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?

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?

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?

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?

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Read Psalm 15

Verse 14
“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.”
1. Remind them of what things?
a. Remind them that God wants them to continue in the faith and that God is able to accomplish His purpose no matter how things look.
2. Why do people need to be reminded of spiritual truths?
3. “Quarrel about words” generally means not going on endlessly talking about topics for the purpose of trying to be clever or show off by out-smarting one another.
4. Why would “quarreling about words” hurt the hearers?
a. It might upset people whose faith is not strong.
5. “God’s purpose is not to pander to our inquisitiveness but to give us profitable instruction.” (Calvin, Comm. on 2 Timothy)

Verse 15
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
1. If Timothy is concerned with being approved by God, who will he not be concerned with getting approval from?
a. What benefit would not getting caught up in other people’s business have for Timothy? For our lives?
2. How does a person rightly handle the word of truth? If your job is to teach and instruct people about the things of God, how is truth rightly handled?
a. The Word must be spoken to benefit the hearers.
b. Handle the word so that when you expound it, it lifts up those who hear it.

Verses 16-18
“But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.”
1. What is gangrene and why is it so deadly?
a. Unless treated, gangrene spreads quickly to the areas near the infection and penetrates deep into the skin and bones until it finally kills the person.
2. If “irreverent babble” is compared to the spreading of gangrene, what will “irreverent babble” do to the church? How does this generally happen in real life?
3. Heresy and heretics had put questions in the believer’s minds about the stability and permanence of the church.

Verse 19
“But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.””
1. In this context, what is the phrase “God’s firm foundation” referring to?
2. What does the first quotation mean?
a. God knows who the true believers are.
3. What does the second quotation mean?
a. If people truly know God, they will eventually turn away from their sin. Believers may fall into error, but they will always turn from what is not of God at some point because the Holy Spirit will convict them.
b. Matthew 7:15-20 (Mention but maybe not go to)
i. Good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. Good trees cannot bear bad fruit and bad trees cannot bear good fruit.
4. Should we judge people to determine if they are saved?
a. Yes AND no.

Verses 20-21
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”
1. “The fate of the false teachers is also not yet fixed.” Although they may not yet be truly saved, ‘they too may turn from evil.” (Carson, NT Comm. On Use of the OT)
2. When people turn away from sin, the Lord will use them in mighty ways.
3. Why will turning away from sin prepare us for “every good work”?
a. God desires that the people who represent Him and show Him to the world live so that their lives declare His character. People will only see who God is when His character is manifested in us is such a way that people know that in order for us to be the way we are, there has to have been a supernatural work to account for how different we are.

Verses 22-23
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.”
1. Verse 22 tells us to do two things. What two things are we do to?
a. Flee things that lead into sin
b. Pursue the things of God.
2. Paul tells Timothy to develop relationships with people who “call on the Lord from a pure heart” but also tells Timothy to have no part of the controversies going on.
a. Does who we put ourselves around effect how we think and live?
3. What happens when people get too involved with other people’s business?

Verses 24-25A
“And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.”
1. When conflicts arise, why must we remember to be kind to all of the people surrounding the conflict?
2. Why must we be able to teach others?
a. So that we are able to communicate what we believe clearly so that other people will understand what we are saying. If we are able to communicate what we believe so as to rightly understood, there will be less of a chance of having people misunderstand and stray from the intended meaning that you are conveying.
3. Why must we endure evil patiently?
4. Why must we correct people who have strayed from the truth with gentleness?
a. We ourselves may be wrong.
b. People are not likely to listen to us if we are rude or belittling to them.

Verses 25-26
“God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
1. Who grants people repentance and leads them to the truth?
a. God.
2. Will people ever repent or know the truth without God granting them this ability?
3. Is it possible that people who are leading others astray will one day turn to the LORD and see the truth?
4. Should we ever give up on being Christ to other people even if it seems that it is doing no good?
5. How should we respond to and interact with people who are straying from the truth?

Summary
1. What is the overall message of verses 14-26?
2. What are some practical things we can take from these verses to apply to our lives?

Psalm 32

Valentine's Day, or Singleness Awareness Day as one of my friends put it, was a day I felt was unlikely for many people to be at the Bible Study. Family and significant others are important and wanted you all to be able to spend time with them without having to miss some of 2 Timothy.

The group studied Psalm 32 last night and the notes are below. Next week we will get back to 2 Timothy 2 and finish up that chapter. I am thinking we have four more weeks of 2 Timothy and then maybe we will move onto Mark. There is still a lot of good things that 2 Timothy has and I am excited to see what the next few weeks will be like.

