Category: Bible Studies

 
Humility isn’t always considered a virtue, but this is the third virtue the Apostle Paul tells the Colossian Christians to “put on.”
 
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).
 
Even moderns fail to think about humility as a virtue. “To get ahead,” the advice goes, “you have to blow your own horn.” In the year Emperor Nero died, there was a scramble among his generals to become the next emperor. Galba was the first but was quickly put to death. Josephus says Galba “was accused by the soldiers as a pusillanimous person.”[1] Paul’s Greek word translated “humility” is used by Josephus to declare Galba “pusillanimous,” that is, “timid, lacking courage or determination.” [2]
 
The New Testament never uses humility in this derogatory sense. It is always a virtue. Paul told the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).
 
Peter echoes Paul’s instructions: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5)
 
The opposite of humility is pride which Christians consider the first of the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Lust, Avarice, and Gluttony). Pride is the “inordinate assertion of self.” Pride is always aiming high – which isn’t always a sin. “Excellence” aims high, but the sin of pride is arrogant. It belittles others and inflates self. There is a falseness to pride. Of course, nothing stinks worse than false humility. The early Christian, Clement of Rome, warned: “The humble person should not testify to his own humility, but leave it to someone else to testify about him,” Clement (1 Clement 38:2). [3]
 
James Stalker gives this advice to anyone who wrestles with pride: “Anything that makes us think more of God or our neighbor is a remedy because, as I have said, the essence of pride is selfishness.” [4]
 
Finally, let’s close by considering the example of Jesus:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
     Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
     but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
     And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
     Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
     that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
     and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 1:6 – 11).

I started to write, “I like a good pun,” but many people would argue, “There is no such thing as a good pun.” However, here are three of my favorites:

• What did the grape say when it got crushed? Nothing, it just let out a little wine.
• I want to be cremated as it is my last hope for a smoking hot body.
• Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

 Bad, aren’t they? Preachers seem to be especially fond of alliteration. Do you remember “God’s Garden”? The minister asks, “What do we find in God’s Garden? Lettuce. Let us pray. Let us sing. Let us … the list goes painfully on.”
 
Yesterday, we began looking at the Five Virtues the Apostle Paul told the Colossian Christians to “put on.” “Compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (3:12). Today, Tuesday, we’re going to focus on the second virtue: kindness. The ancient Greek preachers loved to preach about “Christos Chestos,” the “kindness of Christ.” Did you notice the one-letter difference between Christ and kindness? That makes this sermon a memorable pun.
 
The first definition of chestos, kindness, is “easy — that which causes no discomfort.” [1] For example, Jesus says, “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). The Lord was a carpenter, and if he made yokes for the oxen, I’m sure they weren’t mass-produced. I can see. Him lovingly crafting each one to custom fit each ox. The yokes were easy.
 
Serving Jesus is not a burden, and Paul says we shouldn’t be a burden to others either! Debbie Downer needs to learn this lesson. When Christians come into the room, they should come with a light. We don’t have time today to talk about the virtue of edification, but perhaps you’ll pull out your concordance and scan a few passages about it. We build people up!
 
The Greeks and the Jews also held up this virtue as an ideal. For them, it meant “being morally good and benevolent.” This person is “reputable” (1 Corinthians 15:33). They are “kind, loving, benevolent” (Ephesians 4:32; Luke 6:35).
 
So, today, “Lettuce be kind.”

Be a Blessing,

[1] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 1090). University of Chicago Press.

  
I don’t know how you get dressed in the morning, but I start with a clean pair of socks. I like to get up before everyone else in the house, so I typically tiptoe over to the sock drawer in the dark and pull out a matched pair. (That’s easy! All my socks are the same brand, black, and matching.) Then the challenge is finding something to go with them: the jeans on the back of the chair and a clean shirt from the closet. The surprise comes when I turn on the hall light and discover what I’m wearing to the study today!
 
After telling the Colossian Christians to “strip off” (3: 9) “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth” (3:8), the Apostle Paul tells them to “put on the new self” (3:10). That includes: “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (3:12). There are five virtues there – one for every day of the week. Since today is Monday, let’s start with “compassionate hearts” (σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ).
 
John Wycliffe translated the first English Bible. He called our first virtue: “entrailis of merci.” The King James Version altered that a little to “bowels of mercy.” This was in keeping with the belief that attached emotions to the various organs in our bodies. Moderns do the same thing when talking about the heart being the “seat and center of love.” The New Testament talks about various “heart” conditions.
 
