Jesus – Three Minute Bible

September 8, 2026September 7, 2026

2 Timothy 1:7a – Two Kinds of Fear

Awe and respect versus timidness and fear (Grok)

For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear…

Summary: Paul’s insight about fear is an important one for us to understand.

This passage is powerful. In it, Paul tells us that God does not give us a spirit of “deilia.”

“Deilia” is Greek meaning timidity, fearfulness, or cowardice.*

It is easy to see why Paul would point this out, especially to Timothy. Paul has laid a heavy spiritual responsibility on Timothy, and there is no room for hesitation or being timid. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructed him to “command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Timothy 1:3). This is the exact opposite of being timid.

But to be clear, there is a fear that we should have.

Speaking to his disciples before a crowd of thousands of people, Jesus taught them this:

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5, NIV)

The fear of God is very different than the fear Paul mentioned to Timothy. In quoting Jesus, Luke used the word “phobeō,” which means “to be in awe of, revere, show reverence.”† Our fear of God is the respect due the Creator of all things.

In one sense, we could say that Paul is pointing us away from weakness, while at the same time pointing us to our strength.

God is that strength. The Spirit of God is many things, but it is not weakness in the face of physical threats.

As we go through life with Christ, the Spirit of God will prompt us to do things that might be uncomfortable. Perhaps it is spending more time in the Bible or being more patient with someone who irritates us. We might be prompted to reach out to someone in need, or encourage someone we do not know. We might be tasked with doing things we never thought we could do.

The opposite of this feeling is timidity…fear. Fear of doing what we know is right is not from God.

Application: The fear of God drives out all other fear.

Food for Thought: How do we get more of what God wants us to have?

*”G1167 – deilia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 7 Sep, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1167/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.”

†”G5399 – phobeō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 7 Sep, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5399/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.”

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments. Quotes are from the World English Bible (Public Domain) unless otherwise noted.

August 31, 2026August 30, 2026

2 Timothy 1:2b – Three Gifts

Image of three gifts, wrapped in paper with ribbons on them. (Grok)

Grace, mercy, and peace…

Summary: In his role as an apostle, Paul is able to offer the gifts of God to Timothy and us.

The structure of Paul’s first sentence in this letter is interesting. Here is the whole sentence—watch what he does:

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Paul is an apostle. He is sent by the Lord Jesus to be an emissary for the Gospel. His specific mission is to the Gentile world.

When God sends a representative, they do not go alone. God goes with them. Often, although not always, signs and wonders go with the person representing God. Moses, for example, performed many great signs before Pharaoh and the people of Israel.

In Paul’s particular case, he, too, has performed signs and wonders. These signs testify to the fact that God is working through Paul and that his testimony is affirmed by the power of God.

Now, we see him doing something different.

In addition to preaching the Gospel, Paul is dispensing gifts from the Father. He doesn’t say, “May the grace of God be with you.” Instead, he confidently says that he is sending grace, mercy, and peace from the Father and Jesus Christ to Timothy.

And what lavish gifts!

Grace — the favor of God poured out on a person by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mercy — Instead of the punishment we deserve because of our fallen nature, God extends his love and affection to us.

Peace — the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7, RSV).

It is hard to express the profound effect that the combination of these three gifts can have on a person.

Imagine receiving a letter from Paul directed to you personally. In the letter, he opens with the same words he has written to Timothy. Now realize that God, in fact, offers you these same gifts!

His mercy is extended to all people. As long as we are alive in the flesh, we have the opportunity to return to God and be welcomed home.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God’s grace is poured into our lives in the form of the Holy Spirit.

When we have God’s mercy, the love of Jesus, and the grace that comes with the presence of the Holy Spirit, we also have God’s peace.

Application: Enjoy the gifts of God!

Food for Thought: How do grace, mercy, and peace help us to be disciples of Jesus?

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August 28, 2026August 27, 2026

2 Timothy 1:1b – Been There Done That

Jesus and Nicodemus converse at night (Grok)

… according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus…

Summary: Paul’s wording in this passage gives us a reason to pause and ponder.

Paul doesn’t waste any time in this letter. Already, before the ink is dry on his first sentence, I have questions about what he is saying. At least this time I am not alone!

Translators have issues with this sentence, too. The translation used for the passage above is the World English Bible (WEB). The NIV says it almost the same way:

“…in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus…”

The Darby Translation says it a bit differently and may capture the intent of the Greek better than most:

“Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God’s will, according to promise of life, the [life] which [is] in Christ Jesus…”

Let’s go with this translation for now. What is the life which is in Christ Jesus? Jesus says:

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.” (John 11:25, WEB)

There is a technical phrase for what this sentence does to the human brain. It is “cognitive dissonance.” A more colloquial way to put it would be, “Jesus, you grind my gears!”

