Category: Epistles – Is his letter to our church?

Epistle of Paul to the Romans

Epistles ἐπιστολή or Letters

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians

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1 CORINTHIANS

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Letters – Is he writing to me?
The short answer: YES.

In their epistles or 1st century church letters the Apostles and other men sent out by Jesus build up the saints [small – ‘s’] or members of local first century churches.

A Disciple or other witness of JESUS would write it. Messengers then delivered these church letters to many isolated worshipers.

Followers of Jesus Christ receive these letters as a major encouragement to their personal faith. Then leaders read them to worshipers of their church.

Although the Epistles 0r Letters to the Church were originally written to churches of the first century,

Romans through Jude will seem like letters to your 21st century church.

What do Peter, Paul, John and others tell us we must do?
Is he talking about an issue in your 21st c. church as well?
How does the writer’s advice, warning, or encouragement to the 1st c. believers apply to you as well
Is the writer of this letter talking about something you need to address in your 21st century ‘christian’ life?

Contemporary Application of the Letters (Epistles)

Most New Testament writers take on specific issues confronting faithful followers of Jesus Christ. These same issues continue to confront believers until the Lord’s coming again in these last days.

Certainly Christ our Lord will come again to those God has chosen for eternal life.

Believers currently suffer more than most of you who know Christ in your local church can imagine.

In other lands Christians continue to suffer by the hand of the ungodly.
Go into all the world

A 21st century Common Era church can see and hear nearly any atrocity of man or artificial imagination of sinful man’s mind, yet ‘christians‘ dare not speak of any absolute truth of the Lord God or talk of JESUS CHRIST.

Will YOU comment on Scripture and share the Gospel?

I invite you to read the inspired word of Scripture written in these LETTERS TO THE CHURCH.

YES, He IS writing to YOU.

Beloved brother or sister in Christ Jesus,

Will you read this ‘CHURCH LETTER’ and talk of JESUS through your comment, sharing and email to me about this ‘Letter to you?”

Roger@talkofJesus.com

My Love – 6 – If I have not love

‘I’m not happy.’

‘I met someone’

IF you claim to be a follower of the Bridegroom of the church, Jesus Christ and things don’t go quite your way, would you tell Jesus to ‘get out’?

Would you look for someone better, who might make you happy in this world?

(Did God really say, “Don’t eat of the fruit of that tree?”)

IF you are unfaithful to Christ’s love, would it not be adultery?

Though you claim to be a follower of Jesus, so had Judas!

This is the unfortunate false witness of some with a cross in front of their home, ‘christianity’ claimed before ‘friends’ as religion, their stamp of approval before the world. These claim many things by the ‘Blood of Jesus,’ yet their more bold witness of worldly sins again crucifies hope in His body and true Bride, the church.

Some have heard the following, even at weddings, known as the ‘love chapter.’

IF Jesus Christ is your love, listen then to true love, you adulterers of Christ!

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

I have heard in churches the noisy gongs of ‘single moms,’ divorced grandmas and others clanging the noise of their own ‘higher’ worship, ‘tongues of angels,’ God’s messengers; as if we should follow these women, rather than Christ Jesus as Lord. Will they who are not bowed down to their husband or any man in Christ not lead the faith astray with their babel?

²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

I have heard prophesy given in the church. Is it from God? Why then did the church not record the very prediction of God given? Is the prophesy confirmed and witnessed to the glory of our Lord, Christ Jesus? Yes, sometimes; but believer beware of the wolves in our midst.

Have you not endured some claiming such superior knowledge and understanding of mysteries who would teach us of their ‘faith to remove mountains’ in their Sunday school class or church small group?

Did you experience the embrace of Christ’s love in their Pharisaical instruction? Did you hear love for you in their teaching or prophesy?

I, too, have received prophesy and spoken it. The revelation of the Lord is a terrible and awesome thing!

Some prophesy has not yet come to pass. For all I know, I may have been given some spirit of deception to accomplish the Lord’s overpowering purpose. Yet in these last days we must fear the Lord, always listening for the approaching trumpet of truth over the blaring cries of some claiming ‘understanding.’

Read your Bible and pray for revelation by the Spirit of Truth in scripture.

