1^st Tim.3:6] Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

[7] Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

The Apostle Paul Mentions that the bible teacher could fall into the “condemnation of the devil.” This means he could fall into a specifically designed ‘way,’ or ‘life’ called the devil’s condemnation, but what exactly does that mean? In Romans chapter 8 verse one and verse 2, Paul , “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. There is A condemnation life that the Saint could now live, or a life after the spirit that he could live unto God, but that condemnation life is a life that is not unto God but it is a life that the Saint would live unto his own flesh, but not just his flesh, but unto Satan. This is the condemnation of the devil, this is a life without the spirit of God in Christ, and without the spirit of God, the Saint is going to live by his carnal mind, instead of living by the living word of God, which is the spirit of God.

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Paul says, “lest being lifted up with pride,” because when a Bible teacher is a novice, he has a lack of understanding in “the will of God.” This does not mean that he is a novice in the knowledge of the bible verses, but this means that he is a novice in the will of what God is actually doing today, and what Paul is going after is, the Saints must know the will of God in all “wisdom and Spiritual understanding. This means the Saint must know what is the “good” in God’s sight, he must know what is the evil in God’s sight, and what he ought to abhor, and what God is actually doing today, and what God is not doing, and also not being ignorant of Satan’s devices. And once the Saint is filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, he is able to now walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing with the spiritual mind. The carnal mind and walking in the flesh cannot please God, but the man of God now could be strengthened with all might by the word of God because he is now increasing in the knowledge of God. And as the verses say below, it is by all scripture that we are strengthened, and perfected unto godliness whereby the perfect man is now able 2 walk in instruction in righteousness, and he too can teach the doctrine which is according to godliness unto others, he is a man of God who has the spiritual foundation of the will of God and now he can grow and increase in knowledge by the word of God.

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

2Ti 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Finally, it is by the word of God that the Saint is perfected, and proper establishment in the will of God is essential to the growth and development of the Saint. The word that Paul uses is that it is “profitable,” and it is profitable for the man of God to be perfect, and to be a son of God who is not a novice. This is understanding the will of God, but oftentimes many preachers are a novice in the wisdom ‘of the will of God in all spiritual understanding.’ The man of God is going to continue to grow in the word of God, but he must first have a spiritual understanding of the will of God, this gives him a foundational doctrine to build upon; which is “the doctrine which is according to godliness.” And this doctrine concerns the man of God having the spiritual mind of Christ, and operating upon the selfless love of Christ as well. But today, there are many Bible teachers teaching the word of God, but not according to His will, and they are a novice in understanding, hence they will fall into the devil’s condemnation because the devil desires that man would continue to counterfeit the word of truth and follow after his designed course for this world as he continues to ‘deceive and be deceive.’

Rod Jones

We have in the grace movement seen over the years cautionary tales about the consequences of having unqualified elders on church boards. We published articles yesterday on the purpose of church boards along with the essential 24 qualifications to be an elder.

A church board is not a political game in which a pastor needs to stack a bunch of guys who support him so he can protect his job.

The church board exists to do far more than make decisions about budgets, buildings, and maintenance, though those responsibilities are important acts of stewardship. Paul told the elders in Ephesus “to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his blood” (Acts 20:28). He means more than just teaching Pauline doctrines rightly divided. These elders were to embody those doctrines. Being an overseer means they were to ensure that every sound doctrine of grace, every principle of love and grace, is applied to every aspect of that church. They were to ensure that the grace of God shapes the entire culture of that ministry — from its doctrines, to its relationships, to its decisions, to its daily practices. And they were to be living examples of God’s grace. They were to set the tone, advocate a loving, gracious, atmosphere, and protect all the saints.

Both pastors and boards should be united around that agenda. If a board member cannot get behind that agenda or wants to push other agendas unrelated to the Biblical definition of church oversight, then he shouldn’t be on the board.

Let’s also not forget that Paul did not give 24 qualifications for elders simply to help churches identify exceptional men. He listed these qualifications in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 to protect the church from avoidable issues and disasters.

Each qualification serves as a safeguard against a specific danger.

If a church overlooks these standards, they often discover — too late — why God mandated them. Let us now consider the dangers of having men on a board who do not meet every single God-ordained qualification to be an elder.

1. He Desires the Office

The Danger: How can a man who doesn’t desire the office be of service to a church? A man who has no genuine desire to serve God’s people will become a passive leader, more of a burden than a servant, and he may be in that role out of obligation, pride, or personal ambition rather than a true servant’s heart. He would also likely be too weak or ignorant to make important decisions.

2. Blameless

The Danger: An elder whose life is marked by hypocrisy or public reproach may well bring those same problems into the board. This may also erode the congregation’s confidence in the discernment of the elders if they bring on someone who has such glaring ongoing issues. The congregation needs to have confidence in the wisdom and discernment of elders.

3. Husband of One Wife

The Danger: A leader lacking marital faithfulness and moral integrity is too unbalanced and inconsistent to faithfully serve your church over the long term.

4. Vigilant

The Danger: A spiritually careless and unwatchful elder may fail to recognize creeping doctrinal errors, moral compromises, and dangers threatening the flock.

5. Sober

The Danger: An elder who lacks sound judgment and self-discipline will react impulsively instead of wisely. He’ll become a source of instability.

6. Of Good Behavior

The Danger: Disorder in an elder’s personal life will eventually produce disorder within the board and the congregation he is called to lead.

7. Given to Hospitality

The Danger: An unapproachable and ungenerous elder would create distance between himself and the people, leaving many feeling uncared for. They may walk away thinking “this a cold church because that elder is so inhospitable.”

8. Apt to Teach

The Danger: An elder unable to explain and defend Scripture is immature and can cause a church to be spiritually confused and vulnerable to false doctrine. If he cannot teach and defend the sound doctrines of grace out of the Scriptures, then he cannot be an elder. Period. A man cannot lead if he is ignorant of the Word.

9. Not Given to Wine

The Danger: A leader mastered by alcohol or other worldly issues cannot faithfully model a life led by the Spirit and exercise sound judgment.

10. No Striker

The Danger: A harsh, intimidating, or combative leader abuses his authority and wounds the very flock he was called to protect.

11. Not Given to Filthy Lucre

The Danger: When money motivates leadership, ministry becomes a business, people become commodities, and sacred stewardship turns into personal gain.

12. Patient

The Danger: An impatient elder becomes easily frustrated with others. They can create unnecessary conflicts and hinder spiritual maturity.

13. Not a Brawler

The Danger: A contentious leader turns ordinary disagreements into unnecessary battles, giving the board headache-inducing conflicts instead of unity. This type of combative, contentious man may well split your church apart.

14. Not Covetous

The Danger: A leader captivated by worldly success gradually shifts the church’s priorities away from eternal values and toward earthly values.

15. Rules Well His Own House

The Danger: If a man cannot faithfully shepherd his own family, he has demonstrated that he is unprepared to shepherd the church of God.

16. Not a Novice

The Danger: Elevating an immature believer too quickly can potentially invite pride, discouragement, and doctrinal instability, often leading to spiritual ruin.

17. Good Report from Those Outside

The Danger: A man’s poor reputation out in the community discredits the church and the gospel, diminishing its witness before unbelievers. The reasons he has a poor reputation may well become problems for the board and the church.

18. Not Self-Willed

The Danger: A stubborn, self-willed, self-centered elder may well treat the church as his own personal domain where he’s king rather than viewing himself as a steward of God’s church. He will destroy your church.

19. Not Soon Angry

The Danger: A quick-tempered leader creates an atmosphere of fear and instability where people become reluctant to speak honestly or serve freely. He may well destroy your church or cause many congregants to leave.

20. Lover of Good Men

The Danger: An elder who does not love what is good will gradually surround himself with unhealthy influences, worldly interests, and other unspiritual things - all of which would lower the spiritual standards of the ministry. This would starve your church spiritually which could lead to a deadly implosion.

21. Just

The Danger: An unjust leader is governed by favoritism or personal bias, and he’ll destroy trust and confidence through his unfair remarks and decisions.

22. Holy

The Danger: An elder who neglects genuine personal holiness could reduce spiritual leadership to being nothing more than outward performance, which signals to the congregation that practical holiness isn’t that important.

23. Temperate (Self-Controlled)

The Danger: A man who cannot govern his own passions, speech, appetites, and emotions will eventually misuse the authority entrusted to him. A man who isn’t temperate may well cause issues and splits in your church.

24. Holding Fast the Faithful Word

The Danger: An elder who is not firmly anchored in sound doctrine cannot protect the church from false teaching or confidently refute error, leaving the church vulnerable to deception. If he doesn’t have the ability to convince the gainsayers, he should not be in a role of leadership in a local assembly.

Final Reflection

Putting an unqualified man into a role of leadership is never a neutral decision — it places the entire church at risk. Every qualification God gives protects the church from a particular kind of harm. Overlook the qualification, and you remove the safeguard. Churches often discover the wisdom of God’s standards only after they have ignored them.

The safest church is not the one with the most charismatic leaders, the largest attendance, or the most impressive programs. It is the church led by men whose lives consistently reflect the qualifications God Himself established. When elders meet God’s standards, the church flourishes. When they do not, division, false doctrine, spiritual decline, and unnecessary heartache are never far behind.

“But, brother Joel, how can I find men who meet this criteria?”

If you only have 1 or 2 men who qualify – then that’s your board.

See also:

We Need to Talk about Church Boards

24 Qualifications of Elders

An area of weakness in grace churches has always been – church boards.

A church largely rises or falls on leadership. When elders function Biblically, churches flourish. When they do not, the consequences can be devastating.

I have no doubt that quite a few boards of grace churches - even now - are filled with men who are not truly qualified. And these unqualified elders can sometimes become instigators of misguided agendas, ridiculous conflicts, and may even split apart your beloved church.

This happens.

And this can happen to you.

A church board isn’t a game. This isn’t a social club. This is serious business.

You’re not there to be a “yes man.” You’re not there to rubber stamp the wishes of someone else. You are there because you have accepted the God-given responsibility of overseeing His local assembly. You are there to take part in the oversight of the entire ministry. You are to oversee. You are to overlook and supervise that church.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that your job is to ensure that His Word rightly divided is properly applied to the entire ministry, and that the whole flock is properly served, cared for, and protected. Paul told the elders in Ephesus that they were to take care of themselves as well as the flock and to feed the church of God (Acts 20:28). How do they feed the church? This is more than just teaching doctrine. This is also living the doctrine – exemplifying loving, grace-filled service. The saints are edified by seeing living examples of the sound doctrines of grace.

The elders set the loving spiritual atmosphere and direction of the assembly.

And, too often, we take lightly the qualifications of an elder. Make no mistake. An unqualified elder on your board can destroy your church.

Responsibilities of Elders

I would argue that in the KJV, bishop, elder, and overseer are all verbally equivalent. In Acts 20:17, Paul called all the elders of the church at Ephesus. Then, in vs 28, he called them all overseers. Same thing. In Titus 1:5-7 bishop and elder are used interchangeably.

In Eph. 4:11, “pastor” is poimēn in the Greek, which is basically a shepherd, and that is also an important position of oversight in the local church.

I’d say there’s a slight nuance between elder, bishop, overseer, and pastor. Elders, bishops, and overseers are interchangeable descriptions of the same office. A pastor, however, is one who has taken on a greater shepherding role over the entire assembly.

This means that the pastor is not an employee of the board. He is in a position of oversight along with all of the other elders.

Not only that, consider Paul’s instructions to Timothy about how to handle an accusation against an elder (1 Tim. 5:19-25). Timothy was the pastor of Ephesus at the time (1 Tim. 1:3). Timothy was to take a leadership role when an accusation is being leveled against an elder. He had to ensure the accusation was heard before two or three witnesses (5:19). This means he had to make sure that process was handled Biblically, according to Paul’s instructions. Timothy had a responsibility for overseeing the investigation and disciplinary actions if those accusations had any merit. He had to have the integrity to act impartially (5:21), not make any rash decisions (5:22), and handle these matters with great meekness (Gal. 6:1). So not only was Timothy not an employee of the board, he had a responsibility of oversight and decision-making if accusations are ever made against elders.

On the flipside, the very fact that the elders are called overseers of the church (Acts 20:28) means that the scope of their oversight encompasses every aspect of the local assembly, including the pastor – his sermons and his conduct. The fact that Paul says overseers means they must be capable of taking action when things go wrong. They must be capable of holding a pastor accountable and potentially removing him from office if necessary.

Essentially, pastors and boards act as accountability partners.

We’ve covered a lot of church scandals over the years on our podcast. I also once wrote an article about how to handle scandals in a church. Many times, a scandal erupts because a pastor has misbehaved egregiously. Yet oftentimes that story isn’t just about the pastor. That story is also about the board who knew about his behavior and did nothing.

If a board fails to take action, especially if it’s a crime, they may find themselves in legal trouble. Some states now require boards to report certain crimes like:

· Sexual assaults

· Child abuse, neglect, or abandonment

· Elder abuse

Even if a board tries to “handle it in-house,” they will still find themselves in serious legal trouble for not reporting it to the police. If the law in your state requires you to report these crimes, then Romans 13:1-7 compels you to comply. Even if your state doesn’t require you to report it, I’d say you still have an obligation to report it anyway for the well-being of the victim.

