Something Greater

Sound Doctrine Paul grouped six terms together, breaking them into three pair of related words to describe the audience for whom the Law was intended: "The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane." (1 Timothy 1:9) Lawless: Those with no law, not included in any government or supervisory system Disobedient: Those with law, but refusing to obey, rejecting governing authority Ungodly: The irreverent, those not adoring God Sinners: The losers, those who miss the mark and fail to obtain a prize Unholy: Those in the wrong, those who are untrue, weak, and common Profane: The wicked, those who live worthless lives, filled with coarse, easily-satisfied appetites that are often based upon superstition or myth The three groups of descriptors can be separated according to their focus: Lawless and Disobedient: Authority Ungodly and Sinners: Pleasure Unholy and Profane: Hist

The Prayer As they were stoning Stephen, his last words were to Jesus alone, as final prayers: "He called out, - Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. - And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, - Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Acts 7:59-60 (ESV) SPIRIT: pneuma (a current of air, breath or breeze; figurative for the human rational soul, vital principle, mental disposition; used to refer to an angel, daemon, God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit); from pneo (to breathe hard, a breeze) Stephen was dying. His last words reflect what he passionately believed was true: Jesus was his Lord , his body was injured beyond repair, the only imperishable portion of his life was his spirit, the very breath of God given him at his conception, returning now to the One to Whom it truly belonged. The Babe in the womb of Mary was conceived by God's Breath. Jesus assured His disciples that God's breath would speak through them, especially in times

The Attack With the conclusion of his defense argument, at the height of his accuser's blood-red rage, Stephen realizes that his time on earth was finished... his immediate future is in heaven . Stephen exclaims aloud the incredible vision of the heavens opened and Jesus standing beside God. Stephen's accusers, the religious rulers of Jerusalem, did not join him in wonder and awe. "But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him." Acts 7:57 (ESV) These were grown men, with the power to judge and convict, educated and experienced in dealing with people. Yet in the face of incontrovertible evidence of their own sin, they become like children, worse than children, they become like animals . STOPPED: synecho (to hold together, to compress); from sun (together) and echo (to hold) The enraged religious rulers literally held both hands to their ears to muffle the words of Stephen. His defensive argument and counter-accusa

Unholy and Profane The third and final pair of terms used by Paul in his letter to Timothy: "We know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane." 1 Timothy 1:8-9 (ESV) UNHOLY: anosios (wicked); from a (not) and hosios (intrinsically or divinely right, hallowed) PROFANE: bebelos (accessible, as by crossing a door-way; heathenish or wicked); from baino (to walk) and belos (a threshold) "Unholy" is best understood by looking at its opposite meaning: holy. "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3-4 (ESV) HOLY: hosios (intrinsically or divinely

Ungodly and Sinners "The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane." 1 Timothy 1:9 (ESV) Human nature can be described in terms of its relationship to God's Law . At times we act as if we were lawless, as if there were no law or command to restrain our behavior. At other times we act as if we are disobedient, acting defiantly, refusing to obey the law that we clearly understand. Paul continues his letter of guidance to young Timothy, describing human nature in terms of its relationship to Jesus Christ . UNGODLY: asebes (irreverent, impious or wicked); from a (not) and sebo (to revere or adore) SINNERS: hamartolos (sinful, sinner); from hamartano (to miss the mark, not sharing in the prize, to err or sin); from a (not) and meiromai (to get as a section or allotment) WHAT DO YOU THINK? What thought process must a Christian go through when moving from reverence for God to self

Guest Post: Crumbs of Joy Jeremy lives in Israel and has a unique opportunity to explore the roots of Christianity while living in the reality of modern Jewish society. I appreciated a recent devotional he wrote. Jeremy has given me permission to reprint it here. The issue of relating to the local Arab population reminds me of a sermon which I had the privilege of hearing a couple of weeks ago. The subject was the approach Jesus took towards the non-Jewish population present in Israel at his time – a period which was also wracked by ethnic and religious violence . The story at the center of the sermon was that of the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus when he ventured into the non-Jewish region on the Mediterranean Coast near Tyre (Matthew 15:21-28). Her daughter suffered from demon-possession and she did not cease to plead with Jesus for her healing. He initially turned her down, explaining: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." She persisted, and k

Lawless and Disobedient Paul describes three pillars of love: a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Without this foundation, a Christian will swerve away into worthlessless, characterized by doctrine that rejects Christ , treasuring instead myths and endless genealogies. A leader or teacher who has swerved from the foundations of love will not understand the lawful use of the very law they desire to teach. The utterly unlawful way of using the law is to consider it a path to justification. The most fundamental purpose of law is not to guide good people, but to convict bad people of their sin . "The law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of t