Diane D.

The church above all must be transparent in its actions and disciplines when needed so that it is deemed fair and trustworthy. It must also stand behind the basic tenets of its belief and defend them. False teachers if left on their own would contaminate the congregation and divert it from the duties expected from a church. Why were the temptations to compromise and not go through with it so great? The temptations are the same today. Typically, when some other power appears greater physically or socially (such as the influencers in a society, the government etc.) the tendency may be to keep the peace of not "cause trouble". Some of those people who require disciplining may have come from very powerful families themselves; families who provide necessary support to the church. Why ...difficult today? It is difficult to exercise church discipline today for these same reasons. The promotion of all inclusiveness in thought and deed is also prevalent today. Rather than having a central authority on church doctrine with a scriptural focus, there is a great temptation to listen to and amend church policies and doctrines so that all who participate feel that they have been heard. Punishment for wrong-doing or wrong-thinking does not come easily today.

Elders should be compensated when they are working hard for the church as they would devote time and effort to any job. Deuteronomy in particular cites that a worker deserves his wages and they should be paid promptly

We are responsible for financially supporting the elders in our families and honoring what they have done to support us through the years. It is understood that they could have lived different lives with a focus on themselves rather than spending time and resources to help raise us but they did not. It is at the least a Christian duty (as we also support those who are not related to us) and at the most, an expression of our love for them. People who refuse this responsibility are worse than an infidel. They may call themselves Christians, but may maintain a hard heart. I got the sense that here Paul is implying that the people who do not support the elders in their family have the resources to do so and willingly refuse to share their resources to bless them and support them. Even if the rest of the family were poor, emotional support at the least is important.

Why doesn't rigid, unsmiling orthodoxy produce godliness? 1. These rules are man-made. Those things that are man-made are flawed and corrupted. 2. They are temporal. Rules that existed 20 years ago have ben modified many times up to today. there is no permanence to them. 3. They are someone else's interpretation of what God wants and not necessarily what he wants. 4. Jesus criticized the Sanhedrin BECAUSE they made up rules ("Woe to you, oh hypocrites..." Matthew 23). Not only are rules bad, they can be misused. They are definitely NOT what God wants to wants to save us all. We were told to be as children (ask any parents how they feel about rules!) Godliness starts from the heart and the relationship we have ourselves with God. We can never do this on our own. In fact, our hearts are so bad, that they are not cleansed. we are given totally NEW ones. Godliness is a key requirement for church leaders who demonstrate for us the demeanour we should have in our day to day lives. As well, they need to express compassion, discernment, eternal viewpoints, sympathy, scripture knowledge etc. Godliness embodies all of these because it demonstrates all of these and more.

I think this section summarized godliness perfectly. It is living and thinking with a focus on how God wishes us to live, using Christ as an example. Close association with God enables godliness: studying the scriptures daily (as did the Bereans) if you can, living healthy (I make bad decisions and exhibit bad behaviours more when I am hungry and sleepy), putting everyday experiences into a heavenly/Godly perspective. I try to ask myself if there is anything I should be doing for someone else? Is there anything I should do to support organizations more. It really is a struggle if we try to do this on our own. I think somehow, we need to listen and recognize the Holy Spirit more and his guidance. He is the true teacher, not through ourselves.

Performance of legalistic requirements is always more attractive to people because: a) they are within the control of the person. Laws are written by people for people to be able to perform b) there is no godly requirement. You don't need to have faith, you don't need to work at a relationship with God, you become of higher status in the community by doing these things without regard for God's wishes for your life. Because legalistic requirements are human based, they produce fruit of lesser value than Godly fruit (if it produces fruit at all!) Legalistic practices are "me" based; what I can do for myself, how I change the perception people have of me etc. This is antithetical to the Bible and further, antithetical to eternal life and a life that is valued and cherished.

