God's Apostles (4:1-21)

1-5 They judge Paul too quickly
*many of them weren't pleased or impressed by Paul

1. They thought too highly of others (Apollos) despite the fact that Apostles are mere servants
2. They thought too lowly of Paul despite the fact that he was an entrusted steward for God

3 Things to Avoid when Judging
1. Judging by mere appearances, John 7:24
2. Judging w/hypocrisy, Matt 7:5
3. Judging those outside the the church, 1 Cor. 5:12-13
* They were certainly guilty of #1

6-13 They had pride issues

1. They were weighing things by the wrong standard (not scripture)
2. They were forgetting that they'd been GIVEN gifts
3. They were thinking and acting like they had ARRIVED
* They were on the wrong end of the Beatitudes!
** The Apostles, on the other hand, lived like there was going to be a great reversal

14-21 They were in need of a visit

1. This is a warning
2. Timothy will give them a refresher course
3. Paul will come either to rebuke or celebrate

Next, Paul will address 3 specific areas in need of discipline.

Critique of Criticism

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 23: A Critique of Criticism)

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,
and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you

A Critique of Criticism (7:1-6)

Despite how popular this passage is with non-Christians (it may be the most quoted verse of the Bible by non-Christian people), this quote is not a blanket statement against making judgments. It is a statement against judging in a certain way. The Bible gives us three key insights into how NOT to judge.

1. Christians are not to judge on mere appearances
Stop judging by mere appearances,
and make a right judgment. (John 7:24)
(Gal. 2:6, Acts 18:12-15)


2. Christians are not to judge with hypocrisy
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:5)
(Rom. 2:1-3)


3. Christians are not to judge non-Christians
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. (1 Corinthians 5:12-13a)
(1 Peter 4:17)

What would you do if you saw me shoplifting?

God's Project (3:5-4:1)

* Still dealing with dis-unity. Part of the problem was they looked at leaders as if they were something more than merely servants of God.

3:5 & 4:1 both state clearly that Paul & Apollos are simply servants.
Between is his argumentation.

Metaphor #1 God's Farm
- Paul planted
- Apollos watered
- But God is the one Who made it grow
- In 1 sense, then, both men are NOTHING
- Thus, they are equals (0 = 0)
- They are actually united in purpose (service to Christ)
- There will be varying degrees/types of reward based on work

Metaphor #2 God's Building
- Paul laid foundation
- Apollos built on foundation
- But it's God's building

Paul's statement that one must be careful HOW he builds is, to me, a subtle suggestion that Apollos' method of building is suspect. Did Apollos build the church quickly, but with poor materials (winning shallow converts through fleshly sensations like rhetoric)? Leaders can build the church with genuine converts (the result of God's work) or by appealing to people so as to win people to the group (but not genuine converts). The leader who does the latter is not necessarily doing this with poor intentions, just a lack of wisdom. The quality of the ministry of Paul and Apollos will become clear in the face of trouble when genuine converts cling to Christ and nominal Christians blow away like chaff.

Thus, verse 15 is not to be used in the Roman Catholic sense (purgatory... it's not talking about purifying the man, but showing the value of his works) or in the hyper-Calvinist sense (it's not talking about being saved despite living a crappy Christian life). The passage is talking about the possibility that someone like Apollos, while being a genuine Christian man, might come to find out that his ministry didn't make very many genuine converts because he appealed to people with worldly wisdom.

Verse 16, it should be noted, is not about individuals, but about the church. It is serious business to mess with God's building project. The passage goes on to warn those who may have come into the Christian circle on prideful terms that they better humble themselves and learn to boast in no man other than Christ.

After all, even men like Paul and Apollos are simply servants.

