This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:15-16
15 For [gar] [dia] perhaps [tacha] he [chorizo] therefore [touto] departed [chorizo] for [pros] a season [hora], that [hina] thou shouldest receive [apecho] him [autos] for ever [aionios];
16 Not now [ouketi] as [hos] a servant [doulos], but [alla] above [huper] a servant [doulos], a brother [adelphos] beloved [agapetos], specially [malista] to me [emoi], but [de] how much [posos] more [mallon] unto thee [soi], both [kai] in [en] the flesh [sarx], and [kai] in [en] the Lord [kurios]? KJV-Interlinear
15 For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. NASB
Paul arrives at the core of the letter. The word for servant, ‘doulos,’ means one who serves another in a subordinate role. Within the context, Onesimus ran away from his subordinate role. Onesimus was afraid to return. Onesimus was initially described as worthless and unreliable.
And though the term servant here can refer to involuntary or voluntary service, it is clear from the context that Onesimus was not voluntary or hired help. If voluntary then he would have no obligation to return.
Paul writes as though he is speculating as to the reasons for the history of Onesimus. Why he belonged to Philemon in the first place? Why he ran away? Why he happened to meet Paul, who was not in a position to be met by anyone really.
Paul was not out in the public eye, meeting people in the town square, visiting churches and such things like that. Onesimus would have had to have been following an unusually set of circumstances (we call this providence), that would eventually bring all of these events together.
This is not uncommon in human affairs.
All things work together for good. Often times the question can be asked, ‘Why does God allow this or that to happen?’ And the better question to ask is, ‘What good will God develop out of this situation?’
The former is from a bitter pessimist. ‘Why did God do this to me?’ The latter is from the optimism of faith. ‘What plans does God have for me?’
Long ago and many times along the way in our study, we have discovered that this universe was created to be inhabited. Obviously along the way that has not and will not occur. That won’t occur until this human history period reaches its conclusion, and the next historic period, eternity, begins.
You were placed on this earth in order to decide the angelic conflict. You were placed in harms way, as it were, placed in an evil world run by Satan, so that God could be glorified. That is to say, so Gods plan and wisdom and truth can outshine and are the better of, Satan’s plans.
Along the way you will be distracted. You will get involved in politics, in your social activities, in your hobbies, in your day to day life, and all of these and more, are there to either enhance you life as supplements to your spiritual growth, or to distract you away from doctrine.
More often than not, they keep people from their spiritual life.
But God has a sense of humor. He can place obstacles in your life to get you to where He wants you to be. Whereas on your own, you will veer off in the fog of life and get horribly lost.
History is full of dramatic examples. People were conquered in Africa in centuries past, chained into slavery and sold in auctions across the world. God brought them to doctrine. God turned a bad situation into eternal life in heaven.
In my genealogy, one line of my family came out of Virginia and the other line came out of Pennsylvania. They shot at each other in the Civil War. One wrong bullet could have ended my existence and this online Bible Study.
People lose their jobs and are forced to move, to relocate. Illness changes the lives of people. Death, hardship, disaster, many things in life come along that change the course of ones life. More often then not, we get taken advantage of, and even that becomes a good training tool for shaping your poise, forgiveness, for shaping your personality.
When you are young, you are bullet proof and have plans that are certain to leap you forward in your life. Then life happens and Gods plan for you seems to cancel everything else. And, more often than not, those changes come with a great deal of foreboding, pain and suffering.
In this world, our day-to-day life is never certain. And even though we get up each morning and go to bed each night with some regularity of repetition, our next moment, our next day, our next year is always uncertain.
There is only one thing certain in life, and that is doctrine. In this life, there is only one thing that will guarantee your future, and that is through Christ.
A long time ago we put together a spiritual checklist study. Most folks ignore it and most don’t even bother to look it up or take the time to find it. And they wonder why their spiritual life is less than working for them?
Sometimes, and actually more than sometimes, God will bring along a set of events to wake people up, or purge them from the world. That could be from a war, from an economic downturn, from an illness, it could be from almost any number of things in life.
Why would you push your life to the brink of disaster or worse, when you could so easily get your life together? What are you not doing that you should be doing?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Philemon 1:14
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:14
14 But [de] without [choris] thy [sos] mind [gnome] would [thelo] I do [poieo] nothing [oudeis]; that [hina me] thy [sou] benefit [agathos] should [o] not [hina me] be [o] as [hos] it were of [kata] necessity [anagke], but [alla] willingly [hekousion] [kata]. KJV-Interlinear
14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will. NASB
Paul does not wish to coerce Philemon nor extort Onesimus away from Philemon under false pretenses.
Back in those days, there were laws concerning slavery and runaway slaves. Philemon had invested time, money, and resources in Onesimus, so Onesimus owed a debt of sorts to Philemon.
In similar fashion, Christ went to the Cross and paid our debts, and as such we owe Him for his work in our behalf. God gives us our freedom, for only the payment of believing in Him. That is a pretty easy way out of an eternal obligation.
But if we run away from God, as Onesimus ran away from Philemon, then we would be constantly on the run, forever, and freedom would never be ours to possess.
So, certainly after considerable discussion, and we presume that Onesimus probably came up with this proposal himself, otherwise how would Paul have learned about Onesimus’ past, then Paul composed this letter and proposal to Philemon.
Philemon is the master and it is his right to decide the fate of Onesimus.
As a runaway, Onesimus was no good to anyone. He was worthless. Even in his former state of service to Philemon, he was a worthless slave. But now everyone wins.
Onesimus has believed in Christ and has apparently accepted greater responsibility for his own actions. Why else would he agree to return to his master, and to perhaps certain conviction and a death sentence for running away?
Paul does not wish to deprive Philemon the right to make up his own mind, and so Paul defers to Philemons decision, whatever that decision might be. Likewise, Onesimus defers to Philemons decision.
Onesimus places his life, quite literally, and his freedom, in his masters hands.
Normally a person would not do this unless they had a certain level of trust in their master, and that is exactly what we face day in and day out with our life.
Far too many people will give lip service to Christianity, but deep down they do not trust in God. Generally it takes a period of hardship before people will really learn to trust in God.
Perhaps that is what is facing many of us in this world today. There are always hardships in life, but sometimes when the world goes so negative toward God, those hardships explode, enough to really send us into a terror tailspin. Life does not have to be that way, unless you yourself make it that way by not obeying Gods mandates.
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Philemon 1:14
14 But [de] without [choris] thy [sos] mind [gnome] would [thelo] I do [poieo] nothing [oudeis]; that [hina me] thy [sou] benefit [agathos] should [o] not [hina me] be [o] as [hos] it were of [kata] necessity [anagke], but [alla] willingly [hekousion] [kata]. KJV-Interlinear
14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will. NASB
Paul does not wish to coerce Philemon nor extort Onesimus away from Philemon under false pretenses.
Back in those days, there were laws concerning slavery and runaway slaves. Philemon had invested time, money, and resources in Onesimus, so Onesimus owed a debt of sorts to Philemon.
In similar fashion, Christ went to the Cross and paid our debts, and as such we owe Him for his work in our behalf. God gives us our freedom, for only the payment of believing in Him. That is a pretty easy way out of an eternal obligation.
But if we run away from God, as Onesimus ran away from Philemon, then we would be constantly on the run, forever, and freedom would never be ours to possess.
So, certainly after considerable discussion, and we presume that Onesimus probably came up with this proposal himself, otherwise how would Paul have learned about Onesimus’ past, then Paul composed this letter and proposal to Philemon.
Philemon is the master and it is his right to decide the fate of Onesimus.
As a runaway, Onesimus was no good to anyone. He was worthless. Even in his former state of service to Philemon, he was a worthless slave. But now everyone wins.
Onesimus has believed in Christ and has apparently accepted greater responsibility for his own actions. Why else would he agree to return to his master, and to perhaps certain conviction and a death sentence for running away?
Paul does not wish to deprive Philemon the right to make up his own mind, and so Paul defers to Philemons decision, whatever that decision might be. Likewise, Onesimus defers to Philemons decision.
Onesimus places his life, quite literally, and his freedom, in his masters hands.
Normally a person would not do this unless they had a certain level of trust in their master, and that is exactly what we face day in and day out with our life.
Far too many people will give lip service to Christianity, but deep down they do not trust in God. Generally it takes a period of hardship before people will really learn to trust in God.
Perhaps that is what is facing many of us in this world today. There are always hardships in life, but sometimes when the world goes so negative toward God, those hardships explode, enough to really send us into a terror tailspin. Life does not have to be that way, unless you yourself make it that way by not obeying Gods mandates.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Philemon 1:12-13
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Philemon 1:12-13
12 Whom [hos] I have sent again [anapempo]: thou [su] therefore [de] receive [proslambano] him [autos], that is [toutesti], mine own [emos] bowels [splagchnon]:
13 Whom [hos] I [ego] would [boulomai] have retained [katecho] with [pros] me [emautou], that [hina] in thy [sou] stead [huper] he might have ministered [diakoneo] unto me [moi] in [en] the bonds [desmon] of the gospel [euaggelion]: KJV-Interlinear
12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; NASB
It is easy to read between the lines in this letter.
Paul is in prison and in failing health. Paul is deeply dedicated to the spreading of, and the teaching of the gospel and the scriptures. Paul probably never realizes that his writings would one day be read by billions of people throughout history.
Onesimus comes along from out of nowhere, a worthless runaway slave, hears the gospel and immediately falls in love with his faith. So much so, that he becomes almost indispensable in assisting Paul in his Christian efforts.
Now Paul is going through a heart wrenching decision as to what to do with Onesimus.
Paul could do nothing and say nothing, but sooner or later the news would get back to Philemon. And since Philemon was the rightful owner of Onesimus, there was created a perplexing situation.
Paul follows that which is right thing, the right principle, and certainly since Paul was a mature believer, he would have discussed this matter with Onesimus thoroughly first.
And thus the letter to Philemon, and sent to Philemon in Onesimus’s own hand.
No one is forcing Onesimus, and certainly anywhere along the way of his journey, Onesimus could easily change his mind and fade into the frontier. But he didn’t.
The world forces slavery onto nearly everyone, in one way or another. Whether owned by your bills and obligations, or owned by another person is irrelevant. We are all trapped.
But through doctrine, we voluntarily give ourselves to Christ, entering into service for Him, and thereby gain the only true freedom that exists.
No matter what your situation, in Christ you will always be free.
There is a very thin thread interweaving among believers in this world and throughout history, and that thread is doctrine. It is the source of our interrelationship. It makes each of us free, and it makes each of us dependent on each other in Christ.
In Christianity we support each other in prayer, through Christ, through doctrine, through by whatever means is available to each one of us, and thereby we all gain through the blessings that pour out to us all from God.
Without this interdependence and support, we would all fall into disaster.
In this world, the economies are shaking in their boots. Terrible problems are escalating all around us. The stories and the outlook can certainly get anyone down, just by the mere magnitude of the economic problems and the helplessness that we all must share.
However, in doctrine, there is no such thing as helplessness. God is powerful enough to help each one of us individually, and He does.
God has a plan for each of our lives. And each one of us will face that plan, not alone, but in Christ. And whether He takes you from your home or gives you a mansion, should make no difference. The circumstances of our lives are irrelevant. The worldly things in our lives are emptiness or vanity, as Solomon says.
Your power and future is in the content of your soul. Not in the things that you own.
You are a Christian soldier, and in a war that is beyond all wars. In conflict the soldier has to endure all kinds of hardships, and the soldier knows it. He never gives up, no matter what his situation.
In the Christian life, help is always on the way, and help in the form of Christ will always come through. That is a guarantee.
So while Onesimus was traveling back to perhaps certain punishment and a return to slavery or worse, he found that his faith was more real than the possible retaliation he might have received from Philemon. Onesimus had no guarantees, but he faced up to his obligations.
Neither do you, in this life, have any guarantees. But in doctrine, Christ is your guarantee and that is far more important than anything.
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Philemon 1:12-13
12 Whom [hos] I have sent again [anapempo]: thou [su] therefore [de] receive [proslambano] him [autos], that is [toutesti], mine own [emos] bowels [splagchnon]:
13 Whom [hos] I [ego] would [boulomai] have retained [katecho] with [pros] me [emautou], that [hina] in thy [sou] stead [huper] he might have ministered [diakoneo] unto me [moi] in [en] the bonds [desmon] of the gospel [euaggelion]: KJV-Interlinear
12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; NASB
It is easy to read between the lines in this letter.
Paul is in prison and in failing health. Paul is deeply dedicated to the spreading of, and the teaching of the gospel and the scriptures. Paul probably never realizes that his writings would one day be read by billions of people throughout history.
Onesimus comes along from out of nowhere, a worthless runaway slave, hears the gospel and immediately falls in love with his faith. So much so, that he becomes almost indispensable in assisting Paul in his Christian efforts.
Now Paul is going through a heart wrenching decision as to what to do with Onesimus.
Paul could do nothing and say nothing, but sooner or later the news would get back to Philemon. And since Philemon was the rightful owner of Onesimus, there was created a perplexing situation.
Paul follows that which is right thing, the right principle, and certainly since Paul was a mature believer, he would have discussed this matter with Onesimus thoroughly first.
And thus the letter to Philemon, and sent to Philemon in Onesimus’s own hand.
No one is forcing Onesimus, and certainly anywhere along the way of his journey, Onesimus could easily change his mind and fade into the frontier. But he didn’t.
The world forces slavery onto nearly everyone, in one way or another. Whether owned by your bills and obligations, or owned by another person is irrelevant. We are all trapped.
But through doctrine, we voluntarily give ourselves to Christ, entering into service for Him, and thereby gain the only true freedom that exists.
No matter what your situation, in Christ you will always be free.
There is a very thin thread interweaving among believers in this world and throughout history, and that thread is doctrine. It is the source of our interrelationship. It makes each of us free, and it makes each of us dependent on each other in Christ.
In Christianity we support each other in prayer, through Christ, through doctrine, through by whatever means is available to each one of us, and thereby we all gain through the blessings that pour out to us all from God.
Without this interdependence and support, we would all fall into disaster.
In this world, the economies are shaking in their boots. Terrible problems are escalating all around us. The stories and the outlook can certainly get anyone down, just by the mere magnitude of the economic problems and the helplessness that we all must share.
However, in doctrine, there is no such thing as helplessness. God is powerful enough to help each one of us individually, and He does.
God has a plan for each of our lives. And each one of us will face that plan, not alone, but in Christ. And whether He takes you from your home or gives you a mansion, should make no difference. The circumstances of our lives are irrelevant. The worldly things in our lives are emptiness or vanity, as Solomon says.
Your power and future is in the content of your soul. Not in the things that you own.
You are a Christian soldier, and in a war that is beyond all wars. In conflict the soldier has to endure all kinds of hardships, and the soldier knows it. He never gives up, no matter what his situation.
In the Christian life, help is always on the way, and help in the form of Christ will always come through. That is a guarantee.
So while Onesimus was traveling back to perhaps certain punishment and a return to slavery or worse, he found that his faith was more real than the possible retaliation he might have received from Philemon. Onesimus had no guarantees, but he faced up to his obligations.
