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Category: Epistles – Is his letter to our church?

Epistle of Paul to the Romans 1 - the Apostles sends a church letter to Rome and the local saints of area churches
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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JUNE 2024 – 2025 —

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

  • Redeeming the time because the days are evil

    Redeeming the time because the days are evil

    Ephesians 5

    15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

    17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

    Turn off the noise and media and message of the world (for a moment). Forget about the weather, a few people with threatening disease, the lottery, your sports team and all the commercials that tell you how sick you are (but they will sell you a cure), how we have something to make you feel younger, healthier, sexier, richer and more important…

    Forget (for a moment) all of the song lyrics and TV imagery of appeal to your lustful flesh for the purchase of the world as they would like you to see it.

    Forget (for a moment) that you have to get up, go to work, make money, buy groceries, get gasoline and find some way to pay for other essentials.

    Forget (for a moment) that you haven’t quite figured out why your loved ones act toward you and others and toward God on a daily basis differently than what you have taught and in some most un-Christlike and hurtful ways.

    Do not worry about these things (for a moment) and consider this story of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer:

    Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

    Consider the man’s request. The man ran up to Jesus, knelt before Him as an act of humility and respect. (Some of us should learn from his example of respect to Jesus, the man we claim as our teacher).

    The man asks a question to which we all want to know the answer (if we truly believe in the resurrection).  Our thoughts may proceed quickly something like this:

    You either die and that is all there is – your body and soul (if you have one) will perish. OR At the end of our bodily life, some other life for our soul remains.

    I do NOT want my soul to die. I may want this life to end. I may want to make this life better. But then what?

    And to Jesus, as the rich young ruler might think: You teach that I have a choice; at least, that is, until my God-appointed day do die, as all men will. And then what?

    Is there a way I can buy or earn this eternal life now?

    Admit it. You want something better, don’t you; and we all would like that ‘better life’ to last forever.

    Are the eternal hopes of the rich young ruler any different from your own?

     to be continued…

     

  • Dearly Beloved

    Dearly Beloved

    If you think only of a moment of marriage vows for these kind words, think again.

    How can you claim a relationship to Jesus Christ when you will not witness by your relationships to other Christians that we are dearly beloved by you?

    Christ Jesus demonstrated a genuine love for sinners. (Do we not all remain sinners, even in Christ?) Yet some sinners do cling to an earthly love for temporal things, though Christ offers a clear choice to follow Him or be condemned to judgment.

    Jesus has genuine compassion for us. Yet His compassion is not enough to save you from Hell unless you embrace a relationship with Him.

    Dearly beloved, dear brother in the Lord,

    (Though I speak to you as a beloved brother in Christ, I include our sisters in the Lord also by my appeal.)

    Do you have love and compassion for other Christians? Do you care about those of your church – the body of Christ?

    Dearly beloved,

    Are you not beloved believers, near to the heart of our Lord?

    Yet how far removed from His love are your hearts of stone which reject fellowship with your fellow disciple.

    Who would Jesus embrace? Think of the example of His Disciples, those who gave up everything to follow Christ Jesus.

    Who acknowledges the love of Jesus by nearness to His love?

    The risen Christ had been asking Peter for the commitment of His love in leading the church after His ascension. Jesus had asked Peter three times: “Do you love me?”

    Following this, the Gospel records:  Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved— John 21:20

    John will so embrace the believers of the church, evidenced by his witness, letters and Revelation. Yet the Apostle John also cautions believers to have relationship with Christ and not to claim Him only in Name.

    1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

    7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

    we have fellowship with one another,

    and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

    The ‘disciple Jesus loved,’ who as a young Apostle reclined at Jesus’ side in the fellowship and communion of the Twelve, instructs the church to ‘have fellowship with one another’ – a relationship. John and Peter both frequently address believers as, ‘dearly beloved,’ as do Paul, Jude and the writer of Hebrews.

    Dearly beloved,

    Do you claim a relationship to the love of Christ Jesus?

