Revelation application

Regarding Revelation, how do I apply this to my community?: (I flipped the questions this one time.)

Once, maybe two years after college, I was on a trip to Assateague Island and Chincoteague, where the wild horses are.  I had been invited by my Aunt Connie, Uncle Tom, and cousin Jason.  Driving along in the area one day, I notice a billboard which had a picture of Jesus.  His eyes were red and kind of glowing. He looked pretty mad.  I chuckled, because it seemed to be the opposite of the common depiction of Jesus, portrayed as soft and gentle.  I have learned that Jesus is Loving, and Jesus is also just, which is a part of His nature of caring about all of His creation.  When people do wrong, they hurt others.  Punishment is called for.  For those who do not receive Jesus, their sins have not been atoned for, and on Judgment Day, they will be sentenced.

   Love is offered by Jesus right now.  Failing to receiving Jesus is to reject the punishment which Jesus took on the cross as the substitute for anyone.  I am willing to tell that to my community right here and now.

Regarding Revelation, how do I apply this to myself?:

Years ago I played a game with a Sunday school, which we entitled "Stump Hunter."  The students could ask me any question about the Bible in order to get a tough question answered, or to even just try to stump me for fun.  It was great.

   After over three months of hard work on this assignment, it is easier for me to say that they are plenty of things I do not know about the Bible.

   I get personal and say I do not know how there can be no crying in heaven, as stated in Revelation 21:4.

   Now that statement starts by saying: "[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes."

   John does go on to say in the second part of Revelation 21:4 -  "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain...."

   Thus there is the suggested that there will be tears at first, and then crying will be no more.

   I am an emotional person, and I cried after I completed the Appalachian Trail many years ago.  After so much suffering in this world, due to my sins and due to hurts from many others, I consider that I will cry when I get to heaven.

   Knowing the perfection process has been completed for me so that I can be completely loving, someone who was not loving before giving my heart to Jesus, I think I will be overwhelmed.  I consider I will cry when delivered in full into the arms of Jesus.

   Yet Scripture reveals that the future of heaven involves the conclusion of crying and pain.

   I thank God for that this very day.

+ Thank You Holy Father for enabling me to write this entire New Testament Introduction Overview.  What a challenge.  What a special opportunity.  It is through Your Awesome name Lord Jesus that I pray.  Amen.

Hunter Irvine

Revelation background

Revelation

Author: John

Revelation 1:1-2

And see Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius - Book 6, Chapter 25, Verse 10.

Date: Around 95 A.D. is quite a popular date.

Language: Greek

Place: Island of Patmos, 

stated in Revelation 1:9.

Purpose: There is a clear threefold purpose:  First, to give compliments and corrections to churches at the time which John wrote this.  Such continues to be encouragement and advice for us Christians today to heed, since we are likewise in these "last days."  And following these "last days," the "end times" is next.

Second, to present a vision of God's majesty and just wrath during the 'last call' of the end times.

Thirdly, to close Scripture with a prophecy of Judgement Day, and a prophecy revealing heaven, which will be the destiny for all who have, or who will, give their heart to Jesus, the One who died to forgive sins.

What kind of book?: A genre called Apocalyptic.

The Greek word used at the start, recorded in Revelation 1:1, is apokalypsis, which means unveiling or uncovering.  The English word used in translation is "revelation."

Revealed in this book, after the huge address to the seven churches, is prophecy of what will take place in the "end times," through a vision given to John the apostle, by God.  The book of Revelation is full of metaphors, and full of truths.

Reflection: After a downright intense semester, yet a blessed semester for me, at Colorado Christian University, how nice to go from a mode of academics, to a personal story of a very personal experience.

   A little more than one year after I turned to Jesus, I decided to read the entire New Testament.  That was in 1991.  I would usually do the reading on the way home from work on the subway.  One particular early evening I was reading the book of Revelation on the subway.  The chapters involved some "far out" stuff, which all seemed rather foreign to me.  In the midst of my reading, I was overwhelmed, and I wondered how this all could be "the word God."