Paul is such a good overseer! Timothy was young and did not have the years of experience Paul had in both persecuting Christians and after his conversion, supporting Christians. He was an authority on the nature of mankind and has likely seem pockets of apostacy in the past. His reminders to Timothy both advise him so he would expect it and he also would not be disheartened by it. The fact that this happened would also show Timothy that this prophecy came true. This knowledge would have provided Timothy with the time to shore up sermons and exhortations to his flock, to prepare them for the time when others around them would also fall away, and to enable Timothy to focus on key truths and actions to save the remnant. For us, this is still ongoing...the church and society has moved from their Christian foundations to a consequence that we see lack of commitment, ethics, morals becoming the norm and it is getting worse daily. we all need to remember to keep our roots grounded within ourselves and our families and to shelter and support our larger church families and communities as much as we can.

Our ultimate demeanor should be one that mimics Jesus who was genuine and gentle, slow to anger. (how BAD must the money lenders in the Temple have been to incur His wrath so badly!). Following someone who is quick tempered or who pressures others in the flock causes fear and guilt, non-productive or even wrong fights about those things which may not necessarily be scriptural and in particular, to the good of the church. The manner of a leader is to lead and not to browbeat. At its extreme, intimidation regarding the salvation of the soul may have contributed to the great church movements in the Reformation. We can't forget that all of us can have these characteristics but more importantly, all of us are precious to God. When you err in your behaviour and it is harmful to others, you are harming God's children.

Yes. Candidates should be reviewed and "tested" over time. For one reason, you would want to see consistency on both bad and good days.. Also, post conversion or when a person changes from a casual belief in Christ to a more in-depth calling to Him, attitudes and practices may change. If this is the case, then one should watch over time to ensure that eh ffaith and manners are genuine, and reflect those better personality traits we need in a leader.

I believe this to be one wife (at a time.. and no mistresses). Matrimony is a blessed practice within the Jewish religion and since we are grafted into the family, I would think that the same strictures would be true. The manner with which a potential leader would treat his family would show his natural manner in leading others. Indecisiveness at home leads to indecisiveness with other relationships. The family is a microcosm for each of us. Through our interactions within the family, we learn how to interact with others. Trust, compassion, love, honesty, commitment etc. are all learned behaviours when we are young and continue through when we have our own families. We are also consistent, then when we treat others outside of our family. We can change our behaviours with our own families (correcting violence with loving kindness for example) but we are really not healthy if we were to be loving at home and unloving outside of the home with others (In my opinion).

Women dressing in fancy clothes demonstrated another, more subtle means of discrimination. All were to be welcomed into the church equally. Dressing richly to some degree intimidated and definitely insulted those who did not have the funds or connections to do so. This principle of modest dressing, mindfulness of others' situations, not showing off (hopefully) has become a standard in the churches today. The main message regardless for men or women is to focus on Jesus, his teachings and then acting on them, promoting kindness, love and acceptance. We are only passing through here. Heaven does not have Versace gowns.

This is a very thought provoking set of scriptures. Mediator, to me, implies one who is appointed/approved and given the authority to hammer out an agreement. This is not someone who petitioned God/gods. He was in a league of His own! It implies God listened to his arguments as would mankind. Ransom, or rather substitute ransom is also powerful. It implies that Jesus had accepted the agreement with god that if He died, then He would pay the price for all mankind. HIs death was all encompassing through all time (both history and future) and God had agreed to that. Knowing that God was just and unwavering, and that He required a judgment because God must be consistent, Jesus took this on. It gives me a sense of wonder sometimes to realize the strength and devotion that both God and Jesus have toward us all. Jesus was no petitioner hoping for the goodwill of God. Knowing that this was complete, it opens the door to all people in all walks of life and beliefs to obtain eternal salvation. We no longer need to rely on our own efforts.

Paul emphasizes all of mankind because it would appear that the Jewish leaders or false teachers have indicated that the new movement does not include Gentiles. Paul had travelled a lot and knew the various prejudices that existed in the culture and the churches. I am also keeping in mind that the church was still young and that decisions about whether one must convert to Judaism and THEN to Christianity had just been made or were being made. Regardless, it is good that Paul spoke in very clear terms, with no room for interpretation so we can carry this forward into today's environment! The church at Ephesus may have initially started with the Jews there and then develop an exclusivity of the church to this population without spreading beyond. (I would have loved to be a fly on the wall if Paul and John the Apostle had met and chatted there!)