Let’s begin by looking at “calloused hearts” (Matthew 13:15; 19:8; Acts 28:27; Hebrews 3:8; 4:7). Hard hearts will keep us from understanding the Gospel (Mark 8:17; 2 Corinthians 3:15; Ephesians 4:18). How do you know if your heart is in trouble? Jesus warns, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). 
 
Here are two simple, biblical tests for spiritual heart problems. First, pay attention to what is coming out of your mouth, for “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Your tongue will betray you if your heart is full of bitterness and anger!
 
 Second, monitor your thoughts. Beware of “stinking’ thinking’.” Jesus explained, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). When I was teaching rock climbing, I encouraged my students to visualize themselves moving from one hold to the next before trying it. It’s always easier to do something the second time around. Likewise, if we fantasize about sin or daydream about things we shouldn’t, it shouldn’t surprise us if we fall into those sins! So pay attention to your thoughts!
 
Paul told young Timothy, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). 
 
Don’t be surprised by what you’re wearing today. Turn on the light while you’re getting dressed!

It was a crisis. As services began, the costly bulb in the overhead projector burned out. The screen went blank, and the poor song leader was lost. So how could we sing without the words and the music projected behind him? There was chaos as the soundboard deacon tried to find another bulb or a new projector. Everyone panicked until the obvious solution appeared. “Everyone take a songbook out of the rack on the pew in front of you, and let’s sing as our grandparents did!” The service was saved.

We’ve become overly reliant on technology. In some tiny mission churches I’ve worked with in Asia, the members don’t feel it is a real church unless they have a big pulpit, microphone, and a dozen speakers – all for less than twenty people!

Technology (and I confess I’m a geek) should enhance worship and classes, not become the focus. Cute YouTube videos, animated words, and flashy graphics can have their place, but they should always improve the experience and not be the experience. It seems like it is not enough to know Greek and Hebrew. Now we need to be master graphic artists. Rather than joining Brother Curmudgeon, I’d like to offer a few simple suggestions.

First, finish your lesson before you open PowerPoint. Have a clear outline of your text and its application before you start generating graphics.

Second, choose themes and graphics that are easy on the eyes. Florescent colors, flashy fonts, and special effects may reach a younger audience (which is a huge assumption) but most often detract from your message.

Third, please, no more than eight lines per slide (and it is better to use no more than six). Consider the spacing between the lines and use a clean, preferably non-serif, font.

Fourth, yes! Project the Scriptures you are talking about onto the screen. In a world where you are unsure which version the audience is using (KJV, NIV, ESV, The Message), projecting one translation will help them focus on your message. Try to avoid “proof-texting” (using a dozen passages from a dozen places to support your point). Encourage people to study whole passages by demonstrating it as you preach.

Finally, images can enhance your lesson. After all, PowerPoint is a visual aid, so be visual, but beware of copyrights! Don’t look for pictures using Google! Believe me, some companies are in the business of bounty-hunting. They search YouTube, Facebook, and the web for copyrighted images that are being used without the artist’s permission. You don’t want to get in a legal fight, and the fines are costly – even for a little church in the middle of nowhere. So, where can you find images to use? Consider building a library of pictures you have taken (Some excellent cataloging programs can help you keep track of your photographs. I love Adobe Lightroom.) See a picture on Facebook? Ask if you can use it. Invite members to share the snaps from their phones. Of course, finding and editing those amateur pictures can be extra work. Thankfully, there are some great sources of free images on the Internet. Three of my favorites are Pexels.com, Unsplash.com, and especially FreeBibleImages.org. Although these images are free for you to use (non-commercially), it is always good to credit the artist.

Jesus used visual aids – writing in the dirt, holding up a coin, pointing out the flowers and the birds, and more. Just remember, a visual aid is just that: an aid.

I can understand pursuing righteousness and godliness, but how do we pursue faith, Paul’s third virtue in 1 Timothy 6:11? Long ago, Secundus was asked, “What is faith?” He answered, “a marvelous certainty about something otherwise unknown.” [1] The Hebrew writer says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

“The assurance of things hoped for ….” The lexicon says the word “assurance” (hypostasis, ὑπόστασις) means “the essential or basic structure/nature of an entity, substantial nature, essence, actual being, reality” [2] So faith is the basis of hope. It might also be translated as “hope realized” (see HCSB “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for.” Cf. NLT) But how do we obtain that certainty? Gideon asked for a sign. Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said” (Judges 6:36 – 37). Although the Lord accepted Gideon’s challenge, that hardly seems like an act of faith.

