A Case of Mistaken Identity

Did you hear about the 911 operator who one day answered a call from a frantic-sounding man who said, “My wife is in labor and her contractions are only a minute apart!” When the operator asked, “Is this her first child?” the man replied, “No, you idiot, this is her husband!” A clear case of mistaken identity!

We often see another case of mistaken identity when men read Paul’s words in I Timothy 3:16:

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Most commentaries insist that Paul is speaking about the Lord Jesus, and it’s true He was God “manifest” in the flesh (Jo.1:14). But it wasn’t a “mystery” that God would be manifest in the flesh of the Lord Jesus, it had been prophesied (Isa. 7:14 cf. Mt. 1:23). Paul is actually talking about “the church, which is His Body” (Eph. 1:22,23). Today God is manifest in our flesh (II Cor. 4:10,11). This was “a great mystery” (Eph. 5:32), hence “great is the mystery of godliness!” The word “godly” means God-like, and Christ wasn’t like God, He was God! We’re the ones who are supposed to be godly! This understanding fits the context better too, for Paul had been talking about the church (I Tim. 3:1-14), not the earthly life of Christ.

Those who believe Paul is speaking about Christ here say that God was “justified in the Spirit” in Matthew 3:16. But the Lord’s baptism didn’t justify God, it identified Christ! (Jo.1:31-34). But God was justified in us. You see, for thousands of years men thought God was unjust in saving adulterers and murderers like David. But our apostle Paul explained how God could be “Just, and the Justifier of him which believeth” when He explained how Christ paid for our sins by becoming our “propitiation” (Rom. 3:26).

It’s true that Christ was “seen of angels” (Mt.4:11; Lu.22:43; Acts 1:9,10) but this was no mystery either (Ps. 91:11 cf. Mt. 4:6,7). It was a mystery, however, that the Body of Christ would even exist (Eph. 3:1-9) let alone be seen of angels (v. 10). In addition, God was definitely not “preached unto the Gentiles” when Christ was here on earth (Mt. 10:5,6; 15:24; Rom. 15:8). But He was preached to the Gentiles by Paul (Rom. 15:16; Eph. 3:8 etc.), and by members of the Body of Christ ever since.

Finally, God wasn’t “believed on in the world” when Christ preached Him, but He was believed on in the world through Paul (Col. 1:6). And while God was “received up into glory” in Christ (Mark 16:19), the Lord’s ascension was no mystery (Ps. 68:18). But it is a mystery that we’ll be received up into glory (I Cor. 15:51,52). I know Paul says God “was” received up into glory, and we haven’t yet been raptured, but Paul was a prophet, and the prophets saw future things so clearly they often spoke of them in the past tense (cf. Isa. 53:5-12).

There are plenty of verses that teach the deity of Christ (Isa. 9:6; John 1:14; 10:30; Col. 2:9), so don’t try to force that precious doctrine on this verse! Instead, remember that in the dispensation of grace, if God is not manifest in your flesh, He is not manifest in anyone’s flesh. So live your life in such a way that others will question their disbelief in God.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Flee Youthful Lusts – 2 Timothy 2:22-24


Summary:

We know the “youthful lusts” Paul told Timothy to “flee” must include fornication, for he told the Corinthians to flee this as well (ICor.6:18), and there aren’t many things Paul says to flee. It’s only called a “youthful” lust because it is strongest in our youth, but it can be a problem at any age.

But Paul told Timothy to flee youthful “lusts” plural, so he was also thinking of other lusts, like the lust for vengeance (Ex.15:8,9). This lust is also strongest in our old age, but we must resist it at every age (Rom.12:19).

We also must resist the lust for things beyond what God has already given us (Num.11:4-6), and the lusts of the devil (John 8:44). These include the lust for power and glory and prestige (Isa.14:13,14). Pastors like Timothy must especially guard against this lust (Jer.45:5).

It will help us all overcome these lusts if we “follow” the things Paul says to follow, like “righteousness” (2:22). This may be best defined by studying what the Bible calls “unrighteousness” (Rom.1:29). Like lying (Ex.23:1), or be-ing dishonest (Deut.25:13-16). In those days they weighed things they bought and sold, and it was dishonest to use a different set of weights when buying than when selling.