³If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

‘And though I bestow,‘ states the King James; bestow, an interesting word more related to charity as we understand it – charity, agape love of God, used in application throughout these verses of the love chapter.

Bestow: to feed by putting a bit or crumb (of food) into the mouth; of infants, young animals etc.; to feed, nourish to give a thing; to feed someone, feed out to

Feed on God’s word in scripture. Nourish your spirit in prayer.

Does this not also bring to mind the love a father and a mother, given to their child, their teen, their grown adult children, even their spouse given in marriage into your own family? Is this not also the gift of adoption given by our Heavenly Father through Christ to gentile believers (like most of us)?

Are we not all poor and needy, dependent on our Father’s forgiving gracious love?

Though I give to the poor, but have not love…

Is that our charity of witness?

Now that I have shared the seriousness of God’s love for us, allow me to share the more familiar actions of love often and appropriately shared at weddings:

⁴Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant ⁵

or rude.

Are you patient to your spouse, to whom you are joined to each other and God by your vows?

Is your husband (or wife) patient with you – patient for you?

Is your love for your beloved partner until death – kind?

Are you, dear father, and you, dear mother, kind to your son – kind to your daughter – kind to each and all of your children (obedient and faithful, or rebellious and hateful)? Are you kind to your adopted child, your step-child, your child (even an adult child) given into your nurture by God to raise and guide in the Lord, Christ Jesus?

Is your love patient and kind even to your prodigal teen?

Is your love for your spouse, your children, your brothers and sisters in Christ ALWAYS patient and kind? Lord help us, impatient and unkind sinners!

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Are you just another ‘spoiled child’ of God in your relationships with others in your daily life?

⁷Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Lord: Convict us and forgive us, for the sake of your Son, our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Help me – help us to love you more and more; help us, miserable saved sinners, to love those you love with your overflowing agape love.

⁸Love never ends.

To be continued…

February 16, 2015
My Love – 3 – Affection
Affection! How hurriedly has this love fled our homes in the hustle and bustle of these last days?

Hardly a child will remember affectionate extended time with both father and mother at home. It is a great failure of our broken, worldly ‘christian’ families. How by our selfish quests for ‘happiness’ in the world ‘christians’ have forgotten not only the importance of our marriage vows, but also the affection and stability needed by our children for this essential love.

The word for this love in Greek is storgē. This love is our natural affection of a parent toward our off-spring and the dependent children toward parents without whom they would not have been born and could not survive as God has intended.

The relationship carries on into the extent of the lives of parent and child even well into adulthood and times when circumstance may dictate a child caring for their aging parent prior to death.

Briefly consider the affection and nearness of the families of Noah, Abraham and Jacob (even when his son, Prince Joseph of Egypt, cared for all of the sons of Israel and their families).

Read how near David remained in his affection, honor and relationship to his father Jesse. See how the families of the Priests and Prophets all lived together in one home or places near to one another as the faithful of God maintained the love and affection of community.

Another antiquated use of this storge love is expressed by a people for their King (even if he ‘did evil in the eyes of the Lord.’) We do not get to choose this relationship of inequitable dependence.

Our children must depend on and require the love and affection of their father and of their mother (and to a lesser extent, the people of their King, Queen, Governor, President or leader). A parent (or King) has duties of affection and responsibility toward each child (or subject).

Look also to the application for widows in this. Look to the needs of their children. See the God-given affection of dependence on family, rather than independence of self-will.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus was not only a beloved friend but also responsible for his unmarried sisters, Mary and Martha.

What wonderful long-term affection of one in need dependent on a family member to provide or care for them. It is the familial plight of children, widows and widowers, aging parents, handicapped children or siblings. Love provides the compassion they need.

Is it not our God-given duty to love our children with the greatest affection?
- Is your instant message, your text, your clever ‘fb share’ enough affection?
- Is it enough for only a ‘single’ parent to manage this important love God expects from all of us?
Storge (per se) is not specifically used in the Greek New Testament; however this love and affection of family is well documented in many books of the Bible.

The Apostle Paul uses a similar word as direction to those with charge of our church family for some who must submit as children of God as a dependent one of Christ’s body, His church. Please hear the appeal and responsibility for this love (storge) as instructed in Paul’s Letter to Titus, a leader in establishing the foundation of the church and family.

