Craig

Q5. (1 John 3:3-10) How does John's teaching on sin and righteousness in this passage relate to combating the false teachers? What did they seem to be teaching about sin and righteous living? In sum, the false teachers John was combating were teaching that sin in the flesh really didn't matter because the flesh to begin with was evil. The spiritual had no connection with the flesh and therefore fleshly sin didn't matter. John maintained that it did matter. The visible is a reflection of invisible. A physical righteous walk in this world is a reflection of the spiritual state of the person and his relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Righteous, holy, and Godly living are a visible witness to the world of the believer's walk with the living God and all that goes with it. A lawless, worldly person's actions reflect and are a visible witness to his/her relationship to the world and satan and all that goes with it.

Q4. (1 John 3:6, 9) How does the presence of God's seed in us keep us from habitual lawlessness and sin? How does the Holy Spirit sanctify us and make us like Jesus? The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within a believer exerts pressure/conviction toward holiness and a movement from lawlessness and sin. The Holy Spirit's presence in the believer's life is a tranforming power. Over time this divine relationship transforms the believer into a Christ-like human-being. This being the sactificiation process.

Q3. (1 John 3:4) How does lawlessness show up in a person's attitude and actions? In what sense is an attitude of lawlessness the cause of sin in our lives? Simply put, sin is lawlessness in that it is insubordination to God, wanting one's own way -- my way -- refusing to acknowledge the Lord as rightful Sovereign. In essense it is placing one's own will above the will of God. It is opposition to a Living Person who has the right to be obeyed. The act of placing one's will and desires -- right or wrong, good or bad -- (whatever that means), above God's will is lawlessness which is sin.

Q2. (1 John 2:28; 3:2-3) In what way does our expectation of Christ's Second Coming motivate us to purify ourselves from sin? How does purifying ourselves from sin relate to God's grace? Jesus's Second Coming should motivate believers to purify themselves from sin so that they are confident in Christ and have no shame when Jesus returns. Additionally and most importantly, The believer does not want to be doing anything that he/she would not want to be doing when Christ returns. It is through grace we are saved from the consequences of sin and in that grace we are to purify ourselves so that we might be morally like Jesus Christ. Thus we Jesus returns we shall see Him as he is, for to to see Him is to be like Him. Purifing oneself in God's grace is to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Father in Heaven.

Q1. (1 John 2:29-3:2) In what sense are we "children of God"? What does the Holy Spirit have to do with this "new birth"? How does the new birth change us? The born again believer's position in Christ makes him/her a child of God -- see Romans 5 and 8. John opens his gospel by saying: "But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12 Flesh cannot be made into spirit. A person must experience a spiritual rebirth and that involves the presence of the Holy spirit within the very being of a person. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind and spirit and creates an identity/relationship between the individual and God. It's the Holy Spirit that creates pressure and drive within the person to trust and obey God's Word, to lead a Godly, holy life, and to seek God's will for their life.

Q5. (1 Timothy 2:11-15) How should Paul's instructions about women teaching and leading in the church be applied in the twenty-first century? How do you support your view? I believe that a born again, spirit-filled Christian man or woman who are called to exercise a certain task/function/gift within the church should be allowed to exercise that gift. In many western churches throughout the years if it had not been for women being Sunday School teachers; pastors; deaconesses; committee members; service volunteers; faithful tithers, etc. many churches would have closed their doors. For many centuries women have had the same opportunities for seminary training as well as other forms of education to qualify themselves for leadership positions within the church. Who are men who often times understand only in part to deny those female believers who have a calling to deny them that calling. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Paul, Galatians 3:28 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ," Paul, Ephesians 4:11 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. Also on My menservants and My maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days." Joel 2:28 When any man or woman is gives their life to the Lord Jesus Christ their life is re-purposed for divine purpose and the calling that God gives that individual in their circumstances. It is God's calling not a human calling with limited human understanding. All born again believers have a gift and a testimony to be exercised according to God Amighty.

Q4. (1 Timothy 2:9-10) How did women dressing in fancy clothes threaten to compromise the church's witness in Ephesus? How do we apply the principle of Paul's directive in twenty-first century churches without instituting a new legalism? Paul exhorts the women in Ephesus to be concerned about clothing themselves with godly character instead of wearing inappropriate and lavish clothes that draw attention to themselves. A Christian woman's beauty is found in her godly character and her love for the Lord as demonstrated in all types of good works. To dress as the world dresses compromises the church's witness in that worldly standards take away from heavenly standards making it seem like their is no difference between the two. The Christian is called out from the world. I think the principle remains the same -- dress with some modesty. The application of common sense eliminates legalism.