Neither do you, in this life, have any guarantees. But in doctrine, Christ is your guarantee and that is far more important than anything.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Philemon 1:10-11
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:10-11
10 I beseech [parakaleo] thee [se] for [peri] my [emos] son [teknon] Onesimus [Onesimos], whom [hos] I have begotten [gennao] in [en] my [mou] bonds [desmon]:
11 Which [ho] in time past [pote] was [achrestos] to thee [soi] unprofitable [achrestos], but [de] now [nuni] profitable [euchrestos] to thee [soi] and [kai] to me [emoi]: KJV-Interlinear
10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. NASB
Onesimus left Philemon, and somehow made his way to where Paul was in prison. Onesimus is said to be useless and now is useful.
That means simply that as a slave to Philemon, Onesimus was an unconverted person. Unconverted people are useless to their masters.
God is our master, so anyone who lacks salvation, anyone who lacks spiritual growth, is a useless person. A useless person can’t be used for anything. They are inconsistent, unreliable, untrustworthy, and so forth.
Paul was not exactly advertising for converts. So how did Onesimus, a useless and unconverted person, make his way to where Paul was?
Well, useless people simply float along in the fog of the world. They are clueless as to where they are, and clueless as to where they are going. This characteristic applies to all unbelievers, and to all spiritually negative believers.
Doctrine is truth and truth is light. You can only see when there is light. Without light, you cannot see. And that applies to the realities of life.
Remember that we are studying the Bible and the Bible is one long series of parables, which takes life’s experiences and uses them to describe spiritual concepts.
Anyway, somehow, deep down inside, Onesimus was positive toward God, but he did not realize it until one day he happened to meet up with Paul. How that occurred, we do not know. But, needless to say it did occur and Onesimus believed in Christ.
So much so, that he began traveling with Paul’s associates, teaching the gospel and doing whatever he was doing for Paul, Col. 4:9.
This letter is an appeal to Philemon, to release Onesimus of his debts he owed, or wrongs he had done, to Philemon, because now Onesimus has become a transformed and very useful person, to both Paul and to Philemon.
Onesimus is useful to Paul because he is helping him in his ministry. He is useful to Philemon, because he is now a fellow believer in Christ. All believers whether we know them or not, are useful to each one of us because there is a mutual benefit received from God for believers. Onesimus is now useful to God, in that he is advancing in his spiritual life, and God uses prepared believers within His divine plan.
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Philemon 1:10-11
10 I beseech [parakaleo] thee [se] for [peri] my [emos] son [teknon] Onesimus [Onesimos], whom [hos] I have begotten [gennao] in [en] my [mou] bonds [desmon]:
11 Which [ho] in time past [pote] was [achrestos] to thee [soi] unprofitable [achrestos], but [de] now [nuni] profitable [euchrestos] to thee [soi] and [kai] to me [emoi]: KJV-Interlinear
10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. NASB
Onesimus left Philemon, and somehow made his way to where Paul was in prison. Onesimus is said to be useless and now is useful.
That means simply that as a slave to Philemon, Onesimus was an unconverted person. Unconverted people are useless to their masters.
God is our master, so anyone who lacks salvation, anyone who lacks spiritual growth, is a useless person. A useless person can’t be used for anything. They are inconsistent, unreliable, untrustworthy, and so forth.
Paul was not exactly advertising for converts. So how did Onesimus, a useless and unconverted person, make his way to where Paul was?
Well, useless people simply float along in the fog of the world. They are clueless as to where they are, and clueless as to where they are going. This characteristic applies to all unbelievers, and to all spiritually negative believers.
Doctrine is truth and truth is light. You can only see when there is light. Without light, you cannot see. And that applies to the realities of life.
Remember that we are studying the Bible and the Bible is one long series of parables, which takes life’s experiences and uses them to describe spiritual concepts.
Anyway, somehow, deep down inside, Onesimus was positive toward God, but he did not realize it until one day he happened to meet up with Paul. How that occurred, we do not know. But, needless to say it did occur and Onesimus believed in Christ.
So much so, that he began traveling with Paul’s associates, teaching the gospel and doing whatever he was doing for Paul, Col. 4:9.
This letter is an appeal to Philemon, to release Onesimus of his debts he owed, or wrongs he had done, to Philemon, because now Onesimus has become a transformed and very useful person, to both Paul and to Philemon.
Onesimus is useful to Paul because he is helping him in his ministry. He is useful to Philemon, because he is now a fellow believer in Christ. All believers whether we know them or not, are useful to each one of us because there is a mutual benefit received from God for believers. Onesimus is now useful to God, in that he is advancing in his spiritual life, and God uses prepared believers within His divine plan.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Philemon 1:8-9
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:8-9
8 Wherefore [dio], though I might be [echo] much [polus] bold [parrhesia] in [en] Christ [Christos] to enjoin [epitasso] thee [soi] that which is convenient [aneko],
9 Yet for [dia] love's [agape] sake I [parakaleo] rather [mallon] beseech [parakaleo] thee, being [on] such an one [toioutos] as [hos] Paul [Paulos] the aged [presbutes], and [de] now [nuni] also [kai] a prisoner [desmios] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper,
9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you — since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus — NASB
The word for order, ‘epitasso,’ means to make a correct suggestion. This does not mean to order as a captain would give to a private in the army.
There are certainly folks out there, who take themselves far too seriously and they presume that they possess the authority to command, to force, to cause folks to follow their instructions. You’ll find these kinds of folks in cults, or guru’s, or social circles, who have appointed themselves into lofty positions, in order to usurp power and enforce authority over others.
But Paul does not take this position. Paul makes it clear that through truth, and through his knowledge of doctrine, he possesses the resources to make correct suggestions. Whether anyone listens or not is their prerogative. But a wise person, who knows of Pauls reputation and wisdom, would be smart to listen and follow his instructions.
Paul does not command, but prefers that Philemon hear the request and then of his own volition, decide to agree with Paul and grant his request, which Paul is about to make.
For loves sake, for the principle of truth, Paul asks rather than demands.
Most folks will respond to a request rather than becoming defensive to a demand. And besides, even God does not command, but gives truth and then allows you to either follow it or not.
In Gods commands, the idea is that there is a cause and effect to everything you do. Follow Gods command and the results are good. Disregard Him and the results are not good. The individual makes his own choice and God allows it, even if the choice is the wrong one.
In this setting, Philemon does not work for Paul, nor is he answerable to Paul in any way, but relationship is not relevant when truth is involved.
I can command you to believe in Christ because that is the only way you will be saved, but some folks might resent being told what to do, even if it is the correct decision and only decision with regard to salvation.
Now ordering folks to wear black on Sunday’s, or to not chew gum on Sunday’s, or eat fish on Friday’s, and such things like that, are really not Biblical nor legitimate. Some cultures can come up with lots of social rules that have absolutely nothing to do with truth.
That is how the Levitical Priesthood failed, because it came up with so many rules that a person could not look left or right without breaking one rule or another.
Paul knows Philemon by reputation only. Paul is the recognized authority on Christianity. And as such, when Paul speaks, then people listen to his every word, and they take his words seriously, even as though God Himself was speaking. That is the high degree of credibility and authority which God has placed in Paul.
And as Philemon has certainly taken Pauls request seriously, and presumably agreed with and followed Pauls request, so too, we as believers living in our current day, many centuries after Paul, should take His words in the Bible very seriously. After all, the Bible is the Word for God, not the word of Paul, even though Paul has written nearly half of the New Testament books.
Paul refers to himself as the ‘aged,’ but here aged means ambassador, not an old man. If Paul was thirty years old at the time of the Cross, then he is probably in his fifties or perhaps early sixties when this letter was written, some thirty years later. We do not know Pauls exact age.
However, being in prison, waiting for his postponed trial to begin, has probably taken its toll on him. With grey hair perhaps, and the long days of waiting, he probably has aged as we all would under the same circumstances.
But ‘presbutes’ refers to an ambassador or a well entrenched representative. And Paul represents Christ, here in this world.
We can all learn from this approach to social interaction. It is far better to give advice or educated opinion based on truth, rather than to state blunt orders.
When people are allowed the space to consider their alternatives, and to evaluate the content of your words, then they are more apt to come to their own conclusions and the correct conclusions without feeling like they have been forced into them.
When a person chooses a path, they will more likely follow it because it was their choice.
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Philemon 1:8-9
8 Wherefore [dio], though I might be [echo] much [polus] bold [parrhesia] in [en] Christ [Christos] to enjoin [epitasso] thee [soi] that which is convenient [aneko],
9 Yet for [dia] love's [agape] sake I [parakaleo] rather [mallon] beseech [parakaleo] thee, being [on] such an one [toioutos] as [hos] Paul [Paulos] the aged [presbutes], and [de] now [nuni] also [kai] a prisoner [desmios] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear
8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper,
9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you — since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus — NASB
The word for order, ‘epitasso,’ means to make a correct suggestion. This does not mean to order as a captain would give to a private in the army.
There are certainly folks out there, who take themselves far too seriously and they presume that they possess the authority to command, to force, to cause folks to follow their instructions. You’ll find these kinds of folks in cults, or guru’s, or social circles, who have appointed themselves into lofty positions, in order to usurp power and enforce authority over others.
But Paul does not take this position. Paul makes it clear that through truth, and through his knowledge of doctrine, he possesses the resources to make correct suggestions. Whether anyone listens or not is their prerogative. But a wise person, who knows of Pauls reputation and wisdom, would be smart to listen and follow his instructions.
Paul does not command, but prefers that Philemon hear the request and then of his own volition, decide to agree with Paul and grant his request, which Paul is about to make.
For loves sake, for the principle of truth, Paul asks rather than demands.
Most folks will respond to a request rather than becoming defensive to a demand. And besides, even God does not command, but gives truth and then allows you to either follow it or not.
In Gods commands, the idea is that there is a cause and effect to everything you do. Follow Gods command and the results are good. Disregard Him and the results are not good. The individual makes his own choice and God allows it, even if the choice is the wrong one.
In this setting, Philemon does not work for Paul, nor is he answerable to Paul in any way, but relationship is not relevant when truth is involved.
I can command you to believe in Christ because that is the only way you will be saved, but some folks might resent being told what to do, even if it is the correct decision and only decision with regard to salvation.
Now ordering folks to wear black on Sunday’s, or to not chew gum on Sunday’s, or eat fish on Friday’s, and such things like that, are really not Biblical nor legitimate. Some cultures can come up with lots of social rules that have absolutely nothing to do with truth.
That is how the Levitical Priesthood failed, because it came up with so many rules that a person could not look left or right without breaking one rule or another.
Paul knows Philemon by reputation only. Paul is the recognized authority on Christianity. And as such, when Paul speaks, then people listen to his every word, and they take his words seriously, even as though God Himself was speaking. That is the high degree of credibility and authority which God has placed in Paul.
And as Philemon has certainly taken Pauls request seriously, and presumably agreed with and followed Pauls request, so too, we as believers living in our current day, many centuries after Paul, should take His words in the Bible very seriously. After all, the Bible is the Word for God, not the word of Paul, even though Paul has written nearly half of the New Testament books.
Paul refers to himself as the ‘aged,’ but here aged means ambassador, not an old man. If Paul was thirty years old at the time of the Cross, then he is probably in his fifties or perhaps early sixties when this letter was written, some thirty years later. We do not know Pauls exact age.
However, being in prison, waiting for his postponed trial to begin, has probably taken its toll on him. With grey hair perhaps, and the long days of waiting, he probably has aged as we all would under the same circumstances.
But ‘presbutes’ refers to an ambassador or a well entrenched representative. And Paul represents Christ, here in this world.
We can all learn from this approach to social interaction. It is far better to give advice or educated opinion based on truth, rather than to state blunt orders.
When people are allowed the space to consider their alternatives, and to evaluate the content of your words, then they are more apt to come to their own conclusions and the correct conclusions without feeling like they have been forced into them.
When a person chooses a path, they will more likely follow it because it was their choice.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Philemon 1:7
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:7
7 For [gar] we have [echo] great [polus] joy [charis] and [kai] consolation [paraklesis] in [epi] thy [sou] love [agape], because [hoti] the bowels [splagchnon] of the saints [hagios] are refreshed [anapauo] by [dia] thee [sou], brother [adelphos]. KJV-Interlinear
7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. NASB
The word for ‘we’ refers both to Paul himself, and to believers in general, as well as those who were accompanying Paul at that time.
This indicates that they have a good deal of information, and favorable information at that, that has come to their attention with regard to Philemons’ reputation.
Since Philemon is reasonable wealthy, since Philemon is holding a church study service in his home, and because this is a Christian service, then his name would naturally become a part of the conversation among Christian travelers in his day.
Joy and consolation refer to just that – happiness and comfort or an ease of opinion toward Philemon and a confidence in the truthfulness of what they have heard. The information that has come to them, by whatever means, is from credible and therefore believable sources.
Bowels, is a reference to the intestines of the physical body, but here it has a figurative meaning to with regard to ones emotions, affection, or feelings. Philemon was an instantly likable person, because of his reputation.
Paul felt easy in the writing this letter in behalf of Onesimus. There was nothing to cause him to hesitate or wonder about Onesimus’ motives.
Refreshed means to be revitalized, re-energized, recharged, rejuvenated and so forth.
When good news is heard, and especially when you happen to be surrounded by bad news or bad circumstances, then that good news tends to make you feel better, to give you hope, to give you a recharge of sorts.
And that is what doctrine does for believers in general.
This world is saturated with bizarre thinking and ideas. The world is saturated with logic, empirical views, reason, religious views, and philosophies galore. All of which tend to lead people in the wrong direction with regard to life and truth.
That is the power from which, also combined with the sin nature of people, this world consists of. The world is full of activity and opinion.
On the other side of life’s coin is God and doctrine. God uses only His written word, only one book (the Bible), with which to oppose the world. Doctrine has more power in its little finger, than the world has in the entire planet. And though we can be overwhelmed by the activities in this world, just a little bit of doctrine heard, makes all the difference in the world with respect to our mental happiness and outlook on life.
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Philemon 1:7
7 For [gar] we have [echo] great [polus] joy [charis] and [kai] consolation [paraklesis] in [epi] thy [sou] love [agape], because [hoti] the bowels [splagchnon] of the saints [hagios] are refreshed [anapauo] by [dia] thee [sou], brother [adelphos]. KJV-Interlinear
7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother. NASB
The word for ‘we’ refers both to Paul himself, and to believers in general, as well as those who were accompanying Paul at that time.
This indicates that they have a good deal of information, and favorable information at that, that has come to their attention with regard to Philemons’ reputation.
Since Philemon is reasonable wealthy, since Philemon is holding a church study service in his home, and because this is a Christian service, then his name would naturally become a part of the conversation among Christian travelers in his day.
Joy and consolation refer to just that – happiness and comfort or an ease of opinion toward Philemon and a confidence in the truthfulness of what they have heard. The information that has come to them, by whatever means, is from credible and therefore believable sources.
Bowels, is a reference to the intestines of the physical body, but here it has a figurative meaning to with regard to ones emotions, affection, or feelings. Philemon was an instantly likable person, because of his reputation.