   After the subway ride, I always had to take a bus from the station to the closest bus stop near my house.  And then I still had a decent walk from the bus stop to my parent's house.  While on the bus, I was kind of out of it, thinking about what I had read.  Then during the walk I was thinking even more about what I had read, still overwhelmed.

   The first section of the walk home was a narrow asphalt path which went from the bus stop area through woods, and then connected with my housing subdivision.  Coming out of the woods into my neighborhood, I looked up to see a grand rainbow.

   A rainbow had been something God had used to reach out to me in the past before I was a Christian.  (Even all these years later, I often say the Lord's Prayer if I am walking and I see a rainbow.)

   The cool thing was that it was a rather sunny day.  There were some storm clouds off in the distance, yet I was not even expecting a rainbow.  I knew that God gave that rainbow for me that evening to comfort me.  And comforted I was.

   And now, all these years later, praise be to God, I have often found comfort for my soul in times of despair or disaster, and further encouragement in times of rejoicing, in the messages of the book of Revelation.

Hunter Irvine

Scripture Love Blog

Jude application

Regarding Jude, how do I apply this to myself?:

"Be merciful to those who doubt..." (Jude 1:22 NIV).

   It always helps me to be more merciful to people who are struggling with biblical truths by remembering what was going on with me before I was a follower of Jesus.  Even after Jesus was reaching out to me, and even after I developed a private belief in the existence of God and the existence of the "Son," Jesus, I was not trusting Him.

   Praise be to God I started trusting Him after I gave my heart to Jesus!

Regarding Jude, how do I apply this to my community?:

   As I near the end of this huge New Testament Survey Overview, I acknowledge that this personal introduction of the New Testament has been successful thanks to God's help.  Though my enthusiasm was incredible fuel, I needed God's help to accomplish all my class assignments during this epic semester.  God had me prepared for this semester, or I would not have had such unprecedented success.

   Regarding showing mercy to those struggling with their faith, I reflect now that I cannot show people my friend Jesus in a direct manner.  When I tell of my best friend, I am talking about someone that no one, not even me, can physically see.  I have never physically seen Him.

   Once I spoke at a chapel service for a Christian high school.  I told them how we can not physically see Jesus, yet if a person believes in Him, a person can know Jesus in her or his heart.

   And to grow in the love and knowledge of Jesus requires trusting the witness of Jesus in the Scripture, relying on the encouragement of the unseen Holy Spirit in your unseen heart.

   That is why we need faith.

   Yet it is not blind faith:

+ We have the Scripture, the witness of disciples.

+ We have a long history of God working in the lives of Christians, the witness of true believers.

+ And for those of us in this very day and age who have trusted Jesus, we have our personal testimonies of what our loving God has done in our life.

   The fact is I would never dare to do a speaking engagement where I told the Gospel if I did not have Jesus with me.  Jesus is always with me, in Spirit.  Now there have been brief times when I wondered if He left me to go be with somebody else.

   The unseen spirit nature is a challenge for us all.  Yet for me, being someone who is a truly "spiritual" person, I must remember that there are doubters who need my compassion, yet who also need to be told the truth about Jesus the Messiah, who is for real.

Hunter Irvine

Jude background

Jude

Author: Jude

See reflection below, and also see Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 3, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: Possibly 65 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Unknown

Purpose: An urging to "contend for the faith" in the midst of people who are working to deceive people about the true identity of Jesus, and to deceive people about the grace of God.

What kind of book?: A general Epistle with a specific lesson.

Reflection: (This is nearly the same "reflection" as the one I wrote for James, because the argument is tied together.)

   The popular assumption is that the authors of the Scripture books of James and Jude respectively, were the "brothers," (though not genetic brothers obviously), of Jesus, however this is not documented.  People assume such because Jude states he is the brother of James at the start of his letter.

   We definitely know the names of the earthly brothers of Jesus:

"Isn't this the carpenter's son?  Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren't all his sisters with us?..." (Matthew 13:55-56 NIV).

   Yet both could have been apostles.  The apostle Thaddaeus, whose nickname was Judas, and who was probably called Jude to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, was the son of a James (Luke 6:16), thus it is more likely that he would have a brother named James.