Worry Free Living (6:25-34)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 22: Worry Free Living)

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”

Jesus’ Top 10 Reasons Not to Worry

1. If you’re going to worry, worry about the most important things! (25)
-Luke 12:5-6
-We often worry b/c we put hope in uncertainties (money, military, mankind)

2. God values you more than He values the animal world, and they are cared for! (26)
-this is not a call to laziness, see Proverbs 6:6-11

3. Worrying won’t accomplish anything anyway! (27)
-it might even cost you your health

4. God values you more than He values the plant world, and it is cared for! (28-30a)

5. We should have more faith in God (30b)
-God loves, cares, can

6. We’re commanded by God not to worry (31)
-So it must be possible NOT to. It's a sin.

7. Worrying is a pagan practice (32a)
-They are the one's interested in stuff ('apostolic order' lives off the grid, no tax worries)

8. God already knows our needs (32b)
-Cast your cares to Him, for He cares for you (will you let Him drive?)

9. If we seek after God, He promises to provide us with our needs (33)

10. We can only live in the present (34)
-we don't worry, we pray and let God be God

God's Wisdom (2:6-3:4)

2:1-5 Transitions us from the previous section to this section. God's wisdom is not the same as worldly wisdom and Paul felt it inappropriate to present them with the Gospel in the form of worldly wisdom. He didn't want to impress them into the kingdom. He didn't want to reason them into the kingdom. Paul simply presented the facts about Jesus and let the Spirit do the work.

2:6-16 But the fact that Paul let the Gospel speak for itself doesn't mean that Christianity is without wisdom. Christianity has its own brand of wisdom which is actually true wisdom, from God. We access this wisdom by God's Spirit since He knows the deep things of God AND lives in us. It is ironic, I think, that some of the Corinthians were upset with Paul for not bringing them 'wisdom' whereas, from Paul's perspective, the reason He didn't bring them 'wisdom' (worldly wisdom OR God's wisdom) was because they didn't need any more of the former and weren't yet ready (mature enough for) the latter, as is evidenced by the fact that they were bickering amongst themselves even still. They were baby Christians and the deep things of God are meant for the mature.

Fellowship of Fools (1:18-2:5)

v. 17 I believe Paul came to understand that people aren't often argued or impressed into the kingdom. This can be seen from a study of the phrase 'reasoned in the synagogue' in Acts 17-18. The positive results of this tactic had declined by the time Paul went to Corinth. And so he simply preached Christ crucified to them. He no longer relied on fancy rhetoric or sparkly persuasion, but preached the offensive cross.

v. 18-21 The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.
Isaiah 29:14
Isaiah 33:18
Wisdom never got us to God
God initiates
You win them to what you win them with (if you win them with the latest intellectual argument, you could lose them to the same)

Jews seek signs (power)
Greeks seek wisdom
Paul preached Christ crucified and the result is true wisdom and true power

v. 26 Most Christians come to Christ at a low-point

v. 27-28 The goal of God is still to get us all

Here there is no boasting
ie. I was given a special sign!
ie. I was smart enough to understand God

2:2 Paul's valuable lesson
Are we trying to win people by being the most impressive show in town?
Or are we preaching Christ crucified and letting the lost emerge as found?

Michael Card: God's Own Fool.

3 John 1:1-13

A Study of 3rd John

1 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

1. What do we know about Gaius?
(Acts 19:29, 20:4, Rom. 16:23, 1 Cor. 1:14)

Of the above references, none of them are certain to be speaking of the same Gaius. The Romans passage, because it also mentions hospitality, is the most likely connection. But from 1 John alone we do learn that Gaius was a friend of the author and faithful to the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.

2. What was Gaius’ ministry? Are there modern parallels to this kind of ministry? Could we improve, as a church, in this area of ministry?

Gaius' ministry seems to be one of hospitality. He probably welcomed those traveling evangelists whom came recommended by the author. We can do this as individuals and churches by warmly welcoming traveling ministers who come recommended from respected institutions and/or individuals.

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

3. What do we know about Diotrephes?

He wanted to be first. If the author, here, is John the Apostle, he himself used to struggle with this ambition (Matthew 20:20-28). We don't know anything about Diotrephes outside this passage.

12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. 13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

4. What do we know about Demetrius?
(Acts 19:24, 19:28)

The above references almost certainly don't refer to the same Demetrius. We can only speculate that he's the one delievering the letter to Gaius. He comes highly recommended.

Money Matters (6:19-24)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 20: Money Matters)

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1. How we use money is serious business to God
2. While it is not always wrong to save-up, it is always wrong to think stuff can save you
3. Stuff-centered-ness is very shortsighted
4. We should use money for godly purposes and realize that we are merely stewards
5. We can determine where our treasure is by what makes us most excited and troubled.


