TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 35:1-7
I will build an altar to God . . . who has been with me wherever I have gone. - Genesis 35:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
High school science teacher and baseball coach Jim Morris made a conditional promise to his team, the Reagan County High School Owls. He vowed that if they won the league title, he would try out as a pitcher for a major league team. The team held up their end of the deal, and even at the age of 35, Morris tried out and in 1999 earned a position on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He said, “God has a funny way of bringing some things around and knocking you in the head with the ultimate destination. Something I should have achieved quite easily took me a long time to get around to.”

Jacob's promise to God at Bethel was a long time in being fulfilled, but finally he came around to doing something that should have been quite easy—making the one true God his only God.

When God called Jacob to return to Bethel, what memories must have flooded his head! Jacob had sworn that if God protected and provided for him on his journey to Mesopotamia and back, then he would worship God alone. Since making that vow, God had more than fulfilled his request. He had given him eleven sons and great wealth—far exceeding the food and clothes that Jacob had requested (28:20). And He had also given him miraculous protection. Although we didn't have time to study it in this month's reading, Levi and Simeon massacred every male in the city of Shechem to avenge their sister Dinah (see Gen. 34). But the fear of the Lord prevented the surrounding cities from retaliating against Jacob or his family despite the fury it must have caused (35:5).

Jacob's cleansing of his household's idols just may be the crowning achievement of his life, for it was motivated not by distrust or selfishness, but rather by faithful allegiance to the Lord. He rightly prepared himself and his people to worship God—what higher calling is known to man?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jacob gave his heart to God, and that allowed him to cleanse his family. Make today a turning point in your life by taking an inventory of anything that detracts or distracts from your worship of the Lord. This isn't an exercise in legalism—you don't need to make a list of what is okay and what isn't. Just allow the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and point out to you any attachments you may be grasping instead of pursuing the Lord with all your heart.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 35:9-20
A community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. - Genesis 35:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Mozart was two years old, he visited a farm with his family and heard the squeal of a pig. The toddling prodigy instantly proclaimed, “G-sharp!” After consulting a piano, his family verified that he had correctly noted the pig's pitch. At such a young age, Mozart left no doubt that greatness awaited him.

Israel was still in its infant stages, far from being a full-fledged nation and only recently receiving its name—but through God's blessing, Jacob knew that great things would come from his descendants. Yesterday we studied Jacob's decision to finally commit himself and his family to God alone. Today we read God's response, which was no small “thank you” for Jacob's allegiance.

Some of the blessing would have already been very familiar to Jacob, including his new name, Israel. He also would have recognized the exhortation to “be fruitful and increase in number,” since it was the same assignment God gave to Noah after the flood (9:1). And the fact that the land of Canaan would belong to Jacob's descendants was a renewal of the promises given to Abraham and Isaac. But this blessing contained a new fact—Jacob's line would include kings (35:11). This fact would take on additional importance after Israel conquered the land. When the people eventually sought a king for their nation, their command was not an inherent violation of God's plan (even if the spirit of their request was; see 1 Sam. 8:7).

Couched at the end of this reading is a miraculous blessing mixed with tragedy. We're given no warning that Rachel had conceived for a second time, but her life ended giving Jacob his twelfth son, Benjamin. When the text says that Rachel's tomb is marked “to this day,” it's almost prophetic. Although a series of renovations have added a dome, walls, and other barriers, Rachel's Tomb continues to this day to be a beloved attraction for tourists and would-be mothers and fathers praying that God would give them sons and daughters as He did for Rachel.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Especially here in the “New World” of North America, where eighteenth-century structures are considered old, we often lack a sense of the ancient—and we also fail to understand the enduring consequences of our actions. But the mark that Jacob and Rachel left on this world included kings, even the King of kings, and vast cultural implications. How will your life and the lives you touch affect the world, especially since you're armed with the truth that brings eternal life?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 37:1-36
His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. - Genesis 37:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (8:32). The statement caught Jews off guard because, as descendants of Abraham, they claimed not to be slaves to anyone. Jesus informed them that they were indeed slaves to sin.

Throughout our study of the Patriarchs, we've seen them act as slaves to one sin in particular—the sin of deception. Interestingly, in today's reading we see that telling the truth indirectly led to their enslavement in Egypt for over 400 years.