   I saw a commentary once which asked the question: Why would Jude make special mention of his brother if he himself was an apostle?  Good question.  But if instead, Jude was the "brother" of Jesus, why did he not mention Jesus instead of his earthly brother?

   I lean toward apostolic authorship for these two books, my reasoning being that had the authors been the "brothers" of Jesus, it is more likely that early Christian historians would have made specific mention of that.

   But the early Christian historians had doubts about both of these books being Scripture in the first place, so maybe that is because they did not come from one of the twelve apostles.

   Professor Tafoya said there still is a loose apostolic connection.  That makes sense since the converted "brothers" of Jesus were eyewitness of Jesus.

Hunter Irvine

(1) Samuel A. Cartledge, A Conservative Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1938).

{The definition of "conservative" in this context means giving the biblical text the upmost of authority, working to interpret the writing as the author intended, seeking his original intent.}

3 John application

Regarding 3 John, how do I apply this to myself?:

   I have been following Jesus for eighteen years, and the easy thing to do is contemplate how crummy churches are and how few people seem to really take the teachings of Jesus seriously.  The easy thing to do continued is get upset when some ministers even distort the teachings of Jesus.

   The hard thing to do is to do good yourself.  I praise Jesus, the One who has enabled me to do good.  Just today, I got to do three things that were good.  Two of the three things may have really helped someone!  God is good.  I rely on Him to do good.

Regarding 3 John, how do I apply this to my community?:

   Plenty in the community may think that "Christians" are fools, but most people notice when someone does something good.  And goodness might be even more appreciated by certain people if they are willing to get to know you better.

Hunter Irvine

3 John background

3 John

Author: John

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius - Book 6, Chapter 25, Verse 10.

Date: Unknown, nineties at the latest.

Language: Greek

Place: Unknown, probably Ephesus

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius - Book 4, Chapter 14 and

Book 3, Chapter 31.

Purpose: Encouragement to do what is good.

What kind of book?: Letter to his friend Gaius.

Reflection: "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good" (3 John 11 NIV).

How do you "imitate" what is good?  By having your heart changed so it really is good.

Hunter Irvine

2 John application

Regarding 2 John, how can I apply this to myself?:

Sounds easy to obey the commands of Jesus.  It is impossible without being enabled by Him who is good.

Regarding 2 John, how can I apply this to my community?:

Obedience to Jesus will impact a community, even if we never detect that.

Hunter Irvine

2 John background

2 John

Author: John

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius - Book 6, Chapter 25, Verse 10.

Date: Unknown, nineties at the latest.

Language: Greek

Place: Unknown, probably Ephesus.

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius - Book 4, Chapter 14 and Book 3, Chapter 31.

Purpose: Encouragement to obey the commands of Jesus.

What kind of book?: Letter to "the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth..." (2 John 1 NIV).

Reflection: This letter gives a teaching of Jesus which John recorded Jesus stating in John 14:15 and in John 15:17.  A radical statement, thus I asked myself many years ago: "Why does loving Jesus require obeying His commands?"  Obeying the commands of Jesus always result in true love.

   If your friend said, "If you really loved me, you would obey me."  That is not the case if the friend ever gave a command which was apart from God's will. The commands of Jesus are God's will, and the result is always good.

Hunter Irvine

I John application

Regarding I John, how do I apply this to myself?

I believed in Jesus, giving Him my heart, on April 15, 1990, receiving His atonement for my sins.

Regarding I John, how do I apply this to my community?

Tell them that Jesus died as the Atonement, which is the substitute for the consequence of sins, spiritual death, for them!

Hunter Irvine

I John background

I John

Author: John

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 6, Chapter 25, Verses 9-10.

Date: Unknown, nineties at the latest.

Language: Greek

Place: Unknown, yet probably Ephesus.

See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 4, Chapter 14 and Book 3, Chapter 31.

Purpose: That people would believe in Jesus, and for those who believe in Jesus, that they would obey Him.

What kind of book?: General epistle (a letter to a group).

Reflection: "[Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:2 NIV).

   Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins of everyone. Yet what He did needs to be receive.  Receiving the atonement of Jesus is a choice, as He taught.  How do you receive?  By believing in Jesus.