Titus 2

Teach Sound Doctrine
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,

4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

We ought to see a hierarchical dichotomy in this instruction between the expected mature behavior of the older men and older women of the church, in contrast to their loving responsibility to train the younger women and younger men in the will and ways of Christ Jesus our Lord.

The instruction in the King James Version describes these differences with serious gravity.

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise…

Would this not also imply a similar duty and affection for the husband and wife of our Christian homes?

And to these instructions Paul adds (as just reason for the older women): … that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

How are we doing with that, men and woman of Christ’s church, in our Christian homes? Are we, as mature Christians, ‘teachers of good things?’

We can be certain that our affection, teaching and guidance in the love of the Lord in our homes is much needed in this 21st century. (If you don’t believe it, just ask nearly any of our ‘christian’ youth.)

These young men and young women so depend on us and look to us; yet so often as parents and as their mentors of the church we ignore our teens and fail our youth.

Hear once more (in the KJV) what Paul instructs the older women and note once more that it is OUR responsibility to teach them (again, a familial dependent love):

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

(I have added links to definitions in the Greek, in some instances root words, and always other uses of the same Greek word in New Testament scripture for your own study.)

Again, I ask us: has this love, this affection been diluted and nearly lost in our Christian homes?

On a personal note, I must confess to our son and our daughters how miserably I have failed in this love and affection so needed in our own now-broken christian home; as I confess to my wife by our vows before the Lord my great failure to show the love of the Blood of Jesus to her and His compassion for the struggles of my own wife in the Lord. For this (like so many broken christian marriages and families) I am truly sorry that WE are no witness of example to the church and to the world.

I pray that the Lord and your personal prayer and study of scripture will convict you in those areas of love where Christ Jesus would have you grow, love even more and be blessed.

Pray also for me, my wife and our broken family – our grown children, yet in need of compassion.

To be continued
February 8, 2015
Redeeming the time because the days are evil – 2
Do you know that God has enemies – many enemies? You don’t have to focus on a few evil men in a place far away; just look all around you.

Mention ‘Jesus Christ’ at work, in school, in homes of your relatives; even in your own home you and your wife claim as ‘the Lords.’ See what happens. You do not need the imagery of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Washington D.C. or any other men in any other place to know that God and Christ Jesus have many enemies in the world – far and near – who would do evil and not good.

In fact, look deeply into the mirror of your heart and know that you are deceived into thinking you are better than others; you think that because you are not as evil as these men… as these others, that therefore, you are good. But you are not. I am not.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

You do not have to be the Messiah of God to know this. Men are evil and not good.

Much of our traditional preaching has made a bigger deal that the young man with the big question for Jesus is rich – as are almost all Americans and many others. However, note that prior to answering the man’s question, Jesus goes to the man’s motivation for coming to kneel before Him (in worship) and asking Him our burning question about eternal life. (How can I have eternal life?)

Mark 10:18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

You know it is true. The man had to choose sacrifice before redemption. Yet he would not sacrifice his riches, as many a poor man will not sacrifice his pride.

We often will not even bow down to Jesus (as did this rich young ruler), let alone obey His teachings.

You know the Commandments, Jesus said. Yes we do (as well); yet God knows our deceitful hearts.

Forget your “morality” for others. Forget your “morality” for any other. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in a Biblical standard of good and evil? You need look no further than your own heart. I need look no further than mine. And Jesus asks us, “Why do you call me good?”

A mere man – a mortal man – looks at some small act or a few fine things you have done because you know that it is what Jesus would have you do as witness. And they say, “You are a good man.” (Or you are a good woman.”) You beam in the compliment, say nothing, think that you have witnessed for Christ; but you are deceived in your heart. I have done it.

Yet we should have reacted not out of our pride, but as Paul often taught in the humility of Christ Jesus; for he confesses publicly in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 7:18-19 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

The church – all the saints of Christ Jesus – sinners! Yet redeemed sinners, only in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am a sinner. You are a sinner. Yet in addition to redemption in Christ, we have one thing more:

By the Holy Spirit of God we desire what is good. By the Holy Spirit of God we hate all that is evil, especially that which is evil within us.

“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” Yet first, preach the Gospel to your own heart.

