Day 290: 1 Timothy 2:1-15

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” - 1 Timothy 2:12 ESV

I was in one of our Life Groups a few years back and heard one of our female students say, "I don't like this" when reacting to this passage. I have to agree with her. When I only look at the words on the page (without context), it bothers me as well.

Is the local church supposed to have a hard patriarchy where the women are second-class members? This was certainly true in first-century Jewish and Greek culture. William Barclay wrote, "The respectable Greek woman led a very confined life. She lived in her own quarters into which no one but her husband came. She did not even appear at meals."

In light of Galatians 3:28 (check it out), we can't imagine this is what Paul had in mind when he said "quiet." There has to be something more cultural (not intercultural) happening in the local context as we read this 1 Timothy passage.

From Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2) to Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:9) to Junia the missionary (Romans 16:7) to Priscilla who helped teach Apollos (Acts 18:26) to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:46-55) to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18) -- we see that women were not silent. We have been the better for it. Paul, in another place, gives instructions on how women were supposed to prophesy in the church services (see 1 Corinthians 11:5).

Everyone in the body of Christ has a role to play (Ephesians 4:16). This does not undermine the role of men in the church. On the contrary, when women live their lives in faith, love, holiness, and self-control, everyone in the church benefits (I pray these four over my daughter every day).

So this passage doesn't oppress women; it instead gives them a seat at the table.

Men are still supposed to be the lead servants in the marriage relationship (see Ephesians 5:21-33) and in local church leadership (see our reading for tomorrow), but we are equal in value, both in the church, our homes and even in culture.

Day 289: 1 Timothy 1:1-20

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul starts this first letter to his protege, Timothy, in the most interesting way. He warns him of false teachers and how he should not get sucked into their arguments. The goal of his command was not to win a fight. Instead, the objective was love.

One of the words that will keep coming up in 1 Timothy is the word conscience (used 4X). Paul includes it here in between a pure heart and a sincere faith. It is important!

Eugene Nida defines conscience (syneidēsis) as the psychological faculty which can distinguish between right and wrong.

I cannot think of a more relevant word for our world today and what we see missing so often. So many people do not know the difference between right and wrong. They make our conscience something subjective to our circumstances, feelings, and opinions of others. I mean, all you have to do is compare the list Paul gives in verses 9-10.

Yet God created our conscience to help us know right from wrong, and the Holy Spirit heightens this sensitivity (see John 16:8). This gives us the definition of what truth sounds like.

Felt convicted lately? Don’t dismiss it. Instead, confess it. Our walking in freedom from sin is what motivated Jesus to die on the cross.

Day 288: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

“Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: Whoever does not work should not eat either." - 2 Thessalonians 3:10 NASB

”Labour is the law of God; idleness is the parent of many crimes and is productive of misery.” - H.D.M. Spence

Much is said in the local church (and in the New Testament) about not relying on our own working but on the working of God. This is true for our salvation. Look no further than Galatians 2:20.

Yet here we see that the Thessalonian church had a rampant problem of idleness. The economy at this time was to the point where those with a skill or trade were forced to become day laborers to make ends meet. It is likely that some were free-loading off others in the church to avoid common, hard work. We saw in 1-2 Corinthians this was not something Paul avoided. He often spent time as a common tent-making day laborer (see Acts 18:3).

This may lead us to this question: "What work would we be unwilling to do to ensure that we, and our families, will be provided for?"

Any kind of work will take a great amount of humility and grit to carry it out consistently, even if we are doing something that we love. May we, as Christians, be known as the hardest-working people around. May we be known for our tenacity, honesty, and reliability.

May what was said about Daniel be said of us:  “He was faithful, responsible, and completely trustworthy.” - Daniel 6:4 NLT

Day 287: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.” - ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Much is said of this “man of lawlessness” or “Antichrist” in the book of Revelation. After reading the verse above (and all of our passage today), my mind went immediately to Revelation 19:11-21. The scene is set and pictures Jesus riding on a white horse, exalted in power. His blood-drenched robe is leaving a trail of white (see verse 14). Jesus even seems to have a tattoo to remind us of who He is (see verse 16).

The battle is set. Armies face off against Jesus. Yet the clash is over before it begins and ends with the Beast and the False Prophet being tossed into the lake of fire.

Jesus never loses.

The Antichrist will be a very convincing counterfeit at the end of time. He will lead many away from faith in Jesus. Yet all King Jesus needs are His words to win a great victory.

False gospels always feed on panic (fear) and will exalt individuals over the truth found in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Which are you following today?

“Christ will in the meantime, by the rays which he will emit previously to his advent, put to flight the darkness in which Antichrist will reign, just as the sun, before he is seen by us, chases away the darkness of the night by the pouring forth of his rays.” - John Calvin

Day 286: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed...” - 2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭ESV

‬‬One of the goals Paul had at the start of this second letter was to show the end of those who were persecuting the Thessalonian church. The Christians were assured that God would bring justice and that their suffering was not going unnoticed.

In these two specific verses, we see the contrast of life after death between those who insist on going their own way (see Jeremiah 18:12) and those committed to following Jesus no matter what consequences follow on earth.

What is so terrifying about hell (a place initially prepared for the Devil and his angels. — Matthew 25:41)?  Endless punishment is enough to startle us, but the worst part is separation from God. All joy? Gone. All love? Gone. All hope? Gone.