How can I still live, even if I die?

It turns out that there are two kinds of life and death. The one we all know about is the kind of life we have when our body is working well, and the death we experience when the body stops working. But what about our inner self? What about the invisible, spiritual, personal “ME” that is inside of me and is where my thinking and feelings occur?

The invisible part of us doesn’t just go out when we die, like blowing out a candle. Instead, it continues to exist only without the complications of a physical body. How do I know this?

The best evidence is Jesus Christ himself. That he lived two thousand years ago is not contested. Some people claim that he didn’t really die on the cross, but the evidence that he did is overwhelming. Nobody survives being whipped to near death, crucified, and then run through to the heart with a lance.

It is Jesus himself who provides evidence of life after death, and it is his conversation with Nicodemus that explains why he knows:

“ I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” (John 3:12-13)

He has “been there, done that,” as they say.

Application: Trust Jesus—he knows!

Food for Thought: What does the word “life” mean the way Paul is using it in his sentence?

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August 27, 2026August 26, 2026

2 Timothy 1:1a – Introducing Paul

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…

Summary: Paul is a uniquely qualified emissary for the Lord’s Gospel message.

Paul didn’t choose to be an apostle. In fact, when he woke up on the morning of the day he met Jesus, the last thing on his mind was being an apostle. His goal that day was to continue his journey to Damascus so he could hunt down and imprison more Christians.

Up until that day, Paul had been Christians’ worst nightmare. Since the day that he stood by watching over the coats of those who stoned Stephen (Acts 7:54-60), Paul’s passion for purifying the world of this upstart religion had been unquenchable. It wasn’t until Jesus blinded him with his presence and announced who he was that Paul relented (Acts 9:1-9).

After three days of being blind, when Paul had arrived in Damascus, God sent Ananias to go to Paul and open his eyes. After receiving the Holy Spirit and being baptized, Paul immediately began to proclaim Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Acts 9:10-19). Ever since, Paul’s passion for the Old Covenant was now being poured into the New.

Because Paul was relentless in preaching the Gospel and starting churches throughout the known world, he was considered an apostle. Because he had been called into the service of the faith by Jesus Christ personally, Paul was considered an apostle on the order of the original eleven apostles who had been chosen by Jesus. (The twelfth, Judas, was the one who betrayed Jesus.)

Paul’s credentials as an apostle are rather unique:

“If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.” (Philippians 3:4-6)

His energy and commitment to the Gospel were unwavering. Because of all this, and because it was through the will of God to call him to the ministry, Paul’s letters have been treasured as “gospel” from the very first days of the church.

Application: Pay attention to what Paul has written.

Food for Thought: Do Paul’s letters represent his own thoughts, or are they God’s words? How do we know?

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August 25, 2026August 24, 2026

1 Timothy 6:21 – The Rock

… which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Summary: Paul’s closing thought is a doozy. Somewhere there is an invisible line which, once crossed, means we have departed from the faith.

Let’s begin with a review of Paul’s closing paragraph:

“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

1. Guard what has been entrusted to your care — the truth.

2. Turn your back on false claims of truth.

3. Because some have not and ended up leaving the faith.

This closing thought in Paul’s letter is one that has terrified church leaders for centuries. They are haunted by the question, “How can I make sure my flock never strays from the truth?” In order to answer that question, the church, over the years, has systematized and clarified the Gospel over and over again. We want to make certain that the truth is clear and that people know it.

Our understanding of “truth” has shifted, and nobody noticed.

Paul’s understanding of the Gospel is not about Jesus Christ; it is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).

Here is the scary part:

We can drift away from the truth and not realize it. Like a boat that slips its mooring lines in the middle of the night, we drift into the night fog without noticing the change. It is only when the sun rises, burns off the fog, and shows us the truth that we realize land is no longer in sight.

The same is true for faith.

Over the centuries since Paul’s day, the church has established theologies and rules. We have to believe in words about Jesus to be saved rather than believing in Jesus.

The shift has been subtle—impossible to notice, but it is real. That is why Paul is so concerned about guarding the truth.

How do we know the difference between true knowledge and false knowledge? The answer isn’t intellectual assent. Believing something is true doesn’t make it so. Truth is true because it is real.

You don’t need a book about rocks to recognize a rock when you feel one. It is hard, cold, and heavy. Big or little, wet or dry, polished or rough—a rock is a rock. We know it, not when we see it, but when we make contact with it.