Paul felt easy in the writing this letter in behalf of Onesimus. There was nothing to cause him to hesitate or wonder about Onesimus’ motives.
Refreshed means to be revitalized, re-energized, recharged, rejuvenated and so forth.
When good news is heard, and especially when you happen to be surrounded by bad news or bad circumstances, then that good news tends to make you feel better, to give you hope, to give you a recharge of sorts.
And that is what doctrine does for believers in general.
This world is saturated with bizarre thinking and ideas. The world is saturated with logic, empirical views, reason, religious views, and philosophies galore. All of which tend to lead people in the wrong direction with regard to life and truth.
That is the power from which, also combined with the sin nature of people, this world consists of. The world is full of activity and opinion.
On the other side of life’s coin is God and doctrine. God uses only His written word, only one book (the Bible), with which to oppose the world. Doctrine has more power in its little finger, than the world has in the entire planet. And though we can be overwhelmed by the activities in this world, just a little bit of doctrine heard, makes all the difference in the world with respect to our mental happiness and outlook on life.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Philemon 1:6
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:6
6 That [hopos] the communication [koinonia] of thy [sou] faith [pistis] may become [ginomai] effectual [energes] by [en] the acknowledging [epignosis] of every [pas] good thing [agathos] which [ho] is in [en] you [humin] in [eis] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous]. KJV-Interlinear
6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. NASB
The communication of your faith means the spiritual growth that you acquire by means of your advance in the knowledge, understanding and application of Bible doctrine in your life.
Faith is the result of your spiritual growth. Faith is the spiritual muscle, the spiritual power, unseen and undetected within this world.
Effectual means simply that, effective, capable, powerful. This is the most powerful weapon in existence.
God has an army, and you are in that army. God can certainly lean down here and wipe out every evil element in existence, but that would not solve the problem of Satan’s complaints against Him. Nor would it allow for current and future generations of believers to have their chance in life.
Every good thing is the production of God. Good is Gods possession and no one else's. Good is the production of Christ. Christ is the living word, and Bible doctrine is the written word. Doctrine in you is the same as Christ in you, and Christ in you means that when you are in fellowship and functioning in accordance with Gods will, your production is good.
The world, as it is symbolically used, is for the promotion of evil and nothing else. There is no good thing in this world. Good comes only from God and to us through doctrine.
This universe was created to be inhabited. The angels ruined that. So God is gathering all of those who will voluntarily belong to Him, and preparing them for a new universe. That new home will come at the end of human history.
Instead of reaching down with His powerful arms, and doing His work, God reaches down with doctrine, and with doctrine supported by the Holy Spirit, this world is held together. That is the only reason that human history has not failed before now.
One day, the Rapture will occur and with it, all believers and all worldly support will be withdrawn from the world. Human rule will then last only seven more years and then extinction would be inevitable.
When a nation ends its peaceful diplomacy with an enemy, it withdraws its representatives, and then invasion of war is inevitable. The Rapture will be that formal withdrawal and declaration.
But until then, God, through believers, uses His power in doctrine, to wage the silent war whereby the world is sustained for the believers sake, and for all those who will believe and advance in their spiritual life.
There are many implications to your existence in this world, and perhaps one day you will be able to look back and recognize them. God does nothing haphazardly or by chance. Nothing happens by accident.
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Philemon 1:6
6 That [hopos] the communication [koinonia] of thy [sou] faith [pistis] may become [ginomai] effectual [energes] by [en] the acknowledging [epignosis] of every [pas] good thing [agathos] which [ho] is in [en] you [humin] in [eis] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous]. KJV-Interlinear
6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. NASB
The communication of your faith means the spiritual growth that you acquire by means of your advance in the knowledge, understanding and application of Bible doctrine in your life.
Faith is the result of your spiritual growth. Faith is the spiritual muscle, the spiritual power, unseen and undetected within this world.
Effectual means simply that, effective, capable, powerful. This is the most powerful weapon in existence.
God has an army, and you are in that army. God can certainly lean down here and wipe out every evil element in existence, but that would not solve the problem of Satan’s complaints against Him. Nor would it allow for current and future generations of believers to have their chance in life.
Every good thing is the production of God. Good is Gods possession and no one else's. Good is the production of Christ. Christ is the living word, and Bible doctrine is the written word. Doctrine in you is the same as Christ in you, and Christ in you means that when you are in fellowship and functioning in accordance with Gods will, your production is good.
The world, as it is symbolically used, is for the promotion of evil and nothing else. There is no good thing in this world. Good comes only from God and to us through doctrine.
This universe was created to be inhabited. The angels ruined that. So God is gathering all of those who will voluntarily belong to Him, and preparing them for a new universe. That new home will come at the end of human history.
Instead of reaching down with His powerful arms, and doing His work, God reaches down with doctrine, and with doctrine supported by the Holy Spirit, this world is held together. That is the only reason that human history has not failed before now.
One day, the Rapture will occur and with it, all believers and all worldly support will be withdrawn from the world. Human rule will then last only seven more years and then extinction would be inevitable.
When a nation ends its peaceful diplomacy with an enemy, it withdraws its representatives, and then invasion of war is inevitable. The Rapture will be that formal withdrawal and declaration.
But until then, God, through believers, uses His power in doctrine, to wage the silent war whereby the world is sustained for the believers sake, and for all those who will believe and advance in their spiritual life.
There are many implications to your existence in this world, and perhaps one day you will be able to look back and recognize them. God does nothing haphazardly or by chance. Nothing happens by accident.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Philemon 1:4-5
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:4-5
4 I thank [eucharisteo] my [mou] God [theos], making [poieo] mention [mneia] of thee [sou] always [pantote] in [epi] my [mou] prayers [proseuche],
5 Hearing [akouo] of thy [sou] love [agape] and [kai] faith [pistis], which [hos] thou hast [echo] toward [pros] the Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous], and [kai] toward [eis] all [pas] saints [hagios]; KJV-Interlinear
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; NASB
Paul is in prison awaiting his trial. Paul does not have any wiggle room as far as his ability or opportunity to travel and meet people.
Paul may have met Philemon in his previous travels, or heard about him from someone who has spoken of him.
Most likely, Paul has heard of Philemon from Onesimus, the slave who ran away from Philemon, probably in addition to whatever knowledge he already had heard regarding Philemon.
Paul is writing this letter to Philemon in behalf of Onesimus. That indicates that Paul and Onesimus had a reasonably close relationship, such that Paul has taken it upon himself to write this letter.
Typically a person will not write an extensive and personal letter for someone that is more a stranger than a friend.
Philemon had a strong enough reputation such that Paul mentions him (Philemon) in his prayers on a regular basis.
The world can really be a small place. How is it that a runaway slave, a useless slave, travels hundreds of miles, across the world in those days, happens to meet Paul who is in prison, no less, hears the gospel, converts, develops a relationship with Paul, requests aid from Paul in setting things right with his prior master, and all of this ends up as a part of the Bible, recorded forever?
Were it not for this letter, none of us would have ever known the names of Philemon, Onesimus, Apphia, and so many others whose names appear perhaps once in the Bible.
And, just because names do not appear in the Bible, that does not mean that history never knew them.
Your name and mine, are not in the Bible. Virtually no one on this planet, except for family and immediate friends, even know that we exist. And yet, in heaven God knows us, and in heaven God guides the events of history which have brought us all together, either through this online study, or by some other means.
Most of us are separated by thousands of miles, separated by culture, separated by language, separated by so many things that it would be virtually impossible for us to have any kind of acquaintance or relationship by any other means. But in Christ we have a relationship that will last forever. And one day, perhaps in heaven, I hope that we will all be able to get together and get better acquainted.
With these few verses we have been able to learn about Philemon, and this prepares us for the rest of the book.
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Philemon 1:4-5
4 I thank [eucharisteo] my [mou] God [theos], making [poieo] mention [mneia] of thee [sou] always [pantote] in [epi] my [mou] prayers [proseuche],
5 Hearing [akouo] of thy [sou] love [agape] and [kai] faith [pistis], which [hos] thou hast [echo] toward [pros] the Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous], and [kai] toward [eis] all [pas] saints [hagios]; KJV-Interlinear
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; NASB
Paul is in prison awaiting his trial. Paul does not have any wiggle room as far as his ability or opportunity to travel and meet people.
Paul may have met Philemon in his previous travels, or heard about him from someone who has spoken of him.
Most likely, Paul has heard of Philemon from Onesimus, the slave who ran away from Philemon, probably in addition to whatever knowledge he already had heard regarding Philemon.
Paul is writing this letter to Philemon in behalf of Onesimus. That indicates that Paul and Onesimus had a reasonably close relationship, such that Paul has taken it upon himself to write this letter.
Typically a person will not write an extensive and personal letter for someone that is more a stranger than a friend.
Philemon had a strong enough reputation such that Paul mentions him (Philemon) in his prayers on a regular basis.
The world can really be a small place. How is it that a runaway slave, a useless slave, travels hundreds of miles, across the world in those days, happens to meet Paul who is in prison, no less, hears the gospel, converts, develops a relationship with Paul, requests aid from Paul in setting things right with his prior master, and all of this ends up as a part of the Bible, recorded forever?
Were it not for this letter, none of us would have ever known the names of Philemon, Onesimus, Apphia, and so many others whose names appear perhaps once in the Bible.
And, just because names do not appear in the Bible, that does not mean that history never knew them.
Your name and mine, are not in the Bible. Virtually no one on this planet, except for family and immediate friends, even know that we exist. And yet, in heaven God knows us, and in heaven God guides the events of history which have brought us all together, either through this online study, or by some other means.
Most of us are separated by thousands of miles, separated by culture, separated by language, separated by so many things that it would be virtually impossible for us to have any kind of acquaintance or relationship by any other means. But in Christ we have a relationship that will last forever. And one day, perhaps in heaven, I hope that we will all be able to get together and get better acquainted.
With these few verses we have been able to learn about Philemon, and this prepares us for the rest of the book.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Philemon 1:3
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:3
3 Grace [charis] to you [humin], and [kai] peace [eirene], from [apo] God [theos] our [hemon] Father [pater] and [kai] the Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NASB
Grace means favor and peace means prosperity, and there is only one source of true prosperity and favor and that is from God the Father.
However, humanity does not have direct access to the Father, since the plan of the Father requires that man approach Him through the Son, Jesus Christ.
That is the single and biggest difference that sets Christianity apart, from all other beliefs, religions, philosophies and so forth.
All non-Christian approaches to God, seek direct access to the Father, or some other similar deity or concept, based on human attributes alone. That is to say, man by means of mans efforts can gain access and approval from God.
Christianity however discounts mans efforts as being no more valuable than the arrogance that creates mans efforts, which means that mans efforts have no value whatsoever. Therefore, the emphasis is on Gods efforts, specifically that of Christ, who went to the Cross and paid the debt of mans sins, in behalf of mankind.
So the fundamental principle of Christianity is faith in God (the Father), through Christ.
The fundamental rejection of this plan is rejection of Christ, in mans attempt to approach the Father directly. Man in his arrogance, presumes that he is capable of overcoming his weakness and flaws himself, and therefore God should accept him.
The ultimate objective of life is gaining the favor from the highest authority and power, in heaven and the universe. Favor means gaining the perks and benefits of having a relationship with someone who has unlimited resources and wealth and power. God is of course the best connection that anyone can possibly have.
Possessing the favor of God means that you have entered into the proprietary club, as it were, where believers only are eligible for the blessings that He has to give. As you advance in your spiritual life, these blessings grow exponentially with your growth.
The result is peace, which means prosperity, security, happiness, contentment, meaning and fulfillment in ones life, and all of these kinds of things.
Grace and peace come only from God the Father.
Grace and peace come only through Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace, come only within the framework of Christianity, and increase dramatically with spiritual growth.
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Philemon 1:3
3 Grace [charis] to you [humin], and [kai] peace [eirene], from [apo] God [theos] our [hemon] Father [pater] and [kai] the Lord [kurios] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NASB
Grace means favor and peace means prosperity, and there is only one source of true prosperity and favor and that is from God the Father.
However, humanity does not have direct access to the Father, since the plan of the Father requires that man approach Him through the Son, Jesus Christ.
That is the single and biggest difference that sets Christianity apart, from all other beliefs, religions, philosophies and so forth.
All non-Christian approaches to God, seek direct access to the Father, or some other similar deity or concept, based on human attributes alone. That is to say, man by means of mans efforts can gain access and approval from God.
Christianity however discounts mans efforts as being no more valuable than the arrogance that creates mans efforts, which means that mans efforts have no value whatsoever. Therefore, the emphasis is on Gods efforts, specifically that of Christ, who went to the Cross and paid the debt of mans sins, in behalf of mankind.
So the fundamental principle of Christianity is faith in God (the Father), through Christ.
The fundamental rejection of this plan is rejection of Christ, in mans attempt to approach the Father directly. Man in his arrogance, presumes that he is capable of overcoming his weakness and flaws himself, and therefore God should accept him.
The ultimate objective of life is gaining the favor from the highest authority and power, in heaven and the universe. Favor means gaining the perks and benefits of having a relationship with someone who has unlimited resources and wealth and power. God is of course the best connection that anyone can possibly have.
Possessing the favor of God means that you have entered into the proprietary club, as it were, where believers only are eligible for the blessings that He has to give. As you advance in your spiritual life, these blessings grow exponentially with your growth.
The result is peace, which means prosperity, security, happiness, contentment, meaning and fulfillment in ones life, and all of these kinds of things.
Grace and peace come only from God the Father.
Grace and peace come only through Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace, come only within the framework of Christianity, and increase dramatically with spiritual growth.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Philemon 1:2
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:2
2 And [kai] to our beloved [agapetos] Apphia [Apphia], and [kai] Archippus [Archippos] our [hemon] fellowsoldier [sustratiotes], and [kai] to the church [ekklesia] in [kata] thy [sou] house [oikos]: KJV-Interlinear
2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: NASB
Paul mentions several names in the opening of this letter. Apphia is a woman who is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. Her name means productive or fruitful.
Archippus is only mentioned one other time in Col. 4:17, where Paul implies that he has some form of teaching capacity or ability, such as a preacher or pastor type of role.
Philemon is the owner of slaves, so he is obviously a wealthy man. Poor men do not own slaves.
So, the picture drawn here is one of a wealthy man, a Christian, who has made his home available to others for the purpose of assembling in the study of the scriptures.
Apphia is a productive person, and productivity means doing or accomplishing something. And since our context here is one of spiritual (we are studying the Bible), then she most likely has an active role within their local study group or church. Also, she is most likely a mature believer, or one who is productive within her spiritual life, which is obvious to Paul as well as others. Archippus may be the man who teaches the scriptures to the group.
And one more thing before we get to far along. This letter was written in behalf of Onesimus who is the slave that ran away. Philemon could have pursued him, and prosecuted him, and had him executed, but he did none of these things.
Likewise, Paul only knows about Onesimus because somewhere along the line, Onesimus told Paul his story and predicament. Paul would not have written this letter without speaking with Onesimus first. Onesimus certainly wanted to resolve his problem with Philemon. Remember that Paul is in prison. Onesimus had to have been interested in Christianity (from Philemon’s home) in order to have found Paul.
