Look at the Book

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.

Faith results in two wonderful blessings for the believer: a new standing before God and a new life empowered by the Spirit.

Why should Christians boast only in the cross? Because everything that we have as believers comes through the cross.

Only Christ can take an instrument of death and make it the place where a new creation comes into being. The way of life runs through the cross.

What does Paul mean when he says that the world has been crucified to him and he to the world? He no longer trusts and treasures the world. He trusts and treasures Christ.

Legalism in Paul’s day and legalism in our own day share a similar root: the desire to impress fellow humans.

We may think that what we do with money matters little, but Paul teaches that where we choose to invest has eternal consequences.

The New Testament treats much boasting as sinful, but it also calls us toward a holy kind of boasting. So, how should Christians boast?

Do not determine the value of your work by comparing yourself with others. God calls each person to unique acts of faith, and comparison sours and spoils that calling.

What is “the law of Christ” — and how does our fulfilling of this law relate to justification by faith alone?

Christian love is not passive. When love sees a brother or sister caught in sin, it does not shrink away but confronts in order to renew and restore.

If Christians have the Spirit of God leading and guiding them, why does the New Testament issue over four hundred commands to obey?

Those made alive by the Spirit will keep in step with the Spirit. They will walk by the Spirit, sow to the Spirit, bear the fruit of the Spirit.

If the fruit of the Spirit is a miracle that God produces in his people, what can we do to cultivate that fruit?