I thought it would be cool to share some of the verses we have been reading in our Bible studies or quiet times because I find myself on this site more than actually reading the Word now so it would be nice to incorporate the two. I look forward to reading new verses as I haven't read the whole Bible yet since becoming a Christian. Please also put the version of Bible you are using and the exact words and reference so we can use them to learn more. If you have special knowledge in some of the Hebrew or Greek meanings that is welcome to just set it apart from the verse. This is not for arguing the meanings as much as learning about new parts of the Bible.
I am in the book of Titus in my NLT version and thought this was an interesting verse. 2:15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. This is Paul talking to Titus and instructing him on how to deal with the people of Crete. Before this he was explaining to him to be weary of liars that talk about needing to follow the old law (circumcision) to be saved. verse 10: For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. I think that it's interesting such a huge example is given for the old law. A custom given to all newborns is huge and can't really be confused with anything else which may be why it is used?
We have been saved by grace through faith alone. We return to the Law at our great peril! The Law cannot give life, but it does show us our need of a Savior!
Absolutely. He mentions that they deny him by the way they live but Peter denied Jesus 3 times and was still a disciple of Jesus. This Titus verse is a good example of those that try to live by old law and make things too legalistic because they dont understand the truth that Jesus brings. I suppose that the rest of the Peter example should be given where Jesus asks him if he Loves Jesus 3 times and then asks him to feed his sheep. Its interesting that the old law of denying the Lord is cleansed with the new law of Loving the Lord and then our neighbors (or Jesus' sheep).
I just had another thought. Isn't it interesting that Peter denied Jesus right before his death and then after his resurrection he establishes his new law with Peter? I love it.
I moved on to Titus 2 today in my NLT version and think it was speaking directly to me. May you also find it useful brothers and sisters. This is Paul's letter to Titus telling him to promote right living in the church. The few versus before this he was explaining how older men and women should live. Verse 6) In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7) And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8)Teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us 9)... verse 11)For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12) And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God 13)... 14)He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. To me this explains many important things. - First, the older men, older women and younger men and women are ALL called to live wisely. - Titus himself is to be an example to the church by doing good works and preach the truth so that nobody can criticize. - Grace has been given to ALL people so ALL can have salvation. - We are no longer told what not to do. We are now told what to do and how to live above this world that is evil. - The world itself is not evil, the world system is evil and needs more people with the character traits listed - Jesus's death has unlocked and opened the door to leave the sin we are in. Now we just need to leave. Once we leave, we shut the door to never be opened again. What do these passages say to you? I hope to see some other passages you all have been enjoying too. I know it's a lot of typing but I feel like it allows us to really focus what it's saying and learn from it.
Good evening brothers. Today has been full of desire to give in to PMO but I decided to go to God's Word instead. I pray this helps you in your warfare. I did not realize that Titus is a small book packed with much wisdom. Titus final chapter 3 NLT verse 3: Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4) But- When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5) he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6) He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior 7)Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. 8)This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. 9)Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. 10) If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11)For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them. My thoughts: - This is the first time I think I have seen where it says he has saved us because of his mercy. I always thought of Ephesians 2:8 where it says we are saved through grace. With God they must be the same. We just use two words to describe what was done in the past versus what is done in the future. God's love is outside of time and is not bound by our language barrier, it transcends the past, present and future sins. - Because of God's love we should be confident in our salvations - In verse 8 it says to insist on the teachings so those who trust God will devote themselves to doing good. This tells me that once we receive salvation we may still not understand the WHOLE truth. It is up to us to make the choice to follow Jesus and his teachings, grow in relationship and desire to do good. - It is good for everyone because we are not out for ourselves anymore and we are following Jesus's teaching. If I am doing good, doesn't that only help those in which I do good? No, remember me doing good has consequences that can't be seen. My action allows the Spirit to move and work his way through many people. The impact is much greater than we can see from the one person we try to help. - 9) is very important for me right now. I found myself being more argumentative than I should have been with opposing views. I thought it was dangerous for such teaching to be out there so I tried to tell a different story. However, I realize now that I should remove myself from those discussions. I guess the right thing to do is to be an example and only help those that ask for it. They are much more willing to learn. -There is too much division in God's people. The body cannot operate effectively if we get sidetracked by the minutia of every individual's beliefs. God's character is objective but everyone's view on God is subjective. I must focus on God rather than Man's interpretation of God.