   I now do something I have not done during this entire New Testament Survey Overview, but which I do most of the time in my personal journal, which is to say a prayer:

+ Thank you Jesus for being the atoning sacrifice for my sins, the reason that I can be with you forever!  It is through the loving name of You Lord Jesus that I pray.  Amen.

Hunter Irvine

Scripture Love Blog

2 Peter application

Regarding 2 Peter, how do I apply this to myself?

Learn from those who were eyewitnesses!

Regarding 2 Peter, how do I apply this to my community?

Be an eyewitness!  I love my conversion testimony, but I also have numerous testimonies from my journey with Jesus which I can share when they fit the context of the occasion.  And I need to direct people to the people who were eyewitnesses of Jesus when He was in the world, people like the Apostle Peter!

Hunter Irvine

2 Peter background

2 Peter

Author: Peter

Peter starts his epistle identifying himself:

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours..." (2 Peter 1:1 NIV).

Date: There is indication that it was soon before his death, so between 64 and 67 A.D., yet probably closer to 67 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Rome

Purpose: To encourage people as an eyewitness of the life of Jesus when He was physically in this world.  "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16 NIV).

What kind of book?: A general epistle to followers of Jesus.

Reflection: One of our textbooks this semester was a study Bible, which I quickly found to be on the "biblically liberal" side.  Honestly, it was a moment to remember this semester when Professor Tafoya asked the class about what that text said about the author of one of the books of the Bible.  An attentive student, a young lady who rarely speaks in class, spoke up and said with such sincerity, 'According to that commentary, we do not know any of the authors of the Bible.'

   She had the final word on the nature of that study Bible commentary for the semester :)

   The reason is that modern scholarship is ignoring the statements by early Christian writers!  History is no longer taken into consideration by a large number of modern scholars.  Thus they proceed to doubt even the opening sentences of books of Scripture, which are actually part of Scripture.

   There is a reason so much attention and research regarding authorship is important?  If a person is inspired by the Holy Spirit, he could know something that happened to Jesus even if he was not there.  But the more people get away from the validity of eyewitness accounts, the more people can claim the information recorded in the "Holy Bible" is inaccurate.  Yet the New Testament is full of eyewitness accounts indeed.  Matthew and John were disciples of Jesus, eyewitnesses of His ministry as members of the Twelve.  Mark and Luke recorded much history having been directly told accounts by eyewitnesses.  And Mark was a friend, (or the son), of the apostle Peter, and Luke was a friend of the apostle Paul.  Now Paul never saw Jesus when Jesus was in this world, yet He had a direct encounter with Jesus after He ascended into heaven, an unusual encounter, appropriate since Paul was an unusual guy, as can be seen from his statement in Philippians 3:5.  James and Jude were eyewitnesses, whether you take them to be the ones who grew up with Jesus, or two of the Twelve.  And here is Peter.  His epistles are often ignored by Protestant ministers, yet here is an expression of his heart, inspired by God, straight from his pen.  2 Peter 1:16 is a quote to always remember!

Hunter Irvine

Scripture Love Blog

(1) See Samuel Cartledge, A Conservative Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing 1938), 174.

{The definition of "conservative" in this context means giving the biblical text the upmost of authority, working to interpret the writing as the author intended, not having anything to do with politics.}

1 Peter application

Regarding 1 Peter, how do I apply this to myself?:

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18 NIV).

   Before I turned to Christ, I was an Eagle Scout and I was a Resident Advisor at Virginia Tech, along with achieving some other honors in my youth.  And I had a reputation as a moral person.  I remember talking with a friend once as we walked across the drill field at Virginia Tech.  Expressing that I was one of the most moral people he knew, he expressed his perplexity as to why I did not go to church.

   But before I was a follower of Jesus, I did some wrong things which hurt myself and others.  I was not righteous.

   I need to always be mindful that I have reason to be humble before God as someone who was unrighteous, and yet who was saved and made righteous in Christ by His sacrifice on the cross.