An elder is not merely a rubber-stamp board member who votes on budgets and building repairs. He is a steward entrusted with the protection of the flock. Sometimes that responsibility requires difficult decisions, confronting sin, protecting victims, cooperating with law enforcement, and ensuring that your church consistently acts with absolute integrity.

Even beyond church scandals, the position of an elder is all about ensuring the principles of grace are put into action in every aspect of this ministry.

Here are some examples:

• When conflict arises between believers, the elder encourages forgiveness, peace, grace, and reconciliation, rather than bitterness (Eph. 4:31-32).

• When a struggling saint falls into sin, the elder seeks restoration with meekness rather than humiliating that person (Gal. 6:1). The elder knows that the way they’re living is simply not who they truly are in Christ anymore.

• When financial decisions are made, the elder promotes stewardship rather than personal agendas. An elder must be willing to make decisions based on principle rather than personality. The questions should be, “What is Biblical?” “What is gracious?” “What is the wiser method of stewardship?”

• When concerns or accusations against a pastor arises, the elder doesn’t think he exists simply to protect the pastor no matter what. He is there to protect every saint including (God forbid) any potential victims of the pastor.

• When new believers enter the church, the elder cultivates an atmosphere of love and grace and hospitality rather than exclusivity.

• When doctrinal disagreements emerge, the elder insists that truth be spoken in love (Eph. 4:15) and he models that example.

• The elder is capable of making the hard decision of excommunicating a saint if he is involved in an egregious sin (like the boy sleeping with his stepmother in 1 Cor. 5:1-5) if he refuses to stop. But, and if, he is excommunicated and he repents, then the elder is capable of forgiving him, comforting him, confirming his love, lest he should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

• When criticism is directed at church leadership, the elder responds with patience and wisdom and transparency rather than defensiveness.

• When teaching is presented, the elder helps ensure that the message does not stray from the sound doctrines of grace into areas of legalism, Calvinism, and other heresies.

• When someone is grieving, sick, or discouraged, the elder helps mobilize the church to minister rather than allowing the person to suffer in isolation.

• I remember a story of J.C. O’Hair getting swept up in a public battle with another pastor over doctrine, and the board told him to let it go. I was also once shared a story of how this same board had a pastor who was very combative and confrontational with the congregants - and they let him go.

The elder’s task is not simply to protect the church from scandal. His task is to help ensure that the grace of God shapes the entire culture of that whole ministry — from its doctrines, to its relationships, to its decisions, to its daily practices.

And that the church consistently acts with absolute integrity and grace.

See also 10 Principles of Grace-Based Leadership, 24 Qualifications of an Elder, and The Dangers of Unqualified Elders.

Did you know that between 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 Paul lays out 24 qualifications to be an elder? Yes, I said 24!

And every single qualification is important!

Let’s dive into them!

1) He desires the office.

Consider 1 Tim. 3:1 – “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

We’ve all seen how men typically get put onto a church board. He’s usually offered the position. Many times, this man hadn’t really considered being an elder. He’s not sure he wants it. He has to think about it. He reluctantly accepts the position. And after he’s on the board, he’ll just rubber stamp whatever the majority of the members want.

That’s not what 1 Tim. 3:1 is talking about. Paul is not talking about a man who reluctantly accepts an offer. He’s talking about a man who WANTS the job. He loves the grace message. He loves the saints. He loves the church. He loves to serve. He WANTS the job.

There’s a difference between a man who WANTS the job versus the man who shrugs and kind of sort of reluctantly accepts the offer.

The reluctant man has to be persuaded to serve. The desirous man is already serving.

The reluctant man says, “Do I have to?” The desirous man says, “How can I help?”

The reluctant man waits to be told what to do. The desirous man already knows, and he’s proactively looking for ways to serve the saints.

Paul says, “…he desireth a good work.” Notice that he doesn’t emphasize the title but the labor. The office is not a reward. It is not a position of prestige. It is work. It is service. The man who is qualified for leadership is the man who already loves to serve, and he’s been doing this long before he ever stepped into this role.

Living the grace life was never meant to be passive.

The grace of God was never meant to produce passive spectators.

God’s grace should produce willing servants.

God’s grace should create within believers a deep love for Christ, a deep love for the truth, a deep love for the saints (even the difficult ones), and a desire to invest his life in things that matter eternally.

The best elders are not men who merely accepted a position. They are men who are already serving and who already have that servant’s heart like Christ.

2) Blameless

Consider the next verse. 1 Tim. 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless… Titus 1:6 also tells us the bishop must be blameless, and he adds in vs. 7 that “a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God…”

“Blameless” functions as the umbrella qualification under which all the others fall. This literally means “not able to be laid hold of” or “not open to attack.” The idea is not sinless perfection, but a man whose life is free from legitimate, egregious, scandalous accusations. There is no glaring inconsistency in his character, no pattern of hypocrisy, no ongoing immorality, dishonesty, or misconduct that would bring reproach upon himself, his church, or the gospel he proclaims.

In Titus, Paul adds that “a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God” (Tit. 1:7). A steward manages what belongs to another. The church does not belong to the elders or pastors. It belongs to God. The elder is simply entrusted with the care of God’s people.

Therefore, his life must reflect the integrity and faithfulness expected of one who represents the Lord before the congregation. Because he serves as God’s steward, he must conduct himself in a manner worthy of that sacred trust.

3) Husband of one wife

The next qualification Paul gives for an elder is that he be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6). I know some would argue that this means he’s never been divorced, but I don’t think that’s the intent here. This is more about polygamy and fidelity. In the Greek, this expression is mias gunaikos andra, which literally means “a one-woman man.” The emphasis is really about a man’s moral fidelity and sexual integrity. Paul is describing a man whose devotion is directed toward one woman and who is known for faithfulness in his relationships. His life is marked by purity, loyalty, and steadfast commitment rather than flirtation, promiscuity, or divided affections (with polygamy).

4) Vigilant

Paul’s next qualification is in 1 Tim. 3:2: “A bishop then must be blameless ... vigilant.” This word “vigilant” describes a person who is attentive, watchful, and clear in judgment. The very fact that he is attentive and watchful also suggests that he possesses mental alertness, discernment, and self-control.

The emphasis, therefore, is not just that he’s committedly attentive to the needs of the church, but he also possesses a clear and distraction-free mind. He does not allow his judgment to be clouded by things like alcohol, emotions, passions, impulses, or worldly distractions. He is a man who sees situations clearly and responds wisely. Spiritual leadership requires discernment, and discernment requires a mind that is sober, balanced, and attentive.

5) Sober

Paul’s next qualification appears in both 1 Tim. 3:2 and Tit. 1:8, where he says a bishop must be “sober.” I used to be a heavy drinker, and I love sobriety. However, Paul points to something much broader and deeper here. This is sobriety in the sense of sound-mindedness, self-control, prudence, and balanced judgment - a person who possesses what could be called a “safe mind” — a mind governed by wisdom rather than rash impulses.

There is a subtle distinction between “sober” and “vigilant.” Vigilance is about alertness and watchfulness, while sobriety emphasizes sound thinking. A vigilant elder is awake to potential dangers. A sober elder knows how to respond wisely when those dangers appear. He does not react rashly or allow emotions to dictate his decisions. Instead, he approaches situations with careful thought, discernment, and good judgment.

6) Of Good Behavior

Paul continues his description in 1 Tim. 3:2 by stating that a bishop must be “of good behaviour.” This builds naturally upon the previous requirement of sobriety. If sobriety describes a man’s inward self-control and sound judgment, good behaviour describes how those qualities become visible in everyday life. The inward quality of the heart manifests itself in a man’s outward conduct.

Interestingly, the Greek word translated “of good behaviour“ is kosmios - the same root as the word cosmos. This speaks of order, arrangement, and harmony. It is also related to the idea behind our word “cosmetics,” which refers to something arranged or adorned properly. In a Biblical sense, the emphasis is not on outward appearance but on a life that is orderly, respectable, and well-governed.

7) Given to Hospitality

Paul next states that an elder must be “given to hospitality” (1 Tim. 3:2), and he repeats this qualification in Titus 1:8 by describing him as “a lover of hospitality.” This may seem pretty straightforward, but this actually says something profound about spiritual leadership. Back then, hospitality carried far greater significance than it does today. Inns were unsafe, immoral, and unreliable places. Traveling believers, missionaries, teachers, and Christian workers often depended upon the kindness of fellow believers for lodging, meals, and care. So, as the gospel spread from city to city, the willingness of Christians to open their homes became an important part of supporting the work of the ministry.

Beyond all of that, hospitality is ultimately a matter of the heart. The elder is not merely someone who occasionally entertains guests. He is a man whose life is characterized by a welcoming spirit. He possesses an openness toward people, particularly those who may be overlooked, unfamiliar, or in need. His home is not a fortress designed to keep people out but a place where care, encouragement, and fellowship can flourish.

This quality demonstrates generosity because the elder willingly shares his resources. It demonstrates warmth because people feel welcomed rather than tolerated. It demonstrates accessibility because he does not isolate himself from those he serves. Most importantly, it demonstrates genuine love for people. Hospitality turns love from a mere profession into a practical reality.

8) Apt to Teach

Among all the qualifications listed for an elder, nothing stands out quite like this one. In 1 Tim. 3:2, Paul says that a bishop must be “apt to teach.” Elders must – MUST – be able to teach the sound doctrines of grace. This does not mean he has to be able to speak publicly behind a pulpit but he must have the ability to open Scriptures and teach the Word rightly divided to others. He must know the doctrine. He must be able to articulate the doctrine. He must know Scriptures well enough to turn to key passages and explain them to people.

When Paul says, “apt to teach” this carries the idea of being skillful in teaching, capable of instruction, or qualified to impart truth to others. He is speaking of a man who understands Biblical truth well enough to communicate it clearly and effectively. This is a man who is able to take the truths of Scripture and explain them in a way that teaches those who are unfamiliar and can edify God’s people. He must not only know the doctrine, explain the doctrine, know where to go in Scriptures to support the doctrine, but he must also live the doctrine.

If a man cannot do these things, he cannot be an elder.

Period.

One cannot overstate the dangers of having a man on your board who is ignorant of Scripture and incapable of explaining the sound doctrines of grace.

The whole point of his job as an elder is to make sure the doctrines of grace are applied to every aspect of the ministry. If he’s ignorant, how can he do his job?

His grasp of God’s Word should be sufficiently clear that he can guide believers into grace truth rather than leave them confused or uncertain.

Paul is not saying an elder must be charismatic, dynamic, or exceptionally gifted as a public speaker. This is not about popularity or performance. This is about faithfulness and competence in handling God’s Word.

9) Not Given to Wine

Paul next states that an elder must be “not given to wine” (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). This qualification follows naturally from the previous emphasis on vigilance, sobriety, and self-control. A man entrusted with the spiritual care of God’s people must possess clear judgment and disciplined behavior. Therefore, Paul excludes any man whose life is characterized by an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Sobriety from alcohol actually speaks to a broader principle about self-mastery. The elder must not be controlled by anything that diminishes his spiritual effectiveness. Whether the influence is alcohol, pleasure, entertainment, ambition, or some other dominating force, the principle remains the same. A shepherd cannot faithfully lead God’s people if he himself is being led by something other than the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

10) No Striker

Paul continues his list of qualifications by stating that he must be “no striker” (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). This addresses an issue that strikes at the heart of Biblical leadership (yes, pun intended). In the most basic sense, Paul’s talking about a man who resorts to violence when he’s angry. He settles disputes with force.

The elder is called to care for the flock, not to dominate it. His authority is to be exercised through truth in love, speech alway with grace, living examples of grace, and a loving leadership rather than through intimidation.

A shepherd’s hands are meant to protect the flock, not wound it.

11) Not Greedy

Paul also states he must not be “greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). He’s “not shamefully fond of gain.” Throughout Scripture, false teachers are frequently associated with greed, and Paul recognizes that a love of money can be just as destructive to an elder’s ministry as a lack of moral character or ignorance.

Possessing money isn’t sinful. Wealth itself is not an issue. The issue is the attitude of the heart about money. An elder cannot be motivated by financial gain. He cannot have a great love for financial gain, nor should he see this as an opportunity for personal enrichment.

He is called to serve God’s people, not to profit from them.

If an elder is in love with financial gain, imagine all the horrible ways he’ll try to turn the church into a “cash cow” rather than what’s spiritually important?

12) Patient

Paul follows many of these negatives with a wonderfully nice, positive counterpart: he must be “patient” (1 Tim. 3:3). It is not enough that an elder avoids violence, intimidation, or harshness. He must actively display gentleness, fairness, and grace in his dealings with others.

People aren’t going to “get it” the first time around.

A patient man is capable of enduring evils without murmuring about it. He is not easily provoked, which means he is gentle, reasonable, yielding, forbearing, or considerate. He is willing to show understanding and grace when the circumstances call for it. A patient elder recognizes that mercy, understanding, and kindness will always better serve most situations.

This quality is particularly important in church leadership because spiritual leadership inevitably involves dealing with imperfect people. Congregations are filled with believers at different stages of spiritual growth. An elder who lacks patience may become easily frustrated, harsh, or overly argumentative. A patient elder, however, recognizes that spiritual growth often takes time.

