? In this lesson, we will study the Christian’s responsibility in the work place.
Big Question: What are the Christians’ responsibilities in the workplace as an employee or an employer, and how do we practically live this out in our current jobs?
What was God’s original design for the family?
Sadly, when thinking about family, many don’t have great memories. In the Scripture, there are only four chapters without sin (Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22), and therefore even the Scripture has many tragic stories about families. It shows the devastating effects of sin on the family.
Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam responded by blaming his wife. They parented two male children, and one of the sons killed the other. Abraham, God’s chosen man, married two wives, breaking God’s design, and he eventually kicked one wife and her child out of the house. Jacob married several wives like his grandfather. His twelve sons eventually sold their younger brother into slavery. David too espoused many wives and his son raped his sister. Then the daughter’s brother, Absalom, killed the son that raped her.
When we consider the biblical narrative, we see many family relationships that were broken by sin. Today’s story is no different; sin still destroys family relationships, and therefore we don’t have great models of God’s design. In fact, today we even see the effects of sin in the redefinition of marriage. In some cultures men take many wives and in others homosexual marriage is acceptable.
What is God’s design for family, and how can we have the relationships God meant us to have? Are the relationships I have with my family a proper reflection of my heavenly standing in Christ?
Often, when a person comes to Christ there isn’t much change at all, but in Colossians 3 Paul says that one’s relationship with Christ should affect everything. He begins the chapter talking about the believer’s new position in Christ. Listen to what he says: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).
When a believer was saved, he was spiritually identified with Christ. He died with Christ; he rose from the dead with Christ. He is now seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). However, this position should not simply be a mental note or point of theology for a Christian; it should radically change his life.
It should change the way a person thinks. Paul says to think on things above and not on the things of the earth (v. 2). This position in Christ should affect every thought.
It should change the “clothing” we wear. Paul tells the church to take off the old clothing of sin and put on the new clothing of righteousness, which fits our heavenly position in Christ. Put on love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, bearing with one another, etc. (vv. 5–14).
In Colossians 3:15–17, he describes the priorities of our heavenly position, the outer garments of every believer. The Christian must let the peace of Christ rule in his life. We should make every decision based on the reality of whether this decision will disrupt our peace with Christ and his body. We must let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It must be our desire to know the Word of God more daily and to allow it to overflow in our lives. We also must do everything in the name of the Lord. We must seek his glory in everything we do. These are the priorities of the heavenly citizen.
However, the questions remain, “What about our relationships? How should my position in Christ affect my family life?” In this lesson, we will see the responsibilities of the family members in God’s original design.
Big Question: What are the responsibilities of each member of the family according to Paul?
How can we become effective ministers of Christ? How can we become an effective church?
When I was in seminary taking a homiletics class, I was told to pick a pastor I would like to model in his preaching. This is not only good practice for those studying preaching, but for any type of job or ministry. We learn by modeling others and we teach by example.
As far as ministry, there may be no better model to emulate than Paul. In many ways, Paul became Christ’s greatest apostle as he reached not only Jews but also much of the Gentile world.
In fact, God was so pleased with Paul’s ministry that he chose to set him as an example in the Scriptures of somebody to imitate. First Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Philippians 3:17 says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”
Paul is a model, and his ministry should be our constant study. In this lesson, we will learn characteristics of effective ministers by studying Paul’s ministry to the Colossian church.
Big Question: What are characteristics of effective ministers as seen through the model of Paul in Colossians 1:24–29?
Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you ever struggle with what words to say or knowing if you’re praying exactly what God’s will is?
In this text, we see Paul praying God’s will for the church. We can be sure that it’s God’s will and Spirit–led because God chose to include this prayer in the Holy Scripture as an example for us.
Paul had never seen or met with this church before (cf. Col. 2:1). At the time of this writing, Paul is in prison, and it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, who previously founded this church.
Shortly after Epaphras founded the church of Colosse, a group of false teachers entered the church and caused division. From the clues in the letter, it seems that this group was influenced by Gnostic teaching. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, “to know.” They said in order for a person to be saved or in order for them to be sanctified, they had to experience supernatural knowledge. They needed new revelation.
This is very much like many of the cults and liberal Christian groups today. They teach that the revelation of Scripture is not enough. They say the Bible is either not true or we need human reason to test the writings of Scripture to see what is true. They declare the revelation of Scripture is not enough and that there is a new authoritative revelation that all must hear.
This Gnostic teaching, just like Satan in the Garden, attacked the very foundation of our faith, which is the Word of God. Because the Colossian church was experiencing this teaching, it was in great trouble. The ground of their faith had been shaken as Satan, through false teaching, attacked the gospel message and Christ specifically.
But as we look at this prayer, we learn a lot about how we should pray for God’s church, which is always being attacked from without and within. This prayer shows us how we can intercede for the body of Christ throughout the world, for believers we know and those we don’t know. The characteristics of prayer in this text will strengthen our own prayer life. Let’s look at the text and see what we can learn.