Q3. (1 Timothy 2:8). What problem among the men of the congregation is Paul referring to in this verse? What is so serious about worshipping with the opposite of love in your heart? The problem of fighting over doctine or other issues within the church was creating a toxic spirit within the church. Paul wanted the men in the church to pray by lifting up holy hands. Lifting up holy hands means being morally and spiritually clean. Biblical prayer must be done with a clean heart and life. See Hebrews 10:22. Without wreath and doubting/disputing: Wrath is a slow, boiling type of anger. Doubting literally means to think backward and forward. It carries the idea of disputing. Prayer is to be offered without resentment or disputing among those in the church. If believers do not have good relations with others in the church, they should not lead in public worship. Wrath and anger divides and utlimately destroys a local church. I don't believe that God responds to prayer or worship with the opposite of love in your heart. It is an insincere and futile exercise.

Q2. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) In the context of the salvation of all, why do you think Paul emphasizes the roles of Mediator and Ransom? In what way did Christ fulfill both these roles? Paul is teaching that no man can come to God in any other way. A mediator is a go-between, a middleman who can stand between two and communicate with both. Through Christ, Himself man, God is enabled to approach men with forgiveness of sins. Consequently any poor sinner can approach Him, and will by no means be rejected. Paul identifies the Mediator as the Man, Jesus Christ. This does not deny the deity of the Lord Jesus. In order to be the Mediator between God and men, Jesus must be both God and Man. The Lord Jesus is God from all eternity, but He became Man in Bethlehem's manger. Jesus represents the whole race of humanity. The fact that He is both God and Man is indicated in the name Christ Jesus. Christ describes Him as God's anointed One, the Messiah. Jesus is the name given to Him in Incarnation. There is only one Mediator and His name is Christ Jesus. The emphasis is on the fact that God desires the salvation of all men. Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all. A ransom is a price paid to release or set another free. The ransom is for all. This means that the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross was sufficient to save all sinners. It does not mean that all will be saved, since man's will is involved. Christ died for all of humanity.

Q1. (1 Timothy 2:1-4) Why does Paul emphasize salvation of all mankind in this letter? What does this suggest about the practice of evangelism in the Ephesus church? Paul emphasized the salvation of all mankiind, to Timothy, for those who would accept it. God's plan of salvation through Jesus the Christ was open to all mankind -- Gentiles as well as Jews. God's desire is the universal salvation of humanity, so the gospel must be presented to all men and women/all the nations. God's call to humanity is inculsive. Sadly, not all men will be saved. This view was contrary to some views in the early church that Paul opposed. False teachers taught only certain people practicing certain rituals could be saved. Some Jews, Greeks, Gnostics, Agnostic, etc. had a spin on God's plan of salvation that was contrary to the gospel presented by Jesus and preached by the Apostles. The practice of evangelism in the Ephesus church emphazied the truth that all believers are united in Christ because the church is the one body of Christ. People who were normally divided, like Jews and the Gentiles in the first century, were reconciled to each other through Christ. Paul urged the Ephesians to live out the spiritual truth of being joined together with Christ. Whether Jew or Gentile, they had to work together to make the unity of the Church a reality.

Q5. (1 John 2:26-27) If we have the Holy Spirit, why do we need teachers in the church? How does the role of the anointing differ from the Holy Spirit's spiritual gift of teaching? Because we have the Holy Spirit does not mean we do not need teachers in the church. God has made specific provision for such teachers in Ephesians 4:11-14: "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like truth." NLT It means that the Christian does not need any teaching apart from what is found in the Word of God as to the truth of God. With the Word of God in our hands and the Spirit of God in our hearts, we have all that we need for instruction in the truth of God.

Q4. (1 John 2:24-28) What does it mean to abide/remain/continue in Jesus? Give an example of what a Christian might be doing who is "abiding" in Jesus. What are symptoms in a Christian who is not "abiding" in Jesus? To abide in Christ means to maintain a relationship with Jesus. Daily prayer, Bible study, personal worship, service, and fellowship with other Christians enables us to maintain a daily relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This results in a deep spiritual life. Christians not engaging in the above practices are not abiding in Jesus. This will be seen in a shallow spirituality.