13) Not a Brawler

Paul continues his list of elder qualifications by stating that a bishop must be “not a brawler” (1 Tim. 3:3). This requirement addresses a danger that has plagued many churches — the temptation to become quarrelsome and contentious.

Paul is describing a man who is not argumentative, contentious, combative, or constantly creating conflicts with people.

A brawler has an appetite for drama. He enjoys debates for their own sake. He thrives on confrontation and frequently turns minor disagreements into major battles. He is perpetually engaged in some kind of battle with someone, and he’s looking for the next argument to win or the next opponent to challenge.

This is completely incompatible with spiritual leadership.

There is a significant difference between contending for the faith and being contentious. One is motivated by a love for truth and a desire to protect God’s people. The other is motivated by a love for conflict and winning arguments.

14) Not Covetous

Next, Paul says a bishop must be “not covetous” (1 Tim. 3:3). This closely complements “not greedy of filthy lucre,” but the two are not slightly different. “Filthy lucre” focuses specifically on the improper pursuit of money and profit. “Not covetous” addresses the bigger issue of a man’s unhealthy affection for anything other than God. Lucre concerns a specific behavior. Coveting concerns a heart that has unhealthy obsessive desire for any non-spiritual thing.

Paul wants an elder to be a man whose heart is not captivated by money, possessions, or the pursuit of any kind of material gain.

His identity is not found in what he owns, and his sense of security is not anchored in the size of his bank account.

He has contentment with God’s spiritual provisions. His priorities are shaped by eternal values rather than earthly stuff.

15) Rules His House Well

In 1 Tim. 3:4-5, Paul writes that a bishop must be “one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.” Titus adds that his children should be “not accused of riot or unruly” (Tit. 1:6). These verses reveal an important principle: before a man is entrusted with God’s household, he must demonstrate trustworthy faithfulness in his own household.

The phrase “ruleth well” means “to stand before,” which has the ideas of leadership, oversight, and care. The emphasis is responsible leadership. Paul is not describing some tyrant who controls his family through fear. He is describing a man who leads his household wisely, lovingly, and effectively. His home should reflect order, instruction, and nurture rather than chaos, neglect, or confusion.

Paul further explains that the elder’s children should be “in subjection with all gravity.” This not perfection but a general atmosphere of respect and obedience. “Gravity” speaks of dignity and respectability. The father’s leadership has been exercised with consistency and dignity. The children have a respect for his leadership. He is not given to intimidation or harsh control but an emotionally healthy leadership that is recognized and even honored.

Then, in vs. 5, Paul explains why: “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” The home becomes the proving ground for spiritual leadership. It reveals whether a man can guide, instruct, correct, nurture, and care for others. Significantly, Paul shifts from the language of ruling to the language of caring.

The phrase “take care” means to attend to, nurture, and look after — indeed, the same word used of the Good Samaritan caring for the wounded man.

Church leadership, therefore, is not merely administration. It is caring for saints.

This isn’t about a man’s family being flawless. He is evaluating whether the man’s leadership is evident. The home reveals his patience, wisdom, consistency, and ability to care for his own. If he cannot care for his own family, how can he be expected to care for the larger flock that belongs to God?

16) Not a Novice

Next, Paul says an elder must be “not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). Spiritual leadership requires more than zeal, knowledge, or natural ability. It requires proven spiritual maturity.

“Novice” is in the sense of “newly planted.” A neophyte. A recent convert who has not yet had time to grow. The issue is maturity. A man may be young and spiritually mature. An older man may still be spiritually immature. What matters is whether he has demonstrated stability, humility, faithfulness, and growth through time and testing.

There is a danger putting a newbie on the board – “lest being lifted up with pride.” He may well become puffed up and clouded by conceit. His improving spiritual perspective may suddenly become distorted by self-importance. When an immature believer is elevated too quickly, the respect, influence, and authority associated with leadership can become a trap for him. Instead of viewing leadership as service, he may begin viewing it as status. Instead of promoting Christ, he may begin promoting himself.

This is why Paul mentions “the condemnation of the devil.” Just as pride lifted Satan up before it brought him down, pride can destroy a young leader who has not yet fully grown spiritually.

17) A Good Report

Paul also writes, “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7). Having examined a man’s character, family life, temperament, finances, and spiritual maturity, Paul now considers his public reputation. A qualified elder must not only live well before the church; he must also possess credibility out in the world.

He has a good, honorable, reputation for integrity. Those who know him in everyday life regard him as honest, dependable, trustworthy, and respectable.

Paul again warns about “the snare of the devil.” A snare is a trap designed to capture its victim unexpectedly. Satan delights in exploiting the failures of spiritual leaders because their downfall often affects many others. In verse 6, Paul warned of the internal danger of pride. In verse 7, he warns of the external danger of public reproach. A leader can be ruined from within by arrogance or from without by a damaged reputation. Paul wants neither.

18) Not Self-Willed

Paul writes in Titus 1:7 that a bishop must be “blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled.” The connection between these two phrases is important. An elder is not the owner of the church. He is God’s steward. Therefore, one of the first traits Paul excludes is self-will. A man who is entrusted with God’s household must recognize that this is God’s household, not his own. He is following God’s instructions, not whatever seems right in his own eyes.

“self-willed” also carries the idea of being self-pleasing, arrogant, stubborn, or determined to have one’s own way regardless of the concerns of others. Such a person is dominated by self-interest. His opinions become law. His preferences are non-negotiable, and his desires take precedence over everyone else’s needs. Everything tends to revolve around him. Leadership becomes an extension of his own ego rather than an expression of humble service to God.

19) Not soon angry

Paul continues his list of disqualifying traits in Titus 1:7 by stating that an elder must be “not soon angry.” He is a man who is not quick-tempered, easily provoked, or prone to sudden outbursts of anger. Paul is describing a leader who possesses emotional stability and self-control rather than a volatile and unpredictable temperament.

20) Lover of Good men

In Titus 1:8, Paul states that an elder must be “a lover of good men.” He loves good men and by extension, that means that he loves everything that is good, honorable, virtuous, and pleasing to God. He is a man whose heart is naturally drawn toward righteousness rather than worldliness.

He delights in good people, good works, good character, sound doctrine, and Godly influences. He enjoys the company of those who pursue righteousness and seeks to encourage what is honorable and virtuous. He finds joy in things that are morally excellent and spiritually beneficial.

Ultimately, a “lover of good” is a man whose values align with God’s values.

21) Just

Paul continues his description of a qualified elder in Titus 1:8 by stating that he must be “just.” He is righteous, upright, and fair. He is a man who consistently seeks to do what is right according to God’s standards in His Word rather than according to own personal preferences and self-interest.

A just man is honest, fair, impartial, and trustworthy. He treats people according to righteous principles rather than favoritism, prejudice, or personal advantage. His decisions are guided by truth and integrity rather than by influential friendships, family connections, financial considerations, or political pressures.

A just elder is able to evaluate circumstances objectively and render judgments that are consistent with Scripture rather than personal bias. People may not always agree with his conclusions, but they can trust that he is striving to do what is right, because his will is governed by God’s Word and truth rather than personal desires. He seeks what is right, treats people fairly, and leads with integrity. Such a man provides stability and confidence in a church because his leadership is rooted in the rightness of God’s ways.

22) Holy

Paul continues his list of elder qualifications in Titus 1:8 by stating that a bishop must be “holy.” I think this is in the sense of personal devotion to God and practical godliness in his walk. Paul is describing a man who is genuinely devoted to God, not just outwardly religious. His walk with the Lord is real and obvious. He does not simply possess doctrinal knowledge and theological expertise. He demonstrates a heart that has been shaped by the Word of God, by communion with God through His Word and prayer. His life reflects a consistent pattern of reverence, piety, grace, love, joy, and spiritual devotion.

His relationship with the Lord is not something he turns on when standing behind a pulpit. Rather, this permeates every aspect of who he is. Those who know him should see evidence that he genuinely walks with God.

23) Temperate

Paul then states in Titus 1:8 that an elder must be “temperate.” This carries the idea of self-control, self-mastery, and disciplined restraint. The term is built around the concept of possessing power over oneself. Rather than being controlled by his desires, passions, or impulses, the temperate man exercises control over them - how? - by walking in the Spirit according to the Word.

Temperate reaches into every area of life. A temperate elder governs his appetites, emotions, speech, and actions. He does not allow his temper to dictate his responses, or his desires to determine his choices, or his emotions to control his behavior. Instead, he demonstrates a disciplined life that is increasingly governed by wisdom from the Word of God, which produces Godly behavior.

Before an elder can effectively lead a congregation, he must first demonstrate that he can lead himself. A man who cannot govern his own appetites and impulses will struggle to provide wise leadership for others.

24) Holding Fast the Faithful Word

Finally, Paul concludes the qualifications for an elder in Titus 1:9 by focusing entirely on the leader’s relationship to Scripture: “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Having addressed character in Titus 1:7-8, Paul now addresses competency.

An elder must not only be a Godly man; he must also be a doctrinally grounded man who can teach, defend, and apply the truth of His Word.

The phrase “holding fast” has the idea of clinging firmly, gripping tightly, and refusing to let go. He is firmly anchored to Biblical truth. He is not tossed about by cultural trends, Christian fads, popular opinion, or persuasive personalities. His confidence rests in what God has said in His Word rightly divided rather than the world’s opinions. Before an elder can lead others in the Word, he must first be firmly attached to, and persuaded by, the Word itself like a Berean.

Interestingly, Paul says the elder holds fast “the faithful word as he hath been taught.” This reminds us that an elder is not an innovator but a steward of truth. He is not called to invent new doctrines, discover secret revelations, or reshape the grace movement majoring on the minors. Rather, he faithfully preserves, proclaims, and passes on the sound doctrines of grace in Paul’s epistles – primarily the gospel, identification, and right division. He keeps the main thing the main thing. His leadership is built on his faithfulness to truth.

Notice also that Paul says, “that he may be able.” An elder must possess more than a conviction. He must possess the ability to use Scripture effectively. Knowledge alone isn’t good enough. He must understand doctrines so well he can teach it clearly, apply it wisely, and defend it courageously when challenged.

He must also be able “to exhort.” He must be able to encourage saints to do what’s right, to strengthen one’s faith, comfort the discouraged, and motivate God’s people toward spiritual growth. He feeds the flock with truth that builds them up and helps them mature in Christ.

But the big point here is that he must be able “to convince the gainsayers.” He has to know enough that he can put up a strong defense of the truth in the face of critics and unbelievers. A man who can convince the gainsayers is a man who can expose, refute, and correct error – whatever that may be. Paul knew that false teachers would exist then and now and they will always seek to mislead God’s people. Therefore, an elder must be capable of explaining out of the Scriptures why error is wrong and why truth must be upheld.

An elder who only encourages people but he isn’t capable of refuting error leaves a flock vulnerable. An elder who only refutes error but he never encourages people can be harsh and ungracious. Paul expects both. The elder must be able to feed the sheep and protect them from error. He must build up truth and expose falsehood. He must carry both a shepherd’s staff and a shepherd’s rod.

Big Picture: What Is an Elder Supposed to Be?

When we step back and look at all twenty-four qualifications together, there is an identifiable pattern here. Paul is not primarily looking for talented men. He is not looking for successful businessmen, charismatic personalities, gifted administrators, popular speakers, or men with impressive resumes.

He is looking for mature, Godly men whose lives have been transformed by the grace of God and all the sound doctrines of grace in Paul’s epistles.

Notice how few of these qualifications have anything to do with natural ability. The overwhelming majority focus on character.

Paul describes a man who is spiritually mature, doctrinally grounded, emotionally stable, morally pure, financially trustworthy, gracious with people, devoted to God, and committed to the truth. He is a servant rather than a dictator. He is a shepherd rather than a celebrity. He is a steward rather than an owner.

He leads his home well because he has first learned to lead himself well. He is not mastered by pride, anger, money, alcohol, ambition, or selfish desires. He possesses the rare ability to combine conviction with compassion, courage with gentleness, authority with humility, and truth with grace.

Perhaps most importantly, Paul’s elder is a man who genuinely loves the things God loves. He loves Christ. He loves the truth. He loves the saints. He loves what is good. He loves serving. He loves God’s Word enough to hold it fast, teach it faithfully, defend it courageously, and live it consistently.

Taken together, these qualifications paint a portrait of a man who resembles the Christ Himself. When people observe his life, they can see evidence of Christ’s life manifest inside of them. They can see integrity instead of hypocrisy, humility instead of pride, self-control instead of excess, service instead of selfishness, and faithfulness instead of compromise.

This is why the qualifications matter. Paul is not creating an arbitrary checklist. He is describing the kind of man God can trust with His people.

Because if you put any unqualified in that position, you’re putting your entire church at risk. Of course, a church does not need perfect elders. They don’t exist. But the church desperately needs Godly elders — men whose lives demonstrate the transforming power of God’s grace according to the Word rightly divided.

See also Dangers of Unqualified Elders.

Introduction

Matthew 13 and Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians present two distinct administrations within the revealed purpose of God. They are not alternate expressions of the same doctrinal system, nor do they describe a unified program under different language. Rather, each belongs to a different sphere and must be interpreted according to its proper dispensational context.

