Our
number one desire for these Bible lessons are for them to be understandable,
defendable, and for the Holy Spirit to bear witness that the conclusions are
the true, and correct interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
Guidelines
for our Bible studies on this website:
1.
We treat the living words of the living God as spoken by the Lord Jesus and
given to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ the same importance, as the words of the Lord
Jesus recorded in red letters in the books of
Matthew – Acts Chp. 8, as what should be known as the instructions to the
nation Israel.
2. We will not be wresting the scriptures
against each other, we will look at the verses in their context, and will not
try to make the scriptures say anything, but what they say.
3. We will be using the verses out of the
Authorized Version, commonly known as the KJV. It is fine if you want to look
the verses up in other translations if you like, but we will consider the
Authorized Version as our final written authority.
4.
We do not and will not use the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin languages to
prove any points, or give any indication that the Authorized Version has been
incorrectly translated.
I
would like to return now to rarely taught or studied Bible verses in this
lesson. I hope these studies are interesting enough to provoke you to study
your Bible and for you to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In
2nd Tim 4 Paul continues to give young Timothy instructions for him
to live by and to share with fellow believers. We who have come to understand
Pauline doctrine as given to Paul by the Lord Jesus, are striving to teach fellow
Christians how important it is to understand the Bible in light of Paul’s
unique commission.
2Tim.4
[1] I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
In
the verse above Paul gives a charge to Timothy, (charge - a person or thing
committed to the care of another) for him to preach the word, in essence he is
affirming that Timothy is to carry on the same commission that the Lord Jesus
gave to Paul.
[2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Paul
tells Timothy how and when to preach the word, he said to be instant (urgently or insistently) in season and
out of season. My friends who are hunters will understand this terminology all
too well, you can only hunt deer, elk, etc. when they are in season, you are not
supposed to hunt them out of season.
Paul
instructs Timothy that he is to preach the word in season and out of season, he
was to preach the word all the time. Paul then goes on to tell him to reprove (to criticize or correct someone usually in a
gentle way), rebuke (to speak in an
angry and critical way to someone), exhort (to give warnings or advice: make urgent appeals) with all
longsuffering (patiently enduring lasting
offense or hardship) and doctrine (a
set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be true).
Paul
uses words that express Timothy’s need to be firm while preaching, but also to
be patient with people who oppose the truth.
I
believe the apostle Paul foresaw the days in which we live, as the next verses
perfectly define the attitudes of professing Christians today.
When
I talk to Christians today about sound doctrine, I have found very few of them
have any idea what doctrine is, let alone sound doctrine.
Examples
of Doctrine;
Eternal Security – the belief that once
a person receives the Lord Jesus as their Savior that the believer is secure in
Christ and cannot for any reason lose their salvation.
Jesus Christ is God – the understanding
Jesus was God manifest in the flesh as a man, but never ceased to be God and continued
to have control of all things even while he was in that human body. This is
seen when he commanded the wind and sea to be still, his disciples stated it this
way “What manner of man is this, that even the winds
and the sea obey him!”
Salvation is by grace alone, not works.
Works or the keeping of the Old Testament Laws have no part in a person’s
salvation.
The
above are a few of examples of sound doctrine for the Body of Christ. Remember
doctrine is a set of ideas or beliefs
that are taught or believed to be true, as Christians we are to adhere to
sound doctrine, beliefs that are true and can be proved to be true.
[3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables.
Why
this is so important is because Paul foresaw the time that would come when
people would not be able to endure sound doctrine, but would turn from the
truth unto fables.
Now
I want to give an example and I hope you can receive it, and consider what I am
about to say without any malice intended. First let’s define fable – a fable is simply
a
story or statement that is not true.
Here
again I believe God’s holy word is very clear and simple when Christians let
the Holy Spirit enlighten our eyes to the truth.
Is
there anyone reading this that has not seen that the Easter Bunny and Easter
Egg hunts now dominates the Resurrection Story in homes and Christian Churches all across
America?
Is
there anyone reading this that has not seen Santa Clause, Christmas
trees, etc. replace the Cross of Christ, Birth of Jesus Christ in homes and Christian Churches all across
America?
There’s
more but I just wanted to give you the two biggest fables that Christians have
embraced, care more about, spend more time and money on, than promoting the
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ his death, burial, and resurrection from the dead
for the forgiveness of sins to a lost world of sinners.
I
have seen Christians get angry and defend Santa quicker than they would defend
our Lord Jesus when his Holy Name is being cursed.
Satan
has a death grip on the church through false doctrine and counterfeit Bibles.
[5] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
In
verse 5 Paul speaking to Timothy tells him to watch in all things, to be attentive or vigilant: to keep guard, for him to endure afflictions, for him to make full proof of his ministry.
If you want to know why Paul tells Timothy these things,
it is because Timothy and the early Christians were surrounded and confronted
with fables and false doctrine just like Christians of today. The only difference is we
have TV, Radio, and Computers with access to the internet that greatly
increases the speed and distance that helps the false doctrine spread.
Now
I encourage you to turn on your TV this Sunday and watch and listen to all the
different doctrines that are being taught by supposed Christian preachers and
ask yourself how you can make sense of it all. They cannot all be right when their teachings are so contradictory.
There
is only one way for you to know the truth and that is for you to get your Bible, start studying it for
yourself and ask the Holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus to help you discern truth
from error.
What
a great day that will be when Jesus Christ returns in all his glory, friend
don’t let that day take you unawares. Today Jesus has his arms outstretched and
open to sinners to put their trust in him. One day we will all stand before him
either as our savior or our judge, don’t put it off invite Jesus to save you today!
"The
crowd that will not accept one truth will decay to the point that it does not
accept one God: many denominations, many translations, many gods."
All of the confusion among Christianity/Christians today can be
attributed to the simple fact that the church, the Body of Christ, does not
recognize the separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry, and message
of Paul.
If
you fail to understand, or fail to learn how to rightly divide the word of
truth, you can never come to the knowledge of the truth, and sound doctrine.
Romans 10 [8] But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy
mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; [9] That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. [10] For with theheart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The
words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!
2Tim.2 [15] Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Come
join with us as we study God’s Holy Word!
Remember
most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible Doctrine misapplied to
the wrong time period, or wrong group of people.
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