Monthly Archives: December 2018

Daily Bible Study

January 1, 2019 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Happy New Year!

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 1-3.

There are three stories in today’s passage: two different, unrelated, stories about creation and one story about original sin.  The first story contains a few points that I want to bring out today.  God made mankind in His own image.  We were given the ability to be more than slaves to our physical wants and needs.  As part of that, He gave us dominion over the rest of Creation.  That does not mean that we may destroy and kil purely for our own enjoyment.  Instead, God gave us dominion over the earth in order to manage it and care for it.  Just as God tells us that the job of being a leader of people is to serve the needs of those being lead, so having dominion over the earth means serving the interests of those things over which we have dominion (what that means is more involved than I want to go into at this time).  The final point I want to mention is that this first story of creation establishes the week as the basis for scheduling human activity and the fact that we need one day of rest out of seven.

The second story of creation is about the creation of humankind. We can discuss the meanings of the elements of this story in many ways. However, I believe that the most important meaning from this story is that men and women were created to be complimentary to each other and that marriage was created by God as a unique kind of partnership between a man and a woman. The nature of this unique partnership stems from the distinct differences between men and women. I think that I am on solid ground drawing this conclusion, since Jesus Himself referenced this passage when discussing marriage and divorce.

The third story is directly connected to the second story and may not truly be a separate story, but it makes a separate point. In this story, when Adam and Eve sinned, God did not reject them, they withdrew from God. God came looking for them as He had every previous day, but this time they hid from Him. God still comes looking for us, because of our sin our natural reaction is to hide from God. Just as God made clothes to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness, so He sent Jesus to cover our sin. If we accept the covering which God has given us we can walk with Him once more.

Daily Bible Study

December 31, 2018 Bible Study — There Is a Lake of Fire, Faith In Christ Is the Only Way to Avoid It

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 20-22.

So, we end the year with the last portion of the Book of Revelation, where John writes that the day will soon come when Jesus will rule over all the earth.  Those who suffered for their faith in Him will rule with Him.  Then Satan and all who have joined him in rejecting God’s salvation will be cast into the fiery lake.  Everyone will come before God to be judged according to their actions and thrown into the lake of fire, unless their names are written in the Book of Life.  Death and the grave, which I take to mean entropy, will be cast into the lake of fire as well.  Those whose names were written in the Book of Life will never experience disease or decay again for the curse of sin will be removed.

John writes that Jesus is coming soon and that there is an open invitation to anyone who desires to come to Him.   The Holy Spirit issues an open invitation to each one of use to drink from the water of life which is faith in Jesus.  Each of us who have accepted that invitation should extend it to everyone we encounter.  The end of the Book of Revelation contains two requests which those who follow Christ should also request.  The first is a request to all to come to Jesus and put their faith in Him.  The second is a request that Jesus return.  It is my deepest desire that all put their faith in Jesus and that He return as soon as all who will possibly do so have done so.

Daily Bible Study

December 30, 2018 Bible Study — The Fall of Babylon

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 17-19.

Next in John’s vision is a woman sitting on the seven headed beast.  He writes that the seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills from which the woman rules.  John, and his first readers, would have understood this to mean that the woman was the city of Rome.  Perhaps Rome will once more rise to world dominance, or perhaps this will prove to be figurative.  Or, perhaps this was fulfilled with the fall of Rome many centuries ago.   

 

John writes that in addition to representing the hills from which the woman rules, the heads represent those who rule over that city, as do the ten horns.  What struck me today is that he then tells us that these rulers hate the woman.  Those who rule over “Babylon” will be the ones who bring about her destruction.  This has been true of many great nations throughout history.  A careful study of the fall of Rome reveals that Rome fell more because of the actions of her rulers than because of external actors. 