Matthew 13 stands within the prophetic kingdom program promised to Israel. Its language is consistently earthly, covenantal, and related to the anticipated reign of Messiah. By contrast, the Epistle to the Ephesians reveals what Paul calls “the mystery,” a body of truth that had been hidden in God and not made known in previous ages.

Paul writes:

Ephesians 3:3–5 (KJV)
“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery…
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men…”

This declaration establishes an essential interpretive boundary. If the mystery was not made known in other ages, it cannot be present—even in concealed form—in the teaching of Matthew 13. The two must therefore be distinguished rather than merged.

The unity of Scripture is preserved not by collapsing these programs into one, but by recognizing that God has revealed His purposes progressively. When each portion of Scripture is understood in its proper sphere, the result is not contradiction, but clarity.

Matthew 13 and the Kingdom in Mystery Form

Matthew 13 appears at a decisive turning point in the Gospel narrative. The preceding chapters record increasing rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ by the leadership of Israel, culminating in the charge that His works were performed by the power of Satan:

Matthew 12:24 (KJV)
“This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”

In response to this rejection, the Lord begins to teach in parables. He explains the change in method:

Matthew 13:11 (KJV)
“Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

These “mysteries” do not introduce a new doctrinal program. Rather, they reveal the kingdom in a concealed form during a period when its King is rejected. The kingdom is not abandoned, and its promises are not canceled. Instead, it’s open manifestation is delayed.

Thus, Matthew 13 describes not a new spiritual body, but the condition of the kingdom during this interim period.

The Parables as a Unified Presentation of the Kingdom

The parables of Matthew 13 must be understood collectively. Together they form a structured picture of the kingdom during its concealed phase.

To avoid misunderstanding, it must be emphasized that the parables of Matthew 13 do not describe anything taking place in the present dispensation of grace. Israel’s Kingdom is entirely in abeyance today, and no Kingdom conditions exist while the prophetic program is paused. These parables instead outline the future conditions of the Kingdom program during the King’s absence—conditions that began with His rejection, are completely suspended during the mystery revealed to Paul, and will resume only after the church is removed. Nothing in these parables applies to the Body of Christ or the present age; they belong exclusively to the Kingdom program that was offered, withheld, interrupted, and will one day be resumed.

The parable of the Sower establishes the nature of the message:

Matthew 13:19 (KJV)
“When any one heareth the word of the kingdom…”

The issue is the reception of the kingdom message in the Jewish world & prophetical timetable. There is no reference to the Church, the Body of Christ, or the heavenly position of believers. The focus remains consistently tied to the kingdom.

The parable of the wheat and tares provides the key interpretive anchor. Christ Himself defines its elements:

Matthew 13:38–39 (KJV)
“The field is the world… the harvest is the end of the world… and the reapers are the angels.”

This interpretation establishes firm boundaries. The field is not the Church but the world. The separation is not present but future. The agents of judgment are angels, not members of a spiritual body. The entire framework is eschatological and kingdom oriented.

This understanding governs the remaining parables.

Growth, Mixture, and Influence within the Kingdom

Following the central parable, the Lord does not describe the expansion of the kingdom during this concealed period, but rather its conditions within the world while the King is absent. The kingdom itself remains withheld, unrevealed, and unexpanded; what grows in this interval is the mixed and often misleading field of profession, not the kingdom promised to Israel.

The mustard seed illustrates outward development:

Matthew 13:31–32 (KJV)
“Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree…”

The mustard seed’s transformation into a tree does not depict the Kingdom expanding, but the abnormal outward swelling of the professing realm. Its oversized branches provide room for corrupting influences, symbolized by the birds that settle within it.

The parable of the leaven turns to internal influence:

Matthew 13:33 (KJV)
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven… till the whole was leavened.”

In Scripture, leaven often represents a spreading influence, frequently associated with corruption:

1 Corinthians 5:6 (KJV)
“Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”

Taken together, these parables describe the conditions surrounding the Kingdom program during the King’s absence—marked by outward enlargement of the professing realm and the presence of corruption. They do not depict the Kingdom growing, nor do they apply to the present dispensation

The Treasure and the Value of the Kingdom

The following parable introduces imagery rooted directly in Old Testament identity:

Matthew 13:44 (KJV)
“The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field…”

The Old Testament provides a clear context for this imagery:

Psalm 135:4 (KJV)
“For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.”

This established identification suggests that the treasure corresponds to Israel as a people set apart by God. The hidden nature of the treasure in the parable aligns with the broader theme of the chapter: what is promised remains real and valuable, though presently concealed.

The parable of the pearl further emphasizes the value of the kingdom, reinforcing the worth of that which is secured, even during a period in which it is not fully manifested.

The final parable—the net—returns once more to the theme of separation:

Matthew 13:49 (KJV)
“The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.”

Again, the pattern is consistent: future judgment, angelic agency, and end-of-age fulfillment.

The Revelation of the Mystery in Ephesians

In contrast to Matthew 13, the Epistle to the Ephesians introduces a distinct and previously unrevealed program.

Paul writes:

Ephesians 3:2 (KJV)
“The dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward.”

This marks a change in divine administration. The content of this new dispensation is described clearly:

Ephesians 3:6 (KJV)
“That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body…”

This is not an expansion of the kingdom program. In prophecy, Gentiles are blessed through Israel. In Ephesians, Jew and Gentile are made one within a single body.

This new identity is further defined:

Ephesians 2:15 (KJV)
“For to make in himself of twain one new man…”

The distinctions that structure the prophetic program are removed. The unity described is not national, but spiritual. It is not covenantal, but positional.

This position is explicitly heavenly:

Ephesians 2:6 (KJV)
“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Here the contrast becomes unmistakable. Matthew anticipates an earthly kingdom. Ephesians reveals a heavenly body.

Revelation and the Resumption of the Kingdom Program

The distinction between these programs is confirmed when the book of Revelation is considered.

Rather than developing the doctrine of the Body of Christ, Revelation returns to the categories of prophecy:

Revelation 7:4 (KJV)
“Of all the tribes of the children of Israel…”

Revelation 21:24 (KJV)
“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it…”

These elements reflect the same framework found in the Old Testament and in Matthew 13: tribes, nations, earthly structure, and kingdom authority.

The language of “one new man” and heavenly seating is absent. Instead, the prophetic program resumes and is brought to completion.

Doctrinal Comparison:

Matthew 13: Kingdom of heaven.
Ephesians: Body of Christ.

Matthew 13: Earthly focus.
Ephesians: Heavenly position.

Matthew 13: Israel and nations distinct.
Ephesians: Jew and Gentile one.

Matthew 13: Mixed condition.
Ephesians: Spiritual unity.

Matthew 13: Judgment by angels.
Ephesians: Union by the Spirit.

The Integrated Flow of Scripture

When these distinctions are maintained, the structure of Scripture becomes clear:

• Israel receives promises of an earthly kingdom.

• Matthew 13 describes the kingdom during rejection.

• The kingdom is temporarily withheld.

• The mystery is revealed through Paul.

• The Body of Christ is formed.

• The Kingdom Resumed — At the church’s departure, the Kingdom program resumes, and the epistles of Hebrews through Revelation become operative for Israel. Revelation then unveils the prophetic end‑time fulfillment of that resumed program in detailed sequence.

Each stage builds upon the last without confusion.

Final Synthesis

Matthew 13 presents the kingdom in its concealed form during the rejection of the King.

Ephesians reveals the previously hidden truth of the Church, the Body of Christ.
Revelation unveils the Day of the Lord and the end‑time fulfillment of the prophetic kingdom program.

These are not competing systems, but successive administrations in the unfolding purpose of God.

The kingdom is not the Body.
The Body is not the kingdom.

The kingdom is withheld, not canceled.
The mystery is inserted, not predicted.
The kingdom is resumed, not replaced.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth.”

AN AUGUST QUESTION forsooth.

Why was Jesus standing up in Acts 7:55,56 KJV ? As it reads “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man STANDING on the right had of God.”

It’s interesting to this writer because Acts 7:55,56 is seemingly juxtaposed to Mark 14:62’s “And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man SITTING on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

So this whole ‘sitting and standing’ thing can be a little confusing at first.

PUNCTUATION DEAR STUDENT

To quickly put a quietus on this confusion before answering the the main question, we need to pay attention to the punctuation in the above quoted verse from Mark. Note the comma separating the word “power” and the word “and” in the verse.

That comma is separating two separate EVENTS. He was sitting, but got up to attend to something. Do you see that? He was sat down next to God the Father, perhaps talking, then, WAMMO! He stands up… This writer believes there was intent when he stood.

STEPHEN SEES THE SAVIOUR STANDING

Why is Jesus standing when Stephen saw him? This writer is sure that saints over the last 2000 odd years have asked this exact same question. Maybe you have too.

The answer is simple. He’s standing because…he’s not sitting (a gentle grin as appeared on the writers’ face)

But that’s not quite what the Body wants to hear, so…

This writer believes that Jesus was standing due to his plan to ready “…the armies [which were] in heaven” so that he “…should smite the nations:” (Revelation 19:14-15 KJV)

There is a question that comes in this writers’ mind though; if Stephen saw Jesus standing up in the 1st century, and he did according to the scripture, there is a substantial amount of time that doesn’t make sense as to why Jesus stood up so early. At very least 2007 years too early, which also does not take the gap of Daniel 9:25 KJV into account either.

So how does God’s word answer this for us?

GOD’S PERCEPTION OF TIME

Could it be that 2 Peter 3:8 KJV sheds some light? “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” Could it be that Daniels 70th week (a seven year period) to the Lord Jesus was mere hours in his view and he was readying himself? Maybe.

Secondly, we now have the 2000 year odd time period to take into consideration. Based off the above verse, our Saviour could have looked out and seen this current dispensation of Grace as two days out and was getting ready to address his armies. Something to consider.

Question is how long will the dispensation of Grace go on for?

Thirdly, the gap in Daniel 9:25 just how long is that going to go on for remembering that the ‘mystery’ interrupts the gap too?

To this writer it appears that God in his wisdom knows what he is doing and Romans 11:33-36 KJV immediately comes to mind and that’s a great place to rest this question at

.

It’s certainly an august question indeed.

Grace and peace,

Karl R. Coates

Introduction: The Real Issue in Paul’s Trials

Across Acts 22–26, Paul is not merely defending himself against accusations. He is bearing witness to the risen Christ. Each appearance—before the Jewish crowd, the Sanhedrin, Felix, Festus, and Agrippa—reveals that the controversy surrounding Paul is ultimately theological: the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promised resurrection of the dead.

Central thesis: Paul’s defense is not rooted in personal vindication but in the claim that God has raised Jesus from the dead, thereby fulfilling both Israel’s hope and confirming the gospel of Christ he preached.

Five Hearings, One Resurrection Hope

Luke presents Paul’s defenses in a deliberate sequence. The audiences change, the legal setting intensifies, and the political stakes rise; yet the message remains consistent. Paul’s life was transformed by the risen Jesus, and his preaching rests on the conviction that God raises the dead.

1. Acts 22 — Paul speaks to the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem.

2. Acts 23 — Paul testifies before the Sanhedrin.

3. Acts 24 — Paul answers accusations before Felix.

4. Acts 25 — Festus summarizes the dispute.

5. Acts 26 — Paul gives his fullest defense before Agrippa.

The repeated theme is unmistakable: Paul is on trial because he proclaims that Jesus is alive and that resurrection is the hope promised by God.

Acts 22: The Risen Christ Confronts Paul

Paul’s account; Acts 22:6–10 KJV: “And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.”

Before the Jerusalem crowd, Paul begins with his former zeal and persecution of the church. This gives weight to his testimony: he was not predisposed to follow Christ. His conversion came because Jesus Himself appeared to him alive.

The resurrection is implied through the encounter. Paul does not argue abstract doctrine first; he recounts a personal confrontation with the living Lord. The Jesus whom Paul opposed was not dead and defeated but alive and speaking.

Paul’s apostleship rests on resurrection authority. The risen Christ called him, corrected him, and commissioned him.

Acts 23: The Resurrection Divides the Council

Visible Scripture — Acts 23:6 KJV: “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

Before the Sanhedrin, Paul identifies the theological center of the dispute. His statement exposes the division between Pharisees, who affirmed resurrection, and Sadducees, who denied it.

Paul’s defense is not a diversion from the gospel. It is the gospel’s contested foundation. If God raises the dead, then the resurrection of Jesus is credible, decisive, and demanding.

Acts 24: Resurrection as the Hope of the Just and Unjust

Again, Paul declares — Acts 24:14–15 KJV: “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”

Before Felix, Paul insists that his message is not a rejection of Israel’s Scriptures. Rather, he stands within the hope promised in the Law and the Prophets. Resurrection is not an innovation detached from Scripture; it is the promised future toward which Scripture points.

Paul also widens the doctrine: resurrection concerns both the righteous and the wicked. The issue is not only comfort for believers but accountability before God.

Acts 25: Festus Names the Controversy

Festus clear decaration— Acts 25:19 KJV: “But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.”

Festus, though not fully grasping the theological weight of the matter, accurately identifies the central claim: Jesus had died, but Paul affirmed Him to be alive.

This summary is significant because it comes from an outsider. Even a Roman official can see that Paul’s case turns on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 26: Resurrection and the Promise to Israel

Paul stands before King Agrippa — Acts 26:6–8 KJV: “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?”