Big Question: What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer that we can discern from this passage, and how can we put them into practice?
Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God’s great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights “mysteries”—truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body—including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God’s temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God’s great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let’s study the letter of Ephesians together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
The people of this world knew God but turned their backs on him. They suppressed the truth of God because of their love for sin (cf. Rom 1:18, John 3:19–20). It was in this dark world that Abraham began to follow God and declare his praises. Because of his steps of faith, God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem the earth (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through Abraham, as he was the father of Israel—God’s priests—and the great grandfather of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16).
Because of Abraham’s great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7). Though our faith journey is unique, we encounter many similar trials and tribulations, joys and victories, as Abraham, and like him, we are called to be lights in a dark world that denies God (Matt 5:14–16). As we study Abraham, we learn how to faithfully live our life of faith.
Although 1 Timothy is often called a pastoral epistle, it doesn’t just speak to pastors. It speaks to all of us, because we’re all called to ministry. It instructs us on issues like combatting false teaching (Ch. 1), prayer and worship (Ch. 2), church organization (Ch. 3), the minister’s life and doctrine (Ch. 4), the mercy ministry of the church (Ch. 5), and the believer’s relationship with money (Ch. 6), among other things. It also encourages us to complete our God-given tasks, amidst various obstacles (cf. 1 Tim 1:18-19, 4:12). As we read it, we are challenged, like Timothy, to become good ministers of Christ Jesus, at a time when the church desperately needs them. Let’s study it together with The Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Therefore, if we are going to fix the leadership crisis in our churches, our schools, our homes, and our nations, we must start with God. He is the giver of authority and leadership, and he is the one who takes them away. Therefore, the primary way that we can learn about leadership and, specifically, how to become a godly leader is by studying God’s Word. Second Timothy 3:17 says that the Word of God is useful for equipping the man of God for all righteousness. Leadership is a righteous act that Scripture is more than suitable to equip us for.
And, possibly the greatest book in the Bible that we can learn about leadership from is the book of Nehemiah. When somebody wants to learn about worship, they go to the Psalms. When somebody wants to learn about wisdom, they go to Proverbs. But where should a person go to learn about leadership? Most would say that we should go to the book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king of Persia, persuaded the king to support the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem (Neh 2:5) and motivated Israel to rebuild ruins that had been abandoned for more than 140 years (586 BC-445 BC). He led the rebuilding project while under the constant threat of attack by Israel’s antagonistic neighbors. He completed the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem within only fifty-two days. If this were not enough, Nehemiah demonstrated great humility and wisdom as he enabled Ezra and the Levites to help bring spiritual revival to the nation of Israel. The book of Nehemiah is a tremendous narrative on godly leadership. Let us drink deeply from it, and may God use us to be the answer to this leadership crisis in our communities and ultimately in our world today.
Purity is a raging battle that, unfortunately, many are losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, and our churches, and most importantly to honor God.
How can we keep ourselves pure? How can we win the battle for purity?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church and tells them to “avoid sexual immorality.” Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul said, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
This is startling because with many other dangers in Scripture, we don’t get such a command. In James 4:7, we are told to “resist the devil” and he will flee from us. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says that believers “wrestle” against powers and principalities which refers to demons. With Satan and demons, we resist and wrestle, but when it comes to sexual immorality, we should avoid it and flee from it.
This demonstrates how dangerous sexual immorality is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on our TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost.
It is for this reason that many stumble in this area and find themselves bound and unable to be set free. Sexual immorality is dangerous because when we commit sexual immorality, we sin against our own bodies. This sin affects one’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It can have drastic effects. It opens the door for physical disease and emotional baggage. It can even affect one’s sexual orientation. Those who have been sexually abused often grow up with perverse tendencies, whether that be towards the opposite sex or even children. Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one’s faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it.
One might ask, “If it’s so dangerous why did God create it?” When God created everything, including sex, he said it was “good.” However, when the world was perverted by sin, sex gained the potential of being destructive. In the confines of a marriage relationship—fulfilling God’s original plan—sex is good and powerful. It creates intimacy and pleasure between a husband and wife and has the ability to lead to procreation. However, outside of that, it is destructive. In fact, Romans 1 says that one of the primary results of denying God is a distorted sexuality. When a nation, a community, or a person has turned away from God, it will typically be demonstrated through pervasive sexual immorality. Romans 1:22-24 says:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves (ESV)
This is what we are seeing and experiencing in today’s culture and this is why it is such a battle. The world has denied God, and therefore, sexual immorality is rampant.
Problem in Culture
This was also true for the early church including the Thessalonians. The fact that Paul calls for the Thessalonians to “learn” how to control their bodies implies that many did not know how to control the lusts of their bodies (v. 4). Thessalonica was part of Greco-Roman culture in which sex was glorified. In that culture, when worshiping the false deities, one would have sex with the priests and priestesses (religious prostitutes) of which there were thousands. This was normal family life, as sex was part of worship.
