Ephesians 4:1-16
Ephesians the Switzerland of the NT.
But Switzerland isn’t all mountain peaks, and Ephesians isn’t all lofty doctrine.
We move from belief to behaviour, from principles to practice, from our wealth in Christ to our walk in Christ, from doctrine to duty, from exposition to exhortation, from the indicative to the imperative, from what God has done to what we must do, from the credenda to the agenda
Yet the two parts of Ephesians are closely connected. …
1 Timothy 6:3-21
Parents can love their children too much – or so they are sometimes tempted to think.
Here are some apostolic concerns, for Timothy, ‘my true son in the faith,’ (1:2).
Cf. 1 Tim 1:3-11; 1 Tim 6:1 ,3,5,11,12,14,20,21.
We know that mere head-knowledge does not make a Christian. Indeed, it’s a menace. The devil is a better theologian than any of us, but still a devil.
I’d might even be willing to concede that Christian belief is less important than Christian behaviour. …
Hebrews 10:23
With v19 we come to the great turning-point of this epistle. Up until now the writer has been dealing with matters mainly doctrinal. Now he turns to things primarily practical. Verses 19-21 are transitional: bridging the gap between these two sections of the epistle. Then follow three urgent exhortations: ‘let us draw near to God’, v22; ‘let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess’, v23; ‘let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds’, v24.…
In a healthy Christian life, a balance will be maintained between various extremes. Such as:-
Dependency–Independency. Healthy religion fosters a harmonious balance between these two polarities in such a way that permits the development and maintenance of one’s individual identity yet encourages the experience of a sense of oneness with others.
Control–Freedom. Healthy religion will encourage a spontaneity, creativity, and self-direction that is tempered by inner discipline and a sense of responsibility toward oneself and others.
Moving into a large city can be a confusing experience. Having a reliable guide can make all the difference.
Peter Mead suggests some ways in which the preacher could be an effective Bible tour guide. Here’s a summary:-
The Psalms are the best-loved and most-used part of the Old Testament. But from time to time they flare up in fierce expressions of anger against the psalmist’s enemies. See, for example, Psa 5; 11; 17; 35; 55; 59; 69; 109; 137; 140. To many readers, these ‘imprecations’ are ‘barbarous’, ‘vindictive’, and even ‘a disgrace to human nature’. Some churches direct that they should not be used liturgically.
But, at the very least, these imprecatory psalms serve to remind us that life is not a bed of roses, and troubled Christians need the opportunity to express their fears and frustrations to God in worship. …
‘Slavery’ is one of those words that tends to prompt a knee-jerk reaction. ‘The Bible condones slavery; how can we then take the Bible seriously on this or any other matter?’
But hold on for a moment, urges Gordon Wenham. Maybe we are too ready to read back into the Old Testament teaching on slavery our own ideas about what is actually meant by that term. Maybe ‘slavery’ isn’t even the best word to use. What if Exodus 21:2, instead of being translated,
‘When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.’…
41. Help with the laundry – sometimes. Help with the household tasks when she’s overwhelmed, or to give her a break, and certainly if you’re both working. But (especially when the children are young), keep some distance between keeping house and taming the wilderness (aka climbing the company ladder). Our culture may say it’s wrong to have sex-specific task; but our culture is sick.
42. Be considerate of her emotional state. Women are generally more emotional than men, and are in greater need of protection. …
The last in a series on work. Various angles: –
Statistical. In NT times the average life expectancy was 35-40. This didn’t change much until about the year 1850. By 1950 it had risen to 65. Now it’s around 80. Somewhere in the world a person has been born who will live to the age of 150. Over half the people born today will live to the age of 100.
Economic. Things will be very different when today’s young people reach retirement age. …