Alright guys and girls, another day another passage. I hope you have been keeping up with your Bible studies and quiet times. I miss them some days but really would like to keep it up! I hope to read what you all have been studying. Keep it up and know that every day gets a little easier with the right kind of focus, Kingdom Focus! I move on from Titus to Philemon. First time ever reading this book so lets see what it has to say. Wow, now I see why I never hear much of this book. It's one chapter. No matter, lets see what it is teaching me. No matter how short the letter Paul always opens with (verse3) "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace." I think this is beautiful. I try to pray this blessing on all others I interact with. "4)I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5) because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people." - This says to me when we act in faith and love, word travels and the good news is heard throughout. "6) I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7)Your love has given me much joy and comfort,my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people." - Our kindness doesn't only help the lost, it also helps build up the saved. - He opened his letter effectively. He praised the reader Philemon before asking a request. 8) That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of the Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. 9)But because of your love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me-Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus. - Very effective. Paul holds clout in the realm of the Lord and the Spirit as demonstrated by his mentioning that he could demand it. However, he requests and leaves the decision up to Philemon knowing that his prayer will be answered. 10) I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. 11) Onesimus hasn't been of much use to you in the past , but now he is very useful to both of us. 12)I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart. Very interesting: - First, Onesimus means "Useful" - Second, He was lost and ended up in Prison where he found life. - Third, He was sent back to where he was of no use, carrying the heart of Paul with him. What could this mean?? - Also, Paul refers to himself as the father of Onesimus in the Faith. I never considered someone to the father in the faith. I would have called them brothers but could it because of his new faith and not seasoned faith that he is called his child in the faith? At what point does one become brothers in faith like Philemon vs the son in faith like Onesimus. Could it be a generational gap? 15)It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. 16)He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. - I guess this answers my question above. I guess, Paul uses the term Father when he was teaching Onesimus and now that Onesimus is ready to be sent back home to assist and be useful he has gained the title of brother. - Sometimes something must be removed from our lives for a while so that they and we can grow. Then when the time is right we may receive them back where they are useful. IDK maybe too deep. Has to be some type of meaning there. I will revisit this tomorrow.
I'm really enjoying following along with your studies. Thank you for your diligence in sharing! Onesimus was a slave who had fled from his master, Philemon. In that day, the penalty for such an action could be quite severe, sometimes even resulting in the death of the escaped slave. Paul is writing this letter for Onesimus to take with him as he returns to Philemon's household. The interesting development is that Philemon and Onesimus are both disciples of Christ! So, how does a master treat a slave who is also his brother, esp. when the slave has erred and, in the practice of the day, is subject to a harsh punishment? One little book I would recommend to you while you study the New Testament is Viola's "The Untold Story of the New Testament Church." Did you know the letters of the NT are arranged by size (biggest [Romans] to smallest [Jude]) and not chronologically? Did you know that reading them in chronological order in the context of the history of the time will absolutely blow your mind and change your understanding of the early history of the church forever? I highly recommend it as a wonderful companion to any NT study. I will continue to follow your studies with interest. I am just some random dude on the Internet, but if you'd ever like to discuss something more deeply or have questions about something, I love to talk about such things, and I find that I always learn something every time I do. God bless you!
Wow, thanks so much for the information! That makes such sense now. It's amazing how so much can be packed in such a small letter. I will definitely check out that book you mention and also about reading it chronologically! I hope to learn as much as I can about the New Testament and I thank you for taking the time to read.
