6. 1 Tim. 3:8-16 Qualifications of “Servants” of Local Assemblies

6. 1 Tim. 3:8-16 Qualifications of “Servants” of Local Assemblies

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Paul followed the instructions regarding “supervisors” in 1 Timothy 3 with instructions regarding both male and female “servants” of the assembly. Most translations use the term “deacon” as a title, a transliteration of the Greek word διάκονος (diakonos). This is a noun derived from the verb διάκω and means to run errands.[1] This term is to be distinguished from the term δοῦλός (doulos) which means a slave. Both terms refer to someone under the authority…

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5. 1 Tim. 3:1-7 Qualifications of “Supervisors” of Local Assemblies

5. 1 Tim. 3:1-7 Qualifications of “Supervisors” of Local Assemblies

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In the first chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul reminded Timothy of the primary reason that he stationed him at Ephesus, to rein in the current elders and to caution them not to teach anything contrary to, or in addition to, what Paul had personally taught them.[1] Yet he also wanted Timothy to be on the lookout for other men who showed potential for holding the office of “Supervisor” in the local assembly. In his second…

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4. 1 Tim. 2:8-15 The Second Priority, Rescuing Eve

4. 1 Tim. 2:8-15 The Second Priority, Rescuing Eve

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As we saw in the previous post in the “Timothy” series, Paul gave his protege a charge which consisted of several specific commands intended to prioritize his teaching to the leaders of the Ephesian assembly. Paul’s initial command, which he prefixed with the words “first of all,” dealt with what Timothy was to teach concerning the Christian community’s stance towards the civil authorities. This topic was first in priority because humble submission to civil authority…

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7. The Mass Apostasy which precedes Antichrist

7. The Mass Apostasy which precedes Antichrist

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In Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (recorded in Matthew 24 & Mark 13) He gave a series of things that must come to pass yet are not necessarily signs that His coming is near. These included many who come claiming to speak and act by the authority of Jesus’ name, yet they are deceivers.[1] There also must be wars, reports of wars, nation against nation, famines, plagues (including mass diseases), and earthquakes in various places.[2] All of…

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6. As in the Days of Noah & Lot

6. As in the Days of Noah & Lot

Luke 17:26-30 (NKJV) 26 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they…

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3. 1 Tim. 1:12 – 2:7 The First Priority of the “Timothy” Charge

3. 1 Tim. 1:12 – 2:7 The First Priority of the “Timothy” Charge

In the first eleven verses of 1 Timothy, Paul reminded his protégé Timothy of the primary reason he stationed him in Ephesus: “so that you may relay to some not to teach contrary, nor give regard to fabrications and unsubstantiated genealogies which produce disputes instead of the edification of God which is through faith.” The goal was to keep this growing assembly on track, teaching those things that lead to edification and maturing of the…

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5. Ten Toes Rising

5. Ten Toes Rising

Many so-called prophecy experts have predicted that Russia will invade Israel just prior to the last seven-year time of tribulation. Some of them are now sounding the alarm, most notably Pat Robertson, given Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. They interpret the “God-Magog” war of Ezekiel 38-39 as occurring prior to the coming of the Antichrist. However, this is a misunderstanding of the text. That war does not occur until the very end of the Millennial Sabbath,…

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2. 1 Tim. 1:1-11 Focused on the Real Mission

2. 1 Tim. 1:1-11 Focused on the Real Mission

The first epistle to Timothy was written after Paul had sent him to Ephesus because of a serious situation that had arisen in this rapidly growing congregation. This church was founded by Paul near the beginning of his third missionary journey. It began as a split from the Ephesian synagogue, and Paul had remained there and taught them a full three years[1] before pressing on to Macedonia and Greece. The first members of the Ephesian…

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1. Introduction: Are You worthy to be a “Timothy?”

1. Introduction: Are You worthy to be a “Timothy?”

The Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ are those men whom Jesus Himself personally chose, trained, and commissioned to speak authoritatively on His behalf and to be eye-witnesses of His resurrection. We think of the Apostles as all great men, equal to or greater than even Moses and the prophets. Yet their greatness came at an extremely high price. Most of them ended their lives in martyrdom. Having the very high honor of becoming a successful…

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The Many Expeditions of the Son of God (Micah 5:2)

The Many Expeditions of the Son of God (Micah 5:2)

The Jewish Encyclopedia, which is by no means Christian, has an article on the concept of the preexistence of the Messiah in ancient Judaism. “Preexistence of the Messiah: This includes his existence before Creation; the existence of his name; his existence after the creation of the world. Two Biblical passages favor the view of the preexistence of the Messiah: Micah v. 1 (A. V. 2), speaking of the Bethlehemite ruler, says that his ‘goings forth…

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Why the Human Jesus was called “Son of God”

Why the Human Jesus was called “Son of God”

Both Trinitarians and Unitarians have missed a very important distinction in the two titles assigned to Jesus throughout the Gospels, “Son of God” and “Son of Man.” Both groups apply both titles to Jesus’ existence from His birth in Bethlehem alone. For Trinitarians, “Son of God” is a title that stems from their interpretation of the virgin birth. When the “Holy Spirit” is said to come upon the virgin Mary, she is said to have…

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Did God Create All Things Alone?

Did God Create All Things Alone?

A favorite proof-text by Unitarians who deny the preexistence of the Son and His role in creation is the following verse: Isaiah 44:24 (NASB) 24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone, …” When New Testament passages are brought forward which describe the subordinate role…

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5. Who will Inherit the Kingdom of God?