John writes that he heard a voice telling God’s people to come away from this great city and to not take part in her sins.  I am convinced that this admonition is directed at those of us living today.  We must be careful not to take part in the sins of the nations in which we live.  Time and again throughout history great nations have built their wealth by oppressing others.  If we live in such a nation (and if you are reading this, to one degree or another, you do), we must strive so that we do not acquire wealth through the oppression of others.  And we must strive to use whatever wealth we do acquire to help those who are suffering.

Daily Bible Study

December 29, 2018 Bible Study — The Rise of the beasts

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 13-16.

John describes a great beast which will arise and rule over the entire earth.  This beast was given power by the “dragon”, which was the devil.  As a result of this power it survived and healed from a wound which appeared to be fatal.     People from all over the world will worship the beast and the dragon which gave it power.  The beast will blaspheme against God and against heaven.  It will wage war on God’s people.  A second beast will arise and exercise the power of the first beast.  This second beast will perform miracles in the name of the first beast.  It will commission a statue of the first beast to which it will give the power of speech.   The second beast will require everyone to have a number written on their hand or on their forehead in order for them to buy or sell anything.

 

As I read all of this passage, I wondered if John’s vision referred to a specific future event, or if it was a figurative description of history from John’s time until Christ’s Second Coming.  I struggle with writing this entry because for the most part, John’s Apocalyptic visions do not speak to me.

Having written the previous, I went back to the passage one more time for something to wrap up this entry.  Whereupon I read the part where God sent the Seven Plagues upon the earth.  The terrible plagues John describes seem to me to be the natural result of the behaviors of those who worshiped the beasts.  More importantly, rather than respond to their suffering by turning to God, the victims of these plagues cursed God and dedicated themselves more fully to service to the beasts.  That speaks to me because it is behavior I see all too often.  Time and again I see people double down on the sins which have caused their misery rather than repent and turn to God.

Daily Bible Study

December 28, 2018 Bible Study — Some people will reject God, no matter what

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 9-12.

As the fifth and sixth trumpets sound, each announces a new terror upon the earth.   There is significance to John’s descriptions of the first and second terror, but what I find most telling is that John writes that those who did not die also di not turn from their evil deeds.  Watching the world around me, I see the mindset which leads to such behavior.  In the 1980s, when the AIDS crisis first reared its ugly head and little was known about how it was transmitted, people resisted the idea that people should avoid the behaviors which had been shown to turn the chance of contracting the disease from improbable to likely.  I use that as an example, yet I see people do the same thing on a smaller scale with other things as well: they are unwilling to turn from their sins to God even when the terrible consequences of their sins are obvious.<br>

Between the sixth and seventh trumpets, John recounts an episode which is clearly influenced by the writings of Ezekiel.  First John was given a scroll to eat, which was sweet in his mouth but, unlike the scroll which Ezekiel ate in his vision, sour in his stomach.  Then, also reminiscent of Ezekiel, John measured the Temple.  Neither of these similar elements are intended to mean the same thing as they did in Ezekiel, just as the four horsemen earlier in this letter did not carry the same meaning as the four horsemen in Ezekiel.  Rather they borrow symbolism from those earlier uses to give them deeper symbolic meaning than another image might convey. 

Daily Bible Study

December 27, 2018 Bible Study — A vision with symbolism galore

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 4-8.

I always struggle with what to make of the vision which John describes here.  It is filled with symbolism from beginning to end, but I am unclear what many of the symbols mean.  Many people strive to interpret it as a prophecy regarding the end of the world, but today’s passage does not seem to me to be that.  Rather, it seems to be a vision concerning the state of the spiritual world as it exists today.

John starts with the description of God’s throne room. The glory and majesty of the throne and all around it are overwhelming.  I am sure there is meaningful symbolism in the emerald glow which surrounds God’s throne, but I do not know what it is.   Then we have the 24 thrones with the 24 elders sitting upon them.  I am sure that the fact that 24 is twice 12 is part of the significance of that number, with 12 being the number of the tribes of Israel and the number of the Apostles…and that may be why 24.