What do we learn about God from this doxology? What do we learn about praise? What effect does a doxology have on the speaker? I like the way Paul has stated some of the attributes of God, reminding us that He is eternal but also invisible. I think that too often in times of distress, we may "miss" God's presence, and need to be reminded that He is invisible, but always has his eye upon us and the Holy Spirit is within us. Emphasis on His being the only wise one draws us back to the sound doctrine, the essentials of the scriptures which outline his character across the centuries. If we need wisdom, we need to go there and appeal from that source to Him. Praise comes from the heart. it is a direct conversation and recognition and appreciation from us to God. A doxology gets the believer away from their issues and their view of the physical world (which is a temporary home) and refocuses the believer on THE one who can help, direct, inspire and train us for eternity. Through a doxology we not only worship Him, but recognize the mercy that is freely given (and that He doesn't have to do it, but wants to grant us).

Why does Paul comment on his own life after a paragraph on the law? why does he share this with Timothy and the church that will read the Letter? How might sharing this help get the church back on centre? A popular internet hose was talking with a few key evangelical leaders and Bible historians recently on an issue that this speaks to. they all recognized that our roots come from the scriptures which themselves are rooted in Judaism. in this we rejoice in the common culture. The key question between the Jewish and Christian cultures is what to do with Jesus. I believe Paul was up against this same question. To us, the law is not the saving grace as we cannot meet the standards of the law. Paul brings his own life into the discussion as he was well known as a persecutor of the early Christians. The church needed to be reminded that if Christ could forgive and accept him, then the church should not only be grateful for their own redemption but also view others inside and outside of the church with more mercy and kindness. We are all sinners and one is not more important than another. We are all a work in progress. Jesus was radical partly because he invited all to accept His teachings and the belief that he was the Messiah. With this in mind, the church (hopefully) would get refocused on its purpose and mission underpinned by sound doctrine.

What were some of the results of false Doctrine in the church at Ephesus? people were not taught the truth based on the scriptures. They may have been mislead or the doctrine itself was not strong in Christ/God. that type of basis allows for dissension. How does doctrinal controversy hurt the spirit of a church. How does it prevent growth? How does it keep the church from its mission? controversy leads to splits within the church which leads to separation of families outside of the church. It is, by nature, no healthy. This is different from robust discussion based on fact and scriptural content which broadens the outlook of the individual. when we have controversy, we have no single focus and therefore, the church would not move forward because its mission and vision would be subject to interpretation.

Why is prideful living incompatible with showing grace? When we are prideful, we are not willing to listen to instruction nor are we in a position to be corrected. Our focus is on ourselves and not on others and our example is not one that we would want others to follow. The Old Testament contains many types of pride. One key example in the scriptures is the fact that pride was the reason satan and his angels were put out of heaven. It led to his downfall. When reading these scriptures I was also caught on the effects that pride had within our lives. It would appear that not only are we to keep ourselves humble, thinking ourselves no higher than anyone else which enables us to really communicate and enrich our lives with the relationships of those around us. Pride is a self-imposed barrier which we build around ourselves keeping others out. Not only is this against God's will to give us grace (which is an extraordinary gift we do not deserve) but also, exalting ourselves causes issues because God wants to exalt us himself in due time. God has plans for the best life for us. Pride interferes with this. Why do you think God opposes the proud? Pride shuts off our communication with Him (we know better). It cuts off our open and loving relationships with others. It prevents or defers God's teaching and exaltation of us as He would plan at the proper time for us. What does humility have to do with repentance to enable us to receive God's grace? So long as we are prideful, we are not willing to be instructed or corrected or, for that matter, to develop further in the walk with God. When we are humble, we also take stock of ourselves (by nature) and when we do, inevitably we locate the issues/sins within us and are prompted to repent. God has promised His forgiveness. Removing pride and our sins opens us up to receiving God's grace again.