Before Agrippa, Paul gives his most developed defense. He connects resurrection directly to the promise made to Israel. The gospel is not a contradiction of that promise; it is its fulfillment in the risen Christ.

Paul’s question presses the issue: if God is truly God, resurrection is not incredible. The problem is not divine inability but human unbelief.

Comparison: Paul’s Resurrection Emphasis in Acts 22–26

The following chart shows how each defense advances the same central claim from a different angle.

Passage - Audience / Setting - Visible Resurrection Emphasis - Significance

Acts 22 - Jewish crowd in Jerusalem

Jesus appears to Paul alive and commissions him.

Paul’s testimony begins with direct encounter with the risen Christ.

Acts 23:6 - Sanhedrin

“Hope of the resurrection of the dead.”

The resurrection exposes the true theological conflict.

Acts 24:14–15 - Felix

Resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Paul roots resurrection in the Law, the Prophets, and coming judgment.

Acts 25:19 - Festus

Paul claims that Jesus, though dead, is alive.

An outsider identifies the resurrection of Jesus as the heart of the case.

Acts 26:6–8 - Agrippa

God’s promise to Israel includes raising the dead.

Paul presents resurrection as reasonable, biblical, and fulfilled in Christ.

Paul’s defense shows that the resurrection is not a secondary doctrine. It is the center of apostolic preaching, the validation of Jesus Christ’s identity, and the guarantee that God’s promises have not failed.

In Acts 22–26, resurrection connects Paul’s personal conversion, public witness, biblical/prophetical continuity, final judgment, and apostolic calling. Paul’s message cannot be separated from the living Christ who appeared to him and sent himas an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the hope of Israel and the gospel of Christ to the nations meet in one truth: God has raised Jesus, and through Him the resurrection hope is proclaimed to all.

Conclusion

Paul’s courage before hostile crowds, religious councils, and Roman officials teaches believers to anchor their witness in the resurrection. The gospel does not rest on moral improvement, religious tradition, or personal sincerity alone; it rests on the historical and theological claim that Christ is risen.

Because Christ lives, the believer’s hope is secure, judgment is certain, and gospel witness is urgent. Paul’s defense becomes the church’s Blessed Hope: the crucified Jesus is alive, and God will raise the dead.

Our hope rests on this promise: Christ is risen, and we shall rise. Acts 22–26 presents Paul not as a criminal trying to escape judgment, but as a witness proclaiming resurrection hope before the world. Whether preaching to a Jewish audience, or to Gentiles – Resurrection is core truth. It is the fulfillment of God’s eternal redemptive purpose – both for the nation of Israel & to the Body of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is not merely giving the Corinthians a brief evangelistic formula. He is defending the doctrine of resurrection as the necessary foundation of Christian hope.

The opening verses are certainly central: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

These verses summarize the Gospel Paul preached, but the chapter itself presses beyond mere summary into a full defense of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection hope of those who are in Him.

Paul’s Immediate Audience and Purpose

Paul’s intention in 1 Corinthians 15 is not to evangelize the Corinthians as though they had never received the Gospel. He addresses them as brethren and speaks of the Gospel “which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.”

The language assumes that the Corinthians had already heard, received, and stood in this message.

In 1 Corinthians 9:11-12, Paul had already spoken of ministering “spiritual things” among them and connected his apostolic labor to the “gospel of Christ.” He writes, “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.”

Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 9:16-18 Paul explains the necessity laid upon him to preach: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge.”

These statements show that Paul had already preached the Gospel to the Corinthians and that they were not strangers to his message.

Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 should be read as a reminder and reaffirmation, not as the initial evangelization of the church at Corinth.

Paul says they had “received” the Gospel, that they “stand” in it, and that by it they “are saved,” if they keep in memory what he preached unto them.

His phrase “unless ye have believed in vain” is not best understood as a threat of losing salvation.

The chapter itself clarifies that the issue is the loss of hope if resurrection is denied. Paul’s concern is not that true believers might be unjustified, but that their faith and hope would be emptied of meaning if the resurrection were removed from the Gospel they had received.

The Key Issue: Some Denied the Resurrection

The key verse for understanding Paul’s concern is 1 Corinthians 15:12: “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?”

The problem in Corinth was not that the Gospel had never been preached. The problem was that some were saying there is no resurrection of the dead.

This denial may have been influenced by ideas similar to those of the Sadducees, who rejected resurrection, but whatever its source, Paul treats it as a direct assault upon Christian hope.

First Corinthians 15 is unquestionably the great resurrection chapter. Paul reasons that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

If Christ is not risen, then preaching is vain, faith is vain, the apostles are false witnesses, believers are yet in their sins, the dead in Christ are perished, and Christian hope is miserable.

He writes in verses 13-19: “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ... And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins... If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Thus, the Gospel disconnected from resurrection leaves only a dead Christ, a dead message, a dead faith, and a miserable hope. Paul’s argument is that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are not isolated facts to be recited briefly and then separated from the believer’s future hope. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation and guarantee of the resurrection of those who belong to Him.

The Opening Verses Are Evidential and Foundational

Verses 1-4 are both evidential and foundational. They are foundational because they state the substance of the Gospel Paul preached: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”.

They are evidential because Paul immediately proceeds to give witnesses of the resurrected Christ.

The “and” of verse 4 does not end the matter; it continues into the testimony of verses 5-8: “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once... After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

To stop at the first four verses and ignore the following witnesses is to risk cutting the chapter away from its own argument.

Jeremiah 36:23 records that Jehudi cut the roll with a penknife and cast it into the fire.

In a similar proverbial sense, when one ignores the textual context and grammatical construction of 1 Corinthians 15, one uses a penknife on Paul’s argument.

Paul is not merely stating a shortened evangelistic formula; he is demonstrating that the Gospel he preached is firmly established upon the historic certainty of Christ’s resurrection.

The conjunctions are important because they show the flow of Paul’s reasoning. Christ died. He was buried. He rose again. He was seen. The appearances are not incidental; they are part of Paul’s defense. The apostolic witness supports the Gospel of Christ and confirms the reality of the resurrection. Paul’s purpose is to show that the resurrection is not a doctrine added later to Christian hope, but the very ground upon which Christian hope stands.

Apostolic Commission and Witness

The apostles were ordained as witnesses of the resurrection. In Acts 1:8, the Lord told them, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” When another was chosen to take the place of Judas, the requirement was that he be “ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:22). From the beginning, apostolic witness was resurrection witness.

Peter’s preaching at Pentecost confirms this emphasis. In Acts 2:22-32, Peter declares Jesus of Nazareth to have been approved of God, delivered according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, crucified and slain, and then raised up by God. He says, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” The cross is not presented apart from the resurrection; the resurrection vindicates the crucified Christ and proves that God has made Him both Lord and Christ.

The same pattern continues in Acts 3:13-15, where Peter says, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus... And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.”

In Acts 4:33 we read, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”

In Acts 5:30-32 Peter and the apostles again declare, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree... And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost.”

Peter’s message to the Gentiles in Acts 10 also aligns with the substance of 1 Corinthians 15.

He says, “And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly.”

He then declares that through Christ’s name “whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:39-43).

Here again we see death, resurrection, witness, and forgiveness bound together.

Some have noted that Peter preached the cross as bad news in Acts 2:22-23, because he charged Israel with having taken and slain Christ by wicked hands. This is partially true, but incomplete. Peter also preached the resurrection as very good news. In Acts 2:25-36, he uses Psalm 16 to show that Christ’s soul was not left in hell and that His flesh did not see corruption. The resurrection transforms the shame of the cross into the triumph of God’s purpose.

Paul himself was made a witness of the resurrected Christ. In Acts 26:16, the Lord said to him, “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee.” Paul’s apostolic ministry was therefore grounded in the appearance of the risen Christ. In 1 Timothy 2:7 he says, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle... a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.”

Paul’s Preaching in Acts 13

Acts 13:27-39 gives a clear example of Paul’s preaching.

In the synagogue, Paul proclaims that the rulers in Jerusalem fulfilled the prophets in condemning Christ, that they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a sepulchre, and that “God raised him from the dead.”

He then appeals to the promises made to the fathers and to David, saying that the resurrection of Christ fulfills the “sure mercies of David.”

Paul cites Psalm 2, Psalm 16, and Isaiah 55:3 to demonstrate that the risen Christ is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.

Paul concludes in Acts 13:38-39: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things.” In this Jewish synagogue, Paul preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for forgiveness and justification. Yet even here, the resurrection is not merely an appended proof; it is the fulfillment of Scripture and the certainty upon which the message rests.

Acts 13:42-43 also records who responded positively: “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas.” The message of the risen Christ reached Jews and Gentiles alike, and the apostolic preaching remained centered upon the fulfillment of Scripture in Christ’s resurrection.

The Witness of Christ Himself

The resurrection was not only preached by the apostles after the fact; Christ Himself foretold His death, burial, and resurrection.

In Luke 18:31-34, Jesus took the twelve aside and said that all things written by the prophets concerning the Son of man would be accomplished: He would be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, spitefully entreated, spit on, scourged, put to death, and “the third day he shall rise again.”

Yet the disciples “understood none of these things.” The message was declared, but at that time it was beyond their comprehension.

Matthew 16:21-23 records that Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Peter rebuked Him, saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Peter once denied the message of the suffering and rising Christ, yet later he proclaimed it boldly.

In 1 Peter 1:3-4, he writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.”

In Luke 24:20-26, after the resurrection, the Lord rebuked the slowness of heart that failed to believe all that the prophets had spoken. He said, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” The resurrection is therefore not a departure from the prophetic Scriptures; it is their fulfillment.

John 2:18-22 also records Christ’s own sign of resurrection. When the Jews asked for a sign, Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John explains that “he spake of the temple of his body” and that “when therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” Christ Himself placed resurrection at the center of His claim and mission.

Conclusion: Proposed, Proven, and Proclaimed

The message Paul preached in Corinth is firmly established upon the historic certainty of resurrection. First Corinthians 15 proposes the resurrection as essential to the Gospel, proves it through apostolic witness and Scripture, and proclaims it as the foundation of our Blessed hope.

If Christ is not risen, then preaching is vain, faith is vain, and hope is miserable.

But Paul’s triumphant answer is not uncertainty; it is declaration: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Therefore, 1 Corinthians 15 should not be reduced to only the first four verses, as precious and foundational as they are. Paul’s whole argument must be heard.

The Gospel includes the death of Christ for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection the third day according to the Scriptures; but Paul immediately surrounds that Gospel with witnesses, apostolic testimony, prophetic fulfillment, and the believer’s blessed hope.

The resurrection of Christ is not a secondary doctrine. It is the living certainty that makes the Gospel message, Christian faith, and future hope stand together.

The Tension

There is a verse in 1 Thessalonians 4 that most readers move past without stopping. They see it, they read it, they nod — and then they are on to the rapture text in verses 13 through 18 before they ever ask what Paul actually meant. The verse is this:

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. — 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12

Study to be quiet. What does that even mean? And why does Paul have to say it to a church he just praised for their love and their faith? Why would believers who are already walking and already loving need to be commanded to mind their own business?

The answer runs deeper than most people expect — and it takes you right to the heart of what sanctification actually looks like on the ground, in the marketplace, in the ordinary business of daily life.

The Thesis

Paul’s exhortation to study to be quiet is not a call to introversion. It is a call to integrity. The Thessalonians — or at least a portion of them — were carrying the habits of their Gentile past into their Christian present. The fraud, the coveting, the defrauding of brothers in business: these are the very things Paul addresses throughout verses 3 through 12. Verses 11 and 12 are not a change of subject. They are the application. They are where the rubber of sanctification meets the road of Monday morning.

The Will of God and What It Denies

To understand verses 11 and 12, you have to see the flow Paul has been building from verse 3. Notice what he says:

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. — 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Now here is where the careful reader has to slow down. The word fornication carries a broader range in Paul’s usage than we typically assign to it. Notice what he says just three verses later: “that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter.” Any matter. Not just the specific sexual sin that characterized Corinth. This is a wider pattern of behavior — the using of others, the taking from others, the living-for-self that the Gentile world ran on.

When Paul says abstain from fornication in this context, he is using the word in its fuller sense: the going outside of what God has ordered. You are united to Christ. You have been bought with a price. To live as though that union does not govern every area of your life — your business, your dealings, your hands — that is the fornication he has in view. It is spiritual adultery dressed in everyday clothes.

Then look at verse 4. Every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor. Notice — this is knowledge you are supposed to have. This is not advanced theology for mature believers only. Paul expects every one of them to know how to do this. How to inhabit this body, this life, in a way that reflects what God has made you in Christ.

The Engine Behind the Problem

Paul names the driving force in verse 5: the lust of concupiscence. That is the engine behind the defrauding. Come back with me to Romans 7 for a moment, because Paul unpacks this word elsewhere:

I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. — Romans 7:7–8

All manner of concupiscence. Not one expression of coveting — all of it. Every flavor. The craving that reaches into your neighbor’s business, your brother’s goods, another man’s opportunity. And what does that craving produce when it is left unchecked? Verse 6 tells you plainly: it produces defrauding. It produces the going beyond. When a man is ruled by his lust, he takes. He schemes. He finds a way to get his without working for it.