Below are the notes and some quotes that are helpful.

Quotes on Repentance
(Saving faith is) not just believing that Jesus lived and died. Faith that saves is the confident, continuous confession of total dependence on, and trust in Jesus Christ to meet the requirements on your behalf to give you entrance into God's Eternal Kingdom. It's the surrender of your life in complete trust to Him to do what you cannot do.
John MacArthur

[Repentance] is not a merely intellectual change of mind or mere grief, still less doing penance, but a radical transformation of the entire person, a fundamental turnaround involving mind and action and including overtones of grief, which result in (spiritual) fruit.
D.A. Carson. Matthew, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Zondervan, 1984, p. 99.

Repentance is more than simply being sorry for sin. It is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin and pursue holiness (Isaiah 55:7).
Grace to You Ministries. All rights reserved. 1991. Used by permission.

Repentance is a change of mind regarding sin and God, an inward turning from sin to God, which is known by its fruit – obedience (Mt. 3:8; Acts 26:20; Lk. 13:5-9). It is hating what you once loved and loving what you once hated, exchanging irresistible sin for an irresistible Christ.
Jim Elliff. The Unrepenting Repenter, Christian Communicators Worldwide, www.CCWtoday.org. Used by Permission.



Read Psalm 124

Verse 1
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

1. Why are we blessed to have our sin forgiven?
2. “We are only accounted righteous before God by the free remission of sins, this is the gate of eternal salvation; and, accordingly, that they only are blessed who rely upon God’s mercy.” (Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 32)
3. Why do we need to have our sin forgiven?
4. “God cannot be reconciled to those who are worthy of eternal destruction in any other way than by freely pardoning them, and bestowing upon them his favor.” (Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 32)

Verse 2
“Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
1. Verse 2 begins by stating that we are blessed when God does not count our sin against us. If a person has sinned so that they need the LORD to not count their sin against them, what does it mean for there to be no deceit in a person’s spirit?
2. Why does a person need to have a clear picture of themselves and God, and be honest about their condition before God?

• “He who feels not his disease refuses the remedy.” (Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 32)
  

Verses 3 & 4
“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”
1. Bones is a Hebrew word that signifies a person’s strength. The verse could easily be translated to say: “For when I kept silent, my strength wasted away through my groaning all day long.”
2. What is meant by “kept silent”?
a. Obstinate to God
3. Why does keeping silent about our sin wear away our strength?
4. What does it feel like when you know you did something wrong but haven’t or won’t make things right?
5. Whose hand was heavy upon the Psalmist?
6. If someone were to say that something is occurring “day and night”, how often is it occurring?
7. Without God convicting people of their sin, will they ever turn from their sin on their own?
8. Why must people feel the weight of their sin before they will turn to God?
a. “We never perceive how great a happiness it is to enjoy the favor of God, until we have thoroughly felt from grievous conflicts with inward temptations, how terrible the anger of God is.” (Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 32)

Verse 5
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
1. If something is not covered, what must it be?
2. Was the Psalmist’s act of confession what pardoned him?

• “It is faith which, by opening our hearts and tongues, really obtains our pardon…[The Psalmist] obtained pardon by his confession, not because he merited it by the mere act of confessing, but because, under the guidance of faith, he humbly implored it from his judge.” (Calvin, Comm. On Psalm 32)
  

Verses 6 & 7
“Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah”
1. If there is a time when God may be found, what does this also imply?
a. (There is a time when God may not be found)
b. Why would God not be found?
i. Because our heart is too hard and we are unwilling to cry out to Him.
2. “Rush of great waters” or “mighty waters rise” or “flood” means all “dangers from which there appears no means of escape” (Calvin, Comm. On Psalm 32)
3. There is nothing from which God cannot save a person from. No matter what it is, God can save you from it.
4. What does it mean for God to be our hiding place?
5. How does God protect or preserve us from trouble?

• Does that mean that life will be free from trouble?
  

6. Three underlying ideas in verses 6 & 7:

• There is no place of safety except in Christ
• God will be faithful to preserve or protect us.
• God will be the one to deliver us.

Verse 8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
1. Who will do these all of these things?
2. If someone has their eye upon you or is watching over you, what does this imply?

Verse 9
“Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”
1. What are horses and especially mules known for being?

• Stubborn!!!
  

2. What is this verse asking us not to be?
a. Why is it asking us not to be stubborn?
3. What does the owner of a horse or mule do when the animal is ignoring him?
4. Hebrews 12:5-11

Verse 10
“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.”
1. Why are the sorrows of the wicked many?
a. The wicked are living out of step with true reality. People reap what they sow. When people sow destructive choices into their lives they will reap destructive results.
2. Why does God’s steadfast love surround those who trust in Him?
3. If we trust in the LORD, what does it imply that we are not doing?