For the Greco-Roman mindset, marriage was not the primary avenue for gratifying sexual desires; it was for social advancement and to provide an heir. By unifying two families, one could climb the social ladder. Thus, a beautiful daughter was like a meal ticket for a poor family. To fulfill sexual desires, it was quite normal and acceptable for a man to have mistresses and concubines. The gratification of sexual desires was not the focus of marriage in that culture.
Also, homosexuality and bisexuality were rampant in that culture. In fact, it probably would have been considered strange for a man to prefer one sex over another. It was considered normal to enjoy both.i
Problem in Church
The pervasive sexual nature of the culture was in the church, and therefore, the Thessalonians needed to “learn” how to control their bodies. This was also true for the church of Corinth which was also part of the Greco-Roman culture. In 1 Corinthians 6:15-16, the implication is that some were still having sex with temple prostitutes. Paul said this to them:
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” (ESV)
In chapter 5, a man was even having sex with his father’s wife (1 Cor 5:1). The world’s sexual culture was in the church and they needed to learn how to keep their bodies pure.
Sex is also a problem for the modern day church. It is a problem for children, youth, college students, adults and even leadership, although it is rarely talked about. It is rampant. The enemy is aggressively attacking and defeating the church in this area. In the same way that sex was a problem in the early church, it is a problem for our churches.
In fact, in our culture, it may be even more pervasive. With the advent of the Internet, sex is more accessible now than in any other generation. At a person’s whim, it can be watched on his or her phone at any moment. Statistics say that 70% of men ages 18-24 watch porn and one out of three porn viewers are women. The average age for a child to first view porn is eleven years old. ii
Can we talk about sex? Can we talk about purity? If we don’t openly talk about this in the church, as Paul did, we cannot conquer it. And sadly, a lack of addressing this subject seems to reap the most consequences on our young people, who are even more susceptible to the influence of sexual culture.
The enemy is bringing a great assault against the church today in the area of purity, and sadly like the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, the church is losing. To win this battle, we must develop a battle plan. Better yet, we must adopt God’s Battle Plan in Scripture for purity. Through Scripture, God trains and equips the man of God for all righteousness—including purity (2 Tim 3:16-17). In this study, we will consider twelve strategies for victory against sexual temptation. May God thoroughly equip you to stand in this evil day. Amen.
Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of deity dwells in him. He is the Creator, the Reconciler, the Victor, the Deliverer, the Head of the body—the church! He is the Firstborn and the Hope of Glory in the saints. Colossians teaches that our relationship to him should affect every aspect of our lives including thoughts, conversations, friendships, family, and work.
This message is still relevant today as many are attacking the deity and sufficiency of Christ, both for salvation and sanctification. Let us stand in awe of the glory of Christ, as we study Paul’s letter to the Colossians with the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
The focus of this study will be biblical premarital counseling, but the principles taught will be great for married couples as well. Unlike many premarital courses, we will not be focusing on psychology but on the Bible. We will do this because we believe in the sufficiency of Scripture. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The “good work” Scripture will prepare you for through this study is marriage. God made marriage (Gen 1:27). He ordained it; it is meant to reflect him (cf. 1 Cor 11:3, Eph 5:22-27), and he gives instructions in his Word on how it should be developed and maintained.
In this study, we will consider eight foundations for a godly marriage: God’s plan, gender roles, commitment, communication, conflict resolution, training children, finances, and intimacy. Like the foundation of any building, if there are cracks structurally, the house will have problems and may not last. As mentioned, each of these foundations will be built or restored using the Word of God. In speaking about the Christian’s life, Christ said the house built on the rock of his Word will stand (Matt 7:24-25). Certainly, this is true of marriages as well.
In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means “the highest good out of which all good flows.” Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:
Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me. Jeremiah 9:23-24
The highest pursuit in life is a deep and intimate knowledge of God, and it is from this intimate knowledge that every good thing flows. Love, joy, peace, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, and anything else that is good flows from knowing God. Let us pursue a deeper knowledge of God together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
“Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word.”
—Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by “all nations” because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are martyred every day, and more saints have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. The words of First Peter are a message of hope, desperately needed to encourage and prepare the Church for what lies ahead. Let’s journey through Peter’s letter together with the aid of the Bible Teacher’s Guide.
Expositional, theological and candidly practical! I highly recommend the Bible Teacher’s Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God’s Word. Dr. Young-Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
This study could be used by pastors as an aid for sermon preparation, by small group leaders, or by any believer who wants to understand and apply God's Word personally. I can't imagine any student of Scripture not benefiting by this work. Steven J. Cole, Pastor, Flagstaff Christian Fellowship
In Genesis 24, we witness Abraham’s search for Isaac’s wife. He doesn’t actually conduct the search himself, but commissions his chief servant to do it. We don’t know for sure who the servant was because he is unnamed, but this was most likely Eliezer, who is mentioned in Genesis 15:2. He had previously been Abraham’s heir, before Abraham had a son. Eliezer’s selflessness is demonstrated as he served Isaac, even though he had lost his inheritance to him.
Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis, and from it we learn a great deal about finding a godly mate. Yes, in this ancient culture marriages were arranged for young people by their parents for "practical" reasons. Today, young people generally choose their own marriage partners, and do so based largely on “romantic” reasons. However, we can discern from this text that God is not bound by culture. He is involved in the selection of godly mates in any culture. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” He is the one who made and chose Eve for Adam, and he wants to guide our selection of mates today, if we will allow him. Sometimes in Scripture God tells us what to do, but other times he gives us principles to guide us. As we consider Genesis 24, we learn many great principles about finding a godly mate.
One of the purposes of Scripture is to equip the man of God for every good work (2 Tim 3:17), and one of these good works is responding to death well. Many don’t like to think about death; however, death is a reality that must be considered and prepared for. And in one sense, as Christians, we should be more prepared for death than others. Hebrews 9:27 in the KJV says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Scripture teaches us to live with a view towards eternity, and in order to do that, we must realistically view and prepare for death.
In this text, we see how Abraham responded to his wife’s death, and we will, eventually, see his death as well. This is important to consider because we all will experience the loss of a loved one and ultimately our own death. And it is also important because people close to us lose loved ones. How can we prepare to minister to them and help them respond in a God-honoring way?
When Paul was confronted with the possibility of dying while imprisoned in Rome, he said this in Philippians 1:20–21:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Paul’s desire in confronting death was that Christ would be magnified through him, and it must be the same for us. How can we respond to death in a God-honoring way—a way that magnifies Christ?
As we consider both Genesis 23 and 25, two of the last narratives on Abraham, we learn principles about how to respond to death in a God-honoring way.
This is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine. People have looked at this text and called Paul a chauvinist. Others declare that this text is cultural or specific to the church in Ephesus and therefore has no bearing on church worship today.
However, if we believe Scripture is inspired, then we must accept that this is not Paul’s opinion (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). It is Divine. And as for saying this text only applies to the church of Ephesus, the problem with that is Paul says similar things to Corinth (1 Cor 14:34) and the church at Crete (Titus 1:5-9). What Paul teaches cannot be easily dismissed.
Though there is room to agree to disagree on this topic, we must all agree that understanding it and its ramifications are important. The context of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is public worship (cf. 1 Tim 3:15). If one studies worship throughout Scripture, one can clearly see how meticulous God is about worship offered to him. He gave detailed instructions to the priests and the Levites about how to offer acceptable sacrifices and festivals to him. We see several people killed or disciplined in the Old Testament because they did not follow God’s instructions for worship.
In John 4:23, Jesus said to the woman at the well that God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. Spirit refers to the heart of the worship and truth refers to alignment with scriptural truths. God doesn’t accept all worship. He rejected Cain’s offering because it didn’t come with a right heart (Gen 4). He rejected King Uzziah’s offering as he usurped the role of the priest—his worship didn’t align with truth (2 Chr 26). Again, though we can agree to disagree about the role of women in worship, we must all agree that it is important. God desires worshipers who worship in spirit and truth. To have a right heart in worship is not enough; our worship must align with scriptural regulations.
Therefore, as we study this text, we learn more about how to offer worship that is pleasing to the Lord. The instructions in this text, though written about women, are relevant for all worshipers: How should women conduct themselves in public worship? How can we worship God in spirit and in truth?
Some Christians believe that we are still under the law including its moral and ceremonial aspects. We see this often with Seventh Day Adventist and Messianic congregations that practice festivals, customs, food restrictions, and Sabbath days. Some believe that we are no longer under the curse of the law but under its blessings, as seen in the prosperity gospel camps. They take the blessings in the law of health and wealth and declare these are the rights of believers. Some believe we are only under the moral law—referring primarily to the Ten Commandments. Christ fulfilled the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law, but we are still under the moral aspects. This is common in reformed congregations. However, others believe we are not under the Mosaic law at all, as seen in those from a dispensational background. They believe that we are no longer under the Old Testament dispensation, but under the New Testament dispensation and there is a lack of continuity between the two. The Mosaic law is one of the most controversial subjects in Christian doctrine.
The Mosaic law was also a major controversy in the early church. Soon after the founding of the church of Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas ministered, Judaizers came into the congregation teaching the need for Gentiles to practice the Mosaic law in order to be saved. However, the apostles and elders from the church of Jerusalem gave a ruling denying the need for Gentiles to practice the law (Acts 15).
The false teachers in the church of Ephesus were also abusing the law. Because of this, Paul had already removed two leaders in the church, Hymenaeus and Alexander, (1:20) and was calling Timothy to complete the work of silencing these false teachers (1:3).
As Paul finishes his exhortation to Timothy and the church of Ephesus about silencing these false teachers, he digresses to talk about the true purpose of the law. He says, “But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately” (v. 8). The NIV translates this, “if one uses it properly.” In this lesson, we will consider proper and improper uses of the law. This is important because the law has been a hotbed for controversy and false teaching from the early church till today. By understanding the proper use of the law, it will not only allow us to use it properly but help keep us from being led astray or leading others astray through the improper use of it.