At seventeen years of age, Joseph had yet to master his family's art of deception. He gave his father what was surely a candidly honest report of his brothers' work—it's hard to tell if this was one incident or just a developing trend, for it seems as though Joseph was never assigned to work with his brothers. It may have just been his role to report on their progress (vv. 13-14). His honesty gave him favor with Jacob, but certainly not with his brothers (vv. 2-4). Joseph's brothers hated him even more after his next bit of honesty, telling them his dream that saw their sheaves of grain bowing to his. But then his free expression of the truth of his second dream crossed the line even with his doting father (v. 10). While Joseph's decision to relate his dream to his father and brothers may have been unwise or even arrogant, it stands in stark contrast to the pattern of secrecy and deception that dominated Jacob's life.

Jacob's other sons didn't have a problem with bending the truth. They took their first opportunity to plan his death and blame it on wild animals. Reuben attempted to save Joseph's life, and his method included tricking his brothers (v. 22). The only way that Joseph actually emerged from the cistern or well was because of his brothers' greed (v. 26). The cycle of favoritism and jealousy was made complete by the sale of Joseph to the descendants of Ishmael, whose departure from Abraham came as a result of Sarah's jealousy and preferential treatment of Isaac.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Jacob's mourning was in many ways his own doing. He passed on to his sons his habit of telling lies, and it caused him considerable pain. This circus of lies told in today's passage stands as a stern warning to us to tell the truth. Joseph survived his brothers' attack—and so did his integrity. The rewards of deception are the inability to trust, the indignity of being deceived, and the infliction of deep, enduring suffering. The truth will set you free—cling to it.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 45:1-28
It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. - Genesis 45:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
One day in 1999, a New York nurse named Penny Brown just happened to get the day off at the last minute so that she could attend her son's Little League baseball game. During the game, batboy Kevin Stephan's heart stopped after being accidentally hit in the chest with a bat. Penny performed CPR and saved his life. Seven years later at a restaurant in New York, it was Penny's life that needed saving. She began to choke, and employees at the restaurant called for a volunteer firefighter who just happened to work there. He performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved her life. That hero just happened to be . . . seventeen-year-old Kevin Stephan.

Of course, that kind of thing doesn't just happen. God in His sovereignty orchestrates the acts of men to accomplish His purposes, and that was obviously the case in the life of Joseph.

By the time we see Joseph here, his own brothers couldn't recognize him. Their imaginations were too limited to consider that Joseph could possibly be in charge, even though they knew that the last they had seen of him he was headed to Egypt. Joseph knew that God had planned his stay in Egypt because it ultimately gave his family the means to survive a seven-year famine. They could live in peace and luxury because of Joseph's position, and the nation that would rise from these twelve brothers was given safe harbor . . . for now. But that wasn't the only providential benefit. Without Joseph's disappearance into Egypt, the reconciliation in their family would have been impossible, and that's what they needed more than any food.

No two brothers in the history of the Patriarchs had ever coexisted for the long term. Abraham and Nahor, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob—they had all gone their separate ways. But these twelve brothers and their ever-growing families were destined by God to stay together as one nation. Joseph couldn't have known that by the time his family left Egypt they would be a nation of some two million people, but he did know that it was God, not his brothers, who was in control.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Complaining is easy. Seeing the plans God has in store to use your trial as a means for His purposes may be impossible—but you can know that He can use anything to accomplish His ends. While you may not have control over your circumstances, you can control your attitude and your availability to be used by God. Whatever might be troubling you today, bring it before the throne. No earthly problem can thwart the plans God has for you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 46:1-4; Genesis 15:13-16
I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. - Genesis 46:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
How long is too long to wait for a promise to be fulfilled? A couple of days? A month? A year? After 430 years, you'd probably start to get a little impatient.

That's precisely how long, to the day (see Ex. 12:41), that the nation of Israel would have to wait for the fulfillment of the promise in today's verse. Jacob may have been afraid to go to Egypt both for fear of what might happen to his sons, especially Benjamin (42:4)—or he may have feared that leaving would be unfaithful to God's promise to give him the land of Canaan (35:12). When God assured him that there was nothing to fear, believing that assurance was a great leap of faith. By heading to Egypt, Jacob was entrusting the future of all his sons to the protection of God in an unfamiliar land.