Such unrighteousnesses will make it harder for the Lord to use us, which is the context here (IITim.2:21). But to be used of the Master you also have to follow “faith” (v.22), which comes by hearing and following the Word (Rom. 10:17). The most moral, righteous pastor on earth doesn’t do anyone any spiritual good if he’s not following faith.

But you can be righteous and faithfully follow the Word, but you must also follow “charity” as you do it (2:22). We know that’s true for all Christians because Paul said the same thing to the church Timothy pastored (Eph.4:15).

Paul also said to follow “peace” (2:22). He told the Romans that just doing the righteous thing that was true to the Word, like eating idol meat and observing idol holidays, wasn’t enough. They had to follow charity in do-ing so and not flaunt their liberty in front of others, for only that would make for “peace” (Rom.14:15-19).

Timothy had to follow those things with those who called on the Lord “out of a pure heart” (2:22). The “end” or goal of the law was love out of a pure heart (ITim.1:5), love for God and others (Mt.22:37-40). That’s what Paul is saying in 2:22, love God by following righteousness and faith in His Word, and love others by following charity and peace.

But to be meet for the Master’s use you must also avoid foolish questions (2:23), like questions about the law (Tit.3:9). Teachers of the law didn’t know what they were talking about (ITim.1:7,8), so would naturally ask foolish questions. The Galatians were “foolish” (3:1) for following the law, and asked foolish questions (2:17; 3:21). The Corinthians asked foolish questions that displayed a lack of understanding of a basic principle of (ICor.15:35,36), making their question an “unlearned” one (2:23).

Foolish questions gender “strifes” (2:23), which means to contend for superiority (Lu.22:24). Young pastors contend doctrinally with others to show their superior knowledge of the Word. But “the servant of the Lord must not strive” (2:24). Paul picked that phrase because Moses was “the ser-vant of the Lord” (Joshua 1:1), then Joshua (Josh.24:29). Paul was the servant of the Lord (Rom.1:1) and now Tim-othy was, and “must not strive,” like that other servant of the Lord (Mt.12:18-20). The Lord could have striven, He could have contended for superiority, for He was superior to others, but didn’t. Armed with the grace message, we too are superior to others in the Word, but mustn’t strive.

Pastors must also be gentle (2:24). God taught David to make war, but His gentleness made David great (Ps.18:34, 35). The grace message teaches us to war against oppo-nents of Paul’s gospel, but our gentleness will help us win. When men oppose Paul’s gospel we are apt to strive with them, but Paul says we should be “apt to teach” them instead (2:24). And we must be “patient” (2:24). You won’t last long in the Lord’s work if you are impatient.

To Rebuke Is Not To Nuke!

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him” (Leviticus 19:17).

Years ago, a television commercial reminded people that “friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” In that same spirit, our text reminds us that caring Christians don’t let their friends grieve the Spirit by continuing in sin (Eph. 4:30). If you truly love a brother in Christ who persists in a path of transgression, you need to rebuke him, “and not suffer sin upon him.”

The problem is, when we think of rebuking someone, we generally think of a drill sergeant chewing a soldier up one side and down the other! And it’s true that God once said, “I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes” (Ezekiel 25:17). But a quick check of the context of that verse will show that God was speaking of furiously rebuking His enemies. If all rebukes were supposed to be “furious” rebukes, God wouldn’t have had to specify that He planned to rebuke the Philistines “with furious rebukes.”

Yet how often well-meaning Christians seek to obey Leviticus 19:17 by unloading on a brother like a nuclear bomb when he sins! This despite the fact that the dictionary defines “rebuke” as to chide or scold someone. And this despite the fact that every time we’re told what men say when they rebuke someone in the Bible, they always use words like the ones Joseph’s father used to rebuke him:

“…his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee…?” (Genesis 37:10).

Rather than going ballistic on his son, Jacob reasoned with him, asking about his dream, and explaining in a respectful manner why he thought Joseph was wrong to be saying such things. Later, when God Himself “rebuked” Balaam (II Pet. 2:15,16), He chose to do so through the humblest of animals, to teach us that rebukes should always be delivered in the spirit of humility. Consider the deferential words of the Father’s rebuke:

“What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times…Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?” (Numbers 22:28-30).