Q3. (1 John 2:20, 27) In what ways is the Holy Spirit an internal Guide for us? In what ways does he teach us? In what ways does he point us to Jesus' teaching? The Holy Spirit indwells the born again believer and enables the believer to discern between truth and error. They have the capacity to recognize what is true and what is not. The Holy Spirit convicts us, drives us, guides us, and puts pressure on us to engage in daily prayer, Bible study, worship, personal holiness, and fellowship with other Christians, etc. The Holy Spirit illuminates the mind of the believer making it ready to receive the Word and respond to it. The Holy Spirit helps us recall what we have been taught regarding God's Word.

Q2. (1 John 2:20-21) What is the "anointing" that John is talking about? In what way is anointing connected to the Holy Spirit in the Bible? Do you think that each Christian has received this anointing? John is talking about the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Some instances of anointing connected to the Holy Spirit in the Bible include: Jesus was anointed by the Holy spirit upon his baptism -- John 1 Samuel anoints Saul as King -- 1 Samuel 10 When a person repents of sin and acknowledges Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour (born again), that person receives the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of God enable the believer to discern between truth and error or have the capacity to recognize what is true and what is not.

Q1. (1 John 2:18) What is this antichrist that John expects to come? What is the difference between the antichrist and antichrists in the church John is writing to? In what ways do we see the spirit of antichrist at work in our day? The antichrist that John expects to come is the anti-messiah == the advisory of the messiah Jesus the Christ. A person who will teach false doctine to the church and ultimately claim to be the messiah. That person or being seems to be the man of lawlessness that Paul speaks of to the Thessalonians who will ultimately claim to be god and demand worship. He will have global control militarily, economically, politically, and all religions will be forced to worship him. See Rev. 13. In summary, John's readers has been taught that an antichrist would arise prior to the second coming of Christ and pretent to be Christ. The many antichrists spoken of in these verse refers to the false teachers who would teach a false christ and false gospel. Teachers who teach alternate doctrines as opposed to apostalic teaching as taught by Jesus. We live in a day where cults abound who dismiss Jesus as the Christ and where churches are compromising with the world on essential doctrines of the faith, i.e. inerracy of scripture, the nature and divinity of Jesus the Christ, supporting homosexuality, supporting same sex marriage, ordaining homosexual clergy, supporting abortion or being apathetic about it, confusion over the mission of the church, the denial of hell, everyone will be save, etc. It is as if the church and the world are the same. This is to name a few issues that have strayed off the beaten path of sound Christian doctrine. The antichrists are alive and well in the world today.

Q4. (1 Timothy 1:18-19) Why does Paul need to remind Timothy about the prophecies spoken over him? In practical terms, what does "fight the good fight" really mean? Why does Paul tell Timothy to "hold on to faith and a good conscience"? What temptation is Paul trying to counter in his prot�g�? The charge in verse 18 to Timothy is no doubt the charge Paul had given Timothy in verses 3 and 5 to rebuke false teachers. To encourage Timothy to carry out this important commission, Paul reminds him of the circumstances which led to his call to Christian service. Additionally, if Timothy should ever be tempted to lose heart or become discouraged in the work of the Lord, he should remember these prophecies and thus be inspired and stimulated to wage or fight the good fight.

Q3. (1 Timothy 1:17) What do we learn about God from this doxology? What do we learn about praise? Have you ever tried speaking out a doxology in your personal prayer or praise time? What effect does a doxology have on the speaker? We learn from this doxology that God is the unseen/invisible eternal King. In other words, God is incorruptible or imperishable. God in His essense is invisible. Men have seen appearances of God in the OT, and the Lord Jesus fully revealed God to us in visible form, but the fact remains that God Himself is invisible to human eyes. He is spoken of as God who alone is wise. In the final analysis, all wisdom come from God. See James 1:5. Praise honors and acknowledges God's place in the universe, the world, and our lives. I often sing or speak a doxology in my personal and family devotional/worship time. It makes worship seem/feel like worship and seems to create a warmer/closer relationship with God.

