WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday January 27, 2019

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IMITATE CHRIST JESUS

(Unity through humility)

(Philippians 2:1-11)

   In Philippians chapter 2, verses 1-11, perhaps two Greek words sum up the gist of the Apostle Paul’s message to the Church at Philippi. The first is “tapeinophrosune” (tap-i-nof-ra-soo-nay) which means “unity through humility”, and the other is “sumpsuchos” (soom-psoo-khos), which means “together in spirit, or like-minded”.

    Here, Paul writes of how his joy in his fellowship with the Philippians would be even greater, if they would began to exhibit more unity, by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other under the whole Word of GOD, and also by loving one another, and working together with one heart and one purpose, which should be, to obey GOD. This is perhaps Scripture’s clearest portrait of the “humility” that is called for by CHRIST JESUS, our LORD.

    Humility, in the biblical sense, is not “a weak man’s surrender”, but rather, it is “a strong man’s rejection of all things selfish”. It is also a desire to be actively and genuinely concerned with the needs of others (verses 2-4). In fact, JESUS tells us in Matthew 25, verses 31-46, that, HE will judge us in the last day, “according to our reaction to human need”. HIS criterion for administering HIS final judgment will be based on “how we reacted to the needs of others” in our lifetime, and not on how much, or, how little, we sinned.

    In verses 5-11, Paul uses JESUS as the great example, or standard, of what “true humility” in a Christian should look like. Here Paul tells us that our attitudes toward each other should be the same attitude which CHRIST exemplified, during HIS lifetime here on earth. During that time, even though HE was GOD, HE did not demand, or cling to HIS to rights as GOD. HE took the humble position of “a slave” and appeared to us “in 100% human form”. HE obediently humbled HIMSELF even further, by dying a criminal’s death on the cross by Roman method.

    In this supreme illustration of humility, JESUS willingly surrendered the prerogatives of deity, in order that HE may die for the sins of all humanity, here on earth. It is because of JESUS’ great sacrifice that GOD raised HIM up to the heights of Heaven, and gave HIM the name that is above all other names. And as a result of HIS faithful work, it is at the very mention of HIS name that, one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, and, it will all be to the glory of GOD the FATHER in Heaven.

    These statements by Paul (vs. 6-11), constitute a grand expression of “Christology”. In fact, it is said by some scholars that these verses are taken from one of the popular hymns of the early Christian Church. Through our struggles here on earth, the Christian must be able to tap into GOD’s Will for us (the Bible), and then, shine brightly for CHRIST, through our behavior.

    Paul reminded the Philippians of how careful they were to follow his instructions while he was with them. And now, here in this passage, he was urging them to put what they had learned from him into action, and show the world, through their behavior, how GOD’s saving work is having a positive effect on their lives, and, on the lives of others. It is the brightness of our Christian light that sheds light and life, on the Gospel message that we hold out for others to see.

    We must set as our goal, a desire to gain certain qualities in life, among them being, having a genuine interest in the welfare of others, a genuine concern for those interests that are CHRIST’, and a record of faithful service that we can point to as our witness before those whom we aspire to convert.

    By following the Word of GOD and the examples of JESUS CHRIST, or, in other words, “by being in CHRIST”, the Christian Church, earnestly working together, will be able to work out GODly solutions to its own problems, and, at one and the same time, be able to do so, without murmuring and complaining to GOD, and, to each other. And through our real life examples and behavior, we’ll be able to show the world, that, without a doubt, “Christianity really does produce the best men and women”.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday January 20, 2019

Over 187,000 readers worldwide

larrydalexander.blogspot.com

REJOICE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

(GOD uses our circumstances to further the Gospel)

(Philippians 1:12-21)

   It was in A.D. 52 that Paul first visited the city of Philippi, during his second missionary journey with Silas. It later became the first European city in which a Christian church was established. Lydia and her family (Acts 16:11-15), and later, the Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:16-36), were all converted to Christianity by Paul and Silas, during the two men’s visit, and incarceration, there in Philippi.