Have you ever seen one of those fake rocks used to hide a key in the yard? Have you seen displays in a museum or a zoo where the rocks look real but sound hollow and feel like fiberglass?

You know what the truth is when you touch it, or it touches you. Jesus is the truth. Turn away from false knowledge.

Application: Know Jesus.

Food for Thought: Where is the line between truth and false knowledge?

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August 14, 2026August 13, 2026

1 Timothy 6:15b-16a – Being God

A bright light shines over the horizon. (Grok)

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.

Summary: Paul’s words provide a description of God that is both awe-inspiring and humbling.

One of the things about the Bible that is a bit hard for us to comprehend is how things work in the spiritual realm. For example, Jesus says that he and the Father “are one” (John 10:30). What does that mean? How are we to understand this?

Here, in Paul’s letter, he writes that God is the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” That makes sense to me because Paul is pointing to God’s supreme authority. He is God, and we are not. But there is something else here. Paul is not the only one to use this description of God.

In John’s description of Jesus setting out for the final battle against Evil we see him described with a name on his thigh:

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

Both God and Jesus share the same title. Both of them share the same authority. As Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

Both are immortal.

I thought the use of the word “immortal” was interesting, because when we live with God in heaven, all of us who serve King Jesus will technically be “immortal.” But there is a big difference between our life in Christ and God’s immortality.

God pre-existed everything (Genesis 1:1). He exists outside of time (Psalm 90:4). He is to human immortality what a 100-year-old man is to a newborn baby.

The immortality of God is without beginning or end.

Then we have the quality of Light. Paul says the Lord lives in “unapproachable light.”

I am reminded of the story of Paul’s direct encounter with the Lord:

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Acts 9:3)

When Paul says that God lives in “unapproachable light,” he knows what he is talking about!

Authority, immortality, and unapproachable light. There is a reason the Bible says that we should “fear the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Application: God is Awesome!

Food for Thought: What would you add to Paul’s description of God’s power and position?

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August 13, 2026August 12, 2026

1 Timothy 6:14b-15a – Game Changer

Picture of a chessboard with a football dropping into the middle of the game. (Grok)

… until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time…

Summary: Understanding that Jesus is coming again is a game changer for many of us.

When you read the words in this passage, what do you think of?

For some of you, this is a ‘loaded’ question. Church leaders have argued about what these words mean for centuries. In fact, this topic is one of those that divides many churches, so we are going to approach this carefully and in love (agapē). I want to respect your opinions while at the same time gently challenging your thinking a bit.

Let’s explore some passages about Jesus’ coming:

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

This is a very interesting statement because it is a direct statement of fact. Jesus is not speaking metaphorically or in parables. Taken at face value, his words mean that the coming of Jesus in his kingdom will be witnessed by people who were alive in Jesus’ day.

Obviously, the first question that inquiring minds want to know is this: Are Jesus and Paul talking about the same thing? In other words, is “coming in his kingdom” the same thing as “appearing”?

In the case of Jesus’ statement about the ‘Son of Man coming in his kingdom,’ a few verses later Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain where they see Jesus’ glory revealed (Matthew 17:1-13).

In Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7), he sees “one like a son of man” coming before God and being given “authority, glory and sovereign power” (Daniel 7:14). The vision says that “his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Do you remember the vision of Stephen as he spoke before the Sanhedrin? He says:

“‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (Acts 7:56)

Does this qualify as an “appearance of our Lord Jesus”?

Finally, since this is supposed to be a brief meditation, what about the thief on the cross? Recognizing his guilt, he turns to the man on the cross next to him and sees, not another man, but a king. He simply asks to be remembered when Jesus comes into his kingdom. And Jesus’ response?

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

There is much more in the Bible on this topic, but one thing we can be sure of— Jesus Christ is King.

Application: When it comes to the Bible, keep your eyes on God.

Food for Thought: How does this passage help Timothy—and us—keep our focus on our good confession?

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August 11, 2026August 10, 2026

1 Timothy 6:13b – Good News!

Cartoon of man shouting "Good News!" (Grok)

… and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession …

Summary: Paul’s reference to the ‘good confession’ points us to the essential core of the Gospel message.

Ah yes… the “Good Confession.” What, exactly, is Paul talking about?

The record of Jesus’ conversations with Pilate is fascinating. John, especially, shares a great deal of detail about what happened.

Pilate is curious. Looking at the impoverished carpenter turned itinerant rabbi, he seems to be almost amused. “Are you the king of the Jews?,” he asks, somewhat incredulously. He has obviously heard the Jews muttering this about Jesus even though they didn’t bring charges against him officially.