Paul’s name appears three times in the letter (1:1, 23; 4:18), which supports his authorship. Unlike letters written today which give the author’s name at the end of the letter, ancient letters gave the name in the introduction. Colossians begins with “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother” (1:1). Timothy did not co–author the epistle. His name is included because at its writing he accompanied Paul as his faithful disciple and “son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2). Note that Paul includes his title as an “apostle of Christ” to show his official authority as a representative of Christ in order to address the issues happening in the church. In other letters, like Philippians or 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he simply addresses himself as Paul and sometimes adds the humble title of “servant of Christ,” which seems to reflect the gentler tone of these letters. The apostles were a select group of people who had seen Christ after his resurrection, were commissioned, and sent forth to build the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20).
Colossians shares some traits with another prison epistle. In Philemon, Paul mentions eight of the same people mentioned in the Colossians letter: Timothy, Aristarchus, Archippus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, Onesimus, and Demas.1 In addition, Philemon contains evidence that Paul wrote it during his imprisonment. Many believe Paul’s fellow–servant Tychicus carried both letters to Colosse at the same time (Col. 4:7–9). This gives persuasive evidence that the apostle Paul authored Colossians.
Also, readers should note that the book of Colossians and the book of Ephesians contain many similarities. They both have a bifid format, discussing doctrine for the first couple of chapters and then turning practical. They both discuss the church as the body of Christ and Christ as the head (Eph. 1:23; 5:23; Col. 2:18–19). They share how the church has been raised with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1) and emphasize the church’s union with Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col 1:2). They discuss the church as a mystery (Eph. 3:3, 4, 9; Col. 2:2; 4:3). They include lengthy sections on the believer’s old man and new man (Eph. 4:21–24; Col. 3:9–10), family relationships, and the relationship between slaves and masters (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–25). In fact, it has been said that 54 of the 155 verses in Ephesians are similar to verses found in Colossians.2 These similarities also support Pauline authorship....
What should a Christian worker look like? As we consider this, we also must ask, “Does the way I work represent my Christian faith?”
Each person is called to work. Some work as students, some work as teachers, some work as mothers, some as businessmen, etc. Everybody works for a living. The only difference is the pay. Some don’t get paid at all, some get paid a little, and some get paid a lot. What should the Christian’s work life look like?
Often, people think of work as a bad thing. Some may even think it is a result of the fall (Gen. 3:17–18). However, work was given before the fall. It was Adam’s responsibility to till the ground and take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).
In fact, Scripture teaches that we will work in heaven. In Luke 19:17, those who are faithful with their gifts and talents on earth will be rewarded with overseeing cities in the coming kingdom.
Also, in Revelation 21:2, we see the holy city of Jerusalem coming out of heaven to the earth. Just the fact that heaven is called a city implies many characteristics about eternity. A city has commerce, business, education, and government. Heaven will not be sitting on a cloud doing nothing. It will be worshiping and serving the Lord together in the heavenly city and on the earth forever. It has always been God’s will for man to work.
Moreover, our God is a worker too! He creates and sustains the world by the power of his Word (Heb. 1:3). He is not idle! He prays for his saints in order to save them to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25). We serve a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers (Ps. 121:4). He is always active in his creation.
Work is something we do here on earth and something we will also do in heaven. It is a way that we imitate God and bring honor to him. If work is something we will do throughout eternity, we must ask ourselves, “How can we work in such a way that God is glorified?”
Paul says in Colossians 3 that our relationship to work should be radically different from the world’s because of Christ. In Colossians 3:1, he starts off with, “Since you have been raised with Christ.” The Christian has a new heavenly position in Christ that should affect everything he does. In Chapter 3 he says it should affect how he thinks and the type of “clothes” he wears, in reference to one’s actions, attitudes, and priorities (vv. 8–17). It should affect his relationship with his family (vv. 18–21) and even his work. Our relationship to Christ encompasses everything in our lives, including the workplace (vv. 22–25).
It should be noted that for many Christians God has called for the workplace to be their primary mission field. It is where they will spend the most time and often where they will be around the most people. For the teacher, her mission field is her co–workers and students. For the businessman, his mission field is both his clients and co–workers. For the housewife, her mission is her husband and children.
It is in the workplace that many of us have the opportunity to spread the salt and light of Christ to the most people in an intimate way (cf. Matt. 5:13–14). For this reason, this text is very important for us.
What should the Christian’s work look like? Can people at my job tell that I am a Christian? Does the way I work honor Christ to whom I am accountable? In this lesson, we will study the Christian’s responsibility in the work place.
Big Question: What are the Christians’ responsibilities in the workplace as an employee or an employer, and how do we practically live this out in our current jobs?
What was God’s original design for the family?