Faith and belief translate the same Greek word (pisteuo, πιστεύω). The father of a demon-possessed boy cried, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Perfect faith is a rare gem! “Doubting” Thomas demanded to touch the resurrected Lord (John 20:25). Nathanael refused to believe Philip’s conclusion that Jesus was the promised one (John 1:46) until Nathanael invited him to come to see for himself.

The key to the pursuit of faith is to see faith in action. I mean that the way to pursue faith is to act on that belief. The Hebrew writer concludes, “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight” (Hebrews 11:32 – 34). Notice the key phrase: “who through faith.” Just ask Peter. Sometimes you gotta get out of the boat.

How can we pursue faith today? Think of something that is worrying you. Write it down. Now lay it before the Lord. Give it to God and wait. Our Lord is mighty and full of surprises!

Remember: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

  [1] Fragmenta Philosophorum Graecorum—List 5, I 516 cited in Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

[2] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000).

Waiting is hard! God called Moses up onto Mt. Sinai to receive the stone tablets with the 10 Commandments.

“Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 24;15 – 18).

How frightening it must have been to enter the cloud of fire! Step by step, Moses and Joshua climbed until they reached the top. Their senses, especially their sense of hearing, must have been heightened as they strained to find the presence of the Lord, but did you notice? They waited six days before the Lord called to Moses on the seventh day. What was the waiting like? Six days! Six nights! I doubt Moses and Joshua talked. Sleep must have been fitful in the open on the rocks waiting for the Lord.

I wonder if we don’t miss the blessing of waiting for the Lord? We are like children in the back of the car on a road trip: “Are we there yet?” Hurry and flurry are our twin companions. Children want to be teens. Teens want to be adults. Adults want to find success, and those of us with silver hair look back and wonder about all the things we missed.

What did Moses think about during those six days? Did he wonder, “When is he going to get here?” I doubt it. A cloud of fire surrounded Moses. Surely, he recognized the presence of the Lord while he waited! Perhaps he remembered. Could he recall his righteous mother? Did he think about being a prince in the courts of Pharaoh? Did he think about the man he killed when he was 40 or wandering in the wilderness herding sheep for the next 40 years? I can’t help but think that Moses marveled at the providence of God leading him to this point. I suspect he also wondered about what came next – the Promised Land and the people of God.

Today, let’s not be in a hurry. Consider the blessing of waiting. Isaiah promised:

  they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
  they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
              they shall run and not be weary;
  they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

The ancient church in Tagbah, Galilee

The Apostle Paul told young Timothy to flee from evil and pursue six virtues: “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). In a previous devotional, we focused on righteousness. Righteousness is the opposite of emptiness which is a kind of evil (kakia) leads to a dead end.

The second virtue, godliness, can be described as the opposite of another kind of evil: poneros (πονηρός). The English word pornography is based on this kind of evil. (Pornography comes from the Greek words porn-, evil, and graphe, writing). The basic definition of poneros is worthless, and so poneros becomes wicked, evil, bad, even vicious, and degenerate. The devil himself is called poneros personified (Mt 13:19; J 17:15; Eph 6:16; 1J 2:13f; 5:18, 19)!

Thus, godliness is focused on living a fulfilling life, but it is deeper than just appearances. Paul warned Timothy about people who have “the appearance of godliness but deny its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). This is another example of hypocrisy. For the Greeks, a hypocrite is someone who is wearing a mask like the actors on an ancient stage. So many people pretend to be godly – they go through the motions of religion – but the critical element is missing.

So, what is the power of true godliness? First, godliness means depending on God’s strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord told Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), and he observed, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Let go and let God”? Sometimes our trying to fix things only makes it worse! A godly person has learned to relax and trust the Lord will make things right.

Second, the power of godliness comes from observation and discernment. In Christ, our senses are trained to focus on the end of things. Where will this lead us? What are the consequences of the choices we are making? Rick Warren wrote:

You are free to choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice. E. Stanley Jones said, “If you don’t surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos.” [1]

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.”

Chose to be godly!

  [1] Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life (p. 100). Zondervan.

