SOAP 06/24/2016; 1 Timothy 6:3-4

Today's reading: 2 Kings 11, 12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6

S) "³ If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,"

1 Timothy 6:3-4 (NASB)

O) This is a list of red flags, to recognize the beginnings of false doctrine and bad teachers. The two main points of this passage, really rest on the phrases, "those of our Lord Jesus Christ," and "doctrine conforming to godliness," because those are the two central points of our faith. Doctrines which stray from what Jesus taught, or doctrines which lead to ungodliness, are both wrong. Teachings, discussions, and debates that are centered on controversy or semantics are seldom fruitful. More often than not, those are easily recognized by the outcome they produce. Namely, if a doctrine is being taught and, while it is discussed, there is envy, strife, abusive language, or evil suspicions from the person teaching it, then it is categorically wrong. This is how the authority of the apostles was confirmed. None of Paul's writings, or Peter's, or John's, or the other New Testament writers, taught anything contrary to what Jesus taught Himself. Their writings were all doctrine that conforms to godliness. Where controversy arose, they sought peace and encouragement, often bringing the issue directly back to the teaching of Christ. Paul began his letter to Timothy addressing this subject (1 Timothy 1:6) and he closes with the same topic. This is a mark of the importance of this issue.

A) Nature and nurture have worked together, making me prone to semantic debates. I am also prone to a fair amount of legalistic views. This comes from my analytical personality, paired with some of the jobs I've had in the past. Because of that, I must be careful when reading the Bible, that I am not taking figurative things too literally, and I am not making doctrines or dogma out of anecdotal passages. As far as guarding against other false teachers, like Timothy, I should beware teachers who seem to promote controversy, spread strife, use abusive language, or cast evil suspicions. The more grounded I stay in studying the Bible myself, the easier it will be to recognize this. At the same time, I also need to guard myself from doing these same things. Sometimes, even biblical controversies will be interesting to me and I'll way to discuss them. However, if I ever recognize that my own speech is resembling any of the above problems, then I must immediately stop participating. That would not reflect godliness, and it would be a clear indication that I am acting out of conceit and understanding very little.

P) Father, thank You for changing me. Thank You for the grace at work in my heart, and the way You continue to discipline me as a son. I invite that, Lord. I want to be an obedient son. I want to be a servant who is a faithful representative of his Master. Help me to stand up for truth and peace. Help me to speak in wisdom and love, any time controversies or disputes come my way. At the same time, Father God, lead me not into temptation with that kind of talk. Help me to avoid it where it will be unfruitful. I don't want to be enrapt by morbid curiosities. Help me keep my focus on You, to keep my discussions centered on the teachings of Christ Jesus. Let me be an ambassador of peace, in Jesus's name. Please guard my heart and mind, to recognize false teachers and bad doctrines. In everything, glory and honor belong to You alone, Lord. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/23/2016; 1 Timothy 5:24-25

Today's reading: 2 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 22, 23; 1 Timothy 5

S) "²⁴ The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed."

1 Timothy 5:24-25 (NASB)

O) These verses, like the verse just before them, are almost free-standing from the rest of the chapter. Because the previous verse (v.23) is so personal, these also come across like personal reminders for Timothy, himself. These verses do shadow the teachings of Jesus (see Luke 12:1-3 and Matthew 6:1-8), when we are alternately warned or comforted that the Father knows all that we do. Some of those things still become quite evident to people, even when we are trying to keep them concealed. Even when Jesus healed people, and wanted to keep it discreet, they would sometimes go proclaiming it to others. So, when we do either good or bad works, sometimes we simply cannot control the evidence of it. Similarly, whether or not we can keep it secret, God knows, and in the end, He judges everything and everyone with justice and righteousness. In this context, I think there is a dual reminder for Timothy. First, the reminder that he's not going to know about everyone's secret sins. Second, that he doesn't need to worry about being recognized for his hard work.

A) While this passage does have some unspoken direction, or subtle instruction, at its core this passage is a declaration of God's nature. His perfect omniscience and justice ensures that sin will be punished and righteousness will be rewarded, whether or not other people ever find out. As I mentioned above, this is both a great comfort and a grave warning. This passage should really help shape motivations for righteous living. God knows the sinful temptations I indulge. God knows the goodness of my service. This is a combination of learning to fear Him and learning to love Him. If my fear of man is leading me to try and hide my sins, then the fear of God should remedy that and lead me to confession. If my desire for the approval of man is leading me to self-promote my good works, then my desire for the approval of God should remedy that and lead me to discretion and humility.