Q2. (1 Timothy 1:12-14) Why does Paul comment on his own life after a paragraph on the law (1:8-11)? Why does he share this with Timothy and the church that will read the letter? How might sharing this help get the church back on center? In the preceding paragraph, Paul described the false teachers who were seeking to impose the law on the believers in Ephesus. In verses 8-11, he share with the Ephesians that his salvation was not through keeping the law, but by the grace of God. Paul wants to make sure that Timothy and the church understand that they are saved by grace not by the law. Paul said he was not a righteous man but the chief of sinners. Verses 12-17 seem to illustrate the lawful use of the law from Paul's own experience. The law was not to him a way of salvation, but rather a means of conviction of sin. This discussion about law and grace might help the chuch to refocus back on the gospel message.

Q1. (1 Timothy 1:3-7) What were some of the results of false doctrine in the church at Ephesus? How does doctrinal controversy hurt the spirit of a church? How does it prevent growth? How does it keep the church from its mission? The results of false doctrine in the church at Ephesus included wasting time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees and meaningless speculations. None of which helped people live a life of faith in God and carry our the church's prime directive -- the Great Commission . The church ended up in turning from sound doctrine and spending their time in meaningless discussions. This division and tension over doctrine in the church caused some to develop distorted or preverted forms of the Christian faith and some to turn away from the faith completely. Needless to say, it caused disharmony and disunity in the church at Ephesus. False doctrine causes division in any church which impacts fellowship and outreach.

Q4. (1 John 2:15-17) What kinds of sins are covered by the three examples of worldliness that John gives? Why are these sometimes so difficult for us to discern in ourselves? Why is worldliness so harmful to our future? The **** of the flesh, the **** of the eyes, and pride are the three examples of worldiness that John gives. All sin is wrapped around these three examples. These three examples stem from the love of self and the gratification of self. Natural man has made himself God. We tend to justify in some way these sins in our own lives making them hard to discern. That is why we must remain in prayer and Bible study. This why we must intentionally seek to grow in the wisdom, knowledge, and grace of Jesus Christ. In this way the blinders can be removed. Worldiness equals darkness and death.

Q3. (1 John 2:15-16) What is "the world" in verses 15-16? What kind of love of "the world" keeps us from loving the Father? The world John talks about is the system which man has built up in an effort to make himself happy without Christ. A human society/system both human and/or demonic organized on wrong principles in which the Lord Jesus Christ is not welcomed or loved. A society or civilization that is organized on and characterized by base desires, false values, and egoism. The all consuming love of the world is the love of self and this kind of love separates us from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Q2. (1 John 2:12-14) John encourages "children," "young men," and "fathers." Why do you think he takes time to encourage them? In what ways does he encourage them? John is their spiritual leader and he loves them. Just as a parent encourages his/her children John is doing the same. He wants them to succeed in their relationship with the Lord God Almighty and to remain steadfast in the faith not being deceived by the world and antichrist. Everyone needs encouragement and strengthening. Being a Christian is to strengthen and encourage those around us in Jesus Christ. John is encouraging them by noting their growth, steadfastness, determination, and faithfulness in their walk with Christ.

Q1. (1 John 2:7-11) How does hate and unforgiveness blind us spiritually? If we have been darkened by hurt and hate, how do we come into the light? It masks the fact that engaging in hate and unforgiveness is living in darkness. It is not following the way, the truth, and the life. While a person may say that he is a follower of Christ any actions that disobey his commands would suggest that person is a follower only in word -- lip service -- not in life style. A person comes into the light by turning his/her hurt and hate over to God and forgiving the person(s) responsible. Forgiving others frees a person from hurt and hate. That is truth and Jesus said truth will set you free.

Q4. (2 Thessalonians 3:9-16) Why do so many churches avoid exercising any church discipline? What is the result of a thoughtful and appropriate application of church discipline? What is the result of neglect of church discipline? Churches avoid exercising any church discipline because people will get offended and might leave the church. Overall, most western churches are watered down fellowships. Appropriate application of church discipline would have great results if it was given to born again Christians. You cannot discipline church attenders. Because discipline is spiritual, the non-spiritual won't get it and leave the church -- church bouncers. No church discipline creates an environment where anything goes and Biblical teachings take a seat on the way back row.

Q4. (2 Thessalonians 3:9-16) Why do so many churches avoid exercising any church discipline? What is the result of a thoughtful and appropriate application of church discipline? What is the result of neglect of church discipline?