Simpler Bible

By Simpler BibleReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Simpler Bible episodes

December 05, 2024Ep. 340. Titus | Every Good Deed
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Like the letters directed to Timothy, this is a letter from Paul to Titus, a fellow preacher of the word of God. He gives similar instructions to Titus as those we find in the first letter to Timothy regarding elders and deacons. Paul gives a few more instructions in Chapter Two regarding how older men and women should behave, as well as younger men and women. I think the line that stands out to me the most in this little letter is, "Being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people." In other words, since we know we have eternal life, live in such a way that demonstrates that truth. Do all things for the glory of God. Live in a way that brings God honor. Living in that manner is a benefit for all people. Contrasted with that are those who stir up division and dissension in the group. Warn such an individual one time and then twice, but after that, have nothing more to do with them. I wonder what our churches would be like if we didn't put up with the people causing division in the body? I suppose in today's world, they'd just go down the road to the next church and cause division there. But as Paul says, "Such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."
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12 min
December 04, 2024Ep. 339. 2 Timothy 3-4 | Preach the Word
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

Again, we find instructions to the young-ish (some people estimate Timothy was in his forties) pastor to "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." We do the text a disservice when we say this is Paul's instruction to all believers. Not only so, but we also put an undue burden on most believers that is not theirs to carry. Not all believers, not even most, are "preachers" of the word of God. The same beautiful gospel redeems all believers, and all have been declared righteous through faith, but not all have the same gifts.

Also, "The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but have itching ears. They will accumulate for themselves as teachers to suit their own passions, and they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." We remember Paul addressing this in 1 Timothy 4 and, of course, in Galatians as well. Clearly, in Paul's day, the gospel was being twisted to suit the hearers, and the hearers were pleased to have it so. Why should we assume that today is any different? Wouldn't it make sense for us to argue that if people were readily twisting the message of Christ in the first century, then they certainly would be in the twenty-first century? I wonder why we so seldom recognize weak and powerless teaching in the church today. Perhaps, in at least a few cases, it is because the people in the pews have itching ears and absolutely no love for the truth of the gospel.
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13 min
December 03, 2024Ep. 338. 2 Timothy 1-2 | Son, Soldier, Athlete, Farmer
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

First of all, can we just give credit to Lois and Eunice, Timothy's grandmother and mother? They were women of faith, and though Timothy's father was a Greek, they diligently taught young Timothy the scriptures since childhood. (2 Timothy 3:15) It is important to understand that when Paul talks about Timothy "knowing the Scripture," Paul is referring to the Old Testament. Timothy, his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were familiar with the Old Testament and how it bore witness to the coming Messiah. So when Paul showed up preaching Christ, they were likely quick converts. And, of course, we know that Timothy then became Paul's traveling companion. But it all started with a godly mother and grandmother. What an incredible blessing that must have been for Timothy.

Second, since college, I have been taught to take "What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others." Every time I was encouraged to memorize this verse or taught this verse at any kind of conference or Bible study, the general sentiment was that every believer was supposed to take what God had taught them and then teach it to other people who would then be able to teach it to other people. This, after all, "Is the very model of discipleship." However, in my youth, I was not smart enough to consider context, author, or audience. As we have already discussed, Paul is writing this to the young-ish pastor Timothy and is imparting to him specific instructions for taking care of the needs of the church in Ephesus. The instruction we find in 1 Timothy 2:2 is right in line with what Paul was addressing in the first letter, specifically the need for godly elders and leadership in the church. This is not a general command to all Christians. That isn't to say we believers should keep to ourselves what God has shown us and revealed to us through his word, but as we saw in Ephesians 4, specific gifts were given to the church in the form of Shepherds/teachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets "For the building up and the equipping of the church," that is the believers. Simply speaking, not every believer falls into one of those four roles. Not every believer falls into the footsteps of Timothy, and not every believer falls into the position of the "trained men" who should then "train others." For that matter, not everyone is a "worker," as mentioned in 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." I would remind you that in 1 Corinthians 3, it was Paul and Apollos who were the "workers," while the church people were just the "field" and the "building." It is okay, and even good, for any and all believers to share with those around them the work of God in their lives, but this letter is to a pastor for a specific task and should, therefore, be interpreted and applied in that context.
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13 min
December 02, 2024Ep. 337. 1 Timothy 5-6 | Instructions
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

As I write out these posts, it dawns on me that I should make it my aim to know and understand the letter of First Timothy more completely. There are so many good things in this letter. Perhaps it appeals to me more as a pastor. Maybe I'm just struck by how many things in this letter fly in the face of our cultural church practices.