Regarding 1 Peter, how do I apply this to my community?:

   Once I had a speaking engagement at a retirement community about my backpacking journey on the Appalachian Trail.  This was in the midst of giving over thirty such talks in retirement communities in 2005.  Since it was early on during my "thru-hike" that I gave my heart to Jesus, I always closed my talks by giving an illustration and then making the point that we all need love, and that Jesus offers love to us all.  Then I would sing "Restore," by Sherri Youngward.

   At that superb community, which is on 17th street near Miller, a large group attended, and the talk went well.  After singing "Restore," which I always did with my eyes closed, I opened my eyes to see tears in the eyes of a gentleman who was sitting in the corner.

Hunter Irvine

1 Peter background

1 Peter

Author: Peter

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ..." (I Peter 1:1 NIV).

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 3, Verse 1, and Book 6, Chapter 25, Verse 8 of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: 64 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Probably Rome (being coined Babylon)

Purpose: To encourage the believers to trust the Lord.

What kind of book?: Epistle to Jewish followers of Jesus, specifically address to "...exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (I Peter 1:1).

Reflection: "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (I Peter 3:18 NIV).

Because Jesus died as the 'substitute' for sins, eternal life is gained by those who believe in Jesus!

Hunter Irvine

(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).

James application

Regarding James, how do I apply this to myself?

   "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (James 1:19-20 NIV).

   The first time I ever gave my testimony, I discussed this verse.  I grew up with two parents who struggled with some anger, which resulted in their divorce after over twenty-five years of marriage.  And their divorce was utterly hurtful to me, and I developed intense anger.  Now in my day to day life I was still just me, but anger brings damage.  For example, I remember a friend in college, a fellow Resident Advisor, asking me why my phone (landline) was damaged.  She was totally surprised when I responded that I had thrown my phone when I was upset with something my mom said.  She said she could not picture me getting mad.  But I did.  Fortunately the phone was tough and still worked.

   Soon after I turned to Jesus, I felt as though some anger had been removed, praise be to God!

   But the problem remained, and it was a process of getting healing.  The process included learning from Jesus to be enabled to forgive people.

   (I add this paragraph in at a later time: In my "Contemporary Youth Problems" class at Colorado Christian University, I learned that everyone gets angry, yet "blowing up" is a choice.  It was a turning point for me when I was convinced it is my choice to blow up or to refrain from blowing up!  Previously, I thought it was simply out of my control.)

   If you want help in getting rid of entrenched anger and to be helped from lashing out, submit to Jesus, because He can enable any person to forgive any person.  The result is that anger dissipates. 

   Anger will eat at you from the inside out, and I am thankful that Jesus has freed me.

Regarding James, who do I apply this to my community?

If I am slow to become angry, I will have better relationships in my community!

Hunter Irvine

James background

James

Author: James

See reflection below, and also see Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 3, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: Possibly 50 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Not known

Purpose: To exhort the believer to good behavior, which is what God wants.

What kind of book?: Teaching Epistle to Jewish followers of Jesus, wherever they happened to be.

Reflection: The popular assumption is that the authors of the books of James and Jude respectively, were the "brothers," (though not genetic brothers obviously), of Jesus, however this is not documented.  People assume such because Jude states he is the brother of James at the start of his letter.

   We definitely know the names of the earthly brothers of Jesus:

"Isn't this the carpenter's son?  Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?  Aren't all his sisters with us?...." (Matthew 13:55-56 NIV).

   Yet both could have been apostles!  The apostle Thaddaeus, whose nickname was Judas, and who was probably called Jude to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, was the son of a James (Luke 6:16), thus it is more likely that he would have a brother named James.

   Now I saw a commentary once which asked the question: Why would Jude make special mention of his brother if he himself was an apostle?  Good question!  But if instead, Jude was the "brother" of Jesus, why did he not mention Jesus instead of his earthly brother?

   I lean toward apostolic authorship for these two books, my reasoning being that had the authors been the "brothers" of Jesus, it is more likely that early Christian historians would have made specific mention of that.

   But the early Christian historians had doubts about both of these books being Scripture in the first place, so maybe that is because they did not come from one of the twelve apostles.