Jesus responds with, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Jesus is not a threat to anybody, especially someone like Pilate. But why are the Jews so stirred up? Jesus has often taught about the ‘kingdom of God’ and because of his royal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, the Jewish leaders have accused him of being a ‘wannabe king.’ Pilate, no doubt, had heard of these mutterings.

All Jesus confessed was the Truth. His kingdom is not of this world.

Timothy made a “good confession,” too.

What was his “good confession”?

Paul doesn’t quote Timothy’s exact words, but he does tell us what it was about:

“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)

How do we ‘take hold’ of eternal life?

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he writes:

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…” (2 Timothy 2:8)

Jesus, the Christ (the promised Messiah), descended from David (promised by God — a kingdom “established forever”*), and raised from the dead (Acts 2:32). This explains what the gospel (the Good News) is. Jesus explains why it is good news:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

These are not ‘magic words’ one says as an incantation. Far from it! These words — or words like them — are a confession of what we believe to be true. They are words that, if believed when spoken, change the course of a person’s life … forever.

Application: Believe and be saved.

Food for Thought: If the kingdom of God (Jesus) is not of this world, where is it?

*2 Samuel 7:16

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August 4, 2026July 28, 2026

1 Timothy 6:11 (Part 4) – Love

A crystal heart with a Cross in the center (Grok)

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Summary: Love, the poet says, is a ‘many splendored thing.’ Yet when it comes to describing what those ‘splendors’ are, we sometimes get stuck.

One thing we can be fairly confident of when we focus on Paul’s advice to Timothy is that he wasn’t suggesting Timothy pursue romantic love.

Sometimes, of course, it is the other way around. Romantic love pursues the man! Many a young pastor has discovered that they are more popular with the fair sex than they could have imagined. Sometimes even older ones fall victim to this trap. (Satan isn’t proud when it comes to subverting God’s church. There is nothing he will not stoop to.)

The kind of “love” Paul recommends pursuing is quite different.

When we talk about the love Paul is referring to, it is easy to ‘zone out’ and let our minds wander to some other topic. Godly love can sound ‘churchy’ and maybe even a bit stuffy. After all, we are talking about a God who has been around a long, long time and who in ancient times was responsible for plagues, people dying in battle, and sending Jesus to the cross.

Maybe if we substitute “nice” for the word “love,” God will let us get by with that.

The word Paul actually used is, of course, the Greek word “agapē.” Agapē is often referred to as “godly love” to set it apart from other forms of love. It includes affection but runs very deep in terms of being willing to make sacrifices for the one you love.

One way to think of agapē is as a kind of ‘selfless love.’

This makes sense when we consider the two Great Commandments as Jesus summarized them.* The first is to love God above all else, including yourself. This means that we put God’s will above our own. Interestingly, putting God first guarantees our thoughts and actions will reflect his love because “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

The second Great Commandment does something similar. It simply says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Here again we sacrifice putting ourselves first so that we can treat our neighbors as God would have them treated.

Application: Love well.

Food for Thought: What does loving our neighbor look like?

* Matthew 22:37-40

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August 3, 2026July 28, 2026

1 Timothy 6:11 (Part 3) – Faith

But you, man of God, flee from all this, andpursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Summary: Paul’s emphasis on pursuit evokes images of running after something. In this case, we are running after an attitude of trust.

How are we supposed to “pursue faith?” Is it running away from us? Interestingly, when we look for faith in our own lives, it can seem to be elusive.

What is faith?

Simply put, faith is another word for trust and confidence in someone or something. Hebrews famously defines faith this way:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

You can have faith in things you see, touch, and feel, but it is not as challenging as faith in things we do not see.

As a Christian, we put our faith in … what? God? Jesus? The Bible? (Oh, wait. We can “see” the Bible!)

Those who believe in Jesus believe in someone who has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:2). He is not here in the flesh, but he does promise to come back for us (John 14:3).

And that is what we have faith in. We are trusting that Jesus won’t leave us behind; that he will come and get us at the proper time.

So how do we pursue faith? How do we chase after having trust in Jesus?

The answer is probably different for each of us. After all, we are all in different places in our relationship with Jesus. However, there are some common threads we can all make use of.

One is to keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). The writer of Hebrews compares faith to running a race. If you have ever run a physical long-distance race, you know the challenge of believing you can finish.

Another thread is to keep our minds focused on where Jesus is. This is the place we pray about when we pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13): “… your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….”

A third thread is to remain in Jesus:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you… apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

It requires effort to stay in Jesus. He was using a vine and its branches as an illustration. If the branches lose their grip, they lose contact with the source of their life.

Application: Make it your goal to stay focused on Jesus all day, every day.

Food for Thought: What other ways of pursuing faith come to mind?

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