    Ironically, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, while jailed under house arrest in Rome, some 10 years later. It was written in response to the financial generosity of the Philippian Church, during and after his visit there in Macedonia. Paul says that, they were the only church to respond in such a way, when he delivered to them, the good news about CHRIST JESUS.

    Paul testifies that the Philippians had already ministered to his needs on three earlier occasions, twice while he was in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:15-16), and once in Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:9). And now, during this imprisonment in Rome, the church at Philippi sends their pastor, Epaphroditus, to minister to him there. Epaphroditus personally expressed to Paul, the affection that the church had for him, and he also delivered yet another financial blessing to Paul, in an effort to make his incarceration more comfortable.

    This letter to the Philippians has a tone that is both, personal and practical in its instructions. All throughout, we can see a theme building that is joyful, and encouraging. Christians who were at odds with each other, were encouraged to make amends, and all believers were encouraged to aspire to obtain, and maintain, the high standards of GOD in their lives, and to encourage others to do the same.

    At this point, Paul is unsure whether or not, he will die during his incarceration in Rome, however, he declares that, if death does come, he assures the believers that he will rejoice in the presence of GOD, and if he does not die, he will continue to serve GOD to the best of his ability.

    As we read through the words of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we are made aware, through his experiences, of those things that can bring us joy through times of tribulation. The outstanding way in which the verses of chapter 2 exalts CHRIST as someone who chose to come to earth to suffer a death by Roman method, on a cross, and was raised by GOD to the highest and most exalted place of all, at the right hand of GOD the FATHER, certainly makes it one of the most encouraging passages in all of Scripture.

   After a sincere prayer of thanksgiving for, and vote of confidence in, the Christian Church at Philippi (vs. 1-11), Paul moves on to describe some of the problems that he was currently faced with in Rome. He wanted all of the Christian brothers and sisters to know that everything that was happening to him in Rome would contribute to the spread of the Good News about JESUS CHRIST (vs. 12-14)). And even though some were preaching out of jealousy and rivalry to Paul, most were preaching out of a love for him, and most of all, a love for JESUS CHRIST. Paul was confident that the prayers of the saints and the SPIRIT of CHRIST JESUS would deliver him from his pain (vs. 15-19).

    In the biblical Greek, the word used for “earnest expectation” or “hope for the future” is “apokaradokia” (a-pok-a-ra-do-kee-yah). It describes the attitude of a man who scans the horizon, with his head stretched forward, as he eagerly anticipates the first signs of the coming of the glory of GOD.

    You see, for Paul, life was not a long, hopelessly defeated waiting, but rather, it was a thriving and very vivid expectation of eternal joy. The Christian has always been, is now, and will forever be, a part of “the human experience”. By that I mean, from within, we all have to suffer with our own “sin nature”, which is, in the Greek “epithumia”, and it is that battle that constantly goes on within ourselves between “the reason to do right” and “the passion to want to do wrong”.

   When we give in to the “passion” of our human flesh, we sin, but when we yield to the “reasoning” of the HOLY SPIRIT, we are able to avoid the clutches of sin. In addition to suffering with our own sin nature, we are also affected by the sins of others. However, we must learn how to, in the power of CHRIST, live in a world that is full of death and decay, and we must also withstand the suffering caused by sins that are not our own, just as JESUS did.

    In Philippians 1, verse 20, Paul says that he lived in “earnest expectation and hope” that he would never again do anything that would cause shame to himself, or to CHRIST JESUS, neither in life, nor, in death. He resolved that his living would be for CHRIST, and, that his dying for CHRIST would be even better.

    Paul was torn between two desires, living in service to CHRIST, and, dying for the sake of CHRIST. But he reasoned in the only “unselfish” way that he could, and that was that, it would be better for those who were lost, that he lived on, working in hopes that one day, they too, could experience the joy that he himself had found in CHRIST JESUS (Vs.20-26).