   Professor Tafoya said there still is a loose apostolic connection.  That makes sense since the converted "brothers" of Jesus were eyewitness of Jesus, and it is documented by early historians that the "brother" of Jesus, James "the just," was the very first bishop of the Jerusalem church, serving until he was murdered.

Hunter Irvine

(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).

Hebrews application

Regarding Hebrews, how do I apply this to myself?

   As a Gentile, I need to understand the Jewish context for the New Covenant.  Hebrews is one of my favorite books of the Bible, since the unknown author explains the context and explains the need for a Messiah for all people.  Though the author was working to explain the role and accomplishment of the Messiah to Hebrews, it is the same message for us all.

These two verses are incredible summaries:

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17 NIV).

Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.  But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:26 NIV).

Regarding Hebrews, how do I apply this to my community?

   Probably due to having a close friend who is Jewish in my youth, I have a heart for telling the Gospel to Jewish people.  One follower of Jesus I really looked up to in my early Christian days was a Jewish believer, Eddie Isler, who was the leader at the time of "Career Fellowship," a blessed singles group in Virginia back in the 1990s.

Hunter Irvine

Hebrews background

Hebrews

Author: Unknown (1)

Date: 68 A.D. (2)

Language: Greek

Place: Italy (Hebrews 13:24)

Purpose: To explain that the covenant between God and the Israelites, often called the Mosaic Covenant since Moses was the mediator, which I also like to call the "leading covenant," was used by God to lead to the "New Covenant," where Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for sins.

What kind of book?: Christian teaching epistle.

Reflection: I did a personal study of this book in Grand Junction, and I absolutely loved it, because it explains how Jesus did what He said He had come to do as recorded in Matthew 5:17.  Jesus fulfilled the Law!  Those who believe in Jesus, who is the Messiah, are no longer under the Mosaic Law, rather we are to live by the Spirit, the One who indwells those who have given their heart to Jesus!

Hunter Irvine

(1) Adding this footnote in at a later time, regarding this topic of authorship, and regarding the entire book of Hebrews, I recommend:

Neil R. Lightfoot, Jesus Christ Today: A Commentary on the Book of Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976).

(2) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993), 647.

Philemon application

Regarding Philemon, how do I apply this to myself?:

   All people were created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27).

I am to love all people.

Regarding Philemon, how do I apply this to my community?"

   People in the larger community have a tendency to huddle up in their restrictive communities.  I am to witness to people in any corner of the community where God has me for the day.

Hunter Irvine

Philemon background

Philemon

Author: Paul

Paul always started off his epistles with his name.

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: 62-64 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Rome

Purpose: To inform a friend to love his slave Onesimus, who is his brother-in-Christ.

Professor Tafoya stated he thinks that Paul is stating that Onesimus should be freed, and that freedom is what Paul was willing to pay for.

What kind of letter?: Letter regarding a special occasion.

Reflection:

   Dr. Keener: "A few philosophers said that slaves were equals as people, but they never suggested that masters should free their slaves." (2)

   "So powerful was this precedent that many early U.S. slaveholders did not want their slaves to be exposed to Christianity, for fear that they would be compelled to free them; only in time was a distorted enough form of the Christian message available for use in sustaining slavery..." (3)

Hunter Irvine

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993).

(2) Ibid., 643.

(3) Ibid., 643.

Titus application

Regarding Titus, how do I apply this to myself?

Live the Golden Rule!  The other day I dropped something in the grocery store that I was going to buy.  I put it on the shelf, since it had been on the floor after all, and I was going to grab another one that had not been on the floor, that I knew about. But then I thought about the "Golden Rule."  I bought the one that I had dropped.

Regarding Titus, how do I apply this to my community?

   A devoted follower of Jesus is unpopular in many work environments.  Reading your Bible at lunch hour is enough to disturb certain employees or bosses.  Something I discovered a long time ago, however, is that there is always a shortage of hard workers.  I think the best compliment a worker can have is to be asked to come back to a job after you have resigned it.  That has happened to me for three major jobs, and I accredit God with motivating me to work hard, which became part of my Christian witness.  Once after I left my job as a paralegal, I was offered the job of my previous supervisor, Jim, by Jim himself.  He had been promoted, and was at that time overseeing whoever worked in his old position.  What an incredible compliment.  He knew I worked hard.  Maybe he even knew that I did so because of my Christian ethic.  If you have a job to do, do it well, and it will assist your Christian witness, even if there are some who will not notice.

