Bible in One Year Day 357 (2 John, 3 John, 1 Timothy 4-6, Proverbs 30: 29-33)

  You may subscribe yourself at the Ascension site here and receive notifications in your email, or just follow along on my blog.  Bible in One Year Readings Index   

Agape Bible Study 2 John 

THE SECOND LETTER OF SAINT JOHN
The Truth of the Son of God Who Dwells Within Us

PART I: Greeting

The identity of the sender and receiver of the letter were matters of controversy in the early Church; for some, doubt continues over these issues today. Even though the majority opinion eventually decided that the "presbyter/elder' was St. John Zebedee, the Evangelist and "beloved disciple" (Jn 13:23; 19:26, 20:2; 21:7) and that the "chosen/elect Lady" was a church, neither view can be regarded as settled then or now. However, St. Paul, a Jewish-Christian, envisioned the universal Church as feminine and maternal that was also a Jewish tradition (Is 61:10-11; Jer 2:2; Ez 16:4-14; Eph 5:23; CCC 2040).

Like the First Letter, John is concerned with "truth," a term that appears five times in the first four verses of the Second Letter. The Greek word for "dwell" (meno) can also be translated as "remain" or "abide." It is a keyword throughout the works of John, occurring twenty-four times in the First Letter and forty times in the Gospel of John. It is especially noteworthy in Jesus' Last Supper Discourse where He speaks of His disciples abiding/remaining in Him and His love repeatedly, seven times in 15:4 (three times), 6, 7 (twice), and 10 (twice).

In the Old Testament and the New, "walking" with God means to be in fellowship with God by following His commandments just as walking with other gods referred to the sin of idol worship. The Old Testament praised the Patriarchs for "walking with God (c.f., Gen 5:22,  24;  6:9), and the phrase continued throughout the Old and New Testaments for those who fulfilled with their covenant with God required. For example:

• Therefore, keep the commandments of the LORD [Yahweh], your God, by walking in his ways and fearing him. (Dt 8:6).
• But if you forget the LORD [Yahweh], your God, and follow [walk after] other gods, serving and worshiping them, I forewarn you this day that you will perish utterly (Dt 8:19).
• So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Col 2:6).
• Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth ( 2 Jn 4).
• However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy (Rev 3:4).

In 2 John 4, John rejoices that "some" of the "children" walk in the truth of Christ. Other professed Christians in the community are not "walking in the truth" but have stepped off the "narrow path" (Mt 7:14) to salvation. They are in danger because they are not keeping the commandments and could forfeit their eternal salvation. 

PART III: Avoiding False Teachers and Their Doctrines

Verses 7-11 are warnings that are a summary of what John wrote in the Letter of First John (c.f., 2:18-29; 4:1-6; 5:1-50. He shows the clearest way to recognize these heretics, which is that they do not acknowledge the Incarnation and divinity of Jesus Christ (c.f., 1 Jn 4:2-3). He warns his readers that anyone who rejects sound teaching on this subject is abandoning the Father and the Son (c.f., 1 Jn 2:22-25). In verses 10-11, John advises what precautions Christians need to take in dealing with heretics.

7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist [antichristos].
Perhaps this verse indicates why St. John wrote that only "some" of the "children" in the Elect Lady's family are "walking in the truth" (verse 4). In the New Testament, only the First and Second Letters of John mention the evil entity who is the enemy of Jesus and His Church, calling him the antichrist and those influenced by him "antichrists" (1 Jn 2:18 antichrist and antichrists; 2:22 antichrist; 4:3 spirit of antichrist, and 2 John 7antichrist).

The Greek word antichristos means one who stands in opposition to the Christos, the Greek word for Messiah.

St. Paul refers to this evil being as "the lawless one" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.
Question: In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, how does St. Paul describe the individual who will appear at the end of time to stand in opposition to God and His divine plan for humanity?
Answer:

1. The lawless one desires to be revered and to receive the worship of humanity above the True God (verse 4).
2. At present, God restrains his appearance on the stage of human history until the appointed time when he will be revealed (verse 6).
3. The apostasy/rebellion of the lawless one is already at work (verse 7).
4. Satan is the origin of his power (verse 9).
5. God will reveal the lawless one, and Jesus will destroy him when He returns (verse 8).
6. The lawless one will deceive many (verse 11).
7. Those who believe the lawless one above God will be doomed to God's divine judgment and condemnation (verse 12).

The one Antichrist who will appear at the end of human history and all antichrists that come before him are agents of Satan. 

