Spirit – Three Minute Bible

July 8, 2026July 9, 2026

1 Timothy 5:24 – Fore and Aft

A cartoon drawing of a boat with a smiling man in it being towed by a little devil and with another little devil following behind. (Grok)

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.

Summary: Paul’s words about sins being obvious and trailing behind open the door to a practical understanding of assessing potential church leaders.

This is an interesting passage. Throughout his letter, Paul has been instructing Timothy about defending the faith. First, he writes about false teachers; then he writes about how to discern worthy elders and deacons from those less worthy. Then he instructs Timothy on the difference between the true Spirit of God and “deceiving spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1). Even in the discussion on widows, there is a concern for being able to discern the difference between someone worthy and someone else who might be vulnerable to sin.

June 5, 2026June 7, 2026

1 Timothy 4:16a – Me, Myself, and I

Picture: Timothy stares at himself in a mirror (Grok)

Watch your life and doctrine closely.

Summary: Paul’s use of Greek once again challenges us to consider the deeper meaning of what he was trying to say.

We often talk about the difference between the meanings of the original Greek words and the English translations, but in this case, we have one more barrier to cross.

February 26, 2026February 28, 2026

1 Timothy 1:17c – The Invisible King

Now to the King … invisible…

Summary: I was going to write this meditation in invisible ink, but I didn’t think anyone would get the joke. 🙂

To a blind man, everything is invisible. Everything.

February 25, 2026February 26, 2026

1 Timothy 1:17b – Immortal

Picture of woman holding a carton of sour milk. (Grok)

Now to the King … immortal …

Summary: Immortal is one of those interesting words that sounds like it should be the same as eternal, but isn’t.

As we continue our deep dive into Paul’s praise of God, let’s look at the word “immortal” and consider how that is different than “eternal.”

January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

Philippians 4:23a – Spiritual Sight

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Summary: Paul continues to lay challenges before us, even in the last line of his letter.

Paul closes out his letter to the Philippians with these beautiful words:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025

Philippians 4:3b – Body Parts

A picture of the "Book of Life" in the hands of a heavenly figure. (Grok)

… help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Summary: The struggle between Euodia and Syntyche is not unique. When we consider other disagreements the early church experienced, certain patterns emerge.

It might be helpful to know what Euodia and Syntyche had disagreed about. Of course, since Paul tells us that they were both “in the book of life,” it doesn’t matter to them now. They are enjoying the blessings of heaven and the company of the Lord Jesus. Earthly disagreements carry little weight in heaven.

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Philippians 3:4c – The Flesh

A cartoon fish swims in the water with a mirror version of itself flying above (GROK)

[If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in] the flesh, I have more:

Summary: Understanding Paul’s language sometimes requires that we know Jesus to know what he is talking about.

Here is an interesting fact: To understand the “flesh,” you first have to be in the “spirit.”

What does that mean? Let’s use fish for an example.

September 16, 2025October 1, 2025

Philippians 3:3d – Flesh & Spirit

…and who put no confidence in the flesh—

Summary: As we prepare for Paul’s essay on what the flesh can and cannot do, it is helpful to understand the basics of our human nature.

If you don’t know what Paul means by putting “confidence in the flesh,” he is going to explain, in great detail, in the next few verses. Meanwhile, this is a good opportunity to preview the concept before we dive into the details.

August 4, 2025August 4, 2025

Philippians 2:10b – Spirit and Flesh

a man bows before the cross surrounded by spirits who also kneel (Grok)

… in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Summary: Paul’s simple little phrase about places above and below the earth opens a door of wonder about how things work in the spiritual realms.

This is an interesting passage. Paul could have said, “At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow,” and left it at that, but he didn’t. Instead, he added these words:

“… in heaven and on earth and under the earth…”

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025