    To exalt CHRIST through our behavior results in a life well lived. In the biblical times the word “conversation” (v.27) meant “your whole way of life”, or, how you lived, what your manner of living was, what you did, and how you did it. Sadly, today “conversation” only means “the way you talk”, and has nothing to do with the way you really are.

    Professed Christians must begin to let their “conversation” (way of life) be worthy of CHRIST, because we are, in reality, professing to be citizens of Heaven. We must give up the desire to conform to the ways of the world, even, and especially in the Christian Church house. We have to transform from the world before we can enter into Heaven, and we can take nothing of this world with us when we make our transitions. We must make sure that our “messages” and our “motives” line up with the Word of GOD, at all times.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

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WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday January 13, 2019

Over 186,000 readers worldwide

larrydalexander.blogspot.com

SUBMIT TO GOD

(Drawing close to GOD)

(James 4:1-10)

   In the biblical Greek, the word used for “sin nature” is “epithumia” (ep-i-thoo-me-a), however it really describes that battle that wages on inside of each of us, between “the reason to do right” (GOD’s Nature), and “the passion to want to do wrong” (sin nature). We were all born with “GOD’s Nature” in us, and not with sin nature. We acquire sin nature the first we disobey GOD at an age of accountability.

    GOD’s Nature consists of those “communicable attributes” of “Life”, “Personality”, “Love”, “Truth”, “Justice”, “Wisdom”, and “Holiness”, that GOD placess inside of each of us from the moment HE decides to allow us to be born into this world. HE places these attributes into our “soul” (human spirit), and they allow us to be able worship HIM, and have a personal relationship of friendship with HIM.

    Unfortunately, however, we invite “satan’s sin nature” into our soul (human spirit) the moment that we first decide to disobey GOD at the age of accountability. And from that point forward, the battle inside of us, between “right” and “wrong”, to win our soul, begins in earnest, and continues on throughout the remainder of our lives.

    However, when and if, we “come to the end of ourselves” and “realize that we need GOD more than we need anything else, we can repent, claim CHRIST JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR, receive the help of the HOLY SPIRIT, and begin to win that battle inside of us for righteousness sake, and reclaim control of our soul back from satan. The, “reason to do right” will then become victorious over “our passion to want to do wrong” and thereby, our desires for GOD becomes superior to our love of the world and all that comes with.

     It is not until a person “falls in love with goodness”, that wrong things will no longer fascinate and have power over them. When we fall in love with goodness, our relationship with GOD becomes our greatest asset. By contrast, the person who loses his or her heart to the things of world is, without doubt, the person who is most vulnerable to satan.

    Sin nature is the personification of “selfishness”, and thereby selfishness is the very essence of sin. By contrast, the HOLY SPIRIT is the personification of “unselfishness”, and thereby unselfishness becomes to very essence of “holiness” and “righteousness”.

    Perhaps Warren W. Wiersbe put it best when he wrote, “People who are at war with themselves because of selfish desires, are always unhappy people. They never enjoy life. Instead of being thankful for the blessings they do have, they complain about the things that they don’t have. They can’t even get along with other people because they are always envying others for what they have and do. They are always looking for that “magic something” that will change their lives, when the real problem is within their own hearts”.

    Here in James chapter 4, James begins to focus his message on “the three kinds of wars” that exist in the “human drama”, that is, this life. He also shows us how these wars serve to complicate the lives of all mankind. Here James attempts to help us deal with those wars as he both, identifies them, and, shows us how they can be stopped. In verses 7-10 he tells us how to deal with our;

·         “War within ourselves”

·         “War against each other”

·         “War against GOD”

    It is our “war within ourselves” that causes us to “war with each other”, and thereby, to be at “war against GOD”, WHO commands us to “love one another” because we are all “made in the spiritual image of GOD”. As far as GOD is concerned, we need no other reason to “love one another”, than for the fact that we are all made in HIS image. It is GOD’s wish that we love one another unconditionally.

