Wisdom – Page 26 – Three Minute Bible

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020

1 Peter 1:15-16 — Picking Nits

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

The word, “holy” suggests that something or someone is pure, sinless, upright, and set apart for God. God, Himself is the definition of holy. As I understand Peter he is saying that we who are called by God should be like God. Not in the things that are unique to God, his power, omniscience, and authority, etc., but in his character. God is humble and loving, patient, kind, and long-suffering. Those are the things we can emulate.

Discerning the difference between what is unique to God and what he can share with us is important. We need to understand that He is God and we are not. It is the lack of discernment in this area that led Lucifer to presume he could be like God. I think we are in danger of falling into the same trap when we presume upon God’s authority.

June 27, 2020June 29, 2020

1 Peter 1:13 (b) — The Quiz

The word "quiz" written on a chalkboard.

… set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Peter continues. He advises us to keep our minds alert and sober. Why? He tells us to set our hope on something that will be given us when Jesus comes. What? What will be “brought to [us]” when Jesus is revealed?

Honestly, this sentence by Peter feels a bit like a flash quiz. In school, there were the tests that you knew were coming; midterms and finals. Those you could plan for. The ones that everyone seemed to hate were those quizzes.

May 30, 2020May 31, 2020

Jude 1: 25d — Something Fishy

Large aquarium with people standing outside looking in at the fish.

…through Jesus Christ our Lord …

Jude is nearing the end of his letter and his doxology. Today he tells us something very important and also very mysterious. Everything God does is through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Several questions come to mind. How does Jude know this? What does it mean? How does this work?

The reason I say that this is “mysterious” is that some things are beyond our ability to know. We can guess, and we can surmise, but we can’t know. Even though this is beyond our ability to know the answer directly, God has given us some clues in his Word.

May 29, 2020May 29, 2020

Jude 1: 25c — Granted

… be glory, majesty, power and authority…

To the only God, our Savior, who keeps us from stumbling and brings us to Himself…

… be glory, majesty, power and authority…

Why does Jude tell us this? Isn’t it obvious that God is worthy of all glory and majesty? Doesn’t it make sense that all power and authority reside in the Creator of All Things?

No?

May 25, 2020May 26, 2020

Jude 1: 24a — Stumbling

A paved walkway under an arched colonnade.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling…

We begin the last sentence of Jude’s letter with this phrase about stumbling.

We live in a world of paved walkways. That may not sound significant, but it is. Two thousand years ago there may have been a few paved walkways, but they were very few. Most of the paths people walked on were on bare earth.

Like a trail through the woods, earth paths contain surprises. A stray rock here, an uneven place there, and every now and then a big root winding its way across the path. These things cause a person to stumble if they are not careful. During the day when it is light it is easy to see and the roads are safer, but at twilight and night it becomes dangerous to walk.

Another difference these days is that we tend to wear better shoes. In the days of Jesus, an open sandal was more common. Have you ever smashed your bare toe into a doorpost or a chair? That is the kind of pain you might feel wearing sandals and meeting up with a rock or a root on the trail.

Why is this important?

May 14, 2020May 15, 2020

Jude 1: 16c — Strange Reflection

A glass ball reflects a strange image of a beach.

…they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

Jude wraps up his description of the ungodly with this final clue. What is it about boasting and flattery that has drawn Jude’s attention?

In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul writes:

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)

May 10, 2020May 11, 2020

Happy Mother’s Day!

A mother swan carries two babies on her back.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. — Exodus 20: 12

As I gaze over the landscape of Scripture in my mind’s eye, mothers are everywhere. From Eve, the mother of us all, to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Everywhere in Scripture are stories about mothers and the influence they have on history. One of my favorite mothers is told about in the book of Ruth.

Naomi is enduring. She travels with her husband and two sons to a foreign land because of a famine. While there both of her sons take wives from the Moabites who live there. Then tragedy strikes. Naomi’s husband dies. He is followed in death by their two sons. Naomi is left alone.

May 2, 2020May 2, 2020

Jude 1: 9 — Discerning Darkness

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

There is a danger here.

Jude is teaching us how to identify those who are walking in darkness. What he is NOT telling us to do is pass judgment on their souls. He tells us what God has in store for such people, but nowhere does it say we are to be the ones who condemn them. To illustrate this point, Jude reminds us of the archangel, Michael.

The archangel is understood to be over all the other angels. This angel is unique in relation to God and other angels. The text refers to another angel called “the devil.” This angel would have been known as Lucifer, or Satan. Satan’s power and influence were rivaled only by God in the heavens.

April 19, 2020April 20, 2020

Jude 1:1c — A Hard Thing

…who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

As we begin our study of Jude’s letter, he tells us who he is and who he is writing to. The people he writes to “have been called” by God to walk in light and mercy. Today he adds that they are “loved in God the Father.” (NIV)

The Greek in this instance is either difficult to translate or it reflects an idiom that was common in Jude’s day but is not common now. The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the Greek this way: “…beloved in God the Father….” This formulation makes more sense to me than the NIV in this case.

Unless a person knows Greek, it is a good idea to explore different translations when a passage is difficult for you. This Bible website allows you to see all the available English translations at once.

April 18, 2020April 18, 2020

Jude 1: 1b — Six Little Words

To those who have been called…

The second mystery of Jude’s letter is found in these six little words: “To those who have been called.” What does he mean by “called,” and who are these people who have been called?

To answer the question of what it means to be “called,” let’s turn to Peter’s first letter:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

— 1 Peter 2: 9-10