Something Greater

1 Timothy 3: Bishops, Overseers and Health Inspectors 1 Timothy 3:1 What has gone before... Paul urged the church in Ephesus to pray for two essential things : peace and quiet. Building on this theme, he focused on women and their need to learn godliness, which includes the skill of submissiveness, not only for the women but also for men and children. Biblical submissiveness is best defined as willing, joyful acceptance of God's sovereignty , protection and providence. A woman will live out their submissiveness to God by gladly allowing her husband to be the protector and provider of her family. The process of learning the skills of godliness includes experiences of pain or loss , and for the woman, childbearing often provides just such an experience. For men and women, learning is always an active demonstration of a skill or ability , and whether physically or spiritually. Moving on... "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer,...

Learning Godliness What has gone before... Paul asked the women in the Ephesian church to examine how their dress and adornment should genuinely reflect what is in their hearts . The word for "adorn" means to put in proper order , implying all that is deeply essential. "Modesty" means bashfulness toward men, or awe towards God, closely related to respect or reverence. "Self-control" means soundness of mind, or sanity. A woman who dresses simply, modestly and inexpensively, must depend upon personality in order to impress or attract others . Without skin-revealing dress or expensive decoration, a woman must express strength and goodness by her words and actions. Paul is not forbidding braided hair , gold, pearls or expensive dress. Rather, he's emphasizing the need to allow God's Holy Spirit to develop within us the inner qualities of respect, modesty and self-control, expressed by good works. We cannot rely upon outer appearances to ma...

Scornful or Humble? "Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor." Proverbs 3:34 (ESV) SCORNERS: lis (to make mouths at, to scoff, to interpret or intercede) HUMBLE: anav (depressed in mind or circumstances, saintly); from ana (to depress) FAVOR: hen (graciousness, kindness, favor, beauty); from hanan (to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior, to favor, bestow, implore) The word for scorn is to make mouths at , to exaggerate the sound or appearance of someone for the purpose of insult or shame. Scorners of God exaggerate or twist His Words, turning His truth into a joke or example of shame , bringing others to laughter and preventing them from taking God seriously. God allows the scorner to mock...more, God returns the scornful behavior back towards the mocker, describing truths even more incredible and incomprehensible to the scornful mind. To be humble is to be depressed, to consider oneself to be without strength, influence...

Only Human "Why do people try to gain salvation through their own merit, rather than accept God's righteousness through Jesus Christ? How strong a role does guilt play in this?" This was the question posed to me. Here is my response. From the beginning, angels and humans have inclined toward rejection of God as their ultimate Authority. God told Adam and Eve that they had for their food every plant in all the earth and every tree of the garden, except one. The serpent deceived Eve, pretending, without actually lying, to believe that God had forbade them any tree in the garden. The serpent's argument was that God's authority over them was arbitrary and unfair. The serpent opened a door into rebellion, making it appear good and delightful and wise, and Eve walked through that door. (Genesis 3:1-6) Adam was beside Eve all this time. He knew that the serpent was pretending. Adam knew that the serpent was usurping authority over God, but he also knew that t...

The word "submission" is not well-liked in our American culture. It brings pictures of slavery, weakness, stifled expression, and tyranny. Yet the Bible shows that submission to authority should be the norm for all Christians . How can we reconcile our negative picture of "door-mat" submission to God's perfect harmony in relating to one another? It is important to place the discussion of submission within the larger framework of the unity of all Christians: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-5) God has rescued us from c...