Jacob's faith was well-placed. God had foretold this excursion into Egypt in the early stages of Abram's nomadic life in

Canaan. The full weight of that prediction was probably not on the minds of Jacob and his sons, for God had predicted enslavement and mistreatment—not exactly an assuring thought. But the fact that God foresaw this four-generation detour is an amazing encouragement. Egypt was a sort of cocoon for Israel, and when they emerged from it, they were a mighty nation.

But for Jacob, God promised more than just many descendants and national prosperity—He gave him a personal promise, similar to the one he had given Abram, of a peaceful death in the company of his beloved son Joseph. That might not seem very significant, but for Jacob, it meant a lot. After the excruciating grief he endured when he believed Joseph to be dead, Jacob couldn't have wished for more than to see his son again. The knowledge that the Lord had cared for his sons and arranged for their futures allowed Jacob to die in peace and be buried in Canaan (50:13)—but the record of his faith has endured to this day.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What are you waiting for? Christ's return? A loved one's salvation? Peaceful relationships? Don't lose heart. God's timing doesn't usually match our scheduling preferences, but the lives of the Patriarchs testify to the faithfulness of God. Be sure to set aside time every day to focus on God's faithfulness. What you see and experience throughout the day may remind you that the wait goes on—but put your faith in the powerful promise of Him whom you cannot see.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Genesis 48, 49
Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. - Genesis 49:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Jacob blessed Joseph's sons and then all of his own sons, he assembled the fathers of the nation of Israel, and he blessed them and prophesied about their future. The author of Hebrews describes this blessing as Jacob's act of faith (Heb. 11:21). It was this faith that was passed down through the tribes of Israel, on through their descendants including Jesus, and through Him to everyone who believes on His name.

In chapter 48, Jacob adopted Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob passed on the primary blessing to the younger of the two (48:19). Unlike the blessing Jacob tricked from the lips of his father, this blessing was intentionally given to a son other than the firstborn. It's interesting that no firstborn son in the history of the Patriarchs was ever the recipient of the preferred blessing—perhaps that's God's way of showing that His plan is distinct from the adopted plans of men.

One blessing that stands out from the rest is Jacob's blessing of Judah because of the clear messianic implications, especially the claim that the “scepter will not depart from Judah” (49:10). Even at this early stage, God gave His people insight into His plan for bringing the King of kings to the throne.

Perhaps the most descriptive blessing, though, is found in 48:15-16, not for what it predicts, but for the past events it recounts. Jacob called God his shepherd throughout his life and an angel that delivered him. This is the first time in Scripture that God is described as a shepherd, and it's so apt in the lives of all the Patriarchs. They weren't perfect. They didn't always make the wisest decisions. They spent their entire lives wandering as nomads through the land God had for them. But they, like sheep, found their salvation in their allegiance to the Shepherd. They followed Him, and they recognized Him as their protector. More than anything, from looking at the lives of the Patriarchs we learn about our God who is faithful, good, and gracious. Now, thousands of years later, we still serve and obey that same God!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
No matter what your nationality is, the descendants of Abraham have blessed you, not because of any marvelous thing they did or skill they had, but because of their faith and God's faithfulness. Praise God for His elaborate plan of simple faith. Since He first called Abram, God has been giving out the gift of faith to people like us who follow Him like sheep. As hopeless as we are on our own, how encouraging to know that our Shepherd is the Lord Almighty!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-58
It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. - 1 Corinthians 15:44
TODAY IN THE WORD
A four-year-old decided to plant a garden. Armed with an apple, banana, and some green beans, he announced that he was planting them so he could eat his favorite foods. When told that he needed seeds, not the actual fruit, in order to harvest these treats, he protested, “I don't want to eat seeds—I want to eat green beans!” He assumed that what he put in the ground would sprout in exactly the same fashion.

In our passage today, the apostle Paul addresses a similar misconception about the resurrection of our bodies. Using the analogy of planting seeds, he explains that the bodies that emerge at the resurrection are both the same and different from the bodies that went into the ground at the time of death (vv. 35-38).