PART IV: Benediction

Unlike the Letter of First John that ended in an epilogue, but like the Letter of Third John, St. John ends his letter with a benediction. "Epilogue" is a Greek word meaning "words attached (at the end)." An epilogue wraps up or summarizes what came before to bring closure to the document. The word benediction is from the Latin word bene, meaning "good," joined to dictio, that means "to speak," making the word "to speak good" or "good-speaking;" some might say a "well-wishing." In the Bible, it is a short statement in the form of a blessing offering a petition, assurance, or promise suggesting protection or comfort.

Agape Bible Study 3 John 

 

Part I: Greeting

In verse 1, the word "presbyter" is from the Greek word presbyteros, meaning "older man/elder" but referring to one in charge of a clan or tribe and a term of authority familiar to both Gentile and Jewish converts. St. Peter used the same designation in First Peter: Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the presbyters [presbuteros] (1 Pt 5:5; IBGE, vol. VI, page 631). In the Church, it came to be the term for an ordained shepherd of a community (1 Pt 5:10) or a priest (Acts 14:23). John was both an Apostle and elder, serving as the sumpresbuteros, "chief elder/presbyter" (2 Jn 1) of communities under his authority. Concerning John's use of the term, St. Jerome wrote: "Originally presbyters and bishops were the same. When later on, one was chosen to preside over the rest, this was done to avoid schism. For apart from ordination, what function is there which belongs to a bishop which does not also belong to a presbyter?" (Jerome, Letters, 146).

Part II: The Godliness of Gaius

Some of the Christian envoys John sent to Gaius' faith community earlier to deliver a letter to the pastor (verse 9) and probably to give a true doctrine preaching to the congregation returned with news concerning the problems in the community. They also came back complimenting Gaius for his piety. 

Part III: The Pride of Diotrephes

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, does not acknowledge us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will draw attention to what he is doing, spreading evil nonsense about us. And not content with that, he will not receive the brothers, hindering those who wish to do so and expelling them from the church.
Diotrephes is probably the leader of the community.
Question: What five faults does John list concerning Diotrephes?
Answer:

1. He did not acknowledge the letter John wrote earlier.
2. He is refusing to accept John's authority over him.
3. He is spreading lies.
4. He refused to welcome John's emissaries.
5. He excommunicated any members of the community who gave hospitality to John's missionaries.

That he is "spreading evil nonsense about us" may not only refer to John personally but the teachings of the hierarchy of the Christian faith, meaning he was engaging in teaching heresy. Heresy is a doctrinal belief held in opposition to the recognized standards of the Church by a baptized Christian. We do not know if Diotrephes expelled Gaius from the community.

Part IV: Benediction

Unlike John's Gospel that ended in an epilogue (concluding statement) concerning the writer's testimony or the First Letter that ended in an epilogue, the Third Letter, like the Second Letter, ends with a promise to visit instead of delivering his message with "pen and ink" (2 Jn 12; 3 Jn 13-14). He also ends both the Second and Third Letters with a benediction. The word "benediction" is from the Latin bene, meaning "good," joined to dictio that means "to speak," making the word "to speak good" or "good-speaking;" some might even say a "well-wishing." In the Bible, it is a short statement in the form of a blessing offering a petition, assurance, or promise suggesting God's protection or comfort. In this letter, John's "good-speaking" is to bless Gaius with peace, referring to God's peace, which Paul wrote passes all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Agape Bible Study 1 Timothy 4 - 6 

Chapter 4

1 Timothy 4:1-5 ~ Warnings of Apostasy and False Asceticism

Question: When can we expect "the last times"?

Answer: We are living in "the last times" and have been ever since Christ's Ascension.

Paul preached that those of us living in the Age of the Messiah and His Church stand at the "end of the ages" (also see Peter's declaration in Acts 2:17). The historical ages of humanity have been moving toward this last period in time, and the divine judgments in the Old Testament should serve as warnings: These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come (1 Cor 10:11; CCC 672).

In this passage, Paul refers to Christian apostates who abandon the true faith to follow after demonic false teaching. He says the Holy Spirit has warned the Church concerning these doctrinal deviations, although he does not identify the origin of the prophecy. 

1 Timothy 4:6-16 ~ Paul's Counsel to Timothy

Question: Paul urges Timothy to remain faithful in what two ways as he leads the Ephesian Christian community and looks only to God for his salvation?
Answer: He is to remain faithful both in his teachings and in the practices of his personal life.

₇ Avoid profane and silly myths. Train yourself for devotion [eusebeia]...
Paul is probably referring to myths and speculations about Old Testament heroes and the Parousia of the Christ. He referred to the same problem in 1:4. The word translated as "devotion" in 4:7 is eusebeia which means "piety," "goodness," "devotion," or "holiness." Paul uses this word ten times in the Pastoral Epistles (1:2; 3:16; 4:7, 8; 6:3, 5, 6, 11, 2 Tim 3:12; Titus 2:12) to express the sense of serious devotion for the things of God. For Paul, it sums up what should be the Christian attitude connected with the knowledge of faith that is the core of Christian life.

