2 Timothy 1-2 Once again, Paul writes to Timothy, his son in the faith. This time Paul writes to encourage and strengthen Timothy’s faith. He reminds him to not be ashamed of the gospel and to hold firm to what he’s been taught. Paul also charges Timothy with replicating his faith so that others can …
1 Timothy 4-6 In the final chapters, Paul gives lots of instruction for Timothy. Some is directly for him, while the rest is for the church as a whole. Paul warns Timothy against false teachings and to shut them down quickly. Likewise, Timothy needs to set the example for the church and keep his focus …
1 Timothy 1-3 Paul writes to Timothy, his son in the faith. He writes so Timothy knows how people ought to conduct themselves in the Church. Paul talks about the issues of false teachings & speculations in the church, the need for prayer, as well as the qualifications for overseers and deacons. One thing Paul …
Hebrews 12 After showing all the examples of faith from the Old Testament scriptures, the author makes his point. We must lay aside our sin and anything that would hinder us and pursue Christ with endurance. He then reframes the sin and suffering we deal with. It’s not just a struggle to face, but a …
Hebrews 11 After writing about Jesus’s perfect sacrifice and its implications for our lives, the author gives us examples of people who walked by faith. He begins with Abel and walks through the Old Testament scriptures. At each point he shows how these people trusted in the promises God made. None realized the ultimate promise …
Hebrews 10 The biggest problem with the old covenant (Mosaic law) is it could never forgive sin. The constant sacrifices that were made year after year only covered sin, but never forgave them. But, Jesus did something greater. He made a single sacrifice that forgives and stands for all time. Because of that there is …
Hebrews 8-9 The author now contrasts the Levitical high priests and Jesus by comparing their covenants. He shows that the covenant and promises that come through Jesus are better than the Mosaic law. He quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 to prove this point. The two systems are also contrasted by reminding the reader that Moses’ tabernacle was …
Hebrews 7 In chapter 7, the author shows the reader how Jesus took on the priesthood. To do this, he refers to Abraham’s encounter with Melchizedek. This man was a king and priest. And Scripture attributes no lineage to him. Furthermore, he quotes twice from Psalm 110:4 showing how Jesus is a priest in this …
Hebrews 5-6 The author moves the discussion to Jesus’s role as high priest. Not only is Jesus savior, he is also a high priest chosen by God. But Jesus isn’t like other high priests before him, because he was sinless and never needed to make a sin offering for himself. The writer then takes a …
Hebrews 3-4 The author of Hebrews gives us two examples of faithfulness: Jesus and Moses. Moses was faithful as a servant. Jesus was faithful as a son. The reader is then warned against unbelief, as he recalls Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness. Unbelief caused them to miss God’s blessing. The same can happen with us …
Hebrews 1-2 The unknown author of Hebrews writes this letter to encourage believers in their faith. The central focus of the letter is tying together the Old Testament and showing how Jesus is its fulfillment. In its opening, he shows how Jesus is greater than the angels. Then he talks about Jesus’s relationship to humanity …
Philippians 3-4 Paul warns the church against false teachers and Judaizers who try to put confidence in things other than Christ. All those things are worthless compared to gaining Christ. Instead, the goal is Christ’s promise. To achieve it, we must live according to the example Scripture sets for us. We’re not perfect, we’re still …