PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

This is an interesting chapter and one where you can see that Paul has very specific advice for the church in Ephesus which may or may not apply to other churches with different demographic groups.  He addresses the church and their treatment and their approach to widows.  Verses 1-16 deal with the widows and those who are “real” widows and those who may not be as real.  The way that Paul distinguishes them is really by age.  Those over 60 are real widows and they have to have been married only once.  The reason why the younger ones are not real is because they have sexual desires that will move them away from a life of purity.  I’m thinking there was a problem in Ephesus which we don’t know about and which Paul felt like he had to address.  

I can’t imagine using this as a guideline for us today.  I can understand that Paul is thinking that the younger widows have the opportunity to marry again and so be taken care of materially in that way.  The older widows, well, their opportunities in the first century would have been much more limited.  They would not have men who would want to marry them which would have made them desperate to have their material needs met.  The church had to rally around them to make sure they were taken care of.

He then switches gears and talks about pastors, he calls them elders which is the technical term for a pastor.  You see, I’m officially called a teaching elder and those on session who are lay people are called ruling elders.  I like the term Minister of the Word and Sacrament better but teaching elder is more biblical.  Anyway, Paul tells the church to treat the pastors well.  Make sure their needs are taken care of as well.  So really, this chapter is all about making sure that the church not overlook its duties to take care of people who are under their care.  

There are some modern day issues that Paul addresses and wants to be sure that Timothy does not overlook.  He tells Timothy to beware of those whose conscience has been seared by a hot iron, which basically means those who do not have a conscience, whose conscience is numbed.  He points out specifically food and marriage, the two area of joy and pleasure and fellowship and lasting relationships that are so critical to our modern day social fabric.  He chastises those who say you should not marry, even though he himself says at one point in I Corinthians 7:8 that people should stay unmarried.  But he does not forbid marriage, in fact he calls created by God and so it must be good.  

This is a message for those who believe that being unmarried somehow makes you more fit for the kingdom of heaven and somehow makes you a better servant.  I’ll never forget getting together periodically with the Catholic priest from across the street when we were serving in Naples.  We were good friends and we would meet for pizza and fellowship, just the two of us.  Many times he would confide that the fact that he was not allowed to marry was the most tragic “thorn in the side” of his calling.  It absolutely caused him to sin, even though it was his decision.  I am certain that some day this burden will be removed from my brothers in the calling.

Paul goes on to write to Timothy that even though he was young, and he was young, that he should conduct himself in such a way that no one would be able to point to his youth as a reason for why he is acting the way that he does.  This is a great point.  I’ll never forget coming back from Italy as a young 29 year old and being the pastor of a church in Florida.  It was a very scary experience for me, I knew I was clueless, but I had to hold it together.  The way that it manifested itself was the first few years I was very reticent to make decisions.  I was so unsure of myself that when I had to decide something I had such a hard time knowing the will of God.  That has evolved into gathering the input of people around me so that the Holy Spirit isn’t limited just to what I think but what those around me advise.  That is much healthier but it takes time and maturity to figure that out.

These are the verses that I use when I train officers for the church.  I like to read it and watch the faces of those chosen to see their reaction.  The list is quite intimidating because none of us actually qualify according to these requirements.  Let me be clear, I am not saying that anything goes, but I am saying that we cannot just pick and choose those things that we subscribe to and leave others out.  We have to try to achieve all that we are asked to achieve which includes: being above reproach, faithful in marriage, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, and able to control their household.  Good luck with all of that.  But with God’s help we are made worthy to serve.  That’s the point I try to get across in the training.

Remember, Paul is writing to Timothy to remind him that these are the types of people that we are looking for to run the church.  We need pastors and we need deacons.  Here are some qualifications for these people.  Notice just about all of it had to deal with their own personal life and not how well they knew the Word of God, or how spiritual they were, or their faith pedigree.  

It is fascinating for me that the role of deacon is singled out here by Paul.  The deacons came around in Acts 6:1-6 where the Apostles could not handle all of the work of feeding and caring for the widows and those who were less fortunate.  So, they asked that people be chosen for that specific role.  I love to see the origin of it in Acts and then it is carried out in all of the churches where Paul had a hand.  The church in Ephesus would again need to have deacons to fill the role of helping those who are the most in need.

Moving fast forward to today where we see churches, especially First Presbyterian, who understand this role and fill it with people whose primary concern is to visit and care for those who are most needy.  We have an awesome group of deacons.  Praise God for the direction and guidance that we get from Scripture that helps us to set up institutions to meet the needs of the powerless.

Two separate topics are covered today.  The first is an appeal for prayer in the midst of a suffering and a persecution which had previously been unseen.  Do you notice for whom Paul asks that the community of Ephesus prays?  The very people who are doing the persecuting.  Paul asks that the community pray for the king so that, and hear this, so that we might live a quiet and peaceable life.  Pray for your persecutors, he tells the people.  That is not far off from what Jesus tells his disciples on the sermon on the mount.  Look at Matthew 5:44 where he tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute you.  Jesus in Matthew also gives us a reason for this: so that you would be children of your Father who is in heaven.  That is all the motivation that I need.