Hunter Irvine

Titus background

Titus

Author: Paul

Paul always started off his epistles with his name.

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: 62-64 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Rome

Purpose: "This letter contains direction as to the type of church officer Titus should appoint in Crete, and the sort of Christian character he is trying to develop in the Cretan Church." (2)

What kind of book?: Letter regarding a certain occasion.

Reflection: I am also enjoying a U.S. History class this semester.  Currently I am reading an autobiography by Frederick Douglass; in fact I read it during much of the day this past Saturday and all morning today. (I actually wrote this during Thanksgiving break and I am now just typing it in.)

   The horror of being a slave in America in the 1800's is made so clear by Frederick's personal story.  Slavery is a sin, and my advice would be escape the brunt of the sinner if you could.  How can Titus 2:9-10 possibly be reconciled in the face of the slavery story by Frederick Douglass?

   Some insight by Dr. Keener: "...one should recognize that Paul addresses instead the traditional Roman values of his day (including the household slavery of his day, which differed from many other societies' model of slavery)." (3)

   Professor Tafoya discussed how a number of "slaves" had that status upon agreement for paying off a debt that they owed to a person.

   Back to Dr. Keener: "Minority religions were already viewed as subversive, and to counter this prejudice Christians had to work especially hard to avoid the normal causes of slander." (4)

   Christians who have said that Paul's teachings show that God approves of slavery have always been wrong, taking this passage in Titus, or the one in 1 Peter, out of context.

   Abraham Lincoln was right! "...he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave." (5)

   That is what Christians call the "Golden Rule," which is the teaching by Jesus: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12)(popular paraphrase).

   Whenever there is a moral issue that is in doubt, go to Jesus!

Hunter Irvine

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993), 607.

(2) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (London: The Macmillian Company, 1947).

(3) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downer's Grove: IVP Academic, 1993), 637.

(4) Ibid., 638.

(5) Ralph G. Newman, ed., Lincoln For The Ages (New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1960), 279-280.

2 Timothy application

Regarding 2 Timothy, how do I apply this to myself?:

Just as Paul encourages Timothy, I consistently need encouragement from God.  Whenever I read and ponder Scripture, I get encouragement in some manner from God!

Regarding 2 Timothy, how do I apply this to my community?:

Studying the Bible is not a societal norm.  Yet I realize it is my call to always convey the blessing of studying messages from the Lord God Almighty, which are revealed in the Bible.

Hunter Irvine

2 Timothy background

2 Timothy

Author: Paul

Paul always started off his epistles with his name.

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: 62-64 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Rome

Purpose: Encouraging Timothy to carry on with ministry work!

What kind of book?: A letter to an individual, Timothy.

Reflection: The pinnacle verse of 2 Timothy 3:16 states how Scripture is inspired.  Yet I note now the verse before it, a verse which likewise is crucial:

"...the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15 NIV).

   Faith in Jesus is the way for salvation, which is revealed in the holy Scriptures!!!

Hunter Irvine

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993).

1 Timothy application

Regarding 1 Timothy, how do I apply this to myself?

    1 Timothy 4:12 has long been a verse of much importance to me, and still is today even now that I am over 40 years of age.  People say I look much younger than I am.  Also I work with youth, so some people affiliate me with younger folks.  Also I am single and celibate. Thus, some people sometimes look down on me, and I often have not been treated with the same respect as peers.  It is interesting that people in my church who are single and do not have children are treated with less respect than people who are married and have children, considering that Jesus was single, and did not have children.

   Yet how other folks interact with me is not to be my focus.  Living in obedience to Jesus is my concern.

  And I need to work harder to treat people according to their character rather than according to their lifestyle, such as formal education or financial income.

 

Regarding 1 Timothy, how do I apply this to my community

   In my early days as a follower of Jesus, during much of my 20's and 30's, there were people who recognized that my life was rooted in the love of Jesus.  And there are people who still do.