    The issues of fighting, quarreling, lust, hate, envy, and pride dominates this section of James’ letter. This is quite in contrast to the “words of being a peacemaker”, which ended chapter 3. Here James confronts these particular behavior problems, and gives clear advice on how to handle these storms, or giants, that can be devastating to our spiritual growth and maturity, if don’t get out in front of them and take control and responsibility for our actions (Vs.1-3).

    In this passage we see James’ strong indignation for even the appearance of conflict among those who profess to be Christians, or, “followers of CHRIST”. The tone of his delivery now changes, as, instead of using the term “My dear brothers”, in verse 4, he refers to his audience by using the term “You adulterous people”. Here he warns those who are letting themselves become friends of the world, that, by doing so, they are making themselves “an enemy of GOD”.

    If our aim in life is to please the world, and enjoy all it has to offer, we automatically and sometimes, quite unwittingly, put ourselves in danger of falling in love with the world, and thereby, despising GOD, WHO created the world, in the process.

    GOD gave us the use of the things of this world for our day to day survival. We are to, use those things, and not, allow those things to use us. We must take care not to fall in love with the things that we acquire, and we are not to worship those things, consuming our lives with chasing after them, and seeking after them with all of our heart. 

    As the solution to our problem of controlling our desires (exercising self-control), GOD gives us the use of HIS HOLY SPIRIT, WHO, will abide in us, and help protect those who are “being saved”, from getting entrenched in our desires to be like the world. HE will give us the added strength and humility that we need, in order to stand against the gravitational pull of this world (Vs.5-6).

    GOD sets HIMSELF against “the proud” and shows favor to “the humble”. When we “draw close to GOD”, GOD, draws close to us. And when we pray with “the right motive”, which is, in other words, “that HIS Will be done here on earth”, we show that we are willing to change for HIM.

    However, if we pray selfishly with the wrong motive, for things that are out of GOD’s Will, we are, in effect, asking that  “our Will be done in Heaven”. We are asking that “GOD changes for us”, and certainly our prayers will not be answered positively, but rather, we will get no response from GOD, except maybe a “NO” response.

    Praying with the right motive calls for us to be able to control our selfish desires that can, even in our petitions, seek to feed our own fleshly pleasures, and can, quite easily make us slaves to “hedonism”, a selfish philosophy that makes “fleshly pleasure” our main objective.

    And so, we must learn to pray in the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, with a mind that is cultivated in the Word of GOD. Remember, even, and especially, the rich among us must be able to admit that, despite all that they own, they still need GOD. Before anyone can repent, they must first, humble themselves, and confess that they need GOD. Then, like anyone else who submits with contrition, GOD, will lift them up in honor, right now, in this life, here on earth (Vs.7-10).

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

       

           

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday January 6, 2019

Over 185,000 readers worldwide

larrydalexander.blogspot.com

WALK IN LOVE

(Walking in love, obedience, and truth)

(2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 and 2 John 4-11)

   In the Apostle John’s second letter to the Christian Church he expresses the need for Christians to beware of false teachers and teachings that arise out of “the antichrist influence” that has long existed in the world. In fact the antichrist influence predates the creation of mankind, as satan himself, has inhabited the earth since being ejected from Heaven by GOD the FATHER, long before HE created any other living beings on this planet.

    The purpose of this letter is to encourage “true Christians” to “continue in love”, as well as to warn them against those whose job is to deceive believers in matters concerning their faith. Here John charges the believer not to participate in those evil things that deceivers bring into the Church from the world, under the guise of saying that “they are trying to attract people to CHRIST” by employing a “worldly familiarity”, or methods.