Philemon certainly had a good reputation since his runaway slave still had respect for him. Under any other circumstance other slaves, once they had runaway, would try to stay away. Other masters would pursue their slaves and make them an example so that others would not do the same.
You have to read this letter within the context of the time in which it was written, too. Slavery was an accepted system back then. And whether you agree with it or not, your beliefs are irrelevant as to how things were done nearly 2000 years ago.
Even if you disagree with slavery, back then, it was probably the only means of having a life for many people who did not have the means or resources to make a living. In addition, in that respect, people were blessed if they at least had a good master to serve.
Even if ones physical life is restricted, ones mind can never be restrained. Bible doctrine is always available to anyone who has the ears and eyes to hear and learn. Anyone can grow up spiritually regardless of their circumstances. And in this life, your spiritual status is far more important than your social standing.
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Philemon 1:2
2 And [kai] to our beloved [agapetos] Apphia [Apphia], and [kai] Archippus [Archippos] our [hemon] fellowsoldier [sustratiotes], and [kai] to the church [ekklesia] in [kata] thy [sou] house [oikos]: KJV-Interlinear
2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: NASB
Paul mentions several names in the opening of this letter. Apphia is a woman who is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. Her name means productive or fruitful.
Archippus is only mentioned one other time in Col. 4:17, where Paul implies that he has some form of teaching capacity or ability, such as a preacher or pastor type of role.
Philemon is the owner of slaves, so he is obviously a wealthy man. Poor men do not own slaves.
So, the picture drawn here is one of a wealthy man, a Christian, who has made his home available to others for the purpose of assembling in the study of the scriptures.
Apphia is a productive person, and productivity means doing or accomplishing something. And since our context here is one of spiritual (we are studying the Bible), then she most likely has an active role within their local study group or church. Also, she is most likely a mature believer, or one who is productive within her spiritual life, which is obvious to Paul as well as others. Archippus may be the man who teaches the scriptures to the group.
And one more thing before we get to far along. This letter was written in behalf of Onesimus who is the slave that ran away. Philemon could have pursued him, and prosecuted him, and had him executed, but he did none of these things.
Likewise, Paul only knows about Onesimus because somewhere along the line, Onesimus told Paul his story and predicament. Paul would not have written this letter without speaking with Onesimus first. Onesimus certainly wanted to resolve his problem with Philemon. Remember that Paul is in prison. Onesimus had to have been interested in Christianity (from Philemon’s home) in order to have found Paul.
Philemon certainly had a good reputation since his runaway slave still had respect for him. Under any other circumstance other slaves, once they had runaway, would try to stay away. Other masters would pursue their slaves and make them an example so that others would not do the same.
You have to read this letter within the context of the time in which it was written, too. Slavery was an accepted system back then. And whether you agree with it or not, your beliefs are irrelevant as to how things were done nearly 2000 years ago.
Even if you disagree with slavery, back then, it was probably the only means of having a life for many people who did not have the means or resources to make a living. In addition, in that respect, people were blessed if they at least had a good master to serve.
Even if ones physical life is restricted, ones mind can never be restrained. Bible doctrine is always available to anyone who has the ears and eyes to hear and learn. Anyone can grow up spiritually regardless of their circumstances. And in this life, your spiritual status is far more important than your social standing.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Philemon 1:1
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon 1:1
1 Paul [Paulos], a prisoner [desmios] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos], and [kai] Timothy [Timotheos] our brother [adelphos], unto Philemon [Philemon] our [hemon] dearly beloved [agapetos], and [kai] fellow labourer [sunergos], KJV-Interlinear
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, NASB
Paul means little. Timothy means dear to God. Philemon means friendly. Jesus is the personal name of God meaning God is our salvation.
Jesus or Iesous is the Greek word, and Joshua is the Hebrew equivalent. Christ is the Greek word, and Messiah is the Hebrew equivalent and it means anointed. Therefore, Jesus Christ or Joshua Messiah both come to mean the anointed one who is God is our savior and salvation. This clearly identifies Christ both in name and purpose.
Paul was a prisoner of Rome at the time of this writing, but Paul is not presumptuous about himself. He did not presume that he was better than anyone else in this world. Paul identifies himself not as a prisoner of Rome, but of Christ.
The word for prisoner indicates one who is in chains, and Paul most likely spent a great deal of time bound in chains while being led by a Roman soldier. However, Paul did not consider the chains of this world as greater than the preferred chains of his spiritual life and attachment to God through Christ.
And that is the way you should look at your life. Regardless of what your circumstances might be in this life, Christ is always greater and Christ is always there for you.
Paul will eventually go to his death, and you and I will also visit our last breath in this world one day. But, Christ should always be first on our mind. Whether Christ frees us from one set of circumstances or another in this life, or takes us right up to the edge of death and beyond, should be irrelevant to us.
In this world we should not be surprised that the world will try to bind us with chains of one sort or another. Paul was literally a prisoner.
Onesimus was a slave who stole and ran away.
Philemon was a friendly person, just as Christ is, and by using these people as examples, Paul is teaching us all a lesson in spiritual obligation. Philemon was also a believer in Christ. Philemon was also a slave owner.
If you steal from God, if you take that which God has given and turn yourself away from the master that gave you everything, and run away into the sin nature habits of your life, of this world, then death is your destiny. For unbelievers the death is the Lake of Fire. For believers who are negative, spiritual death (out of fellowship) becomes their loss of spiritual growth.
The only way to have the greatest life ever, is to turn yourself in, to God (back to Christ), and when chained to Him as a slave of Christ, you secure your freedom, the very best freedom that anyone can possibly have.
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Philemon 1:1
1 Paul [Paulos], a prisoner [desmios] of Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos], and [kai] Timothy [Timotheos] our brother [adelphos], unto Philemon [Philemon] our [hemon] dearly beloved [agapetos], and [kai] fellow labourer [sunergos], KJV-Interlinear
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, NASB
Paul means little. Timothy means dear to God. Philemon means friendly. Jesus is the personal name of God meaning God is our salvation.
Jesus or Iesous is the Greek word, and Joshua is the Hebrew equivalent. Christ is the Greek word, and Messiah is the Hebrew equivalent and it means anointed. Therefore, Jesus Christ or Joshua Messiah both come to mean the anointed one who is God is our savior and salvation. This clearly identifies Christ both in name and purpose.
Paul was a prisoner of Rome at the time of this writing, but Paul is not presumptuous about himself. He did not presume that he was better than anyone else in this world. Paul identifies himself not as a prisoner of Rome, but of Christ.
The word for prisoner indicates one who is in chains, and Paul most likely spent a great deal of time bound in chains while being led by a Roman soldier. However, Paul did not consider the chains of this world as greater than the preferred chains of his spiritual life and attachment to God through Christ.
And that is the way you should look at your life. Regardless of what your circumstances might be in this life, Christ is always greater and Christ is always there for you.
Paul will eventually go to his death, and you and I will also visit our last breath in this world one day. But, Christ should always be first on our mind. Whether Christ frees us from one set of circumstances or another in this life, or takes us right up to the edge of death and beyond, should be irrelevant to us.
In this world we should not be surprised that the world will try to bind us with chains of one sort or another. Paul was literally a prisoner.
Onesimus was a slave who stole and ran away.
Philemon was a friendly person, just as Christ is, and by using these people as examples, Paul is teaching us all a lesson in spiritual obligation. Philemon was also a believer in Christ. Philemon was also a slave owner.
If you steal from God, if you take that which God has given and turn yourself away from the master that gave you everything, and run away into the sin nature habits of your life, of this world, then death is your destiny. For unbelievers the death is the Lake of Fire. For believers who are negative, spiritual death (out of fellowship) becomes their loss of spiritual growth.
The only way to have the greatest life ever, is to turn yourself in, to God (back to Christ), and when chained to Him as a slave of Christ, you secure your freedom, the very best freedom that anyone can possibly have.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Philemon Introduction
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Philemon
Introduction
The book of Philemon was written by Paul approximately 60 A.D. It is about a runaway slave named Onesimus.
Philemon was a believer in Colosse. He was a slave owner and Onesimus was one of his slaves.
Onesimus stole from Philemon and ran off. His crime was punishable by death. During his travels, Onesimus met Paul and became a Christian.
This letter is an appeal from Paul to Philemon, to accept Onesimus back as a fellow believer and not as a slave.
Onesimus means, one useless who has become useful.
With this very short introduction to this letter, can you see your role as an unbeliever or dysfunctional believer (useless), being turned around, and becoming useful to God?
Philemon Outline (New Unger's Bible Dictionary)
I. Salutation (1:1-3:18)
II. Appreciation of Philemon's character (4:1-7:20)
III. Pleading in behalf of Onesimus (8:1-21:25)
IV. Paul's personal affairs (22:1-24:14)
V. Benediction
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Philemon
Introduction
The book of Philemon was written by Paul approximately 60 A.D. It is about a runaway slave named Onesimus.
Philemon was a believer in Colosse. He was a slave owner and Onesimus was one of his slaves.
Onesimus stole from Philemon and ran off. His crime was punishable by death. During his travels, Onesimus met Paul and became a Christian.
This letter is an appeal from Paul to Philemon, to accept Onesimus back as a fellow believer and not as a slave.
Onesimus means, one useless who has become useful.
With this very short introduction to this letter, can you see your role as an unbeliever or dysfunctional believer (useless), being turned around, and becoming useful to God?
Philemon Outline (New Unger's Bible Dictionary)
I. Salutation (1:1-3:18)
II. Appreciation of Philemon's character (4:1-7:20)
III. Pleading in behalf of Onesimus (8:1-21:25)
IV. Paul's personal affairs (22:1-24:14)
V. Benediction
Monday, February 16, 2009
2 Peter 3:18
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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2 Peter 3:18
18 But [de] grow [auxano] in [en] grace [charis], and [kai] in the knowledge [gnosis] of our [hemon] Lord [kurios] and [kai] Saviour [soter] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. To him [autos] be glory [doxa] both [kai] now [nun] and [kai] for [eis] ever [aion] [hemera]. Amen [amen]. KJV-Interlinear
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. NASB
Grow, means to increase to enlarge. Grace is the policy of God toward man. Knowledge consists of the facts and details of truth.
From these two things, grace and knowledge, comes the development of ones spiritual life.
From development comes application and from application comes understanding, and from understanding comes wisdom and from wisdom comes spiritual production of a mature believer.
The fulfillment of life comes from only one source – God. And God provides the written scriptures as the mechanism for sustaining our life. Grace provides His infinite patience.
So long as you are alive in this world, you have the opportunity for growth and success in your spiritual life.
It matters not whether you are currently on your deathbed, breathing means that your opportunities have not yet expired.
Far too many people will assume the martyr syndrome and believe that they have gone past the point of no return. Only stupid people will believe that.
There is nothing that God cannot accomplish. The circumstances of your life are no match for God.
God gives life and God removes it. God shortens life and God lengthens it. God generates prosperity and God can take it away.
Only fools focus on the details of this world and presume that they are the forces that rule their lives. They are not.
Only fools believe that the actions of man control the destiny of this world. They are not.
There is only one common thread that connects or determines success or failure in anything, and that is Bible doctrine.
Jesus Christ is the living word. Bible doctrine is the written Christ. Doctrine in you places Christ in you.
To Christ is the only glory, recognition, value and purpose which stands both now and forever. Bible doctrine is the basis of your success both now in this life and in eternity.
Amen means ‘Believe it.’ The real question is, ‘Do you?’
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:18
18 But [de] grow [auxano] in [en] grace [charis], and [kai] in the knowledge [gnosis] of our [hemon] Lord [kurios] and [kai] Saviour [soter] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. To him [autos] be glory [doxa] both [kai] now [nun] and [kai] for [eis] ever [aion] [hemera]. Amen [amen]. KJV-Interlinear
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. NASB
Grow, means to increase to enlarge. Grace is the policy of God toward man. Knowledge consists of the facts and details of truth.
From these two things, grace and knowledge, comes the development of ones spiritual life.
From development comes application and from application comes understanding, and from understanding comes wisdom and from wisdom comes spiritual production of a mature believer.
The fulfillment of life comes from only one source – God. And God provides the written scriptures as the mechanism for sustaining our life. Grace provides His infinite patience.
So long as you are alive in this world, you have the opportunity for growth and success in your spiritual life.
It matters not whether you are currently on your deathbed, breathing means that your opportunities have not yet expired.
Far too many people will assume the martyr syndrome and believe that they have gone past the point of no return. Only stupid people will believe that.
There is nothing that God cannot accomplish. The circumstances of your life are no match for God.
God gives life and God removes it. God shortens life and God lengthens it. God generates prosperity and God can take it away.
Only fools focus on the details of this world and presume that they are the forces that rule their lives. They are not.
Only fools believe that the actions of man control the destiny of this world. They are not.
There is only one common thread that connects or determines success or failure in anything, and that is Bible doctrine.
Jesus Christ is the living word. Bible doctrine is the written Christ. Doctrine in you places Christ in you.
To Christ is the only glory, recognition, value and purpose which stands both now and forever. Bible doctrine is the basis of your success both now in this life and in eternity.
Amen means ‘Believe it.’ The real question is, ‘Do you?’
Sunday, February 15, 2009
2 Peter 3:17
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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2 Peter 3:17
17 Ye [humeis] therefore [oun], beloved [agapetos], seeing ye know these things before [proginosko], beware [phulasso] lest [hina me] ye also [ekpipto], being led away [sunapago] with the error [plane] of the wicked [athesmos], fall from [ekpipto] your own [idios] stedfastness [sterigmos]. KJV-Interlinear
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, NASB
Your worst fear in life cannot come from this world or anything in it.
Your worst fear comes only from what God can withhold from you, from what you can lose by simply ignoring the scriptures and your spiritual life.
You are aware of the pitfalls of the lack of doctrine.
The angels had a perfect universe, turned against doctrine, and ruined the universe.
Adam had the perfect environment, turned against doctrine and lost his perfect home.
The generation of Noah had perfect opportunity, turned against doctrine and were judged and destroyed.
Some future generation (perhaps sooner than we think) will have the perfect opportunity in doctrine, but will miss out on the Rapture and be left behind facing the worst kind of life in the Tribulation, far worse than anyone will have ever faced in all of history prior to the Tribulation.
You have life now. Your only perfect life and destiny comes to your through doctrine and from no other source.
Turn against doctrine, argue with doctrine, get up on your high horse, perceive yourself smarter than you really are, become indifferent, inconsistent, apathetic toward Bible doctrine, and you will follow the pattern of life that everyone else in history, who has done this, has followed, and you will meet ruin, loss and destruction as only you can do to yourself.
There are only two opinions in this universe – Gods, which is truth, and everything else, which are not truth.
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2 Peter 3:17
17 Ye [humeis] therefore [oun], beloved [agapetos], seeing ye know these things before [proginosko], beware [phulasso] lest [hina me] ye also [ekpipto], being led away [sunapago] with the error [plane] of the wicked [athesmos], fall from [ekpipto] your own [idios] stedfastness [sterigmos]. KJV-Interlinear
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, NASB
Your worst fear in life cannot come from this world or anything in it.