Good evening all, May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Today I am Moving on from Philemon to Hebrews. This is the first time reading this book for me and I can't wait to see what it says. Enjoy: The first chapter is explaining how Jesus is set apart from angels. It basically uses the old testament to prove this logically. I mainly just give the verses that were quoted to logically explain this and also give the reference to the verses quoted. If there is more to the verse referenced but not in Hebrews I give it in parentheses. I think it is important not to get hung up on the parts of the verses not included for I don't believe the verse numbers were apart of the original documents. God said to Jesus the following: "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." Psalm 2:7 (the beginning "The king proclaims the Lord's decree: "The Lord said to me..) "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son." 2 Samuel 7:14 (The end "If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.") "Let all angles worship him." Deuteronomy 32:43 (The beginning, "Rejoice with him, you heavens, and..) (The end, "Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles, and let all the angels be strengthened in him. for he will avenge the blood of his children; he will take revenge against his enemies, he will repay those who hate him and cleanse his people's land) God says the following about the angels: "He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire." Psalms 104:4 And then back to what he said about Jesus: "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil, therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else." Psalms 45:6-7 "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever." Psalms 102:25-27 "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet." Psalms 110:1, Matthew 22:44 Ch1:14) Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. There are several important things to take away from this. - Jesus is the son of God. Very interesting if Jesus is God how is he the Son? The way I explain this to myself: Just like a son carries the DNA and last name of his father so does Jesus carry the DNA and name of his father. His DNA is just of GOD therefore he is GOD. - "You love justice and hate evil, therefore, O God, your God has anointed you" - To me this explains that Jesus too had a choice to depart from being God and become less than God. And I don't mean in the sense of becoming man but in the sense of becoming doomed to roam the earth like Satan or a neutral principality but Jesus having the same DNA as God would choose nothing less than his rightful place on the right hand. It is also worthy to note that God references to Jesus as God with "O God" - "They will perish, but you remain forever." I always thought the universe as we new it would last forever because Jesus would come back and wipe away sin for good. This explains a different story and that God will create a new Universe free from Sin to spend with his children. This can be seen with "You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing." What happens when old clothes are discarded? New clothes are worn free from defects. - "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet" has many indications. These are the enemies of JESUS. The principalities that did not except Jesus as the rightful Er to the throne AKA satan and his demons and other spiritual forces that may be neutral. Also they are the people that chose not to have a relationship with Jesus. The footstool under his feet? That must be referring to the event where all the enemies of Jesus will bow before him and recognize him as King. He says to sit at the right hand until... What happens after everyone bows? Jesus is given the crown and the New universe to rule. Angels: are servants to God but are not made in the image of God and not called children. We are called children when he says we will inherit salvation. Only relatives inherit anything and most often it is the children. Angels are also referenced as the "Winds" and "Flames of Fire". This is very important. Fire is destructive if uncontained but when contained it is used to purify. Wind exacerbates flames and makes it much hotter and greater when uncontrolled. But when controlled the winds will shift the direction and set the fire on course. Could this mean that the Angels are directed to purify and reveal purity according to God's divine plan? Or cause the Divine plan to ultimately take shape? It is definitely fun to think about the meaning of the Angels in this context and will be revisited. The most important thing to remember is that What was said about and to Jesus was not said to the angels. Jesus is ruler over all and angels carry out his Will. I have enjoyed this and if you made it this far. May God send his Angels to protect and guide you to your purpose according to God's divine plan.