    CHRIST does not have, recognize, or endorse any worldly way of doing things, HE only recommends those GODly strategies that are already laid out for the Church in biblical literature. There is no room for “human ingenuity” in the Church (John 6:63b). Things that contradict the SPIRIT of GOD should be left outside the Church when people join, and those who pledge themselves to CHRIST must also pledge themselves to living “a changed life” that coincides with the teachings of JESUS CHRIST, the LIVING WORD.

    Those who choose to come to CHRIST must do so by accepting the GODly idea of “katharisomen” into their spirit. Katharisomen is a Greek term that means, “separation from all people and things that defile”. It is a term that is discussed more in debt in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. When we join the Church where CHRIST JESUS is the head, we make a vow to change and no longer live as partners with those people that are intent on doing and promoting the lifestyles that GOD deems as evil. We must come to the Church, “through the bible”, as CHRIST had HIS disciples do in the first century, and not, the other way around. “HE taught them the true Word” before HE ever sent them to work in the Church, or to evangelize the world.   

    In the first century and beyond, heavy persecution dictated the Churches use of “code words, or expressions” whenever they communicated to each other in the various towns and cities where they had established Christian congregations (mostly house churches in hidden locations).

    Here in this letter, in verse one, we find the code words “favorite mistress”, or “chosen lady”, in the Greek “eklektos kyria”, and her “children”, in the Greek “teknon”, being used to hide the identity or exact location of the church from those who sought to infiltrate it with worldly ideas and false teachings, to the ends that the Church might be destroyed before it could take roots. GOD does not wish for us to mix the “holy” with the “profane” (i.e. “miming” with “praise dancing” in today’s Church), and the early Church went to great lengths to keep that from happening.

    John begins this letter (v.4) by expressing his joy in how the newly founded church had been dedicating themselves to the righteous living and truth that they had been introduced to through the Word of GOD. Apparently John had recently met with some members of that particular church, and wanted to express how pleased he was with their Christian behavior in a public forum. He reminded the church to also stay in keeping with the commandment of CHRIST JESUS that we “love one another”.

    John also reminded the church of how some had gone out of the church, who, did not truly believe their reports about CHRIST, and were giving the world a bad impression of how true Christian really behaved. They did not believe the “human example of perfection” that was presented by CHRIST during HIS life here on earth, which was intended to show the world that “Christianity really does produce the best men and women”.

    In this letter, John urged the church to be diligent so that they might receive the full reward that they had worked so hard for (v.8). He tells them that they must never wander away from the teachings of CHRIST, and always keep their fellowship with GOD, and CHRIST, intact (v.9).

    In verse 10 John warns Christians that if anyone comes to their church and does not teach the truth about CHRIST, don’t even invite them into your house, or encourage them in any way. JESUS perfectly obeyed GOD as a 100% human being and HIS very life tells us that we should too. Anyone who encourages a deceiver, or false teacher, becomes a partner with them in all their evil work.

    All of the central teachings of Christianity hinges on the 100% humanity and 100% deity of JESUS, our LORD. HE is the one and only “Hypostatic Union”, and the only way to GOD. HE is the one and only truth, and the one and only source of “eternal life”. No one, who doesn’t teach the humanity and deity of JESUS CHRIST, can ever be held up as a teacher of the Christian Faith.

    Finally, in 2 Thessalonians 3, verses 1-5, the Apostle Paul chimes in by urging that the Church pray continuously that the message of CHRIST JESUS will spread rapidly and correctly through  the world, just as it is written. We should pray that our efforts to teach CHRIST in the Church, are not met and overcome with contamination by evil people who do not really believe in the LORD our GOD in Heaven, but only use the Word of GOD to try and take advantage of those who want to believe, but are not yet fully committed.

    As professed Christians, we must pray that our confidence in the LORD will continue to increase by way of our actually putting into practice, the things that the Word of GOD (CHRIST JESUS) commands us to do. And as a result, GOD will bring us into a deeper understanding of HIS love, and also, of the endurance of CHRIST JESUS, WHO, as a 100% human being, overcame this world, by way of HIS total obedience to GOD the FATHER.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website