Chapter 5

In this part of his letter, St. Paul instructs Timothy on how to interact with seven groups of people within the faith community according to age, gender, and position. A different approach to each group is necessary to achieve the best result for the individual and the unity of the church:

1. Older men: treat as fathers
2. Men who are the same age or younger: treat as brothers
3. Older women: treat as mothers
4. Younger women: treat as sisters
5. Widows: assist according to their circumstances
6. Community elders/presbyters: treat with honor the honorable but rebuke the sinners
7. Slaves: encourage to treat their masters with respect

Paul does not include children because their parents and other relatives are responsible for their needs.

Part I: Duties toward Members of the Church in Ephesus (5:1-6:2a)

1 Timothy 5:1-2 ~ Duties toward Older Members

Paul reminds Timothy that every person under his care is a spiritual child in the "household" of the Church and a member of God's covenant family. To the Roman Christians, Paul wrote: Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor (Rom 8:9-10). 

1 Timothy 5:3-16 ~ Rules for Widows 

The Greek verb timeo (verses 3 and 17) and the Hebrew verb kavad both have the meaning "to honor" as in showing respect and "give material help to" (Navarre Bible: Letters of St. Paul, page 577; Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, page 62). Paul is alluding to the fourth commandment of the Law: "Honor your father and your mother (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16) which included the material responsibility for elderly parents. Under the Law of the Sinai Covenant, the Lord God executes justice for the widow and orphan, He is the "father of the fatherless," and "the defender of widows" (Dt 10:17-18; Ps 68:6). 

Question: How did Jesus demonstrate concern for widows during His ministry? See Mk 12:41-44; Lk 7:11-15, and Jn 19:25-26.
Answer: He praised the charitable generosity of a poor widow, He raised to life the dead son of a poor widow, and He assigned the care of His mother (probably a widow) to the "beloved disciple" from the altar of the Cross as He was preparing to give up His life.

Widows had special needs since there were no established economic or government programs to assist them. Paul suggests different support systems for different classifications of widows:

1. Widows with families should receive assistance from their relatives and older children and grandchildren (5:4).
2. Young widows should remarry (5:14).
3. Older widows without families or wealth should receive material support from their local faith communities (5:16).

The duty of family members to respect and support elderly parents or a widowed mother or grandmother falls under the commandments of the Sinai Covenant (Ex 20:12; 21:17; Dt 5:16; Lev 19:3; also see Prov 20:20; Sir 3:1-8, 12-16). Jesus made this a continuing obligation under the New Covenant by condemning those who fail to honor their parents by failing to support them in their old age (Mt 15:4-9; Mk 7:9-13). Paul repeats the command, writing, 8 And whoever does not provide for relatives and especially family members has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:17-20 ~ Rules for Presbyters 

"Double honor" probably refers to both the respect due their office and their material support since the Greek verb for "honor" has the double meaning of both showing respect and giving material aid (see verse 3). 

18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing," and, "A worker deserves his pay." 19 Do not accept an accusation against a presbyter unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.
The first Scripture verse Paul quotes in verse 18 suggests this interpretation. Paul quotes from two Old Testament Scripture verses in 5:17 and 19, giving them equal value in association with providing for presbyters. The quotes are from the Deuteronomic Code.

• You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out grain (Dt 25:4).
• One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Dt 19:15).⁽²⁾

The third quote from Scripture in verse 18b is not from the Old Testament: "A worker deserves his pay." Paul links this saying to Deuteronomy 25:4. It supports the underlying principle in Deuteronomy 24:14-15, and it is a teaching Jesus gave in Luke 10:7 when He instructed the disciples on how to behave on their first missionary journey: Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the worker deserves his payment(underlining added; also see Jesus' same instructions to the Apostles in Mt 10:10). This instruction is, then, more evidence that the early Christians communities were already familiar with passages from the Gospels. 

1 Timothy 5:21-25 ~ Personal Recommendations for Timothy

In verse 21, Paul is putting Timothy under a solemn oath in the presence of God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels of the heavenly court. In the Final Judgment, Timothy will appear before God's throne in the heavenly court where Jesus is the divine Judge and the angels are the witnesses (Mt 24:31; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 12:1). 