We saw yesterday that the fact of Jesus' bodily resurrection has significance for our faith. Today we see that His resurrection has significance for both our faith and our own bodies. Scripture makes clear that there is no point to the Christian faith without the bodily resurrection of Jesus (v. 14). Indeed, a “gospel” without the Resurrection is worthy only of pity and ridicule.

Jesus' Resurrection didn't just mean that He was alive once again—it meant that God has defeated death. Although we are still subject to physical death until the glorious victory of Christ at the end times, death does not have the final say. It cannot hold us forever. The notion that Jesus died for our sins is incomplete without the accompanying teaching that God raised Him from the dead (vv. 3, 17).

The Resurrection not only concerns us spiritually, it also affects us physically. Just as Jesus had a body after His death and resurrection, so we too will have a body after our death and resurrection. The Bible says that we may not fully understand these resurrected, imperishable bodies; it appears that they will be recognizable as our current earthly bodies and yet also changed into immortal bodies that can come into the presence of God for all eternity (vv. 42, 52-53).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The closing verses in this chapter have inspired songwriters and musicians for generations. One of the most stirring renditions is Handel's Messiah. The final part of this oratorio celebrates Jesus' Resurrection, and after a beautiful duet based on verse 55, the choir breaks into a rousing chorus of “Thanks be to God!” If you own this music, listen to these selections and give praise to the Lord that our faith is not in vain and our bodies will be raised like His.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 1:1, 2; Acts 16:1-5
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. - Philippians 2:22
TODAY IN THE WORD
The first seven chapters of Proverbs are believed to have been written by King David for his son Solomon. David was about to hand over the kingdom to his son, and he wanted to take the opportunity to share wise advice and counsel, exhorting his son to pursue wisdom and to live righteously.

This month we will study the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, letters written by the apostle Paul to his spiritual son, Timothy. In a similar way to Proverbs 1-7, Paul wants to pass along wise advice, helping to prepare Timothy for the ministry that he had been given.

It's likely that Timothy became a believer when Paul first passed through Timothy's hometown of Lystra on his first missionary journey (cf. Acts. 14:8-20), meaning that Paul was Timothy's spiritual father since he introduced Timothy to Christ. Although Timothy and his mother were believers, his father was not (Acts 16:1). Paul was a Christian mentor, entrusting ministry responsibilities to Timothy and viewing him as the successor to his own legacy of ministry. Paul and Timothy exemplified a father-son relationship through Christ that still provides a model for believers today.

Understanding this relationship provides the lens through which we can read and understand Paul's letter. First Timothy provides important and urgent instruction for the church, but it isn't a formal church document. Rather, it's a personal letter meant to cheer, instruct, and strengthen a young pastor-missionary. Although Timothy was certainly a man held in high esteem both by Paul and the churches in which they had ministered together (Acts 16:2-3), he was altogether “ordinary,” just as we are. Young and timid, he needed Paul's encouragement (cf. 2 Tim. 1:7). Raised by an unbelieving father, he didn't have the perfect Christian heritage we might expect. We learn how God often delights to work powerfully through the most unlikely candidates.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Oswald Chambers once wrote, “All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him made possible the unique display of his power and grace.” We should take courage from the example of Timothy that God can use us for His purposes! We're never too old or too young. We're never disqualified because of skeletons in our family closets. Offer yourself to God today to be used by Him in whatever way He chooses.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 1:3-7
Stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. - 1 Timothy 1:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
Someone has reinterpreted lines from employment ads. When the ad reads, “Join our fast-paced company,” it really means, “We won't have the time to train you.” If the ad boasts of a casual work atmosphere, perhaps it's because they don't pay enough for their employees to wear something nicer! And if the ad announces you need problem-solving skills, prepare to join some chaos!

Verse three from today's reading outlines Timothy's job description, but Paul doesn't use deceptive language. Paul left Timothy in Ephesus for an important mission. The problems in Ephesus were urgent and required a great deal of authority. Paul made the chain of command clear, invoking his apostolic authority at the beginning of the letter (v. 1) and conferring authority to Timothy over the elders of the Ephesian church. Paul doesn't give Timothy the job of suggesting solutions or collaborating towards agreement. Rather, Timothy had the task of “command[ing] certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer” (v. 3).