P) Father, You are a perfect judge. Sometimes, it's hard for me to remember that, because Your judgment is not always immediately felt. However, when I am thinking about Your judgment, righteousness, and holiness, then I realize that my guilt does deserve immediate punishment. Because of that, I want to also recognize Your constant grace. Thank You for giving me the opportunity to repent. Help me to immediately confess my sins, and by doing so, declare Your perfect character. When I am walking in righteousness, and seeking to do good works, let me always start from a place of humility. I want to be a servant who is approved by my Master. Even more than that, I want to be a servant whose only concern, is pleasing his Master. Help me to be focused on You, to avoid temptation and to seek good works. Help me to be motivated by a proper fear of You, and a proper love for You. Be glorified in my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/22/2016; 1 Timothy 4:1

Today's reading: 2 Kings 8, 9; 2 Chronicles 21; 1 Timothy 4

S) "¹ But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,"

1 Timothy 4:1 (NASB)

O) After the end of chapter 3, reminding Timothy of what sound doctrine should be, Paul goes forward to warn against false teachers. That they will fall away from sound teaching should have been no surprise, since the Jews saw that happen over and over in their history with God. While there were prophesies in the Old Testament, that only a remnant would be saved (and only a remnant did believe in Christ), I don't think that's the implication of this verse. The key words of "later times" and "the faith," seem to imply this is a warning specifically for the church, for the body of Christ. We see other warnings in the New Testament to guard against apostasy, and this seems to be affirming those later-times writings (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3), because the letters to Timothy were much later. The fact that false teaching persisted, even to this day, should be no surprise. That is the fallen nature of broken people, refusing to submit to authority.

A) The draw to false doctrine, I suppose, really comes down to two things. A disregard for truth and an aversion for difficulty. If I want to be sure I am never fooled, I must be sure about these two things. First, I must love the truth. I must love and desire to know, what the Bible actually says. It must be important to me, I must value it. Second, I must be humble enough to accept that truth is not always convenient or easy. I need to humbly submit myself to the authority of Scripture. At the same time, I cannot have my allegiance to man or tradition. Wise counsel and teaching from others can all be very, very good. However, I must always approach teaching and advise from others with the proper priority, that Scripture supersedes them. There's a very real sense in which I must remain skeptical, especially about "new" ideas or interpretations of our historical faith. I must lean on the Holy Spirit, be in constant prayer, have a desire to know the truth, and a humility to submit myself to the authority of the Bible.

P) Father, thank You for giving me a heart for the truth. There is a lot of grace, simply in the personality You have given me, and I want to remain thankful for that. Any wisdom I have started with You giving it to me. Any understanding I have came because of Your Spirit giving me counsel. Thank You for that grace. Open my eyes and ears, Lord, that I may discern between good and bad doctrine. Help me to strive to know You better, that I may strengthen my theology. Help me to be faithful, in keeping sound doctrine and sharing the truth. Help me to lead by example, first with my family, teaching the truth with grace and love. Please, by whatever means necessary, never let me be deceived by false doctrines or deceitful teachings. I know that ultimately, those are traps and schemes laid by the enemy, and I never want to play into his goals. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/21/2016; 1 Timothy 3:8-10

Today's reading: 2 Kings 6, 7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3

S) "⁸ Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, ⁹ but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach."

1 Timothy 3:8-10 (NASB)

O) This is, in many ways, a follow-up to the entry about vv.1-3, on 12/08/2015. The first thing that we notice, is that deacons are described as definitely plural, while the term "overseer" in v.2 was singular, literally being "the overseer" of the church. That does give some indication of church structure, at least where Timothy was, suggesting one overseer and multiple deacons. The second thing, is that this list of qualifications or qualities is shorter and a little different. Paul does start with the word "likewise," though, and that could mean that the overseer must also meet the requirements of the deacons. Either way, the comment about wine is almost verbatim, and the fondness of sordid gain certainly corresponds to the love of money (see v.3). The family structure and stature is the same, although it's repeated after a comment about women in v.11. This fact might also be an indication that this "lower level" of leadership was allowed to have women in it. We might see this particularly, because with deacons there is an absence of a teaching requirement (see v.2 and 1 Timothy 2:12). Verse 9 could be a little difficult to track, but we get a great clue later in this chapter (v.16), when Paul uses the term, "mystery of godliness," and then outlines the gospel. Holding it with a clear conscience should probably be done by the overseer as well, but that seems like it would be engulfed in the requirement to be able to teach. So, a deacon must certainly hold good doctrine, but isn't necessarily required to be able to teach. The last difference to note, and possibly most interesting, is in v.8. Deacons must not be double-tongued, or given to double-talk. This is noteworthy, because if there are more than one deacon, and they have the same roles or authority, but someone among them is deceitful or hypocritical, saying one thing to one deacon, but another thing to a different deacon, this will cause a great deal of dissension. Obviously, the overseer should also not have this trait, but if he did, the honest and forthright deacons with him would be able to easily identify it.