This was not a hypothetical problem for the Thessalonians. This was their world. This was the culture they had been saved out of. And Paul’s very specific instruction in verses 11 and 12 — do your own business, work with your own hands — tells you exactly what some of them had not yet left behind.

Now here is the pastoral weight of that. You cannot defraud your brother and walk in love toward him at the same time. Those two things cannot coexist. The labor of love that Paul has been building toward throughout this letter requires that the lust of concupiscence be put down. You cannot be reaching for what belongs to someone else and giving of yourself to them simultaneously. The sanctification that God wills for you will deal with the craving before it ever gets to the taking.

What Study to Be Quiet Actually Means

Now look carefully at the word study in verse 11. In our day we use that word almost exclusively to mean the acquiring of knowledge — you study a book, you study a subject. But notice what Paul attaches it to. He does not say study and then give them something to read. He says study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands. The doing is the content of the studying.

That is because the word study here carries its older force — to strive after, to press toward, to make something your earnest aim. This older force was the primary meaning of the word back in the thirteenth and fourteenth-century. Only in the seventeenth-century did it pick up its more modern rendering; hence the King James translators would have both meanings at their disposal.¹ For us modern readers we need to contextually identify which meaning. Here, it is not passive. It is not academic. It is the language of intentional pursuit. Paul is saying: make quietness your goal. Go after it. And here is what that pursuit looks like in practice — tend to your own affairs and labor with your own hands.

And the quietness Paul calls them to is equally worth examining. This word carries the idea of settling down — ceasing from restless, agitated, meddlesome activity. It is not primarily about silence. It is about stillness of conduct. The unsettled man — the man driven by the lust of concupiscence — is never quiet in this sense. He is always reaching, always restless, always agitated by what someone else has that he does not. The quiet man has settled. He is not in his brother’s business because he is occupied with his own. And it is worth noting that Paul comes back to this exact problem in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 — which tells you the issue had not been fully resolved — where he says plainly that they should “with quietness work and eat their own bread.” There Paul puts quietness and honest labor in the same breath. They are two sides of the same coin. To be quiet is to work. To work honestly is to be quiet.

The quietness Paul has in mind is not silence of the lips. It is stillness of the hand. The hand that used to reach beyond. The hand that used to take from a brother what was not its to take. That hand now goes to honest work. That is the study. That is the pursuit he is calling them to.

The Pattern Paul Modeled — and Commanded Everywhere

This was not new instruction. Paul had already shown them what it looked like when he was with them. Look at what he reminds them of back in chapter 2:

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness... For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. — 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 9

Paul did not come in with a cloak of covetousness. He did not use his apostolic position to extract from them. He worked with his own hands, night and day, so that he would not be a burden. That was the pattern he set. Now he is telling them to walk in what he already showed them.

And what is striking is that this same charge runs all the way through Paul’s letters — right down to those with the least social leverage of anyone in the first-century world. Servants received the same instruction. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells them to serve “with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” — the motivation is not the master’s character, it is the Lord’s. In Colossians 3, the word is the same: “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” In 1 Timothy 6, servants with believing masters are told not to despise them, but to serve them the better because they are brethren. And then Titus 2:10 brings it home with a word that ought to stop every one of us — servants are to be “not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

Not purloining. Not helping yourself to what your position gives you access to. Not taking the small things, the overlooked things, the things no one will notice. And the reason given is not merely ethical — it is doctrinal. Your conduct at work, in your labor, in the honesty of your hands, is either an ornament to the gospel or a stain on it. That is the word Paul uses. Adorn. Your daily faithfulness in ordinary work dresses the doctrine of God in something the world can see.

The Objection

At this point someone will say: isn’t this getting close to law? Aren’t we under grace? Why is Paul giving commandments to believers?

Notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:19 — “circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” There are commandments in grace. They are not the commandments of the Mosaic law covenant with its conditional blessings staked to the performance of the flesh. But God has not placed you in a commandment-free life. He has given you His Spirit and His Word so that you can walk in commandments under grace — not by the striving of the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Here is the distinction that matters. The law came and said thou shalt not covet. And your flesh said, watch me. Grace comes and teaches you Christ — teaches you what it means to live toward God rather than toward your craving — and the coveting begins to lose its power over you. That is what Romans 8 is describing when Paul says to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The man who is minding the things of the Spirit is not plotting how to defraud his brother. His mind is elsewhere. His affections are set elsewhere. He can study to be quiet because he is no longer driven by the lust of concupiscence. Grace does not abolish the imperative. Grace empowers it.

Where This Lands

We live in a world that is saturated with fraud. It is in government, in business, in finance, in the structures we navigate every single day. And the pressure on believers — the quiet, persistent pressure — is to conclude that everybody does it, so we might as well get ours.

That is exactly what Paul is addressing. And his answer is not complicated: you are not called to that. You have been called unto holiness. The Gentiles who do not know God — that is what they do. But you know God. You know what His wrath is against. You know what He gave to reconcile you to Himself. That changes things.

It changes things in your business. It changes things in how you handle your employer’s time. It changes things in how you deal with a neighbor, a client, a brother in the church. Notice Paul says in any matter. There is no category of your life this does not reach into. And if you are inclined to despise that — if there is an area you want to keep off limits from what God is saying here — notice what verse 8 tells you. “He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God.” This is not Paul’s standard. This is the will of God. To push back against it is to push back against Him.

But Paul does not leave you there. He never does. Notice he balances the charge with a promise in verse 12: that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. God is not impoverishing you by calling you out of fraud. He is telling you that when you possess your vessel in sanctification and honor, when you trust Him and work faithfully with your own hands that is His provision. You do not need to take from your brother. You do not need to go beyond. He is enough. He has always been enough.

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. — 1 Thessalonians 4:7

Study to be quiet. Work with your own hands. Walk honestly. Abound more and more. This is the will of God for you. This is the sanctified walk He has called you into — and He has given you His Holy Spirit so that you can walk it.

Look Up,

Josh Strelecki, Pastor-Teacher

A note on how this came together: every sermon I preach represents its own work — hours in the text, laboring to read it carefully, sentence diagramming, identifying its context, understanding how words are being used, tracing the thematic threads that run through a passage and letter, and then finding a way to articulate all of that so it can actually be grasped - which then takes its unique shape when the sermon is preached, not just read verbatim. Now written transcripts of these works can not only be easily produced, but can now serve as a basis for many other works.

This article is drawn from one of those messages preached at Twin Cities Grace Fellowship. For articles of this kind, I do use AI as a drafting tool — something like a secretary that reads my work, takes my notes, and shapes them into written form. Not every piece at Beholding Christ is produced this way, but when it is, I want you to know. The theology, the interpretive conclusions, and the final edit are my own. The writing had some help getting to the page. In an age where AI is increasingly present in content of all kinds — often without acknowledgment — I think transparency is worth more than the appearance of doing it all myself.

1 Thessalonians Sermon | “Abound More & More” | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

There are certain words in Scripture that appear small at first glance, yet they carry enormous theological weight once we slow down enough to consider them. Prepositions are among those words. They are easily overlooked because they are brief, familiar, and woven into the fabric of ordinary speech. Yet in the writings of the apostle Paul, these small words quietly bear the structure of the gospel itself. They do not simply connect ideas; they locate the believer in relation to Christ.

The Epistle to the Galatians is a fitting place to trace this reality. Galatians is not written in calm detachment. It is written in urgency. The gospel preached among the Galatians had been disturbed by false teachers who sought to add the works of the law to the finished work of Christ. What was at stake was not a minor doctrinal nuance but the very nature of salvation.

Paul responds by bringing everything back to Christ. Again and again, his language reveals that Christ is not an accessory to salvation—He is its center, its source, its means, and its end. When we pay attention to Paul’s prepositions, we begin to see the argument unfold with clarity. Christ is the one by whom, from whom, in whom, with whom, through whom, and ultimately to whom all things in salvation belong.

These prepositions answer the most important question of all: Where does the believer stand?

BY CHRIST — THE AUTHORITY OF OUR SALVATION

Paul opens the letter with a striking declaration: “Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father” (Galatians 1:1). From the beginning, the apostle removes all possibility that his authority is derived from human origin or human mediation. His apostleship is by Christ.

This is more than a statement about Paul; it establishes the authority of his message. If his apostleship is by Christ, then the gospel he preaches bears divine authority. It is not subject to revision, negotiation, or improvement by human systems. It comes with the authority of the One who sent him.

This same principle extends to salvation itself. In Galatians 2:17, justification is bound up with Christ as the acting agent. Salvation is not something achieved by human effort and then affirmed by Christ. It is accomplished by Christ. He is the one who acts.

This cuts directly against the instinct of legalism. Legalism always attempts to shift the center of gravity from Christ’s action to human performance. It asks, “what must I do to establish my standing?” Paul answers by pointing back to Christ. Salvation is by Him. Its authority rests in Him.

Because it is by Christ, it is final. Because it is by Christ, it is not dependent on fluctuating human ability. And because it is by Christ, it stands secure beyond the reach of human amendment.

OF CHRIST — THE SOURCE AND OWNERSHIP OF OUR FAITH AND WALK

Paul next speaks of what is “of Christ.” He refers to “the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:7), “the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20), and “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

The gospel is of Christ. It originates in Him. It does not arise from tradition, culture, or religious development. It is not a humanly constructed message about how to reach God. It is Christ’s gospel—rooted in His person and His work.

When Paul warns that some are troubling the Galatians by perverting the gospel (Galatians 1:7), he is not concerned about a minor distortion. To alter the gospel is to tamper with something that belongs to Christ Himself.

The phrase “the faith of the Son of God” deepens this further. The believer lives by faith, yet that faith rests on Christ’s own faithfulness—His obedience, His righteousness, His perfect fulfillment of the Father’s will. The believer’s confidence is not grounded in the strength of his faith, but in the reliability of the Son who loved him and gave Himself for him.

Even the ethical outworking of the Christian life is described as “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). This is not a return to Mosaic bondage, but the expression of Christ’s own character—especially love—worked out through the Spirit. The believer’s life reflects Christ because it flows from Christ.

Everything in the Christian life is of Him. Its origin, its power, and its direction all belong to Him. This shifts confidence away from the believer’s performance and firmly onto Christ’s sufficiency.

FROM CHRIST — THE REVELATION AND BLESSING WE RECEIVE

Paul insists that the message he proclaims was not learned from men: “I neither received it of man… but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12). His gospel came from Christ.

This establishes the source of truth. The gospel is not something gradually discovered through human reflection. It is revealed. Christ Himself discloses it.

This same pattern appears in the reception of the Spirit. In Galatians 3:14, Paul explains that the promise of the Spirit comes through Christ and is received by faith. The Spirit is not earned through law-keeping. He is given.

Paul presses this point by asking, “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2). The answer is clear. The Spirit comes as gift, it is not earned by self-merit.

This reshapes how the believer understands the Christian life. We do not construct grace; we receive it. We do not generate spiritual life through effort; we live from what Christ gives. What comes from Christ carries His authority and His sufficiency.

IN CHRIST — THE POSITION OF THE BELIEVER

Perhaps no phrase is more central than this: “in Christ.” Paul uses it to describe the believer’s standing.

There is liberty in Christ (Galatians 2:4), justification in Christ (Galatians 2:16), and sonship in Christ (Galatians 3:26). The believer’s entire identity is located in Him.

In Galatians 3:26–28, Paul declares that all who believe are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. In Him, divisions that once defined religious standing lose their power: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female—all are one in Christ.

This is not the erasure of human distinctions in every sense, but the removal of those distinctions as grounds of acceptance before God. No one is closer to God on the basis of heritage, status, or religious markers. All stand equally in Christ.

To be in Christ is to occupy a position secured by grace. The believer is not striving to enter this position; he has been placed there. His identity does not rest in his past, his performance, or his progress, but in Christ Himself.

WITH CHRIST — OUR UNION IN HIS DEATH AND LIFE

Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20 bring us into the heart of union with Christ: “I am crucified with Christ.”

This is more than language of association; it is language of participation. The believer has been united to Christ in His death. The old man—our self that is defined by sin and striving under the law—has been judged.

“Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

The Christian life is not the old self improved; it is the new life imparted. Christ lives in the believer. His life becomes the animating power of the believer’s existence.

“And the life which I now live… I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This is intensely personal. Christ’s love is not abstract—it is directed. His self-giving was for me.

Galatians 5:24-25 confirms this pattern: those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh. Sanctification flows from union. It is not self-manufactured holiness but the outworking of life with Christ.

THROUGH CHRIST — THE CHANNEL OF ALL BLESSING

In Galatians 3:14, Paul writes that the blessing comes “through Jesus Christ.” Every spiritual blessing reaches the believer through Him.

The promise to Abraham is fulfilled through Christ. The Spirit is given through Christ. Our inheritance is secured through Christ.

Nothing flows through the law in this way. The law cannot justify, cannot give life, and cannot secure the promise. It never could - Its role is different.

Paul’s question in Galatians 3:3 exposes the error of the Galatians: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Grace does not begin with Christ and continue through self-effort. It flows entirely through Him.

There is no secondary channel. Christ is not supplemented. He is sufficient.

TO CHRIST — THE DIRECTION AND DESTINATION OF THE LAW

Finally, the law is described in terms of direction: it brings us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

The law functions as a guide. It exposes sin, reveals need, and points forward. But it never had the power to be the means of justification.

