Read posts about the great apostle, theologian, missionary, and author.

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Study Tip: Ephesians

I did a study Ephesians a few years back and it is one of the most powerful books in the New Testament. It was written by Paul from a Roman prison and contains a balance of doctrine and application. I love chapter 2, the way it starts with our hopeless condition, and then everything changes at verse 4 with the words, "But God". Chapter 2 also includes those familiar, life-changing words "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."

How to study Ephesians

The book divides easily into two parts. Chapters 1-3 are a doctrinal lesson, giving us powerful truth about what God did for us through grace and where we stand as a result. Chapters 4-6 guide us on living as believers in a range of relationships from the church, to the family to business dealings. Keep track of what you learn in each section.

Ephesians has several key words: riches, grace and filled/fullness. What do you discover about each one as you read?

Paul gives some key information about the church and how it should operate. What do you learn about it? What mystery does he explain?

There is a beautiful prayer in the middle of the book (3:14-21). What requests does Paul make? Can you imagine him praying that for you? Could you pray that prayer for someone in your life?

Finally, chapter 6 contains a section about the armor of God. What makes up our armor and our weapons? What do we need to guard against?

What's your favorite passage in Ephesians?

Marathon Training

By Paula Wiseman

I run a little, so I was mildly interested in the results for L.A. Marathon from this past weekend. The winner finished in 2 hours and 12 minutes. That's a mile every 5 minutes. My long run so far this season was 4.25 miles. A marathon is six times that distance. And the winner ran over twice as fast as I do.

If I wanted to run a marathon… I'd have to make some major lifestyle changes.

My schedule would have to shift to accommodate running up to four hours a day.

My priorities would be rearranged with running near the top.

My diet would change.

I'd need some gear.

I'd need another pair of shoes because I'd wear out my current ones in training (which is sad because they are brand new and I really like them).

And I'd need a mentor, someone with experience running marathons who could set up a training schedule for me and make sure I stick to it.

Now I guarantee if took that on, there would be pain, exhaustion and discomfort. I would have to be dedicated, committed and goal-oriented. Above all, I'd have to listen to my mentor.

You see where I'm going with this.

But it struck me today – this life is not the main event. The things we go through in this life are prepping us for eternity. Paul talks about running our race, and I've written several posts about the things I've learned since I started running. But this is all training.

In my training…

Have I made the necessary changes to my life> This must be my priority.
Am I giving my full effort? I have to run every mile.
Am I listening to my mentor, Jesus Christ, and following the program He's designed for me?

What about you? How is your training coming along?

P.S. I'm running my second 5K this weekend. 🙂

Study Tip: Galatians

By Paula Wiseman

In Galatians Paul gets down to the central question of Christianity – How are we made right with God – by what we believe or by what we do?

Galatians was written for a group of new believers at churches Paul planted. They were very sincere in their desire to please God, but they were easily led astray. Paul wanted to get them back on track as quickly as possible. The apostle doesn't pull any punches. The tone is occasionally harsh but always passionate. After all, someone is messing with his (spiritual) kids and he takes it personally.

Some ways to study Galatians

Follow the key theme – justification. What does it mean? How does it happen? What does the Law have to do with it? And the $64,000 question, are believers required to keep the Mosaic law (or any other set of rules)?

The Apostle Paul – In chapters 1-2 we get a good deal of information about Paul. In later chapters, his concerns for the church shows through. What biographical things do you learn about Paul? Look at his account of the Jerusalem council in ch. 2. What was the major issue at that meeting? How was it resolved? How did that apply to the Galatians?

Justification by Law vs. Justification by Faith – How does Paul make his case? Keep a list of what he says about the Law. What does it do? What does the illustration about Isaac and Ishmael mean in chapter 4. Why is faith better (esp. chapter 5)?

Practical applications – What do you learn about living a Christian life, especially about living with each other (esp. chapter 6)?

The bottom line-

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Study Tip: Second Corinthians

By Paula Wiseman

Second Corinthians is the most underrated, underappreciated book in the New Testament, maybe the whole Bible. In it, Paul is passionately personal in his defense of his ministry and his authority, but he also exhorts and encourages the believers in Corinth in a touching heartfelt way. It is packed with tremendous truth. (I could do several posts on my favorite verses…)

One thing worth noticing, even keeping a list of, is everything Paul says about God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit.

For example in 1:3-4, Paul says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

The Father of mercies
The God of all comfort
He comforts us in our tribulation

Some major topics Paul covers include:

What does it mean to be a minister (and we are)? What are our responsibilities? What should we be doing? (You'll find these answers mostly in chapters 2-6)

What are our responsibilities when it comes to giving? (Look at chapters 8-9)

How a leader should conduct himself and how should we in the body respond? (Try chapters 10-13)

But the guts of the book are found in chapter 5:17-20. It is perhaps the most succinct statement of what God did for us and what our job is as a result. Love these verses!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Is Second Corinthians the most underrated book? If not, which one would you say?

Study Tip: First Corinthians

By Paula Wiseman

First Corinthians is an extremely relevant book for believers trying to live in culture that is contrary and hostile to faith. A careful reading of the two epistles leads many scholars to believe that we have two out of four letters. The letter is intensely personal and Paul's pastoral heart shows through each line.

Here are few ideas on how to approach a study of First Corinthians.

The book is roughly divided into three sections:

Paul encourages unity within the church. (1:10)
Paul admonishes the church to deal with sin. (5:1)
Paul answers a series of doctrinal and practical questions. (7:1)

Perhaps the easiest way to study the book is to watch for each of these topics and keep track of what Paul says about each one. The key transition words to note are "now concerning" (Your translation may use "now regarding" or some similar expression.) Occasionally, Paul uses "I do not want you to be ignorant" (or unaware).

Second, the book is filled with quick encouragements and instructions that are worth listing.

Third, some questions to consider:

What are believers' responsibilities to God and to each other?

Do Paul's answers/statements challenge your ideas?

What is your favorite verse or passage in First Corinthians?

Study Tip: Acts

By Paula Wiseman

Acts is the sequel to the gospel of Luke and it tells the story of the witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit. It naturally divides into two sections. In the first twelve chapters, Peter is the main character and the church is just beginning to function. Beginning with chapter thirteen, Paul takes over and missionary work dominates the rest of the narrative. Acts is a dynamic action-packed book that forms the bridge between the Gospels and the epistles and it serves as the framework upon which the remainder of the New Testament is built.

Some suggestions for a study Acts-

Character studies – If you like this type of study Acts has some great people to profile. Major characters like Peter and Paul as well as supporting folks like Stephen, Barnabas, Silas, Lydia, Cornelius all make great studies.

Key Words – witness, believe, baptism, resurrection, persecution. Keep track of each of these words and record your insights. I didn't realize how crucial the idea of the resurrection was until I tracked the key words.

Paul's travels – If you like history, geography and details, Paul's missionary journeys are worth a closer look. Note his successes and his failures and how he adapts his approach to best connect with the culture.

Holy Spirit – Jesus kept His promise to send another Comforter, and His presence pervades the book of Acts, empowering, strengthening and directing the believers at every juncture. As you see the mighty works accomplished in the early church, remember the Holy Spirit hasn't changed since those days.

What if your life were recorded as an account of how God moves and works? What "Acts" would you highlight?