    You who call yourselves Christians, why do you boast about your special relationship with him? [see Rom. 2:17]

    Dearly beloved,

    We must also embrace the relationship of fellowship with our beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord. You know the scripture:

    But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [Romans 5:8]

    Do you neglect the call of righteousness which follows?

    So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. [Romans 5:11]

    Let us, dearly beloved, also rejoice in the new relationship with one another in Christ Jesus, our Lord and beloved friend.

    The beloved disciple, John, writes to us, the chosen, dearly beloved Bride of Christ:

    2 John

    I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— 2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

    3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love…

    5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning…

    Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

    Dearly, beloved,

    Remember the example of our loving Lord, Christ Jesus. Remember the example of love and fellowship witnessed through the Apostles of our Lord.

    Remember your relationship to our loving Lord by nurturing and embracing the relationship of Jesus’ unfailing love with one another.

    Dearly beloved, I pray for you.

    Pray also for me.

    Roger

  • but you have withheld your love

    but you have withheld your love

    Dearly beloved, dear sister in the Lord,

    Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

    This is the urging of Paul and Timothy to Christ’s bride, His church at Corinth (therefore they speak in the plural to the brothers, who ought to instruct in the Lord their own Christian wife and children). Their urging is for all, yet I echo their heart by paraphrase and address it to you personally, rather than as my child in the faith as do Paul and Timothy. I speak to you as Christ’s bride singularly.

    For I am not your Pastor and you are a child of your own faith, following whoever you will in the ways of the Lord or in ways of your own choosing. I therefore appeal to you as ‘my beloved,’ for your dear soul is joined to my own by your vow and your word: Jesus is Lord.

    2 Corinthians 6

    Dearly beloved,

    I have spoken honestly with you, and my heart is open to you.  There is no lack of love on my part, but you have withheld your love from me. I am asking you to respond as if you were my own beloved wife. Open your heart to me!

    (You may see that my meaning is no different from the letter of scripture.) I will add some here.)

    Who are your friends? Are they of the same vow as you and me? Is Christ Jesus their Lord, as well?

    Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

    (Again, I will augment.)

    I understand. I have so few friends. Christian friends, too, are so involved and so far from community when I most need them. I understand. I am alone with broken heart without you.

    Yet I stand against the unbelievers where I work. They know and reject my witness. They stand against me at times. I would befriend them in times of my own need, yet again, ‘What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil?’

    What have these revelers and lovers of their bold sin have to do with one who detests the wickedness of the world and the overwhelming deceit of the devil?

    I am a believer and your partner in the Lord. You are a believer and a partner in my love, a blessing in my life and a constant plea of my prayers.

    Dearly beloved, How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?

    I appeal to you in the Name of Jesus: Be reconciled in love with me; with Christ and with the praying souls who intercede in love for you each day and each night.

    Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.

    Because we have these promises, [dearly beloved], let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

    Please open your heart to me.

    I said before that you are in my heart, and I live or die together with you.  I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

    Even Paul changes to the singular in 2 Corinthians 7:3, pointedly appealing to you as an individual to be part of the body of Christ and to have nothing to do with those who set the example of the hardheartedness of the devil (worshiping instead, idols of their choosing).

    2 Corinthians 7 King James Version (KJV)

    Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

    2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

    3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

    4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

    [Returning to my paraphrased appeal from the NLT:]

     I am not sorry that I send this severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it may be painful to you for a little while.

    9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.

    10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

    11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you!

    I know the true joy to which you would cling in your own heart. It is the hope and promise of Christ.

    Is your own promise to the Bridegroom so far from your heart that you do not keep a lamp lit for his return?

    Why is your answer silent to his gift?

    What is your answer to his love?

    Dare your heart keep so silent as stone?

    Has He not already forgiven your sin? Has our Lord not called out to you, dear sheep of His fold? Has He not already offered His love and humbled himself for the bride of his own promise? Will you not join Him once more, dear prodigal daughter?

    Dearly beloved, my betrothed blessing in the Lord,

    I forgive you and call out to your dear heart. Please forgive me and accept the gift of the Bridegroom, who was and is and is to come.

    Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

    Love,

    Roger