Sadly, when thinking about family, many don’t have great memories. In the Scripture, there are only four chapters without sin (Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22), and therefore even the Scripture has many tragic stories about families. It shows the devastating effects of sin on the family.
Adam and Eve sinned, and Adam responded by blaming his wife. They parented two male children, and one of the sons killed the other. Abraham, God’s chosen man, married two wives, breaking God’s design, and he eventually kicked one wife and her child out of the house. Jacob married several wives like his grandfather. His twelve sons eventually sold their younger brother into slavery. David too espoused many wives and his son raped his sister. Then the daughter’s brother, Absalom, killed the son that raped her.
When we consider the biblical narrative, we see many family relationships that were broken by sin. Today’s story is no different; sin still destroys family relationships, and therefore we don’t have great models of God’s design. In fact, today we even see the effects of sin in the redefinition of marriage. In some cultures men take many wives and in others homosexual marriage is acceptable.
What is God’s design for family, and how can we have the relationships God meant us to have? Are the relationships I have with my family a proper reflection of my heavenly standing in Christ?
Often, when a person comes to Christ there isn’t much change at all, but in Colossians 3 Paul says that one’s relationship with Christ should affect everything. He begins the chapter talking about the believer’s new position in Christ. Listen to what he says: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1).
When a believer was saved, he was spiritually identified with Christ. He died with Christ; he rose from the dead with Christ. He is now seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). However, this position should not simply be a mental note or point of theology for a Christian; it should radically change his life.
It should change the way a person thinks. Paul says to think on things above and not on the things of the earth (v. 2). This position in Christ should affect every thought.
It should change the “clothing” we wear. Paul tells the church to take off the old clothing of sin and put on the new clothing of righteousness, which fits our heavenly position in Christ. Put on love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, bearing with one another, etc. (vv. 5–14).
In Colossians 3:15–17, he describes the priorities of our heavenly position, the outer garments of every believer. The Christian must let the peace of Christ rule in his life. We should make every decision based on the reality of whether this decision will disrupt our peace with Christ and his body. We must let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. It must be our desire to know the Word of God more daily and to allow it to overflow in our lives. We also must do everything in the name of the Lord. We must seek his glory in everything we do. These are the priorities of the heavenly citizen.
However, the questions remain, “What about our relationships? How should my position in Christ affect my family life?” In this lesson, we will see the responsibilities of the family members in God’s original design.
Big Question: What are the responsibilities of each member of the family according to Paul?
How can we become effective ministers of Christ? How can we become an effective church?
When I was in seminary taking a homiletics class, I was told to pick a pastor I would like to model in his preaching. This is not only good practice for those studying preaching, but for any type of job or ministry. We learn by modeling others and we teach by example.
As far as ministry, there may be no better model to emulate than Paul. In many ways, Paul became Christ’s greatest apostle as he reached not only Jews but also much of the Gentile world.
In fact, God was so pleased with Paul’s ministry that he chose to set him as an example in the Scriptures of somebody to imitate. First Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Philippians 3:17 says, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”
Paul is a model, and his ministry should be our constant study. In this lesson, we will learn characteristics of effective ministers by studying Paul’s ministry to the Colossian church.
Big Question: What are characteristics of effective ministers as seen through the model of Paul in Colossians 1:24–29?
Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you ever struggle with what words to say or knowing if you’re praying exactly what God’s will is?
In this text, we see Paul praying God’s will for the church. We can be sure that it’s God’s will and Spirit–led because God chose to include this prayer in the Holy Scripture as an example for us.
Paul had never seen or met with this church before (cf. Col. 2:1). At the time of this writing, Paul is in prison, and it was one of his disciples, Epaphras, who previously founded this church.
Shortly after Epaphras founded the church of Colosse, a group of false teachers entered the church and caused division. From the clues in the letter, it seems that this group was influenced by Gnostic teaching. The word gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, “to know.” They said in order for a person to be saved or in order for them to be sanctified, they had to experience supernatural knowledge. They needed new revelation.
This is very much like many of the cults and liberal Christian groups today. They teach that the revelation of Scripture is not enough. They say the Bible is either not true or we need human reason to test the writings of Scripture to see what is true. They declare the revelation of Scripture is not enough and that there is a new authoritative revelation that all must hear.
This Gnostic teaching, just like Satan in the Garden, attacked the very foundation of our faith, which is the Word of God. Because the Colossian church was experiencing this teaching, it was in great trouble. The ground of their faith had been shaken as Satan, through false teaching, attacked the gospel message and Christ specifically.
But as we look at this prayer, we learn a lot about how we should pray for God’s church, which is always being attacked from without and within. This prayer shows us how we can intercede for the body of Christ throughout the world, for believers we know and those we don’t know. The characteristics of prayer in this text will strengthen our own prayer life. Let’s look at the text and see what we can learn.
Big Question: What are characteristics of Spirit–led prayer that we can discern from this passage, and how can we put them into practice?
How do we live a mission-driven life?