Your worst fear comes only from what God can withhold from you, from what you can lose by simply ignoring the scriptures and your spiritual life.
You are aware of the pitfalls of the lack of doctrine.
The angels had a perfect universe, turned against doctrine, and ruined the universe.
Adam had the perfect environment, turned against doctrine and lost his perfect home.
The generation of Noah had perfect opportunity, turned against doctrine and were judged and destroyed.
Some future generation (perhaps sooner than we think) will have the perfect opportunity in doctrine, but will miss out on the Rapture and be left behind facing the worst kind of life in the Tribulation, far worse than anyone will have ever faced in all of history prior to the Tribulation.
You have life now. Your only perfect life and destiny comes to your through doctrine and from no other source.
Turn against doctrine, argue with doctrine, get up on your high horse, perceive yourself smarter than you really are, become indifferent, inconsistent, apathetic toward Bible doctrine, and you will follow the pattern of life that everyone else in history, who has done this, has followed, and you will meet ruin, loss and destruction as only you can do to yourself.
There are only two opinions in this universe – Gods, which is truth, and everything else, which are not truth.
2 Peter 3:16
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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2 Peter 3:16
16 As [hos] also [kai] in [en] all [pas] his epistles [epistole], speaking [laleo] in [en] them [autos] of [peri] these things [touton]; in [en] which [hos] are [esti] some things [tis] hard to be understood [dusnoetos], which [hos] they that are unlearned [amathes] and [kai] unstable [asteriktos] wrest [strebloo], as [hos] they do also [kai] the other [loipoy] scriptures [graphe], unto [pros] their [autos] own [idios] destruction [apoleia]. KJV-Interlinear
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. NASB
Paul, who was formerly known as Saul, was nothing but a sleazy murderer, hiding behind the self-righteousness of religion. But one day while he was traveling along a road, Jesus blinded him and had a heart to heart talk with him. After that episode, Saul became Paul and then he became the premiere writer of scripture in the New Testament.
From God, through a former scum-bag of a person, we have the blessing of receiving the greatest doctrines of all time.
As a writer, Isaiah would probably be the Paul of the Old Testament, in terms of difficult doctrines.
Paul writes some of the most difficult to understand, and revealing doctrines, ever, and when we complete our study of Peter we will begin going through Pauls’ letters before returning to the Old Testament.
Difficult does not mean impossible however. Ask a two year old about the state of the world and you’ll get ignored or a funny look at best. So it is, with Bible doctrine. You have to learn the little things and build upon them bit by bit in order to be able to see the complete picture of life.
The unbeliever has no spiritual mechanism within him. The believer who is indifferent, antagonistic, argumentative, and so forth (unstable), has the spiritual mechanism in order to learn, but without doctrine, both of these types of people cannot see the full picture of life. Only seeing a partial picture means that you cannot ever reach the correct conclusions or find the right answers.
And, since the spiritual side of life is the larger side of life, then seeing only a few pieces of the puzzle (without doctrine) leaves you virtually blind. Remember that show on television, concentration? When you can see what is behind only a couple of the hundred pieces, you cannot even guess what the answer is. And in life you don’t even know the category, and you don’t have any clues without doctrine. In life, all guesses and conclusions are one-hundred percent wrong.
Time, patience and study on a daily basis, combined with application of the things you learn, all of this while functioning in fellowship, are the only way that you can grow up spiritually into a full and complete life.
The spiritual life functions only while you are in fellowship. That is why many folks do not learn, even while they read their Bibles. That is why the confession process is so important. Without it, your prayers, your whole spiritual function are disabled and worthless.
Likewise, this is why those who are spiritually dysfunctional (unbelievers, unstable believers, etc.), create such a problem for everyone in life. They take truth and distort it, compromise it, reinvent it, ignore it, and in their sowing confusion in the world, only destroy, ruin, and lose their own future.
Doctrine is the only means of seeing through, and the solution for, all of the opinion pollution from the world.
If ever there was a global meltdown, environmental ruin, destroy the planet concept, then lack of doctrine is the cause – not fossil fuel, not trash, not economic spread the wealth philosophies.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:16
16 As [hos] also [kai] in [en] all [pas] his epistles [epistole], speaking [laleo] in [en] them [autos] of [peri] these things [touton]; in [en] which [hos] are [esti] some things [tis] hard to be understood [dusnoetos], which [hos] they that are unlearned [amathes] and [kai] unstable [asteriktos] wrest [strebloo], as [hos] they do also [kai] the other [loipoy] scriptures [graphe], unto [pros] their [autos] own [idios] destruction [apoleia]. KJV-Interlinear
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. NASB
Paul, who was formerly known as Saul, was nothing but a sleazy murderer, hiding behind the self-righteousness of religion. But one day while he was traveling along a road, Jesus blinded him and had a heart to heart talk with him. After that episode, Saul became Paul and then he became the premiere writer of scripture in the New Testament.
From God, through a former scum-bag of a person, we have the blessing of receiving the greatest doctrines of all time.
As a writer, Isaiah would probably be the Paul of the Old Testament, in terms of difficult doctrines.
Paul writes some of the most difficult to understand, and revealing doctrines, ever, and when we complete our study of Peter we will begin going through Pauls’ letters before returning to the Old Testament.
Difficult does not mean impossible however. Ask a two year old about the state of the world and you’ll get ignored or a funny look at best. So it is, with Bible doctrine. You have to learn the little things and build upon them bit by bit in order to be able to see the complete picture of life.
The unbeliever has no spiritual mechanism within him. The believer who is indifferent, antagonistic, argumentative, and so forth (unstable), has the spiritual mechanism in order to learn, but without doctrine, both of these types of people cannot see the full picture of life. Only seeing a partial picture means that you cannot ever reach the correct conclusions or find the right answers.
And, since the spiritual side of life is the larger side of life, then seeing only a few pieces of the puzzle (without doctrine) leaves you virtually blind. Remember that show on television, concentration? When you can see what is behind only a couple of the hundred pieces, you cannot even guess what the answer is. And in life you don’t even know the category, and you don’t have any clues without doctrine. In life, all guesses and conclusions are one-hundred percent wrong.
Time, patience and study on a daily basis, combined with application of the things you learn, all of this while functioning in fellowship, are the only way that you can grow up spiritually into a full and complete life.
The spiritual life functions only while you are in fellowship. That is why many folks do not learn, even while they read their Bibles. That is why the confession process is so important. Without it, your prayers, your whole spiritual function are disabled and worthless.
Likewise, this is why those who are spiritually dysfunctional (unbelievers, unstable believers, etc.), create such a problem for everyone in life. They take truth and distort it, compromise it, reinvent it, ignore it, and in their sowing confusion in the world, only destroy, ruin, and lose their own future.
Doctrine is the only means of seeing through, and the solution for, all of the opinion pollution from the world.
If ever there was a global meltdown, environmental ruin, destroy the planet concept, then lack of doctrine is the cause – not fossil fuel, not trash, not economic spread the wealth philosophies.
Friday, February 13, 2009
2 Peter 3:15
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:15
15 And [kai] account [hegeomai] that the longsuffering [makrothumia] of our [hemon] Lord [kurios] is salvation [soteria]; even as [kathos] our [hemon] beloved [agapetos] brother [adelphos] Paul [Paulos] also [kai] according to [kata] the wisdom [sophia] given [didomi] unto him [autos] hath written [grapho] unto you [humin]; KJV-Interlinear
15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, NASB
Just because God does not strike with lightning immediately when someone does wrong, and just because the promises of God have not come to pass, as most of the prophecies of the Old Testament are still unfulfilled, then this does not mean that they are empty promises, nor that God has forgotten them.
Quite the contrary. God looks down through the tunnel of time and sees all generations still unborn, and waits patiently for them to come into existence, so that they (and you) can believe and be saved, and/or advance in their spiritual lives.
Patience and wisdom based on facts, even if those facts have not yet come into existence, are the key to understanding many of the aspects of Gods plan.
God gives us all time, adequate time, to get our act together, spiritually. Some of us are just too stupid to realize that we are wasting the precious minutes God has given us.
People who are prosperous generally have the most difficult time in growing up spiritually. Prosperity has a tendency of making you pretentious, and somewhat insincere with respect to life. It is difficult to understand the pressures of poverty or hardship unless you have been there.
On the other hand, hard times can turn you sour on life, sour on God, and just plain sour all around.
But God gives you time to overcome your sourness, and that in itself is a blessing, believe it or not.
Remember one thing, if you remember anything – Jesus Christ controls history. That means that He controls the details of your life. In Christ, which means by learning doctrine, remaining in fellowship, and applying doctrine to your life, then in Christ you have total security and safety, regardless of the circumstances of your life.
Know this, that your life in this world, is not going to be a path of rose petals. There will be suffering of some sort in your life. Your life will likely be a rollercoaster ride, and if you get that straight in your head, then perhaps you will stop blaming God, stop complaining, stop whining, stop demanding, when life goes against you.
Stop subscribing to the attitude that once you get successful, then … you’ll do this or that. God is not interested in your doing this or that. God is interested in your growing up in your spiritual life and obeying His every command regardless of whether you are in poverty or prosperity.
You may have noticed that regardless of what goes on in this world, whether feast or famine, peace or war, the world cannot prevent your thinking processes. You can think when you are sick, just as easily as when you are healthy. You can think with one leg or two. You can think with one dollar in your pocket or a billion.
And in all of this, God gives you time to get your spiritual life together.
Back in Peter’s day, there was no television, no internet, no telephone, no technology as we know it today. And yet Peter here refers to the letters of Paul, and Peter presumes that those reading this letter, are also familiar with the letters of Paul.
That was an ancient time, and still people read the letters just as easily as you and I read the Bible of today.
Today we find Bibles everywhere, and Peter here implies that those letters were likewise copied and spread around such that folks in communities spread far apart, could have easy access to them and their content.
This also indicates that people in those ancient times, desired Bible doctrine.
All you have to do is look yourself in the mirror, and figure out what your excuses are, what your complaints are, what your rationalizations are, what your pretentions are, and get over them. And the sooner the better for you.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:15
15 And [kai] account [hegeomai] that the longsuffering [makrothumia] of our [hemon] Lord [kurios] is salvation [soteria]; even as [kathos] our [hemon] beloved [agapetos] brother [adelphos] Paul [Paulos] also [kai] according to [kata] the wisdom [sophia] given [didomi] unto him [autos] hath written [grapho] unto you [humin]; KJV-Interlinear
15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, NASB
Just because God does not strike with lightning immediately when someone does wrong, and just because the promises of God have not come to pass, as most of the prophecies of the Old Testament are still unfulfilled, then this does not mean that they are empty promises, nor that God has forgotten them.
Quite the contrary. God looks down through the tunnel of time and sees all generations still unborn, and waits patiently for them to come into existence, so that they (and you) can believe and be saved, and/or advance in their spiritual lives.
Patience and wisdom based on facts, even if those facts have not yet come into existence, are the key to understanding many of the aspects of Gods plan.
God gives us all time, adequate time, to get our act together, spiritually. Some of us are just too stupid to realize that we are wasting the precious minutes God has given us.
People who are prosperous generally have the most difficult time in growing up spiritually. Prosperity has a tendency of making you pretentious, and somewhat insincere with respect to life. It is difficult to understand the pressures of poverty or hardship unless you have been there.
On the other hand, hard times can turn you sour on life, sour on God, and just plain sour all around.
But God gives you time to overcome your sourness, and that in itself is a blessing, believe it or not.
Remember one thing, if you remember anything – Jesus Christ controls history. That means that He controls the details of your life. In Christ, which means by learning doctrine, remaining in fellowship, and applying doctrine to your life, then in Christ you have total security and safety, regardless of the circumstances of your life.
Know this, that your life in this world, is not going to be a path of rose petals. There will be suffering of some sort in your life. Your life will likely be a rollercoaster ride, and if you get that straight in your head, then perhaps you will stop blaming God, stop complaining, stop whining, stop demanding, when life goes against you.
Stop subscribing to the attitude that once you get successful, then … you’ll do this or that. God is not interested in your doing this or that. God is interested in your growing up in your spiritual life and obeying His every command regardless of whether you are in poverty or prosperity.
You may have noticed that regardless of what goes on in this world, whether feast or famine, peace or war, the world cannot prevent your thinking processes. You can think when you are sick, just as easily as when you are healthy. You can think with one leg or two. You can think with one dollar in your pocket or a billion.
And in all of this, God gives you time to get your spiritual life together.
Back in Peter’s day, there was no television, no internet, no telephone, no technology as we know it today. And yet Peter here refers to the letters of Paul, and Peter presumes that those reading this letter, are also familiar with the letters of Paul.
That was an ancient time, and still people read the letters just as easily as you and I read the Bible of today.
Today we find Bibles everywhere, and Peter here implies that those letters were likewise copied and spread around such that folks in communities spread far apart, could have easy access to them and their content.
This also indicates that people in those ancient times, desired Bible doctrine.
All you have to do is look yourself in the mirror, and figure out what your excuses are, what your complaints are, what your rationalizations are, what your pretentions are, and get over them. And the sooner the better for you.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
2 Peter 3:14
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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2 Peter 3:14
14 Wherefore [dio], beloved [agapetos], seeing that ye look for [prosdokao] such things [tauta], be diligent [spoudazo] that ye may be found [heurisko] of him [autos] in [en] peace [eirene], without spot [aspilos], and [kai] blameless [amometos]. KJV-Interlinear
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, NASB
A number of passages reflect the principle which Peter is drawing from here, Eph. 5:27, 1 Cor. 15:58, Rom. 8:18, 2 Cor. 4:16-18, Phil. 2:15, as well as many of the Parables of Christ.
Looking for these things, the things which we have been mentioning here recently and throughout all of our studies, simply means that you are now aware of them.
Whether you believe any of this or not, is irrelevant.
What you choose to believe or not believe in life impacts only your own individual spiritual life. Your beliefs have no impact on truth or reality whatsoever.
Don’t believe in the moon? Well it will rise and fall daily and monthly, regardless of what you think about it.
Don’t believe in the weather? Do you think that the sunshne and rain care what you think? Will all activity in the universe change because of your attitude?
What you believe is irrelevant as far as truth and reality are concerned. What does matter is that the Bible teaches truth, and reality does match up perfectly with that truth, and that you are aware of it.
With that, you can make up your mind as to whether or not you will believe the Bible and adjust your life accordingly, or not.
The Bible makes life and the repercussions of life, very clear.
You were born into this world, and one day you are going to leave this world.
Your life is human life which resides in your eternal soul, which are separate and apart from your physical body.
One day there is going to be a resurrection.
One day there is going to be a judgment before Christ.
The result of that judgment will determine your entire eternal future.
Those who respond to truth (the Bible) will be properly rewarded with phenomenal rewards.
Those who reject the Bible (truth), by default embrace lies, and they will be the recipients of very little or no reward.
The Bible also makes a distinction between the finite and the infinite.