Then we have the presentation of the scroll.  There was no one in all of heaven and earth who was worthy to open the scroll until Jesus died and was raised from the dead.  Here once again John tells us that Jesus and God are One, yet different:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Blessing and honor and glory and power
    belong to the one sitting on the throne
    and to the Lamb forever and ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Jesus and God are equally deserving of glory and honor and power. In addition, John describes how the living beings and the elders worshiped the Lamb in the same manner which they worshiped the One seated on the throne.

 

Traditionally, the four horsemen are interpreted as riding forth together.  Yet, as I read it today they seem to ride forth successively.  First, the white horse rides out to win battles and gain the victory.  After that, the red horse rider rides out to bring war to all of the earth.  The third and fourth riders naturally follow after the second.  Widespread famine and hardship follows where there is war and battle.  Famine leads to disease and death.  

Which brings me to one of the messages in this passage which I do understand.  The rich and powerful believe that they are sheltered from the coming destruction.  John’s vision tells us that only those who are faithful to God will be sheltered, and even they will experience suffering.

This entry is longer than I prefer, but I need to cover this last piece of the passage.  After the seventh seal is broken, John’s vision begins to truly enter into a description of the end times.  I am unsure how much of this describes distinct events and how much of this is figurative about those days.  However, John describes how at the end of time seven trumpets will sound, one at a time.  As each trumpet sounds disaster will strike Creation.   It will be a time of great terror, but John reminded us just before he started describing this that those who put their faith in God can be sure of how it will end.

 

 

 

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2018 Bible Study — Have we lost our enthusiasm for the Lord?

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 1-3.

In the introduction to his letter to the seven Churches of Asia (Asia Minor), John gives us a description of God and Jesus which shows us that they are One.  Yet, despite being One, they are different.  God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  Jesus is the First and the Last, the Living One who died but is alive for eternity.  Both of them are the One who <strong>IS</strong>, who <strong>ALWAYS WAS</strong>, and who <strong>IS STILL TO COME</strong>.  I can think of no way to easily express better that for God time is no constraint.  He is present both at the beginning and at the end (not “was present” and “will be present”), and at every point in between.  Yet, He understands the passage of time.

Often times I have seen people talk or write that each of the seven Churches represent archetypes of Church, “which one is YOUR congregation?”  However, I realized today that there is only three types listed here.  There are variations between those that fall into each of these categories, but only three categories.  There are three Churches which have lost their enthusiasm: Ephesus, Sardis, and Laodicea.  There are two Churches which tolerate false teachers: Pergamum and Thyatira.  And there are two Churches which are faithful in the face of opposition:  Smyrna and Philadelphia.

I think it is worth looking at the Churches which have lost their enthusiasm in more detail.  Laodicea is neither an enthusiastic, energetic group who strive to get everyone excited, nor a solid, pragmatic group which sees it through to the end.  Sardis is living in the past.  They have a reputation for doing good things, but they are not doing them anymore.  They are just going through the motions.  Finally, Ephesus is still doing good things, but has lost the love which motivated them in the first place.  They no longer act out of love, just routine. 

Daily Bible Study

December 25, 2018 Bible Study — Three takes on loving others in the face of false teaching

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Merry Christmas!

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

How appropriate that 2 John is part of the reading for Christmas Day, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  John writes that we should have nothing to do with those who teach that Jesus never had a physical body.  The context here makes clear that he is referring to those who claim to be followers of Christ and teach that Jesus was purely a spiritual being, or that He was merely an ideal with no actual physical existence.    No matter how good and beneficial we may find the rest of their teaching we should not support their preaching in any manner.  Interestingly enough, John writes that following God’s command to love one another will lead us directly to avoiding such people.<br>

