It did not take long for the early church to create some basic structure.  Of course, for the Jewish Christians, there was the existing model of the synagogue which was the local organization with different roles for members.  While worship and sacrifice were focused on the Temple in Jerusalem until the destruction of the Temple around the time of Paul’s death, synagogues were local assemblies of believers. “Synagogue” is a Greek word that literally means a gathering of people but also refers to the place of assembly. Although the origin of the synagogue as a Jewish institution is unclear, by the first century they were found in both Palestine and…

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” One…

The last several verses of Chapter 1 are soaring.  “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.…

Before looking at the text let’s look at a little of Paul’s relationship with the church at Ephesus. Turn to Acts 19. We can see four things that are special: First, Paul encounters disciples who have received only the baptism of John and never heard of the Holy Spirit.  We’ve talked about this before but it is worth repeating. The baptism of John was the baptism of repentance and was almost a rival for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the early church.  It was the baptism received by Apollos – the brilliant preacher in Ephesus. We’ve looked at that before and we know that means Apollos and others…

After challenging Titus to deal with false teachers, promoting sound doctrine, the responsibilities of the elders, young men, older women, and slaves, he closes his letter with how Titus is to remind and teach.  Chapter 3 is a recap in a way as well as new challenges for Titus. Paul does not stop challenging everyone around him until the very end of his letters and his life! “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”  Obviously, Paul had never run for…

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness – a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.” I was in Silicon Valley this week meeting with geneticists, venture capitalists, and people who are thinking about, among other things, the ethics of how technology and science are creating futures that are both wonderful…

We don’t hear much about doctrine today. I’m not sure I heard much about doctrine when I was growing up. We knew we were Baptists and thought we knew what that meant but didn’t. We learned our doctrine from our hymns. We knew about propitiation from “Washed in the Blood” and “Nothing but the Blood”. We knew about the sacrificial death of Jesus from “The Old Rugged Cross”. We knew about forgiveness from “Just As I Am” and about grace from “Amazing Grace”. In their defense the influence of those songs has lasted for a lifetime. I’ve heard thousands of sermons and Sunday School lessons but it’s “It Is Well…

Part of Timothy’s responsibility as a teacher is not only to introduce new things but to remind people of what they already know. Most of us already know enough new things but we need to be reminded of what we know already – and we don’t always appreciate it. I need to be reminded constantly to take out the garbage, keep doctor appointments, change the oil on the car, and a host of other small things that make up a normal life. Sometimes I need to be reminded of larger things just like the people of Israel. They needed to be reminded they served one God and him alone. They…

Paul is in the final years of his life when writing to Timothy. They have been hard years filled with persecution, prison, suffering, deprivation, endless travel, argument, and controversy. Yet, they have also been years of deep and long-lasting relationships with friends, converts, churches, and disciples like Timothy. But Paul’s life has been one of extremes. His deepest friendships remained intact but some who have been friends and supporters have abandoned or turned on him. We can read about those in the other letters but it is clear here that “everyone in the province of Asia has deserted him.” That’s not the way to finish life, is it? But, as…

There are times I wish Paul had been content with giving Timothy sermon tips but, instead, he has tackled some of the major areas of controversy today. A few weeks ago, it was the role of women in church. Today, it is three in a row: slavery and freedom, false teaching, and wealth. I’ll be glad when we are done and we can move on to 2 Timothy and Paul’s final words to his beloved friend. ”All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not…