IF (for a moment) you have turned off the media and message of the world and tuned in to the headlines of the Holy Spirit through scripture and the Good News for your own heart, then you will truly see that ALL are sinners just like you and me – sinners in need of Christ Jesus.

Paul writes to the Christians at Rome (not to the evil and wicked men and wicked men of the worldly culture that surrounded them; for these flesh-loving Romans were no more wicked than you and I would easily be lured by the social media of their day):

Ephesians 5:

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

15 See then that you walk circumspectly…

It means to look around you as you walk as an obedient follower of Christ Jesus in this evil world. Use your peripheral vision, so to speak, as you walk on the narrow path to pass through the narrow gate of eternity. Walk perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect; walk diligently in your resolve to do what is right in the Lord.

not as fools, but as wise…

Oh, how many christian fools we have seen! and how oft have we been the christian fool!

Yet do not do it. Be wise as serpents, innocent as doves.

I do not want to be a fool. Do you? I do not want do be a fool especially when I know that others witness my walk in this world as a bold witness of Christ (when the Lord fills me with His boldness). I do not want to have them say of me, or of my Christian wife, or of my Christian children, “See, that Christian is just like everybody else.” See how he sins just like me. What difference does Jesus Christ make?”

Therefore, be wise, dearly beloved brother – dearly beloved sister in the Lord.

16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

How do I redeem my time?

How Christians have sadly forgotten that Jesus is our Redeemer, because our hearts have hidden from us the truth of our continued sinfulness. We do claim that slavery is a thing of the past, when slavery lives lavishly in the wickedness of these last days. We have repressed the thought that we must pay for the very slavery of our sinful flesh (if we do not accept Jesus as our Lord and Master, our Redeemer and our King.

Yes, we must bow down to a King! And how we relish our freedom, though we are chained by the flesh to our sins.

Pray deeply on the meaning of the word of scripture translated here as ‘redeeming.’

exagorazō – to redeem – by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off

So many souls kidnapped by Satan! even ‘christian’ souls.

Will you forfeit Christ’s ransom by your turning from the narrow path to eternal life? Would you have the Lord declare in tears of you, “I never knew you?”

O, sinful redeemed one, look circumspectly about you at a world which would lure each and every Christian from Light of Salvation and the wisdom that begins with the Lord.

How do you redeem the time – your remaining days of this mortal life? (For each day and each soul is precious in the eyes of our loving Lord.)

This, too, is in the definition:

… make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.

Tune back in; see so many lost souls (in your circumspect, peripheral vision) and you will readily see that the days are evil. The days, especially these last days, are very evil; for men are evil and not good. Only God is good, however these days in which we witness for Christ Jesus are indeed evil.

These days are evil – ponēros – full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble. The root word for this evil you may not know, but you will recognize its condition: ponos –
1. great trouble, intense desire
2. pain
The persecution of Christians and the diminishing of Christ in places once held for Christ has begun and increases.

Jesus Christ is enemy of the world, yet friend of sinners – sinners like you, sinners like some yet to be won from false gods, false prophets, false spirits, false teachings, false hatred and deceitful love of the things of this world and not the love of God the Father. And I might add, lest the deceitfulness of our hearts hold up our witness for Christ as false: sinners like me.

All are redeemed in the blood of Christ Jesus, not the blood of those opposed to God. (God will can fend for His own righteousness.)

God will judge on the last day. God will not reward your flesh with the fruit of the flesh, but your soul for the fruit of your righteousness in the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ is the only redemption sufficient for this sinful soul.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Do you seek to know what the will of the Lord is in your life?
- Do you look for the Lord’s will in your Bible?
- Do you seek Him in prayer?
The Lord’s will is that you would give up your love for the things of this world. Lay down all your earthly cares and belongings before your King.

For Christ, by His redeeming love for the world, did sacrifice His very flesh and did suffer greatly the price of your punishment for sin – the punishment deserved by me and by you. He has born our sins and paid the full price: redemption for our mortal time, yet resurrection for our now immortal souls.

In Christ Jesus we have faith and hope and love, but the greatest of these is love; therefore redeem your measured days in His love, because the days are evil.

May our Lord, Jesus Christ, hold you near and guide your path in the Light of His righteousness.

Please pray for me, for my wife and for our children.

Amen.
October 28, 2014