The finite is your temporal life. Your temporal life has severe limitations, including whatever you might have or are able to do in this life.
The infinite never ends and anything related to infinite blessing, far exceeds the limited blessings of this life.
Therefore is you have a choice to prepare for the infinite. But if you and instead only focus on the finite, then aren’t you missing out on the whole point of life and your ultimate destiny?
Those who are prepared spiritually, will receive blessings beyond imagination. Those who do not prepare themselves spiritually, will not.
Those who look only to this world, to politics, to social improvements, to standards established by man, only to the hustle and bustle of life, knowing that God has something far better prepared for them, will have no excuse when truth finally crashes all around them.
Life as we all know it, will come to an end one day. There is going to be a Rapture. There is going to be a terrible period in history called the Tribulation. There is going to be a Second Advent. There is going to be a Millennial reign of Christ. There is going to be a final judgment. There is going to be a destruction of everything in this universe. And, there is going to be a brand new universe created and established as our final and permanent home.
Your life in that new universe is determined by your decisions today.
And what does God look for in you?
Peace, spotless, and blameless.
Peace is the state of spiritual maturity, achieved only by your faithful daily study of the Word for God. Your spiritual objective for life.
Spotless is your spiritual state of residing in fellowship, by means of the confession principle. This is your moment by moment sabbath.
Blameless is the result of your spiritual production which is determined by the application of Biblical principles to your daily life.
Together these present a picture of your life, your pattern of life, as decided by your daily, even moment-by-moment decisions in life, throughout your life.
Being arrogant, boasting, being belligerent, argumentative, prove this, prove that, in your life, rather than seeking out truth by your own effort, only indicates a veil of indifference being used to hide your otherwise negative attitude toward God.
To those who have a genuine desire to learn, God reveals all truth. To those who really do not want to learn, God allows the delusion of their beliefs to rule them.
Your future is before you, and even though God controls history, and will guide history to His predetermined conclusion, He will not interfere with your choice as to what side of history you want to be on.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:14
14 Wherefore [dio], beloved [agapetos], seeing that ye look for [prosdokao] such things [tauta], be diligent [spoudazo] that ye may be found [heurisko] of him [autos] in [en] peace [eirene], without spot [aspilos], and [kai] blameless [amometos]. KJV-Interlinear
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, NASB
A number of passages reflect the principle which Peter is drawing from here, Eph. 5:27, 1 Cor. 15:58, Rom. 8:18, 2 Cor. 4:16-18, Phil. 2:15, as well as many of the Parables of Christ.
Looking for these things, the things which we have been mentioning here recently and throughout all of our studies, simply means that you are now aware of them.
Whether you believe any of this or not, is irrelevant.
What you choose to believe or not believe in life impacts only your own individual spiritual life. Your beliefs have no impact on truth or reality whatsoever.
Don’t believe in the moon? Well it will rise and fall daily and monthly, regardless of what you think about it.
Don’t believe in the weather? Do you think that the sunshne and rain care what you think? Will all activity in the universe change because of your attitude?
What you believe is irrelevant as far as truth and reality are concerned. What does matter is that the Bible teaches truth, and reality does match up perfectly with that truth, and that you are aware of it.
With that, you can make up your mind as to whether or not you will believe the Bible and adjust your life accordingly, or not.
The Bible makes life and the repercussions of life, very clear.
You were born into this world, and one day you are going to leave this world.
Your life is human life which resides in your eternal soul, which are separate and apart from your physical body.
One day there is going to be a resurrection.
One day there is going to be a judgment before Christ.
The result of that judgment will determine your entire eternal future.
Those who respond to truth (the Bible) will be properly rewarded with phenomenal rewards.
Those who reject the Bible (truth), by default embrace lies, and they will be the recipients of very little or no reward.
The Bible also makes a distinction between the finite and the infinite.
The finite is your temporal life. Your temporal life has severe limitations, including whatever you might have or are able to do in this life.
The infinite never ends and anything related to infinite blessing, far exceeds the limited blessings of this life.
Therefore is you have a choice to prepare for the infinite. But if you and instead only focus on the finite, then aren’t you missing out on the whole point of life and your ultimate destiny?
Those who are prepared spiritually, will receive blessings beyond imagination. Those who do not prepare themselves spiritually, will not.
Those who look only to this world, to politics, to social improvements, to standards established by man, only to the hustle and bustle of life, knowing that God has something far better prepared for them, will have no excuse when truth finally crashes all around them.
Life as we all know it, will come to an end one day. There is going to be a Rapture. There is going to be a terrible period in history called the Tribulation. There is going to be a Second Advent. There is going to be a Millennial reign of Christ. There is going to be a final judgment. There is going to be a destruction of everything in this universe. And, there is going to be a brand new universe created and established as our final and permanent home.
Your life in that new universe is determined by your decisions today.
And what does God look for in you?
Peace, spotless, and blameless.
Peace is the state of spiritual maturity, achieved only by your faithful daily study of the Word for God. Your spiritual objective for life.
Spotless is your spiritual state of residing in fellowship, by means of the confession principle. This is your moment by moment sabbath.
Blameless is the result of your spiritual production which is determined by the application of Biblical principles to your daily life.
Together these present a picture of your life, your pattern of life, as decided by your daily, even moment-by-moment decisions in life, throughout your life.
Being arrogant, boasting, being belligerent, argumentative, prove this, prove that, in your life, rather than seeking out truth by your own effort, only indicates a veil of indifference being used to hide your otherwise negative attitude toward God.
To those who have a genuine desire to learn, God reveals all truth. To those who really do not want to learn, God allows the delusion of their beliefs to rule them.
Your future is before you, and even though God controls history, and will guide history to His predetermined conclusion, He will not interfere with your choice as to what side of history you want to be on.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2 Peter 3:13
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:13
13 Nevertheless [de] we [prosdokao], according to [kata] his [autos] promise [epaggelma], look for [prosdokao] new [kainos] heavens [ouranos] and [kai] a new [kainos] earth [ge], wherein [en] [hos] dwelleth [katoikeo] righteousness [dikaiosune]. KJV-Interlinear
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. NASB
Human history will come to an end some day, and that day may not be as far off into the future as you might think.
We know that the millennium will last 1000 years. We know that the Tribulation will last 7 years, or just short of that. The only time frame that we do not know, is the remaining years for our Church Age. So history has 1007 years remaining in it, plus the years from our dispensation. Our dispensation might last another day, decade or even a century or more.
Assuming that God has in His plan, the overwhelming of humanity of human problems, so as to prove that humanity cannot solve his own problems, then we can presume that the next and perhaps final stress point in human history will be over population.
The current population is around seven billion. We passed the six billion mark a few years ago, at the turn of the last century. The population of the planet doubles approximately every 30 to 35 years, so at the end of this coming century, our population could very well exceed 50 to 60 billion people. And if history continues even another century, then the population could be nearing 500 billion people. Where will the breaking point be?
The big question is, ‘Can humanity handle any of these population numbers?’ Imagine the poverty, the public service needs, the road systems, the food and fuel requirements, the employment needs, and so forth. Not to mention crime, unrest and whatever else in the form of world or social problems that will come along. At some point technology or even human will, will not be enough.
Unless their comes along something that will dramatic slow down the population growth rate, this is going to be a very real problem for this world, sooner or later. At any rate, humanity will reach a breaking point, and then what.
With the known worlds resources running out, with the population growth increasing at an ever faster pace, one has to wonder if we are indeed very, very close to that time the Bible calls the last days.
Now these are little tidbits, with which all we can do is guess or speculate. What we do not have to speculate about is the certainty of the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Advent, the Millennium, and the destruction of our universe. We just do not know when these things will occur.
Isa. 60:21-22
21 ‘Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.
22 ‘The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.’ NASB
Isa. 65:17
17 ‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. NASB
Isa. 66:22
22 ‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure. NASB
Rev. 21:1
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. NASB
When our universe ends and is destroyed, God will create (out of nothing), a new universe. It will become the home of the righteous only (believers in Christ), and it will be our home forever. Memories of our former universe, will fade into non-existence.
Truth will be present and rule, there will be no human or Satanic viewpoint, which will contradict truth.
At some point, we all have to come face to face with our beliefs, and decide whether we will believe these words, or reject them. And, if we reject them, then how do we answer all of the obvious future events and circumstances that are certain to come? Not the least of which is your own death. How many of you are going to live (with certainty) forever in this world? How many of you are going to still be here, a hundred years from now?
How fast have the past years of your life gone by?
In all of the Bible, a sense of urgency is maintained. We read the words, behold, look, listen, hear, see, in order to get with our spiritual life. Time is short. Whether a day or a decade, makes no difference.
God will one day, call you home. So, will you be ready?
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:13
13 Nevertheless [de] we [prosdokao], according to [kata] his [autos] promise [epaggelma], look for [prosdokao] new [kainos] heavens [ouranos] and [kai] a new [kainos] earth [ge], wherein [en] [hos] dwelleth [katoikeo] righteousness [dikaiosune]. KJV-Interlinear
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. NASB
Human history will come to an end some day, and that day may not be as far off into the future as you might think.
We know that the millennium will last 1000 years. We know that the Tribulation will last 7 years, or just short of that. The only time frame that we do not know, is the remaining years for our Church Age. So history has 1007 years remaining in it, plus the years from our dispensation. Our dispensation might last another day, decade or even a century or more.
Assuming that God has in His plan, the overwhelming of humanity of human problems, so as to prove that humanity cannot solve his own problems, then we can presume that the next and perhaps final stress point in human history will be over population.
The current population is around seven billion. We passed the six billion mark a few years ago, at the turn of the last century. The population of the planet doubles approximately every 30 to 35 years, so at the end of this coming century, our population could very well exceed 50 to 60 billion people. And if history continues even another century, then the population could be nearing 500 billion people. Where will the breaking point be?
The big question is, ‘Can humanity handle any of these population numbers?’ Imagine the poverty, the public service needs, the road systems, the food and fuel requirements, the employment needs, and so forth. Not to mention crime, unrest and whatever else in the form of world or social problems that will come along. At some point technology or even human will, will not be enough.
Unless their comes along something that will dramatic slow down the population growth rate, this is going to be a very real problem for this world, sooner or later. At any rate, humanity will reach a breaking point, and then what.
With the known worlds resources running out, with the population growth increasing at an ever faster pace, one has to wonder if we are indeed very, very close to that time the Bible calls the last days.
Now these are little tidbits, with which all we can do is guess or speculate. What we do not have to speculate about is the certainty of the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Advent, the Millennium, and the destruction of our universe. We just do not know when these things will occur.
Isa. 60:21-22
21 ‘Then all your people will be righteous; They will possess the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.
22 ‘The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.’ NASB
Isa. 65:17
17 ‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. NASB
Isa. 66:22
22 ‘For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘So your offspring and your name will endure. NASB
Rev. 21:1
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. NASB
When our universe ends and is destroyed, God will create (out of nothing), a new universe. It will become the home of the righteous only (believers in Christ), and it will be our home forever. Memories of our former universe, will fade into non-existence.
Truth will be present and rule, there will be no human or Satanic viewpoint, which will contradict truth.
At some point, we all have to come face to face with our beliefs, and decide whether we will believe these words, or reject them. And, if we reject them, then how do we answer all of the obvious future events and circumstances that are certain to come? Not the least of which is your own death. How many of you are going to live (with certainty) forever in this world? How many of you are going to still be here, a hundred years from now?
How fast have the past years of your life gone by?
In all of the Bible, a sense of urgency is maintained. We read the words, behold, look, listen, hear, see, in order to get with our spiritual life. Time is short. Whether a day or a decade, makes no difference.
God will one day, call you home. So, will you be ready?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
2 Peter 3:12
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:12
12 Looking for [prosdokao] and [kai] hasting [speudo] unto the coming [parousia] of the day [hemera] of God [theos], wherein [dia] [hos] the heavens [ouranos] being on fire [puroo] shall be dissolved [luo], and [kai] the elements [stoicheion] shall melt [teko] with fervent heat [kausoo]? KJV-Interlinear
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! NASB
Looking for, means to watch with a watchful eye in preparation for that wonderful event. Looking for, means to get prepared, to get ready, to dress up and be prepared, equipped, completed. Kind of like going out on a big date and you are getting ready and all dressed up, waiting for your ride to arrive to pick you up.
The hasten or hastening, means to watch with a deep desire, to want with restless impatience, as a child desires Christmas and the coming of Santa and the presents and so forth.
At times in your life there have been events that you couldn’t wait until they happened. Whether it was a weekend social event, a graduation, a new job, the delivery of something you just purchased, or whatever. There have been times when you have been anxiously wanting the ‘thing’ to come quickly.
This is the meaning of ‘hasting.’
Both of these look to your attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine, your spiritual life with respect to your getting yourself ready for that big moment in history, and the biggest moment of your entire life. Preparation means growing up and advancing toward spiritual maturity, to be living a life that generates spiritual production or spiritual results with which you will receive high marks when you come before the Lord for your evaluation.
This life is characterized with evil, burdens, bias, prejudice, unfair treatment, anxieties, pressures and so forth. There is no one who enjoys having to look over their shoulder all of their life, just wondering if they will lose their home, or job, or business, or loved ones, or health, or whatever it is that you have and fear losing.
Life in this world is characterized by these many stresses and beyond. To look beyond this life and hope for something better is normal, more than normal, it is expected by God, as we herein see from our verse.
We have this life to live in and in which to prepare for the next life. But also, we look to the next life in which Gods promises, all of them, will become a reality, and will be with us forever.
The next life is characterized as being with no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death, no more anything that is represented by the pressures of this world. There will be eternal happiness and eternal provision. All of the limitations of this life will be erased.
From the resurrection body which will not have any aches and pains, but will have phenomenal abilities, to the many rewards, privileges, abilities, blessings, gifts, and so forth, is it any wonder that a person looks to the hopes of heaven, over the burdens of this world.
In the time of the great flood of Noah, it is said that the Lord was long suffering (120 years), while He was patient with humanity and patient while Noah constructed the Ark. Noah and his family were patient in their steady building project, not knowing what was to come after the population of the world was destroyed. They themselves did not even know the extent of the judgment until it occurred. They had never seen rain or even a flood prior to this. Before the flood, the earth was watered by means of mists and springs.
But now, Peter describes our wait as a hastening, a yearning desire. This is a totally different approach toward the expectations of the promises to come. Now the Lord is hurrying (His timetable, not ours) through the generations, in order that all who will believe, will believe, and all who will grow up spiritually, will grow up in their spiritual life.
In ancient times, Satan had the time he needed to build up and see fail, all of the empires of his choosing. Now, the implication is that in our Church Age, operation footstool, etc., the plan of the Father is preparing the peoples, nations, and circumstances for the next great event of Christs rule, are taking place at an accelerated rate.
This is probably something that we cannot fully appreciate until we get to heaven and then have the ability to comprehend all of the ingredients for history, and then understand it all.
But regardless of what we understand, or don’t understand, we are herein informed that our role in life is to pursue and make first in our life, Bible doctrine and our spiritual growth. In so doing we pray all of the right prayers, hope for all the right things, and wait patiently without complaint, without frustration, for Gods plan to come together, because it will.