Once Christ has come, and once faith has laid hold of Him, the believer is no longer under the law in that same sense. The tutor has fulfilled its role.

“And they that are Christ’s…” (Galatians 5:24)

Those who have been brought to Christ now belong to Christ.

The law drives the sinner to him by revealing his unworthiness. Grace anchors the believer in him by the sufficiency that is only found in Christ.

CONCLUSION — THE PREPOSITIONAL GOSPEL OF GRACE

Taken together, these prepositions form a unified picture of the gospel:

By Christ — His authority

Of Christ — His origin

From Christ — His revelation

In Christ — our position

With Christ — our union

Through Christ — our blessing

To Christ — our destination

This is Paul’s gospel. Christ is not part of salvation—He is its entirety.

Therefore, as believers we must reject every return to the law as the basis of our justification and a worthy walk, stand confidently in our identity in Christ, and walk in the liberty that grace has already secured.

Paul’s first words to the Corinthians are striking when we remember what kind of church he was addressing. Corinth was not an easy congregation. It was troubled by division, pride, immaturity, confusion, disorder, and moral failure. Yet before Paul rebukes, corrects, or instructs them, he begins with grace:

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ… the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:3–4).

That order matters. Paul does not ignore their problems, but he refuses to begin with their failures. He begins with what God has given. Grace is not a minor theme in the Christian life. It is the foundation of our standing before God, the source of our peace, the death of our boasting, the ground of our assurance, and the strength for a new way of living.

Grace Begins with God’s Gift

At the heart of grace is this simple truth: grace is given, not earned.

Paul says the grace of God was “given you by Jesus Christ.” That protects us from two dangers:

• Pride (we didn’t produce it).

• Despair (we don’t have to qualify for it).

Much of life runs on wages—work, then reward.
Grace does not.

Grace is God giving in Christ what we could never earn.

This is why grace both humbles and steadies us:

• We have nothing we did not receive.

• Yet what we’ve received is secure in Christ.

Grace calls us away from self-reliance and back to the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Grace Is Found in a Person

Grace is not an abstract idea. It is found in a Person.

Scripture says Jesus Christ is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Grace is revealed and delivered in Him.

Many treat grace like:

• A feeling.

• A standard they can’t reach.

• A vague kindness from God.

But the Bible locates grace in Christ Himself.

We are:

• In Him.

• Identified with Him.

• Given life through Him.

“Christ, who is our life” (Colossians 3:4)

Grace is not only how we begin, it is the environment in which we now live.

Grace and Truth Belong Together

Because Christ is full of grace and truth, they must never be separated.

• Grace without truth can easily be warped to become permission.

• Truth without grace conversely may produce condemnation

But in Christ, both meet perfectly.

Grace does not ignore sin—it deals with it.
Truth does not crush the believer—it directs us.

Grace:

• rescues from guilt.

• breaks sin’s dominion.

• teaches a new way to live.

Truth:

• exposes reality.

• anchors us.

• protects us.

Together, they lead us back to Christ—not to self-effort.

Grace Gives Assurance

One of the sweetest fruits of grace is assurance.

Assurance is not self-confidence—it is Christ-confidence.

It rests on:

• God’s promise.

• God’s character.

• God’s grace in Christ.

Both guilt and pride attack assurance:

• Guilt says: “Pay God back”.

• Pride says: “You’re doing well enough”.

Grace answers both:

• Christ already paid in full.

• Everything we have, we received.

“...we have access into this grace wherein we stand” (Romans 5:2)

We don’t flounder around in uncertainty—we stand.

This produces:

• Peace.

• Stability.

• Growth.

We stop auditioning and start living from what we already have in Christ.

Grace Produces a Worthy Walk

Grace does not leave us unchanged.

But it works in the right order:

• Identity first.

• Behavior follows.

We don’t perform our way into grace—we walk because grace has already placed us in Christ.

Grace teaches us to:

• Put off the old.

• Put on the new.

• Live from our identity.

It replaces!:

• Guilt becomes devotion.

• Performance is established from gratitude.

• Pressure to self-perform is erased in grace transformation.

This is not self-made religion.

Grace doesn’t just say “stop.”
Grace says, “live differently because you belong to Christ.”

Grace Is Sufficient for Service

The grace that saves also supplies.

“God is able to make all grace abound” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Notice the pattern:

• Source: God is able.

• Supply: all grace, all sufficiency.

• Purpose: every good work.

This prevents self-congratulation.

Paul said: “By the grace of God I am what I am… yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Grace produces:

• Dependence.

• Fruitfulness.

• Gratitude.

And ultimately: worship.

“Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”

Receive Grace, Stand in Grace, Walk in Grace

The call of grace is simple—but life-changing.

Receive grace
Stop trying to earn what God gives. Come to Christ by faith.

Stand in grace
Refuse the scoreboard of guilt and pride. God has accepted you in Christ.

Walk in grace
Grace teaches, strengthens, and forms Christlikeness in your life.

Grace does not lead to repayment—it leads to service and worship.

Final Word

Paul begins with grace because grace is the only foundation strong enough to serve as the catalyst for the entire Christian life.

Grace:

• brings peace.

• produces gratitude.

• gives assurance.

• empowers a worthy walk.

And from beginning to end, grace keeps our eyes where they belong:

On Jesus Christ—the One by whom grace is given.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

IT WAS A TUESDAY morning and my eldest daughter and I were heading to the local train station for her 07:59 train to Skansen, Trondheim.

En route I said to her; “Darling, never ever be afraid to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Yes dad.” She replied as she sat in the front box of our cargo bicycle.

As we reached the pedestrian crossing over from the train station, we were met with the often frustrating RED LIGHT; one we’ve stood before on many occasions. “You know my darling, no one will ever love you more than Jesus will”, “He died for you on Calvary’s cross my little pumpkin” I said to her as we waited (I said this to her due to a recent email still fresh in my mind that I had sent to the headmistress of our local kindergarten addressing the ‘Pride’ flag issue in the month of June.)

As the red light shifted to the green light, I started peddling over the crossing and just then Romans 5:7-8 KJV sprung to mind “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, Christ died for us. Over the next few metres of walk way heading to the platform to park up I saw the verse like I’d never seen it before.

A SWEET SCINTILLA

“While we were YET sinners,…”

Have you ever had that? “Had what?” You might ask yourself.

Have you ever read a passage over and over but then one day one word in a verse hits home? Maybe you have, peradventure you have not. If not, exercise 1st Corinthians 16:13’s “Watch ye, STAND FAST IN THE FAITH, quit you like men, be strong.” and it will no doubt happen to you too. Try it…

IN A FRISSON

You know, in those two verses, Romans 5:7-8 KJV, those two types of men; the righteous and the good man, they were around in the Apostle Paul’s time and have been since. I would even venture to say that those two types of men were also around in what Ephesians 2:11 calls “time past”.

MY POINT

TWO MAJOR things came to mind as I waited for the train with my daughter; the first was the issue of a righteous man and the good man.

Are they ‘one and the same’ as the saying goes? Or are they different types of men? We’ll address this shortly, but before we do, the second issue that came to mind was this: Romans 5:8’s “…while we were YET sinners, Christ died for us.” OH BOY, THAT HIT HOME FOR ME.

On the first issue I considered this; Based on Romans 6, the very next chapter after we read about the righteous man and the good man we learn about our new position ‘in Christ’ and that we “should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4 cf Colossians 2:6; Ephesians 4:1, 17-19, 30 et al) You see that word there ‘SHOULD’?

I thought this; both the righteous man and the good man are justified men in the sense of Romans 3:21-3:28 KJV forsooth. The thing is a righteous man can put on the “…old man…”(Romans 6:6 KJV) and do the things Romans 1:18-32 talks about. Do you see that?

A good man remembers who he is ‘in Christ’ he remembers his ambassadorship (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV) He walks in line with that inter-dispensational verse Matthew 12:35 KJV too. He’d have ‘TITUS’ in his thinking…among other Pauline truth.

That’s why I believe the Holy Spirit via the pen of the Apostle Paul used those illustrations. Something I think about in the light of the above is; would I die for Brother Richard Jordan? A ‘good man’. Truth is I’d probably chicken out and I would probably not be ‘peradventuring’ that day…(N.B. I love Rick and Dr. Pepper loves him too)

THE SECOND ISSUE

Then, about that second issue, Romans 5:8 where Paul writes “while we were yet sinners,…”

Those two words; ‘yet’ and ‘sinners’.

Juxtaposed to the ‘righteous’ and ‘good’ men Paul writes of ‘sinners’ and to boot… ‘yet’. Can you see the two groups? It’s Romans 5:12-5:21 KJV - we either are found in Adam or in Christ. God knew we were going to be in Adam and just look what he planned to do FOR US! AND HE DID IT TOO! “…Christ died for us.”

This is what amazed me once again about our Father in heaven, Abba, Father; how in eternity past he knew about me, he knew about YOU - and just how much he loved and loves us!… and what the GODHEAD planned (not in a Calvinist fashion or way, let me be clear.) Ephesians chapter one comes to mind and the following;

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgements, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 KJV)

As I write this I’m still amazed. I’m amazed at just how “…,beloved of God,” (Romans 1:7 KJV) we are. Amen.

FROM A DISTANCE

The train approach slowly and before long Maud was on the train to Skansen. The doors shut as we waved each other good-bye and shortly after the train departed I cycled home and now I find myself writing this article to… YOU.

Grace and peace,

Karl R. Coates

Something we have been looking forward to for a while is finally here — Supply of Grace is moving to Substack.

This has been a long time coming, and honestly, we are excited about it. Substack gives us a better home for the kind of theological writing this site has always been built for — clean, readable, distraction-free, and built around a community of people who actually want to go deeper in the Word. After years on WordPress, the move feels right, and we think you will quickly see why.

What this means for you

If you are already a subscriber at Supply of Grace, your subscription has been automatically moved to Substack. You do not need to do anything — you should already have received an email confirming the move. The link stays the same — supplyofgrace.com — so your bookmarks, saved links, and habits are all still good.

If you are a regular reader but not yet subscribed, now is a great time to subscribe. Just visit supplyofgrace.com and enter your email — you will receive every new article straight to your inbox at no cost.

As always, if you would prefer not to receive content on the new platform, you are welcome to unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email. We will always honor that without question.

Why Substack?

We wanted a platform that gets out of the way of the content — and Substack does that better than anything else we have used. Here is what is new and better for you as a reader:

Email newsletter delivery. Every new article comes straight to your inbox, formatted cleanly and easy to read. No algorithms. No wondering if you missed something. If we publish, you get it.

Podcast and audio support. Substack has built-in podcast support, which opens the door for audio content alongside the written work. If that is something we develop, you will have it all in one place.

Community and comments. Substack has a built-in comment and discussion system, which means articles can become conversations. We welcome that. Good theology should be talked about, not just consumed.

The Substack app. If you prefer reading on your phone, the free Substack app puts everything in one place — all the publications you follow, your inbox, and your saved posts. It is worth downloading.

What stays the same

Same writers. Same convictions. Same commitment to grace-driven, Word-centered theology and the careful handling of Scripture. We are not starting over — we are moving into a better house.

We are grateful for every reader who has followed this work over the years. More content is on the way.

Stay with us.

— The Supply of Grace Team

Phil.2:13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

[14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

[15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

It is our Father’s desire that we be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of” this crooked and perverse world in which we live. And we are beseeched to worthy of who God has called us to be as sons and daughters in Christ. This calling is part of our “blessed hope,” and part of the “Spiritual blessings” that we are given by our Father to those who desire to be followers of Him as “dear children, and walk in love” as the perfect Man by Christ. And being “dear children” in the sight of God are those who are truly followers of God. And this is not the generic term of those who say that they are a ‘follower of Christ’ because they call themselves a Christian. Being a follower of God in this context are those who are not ‘just children’ in Christ, but those who desire to “cry Abba Father, and “walk in love, as Christ also.” And walking in His selfless identity we would also be that living sacrifice unto God as those who are “dear” unto Him.

Eph.5:1] Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

[2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Moreover, those who desire to cry “Abba Father” do so based upon an ‘endearing’ call unto the Father as not just “Father,” but Abba Father. And that is also the case with “children” who desire to be followers of God the Father, they too would be viewed as “dear” unto Him. But why is it that many do not see this inheritance? They view God’s word with a ‘different perspective’ than others. Two sons can have the same instruction from their parents, but the maturity and experience determines how the child will understand this knowledge, and how he will now walk. If the parent gives instructions to mow the lawn, the 18 year old son knows he will ride and operate the mower, and the 8 year old child knows that he will clean up and help, he knows riding the mower is for the mature son, and he is not “able to labor with the parents in this capacity yet. But the mature son also learns how to not only ride the mower, but he is able to put gas in it, and maintenance it, but also he himself now can teach the other ‘younger’ children how to clean and mow as well.