In his third letter, John writes that we should be hospitable to and support those who travel around teaching the Gospel.  The context makes it clear that John is referring to those who follow the example of Paul, traveling around and preaching the Gospel to nonbelievers.  In addition to encouraging those to whom he is writing for their faithfulness in supporting such preachers, John condemns a local Church leader who actively opposes those who travel around preaching to nonbelievers.   In his second letter, John wrote that we should have nothing to do with those who preach a false Gospel, but here in his third letter he makes clear that does not apply to those who preach true Gospel.  In many ways, it would be more elegant if these two letters were reversed.<br>

Jude writes an explicit condemnation of those who teach that God’s grace means that we can live immoral lives without concern.  He writes that such people’s only concern is their own desire.  They are not seeking to better others, but to satisfy themselves.  They tell us repeatedly how wonderful they themselves are and use flattery to convince others to go along with their teaching.  Such teachers cause division by demeaning those who question their teaching while offering flattery to those who are still trying to discern the truth of what they say.  If we wish to be faithful to Christ, we should, on the other hand, build up those whose faith we perceive as weak or wavering, encouraging them to more closely follow God’s truth.

Daily Bible Study

December 24, 2018 Bible Study — Sin is contrary to love

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 John 1-5.

John tells us that he wrote this letter so that we will not sin.  However, he also tells us that if we do sin, Jesus will act as our mediator with God and plead our case with Him so that we receive God’s mercy.    Further, John reminds us that each and everyone of us has sinned, and probably will again.   He makes the important point that, even though we will probably sin in the future, those who follow God do not make a practice of sinning.   If we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us, but that does not mean that we can sin with impunity.  As we continue to sin we turn ourselves over the devil as his possessions.  It is only by seeking to live righteously by the power of the Holy Spirit that we become God’s possessions.  <br>

John wrote that the key to living righteously is to love our fellow believers.  It is not enough to say that we love them, our actions must show it.  If we have enough to live well and do not help those who do not, we do not truly love them.  I believe that John makes it clear that providing for the material needs of those unable to do so for themselves is just the starting point of showing our love for others.  John tells us that as we grow in the love which God has given us we will cease to fear.

I want to bring up one final point that John makes in this letter.  God hears us when we ask Him for things that please Him, and will grant those requests.  The more we act in love for those around us, the more our requests of God will please Him and the more we will see His power expressed in this world in answer to our prayers.

 

Daily Bible Study

December 23, 2018 Bible Study

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Peter 1-3.

Peter gives us a short and easy guide for how we should live our lives in chapter 1 verses 5 to 9. I use the NIV for this because it seems slightly more concise.  Peter reiterates what James and Paul have said elsewhere; having faith is not enough.  Our faith must inspire us to action.  In particular, Peter tells us that our faith should lead us to be good.  Or, as he puts it,  we need to add goodness to our faith.   However,  over time we will realize, or, at least, we should, that seeking to do good is not enough.  We need to actually know that our actions have good results.  At that point we need to seek knowledge.  As we come to know more about God’s will, we will learn that we need to exercise self-control.  A natural consequence of self-control is perseverance.  As we persevere   our actions will become not just good, but godly.  As we exercise godliness we will come to have an affection for others.  Here the NLT provides an insight, it translates this as “brotherly affection”.  Which tells me that it is like the feelings a brother has for his siblings, slightly protective and desiring the best for them assuming that they will feel likewise, but not dependent on them doing so.  Perhaps you have seen the families where one sibling demonstrates that affection for their sibling, only to be repeatedly hurt when the other sibling fails to reciprocate?  Well, that is what we will experience from time to time.  Which leads us to actual godly love.  We no longer assume that others will return our good feelings about them and act for their benefit anyway.  

I wrote the above as if it “just happens”, that each step automatically follows the one before.  But Peter makes it clear that we must actively choose to add knowledge to goodness, self-control to knowledge, perseverance to  self-control, godliness to perseverance, brotherly affection to godliness, and love to brotherly affection.   The fact of the matte is that if we fail to take the next step we will fall back to the previous one until even our faith is lost.  I had intended to write something about what Peter says about false teachers and the Second Coming, but this is already too long.  Please read that part for yourself.