Acts 3:19-21
19 ‘Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. NASB
Isa. 34:4
4 And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree. NASB
Jer. 48:10
10 ‘Cursed be the one who does the Lord's work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood [responsibility]. NASB
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:12
12 Looking for [prosdokao] and [kai] hasting [speudo] unto the coming [parousia] of the day [hemera] of God [theos], wherein [dia] [hos] the heavens [ouranos] being on fire [puroo] shall be dissolved [luo], and [kai] the elements [stoicheion] shall melt [teko] with fervent heat [kausoo]? KJV-Interlinear
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! NASB
Looking for, means to watch with a watchful eye in preparation for that wonderful event. Looking for, means to get prepared, to get ready, to dress up and be prepared, equipped, completed. Kind of like going out on a big date and you are getting ready and all dressed up, waiting for your ride to arrive to pick you up.
The hasten or hastening, means to watch with a deep desire, to want with restless impatience, as a child desires Christmas and the coming of Santa and the presents and so forth.
At times in your life there have been events that you couldn’t wait until they happened. Whether it was a weekend social event, a graduation, a new job, the delivery of something you just purchased, or whatever. There have been times when you have been anxiously wanting the ‘thing’ to come quickly.
This is the meaning of ‘hasting.’
Both of these look to your attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine, your spiritual life with respect to your getting yourself ready for that big moment in history, and the biggest moment of your entire life. Preparation means growing up and advancing toward spiritual maturity, to be living a life that generates spiritual production or spiritual results with which you will receive high marks when you come before the Lord for your evaluation.
This life is characterized with evil, burdens, bias, prejudice, unfair treatment, anxieties, pressures and so forth. There is no one who enjoys having to look over their shoulder all of their life, just wondering if they will lose their home, or job, or business, or loved ones, or health, or whatever it is that you have and fear losing.
Life in this world is characterized by these many stresses and beyond. To look beyond this life and hope for something better is normal, more than normal, it is expected by God, as we herein see from our verse.
We have this life to live in and in which to prepare for the next life. But also, we look to the next life in which Gods promises, all of them, will become a reality, and will be with us forever.
The next life is characterized as being with no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death, no more anything that is represented by the pressures of this world. There will be eternal happiness and eternal provision. All of the limitations of this life will be erased.
From the resurrection body which will not have any aches and pains, but will have phenomenal abilities, to the many rewards, privileges, abilities, blessings, gifts, and so forth, is it any wonder that a person looks to the hopes of heaven, over the burdens of this world.
In the time of the great flood of Noah, it is said that the Lord was long suffering (120 years), while He was patient with humanity and patient while Noah constructed the Ark. Noah and his family were patient in their steady building project, not knowing what was to come after the population of the world was destroyed. They themselves did not even know the extent of the judgment until it occurred. They had never seen rain or even a flood prior to this. Before the flood, the earth was watered by means of mists and springs.
But now, Peter describes our wait as a hastening, a yearning desire. This is a totally different approach toward the expectations of the promises to come. Now the Lord is hurrying (His timetable, not ours) through the generations, in order that all who will believe, will believe, and all who will grow up spiritually, will grow up in their spiritual life.
In ancient times, Satan had the time he needed to build up and see fail, all of the empires of his choosing. Now, the implication is that in our Church Age, operation footstool, etc., the plan of the Father is preparing the peoples, nations, and circumstances for the next great event of Christs rule, are taking place at an accelerated rate.
This is probably something that we cannot fully appreciate until we get to heaven and then have the ability to comprehend all of the ingredients for history, and then understand it all.
But regardless of what we understand, or don’t understand, we are herein informed that our role in life is to pursue and make first in our life, Bible doctrine and our spiritual growth. In so doing we pray all of the right prayers, hope for all the right things, and wait patiently without complaint, without frustration, for Gods plan to come together, because it will.
Acts 3:19-21
19 ‘Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. NASB
Isa. 34:4
4 And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree. NASB
Jer. 48:10
10 ‘Cursed be the one who does the Lord's work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood [responsibility]. NASB
Monday, February 9, 2009
2 Peter 3:11
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:11
11 Seeing then [oun] that all [pas] these things [touton] shall be dissolved [luo], what manner [potapos] of persons ought [dei] ye [humas] to be [huparcho] in [en] all holy [hagios] conversation [anastrophe] and [kai] godliness [eusebeia], KJV-Interlinear
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, NASB
Now you have a choice. Either be smart and recognize the inevitability of these things, or be stupid and ignore them all.
Peter makes it clear that all of these events, all of these future events, will with certainty, occur at some point in the future. There will be a Rapture. There will be a Second Advent. There will be a final judgment. There will be a destruction of this universe, and a new one to replace it.
And more than that, your life in this world will end, and your next life, the one which will occur in eternity, will begin after you leave this life. And your next life, or the details of your next life, will be determined by your life now.
Your current life will last you only a few decades at best. And even if you live to be a hundred, that will be as nothing, when compared to eternity.
Eternity is forever. Eternity is infinite. Infinite equates to not decades, not centuries, not even millennia, but eternity will last for millions of billions of trillions of gazillions of years and beyond.
Which life span is the larger of the two?
Which life span should you be preparing for?
Can you bring yourself to believe in God?
Can you bring yourself to study daily, the Bible and examine it, question it, study it, verify it, make it real in your life, such that you can conclude that you can’t really come up with anything better?
God rewards those who pursue truth. As for those who pursue lies, what should they receive?
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:11
11 Seeing then [oun] that all [pas] these things [touton] shall be dissolved [luo], what manner [potapos] of persons ought [dei] ye [humas] to be [huparcho] in [en] all holy [hagios] conversation [anastrophe] and [kai] godliness [eusebeia], KJV-Interlinear
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, NASB
Now you have a choice. Either be smart and recognize the inevitability of these things, or be stupid and ignore them all.
Peter makes it clear that all of these events, all of these future events, will with certainty, occur at some point in the future. There will be a Rapture. There will be a Second Advent. There will be a final judgment. There will be a destruction of this universe, and a new one to replace it.
And more than that, your life in this world will end, and your next life, the one which will occur in eternity, will begin after you leave this life. And your next life, or the details of your next life, will be determined by your life now.
Your current life will last you only a few decades at best. And even if you live to be a hundred, that will be as nothing, when compared to eternity.
Eternity is forever. Eternity is infinite. Infinite equates to not decades, not centuries, not even millennia, but eternity will last for millions of billions of trillions of gazillions of years and beyond.
Which life span is the larger of the two?
Which life span should you be preparing for?
Can you bring yourself to believe in God?
Can you bring yourself to study daily, the Bible and examine it, question it, study it, verify it, make it real in your life, such that you can conclude that you can’t really come up with anything better?
God rewards those who pursue truth. As for those who pursue lies, what should they receive?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2 Peter 3:10
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:10
10 But [de] the day [hemera] of the Lord [kurios] will come [heko] as [hos] a thief [kleptes] in [en] the night [nux]; in [en] the which [hos] the heavens [ouranos] shall pass away [parerchomai] with a great noise [rhoizedon], and [de] the elements [stoicheion] shall melt [luo] with fervent heat [kausoo], the earth [ge] also [kai] and [kai] the works [ergon] that are therein [en] [autos] shall be burned up [katakaio]. KJV-Interlinear
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. NASB
The Day of the Lord is generally a reference to the final judgment, or a significant event in which the Lord judges with awesome power and authority.
When Israel found itself in a battle, there were many days of the Lord in which He fought for them and won their victories, defeating their enemies with a thoroughness.
However, Peter is referring to the final judgment of Christ, the judgment that will occur at the end of human history.
There are three huge events remaining in history, with respect to Christ’s victories. The first, and the next major event will be the Rapture. We do not know the date of that event, but when it occurs, it will be the final event of our dispensation, closing out our dispensation and resuming the dispensation that we interrupted, the Age of Israel.
The Age of Israel was interrupted by our dispensation, leaving that dispensation with seven more years to go within it. We call those seven years the Tribulation. They will be the seven worst years in all of human history, and they will be shortened by a little in order to preserve the human race.
The next major event is the Second Advent. That will occur at the end of the Tribulation. Again, the Tribulation has seven years as its duration. But, since Satan knows this and since he will be going all out in order to wipe out the entire human race, Christ will return a little short of those seven years. The Bible describes it, ‘unless those days were shortened.’ That exact date is not known either.
The third major event and final event is the final judgment of Christ which will occur at the end of the Millennium.
During the Millennium, which is also called the Kingdom of God, there will be peace and prosperity. Prosperity will be so thorough for the entire 1000 years of that millennium, that there will be no poor and no war.
But, just as in any other time in history, no one can get along in life without God in their soul, so too, in the Millennium, people will be discontented. This, even though Jesus Christ will be there personally ruling the planet, with perfect prosperity and peace. People will live very long lives. Sickness and illnesses will be all but forgotten. But people without doctrine in their soul, will never find contentment and happiness in things.
However, people will reject Christ as their savior, and those numbers will grow into a huge percentage of the population by the end of the Millennium. Satan will have been incarcerated for the entire 1000-year period, and in the end, he will be released. Satan will raise up an army of the discontented, and lead a revolt against Christ.
That revolt will be short-lived, and history will end immediately. Christ will put down the rebellion, handcuff all of those who revolted, and resurrect all of those Millennial believers, who have believed in Him, and the Great White Throne will come to order.
All fallen angels and unbelievers will be dispatched into the Lake of Fire, forever disappearing from our sight. All final believer evaluations will be accomplished. And then, the universe (not heaven), will be destroyed by fire.
Peter is here referring to that last and final destruction of the universe. He refers to the elements, which are the ultimate and smallest components of this universe.
When something is burned up it generally leaves a residue of ash and smoke, but ash and smoke are really a form of an element of the thing which was burned. Here Peter indicates that these elements will also be destroyed. Therefore, the entire universe will be wiped away from existence. There will be no dust, no ash, no smoke, nothing remaining, but empty space, or what ever is left when this universe disappears forever.
You can find more details of this final event in our study at the end of Isaiah and Revelation.
The Lord will then create a new universe (out of nothing), combine it with heaven, and that will become our new and final home and playground forever.
As for the thief. When does a thief come along? When you least expect it. The thief comes in the dark of night, when you are away, or when you are asleep, and so forth. If you knew when the thief was going to come, you would be there ready and waiting. But in each of these events (Rapture, Second Advent, final judgment), the spiritual status of most folks will be so low if it exists at all, that they will be in a sense, absent, asleep, spiritually darkened with respect to truth and the signs of the times so to speak. They will not expect Christ, they will not keep track as to when to expect Him, and they will be totally surprised, after the events have occurred.
When do you realize that the thief has been there? After he has already come and gone. Too late, in other words. You have already lost your valuables. And in the spiritual sense, they will never be recovered.
As for us, our next event will be either our personal death, or the Rapture. We do not know when either will occur.
So alertness is in order with respect to our own spiritual life.
We may have hours or years remaining in each of our lives. We presume that they will be a long time in coming, but then where have all the past years gone? Weren’t we much younger just yesterday?
Time and indifference can make you forget and lose track of time, and then it is suddenly too late.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:10
10 But [de] the day [hemera] of the Lord [kurios] will come [heko] as [hos] a thief [kleptes] in [en] the night [nux]; in [en] the which [hos] the heavens [ouranos] shall pass away [parerchomai] with a great noise [rhoizedon], and [de] the elements [stoicheion] shall melt [luo] with fervent heat [kausoo], the earth [ge] also [kai] and [kai] the works [ergon] that are therein [en] [autos] shall be burned up [katakaio]. KJV-Interlinear
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. NASB
The Day of the Lord is generally a reference to the final judgment, or a significant event in which the Lord judges with awesome power and authority.
When Israel found itself in a battle, there were many days of the Lord in which He fought for them and won their victories, defeating their enemies with a thoroughness.
However, Peter is referring to the final judgment of Christ, the judgment that will occur at the end of human history.
There are three huge events remaining in history, with respect to Christ’s victories. The first, and the next major event will be the Rapture. We do not know the date of that event, but when it occurs, it will be the final event of our dispensation, closing out our dispensation and resuming the dispensation that we interrupted, the Age of Israel.
The Age of Israel was interrupted by our dispensation, leaving that dispensation with seven more years to go within it. We call those seven years the Tribulation. They will be the seven worst years in all of human history, and they will be shortened by a little in order to preserve the human race.
The next major event is the Second Advent. That will occur at the end of the Tribulation. Again, the Tribulation has seven years as its duration. But, since Satan knows this and since he will be going all out in order to wipe out the entire human race, Christ will return a little short of those seven years. The Bible describes it, ‘unless those days were shortened.’ That exact date is not known either.
The third major event and final event is the final judgment of Christ which will occur at the end of the Millennium.
During the Millennium, which is also called the Kingdom of God, there will be peace and prosperity. Prosperity will be so thorough for the entire 1000 years of that millennium, that there will be no poor and no war.
But, just as in any other time in history, no one can get along in life without God in their soul, so too, in the Millennium, people will be discontented. This, even though Jesus Christ will be there personally ruling the planet, with perfect prosperity and peace. People will live very long lives. Sickness and illnesses will be all but forgotten. But people without doctrine in their soul, will never find contentment and happiness in things.
However, people will reject Christ as their savior, and those numbers will grow into a huge percentage of the population by the end of the Millennium. Satan will have been incarcerated for the entire 1000-year period, and in the end, he will be released. Satan will raise up an army of the discontented, and lead a revolt against Christ.
That revolt will be short-lived, and history will end immediately. Christ will put down the rebellion, handcuff all of those who revolted, and resurrect all of those Millennial believers, who have believed in Him, and the Great White Throne will come to order.
All fallen angels and unbelievers will be dispatched into the Lake of Fire, forever disappearing from our sight. All final believer evaluations will be accomplished. And then, the universe (not heaven), will be destroyed by fire.
Peter is here referring to that last and final destruction of the universe. He refers to the elements, which are the ultimate and smallest components of this universe.
When something is burned up it generally leaves a residue of ash and smoke, but ash and smoke are really a form of an element of the thing which was burned. Here Peter indicates that these elements will also be destroyed. Therefore, the entire universe will be wiped away from existence. There will be no dust, no ash, no smoke, nothing remaining, but empty space, or what ever is left when this universe disappears forever.
You can find more details of this final event in our study at the end of Isaiah and Revelation.
The Lord will then create a new universe (out of nothing), combine it with heaven, and that will become our new and final home and playground forever.
As for the thief. When does a thief come along? When you least expect it. The thief comes in the dark of night, when you are away, or when you are asleep, and so forth. If you knew when the thief was going to come, you would be there ready and waiting. But in each of these events (Rapture, Second Advent, final judgment), the spiritual status of most folks will be so low if it exists at all, that they will be in a sense, absent, asleep, spiritually darkened with respect to truth and the signs of the times so to speak. They will not expect Christ, they will not keep track as to when to expect Him, and they will be totally surprised, after the events have occurred.
When do you realize that the thief has been there? After he has already come and gone. Too late, in other words. You have already lost your valuables. And in the spiritual sense, they will never be recovered.