A) Given the depth of vv.9-10, it's kind of curious that I was most drawn to v.10. What really struck me, is that Paul is encouraging the evaluation, the judging, the testing of these men. Just as the best teachers are they themselves the most teachable, the best leaders are the most humble. Jesus made it clear that leaders in His kingdom are there to serve. With that in mind, anyone in a service position should welcome criticism, to identify how they might serve even better. That must be my attitude. Three years ago today, on my 10th wedding anniversary, I took my wife out for coffee for several hours. I went through a questionnaire from our church's counseling office, of about fifty questions. Some of them were kind of fun, but some of them were really hard. It was one of the most fruitful conversations, and it strengthened our marriage. It set a precedent, that I wanted to know the things I was doing poorly, just as much as I wanted to know the things I was doing well. The same must be true in every form of ministry I ever undertake. If anyone ever tests me about my character, that is not a reason for alarm. If I am in any kind of leadership role, I should volunteer to be tested in every way. I don't want to lead if I am unfit. I must always be humble enough to understand that I may not see sin in my life as clearly as a trusted and mature brother will see it. I must always be humble enough to understand that others may certainly be more qualified than I am. I must always be humble enough to understand that failing a test still honors God, if I am repentant of my failings and submissive to authority.

P) Father, I do want to be used, but only for Your glory. Let Your servant always be found humble and teachable. I pray that You surround me with trustworthy men who can test me honestly and lovingly. I pray that I pass the test, not that I might become someone great, but that I might show others how great You are. In the most basic way, I pray that I continue to be faithful, leading my wife and children well. Let me always see them as my first priority in ministry and love. Let Your will be done, above all else. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/20/2016; 1 Timothy 2:8

Today's reading: 2 Kings 4, 5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2

S) "⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension."

1 Timothy 2:8 (NASB)

O) The concept of lifting hands in prayer is an old one. One of the earliest examples we see, is when the Israelites were in the wilderness, and there was a battle raging, and Moses had his hands lifted. As long as they were raised in praise to the LORD, they were winning the battle. But, King David made what was, perhaps, the most notable case for lifting hands for prayer. He said that his hands raised were like the evening sacrifice (see Psalm 141:2). When I read the verse above, from Paul, I was immediately reminded of David's words. Then, thinking of how God required sacrifices that were worthy of Him, that they had to be pure and holy sacrifices, without blemish or mar, then I related that concept back to the verse above. Paul told the men to lift up holy hands in prayer, like an evening sacrifice according to David. To make that a holy, acceptable thing, those hands need to be without wrath or dissension. That is the command. It's not simply to raise hands, but to raise innocent hands. We are to raise hands in prayer that are a good, acceptable, holy offering.



A) When I worship God, I want Him to be pleased with my offering. Certainly, I have been guilty in my life. I have had figurative blood on my hands. But, the amazing thing about the gospel, is that Christ washes away my blood-guilt, with His perfect blood. The only two examples Paul gave here, were wrath and dissension. While I have been guilty of both, at times, those are certainly not the only things my hands have done wrong. But, as I continue to find mercy in Christ, that very redemption draws me into worship all over again. My desire is to worship God more. I want to worship more often, more fervently, more truthfully, more spiritually. As I desire that, then I also have a desire to keep my hands clean for that worship. I want to present a good, acceptable offering of worship. We often talk about a negative spiral, but this is a positive cycle. My worship leads me to desire sanctification, which leads me to more worship, and so on.



P) Father, thank You for cleansing my hands. Thank You for accepting my offering, my prayers. Let me lift my hands in holy worship and prayer. Please continue to sanctify my life, my heart, and my hands. Let me be used as an instrument of peace and unity, never wrath or dissension. Please forgive me, for misusing my hands, for misusing the blessings You have given me. Thank You for Your love, mercy, grace, and hope. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/19/2016; 1 Timothy 1:19

Today's reading: 2 Kings 1, 2, 3; Psalm 82; 1 Timothy 1

S) "¹⁹ keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith."

1 Timothy 1:19 (NASB)

O) Paul was giving a fairly lengthy greeting in this opening chapter. The purpose of the letter was to instruct Timothy in how he should provide leadership to the church where he was. In the previous verse, Paul makes a reference to some prophecies given to the young leader, and says that by them he must fight the good fight, and then he gives the warning of the verse above. Apparently, there were some in leadership (and two are named in the following verse), whose ministries were shipwrecked. While that still happens, and still it almost always comes as a shock in the individual cases, there should be no mystery as to why it happens. They have rejected the principles of keeping faith, keeping a good conscience, and fighting the good fight. Those are very active terms. There is an enemy who opposes every good form of ministry. If we are not actively working to keep faith and good conscience, if we are not willing to fight, we will be shipwrecked in regard to our faith.