This first half of chapter one reveals the heart of the crisis in Ephesus. Certain men, presumably elders of the church, were teaching false doctrines. The content of their teaching had been both misleading and false (vv. 4, 6), with drastic results. They were undermining the essence of true Christian faith, which is first love for God and then love for others (v. 5, cf. Matt. 22:34-40). Because of this false teaching and the controversies it had produced, the members of the church spent more time arguing than loving God and loving each other.

The fact that they had lost sight of the goal of faith, especially of love for God, is proved by their abandonment of “a good conscience and a sincere faith” (v. 5). Without a proper love for God, we abandon our desire to obey Him. Our conscience quickly suffers from our betrayal. And without love for God, we no longer protect the revelation of God. We idolize our interpretations about God rather than pursue the truth of God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Verse six indicates how slowly and subtly the elders “wandered away.” Most people don't abruptly reject their faith by doing a spiritual about-face. They grow distant by a slow drift, without hardly noticing. Is that happening at all to you? Five years ago, were you more fervent in your devotional life and service to Christ? Were you once free from a sin to which you're now succumbing? Confess this to God and ask Him to draw you close through our study this month.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 1:8-17
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. - 1 Timothy 1:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
“I would have been less surprised if little green men had walked in,” said Patrick Quinn, an editor for The Associated Press, of Farris Hassan's knock at his hotel door on Christmas Day, 2005, in Baghdad. The sixteen-year-old had traveled from Fort Lauderdale to Baghdad without his parents' knowledge or permission, all for a journalism assignment. Whether bravely or foolishly, he had traveled alone halfway across the world to a danger zone.

The Ephesian church also took a journey from the safety of sound doctrine to the minefields of false teaching. The journey hadn't taken long. About four years earlier Paul bid the Ephesian elders farewell (Acts 20:13-38) and warned them of the false teaching that would soon emerge within the church. Now his prophetic warnings were realized, and Timothy had to bring the church back to sound doctrine (v. 10).

It's helpful to see the contrast between sound doctrine and false teaching. The false teaching emphasized myths and genealogies, a focus on non-essential biblical ideas to the exclusion of important doctrines. The false teachers also improperly used the law, teaching that observance of the law was a means of righteousness.

To highlight these errors, Paul reminded Timothy about the essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not achieved by following the law. The law's proper use is for condemning us and pointing us to our need for a Savior. Paul admitted his own incalculable need for this grace. He was the sorriest of sinners. He desperately needed God's forgiveness for what seemed unforgivable: blasphemy and persecution. There was no hope of erasing his record, only hope for the patience and mercy of God through Christ Jesus (v. 16).

All preaching and teaching, all sound doctrine builds on this foundation of grace. It reminds us of our sin, our need for God, and His forgiveness made available through Christ Jesus.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news that we can receive because it announces that God is both holy and patient. He condemns sin but saves the sinner. No one is out of reach of this grace, not even the “worst” of sinners. Feeling unworthy of God's love is a great obstacle to faith. When your unsaved friends and family struggle with this doubt, you can remind them that no sin is too great to forgive, and God's patience doesn't run out. Additionally, we should be living examples of love and forgiveness toward those around us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 1:18-20
Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. - 1 Timothy 1:18-19
TODAY IN THE WORD
Two movies, A Perfect Storm and Titanic, tell of two very different historic shipwrecks. A Perfect Storm recounts the loss of a small fishing boat and its six-member crew; Titanic dramatizes the loss of the “unsinkable” ocean liner and the lives of 1,500 people. The crew of the Andrea Gail knew when they set sail from Gloucester, Massachusetts, in October that they could encounter unpredictable weather and potential storms. They knew there could be danger, and they took the risk. The crew of the Titanic sailed with confidence and feared nothing—until they hit the iceberg, and it was too late.

Paul wrote about another kind of shipwreck—the shipwreck of our faith, a prospect much more frightening than the fates of the Titanic and the Andrea Gail (v. 19). Two Ephesian leaders had already been shipwrecked (v. 20). Paul gives the reasons for their spiritual demise and encourages Timothy to avoid their pitfalls.

These men abandoned two essential things that preserve our lifelong commitment to Christ: “faith and a good conscience” (v. 19). Faith is the sound doctrine to which Paul referred earlier in the chapter (v. 10). In this context, faith refers to the essentials of our Christian beliefs, doctrines such as salvation by grace through Christ Jesus. Later in chapter three, we'll see Paul flesh out even more the content of this faith (cf. 3:16), but already Paul has emphasized the crucial importance of faith, or right belief (1:4, 5, 14). What we believe really matters.