We now come to what I classify a “problem” verse in relationship to the consistency of what I see in Scripture.  Look at vs. 11-15 and ask yourself the question: do we still believe that women are saved through childbirth?  If that is the case, well then those who cannot have children are not going to be saved.  There is no special dispensation here is there?  So once you think about that for a while, ask yourself the question: why do some people only focus on vs.11 and completely skip or disregard or value as less vs.15?  For those who hold strongly to vs.11, when you speak to them, ask them why they don’t hold as valuable vs. 15, or vs. 9.  Ask them if they “allow” their women to braid their hair or wear gold or pearls.  If they say that Paul didn’t really mean it, then maybe, just maybe, we can see vs.11 as part of these verses as something that Paul was speaking specifically to the church in Ephesus which was found on the coast and considered a wealthy church.  And maybe, just maybe, there was a specific problem in that church with a few women who were causing problems.  Just something to think about.  

There is a part of us that has to live in the grey because not everything is black or white.  When we find ourselves in the grey we have to find what is the most consistent in Scripture and which most closely reflects the true nature of God which is grace and love and justice.

The background to I Timothy is fascinating.  Paul left the church in Ephesus in the hands of one of his trusted workers, Timothy, thinking that he would be back and be able to teach them and provide them guidance for the future.  When it becomes apparent that Paul probably won’t be making it back to Ephesus he writes this letter to Timothy in order to instruct him on what to do in leading the church in Ephesus.  You will find him giving instructions to Timothy throughout this letter.  Let’s look at the text.

He begins by warning Timothy about false teachings.  He wants to be sure that Timothy is teaching the congregation what Paul had taught him.  I need to skip to verse 17.  As I do, I want you to hear this hymn and see if you can figure out where it came from.  

There is a tale that Captain John Smith when he was made leader in Jamestown told the people if you do not work, then you will not eat.  It worked, people worked and the colony began to thrive.  If you ever wonder where he got that idea you don’t have to look any further than II Thessalonians 3:10.  You see Paul in a few other places talk about this Protestant work ethic.  No, it wasn’t called that back then, but there was an insistence of a certain work ethic which has carried over into our own understanding.  It isn’t understood today as a Christian perspective, although it should be, but industriousness is seen rather as a secular benefit.  We should turn that around and say it was Paul who insisted that “with toil and labor we worked night and day.”  I like that example.

If you take vs.13 it really works for so many different situations in life.  Listen to this verse again: “Brothers and sisters do not be weary in doing what is right.”  How can you be weary in doing what is right?  Well, what if doing what is right doesn’t put you in a position to step over others in your career?  Then it might be old doing what is right.  What if doing right puts you in a position of weakness?  Then doing right just might not seem too appealing.  But Paul tells us that we should never weary of doing right, and he says it in the context of a work ethic which ought to push us to keep doing, and doing, and doing.

Ever since the 1st century when Nero was around Christians have labeled leaders and individuals as the “son of destruction” or the lawless one.  Another term that people have used over time, and Scripture uses this term as well, is the anti-Christ.  Inevitably, it is applied to people who are in power because that is to what Scripture alludes.  But as Paul said from the very beginning, we don’t know when Jesus is coming back and we can never attribute this title of anti-Christ to any individual.  There have been many leaders who have worked against the kingdom of God either by attempting genocide or instituting policies and protocols which make the poor poorer and overlooks the most vulnerable in society.  

That would be my translation and a 21st century interpretation of what Paul is saying.  But a first century interpretation would refer specifically to Nero, the one who is causing all of the pain and suffering to the first century church in Thessalonica.  Paul tells the people of that church that they just have to hang on because Jesus is going to come back again.  It seems that there are some who are saying that Jesus has already come back again and this is as good as it is going to get.  But Paul says no, that is not true.  Jesus has not come back again for when he does come back again all things will be different.  

Take a look at vs.11 and you will see that it was God who sent people a powerful delusion which led them to believe in that which is false.  We see similar instances where God hardens the heart of Pharaoh.  There are times in history where people are blinded (remember the Pharisees) and as a result God’s purposes and God’s will is able to be seen more clearly.  

Paul switches gears once again to become the encourager.  He tells the people of Thessalonica that they were chosen as first fruits.  But then look at vs. 15 where Paul tells the church that they are to hold fast to the traditions which they were taught by him.  Notice he says the traditions.  What are some of the traditions that we pass on from generation to generation in our church?  What are some of the teachings that we want to be sure that our children learn as they grow up.  He isn’t talking about a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  That is almost a given and an understood aspect of what will be passed on.  But what are the traditions that Paul is talking about?  I’ll leave you to chew on that…

It is thought that II Thessalonians was written just a few months after the first letter to the church in Thessalonica.  Because of the close proximity in when the letter is written, the themes doesn’t seem to change much.  Paul encourages the church as they persevere during harsh persecutions.  He constantly reminds them of the example that they are setting of keeping the faith in the face of tribulations.  

