Monday, March 30, 2009

Mark 1:1-15

Read Psalm 98

Introduction to Mark:
400 years of silence: No prophets, no message from the Lord. There were 400 years of silence during the time between the Old Testament and New Testament. During this time the political turmoil was intense. Judaism was threatened with extinction, both from being exiled and having foreign rulers occupying the land, forbidding the Jews from worshipping. These 400 years were a time of great bloodshed, with many of the Jews leading revolts against the foreign occupiers because of the fierce attempts that were taken at eradicating Judaism. Antiochus was the leader of the country occupying Israel at one time during these years. Some of Antiochus’s more noteworthy feats against the people of Israel included his fierce attempts to destroy all copies of the Torah and requiring offerings to the Greek god Zeus. When Antiochus erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple and sacrificed pigs to it the people revolted, thus leading to a 24 year-long war. The war was long and devastating, yet the Jews won. Despite this great victory enabling them to restore the country and their worship, less than 50 years after the war had ended the Romans came and took control of the area. The political turmoil and bloodshed were intense during this time, and not hearing a word from the Lord added to the heartache of the people who believed themselves to be chosen by God. Needless to say, Israel’s future looked bleak, with the Lord’s promise to them looking as though it would go unfulfilled.

Verses 1-8
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
"Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,'"
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

1. The other 3 Gospel accounts begin quite differently than Mark does. Matthew and Luke begin with the birth of Jesus and give some background as to where Jesus came from. John begins his Gospel by testifying to Jesus being God and being the Father before the world was created. Mark, however, chooses to begin his Gospel quite differently. Mark begins by attesting to God doing something new on the earth. Mark begins with the Gospel, or good news, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. For Mark, the Gospel begins with the preparation for the Son of God to come. Mark quotes Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, two passages that attest to the coming of the Messiah. Malachi 2:17-3:5 attests to the coming of the Messiah needing a messenger to declare His coming so that they will not receive judgment when the Messiah arrives. Isaiah 40:1-5 is a passage declaring the work of restoration that God is going to bring through His act of pardoning sin.
a. Malachi 2:17-3:5
b. Isaiah 40:1-5
c. Why might Mark have chosen to quote these two verses together?
d. What message is Mark trying to convey with the two verses he quotes?
2. What is it that John the Baptist is doing and proclaiming?
3. How is the message of repentance necessary to prepare the way of the Lord?
4. In what ways does repentance prepare the way of the Lord in our lives?
a. “Not without hating sin and turning against his faults shall a man taste the grace of God.” (Calvin, p. 115, Volume 1 on the Synoptic Gospels)
5. What is the response of the people to John’s message?
a. “The Jewish historian Josephus reports that Herod became alarmed by the size of the crowds; fearing that John’s movement might turn into a political revolution, he had John executed.” (Douglas R.A. Hare, Mark, p.15)
6. What does John’s appearance tells us about him?
7. What would it be like to take the words of someone like John seriously?
8. How might people on the outside looking in have perceived those who listened to and received John’s message?
9. (Verses 6-8) Jewish people would not untie other people’s sandals. They viewed doing so to be only the job of servants or slaves, which is something they commonly believed themselves to be above doing. It would be very unheard of to hear of a Jewish person untying someone’s sandals.
a. If John does not even consider himself worthy enough to do a task for the Messiah that was normally viewed as too lowly for any Jew to do, what is John’s view of himself in relation to the Messiah?
10. In what ways are we called to be like John the Baptist?