Is it possible to be grace-filled and stingy at the same time? I don't believe you can have a negative and a positive at the same time. God's grace, as an example extended to the worst of humanity (including me) and is endlessly generous in all aspects. Charity, being one aspect, from God is not limited and therefore you cannot be filled with grace and stingy at the same time. Stinginess also denotes worry about the future, which God has also said, He watches and takes care of us as he does the sparrows. What is the relationship between forgiving and giving generously? These two attributes both come from a grace-filled heart. Albeit there are times when forgiveness is very hard, we also should remember that forgiveness is not for the benefit of the person who has wronged us, but for our benefit; to heal our spirits and to enable us to continue to live as God would want us to live as his children. Forgiving and generous giving both heavily rely on trusting in God to protect and provide for us and to trust that his way of living is the only way to build on freedom for ourselves spiritually within his family.

What would be the characteristics of a conversation with an unbeliever that might be termed "full of grace"? The conversation would be empathetic, non-judgmental, full of hope. There could be enough information to engage the non-believer and point him/her in the direction of a church or group where the questions they may have would be answered. The responsibility is with us. Not so much information or rules that the listener would turn away. Further, the most impressive conversations I've been in are with believers who are rock solid in their belief of Jesus. This demeanour draws people to them; interests them in learning more. For our parts, our side of the conversation should be full of this reflection of love and His glorification and graciousness which flows from us to the unbeliever. What guidelines should rule our ways of speaking? Follow the commandments: Love God, Love your neighbour. Speak in the manner that you would want others to speak to you: with respect and love, not participating in the squabbling and judgment that the rest of the world does. How can we avoid the bad examples set for us by leaders of our culture and our world? Avoid watching them. There is very little that they can say or do that would be of paramount importance. We can read and update ourselves with the state of the nation and the world without wasting time watching the antics that are so political. Also, engage your mind with Biblical studies, Christian books and group engagements. There are so many hours in the day. If we fill them with Biblical materials, a good part would be active in refreshing your mind. Finally, I think that Christianity is an active and not passive pursuit. That being the case, join a Christian movement/find an opportunity that is based upon Christian principles and influence your environment, make a different in the world, being an ambassador but also, paying forward rewards I heaven. God wants us to bless others as He blesses us. This is a worthy, eternal pursuit and unfortunately, we will never run short of opportunities where we can reach out to others less fortunate.

What is the difference between ethical behaviour and grace? Ethical behaviour is defined through a set of cultural and societal values. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "ethical" as "conforming to accepted standards of conduct". The issues with that is that the behaviour is based on the ACCEPTED standards. These standards are defined by man and can be changed over time. Ethical behaviour 150 years ago may not be defined the same way today. Grace, on the other hand, is not defined by man but by God and is a free gift of favour regardless the current cultures and standards. What is so radical about Jesus' teaching about loving one's enemies? The "Lex talionis" (Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this as "the law of retribution in kind" or the treatment of punishment equalling the crime which was the common practice in a compassionate culture. It prevented the misuse of power in exacting punishment for the guilty but also defined stiff punishments for offenders when they were convicted. Books in the Torah further define how one should treat another (Leviticus 24:19-21 etc.) if a perceived or real injury was done to someone. The norm of the time is to repay bad behaviour with an equally consequential behaviour. Jesus tosses both of these practices out the window here. Regardless what others do to you, we are to treat them lovingly and show them grace as we have been shown grace. Further, the focus is on the heavenly realm and how it operates. We receive rewards in heaven when we love others and treat them well, regardless, expecting no reciprocation. We are disturbing the environment here, on Earth when we do this. Potentially, when we touch someone in this fashion it touches their hearts and brings them to God (ultimately). We are influencing how things are done here on Earth when we do loving and gracious things here on earth to both good and bad people. What illustrations does he use of this outrageous grace? Jesus cites, giving the other cheek when slapped/injured. When someone wants to steal your cloak give him your shirt as well. This struck me in reading this, that Jesus, himself proved this true. When he was arrested, he was beaten so badly that he didn't even look human. When he was on the Cross, his clothes were being taken by the soldiers. In his scriptures in Luke 6, he further says, 30) "Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." Jesus is promoting that we lead with our hearts rather than with the logic and will of our minds. Those actions from the heart, not only make us Sons of God, but in the Bema seat judgment, it will not be burned away but remain as something valuable we have done to glorify Him.