Question: What are Paul's series of seven recommendations in verses 21-25 and what is the focus of the recommendations?
Answer: Paul focuses his series of recommendations on ordaining men to the ministry except for verse 23:

1. Treat everyone the same: do not favor some or have prejudice against others (verse 21).
2. Carefully decide to ordain presbyters so as to not share in continuing sin by ordaining an unfit candidate (verse 22a).
3. Do not ordain men complicit in another's sins (verse 22b).
4. Maintain internal purity through righteousness behavior (verse 22c).
5. Drinking a little wine is healthier than water (Verse 23).
6. Acknowledge that the sins of some people impact the community (verse 24).
7. Acknowledge good works that impact the public good whether obvious or not (verse 25).

22 Do not lay hands too readily on anyone, and do not share in another's sins. Keep yourself pure.
Verse 22 refers to the transfer of religious authority through the laying on of hands and provides the background for the New Covenant rite of priestly ordination. Timothy's consecration as a bishop gives him the fullness of apostolic authority to ordain others. The Apostles ordained the Church's first deacons by the laying on of hands in Acts 6:1-7. See 4:14 in the previous lesson concerning the various reasons for the laying on of hands in the Bible. 

Chapter 6 

1 Timothy 6:1-2a ~ The Conduct of Christian Slaves

Slaves are the seventh land last group of people within Timothy's faith community about whom Paul offers advice. What Paul writes concerning slaves is similar to what he wrote in Ephesians 5:22-6:9 and Colossians 3:22-25. Paul does not endorse slavery. In his letter to Philemon, he tried to convince Philemon to embrace his slave Onesimus as a Christian brother, giving him his freedom. However, Paul recognizes slavery as an established institution in the Roman Empire. Historians have speculated that approximately half the 250,000 population of the city of Ephesus were slaves (Navarre Bible Commentary: The Letters of Paul, page 581).

However, this time St. Paul is not advising a slave owner but Christian slaves who may or may not have a Christian master.
Question: What guidance does Paul tell Timothy to give Christian slaves?
Answer: He provides two criteria to guide slaves in their dealings with others: apostolic and fraternal:

1. A non-Christian master, a Christian slave becomes Christ's witness to the pagan master and his household.
2. A Christian slave should treat a Christian master like a brother.

Part II: Warnings Concerning False Teaching, Defining True Wealth, and Paul's Final Exhortations to Timothy (6:2b-21)

1 Timothy 6:2b-10 ~ False Teaching and True Wealth

"These things" refers to everything Paul has related to Timothy in his letter. In verses 3-10, Paul resumes his warnings concerning false teachers in Ephesus. Anyone who teaches something different than the "sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ" and His "religious teaching" is a false teacher. 

Paul describes the motive of the false teachers as excessive pride and a desire to promote themselves by causing controversy in an attempt to gain influence and leadership over the community.
Question: How does Paul characterize these false teachers in verses 4-5?
Answer:

1. They are conceited.
2. They understand nothing (about the Gospel of salvation).
3. They have a morbid disposition disposed to arguments and disputes.
4. They inspire envy, rivalry, insults, and evil suspicions.
5. They promote mutual friction among people with corrupted minds.
6. They are people deprived of the truth.
7. They suppose religion to be a means of material gain.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 ~ Exhortations to Timothy as a Man of God

Paul calls Timothy "man of God," reminding him of his divine call to serve the Lord. It is a title in Scripture applied to Moses and the prophets (Dt 33:1; 1 Sam 2:27; 1 Kng 12:23; 13:1; etc.).

Question: What does Paul urge Timothy to pursue in verses 11-12?
Answer:

1. Righteousness
2. Devotion
3. Faith
4. Love
5. Patience
6. Gentleness 
7. Eternal life

12 Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Timothy's "noble confession in the presence of many witnesses" might refer to Timothy's ordination (2 Tim 1:6). However, it is more likely that Paul is referring to Timothy's profession of faith at his Baptism. If so, Paul urges Timothy to demonstrate his baptismal promises to the fullest extent in his ministry and in this daily life (see CCC 2145). 

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ~ Right Use of Wealth
Question: What warning does Paul tell Timothy to give the wealthy in the Christian community concerning the wrong and the right use of wealth?

Answer: He addresses both the negative and positive use of wealth.

The negative use of wealth:

1. Do not let your material wealth make you proud.
2. Do not let your material wealthy make you rely on it instead of relying on God who provides what is truly valuable in a person's life.

The positive use of wealth:

1. Do good works and be generous in sharing your wealth.
2. Good deeds store up a heavenly reward for eternal life.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 ~ St. Paul's Final Recommendation and Warning

Paul's final exhortation is for Timothy to guard the truth of the Gospel of salvation entrusted to him when he was baptized and later ordained into the ministerial priesthood. Those who have professed false teaching have deviated from the path of the true faith.