As for us, our next event will be either our personal death, or the Rapture. We do not know when either will occur.
So alertness is in order with respect to our own spiritual life.
We may have hours or years remaining in each of our lives. We presume that they will be a long time in coming, but then where have all the past years gone? Weren’t we much younger just yesterday?
Time and indifference can make you forget and lose track of time, and then it is suddenly too late.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
2 Peter 3:8-9
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But [de], beloved [agapetos], be [lanthano] not [me] [humas] ignorant [lanthano] of this one [heis] thing [touto], that [hoti] one [mia] day [hemera] is with [para] the Lord [kurios] as [hos] a thousand [chilioi] years [etos], and [kai] a thousand [chilioi] years [etos] as [hos] one [mia] day [hemera].
9 The Lord [kurios] is [braduno] not [ou] slack [braduno] concerning his promise [epaggelia], as [hos] some men [tis] count [hegeomai] slackness [bradutes]; but [alla] is longsuffering [makrothumeo] to [eis] us-ward [hemas], not [me] willing [boulomai] that any [tis] should perish [apollumi], but [alla] that all [pas] should come [choreo] to [eis] repentance [metanoia]. KJV-Interlinear
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. NASB
Quoting from the Psalms, Peter makes it clear that time is of no concern to God. God is infinite, and in eternity, whether past or future, God has all of the time He needs to accomplish His purposes.
Psa. 90:4
4 For a thousand years in Thy sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. NASB
Too often people will try to draw from this quote, an inference that God accomplishes in 1000 years what we think of as a day. This idea has been applied to Genesis, to the history of the human race, and to probably many other theories, or guesses as to how and when things have or will be accomplished.
The six day reatoration of the earth was not accomplished over a period of 6000 years. The history of humanity over the past 6000 years does not equate to some sort of hidden code for determining the end days. Some folks believe that the human race will end in 7000 years, or that the Millennium will be the seventh millennium of history. You have to lie awake long after dark and probably be smoking something in order to come up with these theories.
Now granted, God has a plan, and God is well organized in His plan, but He also gives us no clues as to how to predict future historical events.
All Peter is doing here is responding to the attitude of mockers, who collectively state that there is no God, there is no promise, that everything in history remains the same, with no changes in sight.
And here Peter’s point is that God has a plan, and God takes His time in accomplishing that plan.
People have little time in this world and as such, cannot accomplish all that they want to accomplish in life. People want things done and they want things done now.
But God looks down through the tunnel of time and has seen many generations of people who will be looking to Him and to heaven. God has infinite patience and God will allow history unfold so that those future generations of believers, will have their opportunity.
The other day, I presented a question of mockers, ‘Why did God not create everything perfect so that we do not have to go through all of this trouble in history?’
Now you think about that question for a moment. You already have the answer.
God, in eternity past, looked down through the tunnel of time and saw every possible scenario for history, including having no history at all. God saw the best scenario, and declared it in the Divine Decrees. We have already studied this.
But in this best of choices, God put free will volition into everyone, and He saw that angels and humanity would make choices for and against Him.
God did create the angels perfect. God did create the universe as perfect. We have not seen that universe. It was too long ago. But the angels exercised their free will and destroyed the universe.
God created man as perfect, in a perfect Garden. And if Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would probably still be living in that perfect Garden. But we know that sin came along and the ‘perfect’ was destroyed.
God creates things perfect, but sin, which is not from God, comes along and destroys it all.
The sins of angels did not take God by surprise. The sins of Adam did not take God by surprise.
When human history finally comes to an end, at the end of the Millennium, then judgment will clear away permanently and forever, all evil, and those who promoted it, leaving only believers and elect angels to go into the new universe and heaven.
That new universe and heaven will be perfect and it will never be ruined, ever. That new universe will most likely be something different than anything we are currently familiar with now, staggering the imagination to no end.
God is answering the impatience of mockers. Mockers are examples of people who want things there way and they want it now.
God is patient, and God wants things His way (perfect and truth) and He wants it for everyone in all of history, so He takes His time in allowing history to unfold, so that those who are alive today, have the opportunity to grow up in their spiritual lives, so that those who are yet to be born, may be born and have their opportunity to grow up in their spiritual lives, so that everyone in history has their chance.
God is not bored with history. God is never bored with history. God is never caught off guard.
If you record a game or a movie, and watch it over and over again, then you know all of the details of that recording. You have total confidence as to its outcome.
The same is with God and history. God has seen history. God inserts people into history in accordance with His plan. God knows all of the who’s. what’s, when’s, where’s, and how’s of history. God controls history – not you, not man, not governments, not empires, not angels.
People will make their own choices in history, and God does not interfere with anyone's decisions in life. He just knows and has known since eternity past, everything you will think and decide in your life.
God has all of the patience in the world and more. Whether He accomplishes something in a day or in a thousand years makes no difference. He has a plan and that plan is coming together regardless of what the mockers think or say.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But [de], beloved [agapetos], be [lanthano] not [me] [humas] ignorant [lanthano] of this one [heis] thing [touto], that [hoti] one [mia] day [hemera] is with [para] the Lord [kurios] as [hos] a thousand [chilioi] years [etos], and [kai] a thousand [chilioi] years [etos] as [hos] one [mia] day [hemera].
9 The Lord [kurios] is [braduno] not [ou] slack [braduno] concerning his promise [epaggelia], as [hos] some men [tis] count [hegeomai] slackness [bradutes]; but [alla] is longsuffering [makrothumeo] to [eis] us-ward [hemas], not [me] willing [boulomai] that any [tis] should perish [apollumi], but [alla] that all [pas] should come [choreo] to [eis] repentance [metanoia]. KJV-Interlinear
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. NASB
Quoting from the Psalms, Peter makes it clear that time is of no concern to God. God is infinite, and in eternity, whether past or future, God has all of the time He needs to accomplish His purposes.
Psa. 90:4
4 For a thousand years in Thy sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. NASB
Too often people will try to draw from this quote, an inference that God accomplishes in 1000 years what we think of as a day. This idea has been applied to Genesis, to the history of the human race, and to probably many other theories, or guesses as to how and when things have or will be accomplished.
The six day reatoration of the earth was not accomplished over a period of 6000 years. The history of humanity over the past 6000 years does not equate to some sort of hidden code for determining the end days. Some folks believe that the human race will end in 7000 years, or that the Millennium will be the seventh millennium of history. You have to lie awake long after dark and probably be smoking something in order to come up with these theories.
Now granted, God has a plan, and God is well organized in His plan, but He also gives us no clues as to how to predict future historical events.
All Peter is doing here is responding to the attitude of mockers, who collectively state that there is no God, there is no promise, that everything in history remains the same, with no changes in sight.
And here Peter’s point is that God has a plan, and God takes His time in accomplishing that plan.
People have little time in this world and as such, cannot accomplish all that they want to accomplish in life. People want things done and they want things done now.
But God looks down through the tunnel of time and has seen many generations of people who will be looking to Him and to heaven. God has infinite patience and God will allow history unfold so that those future generations of believers, will have their opportunity.
The other day, I presented a question of mockers, ‘Why did God not create everything perfect so that we do not have to go through all of this trouble in history?’
Now you think about that question for a moment. You already have the answer.
God, in eternity past, looked down through the tunnel of time and saw every possible scenario for history, including having no history at all. God saw the best scenario, and declared it in the Divine Decrees. We have already studied this.
But in this best of choices, God put free will volition into everyone, and He saw that angels and humanity would make choices for and against Him.
God did create the angels perfect. God did create the universe as perfect. We have not seen that universe. It was too long ago. But the angels exercised their free will and destroyed the universe.
God created man as perfect, in a perfect Garden. And if Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would probably still be living in that perfect Garden. But we know that sin came along and the ‘perfect’ was destroyed.
God creates things perfect, but sin, which is not from God, comes along and destroys it all.
The sins of angels did not take God by surprise. The sins of Adam did not take God by surprise.
When human history finally comes to an end, at the end of the Millennium, then judgment will clear away permanently and forever, all evil, and those who promoted it, leaving only believers and elect angels to go into the new universe and heaven.
That new universe and heaven will be perfect and it will never be ruined, ever. That new universe will most likely be something different than anything we are currently familiar with now, staggering the imagination to no end.
God is answering the impatience of mockers. Mockers are examples of people who want things there way and they want it now.
God is patient, and God wants things His way (perfect and truth) and He wants it for everyone in all of history, so He takes His time in allowing history to unfold, so that those who are alive today, have the opportunity to grow up in their spiritual lives, so that those who are yet to be born, may be born and have their opportunity to grow up in their spiritual lives, so that everyone in history has their chance.
God is not bored with history. God is never bored with history. God is never caught off guard.
If you record a game or a movie, and watch it over and over again, then you know all of the details of that recording. You have total confidence as to its outcome.
The same is with God and history. God has seen history. God inserts people into history in accordance with His plan. God knows all of the who’s. what’s, when’s, where’s, and how’s of history. God controls history – not you, not man, not governments, not empires, not angels.
People will make their own choices in history, and God does not interfere with anyone's decisions in life. He just knows and has known since eternity past, everything you will think and decide in your life.
God has all of the patience in the world and more. Whether He accomplishes something in a day or in a thousand years makes no difference. He has a plan and that plan is coming together regardless of what the mockers think or say.
Friday, February 6, 2009
2 Peter 3:7
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:7
7 But [de] the heavens [ouranos] and [kai] the earth [ge], which are now [nun], by the same [autos] word [logos] are [eisi] kept in store [thesaurizo], reserved [tereo] unto fire [pur] against [eis] the day [hemera] of judgment [krisis] and [kai] perdition [apoleia] of ungodly [asebes] men [anthropos]. KJV-Interlinear
7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. NASB
And not only was the earth inundated with water (and darkness) the first time, and inundated with water (not darkness) the second time (Noah’s flood), there is going to be yet another destruction of the earth, but this time it will be by fire. The third time will be the final destruction.
And, not only will the earth be destroyed, but the entire universe will be destroyed.
And by the way, since the earth was destroyed by the great flood in Noah’s time, because the people had gone horribly degenerate, do you suppose that was the reason that the earth was destroyed the first time? Because the angels had gone horribly disobedient?
You know, thinking and wondering is not really a sin.
In fact, the intent of spiritual growth is to set you free from this world, and thinking is really a characteristic of freedom. Freedom promotes liberty, and that promotes thinking and that promotes innovation, and that promotes prosperity, and so forth. Aren’t these things lacking in third world countries, who seem to be stuck in the stone age?
Where in the world, where in history, will you find the greatest innovation, the greatest prosperity? And where do you find the least?
Peter’s description of people who mock, is one of people who do not think. They disregard history. They disregard facts. They disregard truth. And they are their own worst enemy, when it comes to losing out on life and destiny. They will argue (from their position of stupidity) until they are blue in the face.
The truth of life is that your destiny is not in this world and certainly not in this life. You either believe in Christ and will go to heaven, or you will not believe in Christ and will go to the Lake of Fire.
Your graduating from school, going out this weekend, retiring after a long life of work, getting that ‘thing’ that you have always wanted, really mean nothing, in the big picture. With apathy or indifference, or a stubborn attitude about this or that, you are really investing your whole life in the blink of this current life, and ignoring all of eternity.
Mockers are not limited to vocal and foul-mouthed folks. The largest group of mockers are those who are simply indifferent.
Mockers of all kinds say that the Bible has nothing of importance for them. They perceive life as nothing more than what they can see or possess. And what they see is very selective. Where is the sign? Where is the promise?
Why is there going to be another destruction of the earth? Why didn’t God simply make everything perfect and let us all live in peace?
And here Peter answers that question. Because there are ungodly people in history, and God is going to go through all of history in order that all of the ungodly have their say, and likewise, so all godly people can be born into this life, and have their opportunity.
Because of the mockers, because of the indifferent, because of those who refuse to adopt Gods truth, that, is the reason for judgment. Judgment is reserved for those who are spiritually dysfunctional, for those who are void of any spiritual attributes.
And by the way, why is this world so full of troubles? Because of the same reasons. There are so many people who ignore God, Christ, doctrine, and so forth. They are the mockers. They are the ones who have all the answers. They are the ones who screw up everything.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
2 Peter 3:7
7 But [de] the heavens [ouranos] and [kai] the earth [ge], which are now [nun], by the same [autos] word [logos] are [eisi] kept in store [thesaurizo], reserved [tereo] unto fire [pur] against [eis] the day [hemera] of judgment [krisis] and [kai] perdition [apoleia] of ungodly [asebes] men [anthropos]. KJV-Interlinear
7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. NASB
And not only was the earth inundated with water (and darkness) the first time, and inundated with water (not darkness) the second time (Noah’s flood), there is going to be yet another destruction of the earth, but this time it will be by fire. The third time will be the final destruction.
And, not only will the earth be destroyed, but the entire universe will be destroyed.
And by the way, since the earth was destroyed by the great flood in Noah’s time, because the people had gone horribly degenerate, do you suppose that was the reason that the earth was destroyed the first time? Because the angels had gone horribly disobedient?
You know, thinking and wondering is not really a sin.
In fact, the intent of spiritual growth is to set you free from this world, and thinking is really a characteristic of freedom. Freedom promotes liberty, and that promotes thinking and that promotes innovation, and that promotes prosperity, and so forth. Aren’t these things lacking in third world countries, who seem to be stuck in the stone age?
Where in the world, where in history, will you find the greatest innovation, the greatest prosperity? And where do you find the least?
Peter’s description of people who mock, is one of people who do not think. They disregard history. They disregard facts. They disregard truth. And they are their own worst enemy, when it comes to losing out on life and destiny. They will argue (from their position of stupidity) until they are blue in the face.
The truth of life is that your destiny is not in this world and certainly not in this life. You either believe in Christ and will go to heaven, or you will not believe in Christ and will go to the Lake of Fire.
Your graduating from school, going out this weekend, retiring after a long life of work, getting that ‘thing’ that you have always wanted, really mean nothing, in the big picture. With apathy or indifference, or a stubborn attitude about this or that, you are really investing your whole life in the blink of this current life, and ignoring all of eternity.
Mockers are not limited to vocal and foul-mouthed folks. The largest group of mockers are those who are simply indifferent.
Mockers of all kinds say that the Bible has nothing of importance for them. They perceive life as nothing more than what they can see or possess. And what they see is very selective. Where is the sign? Where is the promise?
Why is there going to be another destruction of the earth? Why didn’t God simply make everything perfect and let us all live in peace?
And here Peter answers that question. Because there are ungodly people in history, and God is going to go through all of history in order that all of the ungodly have their say, and likewise, so all godly people can be born into this life, and have their opportunity.
Because of the mockers, because of the indifferent, because of those who refuse to adopt Gods truth, that, is the reason for judgment. Judgment is reserved for those who are spiritually dysfunctional, for those who are void of any spiritual attributes.
And by the way, why is this world so full of troubles? Because of the same reasons. There are so many people who ignore God, Christ, doctrine, and so forth. They are the mockers. They are the ones who have all the answers. They are the ones who screw up everything.
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