I think when we really want to get to know ourselves through Christ, we get to know ourselves as He created us. Unfortunately, there are many who never get to know their true selves. Christians can depend on God's grace to show us the opportunities where we can perform the activities planned in our lives and receive the grace and strength to do so. As we develop inwardly and perform outwardly, we become more defined and live closer to our life mission. How does your willingness to dispense God's grace to others mold you into who God has designed you to be? When we dispense God's grace to others, we are glorifying God and the Trinity This willingness stems from love for the Father. It is not an obligation or a behaviour: it is heartfelt. When we have received so much from Him and learn more of His love for us, we WANT to show others how to grow in the same way. I think Paul did not so much boast how hard he worked as he recognized the growing relationships with the Trinity and pushed himself to work harder, recognizing that it was the grace of God that did the work. New American Standard Bible states it this way: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. The Message Bible is a little more generous in translation of verses 10 and 11: But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.

Each one of us has different gifts which we use for the benefit of the church congregation as a whole. None of us are equipped with all the gifts so that we achieve our full potential and blessing on our own. Each one of us contribute to the best fit within the entire Body of Christ where we can flourish. I'm not sure I would classify this isolation from crowds of people as selfish. In many cases it is a natural way to best protect your health. However, if taken to extremes, over time, isolation can tend to either influence the person into thinking that they are 'just not good enough' to attend the church or that the church itself is not doing/performing in a way that is edifying to the person and the church as a whole. This can happen when the church is dying or when there are other influences in the church that have made some changes to the culture there. Isolation is not best for any of us. God created us to communicate to each other and to thrive in an environment with others. To continue isolation will cause unmerited inflation of the feeling of fear and aloneness, unreasonable biases and bitterness. Continuation on this line of thought could easily lead to self-pity and mistrust of God and His promises.

What are the responsibilities? Ensure that those things given under our stewardship do not decrease in value, but rather increase or grow larger (the two good stewards grew the mina 3 and 10 times its original value) Represent their master in their day to day activities Do not delay in performance of their responsibilities In what way are spiritual gifts or the message of the gospel par of this trust we have been given? We are to use our gifts on behalf of God and others. The message of the gospel should also be reflected in our beliefs and our daily conversation. We should also be responsible for extending its reach to the rest of the world.

There is a connection between ourselves and God. Most of the time, unfortunately, we tend to get in our way. Rather than turning the care over to God (1 Peter 5:7) we tend to want to solve the issues ourselves…issues we are not equipped to handle. When we have finally worn ourselves out and turn to God we rely on His strength and His care for us. We step out of the way and let Him do His will. What is God's grace sufficient to do or accomplish…? Just as we are, God provides the grace for us to thrive with Him. We do not know what examples we are to others that may just be the impetus to draw them to God.

I think we would all tend to be intimidated by God because He created everything we can think or see but also, has the power to bring us into being and He knows the number of days that we have. He also has the means to destroy life (e.g. the flood). He is not unjust. He simply has all power and all sovereignty. We know that we cannot ever aspire to be perfect on our own efforts. Because God metes out judgment and condemnation to others, we sometimes fear that this would be the case for ourselves. God rules from a location, even though He is also omnipresent. Jesus advocates for us there. As Christians we trust in the rescue that Jesus gave to us through his sacrifice. So long as this is the case and God is a God who covenants and keeps his covenants, this scripture is a reminder that we not only can ask for favor, but we can also receive mercy for the punishment due for our sins was taken on by Jesus.