Look at the Book

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?

If a man cannot lead his family well and gain the respect of his neighbors, he is not fit for the office of elder.

What is the main virtue displayed by elders in the church? Self-control. They are not ruled by anything other than God and his word.

Any man who would be a leader in Christ’s church must be above reproach. But what does “above reproach” mean?

What kind of desire sends men into ministry and keeps them there? Durable desire, servant-hearted desire, holy desire, informed desire, mature desire.

Do you honor your pastors? If they are doing what God calls them to do, they are doing good work, worthy work, work you should be thankful for.

When Paul says women “will be saved through childbearing,” what does he mean?

The God-appointed callings of men and women are not arbitrary. They find their foundation in the very beginning, grounded in how God created us.

When Paul encourages women to be quiet, what does he mean? Not total silence, but the kind of submissive speech that does not contradict the calling of men to lead.

When we dress to get attention, we signal our neediness. But the godly have their deepest needs already met, and they dress accordingly.

Men and women may wrestle with different kinds of temptations, but the end goal for both remains the same: holiness adorned with good works.

Why did God appoint Paul to be a herald, an apostle, and a teacher? So that the offer of Christ’s ransom might be taken to the ends of the earth.

In what sense is Jesus the ransom “for all,” as Paul says, if many are never reconciled to God?

If God desires all to be saved, but many are not saved, does God have a deeper desire that governs his desire for universal salvation?

What does a life of godliness and dignity look like? Such a life is marked by God-directed reverence, serious joy grounded in weighty truth, and settled maturity.

Paul encourages Christians to pray for kings and rulers, but to what end? What should we ask God to do in and through those who hold power?

In this world, Christians live as sojourners and exiles, citizens of heaven under the lordship of Christ. So, how should we relate to earthly rulers?

Our prayers should exclude no one. Kings and laymen, enemies and friends, rich and needy, wicked and righteous, near and far — we should pray for all kinds of people.

In the sovereignty of God, even Satan can serve as a means of sanctification. But when is it right to surrender egregious sinners into his hand?

When someone silences the voice of conscience and repeatedly prefers sin over the glory of the blessed God, faith ends up shipwrecked.

What images does the New Testament use to depict leaders in the church? Paul gives us several in the Pastoral Epistles, and they are all needed.

When Paul talks about waging the good warfare, what does he mean? Where is the battle — and who are the combatants?

Paul handles glories all the time, touching majesty in almost every line. Yet what kind of reality compels Paul into a soaring doxology? Eternal life.

Why did God allow Paul, whom he would later call as an apostle, to become a Christ-persecutor and Christian-killer first?

By his grace, God unites believers with Christ, and from that vital union, the Christian life of faith and love flows forth.

Paul says that he received mercy because he “acted ignorantly in unbelief.” What does that mean? Did Paul’s ignorance merit God’s mercy?

We live the Christian life in the strength of another. When we believe, Christ not only saves us but also empowers us for fruitful labor.

The happiness of the triune God beats at the very heart of reality: the Father has always delighted in the Son by the Spirit. All Christian joy finds its wellspring here.

What is healthy teaching? Teaching that fits with the gospel, agrees with the words of Jesus, and promotes the hearers’ godliness.

God’s old-covenant law is good, but it can be applied in bad ways — such as by demanding that those justified by faith in Christ must keep it.

What does the state of our heart have to do with the content of our speech? Everything.

In his word, God has laid out his household plan, which aims to cultivate love, faith, and purity in his people. Do you know what that plan is?

What separates sound doctrine from speculations? Sound doctrine serves godliness, accords with the gospel, and agrees with the words of Jesus.

Christians experience — not simply know — that God is our Father and Jesus is our Lord by the indwelling witness of the Holy Spirit.

Some relationships run much deeper than blood. The bond between a spiritual father and his children is forged in Christ and lasts forever.

Christians love to refer to Jesus as our Savior. But what exactly does Jesus save us from?

Why does Paul begin his letter to Timothy by identifying himself not only as an apostle, but as an apostle “by command of God”?

When Paul argues that he is an authentic apostle of Jesus, he points to the marks of persecution written on his flesh.