When I get to the fifth chapter, I am again struck by the requirements Paul lists for being included as a widow cared for by the church. A widow wasn't to be under the care of the church if she had any family who could care for her, but neither should she be counted as a widow if she did not have godly character. In our culture of social justice, we just hurry to take care of any widow we run into, but what would happen if we held to the standard of the Scripture? For that matter, why do we hold to the Scripture on some matters and depart from Scripture on others? I know that it falls on us to try to understand the context and the original intent, but I think we struggle to uphold the Scripture for one of two reasons. One, we just don't know the Bible well enough to follow it. Two, we just don't care enough to follow it. The first can be lightly excused; the second is just rebellion.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
15 min
December 01, 2024Episodes 330-336 Summary
Welcome to Simpler Bible, your daily path to biblical understanding.

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For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
13 min
December 01, 2024Ep. 336. 1 Timothy 3-4 | Overseers
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

As someone who has spent the last thirty years preaching the Bible and the last fifteen years leading a church body, I have to say that it is painfully obvious how little value churches seem to place on 1 Timothy Chapter 3. The number of men I have known in church leadership who were not "respectable," who could not "manage his own household," who were "unable to teach," and still allowed to stay in the pulpit, is astounding. I wonder why we don't take Paul's message about overseers seriously. I said yesterday that the letter to Timothy doesn't have a one-to-one correlation to all the believers in the church, but at least here, the typical churchgoer should be informed on the kind of shepherd/teacher they employ and sit under. I recently asked the question, "How many affairs does a so-called man of God get to have before he is disqualified as a preacher?" Or, "How much money should the so-called man of God be allowed to steal from the church and still stand in the pulpit handling the Scripture?" Why do so many churches vote pastors and deacons (servants) into positions of leadership without holding them to the standard of the Scriptures? No wonder so many churches are weak and powerless. No wonder so many people sitting in the church seats are incapable of mature biblical thought. When the leaders are unqualified, it ought not to surprise us that the people are ill-equipped.

As in Paul's day, it is in ours that teachers are "departing from the faith." I think this could have been avoided so many times by just holding the overseer of the church to the standard that Paul set out for the church in Ephesus. But then, don't get me started on the typical pastoral selection process. What a weird model churches so often use. But this isn't the place for that rant.

I'll leave you with this: if you are in a position to help select the next pastor of your church, be sure to hold them to the standard set forth in 1 Timothy. If you are in a church where a pastor is not being held to this standard, have the courage to ask where else the pastor is disregarding biblical authority.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
12 min
November 30, 2024Ep. 335. 1 Timothy 1-2 | God Our Savior
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

It is helpful to remember that First Timothy is written to the pastor himself and not to the church body. This will absolutely shape how we read the letter. Not all of us are pastors/shepherds, so there is not a one-to-one correlation between what Paul instructs Timothy and the responsibility of each individual believer. When Paul is addressing a church as a whole, we can more easily find applications (for the masses) in the teachings of the Apostle, but when Paul is addressing a shepherd/overseer (Timothy) at the church in Ephesus, the application part becomes a bit more narrow. Certainly, not all believers are called to appoint elders in the church of God. Certainly, not all believers are meant to instruct and correct the elders of the church. Or if one wants to take the approach that even here, Paul is talking to all believers, how are we to read this letter (addressed to a pastor) as addressed to all people? We have to decide if the authorial intent and intended audience have any bearing on interpretation and application. I have been making the case throughout this entire year that both of those things directly shape how we interpret and apply any particular text. Without pausing to think about the author's intent and the intended audience, a reader would be free to make the text say anything at all that he or she desired. And if that approach was followed to its logical end, if the text can mean anything, then it actually means nothing.