Speaking through the dumb animal, God gently rebuked His prophet, reasoning with him, trying to get him to think about what he was doing and consider the wrongfulness of his ways. Sort of like the Lord later “rebuked” the apostles when they wanted to call fire down from Heaven on Samaria, saying, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56).

In closing, it’s still true that if you “rebuke a wise man” that “he will love thee” (Pr. 9:8), and “he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue” (Pr. 28:23). But these things are only true if you manage to rebuke your brother “with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Eph. 4:2).

So remember, when it comes to rebukes, no nukes!

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

God’s Starter House

“Jacob…lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night… and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows…And he dreamed, and…awaked out of his sleep, and…said…this is none other than the house of God” (Genesis 28:10-17).

And you thought your starter house was humble! At least you had a roof over your head and pleasant amenities like walls, doors and windows. As you can see, the first house that God called home here on earth had none of those luxuries!  As a result, His first houseguest slept outdoors on the ground with rocks for pillows.

God’s next house was a little more substantial, but fairly small.  The tabernacle that God called home among the people of Israel was nothing more than a tent, and could easily have been featured on the TV show Tiny House Nation.  Especially when you consider that “the most holy place” (Ex.26:34), a place within the “holy place” of the tabernacle (v. 33), was God’s actual dwelling place.  We know that the tabernacle was small enough to be a mobile home, for God’s people carried it through the wilderness for forty years.

When God finally decided to settle down, He chose to put down roots in Israel, where “Solomon…built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem” (I Chron. 6:32).  And just like the tabernacle, Solomon’s house of God had an “inner house, the most holy place” (I Kings 7:50).  Thus it was true of both the tabernacle and the temple that God’s house in Israel was actually a house-within-a-house.

But this house-within-a-house is nothing compared to the living arrangements God has today.  The physical body of every believer “is the temple of the Holy Ghost” (I Cor. 6:19).   But “the house of God” today is also the local church (I Tim. 3:15), the gathering of God’s people together in a local assembly.  And the people of the local assembly are housed within the larger house of “the church, which is His Body” (Ephesians 1:22,23), a church made up of all believers!  Thus today God dwells in a house-within-a-house—within-a-house.  Now that’s a great house!

“But in a great house there are…vessels…to honour, and some to dishonour” (II Tim. 2:20). Which are you?  If your house is not in order, maybe it’s time to do a little housecleaning. Our apostle Paul says, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness” (II Cor. 7:1). God’s starter house was pretty humble, but with a little spiritual elbow grease you can make your body a house that brings Him great glory.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

We Live In A Great House – 2 Timothy 2:20-21


Summary:

The only other “great house” in the Bible is the temple that Solomon built for God (IIChron.2:5,9). Today God lives in a new great house, “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22,23). Since the word “ye” is plural, Paul was telling the Corinthians that the church collectively is “the temple of God” in this dispensation (ICor. 3:16).

In calling the Body of Christ a great house, Paul means to compare it to Solomon’s. For example, every great house needs a great foundation. Solomon’s temple had one (I Kings 5:17). It was built on “great stones,” and the church today is built on the great stone of Christ (ICor.3:11). He was a “costly” stone because laying Him as our foundation cost God the death of His Son.

You know Paul’s thinking about our foundation because He just finished saying that “the foundation of God” is that men are saved and should depart from iniquity (IITim.2:19). When you strip away all the advanced doctrines of the church, that’s what lies at the foundation.

Inside the great house of the church are “vessels” (v.20), more comparisons to Solomon’s temple (IKings 7:48). Each of the items of furniture in the temple had its own vessels. The brazen altar had some (IIChron.29:18) to remove the ashes (Ex.27:1-3). The table of shewbread had some (IIChron.29:18) to bring the bread in (Lev.8:26). The candlestick needed oil (Ex.35:14) which had to be brought in vessels (cf.Mt.25:4). The mercy seat and the altar of incense had to be sprinkled with blood from a vessel called a basin (Ex.24:6; Lev.4:7) and the laver would need the water replaced that was lost due to the priests washing in it and evaporation. So all the vessels of God’s old house were used to serve the Lord (IChron.28:13,14;Heb.9:21).