Verses 9-15
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

1. Mark 1:9-15 is, in some senses, a parallel to the Exodus story. The people are waiting for God to deliver them from slavery. They need a move of God. Jesus, stepping into the role the Father has given Him, goes to John to get baptized. Jesus’ baptism is like the splitting of the Red Sea which allowed the Jews to escape physical slavery. Jesus is beginning the process of leading the people out of their slavery to sin. In His coming to get baptized, Jesus is acknowledging “in a public way the legitimacy of God’s judgment on the sin of His people and to consecrate [or set apart] Himself to God’s sovereign rule” (Douglas R.A. Hare, Mark, p.17). This baptism certifies before all that the pleasure of God is on Jesus, delighting in Him and leading Him on His mission.
2. (Verse 9-11) “Heavens opened”
a. The ancient Hebrew understanding of the sky was that it was an inverted bowl separating the natural world from God’s heavenly domain. After 400 years of silence, this baptism was the announcement that the Messiah had come and that God’s Spirit would again be present with them.
3. (Verses 9-11) What is it like to hear God speak or to have a spiritual breakthrough after it seems as though God has been silent with us for a long time?
4. Verse 12 tells us that the Spirit is the one who drove Jesus into the wilderness. After the Father blesses Jesus and announces that He is the Messiah, Jesus is immediately sent into the wilderness to be tempted.
a. How does hearing that we have favor with God through Christ prepare us to be sent into our own wildernesses?
b. Why does God sometimes send us through our own wilderness journeys?
5. John ministry had to end before Jesus could begin His ministry on earth. Why did John’s ministry have to end before Jesus’ ministry could begin?
6. “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand” means that the time of God’s saving activity has arrived. The kingdom of God is both a present and future reality.
7. In what ways is the kingdom of God connected to Jesus?
8. What does repent mean in verse 15?
a. “Repentance means not merely turning away from specific sins but turning toward God in faith and obedience.” (Douglas R.A. Hare, Mark, p.22)
9. In verse 15, what does Jesus mean when he says to “believe in the gospel”?
a. More than mental assent. Confident trust and commitment to Christ and the work he did on our behalf.
10. “For Mark, Jesus’ entire ministry, including his death and resurrection, signifies that the time has come and that God’s rule is at hand. His ministry in itself constitutes a call for repentance and faith.” (Douglas R.A. Hare, Mark, p.20)

Summary
1. What has happened in verses 1-15?
2. What is the overall message of verses 1-15?
3. What are some practical things we can take from these verses to apply to our lives?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

2 Timothy 4

Read Psalm 146

Verses 1-2
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
1. Why does Paul mention Christ as judge when he charges Timothy to preach the Word?
2. In verse 1, what does Paul mean by mentioning Christ’s appearing and Christ’s kingdom?
3. What is Christ’s kingdom?
a. The kingdom of God is the authority and reign of Christ working through the Word and the Spirit to bring about redemption and transformation.
4. When is Christ’s kingdom?
a. “Now and not yet.”
b. Luke 17:20-21
i. “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.””
c. John 3:1-3
i. “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
5. Why does Paul mention Christ’s appearing and kingdom?
6. Why must the word be preached?
7. What does in season and out of season mean?
a. At all times.
8. Why must we be prepared to preach in season and out of season?
9. For what reasons would we want to teach others both patiently and carefully?

Verses 3-4
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
1. “For”
a. “What for?”
i. “We must be prepared to do these things because…”
2. “Human depravity shows just how careful pastors must be. For the Gospel would be quickly erased from people’s memories if godly people did not strive earnestly to preserve it…When Paul says that men will not put up with sound doctrine, he means not only that they will not like it and will despise it, but also that they will actually hate it.” (Calvin, 2 Timothy Commentary)
3. What does it mean for people to have itching ears?
4. Should we be surprised that people in the church will go after false teachers who tell them what they want to hear?
5. If people will not listen to or put up with sound teaching, what must the people of God be diligent to do?
a. “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith.” – Abraham Kuyper
b. “Peace is possible, truth at all costs.”- Martin Luther

Verse 5
“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
1. Why is Timothy to “keep his head” or “be sober-minded”?
2. What types of things is Timothy to do?
3. How does a person fulfill their ministry?