Often, when people prepare for a mission trip, they start going through rigorous training. They have days devoted to prayer, days of fasting, days of studying the Word of God, etc., to prepare. However, the reality is we are always on mission; people around us always need to be ministered to. Therefore, we should always be living a mission-centered life wherever God has placed us. Essentially, there should be no change when we go on a mission trip because we are already breathing mission—breathing the kingdom of God.
In this text, Paul is calling the Colossians, and therefore us, to live a mission-centered life. We see this call in his encouragement for them to partner in his ministry through praying for open doors and his preaching of the Word of God. Also, he encourages them to be wise in the way they “act toward outsiders” (Col. 4:5). He is essentially calling these Christians to be missional in their daily lives.
It should be noted, most Christians are not called to leave home and go to other nations in order to do missions. God places Christians in a family, a company, a school, or a workplace to be a light to the world (Matt. 5:14). The Scripture is full of people whom God placed in what might seem to be a “secular position” in order to be missional. We saw this with Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. We are all called to live a mission-driven life, whether at home or abroad.
A missional Christian is a Christian whose focus is seeing the kingdom of God come. They are not distracted from this aim by their schoolwork, their job, or their family life. They realize that God has placed them on this earth for a purpose, and that purpose is to be mission-centered. Right before Christ ascended into heaven, he said this to his disciples:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19–20).
The missional Christian understands that God has sent them to make disciples and the world is their mission field. Wherever they are placed, they realize it is their call to be actively involved in the great commission.
As Paul is finishing up his letter to the Colossians, he leaves them with a few missional exhortations. He exhorts them in their prayer life, their daily conduct, and their conversations. These are three areas in which we must daily pursue the work of missions.
Big Question: What are characteristics of the mission-driven life and how can we develop them?
Marriage should be the most intimate relationship anybody experiences in life. It should be more intimate than a friendship, a mother-daughter relationship, a father-son relationship, a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, etc. But sadly, many couples often feel distant and alone in marriage.
Because man is body, soul, and spirit (cf. 1 Thess 5:23, Heb 4:12), married couples must cultivate each aspect of their being in order to develop intimacy. They must cultivate their friendship (soul), their sexuality (body), and their spirituality (spirit) in marriage. If one aspect of this tri-unity is missing, couples will lack the intimacy God desires. Therefore, all three must be continually cultivated.
How should married couples develop these three aspects of intimacy?
Financial stress is one of the top reasons for marital conflict and divorce. This was never God’s will. It was God’s will for finances to be a source of blessing and a door for his overflowing grace in each marriage (cf. 1 Cor 9:6-11). But to be faithful and reap the blessings of God, couples must understand and follow God’s plan for their finances.
How can couples practice financial faithfulness in marriage?
Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
But how is this accomplished? Obviously, the only perfect model of parenting is God the Father, and therefore, as we look at him and his Word, we can discern principles about raising godly children.
Conflict is, essentially, part of human nature. After Adam sinned in the Garden, conflict ensued. When God asked him if he had eaten of the forbidden tree, he did not simply say, “Yes.” He said, “The woman you gave me, gave me the fruit and I did eat.” He indirectly blamed God and directly blamed the woman. The woman then blamed the serpent. When sin entered the world, so did conflict. In fact, God said that one of the results of sin would be conflict between the man and the woman. The wife would desire to control the husband and the husband would try to dominate the woman by force (Gen 3:16).
As we go throughout the biblical narrative, we continually see the fruit of sin displayed in conflict. In Genesis 4, Cain killed his brother Abel. In the same chapter, Cain’s son, Lamech, killed another man and boasted about it. In Genesis 6, the world was full of “violence,” and God decided to wipe out its inhabitants through the flood. However, the flood didn’t change the nature of man, and therefore, conflict has continued throughout history. The world has known no time without war or conflict, and unfortunately, marriages are not exempt.
Paul taught that one of the fruits of the flesh, our sin nature, is “discord” (Gal 5:20). We are prone to offend others, to be offended, to hate, to withhold forgiveness, and to divide. Sadly, all these fruits are prone to blossom within the marriage union. Couples should be aware of this, and therefore, prepare to resolve conflict in marriage. How should couples resolve conflict in marriage?
The Bible teaches us a great deal about communication, since God, the author of the Bible, is a communicator. When he created the heavens and the earth, he did it by communicating. He said, “Let there be light.” In fact, through nature he speaks to us every day. David said this:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4
God speaks to us through nature, telling us of his great glory and splendor. He also speaks to us through his Son, who came to the earth not only to die for our sins but also to give us the Father’s words. In fact, John the Baptist called Jesus “the Word” (John 1:1); he was the very communication of God. Jesus said this about his teaching: “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me” (John 7:16). And, ultimately God speaks to us through the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). God is a communicator, and man, who is made in the image of God, is a communicator as well.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
What do you think Solomon meant when he said the power of life and death is in the tongue?