But today we don’t have a priesthood like that, so God doesn’t need vessels like that, He needs the people kind of vessels (Hos.8:8). When Israel got too sinful to bear God’s name before the Gentiles, God raised up another vessel to replace them (Acts 9:15), and all of us vessels since him.

It used to be true that Gentiles were unclean and couldn’t serve the Lord, but the Lord showed Peter a “vessel” to convince him otherwise (Acts 10:10-16). Many of Solomon’s vessels were of gold and silver (IIChron.24:14), and Paul says there are gold and silver vessels in our great house as well (2:20). Paul says these vessels are “unto honor” (v.20), the honor of being “meet for the Master’s use” (v.21). Vessels of wood and earth are “to dishonour” though (v.20).

If you are a vessel unto dishonor whom the Lord can’t use, you don’t have to stay that way. You can “purge” yourself, a word that is used of being purged from sin (Ps.65:3) and sinners (Ezek.20:38). In the context, Paul is talking about the sinners of Hymenaeus and Philetus (2:17,18) and their doctrinal sins. We know it is just as important to purge ourselves of doctrinal sinners and sins as it is to purge ourselves from carnal sins of the flesh because Paul speaks of how purging ourselves from doctrinal sins will makes us “sanctified” vessels unto “honour” (v.21), and then he uses those same two words “sanctified” and “honour” in speaking of the importance of purging ourselves from fornication (IThes.4:3,4).

If you want to know how God feels about the holy vessel of your body being used for unholy purposes, remember when Belshazzar used the holy vessels from Solomon’s temple for the unholy purpose of a drunken feast (Daniel 5:1-7). He lost his kingdom and was slain the same night (v.26-30). Now in the dispensation of grace, God won’t slay you for using the holy vessel of your body for fornication or to teach error, but that passage in Daniel lets you know how He feels about it when you do.

Aren’t you glad He has chosen to react to it today in grace! Doesn’t His grace make you not want to presume upon His grace? Don’t you want to be a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master’s use, “prepared unto every good work”?

Hands Up!

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (I Timothy 2:8).

I’m often asked if Paul meant we should literally lift our hands when we pray. Since this is how David prayed (Ps. 141:2), we know there’s nothing wrong with doing so, as long as you understand what Paul meant when he stipulated that the hands you lift in prayer must be “holy.”

I say that because some think that Paul is referencing the Law, where God vowed He wouldn’t hear His people if the hands they lifted in prayer weren’t holy:

“…when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood” (Isa. 1:15 cf. Ps. 66:18).

But this cannot be what Paul had in mind here, for “we are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:15). Sin does not hinder your prayers in the dispensation of grace, but all who love the Lord will be careful not to presume upon God’s grace by continuing in sin that grace may abound (Rom. 6:1,2).

But this means there must be some other reason the apostle speaks of lifting up holy hands, and there is. You see, in the context, Paul has just finished instructing us to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority” (I Tim. 2:1,2). So Paul is actually saying that the hands you lift in prayer to pray for our leaders in government must not be involved in any unholy subversive activities against the leaders in government for whom you are praying, leaders to whom God says we should be subject (Titus 3:1) without resisting (Rom. 13:1-7).

This is also why Paul says men should pray “without wrath and doubting” (I Tim. 2:8). Some would connect his words here to the kingdom program, where the Lord told the Jews to whom He ministered, (See Matthew 15:24 and Romans 15:8.) “when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any” (Mark 11:25). There was certainly no room for wrath in an instruction like that! They were also told,

“Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart… he shall have whatsoever he saith… what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:23,24).

But every believer who has ever prayed without doubting, only to not receive whatsoever he prayed for, knows that we are not under God’s kingdom program for Israel any more than we are under the Law that He gave them. So these references to wrath and doubting under the kingdom program cannot be what Paul had in mind when he said to pray “without wrath and doubting.”

Rather, in the context, Paul is directing us to pray for our leaders in government without the wrath toward them that was probably so common among God’s people in Paul’s day that the apostle had to address it. Even today, believers are continuously angry with our leaders, and always doubting their ability to lead us. So Paul’s instruction that we should pray for them “without wrath and doubting” is as needful today as it was the day those words left his pen. So instead of railing on our leaders, beloved, let’s pray for them.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.


Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Berean Searchlight – October 2017


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