hello fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace I have been reading this chapter for the past 3 nights because I think it is sooo good and one of the best chapters in the Bible that encapsulates God's love for us. Hebrews 2 NLT It opens by explaining how reliable the good news is and how we can't escape it and why we should believe it: 1)So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2)For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3)So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4) And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose. Wow guys, this is why I do these messages. I just realized through typing it what this is saying. God CONFIRMED the message Jesus was giving by giving Jesus the power to do signs and wonders, miracles and Spirit gifts. This is amazing! This goes back to Chapter 1 where it says "You love justice and hate evil, therefore, O God, your God has anointed you". Because of this Jesus was blessed by the Father and filled by the Spirit making him every bit as authoritative as the Father himself on earth. In other words, had Jesus decided to do wrong and be prideful he would not have been given these gifts. Also, it is important to note that we must listen CAREFULLY or we may drift away. This means it is very likely we will drift away unless we meditate on the the good news and listen not only with our ears but with our mind and spirit. This section I don't quite get the syntax so I will post it all. 5)And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6) For in one place the Scriptures say, "What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? 7)Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. (some manuscripts add "You gave them charge of everything you made.") 8)You gave them authority over all things." (Psalms 8:4-6 Greek version) Now when it says "all things," it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9)What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position "a little lower than the angels"' and because he suffered death for us, he is now "crowned with glory and honor" Yes, by god's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. It explains what verse 7 and 8 mean but there is nothing on verse 6. It might help to consult a different translation on this. This is one reason I have continued coming back to this chapter. Also, who is "them"? I am guessing "them" is the "Humans" and they were made a little lower than angels. Jesus, the "Son of man" (his title on earth) is compared to humans in the first section and then his kingship is proven in 7 and 8 but "them" is referring to the human race that Jesus is "Son of Man" over. So by crowing Jesus the son of man, the human race has also been crowned as citizens of the kingdom.? verse 9 is oh so important. Jesus was God's perfect son. Because of God's character and infinite grace, he and Jesus agreed that Jesus would die. Jesus agreed because his anointing was true. His anointing was true because of his character. This is explained more on in the next section which is my favorite part: 10)God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation. My spine just shivered from typing this out. Through reading we tend to not "Listen carefully" but through typing it and trying to understand it I believe I gain greater insight. God CHOSE to bring many children into glory. This was a choice. We turned away from God and lost our right to commune with God. Because of this CHOICE we have been given another chance. 11)So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brother and sisters. 12) For he said to God, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people." (Psalms 22:22) 13)He also said, "I will put my trust in him," that is, "I and the children God has given me." (Isaiah 9:17-18) Only Jesus can make one "holy" and only one that is "holy" can be a part of the royal family by the Father God. Once one is made holy through Jesus we become royalty and kin to Jesus. 14)Because God's children are human beings-made of flesh and blood-the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15)Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. This section is SO POWERFUL When we were created, death had no power over us. When we ate of the fruit, we gave power to death and Satan held that power. Prior to Jesus we lived our lives slaves to the fear of death. Because only humans experience the death of their souls, the only way to break the power of death is by the cure. The cure was God Almighty as human taking all the power from death away from Satan because God's power is the only power than can cleanse us of the virus of sin. This way humans were freed from death. I picture it like a pure white canvas being splashed with black ink. Nothing known to humans can make that canvas as white as it was before it was tainted with ink. God can and did. 16)We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17)Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every aspect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18)Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. Talk about an amazing way to end this chapter. I hope everyone sees the beauty of this message and the love that has been shown. This tells me that Angels did not need help because their consequences have already been given. They either remained with the Father or followed Satan to earth. Jesus was not as strong as Angels physically because he was human but was able to give "signs" because of his faithfulness and character of God. Jesus has purified us. His blood has washed away our sins and made us white as snow. Now that he has gone through the trials of being human, we can rely on him to know the right way. We can lean on him when we are not strong. Blessed be the Lord forever and ever. Amen A little side note: this sound a lot like every super hero movie ever made. God is the creator of something good and holds all power but then evil one gains a little bit of power over something God loves. Satan tries to use that thing against God but then God pulls the God move and shows Satan how little power he had in the first place and kicks evil to the curb. I love it.
Doing your own reading of Scripture like this is indeed its own reward, and you will reap it handsomely. Well done! Your words are a great encouragement. Your side note reminds me of the mythopoeia of the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, et al.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythopoeia#J._R._R._Tolkien God has written the "true myth" in creation and in his revelation of himself to us. On this great truth are all other myths based, and the closer they hew to the reality, the more we love them. This is why we love superheroes and stories of redemption. It is baked into the very fabric of reality, and out hearts yearn for it. We need more of these stories, told well and true. Most of all, we need to learn of and get to know the original Hero!