22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

6. We must decide whether to live with our earthly lives in mind or with our heavenly lives in mind


24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

7. It’s impossible to serve two masters. We must decide if we will live for God or for money

Call to Unity (1:10-17)

We are called into fellowship, v9

Ps. 133 Unity is an awesome thing
1 Cor. 1:11-12 Unity is hard to find

Paul- founder
Apollos- gifted speaker
Cephas- Direct connection to Jesus
Christ-

What unity is NOT
1. Isolation from other views (cults)
2. Ignoring differences (inter-religious ecumenism)
3. Insistence on 100% agreement

What true unity IS
1. Following Christ together
2. Attitude of love "disagreements don't break unity, division does"
3. A great weapon in evangelism (John 17:20-23)

So what do you think about the level of unity in...
1. Our congregation
2. Our denomination
3. Our local churches
4. Our religion
-is Paul for protestants?
-is Apollos for scholars?
-is Cephas for catholics?
-is Christ for non-denoms?

2 John 1:1-13

A Study of 2nd John

The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth - because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.

1. Who are the chosen lady and her children?
While some take this to refer to a specific individual and her children, most commentators believe it refers to a specific church and its members. Female language for the church is not foreign to the Bible and the author may have had some (covert?) motivation for wording it as he did. The body of the document fits better with a group than an individual woman.


It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

2. Why this trio of truth, love & obedience?

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

3. How do we identify a deceiver?
- A deceiver denies something essential about Jesus
- A deceiver adds something non-essential as essential

4. How important is it to continue in Christ after you initially become a Christian?
- If you do not continue, you may lose your rewards
- If you do not continue, you may lose your salvation

5. How do we balance hospitality with this command not to welcome false teachers?
- Since we have interpreted the 'chosen lady' to be a church, and since a house was their equivalent to our church building, we should interpret this to be a command against giving false teachers a forum to spread their deceptions. This is, then, not a command against individual Christians inviting JW's (for example) into their home to discuss the Scriptures.

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.

6. Who is the chosen sister?
- Most likely this refers to the church from which John (the author) is writing.

Non-Pauline Epistles

Hebrews serves as a book that connects Paul’s works to the remaining portion of the New Testament canon. Its authorship has long been disputed, but its value has been recognized since its composition (pre AD70). Hebrews exalts Christ and superior to the types and shadows of the Old Covenant and called its readers to continue in the faith.

The Non-Pauline Epistles

James, the brother of Jesus, joined the church after the resurrection (1 Corinthians. 15:7, Acts 2:14) and became a leader in the early Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17, 15:13-21, Galatians 1:19, 2:9). James is writing early on (perhaps AD49) to the early church (scattered Jewish-Christians) to comfort them in the midst of persecution and give them direction in discipleship.

1 Peter (early 60’s) was written just prior to an intensification of persecution against Christians. Peter, of course, was one of Jesus’ closest friends and one of the most significant leaders of the early church. The letter aims to provide Christians with guidelines for how to conduct themselves as holy people in an antagonistic culture.

2 Peter (late 60’s) was written not long before Peter’s own martyrdom (see 1:14). In the midst of persecution, false prophets were advising Christians to abandon key components of the faith. Peter urges his fellow Christians to continue in holiness, to trust the Scriptures, to beware of false prophets, and to wait for the Day of the Lord.
1 John is traditionally held to have been written by John the Apostle toward the end of the 1st century. It focuses on the reliability of the Gospel and the question of how a person may find assurance of their salvation through faith, love, obedience and the witness of the Spirit.

2 John was written not long after 1 John by the same author. There is dispute whether it was written to a specific lady or to a specific church (1:1). In either case, it emphasizes the relationship of truth and love and warns against welcoming deceivers.

3 John was written not long after 2 John by the same author to his friend Gaius. John thanks Gaius for his hospitality to travelling Christian workers.

Jude, like James, was a brother to Jesus and seems to have become a Christian only after the resurrection. Likely written in the mid-60’s, Jude shares much in common with 2 Peter (persevere despite the false prophets and teachers).

Revelation is traditionally held to have been written by John the Apostle toward the end of the 1st century (though some argue for a date in the 60’s). Revelation is an epistle written to 7 churches in the province of Asia, warning them to endure persecution and place their hope in the promised future. Unlike the other epistles and letters, Revelation is written in highly symbolic and apocalyptic language, rendering its interpretation rather difficult.