Verses 6-8
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
1. “For”
a. “What for?”
i. Keep doing these things because…”
2. What is Paul preparing to do?
3. What does Paul call his death in verse 6?
a. If someone is departing from somewhere, what does that imply?
4. What might be Paul’s motivation for doing what he has done as a Christian?
a. Acts 20:24
i. “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
b. Christians do the things they do to make God known for two reasons:
i. They are compelled to share the joy they have received from being given grace and being forgiven.
ii. They are looking forward to their reward. A Christian’s reward is not a larger house in heaven or anything like earthly rewards. The reward that God gives to Christians is Himself. God gives them Himself because they desire nothing else, and because nothing else will satisfy them in the deepest way as being in His presence can.

Verses 9-17
“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.”
1. Although Paul knows his time to be short, what is his mindset about the time he has left?
2. What does Paul plan to continue doing with the time he has left on earth?
3. What should be our attitude when things get tough or we know that our time is near?

Verses 18-22
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”
1. Paul died for his faith. Church tradition tells us that Paul was beheaded and died a gruesome death. When Paul says that the Lord will rescue him from every evil attack or deed and bring him into His heavenly kingdom, what does he mean?
2. How does Paul end this letter?

Chapter Overview
1. How would Chapter 4 best be summarized?
2. How could these verses be applied to our lives?

Overview of 2 Timothy
1. What is the overall message of 2 Timothy?
2. What are some things we can take from book as a whole?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

2 Timothy 3:10-17

Psalm 33

Verses 10-13
“You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived”
1."Timothy, you are not like the false teachers. The truth of Christ is evident in all aspects of your life. Christ is so evident in your life that you were even willing to support me in all of my persecutions. Although I went through many hardships, the LORD saw me through all of them. The persecutions I suffered are not something strange or random that will happen just to me; all people who live in the pursuit of knowing God will have trouble follow them. Godless people hate anything that has to do with God, so don’t be surprised when what has happened to me happens to you; godly people will be persecuted and all the while godless people will continue to become sicker and more twisted. Just as Christians grow more like Christ as they continue to know God, the longer that godless people do not know the truth the more evil they will become. The longer that godless people have sin in their lives the darker their minds will become so that they are all the more taken captive by evil and are unable to see the truth.”
2. Timothy has followed Paul’s teaching not only in holding to sound doctrine, but in ways that show Timothy’s wholehearted devotion to following Christ. Why would Paul be reminding Timothy of what he has done in the past and how he has lived?
3. 3 cities mentioned are in Galatia. Paul visited these three cities on his first and second missionary journeys. Paul was actually stoned by some of the people in one of these cities.
4. How many people who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted?
5. Why will people who seek the things of God be persecuted?
6. John 15:18-25
7. Why will evil people and imposters go from bad to worse?
8. In what sense are evil people themselves being deceived?

Verses 14-15
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
1. Paul wants Timothy to continue in not just what he has learned but what he also firmly believes. Why does Timothy need to continue in the things he is sure of?
a. What might happen if Timothy teaches on things he is not sure of?
2. “We must add to our faith the discernment to distinguish between God’s Word and man’s word so that we do not accept everything that is offered to us indiscriminately. There is nothing more alien to faith than a [gullibility] that accepts everything unquestioningly, no matter what source it comes from. For the basis of faith is knowing that its origin and authority are in God.” (Calvin, Commentary on 2 Timothy)
3. Timothy grew up learning the books we know today as the Old Testament.
4. How is the Old Testament able to make us wise for salvation?
5. How were people in the Old Testament saved?
a. Romans 4:1-15
6. If people do not truly know what it means to be saved or why they need salvation, do they have true faith?

Verses 16-17
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
1. Is all of Scripture truly useful and important?
2. What does it mean for Scripture to be God-breathed or inspired?
a. What does breath allow us to do?
3. How important is it to believe that Scripture comes from God?
4. How is Scripture profitable…
a. For teaching?
b. For reproof?
c. For correction?
d. For training in righteousness?
5. Why is having all of our knowledge of God and of ourselves coming solely from the Scriptures important?