Hunter Irvine

1 Timothy background

1 Timothy

Author: Paul

Paul always started off his epistles with his name.

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: 62-64 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Purpose: To instruct Timothy, a young minister in Ephesus.

What kind of book?: Letter with "pastoral" instruction.

Reflection: In this letter, Paul states, "I do not permit a woman to teach..."(I Timothy 2:12 NIV).  The key word is "I."  For a culture which discriminated against women, Paul is giving a specific personal command, not a permanent command from God.

   Jesus calls women to be ministers according to their calling just like men, or he would have had Martha and Mary at work in the kitchen.  A number of Christians think women cannot be "ordained" as ministers due to specific statements by Paul in his Epistles for women to refrain from doing anything in church.  However, if those church leaders were to follow the "letter" of what Paul states, then women could not even teach Sunday school.  Paul gives a number of personal commands and context specific demands.  We must work to distinguish them from moral commands, which requires the context of the passage to be carefully considered.  Such examination is a delicate art.

Hunter Irvine

(1) Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993), 607.

2 Thessalonians application

Regarding 2 Thessalonians, how do I apply this to myself?

   I look forward to the day that Jesus comes to take me home!!!

   I am thankful to be His worker at this time, even though it is a rough journey.

Regarding 2 Thessalonians, how do I apply this to my community?

   Years ago, I had the blessing of serving as the youth minister in an Anglican church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  (I add this later: There came the point during my time at CCU when I left that denomination, and I stayed out, for specific doctrinal reasons I consider important.  However, I still have friends who are Anglican.  Praise be to God, I have friends in oodles of denominations.)

   When serving at that church, I participated in the wonderful "Alpha" program.  The person who was in charge of that teaching program at our church was extremely enthusiastic about "Alpha."  I appreciated his enthusiasm, but I felt he often got carried away during the church announcement time as he would encourage people to participate in the next church "Alpha" program months in advance.  One time it was early summer, and sure enough, he raised his hand during the announcements, and then he talked about the "Alpha" program which was coming up in the fall.  Personally, I was ready to enjoy summer.  On that day, or one soon thereafter, as he confidently talked about the upcoming program in the distant months, I amusingly thought to myself, '[He] definitely does not believe that Jesus could return at any time.'  So as he continued to make the announcement Sunday after Sunday that summer, that became a personal joke for me.

   However many months later, one day I was praying to God, and we somehow got on the topic of that man's announcements.  I thought about my personal joke, thinking that the man does not think the return of Christ is imminent.  Then I had a thought, which I personally knew came from God: "Do you?"

   That got my attention.  I had not thought about that.  No, I did not, to be honest.  From that time on, I quit joking about that man's announcements.  And on the flip side, I became convicted that Jesus will return as He promised, at a time determined by the Father, which could be at any time.

   It was a lesson to me that we need to focus on the work God has for us in the present, with expectation in our heart that Jesus is going to return!

Hunter Irvine

2 Thessalonians background

2 Thessalonians

Author: Paul

Paul always started off his epistles with his name.

Confirmed by Eusebius in Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 2, of Ecclesiastical History.

Date: Possibly 51 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Writing from Corinth

Purpose: Some people thought Christ's Second Coming was imminent, thus they quit their occupations.  Paul tells them to carry on with work.

What kind of book?: Epistle, (a letter to a group), regarding a particular occasion.

Reflection: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36 NIV).

   This statement by Jesus is as clear as can be, but there is consistently someone who gets notoriety for stating the event will definitely be in the specific year which they calculate and pinpoint.  This is a sin!

   Now we are in the "last days."  The "end times," which will involve a final tribulation, will begin after the first stage of the Second Coming of Christ.

   Yes, I think the ripeness of the fig tree was evident with the Holocaust.  Six million people were murdered, a horror beyond human comprehension.

   Yet remember that a thousand years is like a day for God, thus it is terribly wrong to attempt to pinpoint the time of His Second Coming.

Hunter Irvine

(1) J.B. Phillips, Letters To Young Churches (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1947).