Alongside right belief is right behavior, or the actions that spring from a “good conscience.” Through the Holy Spirit, our conscience sounds the alarm when we're wandering from God and His commands (1:6). Our right actions should flow from our right beliefs; these two elements work together in our lives.

That's why Timothy is encouraged to keep fighting the good fight of the faith while holding onto both right belief and right behavior. We still face this very real battle even today.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
One wonders what led to the shipwreck of Hymenaeus and Alexander. Were they like the crew of the Andrea Gail, knowing the risks of ignoring their conscience but stubbornly persisting on the same course? Or, like the Titanic, were they completely oblivious to the danger that lay ahead? To “fight the good fight,” we must recognize the attacks on our faith by our culture, by Satan, and even by our own desires, and we must seek protection with the armor God has provided (cf. Eph. 6:10-18).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
God our Savior . . . wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. - 1 Timothy 2:3-4
TODAY IN THE WORD
Keith Green's song, “Make My Life a Prayer to You” could easily have been inspired by our passage today from 1 Timothy. Both call us to prayer and to godly living: “Make my life a prayer to you / I wanna do what you want me to / No empty words and no white lies / No token prayers, no compromise.”

Keith Green's song focuses on proclaiming the gospel in a credible way, and in our text today Paul talks about prayer and godly living as actions that we can take to spread the news about Jesus.

Our God is God the Savior (v. 3). Verse four reveals that God wants to save men and women. By nature, He is compassionate and rich in mercy. He wants to forgive and reconcile people to Himself. And not only does He want to save but He has made a way for salvation. It's one thing to want something done and quite another to get something done. Our God has done both—desired our salvation and achieved our salvation. Imagine if He wanted our salvation but couldn't make it happen. We would hardly serve Him as the great, sovereign God that He is, holding together the universe by His word (cf. Heb. 1:3). And if He had the power to save us but chose not to do so, we would think Him terribly cruel and unfair. Thankfully, the God we worship is both all loving and all powerful.

Because of God's heart of compassion, our hearts should be equally tender to those who don't yet believe. Paul gave himself completely to the task of evangelism (see 1 Cor. 9). We're instructed here to do two things to further the message of salvation. First, we can pray (v. 1). Then, we can live holy lives, lives that bring credibility to the beauty and truth of this message and the name of Christ (v. 2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Consider how well you're living and praying right now. Are you systematically praying for all people, including your family, your believing friends, your unbelieving friends, and political officials? Commit yourself to more time spent praying and more thoroughness in tracking requests and answers. And is your life an uncompromising testimony for Christ? Ask God to reveal to you anything you're now doing or saying which brings dishonor to the name of Christ. Live and pray well that the world might see Christ!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 2:8-15
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. - Ephesians 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Judith Martin has been writing Miss Manners for over twenty-five years. She answers questions of all sorts, from those of simple table etiquette to more complex questions of social graces. “You can deny all you want that there is etiquette, and a lot of people do in everyday life,” Miss Manners explains. “But if you behave in a way that offends the people you're trying to deal with, they will stop dealing with you.”

Etiquette is a word that describes social propriety. This word propriety appears twice in our text today (vv. 9, 15), and its meaning is richer than simple manners. It appears only one other time in the New Testament (cf. Acts 26:25) where it is translated “reasonable.” “What I am saying is true and reasonable,” Paul insists when Agrippa mocks his testimony as the words of a crazy man. “Propriety” refers to reasonable and appropriate actions.

In today's passage, Paul sets forth guidelines for a life governed by Christian propriety. These actions are our reasonable response to the grace we have in Christ. For the men, propriety means peace (v. 8 ). As a reasonable response to the peace they have with God because of Christ, they must make peace with one another.