Overview
1. How would verses 10-17 of this chapter best be summarized?
2. How could these verses be applied to our lives?

Sunday, March 1, 2009

2Timothy 3:1-9

Read Psalm 1

Verse 1
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.”
1. “But”
a. But what?
i. “Even though God may grant repentance to people who are straying from the truth…”
2. The phrase “the last days” refers to the entire length of time after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. “The last days” refers to the entirety of this time up to the present and will continue to be “the last days” until the Second Coming.
3. Why does Paul want Timothy to be aware that the last days will be times of difficulty?
4. How does knowing what we can expect in living in the last days help to guide us in our living?

Verses 2-5
“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
1. Paul is NOT talking about people out in the world who are openly opposed to Christ. Paul IS taking about people in the church who claim to follow Christ.
2. The dangers Paul mentions concerning the last days come not “from war, famine, disease, or any other…disaster…but it will come from the wickedness of depraved people.” (Calvin, Commentary on 2 Timothy)
3. What is at the root or what is the base sin of the sins listed in verses 2-4?
a. Lovers of self; people who worship themselves.
4. What are some of the sins listed in these verses that stand out to you as to what you see in the church?
5. In what ways is the modern church in America like our culture?
6. In what ways should the church in America be different from our culture?
7. What is the power of godliness?
8. Why is having a form or appearance of godliness but not having the power of godliness a bad thing?
9. Do people ever hide their faults by pretending that what they are doing is okay or even godly?
10. What should our attitude be towards people who live ungodly lifestyles but wear a front, or a mask, to disguise themselves as being godly?
11. Name some instances where people have appeared to be godly but were not truly godly.
12. When we are told to avoid such people or have nothing to do with such people, what does that mean?
a. Not to share close connection with people who are unrepentant in the church.
13. Why are we to have nothing to do with people who claim to know Christ but are unrepentant of their sin?
a. Distracts us
b. Tempts us to sin or be led astray
c. Easy to be led astray
d. When we are closely associated with these types of people and the evil deeds of the false teachers become exposed, our witness will be dampened. Although we may not be actively participating with people in their ungodliness, it may appear that we are in line with the false teachers or ungodly people’s way of life simply because people will associate us with them.

Verses 6-7
“For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”
1. To worm or creep into people’s homes means using flattery or being cunning to get a person to let their guard down.
2. “For among them”
a. What type of people are people who lead others astray?
3. Will the people who are giving a false message about God always be easy to spot?
4. Why does Paul mention weak-willed women as the ones being targeted?
a. Is it just women that can be deceived?
5. What does the description about these women tell us about them and why they are easily led astray?
6. What does it mean for people to be “always learning but never able to arrive at or acknowledge the truth?
a. People can be easily led astray by various passions when they are both curious and restless. People are curious because they are interested in learning what the person who appears to be godly has to say, as the deceiver appears to take interest in and care about the person they are deceiving. When people are restless and do not have a firm foundation built on Christ, they are open to any suggestion that appears to give them rest and satisfaction. Often times, the blind begin leading the blind and both become increasingly ensnared in their own folly because they are blinded in their sinfulness.
7. “When every man is eager for what he can get, and anxious to keep what he has, this makes men dangerous to one another. When men do not fear God, they will not regard man.” (Matthew Henry, Commentary of 2 Timothy)

Verses 8-9
“Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.”
1. Jannes and Jambres are not mentioned explicitly in the Bible. Extra-biblical material has told us that these two men are the magicians/sorcerers mentioned in Exodus 7-9.
2. Exodus 7:1-3; 8:16-19
a. The magicians challenge Moses and for a time seem to be somewhat of a match for God and the plagues God brings on Egypt.
3. How are the false teachers like Jannes and Jambres?
4. How will the false teachers’ folly be made plain?
a. False Teachers are never allowed to get away with what they are doing. God allows spiritual error to advance, but only so far.

Summary
1. What is the overall message of verses 1-9?
2. What are some practical things we can take from these verses to apply to our lives?