In this letter, Paul spends a great deal of time addressing the kind of person(s) he desires to see as overseer(s), deacon(s), and leaders in general, but we can get into that a bit more tomorrow.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
11 min
November 29, 2024Ep. 334. 2 Thessalonians | Stand Firm
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

It is the second chapter of Second Thessalonians I find myself revisiting most often. Paul, again addressing the return of Jesus, focuses more on what (or who) will precede the coming of Jesus. The "man of lawlessness" will be revealed, "The son of destruction." We often call this individual "The Antichrist." He is certainly "an" antichrist. We see in 1 John that ALL who deny Jesus have the spirit of the antichrist. But this singular figure, sometimes called "The abomination of desolation" and "The Antichrist," will precede the coming of our Savior. The coming of this "lawless one" is by the power and work of Satan himself. He comes with deception for those who are perishing "because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." I think that the last part is key. "They REFUSED to love the truth and be saved" and therefore succumbed to the deception of the "lawless one" by the power of "Satan." Those who refuse to love the truth of God see that God then hands them over to further believe what is false. Be careful to see that this further delusion is in response to the individual's rejection of God. They refused to believe the truth so God handed them over to believe further what was false. They rejected God, and so God said, "If you want the lie, you can have it." These deceived ones took pleasure in unrighteousness and will, for that misplaced affection, be condemned.

Two thoughts about this passage:

First, let us be careful that we do not believe what is false.

Second, let us, like the Thessalonians, represent well what it looks like to put our faith in the person and work of Jesus.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
12 min
November 28, 2024Ep. 333. 1 Thessalonians 4-5 | Voice of an Archangel
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

I already stated this in the video, so I won't belabor the point at length here, but the day of the Lord will not be like a "Thief in the night" for those who know and serve him. I was taught from an early age that the return of Jesus would catch us all off guard, and I am sure I must have taught that well into my twenties. (Hopefully not into my thirties) "But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness." We see then that those who do not know Jesus are "surprised" by his return. They are the caught off guard ones since they do their deeds in the darkness.

We need to ask ourselves why believers are not caught off guard at the return of Christ. The answer is obviously because we, who walk in the light, are looking for and hastening the return of Jesus. It figures into everything we believe. We live our lives shaped by the truth of Jesus's return. "The suffering of this present age is nothing compared to the glory that will be brought to us the day Christ is revealed." "Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you on the day of Christ Jesus." I do find myself wondering about the authenticity of a "believer's" faith when they do not have any framework for the return of Jesus, when they are not in the least shaped by his return.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
10 min
November 27, 2024Ep. 332. 1 Thessalonians 1-3 | Your Faith
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Here’s an excerpt from the blog post.

When Paul first went to the region of Macedonia, he was seriously opposed, and yet it is clear that the pocket of believers who rose up in Thessalonica were very serious about their faith. "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." When you consider that most of Paul's letters address the church's sinfulness, it is quite refreshing to see that the believers in Thessalonica seem, at least based on this letter, to be stalwarts of faith. People like that are certainly necessary for the health of the church. When so many Christians seem to be limping along in their faith, I wonder if it is often for lack of proper examples. Of the Thessalonians, Paul says, "Not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything." And again, "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God."

If I could offer you any encouragement, it would come in one of two ideas. First, if you are a faithful follower of Christ Jesus, seek to set an example to all around you so the testimony of your faith and the work of Jesus by the Holy Spirit is proclaimed with every mention of your name.

Second, if you are young in your faith, set your eyes on someone like the faithful Thessalonians who make much of Jesus in all they do; that you might learn from their example.
For more visit http://simplerbible.com/episodes
12 min

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Simpler Bible is your go-to online daily Bible reading program, where our dedicated pastor, Ryan, guides you through about one Bible chapter each day. Our mission is to make the Bible more accessible…