For the women, propriety includes modesty in dress and submission. Propriety in dress doesn't necessarily forbid women to wear gold and pearls but emphasizes that their focus and energies should spent on inner beauty (cf. 1 Peter 3:3-4). Propriety also means understanding proper roles in the family and church. This does not mean that women are relegated only to the kitchens and nurseries of the church. Paul obviously expects that women will want to learn and should continue learning (v. 11). However, men, not women, are given responsibility for the authority of the church and family (cf. Eph. 5:23). By submitting to these reasonable restraints in dress and decorum, women continue in the high calling of “faith, love and holiness” (v. 15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's passage is one of the most controversial biblical texts, and it has certainly been abused by some as an excuse to mistreat women. Note that Paul does not exclude women from pastoral roles because they lack the intellect or leadership savvy. He bases his argument on the order of creation (v. 13). The argument is not cultural or psychological but inherently biblical. And as we seek to understand this text today, may our approach parallel Paul's in that we allow the Bible to speak for itself and by itself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-13
Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. - 1 Timothy 3:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
During President Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings, some people questioned the fairness of judging public officials for their “weekend” behavior. Could they not fulfill the duties of their public office despite their private moral failures?

As Christians we know that the conduct and character—whether public or private—cannot be separated. God sees and knows all, and He's as concerned with our attitudes as He is with our actions. The list of qualifications for overseers and deacons reveals this. It includes both the public and private dimensions of life. That's why the standard for a leader's conduct is set high. It must be evident that Jesus Christ has taken hold of his life from the inside out if he is to be selected for this ministry.

Tomorrow we'll look more in depth at the actual specifications for overseers and deacons, most of which are the same, a few of which are different. Today, however, we'll consider some of the implications for leadership that we see in this passage: examination, responsibility, accountability, and reward.

The first three elements should sober anyone who would aspire to this noble task. The first, examination, means that his life and family should be scrutinized (v. 10). The reason for this is not for the purpose of fault-finding but for the purpose of understanding whether someone fulfills the requirements of the position. Secondly, leadership in the church is an enormous responsibility. Leading a family is challenging; leading a church requires that much more wisdom and grace from God (v. 5).

Third, leaders are accountable to a scriptural standard of behavior. Not only must they meet these requirements to become a leader, they must also continue to live uprightly. The good news is that the task is well worth it. The fourth point reminds us that the reward will be great for those who lead well in the church (v. 13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you are a leader in the church, reflect on this passage in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to examine your life and ministry. If you are not in a position of church leadership, spend time praying for your pastor and others who lead your church. Pray especially for their families, as they are included here as a vital part of God's blessing and responsibility for a pastor. Pray, too, that those serving faithfully will experience God's rich rewards.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-13
My way of life in Christ Jesus . . . agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. - 1 Corinthians 4:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Do as I say, not as I do,” is one of the worst kinds of parenting. Children left with no clear example to follow don't know what to do or who to be! The angry retort of a child infuriated by his parents' hypocrisy is: “Practice what you preach!”

The example of leaders is powerful in the church, whether for good or for bad. When leaders make bad choices, churches are deeply wounded by their hypocrisy, sometimes even causing people to doubt the gospel. But when leaders make good choices and lead exemplary lives, this inspires all those watching. That's why the issue of personal conduct is the root of many of these qualifications for overseers and deacons. Surprisingly, this list in 1 Timothy has little to say about what leaders should believe. But it has much to say about how they should live. While it's often easy to assert what we believe, it's much harder to prove it by our actions.

The code of conduct here for elders and deacons is like a series of concentric circles. All of the areas overlap, but they begin at the very center of a man's life: his character. What kind of control does he have over his body and mind? Is he given to addictions? Is he about momentary pleasures and impulses, or sober-minded service to Christ?

The next circle out is the arena of the family. Is he loyal to his wife? Is he raising his children according to biblical principles? Or are things out of control in his home?

After family responsibilities come ministry responsibilities. Elders are required to exercise more spiritual authority and responsibility than deacons; their responsibilities include hospitality, teaching, and oversight of the church's congregation. Deacons, whose name is from the word meaning “servant,” gladly give themselves to the practical matters of church life.

The final circle of qualification is the most public: reputation. Are they known to be trustworthy and respectable?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whether you're a man or woman, leader in the church or not, the four areas of character, family, ministry, and reputation provide a helpful start for prayerful self-examination. Are you living differently in private than in public? Are you living lovingly and in harmony with your family? How are you serving Christ with the gifts and opportunities that you have? Last, does your reputation in the neighborhood and workplace reflect the reality of a Christlike life?