Solomon understood that as people made in the image of God, we similarly have power in our tongues. We have power to create and power to destroy. We can encourage people and lift them up with our words or destroy them with our words.
Whoever said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” was very mistaken. Many people carry great hurt and pain from words spoken over them years ago. They were ugly, skinny, fat, not smart enough, not athletic enough, not social enough, etc., and that stigma stayed with them for years. In the same token, people who have had encouraging friends, family, and community typically are confident and hopeful. In fact, words spoken over people can even affect their destiny. James, the brother of Jesus, taught that even though the tongue is a small member of the body, it controls the body. It guides the body like the bit in a horse’s mouth or the rudder of a ship (cf. James 3:1-6). There is a tremendous power in our words to give life or bring death.
The power of communication is especially important in the context of marriage. By our words, we can develop a beautiful and prosperous marriage that glorifies God. And, by our words, we can destroy the very gift and mission God has given us in marriage.
In this session, we will consider principles that will enhance communication in marriage. We will study the importance of growing in knowledge of your mate, honoring and accepting gender differences, always speaking edifying words, listening to your mate, and learning to remain in Christ.
In many cultures, including the biblical culture, they practice arranged marriages, which typically has a very low divorce rate. In those cultures, “love” is more than just feelings; it means commitment. Love as a feeling will have seasons of strength and seasons where it seems to diminish totally. Marriages based primarily on one’s feelings will have the consistency of the ocean during a lunar eclipse. This is why you often hear people say, “We just fell out of love,” when divorcing, which means they lost the early feelings they had in the marriage.
In this session, we will consider love as a form of commitment. My favorite definition of love is “to give not caring what one gets in return.” Many would call this love, agape, the Greek term for God’s love for us. To agape means a married person is saying to his or her mate, “If at some point I don’t have loving feelings for you, I will still love you. If you get sick and can’t respond in love towards me, I will still love you. If you treat me unlovingly, I will still respond in love towards you.” This type of love is divine, and it is this love God originally meant to be experienced in marriages.
Why are gender roles so important in marriage? For one, God designed marriage, and when people do not follow his design, the marriage is destined for problems. It is important for us to know and follow his design, even when it is countercultural or contrary to what we are accustomed to.
We can discern the importance of gender roles by considering the first marriage in the Garden of Eden. Gender roles was essentially the first thing Satan attacked leading to the Fall. By tempting Eve instead of Adam, Satan was manipulating her to usurp the authority God had established. The Fall happened when Adam followed Eve who was deceived by Satan (Genesis 3:1-6).
God’s original intention was for the husband to lead the marriage, which can be clearly discerned from Scripture. In this lesson, we will establish the husband’s authority by looking at the creation narrative. We will consider the perversion of gender roles as a result of the Fall, and then we will consider God’s reestablishment of the husband’s and wife’s roles by looking at other key Scripture passages.
Let’s first start with a biblical foundation for male leadership. How do we see this established in the creation story?
Today, we will help move your marriage or future marriage in the direction God desires through studying his Word. In this session, we will consider five aspects of God’s plan for marriage.
Similarly, Paul speaks of the entire world having knowledge of God, and therefore, being without excuse for not believing in him. Romans 1:20 says this:
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.
Why does the Bible teach that every person knows that there is God? How is God revealed? What are the evidences of his existence?
The reason Scripture does not argue the existence of God is because God has made himself known to all of mankind. Theologians call God making himself known “revelation.” God has revealed himself to man, and therefore, man is without excuse for not believing in him (Romans 1:20).
Implied in the word “revelation” is the fact that God must make himself known to us. On our own, we cannot know God. Revelation must come from his initiative. Consider what Wayne Grudem says about revelation: “If we are to know God at all, it is necessary that he reveal himself to us. Even when discussing the revelation of God that comes through nature, Paul says that what can be known about God is plain to people ‘because God has shown it to them’ (Rom. 1:19).”1
In what ways has God revealed himself? There are two primary forms of revelation. The first is called general revelation, which is revelation that everybody has received. Charles Ryrie explains general revelation this way:
General revelation is exactly that—general. It is general in its scope; that is, it reaches to all people (Matt. 5:45; Acts 14:17). It is general in geography; that is, it encompasses the entire globe (Ps. 19:2). It is general in its methodology; that is, it employs universal means like the heat of the sun (vv. 4–6) and human conscience (Rom. 2:14–15). Simply because it is a revelation that affects all people wherever they are and whenever they have lived it can bring light and truth to all, or, if rejected, it brings condemnation.2
The second is specific revelation, which only some people have. Erickson defines special revelation this way: “God’s manifestation of himself to particular persons at definite times and places, enabling those persons to enter into a redemptive relationship with him.”3 We will look at both of these revelations, but we will be considering general revelation first.
In this lesson, we will look at special revelation. “Whereas general revelation is available to all people generally, specific (or special) revelation is only available to specific people and at specific times and places.”1 We will be looking at six primary ways which God has chosen to reveal himself specifically to people throughout history.