Let’s look at the first chapter of this three chapter letter.  Do you sense a different tone with Paul in his writing in this chapter so far?  The first 4 verses seem pretty normal with Paul effusively dumping praise on the church including telling them that he boasts about them to everyone with whom he comes into contact.  But then it seems like the tone changes.

Yes, the whole last letter he spoke about how proud he was of the church for maintaining their faith even in the face of persecution, but now he basically addresses those who are persecuting the churches.  He says that God will surely repay the afflictors with affliction.  It sounds a lot like eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.  Yes, Jesus did say that it would be better for a person to have a millstone tied around their neck and them thrown into the sea than if they misled a child of God (Mark 9:42).  Yeah, that’s pretty rough.  

When you look at vs.9 you see a pretty graphic description of what I would call hell.  Yes, I do believe in a literal hell.  Just like I believe in a literal heaven.  Yes I believe in an inclusive Gospel, but there is an exclusivity which is built around the belief that there is a singular way to God the Father which is through Jesus Christ.  There is no embarrassment in this claim, but rather a willingness to leave it all up to God and to sort it out.  But I do not shy away from a belief that has God including all of humanity in a salvation while at the same time recognizing that there is an exclusivity with its foundation built on the only way, truth, and life being found in Jesus.  II Thessalonians 1 speaks to this.  

Paul begins this chapter with a reminder to the community that Jesus is coming back.  But his point is less about Jesus coming back and more an encouragement for the church to be children of light so that when Jesus does come back he can find them presentable to him.  He uses the metaphor of light and darkness as a representation of people of faith vs. people who do not know God.  He reminds the church that they do not need to be reminded to live in the light, to do that which all people could see and for which they would not be ashamed.  

Look at vs. 8 where Paul speaks about the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of salvation.  It should remind us of the armor of God which we find in Ephesians 6:14ff.  Paul only points out two different pieces of armor, but they are important.  Faith, love, and salvation are essential for us to understand the love that God has for us and the love that we ought to have for God.

The ending of this chapter has a lot more than we can probably cover today.  It is absolutely full.  Let’s look at it piece by piece and see how far we get.

Vs. 15 should sound familiar…”Go out into the world in peace and repay no one evil for evil”  Does that sound familiar?  It is the benediction that I say every Sunday and much of it is taken from this verse.  

Just read vs.16-28 and check off each of crucial aspects of life that we are called to do, and do well.

There are really two parts to this Scripture.  Actually, we are probably going to look at three different sections.  Let’s start with vss. 1-8.  We can call this the purity code section of this chapter.  Paul reminds the church, not that they need reminding he says, that they are to live their lives in purity.  They are not to pursue sexual immorality.  So, why this topic?  Thessalonica was the center of many idol worshiping cults and some of them involved some pretty twisted and deviant sexual practices.  Paul wants to remind the church that they are not to act like the gentiles in these matters.  They are not to act as if they do not know God.  But again, he stresses that it has not been a problem for this church, but since you are surrounded by it, it doesn’t hurt to send out a reminder.  

The second part of this passage goes from vss. 9-12 and speaks to the importance of hard work and being seen in a positive light by outsiders.  Paul speaks about being able to work with your hands so that you are not reliant upon anyone for your livelihood.  This comes from a tent maker who spent his entire life working side jobs so that he would not have to rely upon anyone.  While at the same time, however, he did receive help from incredibly generous benefactors.  I love how Paul states that it is important for us to act properly toward “outsiders”.  

The last section deals with the end times.  This is the Scripture which is primary in formulating the idea of the rapture.  I think I covered this in another 90 Day Challenge, but I need to cover it here again.  Read vss. 15-17 and you will find the premise upon which people have crafted and created a whole theology of rapture.  Some people believe that there will be a time before Jesus comes back that believers will be raptured, or taken up into heaven to meet a partially descended Jesus, before the second coming.  When that happens then there will be people who are left on earth who do not believe.  Do you get all that from these three verses?  No, neither do I.  But it does speak to what humans feel is a need to know exactly when Jesus is coming back and exactly how Jesus is coming back.  Let me give you a spoiler alert that in the next chapter vs. 2 we find our answer.  Jesus will come like a thief in the night.  We do not know the times nor the seasons.  We simply do not know.

So here is my recommendation for this Scripture.  Instead of focusing on the rapture which is a mystery if it is even going to happen, focus on what we know which is seen in vss.13-14.  Paul tells us that we should not grieve as those without hope.  We have hope, Paul states.  Our hope is found in the fact that we will be raised with Jesus in the resurrection.  We don’t know when that is or how it will take place, we just know that it will happen.  This is crucial.  It is a great verse for us to focus on.  Let us not live our lives as those without hope.  Our lives have to be beacons of hope for those around us.