A) When I was younger in my faith, having seen less of ministry up close, I had some amount of naiveté. I was surprised over and over when I saw people getting divorced, or following some strange doctrine, or leaving their faith altogether. These were supposed to be leaders. These were supposed to be men and women who took their faith seriously and were in it for the long haul. Whenever I would see that kind of tragedy, I would get a little scared for myself. I would think things like, "If he didn't see it coming, would I?" What I came to realize with some time, and with some more experience and exposure with Christians more mature than me, was that my questions had answers in their very existence. By wondering, I was becoming more vigilant. My faith is an active faith. I choose every day to place my trust in Jesus Christ. Every day, I choose to humble myself to His lordship over me. Every day, I choose to submit myself to the authority of Scripture. Every day, I choose to love my wife as Christ loved the church. Some days I am less successful. Some days I have outright failures. But, every day, I am choosing again. Every day I am fighting that good fight. Every day I am working to keep my faith, through prayer and studying the Bible, and giving my testimony, or listening to others' testimonies. Every day I am working to keep a good conscience, by submitting myself in obedience, or else confessing and repenting of my sins. Rejection isn't always bold or eventful. I know that, because of how I fell away from my faith as a teenager. It was a rejection through passivity. I rejected my pursuit of God. That's a mistake I won't make again.

P) Father, thank You for Your grace and patience. You are full of lovingkindness, and You kept me until I returned to You. You prevented my self-destruction. I know what it means to reject because of passive negligence. I know that our relationship takes investment. I also know that You are worthy it. You are worth my time, my energy, my money, my everything. You are worthy of pursuit. It is still grace, that I am able to keep faith and a good conscience. It is grace that I am even able to fight for my faith and ministry. It is grace that I am able to fight for my marriage and kids. Help me to remain vigilant, to remain diligent. Open my eyes to see when I am in dangerous waters. Open my ears, to hear the warning of the Holy Spirit, when I am becoming passive and risking the things that really matter. Let Your will be done, and be glorified above all else. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 06/18/2016; 2 Chronicles 18:12-13

Today's reading: 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18, 19; Colossians 4

S) "¹² Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, 'Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.' ¹³ But Micaiah said, 'As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.'"

2 Chronicles 18:12-13 (NASB)

O) These verses mirror 1 Kings 22:13-14, almost verbatim. The good king of Judah had an alliance with the evil king of Israel. They were about to go to war together, and Ahab gathered 400 (false) prophets to speak victory for their campaign. Jehoshaphat insisted they inquire of the LORD, so they sent for Micaiah. The evil King Ahab knew Micaiah would speak against him, there was apparently much precedent (v.7). Given that context, that back story, it should be no surprise that Micaiah was again willing to only speak what he actually heard from God. He did give a sarcastic response to te kings, but they apparently knew his reply was not genuine (v.15). In the end, this sarcastic prophet remained faithful to his calling, speaking the word of God with truth, even in the face of tremendous opposition.

A) As far as I can tell, this was the first biblical prophet we know to be imprisoned for his faithfulness. Others were certainly persecuted (like Elijah fleeing Jezebel), but the implication in this story is that Micaiah was already in custody, and he was told in no uncertain terms to acquiesce to the king's desire. Declaring the plain truth of God's word was certainly no way to earn his release. The way this story applies to my modern culture is alarming. At this point, Christianity is not illegal, but some of the truth of the Bible is already becoming quite obtuse, to the direction the culture is headed. Speaking the truth of God, now, will easily find me facing hundreds of opposing voices. The example of Micaiah encourages me. Speaking God's truth will be counter-cultural. As a disciple of Christ, I must be glad to feel that persecution. If they persecuted my Master, I should expect they'll persecute me. It's hard, because there is a big shift happening right now. The culture here used to be much more agreeable to the Word. But now, there's a shift dramatically away from that. Above all, I need to hold fast to the word of God, hold fast to the faith I profess, hold fast to Christ.

P) Father, thank You for the grace that I have Your words in authority and authenticity in the Bible. Thank You for capturing my heart with the reality of Yoyr love, and the reality of Your Way. Let me remain faithful to Your words. Let me find strength, comfort, and courage in You. Your words never change. Even in the most confrontational situations, I know that You will be with me, as I am with You. You are faithful to sustain me, as I cling to You. Thank You for being with me, even if everyone else is against me. Let Your will be done in my life, even if the culture around me abandons You. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.