Look at the Book

Why did God make Paul an apostle? So that he could declare the promise of life in Christ Jesus to those who were dead in their trespasses.

When Paul refers to Jesus, the title he loves to use the most is “Christ Jesus.” Why was this name so significant for Paul?

What is an apostle? An apostle is an official representative selected by Christ to mediate his authority on earth and herald his message to men.

What is the setting for Paul’s second letter to Timothy? Paul is imprisoned in Rome, he wants Timothy to come to him, and he is ready for death.

What is Paul’s ultimate concern in 1 Timothy? To encourage faith that awakens godliness that is passionate about the glory of God.

You don’t guard the word of God like you would some other ancient document. You guard it by doing it, protecting it, and passing it on.

Paul’s final exhortation in 1 Timothy is to “guard the deposit entrusted to you.” What is “the deposit” the apostle has in mind?

In the little word “O,” Paul brings us into a whole world of emotional complexity. He models for us healthy, godly affections for others.

Christian generosity grows out of hearts that place their hope in God. When he is the source of our joy now and forever, we are free to radically give.

Those who look to riches to uphold their hopes will be deeply disappointed. Worldly wealth is fleeting and uncertain. Only God can ground our hope.

If you belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords, you are as safe as you could possibly be. No one rivals your God.

Courage does not come from knowing an opponent to be weak. It comes from knowing our God to be strong. God gives us life, and he sustains it.

How do you take hold of eternal life? You have faith in Jesus. You believe in him, hold tight to him, treasure him, and refuse to let him go.

The Christian life is one of fleeing and pursuing: flee anything that does not proceed from faith, and pursue what pleases God.

How can Paul say that the love of money is the root of all evils? Because the kind of heart that loves money abandons faith, and anything not of faith is sin.

Christians can be happy with little — yet we are happy not because we have little but because we have God. He, not minimalism, is our portion.

Those who seek to make godliness a means of monetary gain miss an all-important point: we entered the world with nothing, and we will leave the same way.

Does being a Christian bring benefit in the present life? Absolutely. Peace, contentment, and joy are some of the weighty gains of godliness.

Three primary desires give rise to false teachers: “I want to be well known.” “I want to be preeminent over others.” “I want to amass power by money.”

The New Testament does not abolish the social shell of slavery. But it does transform it so radically that a property-owner relationship becomes unthinkable.

The gospel did not abolish slavery immediately, but it did radically reform the master-slave relationship by making both brothers.

When Paul addresses Christian slaves, he calls them to obey even unbelieving masters. Why?

When discerning whether a man should be an elder, be cautious, testing thoroughly, but don’t be paralyzed by fear of choosing imperfectly.

Sometimes, Christians pit doctors and divine healing against one another, as if relying on natural remedies reveals a lack of faith. Does Scripture support that assumption?

Choosing elders is a serious business. Paul charges us to do so knowing we are in the presence of God, Jesus Christ, and the elect angels.

When accusations arise, Paul would have churches refuse to let elders be destroyed by liars — and refuse to let lying elders destroy sheep.

Paul sees a connection between hardworking pastors and oxen laboring in the field. Both deserve to be rewarded for their work.

Pastors deserve to be paid for their labor. They spend themselves to edify the flock, so the flock should spend to provide for them.

The grace of God is not an excuse for laziness. It gives not only pardon for sin but power for Christ-honoring work.

When Paul instructs Timothy to care for widows in the church, he tells him not to enroll younger widows in the support network. Why?

Older women who are seasoned in service, devoted to good works, chaste, courageous, and humble deserve special honor in the church.

When Paul says that professing believers who do not provide for their relatives deny the faith, what does he mean?

God shows special care for the most destitute among his people, such as widows without living relatives. How might local churches follow his example?

Paul had no notion of godliness without fruit. Real godliness shows itself in the overflow of good works, especially to the neediest.

God gives children as a reward to parents. In both the joy they bring and the long-term provision they give, godly children bless their father and mother.

Men and women, old and young are not the same — nor do they call for the same kind of pastoral care. Mature pastors exhort each one appropriately.

We ought to honor the elderly; the Bible makes that clear. But why? Do we honor the aged because they are often wiser, or does the reason go deeper?

Why is it so important for elders to attend to their own souls? Because as the elders go, so goes the church.

If salvation is a gift, why does Paul place such emphasis on pursuing godliness? Because godliness confirms that faith is real.

Keeping your body fit provides some benefits. But training yourself to be godly is immeasurably better — better now and better in the life to come.

Many of us say that we want to be more godly. But what is godliness in the first place?

Healthy pastors not only communicate the word of God — they love it. They both serve the meal and eat it. They are coworkers in joy.

The alternative to demonic asceticism is to receive God’s good gifts in ways that show his worth and lead us into deeper enjoyment of him.

False teachers forsake godliness as the goal of knowledge. And when that happens, consciences are seared and people swerve from the truth.

The New Testament makes it clear that the end times will become increasingly bleak. But God is not caught off guard; his great plan holds true.

When Paul steps back to assess the truth about all that God is for us in Jesus, truth that the church upholds, his response is to say, “Great indeed!”

Buildings do not make a church — people do. And God has established his people to proclaim his truth to a world that desperately needs it.

How do godly deacons gain great confidence in Christ? By serving in the strength God supplies, they repeatedly prove his willingness to equip where he calls.

What are the qualifications to serve as a deacon in the church, and how do those qualifications match the office?

Paul presents the qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3, but what exactly do deacons do? And does the office include women?