Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Summary: These words give us a peek into Paul’s world. Today we meditate on the meaning of camaraderie and what that means to us.
Continue reading “Titus 3:15 (a) — Camaraderie”
Our people…
Summary: What does Paul mean when he writes “our people?” Not all believers are the same.
Continue reading “Titus 3:14 (a) — Believers”
… do your best …
Summary: Three little words in Paul’s instructions to Titus give us a clue to peace and contentment as we live our lives in service to Jesus.
Continue reading “Titus 3:12 (b) — Your Best”
But avoid foolish … quarrels about the law …
Summary: Paul’s life story is a case study on which kinds of controversy are legitimate and which kinds are foolish. We can learn from looking at the examples he struggled with.
Continue reading “Titus 3:9 (d) — The Trick”
But avoid foolish controversies …
Summary: The concept of a “foolish controversy” is one that opens the door to a lot of discussion. Understanding the difference between what is foolish and what is sensible requires wisdom.
Continue reading “Titus 3:9 (a) — Foolish and Sensible”
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
Summary: Looking back at our discussion of the church liturgy and calendar, we see two of the simplest and most powerful tools for sharing the Gospel in existence: Christmas and Easter.
Continue reading “Luke 24:1-8 — Happy Easter!”
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.
Summary: Somehow avoiding people sounds a bit un-Christian. Yet Paul tells us to avoid people who live to argue. Looking at the list of “things to stress” that Paul gave Titus, we can see how this makes sense.
Continue reading “Titus 3:9-10 — Avoidance”
And I want you to stress these things …
Summary: Paul’s letter to Titus is very short. Yet, it contains a concise summary of Christian teachings. In this passage we are encouraged to step back and take a look at where Paul’s words have brought us.
Continue reading “Titus 3:8 (b) — Things”
This is a trustworthy saying.
Summary: What is trustworthy? Mainstream churches use a structured worship called a liturgy. The liturgy was written centuries ago to honor God’s Word. Today, liturgies still in use reflect the same truths, but they cannot guarantee that modern church leaders follow suit.
Continue reading “Titus 3:8 (a) — Liturgy”
… so that, having been justified by his grace …
Summary: Paul’s description of being saved arrives at the concept of justification. Do we need more than we already have? It turns out we do. We need to be justified before God.
Continue reading “Titus 3:7 (a) — Arrived”