5. Who will Inherit the Kingdom of God?

The previous post in this series of articles – Deception in the Last Days – dealt with how doctrine affects behavior. Sound doctrine tends to influence Christians towards right behavior, moving us to faith, hope, and love, motivating us that we “may not become lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.”[1] Conversely, bad doctrine provides cover and justification for behavior that is inconsistent with God’s will, and especially hinders…

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“To Whom has the ‘Arm of the Lord’ been Revealed?”

“To Whom has the ‘Arm of the Lord’ been Revealed?”

Passover is coming up fast, and one of the Scriptures that we will be reading for our fellowship Seder is the following: Exodus 6:6 (NKJ) 6 “Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. This is one example of many…

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4. Why God Discloses the 2nd Advent

4. Why God Discloses the 2nd Advent

In this series of articles we considered the fact that God concealed “the times and seasons”[1] of the last days tribulation until “the time of the end.” This was so that Christians would be concerned with the task ahead, the spread of the Gospel to all nations. Yet He also wanted them to keep the blessed Hope alive before them since this keeps us striving for the age to come. If God had revealed the…

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3. Jesus’ Parable of the 10 Virgins

3. Jesus’ Parable of the 10 Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13 (NKJV) “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6…

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2. Watching and Readiness in the End-Times

2. Watching and Readiness in the End-Times

The warnings and parables in the Olivet Discourse speak of watchfulness and being “ready” for Jesus’ return, but only within a fairly narrow window of time. There are many who take these parables and warnings to mean that Jesus’ return is imminent, that He could come at any moment and that He could have come at any time since His ascension. This is especially true of pre-tribulationists (who believe in a “rapture” before the events…

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1. Sealed until the Time of the End

1. Sealed until the Time of the End

The best kept secret in the universe is the time of the arrival from heaven of the King of kings and Lord of lords – Jesus the Anointed King. He is coming to overthrow all the kingdoms of this world, to utterly destroy the wicked, to resurrect and grant immortality and an inheritance to all of the righteous, and to reign as the perfect and just King of the whole world. For several millennia, prophets,…

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Prophetic Patterns of God’s Calendar

Prophetic Patterns of God’s Calendar

I. The Weekly Sabbath Cycle (6+1=7 Days): Moses not only gave us the key to the chronology of the entire Bible in Psalm 90, but he also recorded God’s prophetic patterns and precedents. The seven-day week which has been observed by God’s people since creation is the first and primary pattern. The end has been prophesied since the very beginning in this simple formula, work for six days and rest on the seventh day. So…

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Peter & the Millennial Week

Peter & the Millennial Week

Paul wrote the book of Hebrews around AD 62 at the end of his first Roman imprisonment. In it he spoke of the “Seventh Day,” God’s “Rest,” and our “Sabbath-observance” as being the Kingdom hope of Christians. About five years later, following his second imprisonment in Rome, Paul was executed under Nero in AD 66. Peter was in prison in Rome at the time awaiting his own appointment with Nero’s executioner which occurred in AD…

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Paul & the Millennial Week

Paul & the Millennial Week

Hebrews was one of Paul’s last epistles, most likely recorded for him by his companion, Luke. One of the noteworthy features of Hebrews is the rabbinic teaching style in which Paul wrote. This style involved merely quoting a short phrase or sentence from an Old Testament passage in order to bring that entire familiar passage into his argument, expecting that his readers were already fully aware of the implications of that passage. In Hebrews 3-4,…

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Moses & the Millennial Week

Moses & the Millennial Week

The previous post demonstrated the pervasiveness of the Millennial Week chronology among the early Christian writers close to the Apostles. The primary passage cited by these writers was Psalm 90:4, “a thousand years in Your sight are as the day,”[1] cited by Peter in 2 Peter 3:8, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day.” The six days plus Sabbath Rest of the creation week set…

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Chiliasm’s Millennial ‘Week’ & “Sabbath Rest”

Chiliasm’s Millennial ‘Week’ & “Sabbath Rest”

A major component of the earliest Christian eschatology – Chiliasm – is the belief in the Millennial Week. Not only is Jesus’ reign on earth exactly one millennium, but the whole time of man’s struggle under the curse has been confined to six millennial “Days.” The seventh millennium is the Seventh-Day Sabbath Rest. The term “Chiliasm” referred to the whole package, not just the “Millennium” of Christ’s reign over the nations. The Millennial Week eschatology…

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Chiliasm’s 7-Year Tribulation & Personal Antichrist

Chiliasm’s 7-Year Tribulation & Personal Antichrist

Like modern dispensationalists, the early chiliasts were “futurists.” The “great tribulation” mentioned in the Olivet Discourse and in Revelation is the last “week” of years described in the Seventy-Weeks prophecy of Daniel 9. During this seven-year period just before Jesus returns, the Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and the two prophets of Revelation 11 will preach repentance for 3.5 years, then Antichrist will defile the Temple with the “abomination of desolation,” and then reign…

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Chiliasm’s Eternal Land Inheritance

Chiliasm’s Eternal Land Inheritance

The earliest Christians following the Apostles based their hope of a future eternal inheritance squarely on the permanent inheritance of the whole earth which God promised to His only-begotten Son, and the Abrahamic Covenant in which God promised a permanent Land inheritance to Abraham’s “Seed” who is Jesus Christ. On the very day that the Son was begotten out of God, the inheritance of the whole earth and all nations was promised to Him. Psalm…

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