Jan says I don’t have hobbies. I have obsessions! That may be true, but some things are worth pursuing. For example, the Apostle Paul told his young protégé, Timothy, to flee from evil and “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). So let’s think about these six virtues and then ponder what it means to pursue them.

To understand the meaning of our first virtue, righteousness (dikaiosune, δικαιοσύνη), we need to understand its opposite, evil (kakia, κακία). The base definition of kakia is “empty.” 

The word κακός … expresses the presence of a lack. It is not positive; it is an incapacity or weakness. Like “evil,” it has more than purely moral significance. The wealth of the term is expressed in the developing concepts χείρων [worse[1]], κακίων [evil], ἥττων [inferior]. Thus κακός means “mean,” “unserviceable,” “incapable,” “poor of its kind.” [2]

We might say, “Evil is a dead end.” It makes great promises that it can’t fulfill. People are challenged to “climb to the top of the ladder,” only to discover it is empty when they get there. So many sins promise happiness, but it’s kakia – empty. Righteousness is the opposite of that. This virtue is fulfilling! 

It is also interesting to note that the Greeks believed kakia arises through ignorance. [3]. Therefore, it is safe to say that pursuing righteousness involves education. Christians are to go through life with both eyes wide open. We understand the consequences of our actions and so avoid evil as we seek righteousness. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).

How do we pursue righteousness? Jesus also said the place to begin the search is to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of Bible study in the pursuit of righteousness when he wrote:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17).

The author of Hebrews adds:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12 – 14).

But true righteousness isn’t just a matter of thinking. It is faith in action! This was crucial for the Apostle John, who wrote:

“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7 – 10).

In other words, if you want to be right, you need to do right.

---

Footnotes:

[1] So the proconsul said: “I have wild beasts; I will throw you to them, unless you change your mind.” But he said: “Call for them! For the repentance from better to worse is a change impossible for us; but it is a noble thing to change from that which is evil to righteousness.” Polycarp in Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers: Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed., p. 235). Baker Books.

[2] Grundmann, W. (1964–). κακός, ἄκακος, κακία, κακόω, κακο͂ργος, κακοήθεια, κακοποιέω, κακοποιός, ἐγκακιέω, ἀνεξίκακος. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 469). Eerdmans.

[3] Ibid.

I have a suspicion there is more to worship than most of us experience. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message paraphrase of the Bible, wrote: “Worship does not satisfy our hunger for God—it whets our appetite” [1]; at least it should. One writer suggested two items are missing from our pews: seatbelts and crash helmets. Worship should be exciting and inspiring. We are coming into the very presence of the Almighty! Worship is to glorify God and transform the worshiper, but so often, it is so-so. Why is that?

I believe most of the fault is with us when we come into His presence unprepared. Perhaps the pace of life is too fast. We jump into the car, and suddenly we are there at the appointed hour. So how can we switch from racing around the house gathering children, Bibles, and casseroles for the potluck to opening our hearts in confession and praise? I envy the Jews of the First Century. To go up to Jerusalem to worship in the Temple required planning. It wasn’t just something that happened but would often require days of walking with fellow pilgrims. Perhaps we would sing the Psalms of Ascent as we marched toward the Holy City. When we finally arrived, we would climb the steps carefully and pass through an underground passageway to enter the courtyard of the Temple. (The stairs were intentionally made in different widths and heights to cause people to think about each step and what they were doing.)

One of the significant differences brought about by the new covenant was transferring the place of worship from a great temple in Jerusalem into the temple of our hearts. We should prepare our hearts for worship, but how?

First, by not rushing. The Brethren in England have a table in the foyer of their churches. Worshipers leave their watches there. Worship is timeless.

Second, by recognizing what we are doing. For example, in talking about the Lord’s Supper, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28 – 29). 

Does it seem like we are afraid of silence in worship? The one thing radio announcers fear most is “dead air.” We always keep talking, playing music, and filling the airwaves with sound. It shouldn’t be that way in worship. The psalmist said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Third, by seeking the blessing. The songs are to teach us (Colossians 3:16). What have you learned? The sermon is to build us up in our holy faith. That requires us to listen and apply what we learn. Prayer is an active process. We don’t just listen; we confess, ask, thank, and adore the Lord in prayer.

Alright. Fasten your seatbelt and put on your helmet! We are setting aside worship lite for the real thing!

  [1] Peterson, E. H. (2019). A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (Commemorative Edition, p. 50). IVP Books: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press