In the end, everyone will want eternal life, but many will miss it due to their rejection of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. May this motivate us to keep sharing the Good News about Jesus crucified and risen for everyone who would choose to trust Him!

“Eternal destruction, then, is the opposite of eternal life.” - Ben Witherington III

Day 285: 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” - ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul ends his first letter to the Thessalonians with a barrage of short bursts of challenge (like Christian Proverbs). The commands in verses 12-18 are decisions we can make every day to live the best life possible. Though things will be challenging in this fallen world, neglecting these will make life even harder.

To name a few:

1. Make sure those who serve the church (ministers) have their needs met.

2. Live in peace with each other (as it depends on you: Romans 12:18).

3. Warn the lazy (God expects us to work hard).

4. Encourage the timid (God expects us to be bold).

5. Take care of the weak (those often forgotten).

6. Be patient with everyone (they all have stories).

7. Do good to others (responding to evil with evil leads to chaos).

8. Rejoice always (chairo: to enjoy a state of happiness; see Colossians 1:24)

9. Pray continually (we will need it).

10. Be thankful (healthiest perspective).

Are you ready to be obedient to Jesus and shine bright in this dark world? Does this list at the same time seem daunting? The solution for us seems to be in verse 23 of our reading: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.”

God never gives us a to-do list that He doesn’t intend to help us check off. His Holy Spirit, within us, will not leave us swimming in impossibilities.

”Thank you, Jesus, for shedding your blood, enabling us to live like You.”

Day 284: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18, 5:1-3

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” - ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:16-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Here we see echoes back to Daniel 7:13, 12:2. Stop reading this for a sec and check those verses out for a better understanding of Paul’s language.

I love what Leon Morris says about this passage: “There are many points on which we should like further information. But when Paul comes to that great fact that makes everything else unimportant, he stops. There is no need (and no more) to add to that.”

Six verses (13-17) do seem to be quite inadequate to describe the end of time as we know it and a grand reunion with those Christians who have died before us. Yet we have what we need here. We learn two important things from these verses: 1) We will be together. 2) We will be with Jesus.

On the flip side, in our reading today, Paul spends 4:1-11 talking about life until Jesus returns. The process of pleasing God is our prep for heaven. He tells us what to avoid, and he even gives us advice on how to work our professions. May we ready ourselves for Jesus’ return!

Elizabeth K. Mills (1805-1829) said it well in the hymn she penned:

O land of rest for thee I sigh!

When will the moment come

When I shall lay my armor by

And dwell in peace at home?

We’ll work till Jesus comes,

We’ll work till Jesus comes,

We’ll work till Jesus comes,

And we’ll be gathered home.

Day 283: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-20, 3:1-13

“And may the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and everyone else, just as our love overflows for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT

When we decide that we want to follow Jesus, one of the first things that God starts to work through with us is our love for others.

God’s desire is for our love toward each other to scale to the point of an overflow (excess).

The word Paul uses for grow is pleonazō, and it means to cause an increase. The word he uses for overflow is perisseuō, and it means to go beyond or more than enough.

Both words are associated with intensity. This means that God’s call to love will require us to be stretched. We know from this verse that it is God who will do the stretching. He will increase our capacity to care for others.

This language also suggests a process. None of us will overflow at the beginning, especially for someone who has wronged us. Before love can overflow, it has to grow. Start small with a prayer of forgiveness or an act of kindness.

This isn’t easy work, but it is necessary for our growth as followers of Jesus.

Ultimately, love will bring greater unity to the church and will become a bridge for more people to cross into the family of God by Jesus our Savior.

Day 282: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, 2:1-8

“So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT

Biblical joy can exist, and often deepens, alongside any suffering.

Imagine Paul cringing as he sees these new disciples encountering resistance almost immediately from persecutors in Thessalonica. Maybe he initially thought, “I hope they survive this!” or “God, could you have given them a little more protection at the beginning?”

No, Paul uses the word rescue (in verse 10) as he describes what God has done for the Thessalonian Christians.

I wonder how much joy we are missing out on each day because our perspective is off. Some of us view resistance as a sign that we are doing something wrong. What if we decided to see suffering as an invitation to a more secure form of joy?

It is hard to rob someone of joy who has already dismissed the idea of it being a generated emotion.

If we go back up to verse 3, we see how they made it through these trials:  “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

Faith, hope, and love in Jesus are the only ways we will stay consistent in this work we are called to as Christians (see 1 Corinthians 13:13).

Day 281: Colossians 3:18-25, 4:1-18

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart... Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus...He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you.” - Colossians‬ ‭4:2, 12-13‬ ESV

These verses are so great because Paul gives them a specific instruction and then shows them an example, from their city, of what being devoted to prayer looks like.

The word used for devote is proskartereō, and it can also mean to persist obstinately in or to attend constantly.

There is no day that will not require an incredible amount of prayer. Moment by moment, we are to remember that we should not want to do this alone. We need God’s help, and we need others to intercede for (and with) us.

The beautiful thing is that when others pray for us, we are more likely to return the favor. May we be these prayer trendsetters.

Epaphras got it. He was asking God for strength and growth on their behalf. May we join him in this kind of stubborn prayer!

"Praying is working; and by such fervent prayer Epaphras toiled effectively on behalf of the churches of Colossae and Laodicea and Hierapolis." - E.K. Simpson