Verse 11
“Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”
1. In this verse, what does being righteous or upright mean? (Look at the larger context.)
2. When this verse refers to the righteous and upright being glad, rejoicing and shouting for joy, what is the reason for their response to God?
3. Why do people who will humble themselves and trust in the LORD have reason to be the happiest people alive?

Summary
1. What is the overall message of Psalm 32?
2. What are some practical applications we can take from this Psalm?

2 Timothy 2:1-13

This nights study had many good insights from you all. We delved into verse 13, a difficult verse, together and came up with many good insights, insights that never even entered my mind (thanks Nick!). The theme of 2 Timothy is becoming pretty clear, as many of you have mentioned to me both during and outsiden of the study.

Next week is Valentine's Day. I am planning on being there but we will NOT be studying 2 Timothy that night. We will be studying Psalm 32, as it is what the Lord has put on my heart. I figured it would give a little bit of a break from 2 Timothy and would be good to do because many people might not be there because of Valentine's Day.


Read Psalm 136

Verse 1
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,”
1. After Timothy is reminded of what has been occurring in and among the church, Paul moves on to exhort Timothy about what he should do and how he should respond to all that is going on.
2. “What God requires from us in His Word, He also supplies by His Spirit, so that we are strengthened in the grace that He provides” (Calvin, p.305, Commentary on 2 Timothy).
3. What does “being strong in the grace” or being “strengthened by the grace” “that is in Christ Jesus” mean?
4. How are we strengthened by God’s grace?

Verse 2
“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
1. When the verse 2 speaks of entrusting faithful or qualified men with the task of teaching, what is meant by the word faithful or qualified?
2. What qualifies a person to teach?
3. Why is it important that the men who Timothy entrusts to teach the church be faithful or qualified?

Verse 3
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
1. If a person was a good soldier, how would they share in suffering to help their side win?


Verse 4
“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”
1. If a person was a soldier who was off at war, why would they not want to get involved in civilian affairs?
2. What consequences might getting involved in civilian affairs have on you or the war that you are there fighting?
3. Going back to 2 Timothy, how does the metaphor in verse 4 apply to our spiritual life?

Verse 5
“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
1. Why would an athlete not be considered the winner unless they competed according to the rules?
2. Why would doing sinful things to advance God’s Kingdom be a bad thing to do?
3. What application does this verse have for our lives?

Verse 6
“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”
1. If you are a farmer, what must you do to have a harvest?
2. On Judgement Day, if we expect to reap some reward for our service to God, what must we do until Judgement Day comes if we want to have a reward?
3. We are saved totally by grace but in order to be saved we must persevere until the end. While God does demand that those whom He saves persevere, He also enables and causes people who truly know Him to persevere.
a. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Verse 7
“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”
1. Why does Paul specifically tell Timothy to think over these things?
2. How does God usually teach us about who He is?
3. Although Timothy has to be the one to think over Paul has said, how will Timothy get the proper understanding of what is being said?

Verse 8
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,”
1. “risen from the dead”
a. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead gives evidence that what Jesus taught is truthful and that Jesus truly is God. Jesus’ resurrection also shows that because His claims were true, we can share in the benefits that His death and resurrection for us.
2. “Offspring of David”
a. Who was David?
i. David was a king of Israel whom God promised that Christ would be descended from. David was promised that Christ would reign on his throne forever.
b. Why would Paul mention Christ being the offspring of David?
i. Christ is a real person who has a real connection to real people that had real promises made to them by a real God.
3. Why is Timothy being told to “remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel”?

Verse 9
“for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!”
1. What does Paul mean he says that the Word of God is not bound?
2. Isaiah 55:1-11

Verse 10
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
1. “Therefore”
a. What’s it “there for”?
i. Because the Word of God is not bound…
2. Why does Paul want the elect to obtain salvation?



Verse 11
“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;”
1. What is the connection between us dying with Christ and us living with Christ?
Verse 12
“if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;”
1. What is the connection between us enduring and us reigning with Christ?
2. Why will Christ deny us if we deny Him?

Verse 13
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
1. God is always faithful to do what He says He will do.
a. Isaiah 48:9-11
b. Ezekiel 36:16-32
2. What does it mean that God “cannot deny Himself”?

Overview
1. How would verses 1-13 of this chapter best be summarized?
2. How could these verses be applied to our lives?