2Cor.6:16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

[17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

[18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2Cor.7:1] Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Furthermore, notice the Father says, “and I WILL BE a Father unto you.” This is an adoption and a new identity as sons and daughters apart from the previous identity that they had in Christ “among” this world, and it is God’s desire that we would desire to come out from among this world and be ‘received’ by God to NOW educate us as His sons and daughters, but this can only be done when we are not being ‘fathered’ by this world. And the “riches of the glory of this inheritance” is what the son sees with “eyes” of his understanding, he knows what is the “hope of His calling,” and he also desires to operate upon the exceeding greatness of His power as a son. This son is a dear child who knows these things, and desires this “unspeakable gift,” and our Father predestined and foreknew that He would have a Body of “dear Children,” or a Body of “sons and daughters,” this is the adoption of children. These are the “promises” that we have as “sons and daughters” from our Father the Lord Almighty!

Eph.1:3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

[4] According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

[5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Therefore, ‘shining as His lights’ consists walking, and living as His sons and daughters in the midst of Satan’s “night,” and not longer being conformed to this world, but now being conformed to the image of His Son. And we are taught to “BE” transformed by the renewing of our mind. But transformed from what? We are told to “put on” the armor of light, and the whole armor of God, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are putting on as the elect charity; but what, or ‘who’ are we covering up? And we are told to ‘examine our selves, and prove ourselves,’ and Paul says, “know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in” us. And we ought to know that we are given the excellency of the power of God as salvation from this crooked and perverse world, and “hope” unto a new identity.

Eph.6:10] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

[11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

[12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Finally, We have been given a “blessed hope” unto the life of “the adoption of children.” And we are given salvation from the darkness of Satan’s night, and from our being “tempted,” or “enticed” by this ungodly world. But we might not think that we could be walking according to the “course of this world,” but we must understand that we were saved out of Adam, and we are given His Word to save us from the “power of Satan,” and the identity of this world and the “power of the air.” But as we walk in the midst of Satan’s night, we are taught to “put on” the “whole Armour of God” that we may be “able to withstand in the evil day,” and we are right in the midst of that evil day today.

Eph.6:13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

[14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

[15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

[16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

[17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Rod Jones

When I was a kid I used to dream about one day finding a treasure map which would lead me to the greatest riches imaginable. I don’t think I was the only one to suffer from this grand delusion. Almost every ten year old boy, and some girls, had the same notion.

Unfortunately, many have taken the wild dreams of childhood into adulthood, and are still looking for buried treasure, using any tool of discovery at their disposal. I too continued on that same path, searching for purpose and worth.

Maybe the search for riches, so that I could have anything my heart desired?

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. - Ecclesiastes 5:10

Maybe happiness could be found through alcohol, or drugs?

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. - Ecclesiastes 2:3

I could go on with the plight of King Solomon. But, I won’t.

King Solomon had the very same desires that we all have. And, he was the King, and beloved son of a great King. How cowuld he have the same issues as you and me? Solomon tried everything possible to find purpose. I think that if Solomon were around today he would have tried every possible product advertised to alleviate problems.

He came to discover his problem:

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 12:8

The problem would later be revealed by the Apostle Paul:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; - Romans 3:23

Each and every person has the same problem, as well as the same solution to the problem:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. - Romans 3:24-26

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 6:23

So many Believers struggle with life issues because they trust their flesh rather than the Lord Himself. They have been trained to look at their own works to “make sure of” their salvation.

They trust themselves rather than Christ.

Along with that they hold allegiances to the traditions they’ve been taught, rather than their knowledge of Christ Jesus. There are many that claim that we should not trust knowledge, but to let it go, and trust the experience. After all, just using the Bible is not authentic enough. We need the authentic practices of the mystics!

This is incredibly problematic in many ways. When we place experience over Biblical Truth, we’ve made that Biblical Truth irrelevant. The Bible is the source of knowledge of the Lord!

Regarding Israel, Paul said:

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. - Romans 10:2

Had they had knowledge of their Scriptures they would have believed in their Messiah, and not stumbled at the Stumbling Stone:

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. - Romans 9:30-33

The Believer has only the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel to minister to others - and self! What great treasure we have right now!

For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:1-3

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. - 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

You can stop searching for treasure in all wrong places. It’s not even buried, but it has been deposited into these broken, earthly vessels we possess.

The question is: Do you believe it?

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: - Colossians 2:10

What part of “complete” do you not understand (Thanks, Hal)?

Bob Picard

Pastor, God’s Grace Bible Church, Millbury, Massachusetts 01527

www.godsgracebc.org

info@godsgracebc.org

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph 5:2).

It’s amazing to me that Paul speaks here of an offering and a sacrifice as if the Ephesian Gentile readers already had a basic understanding of the sacrificial system in the OT.

Under the law, there’s a distinction between offering and sacrifice. You can sum it up like this: all sacrifices are offerings, but not all offerings are sacrifices.

An “offering” is a broader category. A “sacrifice” is a specific kind of offering. An offering was anything presented or gifted to God. A sacrifice was an offering that required the death of an innocent life through the shedding of blood.

Every sacrifice was an offering, but many offerings didn’t involve any blood.

Offerings could include all kinds of things like grain, flour, olive oil, wine, incense, precious metals, or other gifts brought in worship. The primary idea of an offering was an expression of one’s dedication, one’s thanksgiving, fellowship, worship, and devotion to God. An offering represented the worshiper bringing the fruit of his labor and presenting it to God as an expression of gratitude, service, and submission.

A sacrifice, however, is a sacrificial victim whose life is taken to atone for another. A sacrifice required blood. A bull, a sheep, a lamb, or a dove would have its blood shed. The emphasis was atonement or substitution for the consequence of sin.

Because sin brings death, a life had to be surrendered in the sinner's place. The sacrifice testified that the wages of sin was death and that an innocent substitute had died on behalf of the guilty for sin to atone for the sin for which the consequence was death.

I’d argue that the sacrificial system had nothing to do with justification. Their justification was always by faith (Gen. 15:6, Rom. 4:2-3). But the sacrificial system had to do with staying God’s judgment here on Earth for mistakes in their walk. And that sacrificial system existed to teach Israel and all of us the principles of substitutionary atonement, which would help us understand how Christ had taken away our sins on the cross.

When Paul says that Christ gave Himself as “an offering and a sacrifice,” he is saying that Jesus fulfilled both types. Christ was the offering. His entire life was presented to the Father in perfect obedience to His will. Christ's entire life was one continuous offering of obedience and submission to the Father. Every thought, every word, every action, every moment of His earthly ministry was wholly devoted to doing the Father's will.

And Christ was also the sacrifice. On the cross, He did not merely present a holy life. He surrendered that life. His blood was shed. His death occurred. A substitute stood in the place of sinners for the consequence of sin. Christ became the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, the sin offering, the trespass offering, and every animal that ever had its blood sprinkled upon an altar. What those animal sacrifices merely anticipated, Christ accomplished once and for all. He did not just offer Himself. He sacrificed Himself.

This is why Paul uses both terms. These two distinct terms brought together in this verse reveals the fullness of Christ's work on the cross for us. He fulfilled every form of offering one can make to God including the sacrificial offerings.

A Sweetsmelling Savior

This brings us to the phrase “for a sweetsmelling savour.” This goes all the way back to Leviticus, when sacrifices were repeatedly described as a sweet savour unto the Lord. The aroma symbolized divine acceptance. The sacrifice ascended. God received it. God approved it. God was pleased.

Why would He be pleased in the deaths of so many animals for sin?

Because every death pointed the way to Christ and that greater sacrifice to come.

There’s a beautiful progression in Paul's wording in this verse that deserves our attention.

• First, “hath loved us”—that is the motive.

• Then, “given himself”—that is the action.

• Then, “an offering”—that is His willing presentation of Himself to God.

• Then, “and a sacrifice”—that is His substitutionary death.

• Then we get the phrase, “to God”—that is the recipient of the Lord’s life.

• Finally, “for a sweetsmelling savour”—that is the Father's complete acceptance.

Every phrase builds upon the one before it until we arrive at this phenomenal truth that Christ consciously and willingly offered Himself to the Father on our behalf, and His offering was so perfect it accomplished what every animal sacrifice could only foreshadow.

Grace living is an outworking of the doctrine formed in the inner man, whereby we are edified and fully persuaded. This becomes the mind of Christ and our boundry to walk as who we are in Christ. How we respond to challenges is determined by what we value and exalt. Spiritual adult decisions rely on the conscience, fortified by convictions in sound doctrine. Regularly dwelling on the grace teaching given to us enables the Spirit to lead, renew, correct, and empower us to live resurrection life.

So, as “an help meet” for our husbands (Gen. 2:20), we are to live by this as a guide in our hearts and minds, which is God’s power and wisdom. Godly love for our spouse will be stabilized, grow, and even flourish: “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” (Phil 1:9-10) Love will fulfill the law (Rom. 13:10), motivating love actions with submission unto our husbands, as unto the Lord: Ephesians 5:1-2.24 says: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour… Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”

This isn’t easy even in the best of circumstances, yet we are to live this heart attitude consistently, in the good times and bad. Many marriage vows include: ‘in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, till death us do part,’ yet are we ready to live this as a conviction unto the Lord? If made in the flesh, we cannot do it… we will fall short. However, we can reaffirm this vow each day, dear ladies, realizing it is only possible by Christ in us, walking by faith, relying totally on Him and His work in us. Pray on this today, making this your reality. Live Christ by honoring God in your marriage relationship, especially in the hard times. It is a tall order indeed, yet: “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) And, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

Be fully persuaded (Rom. 4:21), being strong in faith giving God the glory… patiently enduring and focused above to minister godly love. Sometimes a strong spiritual friend in the Body can help us tremendously, yet we have what we need to endure: His grace is sufficient. Christ’s power will rest upon us as we walk this out in life. (II Cor.12:9-11)

Is AI getting on your nerves?

Me too.

Have we not entered into a season of great frustration with “AI slop” showing up everywhere? Our FB feeds and photos and videos and memes are now filled with “AI slop.” And I’m seeing pushback against all things AI, and I can totally understand. Give me something real! Something true! I hate not knowing what’s real!

Almost feels like that’s the point, doesn’t it?

But I would ask you to not lump our AI Grace Songs with all the other typical “AI slop.”

We don’t press a button and a song pops out.

AI doesn’t do our thinking for us. We have to think through the concept and the lyrics and give AI direction. We work hard on our lyrics. We want the doctrine to be right. We want the words to be moving and the choruses memorable. We want it to be fun at times.

On the podcast, I make no bones about the fact that I’ll use any tool I can to create great lyrics - my wife, ChatGPT, rhyming dictionaries – I don’t care. I want great lyrics.

BUT we heavily revise our lyrics in Word. We have to. No one and nothing will ever give us lyrics that accurately reflect the doctrines of grace. We grace believers have to do the work. We have to be hands on throughout the process to get the songs right. We sometimes agonize over rhymes. And let me tell you - compromises you make just so you can have a clever rhyme can sometimes have bad theological implications.

We have to be hands-on to get the results we want.

But that is also great fun.

Then, we copy & paste our lyrics into Suno. We insert detailed descriptions about the type of music we want, sometimes even listing the instruments, and we define the vocals we want. Then AI takes all of our input and creates songs for us.

If the lyrics are bad, that’s on us, not AI.

Now I am absolutely capable of making mistakes in the lyrics (and I’m definitely capable of bad taste), but if I publish bad song, that is on ME, not AI.

AI doesn’t control our lyrics. AI doesn’t change our words and sneak in some anti-MAD BAD messaging. It follows our direction precisely and sings the lyrics we give it.

If at any point, we lose any aspect of our control, we will stop making music.

I know this gets said a lot, but it’s true. AI – in this case – is just a tool. AI is nothing more than a tool we use for the purpose of spiritual expression through song. A tool is not morally responsible — people are. A printing press can publish a Bible or pornography. A microphone can proclaim the gospel or heresies. Morality doesn’t lie in the tools themselves but in the hearts and actions of the people using them.

You know, the Bible warns about all kinds of stuff – idolatry, deception, false doctrine, etc., but have you ever noticed that God never warns against new technologies? Christians have always adopted new technologies - the printing press, radio, television, internet.

Of course, Satan has used books, speeches, printing presses, radio, television, and the internet to spread deception. But Christians have also used those same tools to spread the truth about the gospel and right division. The issue is not whether Satan is using certain technologies to deceive. The issue is whether believers are using it faithfully.

The Biblical concern has always been doctrine, not platform or method. The question isn’t, “How was this song generated?” The question is, “What does this song say?”

If a song glorifies Christ, proclaims Biblical grace truth, encourages believers, and communicates sound doctrine, I’d argue its worth should be evaluated on those grounds.

Do you think Satan is happy we’re creating grace songs for believers? Songs about the true gospel of grace, about our identity in Christ, our eternal security, our spiritual blessings, our perfect hope, and our eternal glory? Do you think Satan gets a thrill about grace believers feeling encouraged and strengthened by songs filled with truth and hope?

The only thing Satan is happy about is that we’re only getting 200-300 views per song.

If that.

We know of a lady who used an instrumental mp3 of our AI song “Grace is This,” and she sang that song in church and the people were blessed. Is that so terrible?

We are in the process of using AI to develop songs for children for a church’s Vacation Bible School. The songs are meant to coincide with the theme.

Is any of this somehow morally wrong because we’re using AI?

The End Times Argument

“But Joel!!! You don’t get it at all!!! AI is setting the stage for the end times!!” “AI will be used for the Mark of the Beast!!!”

No, dear saint, that is not the case.

Technology will be dead in the Tribulation. How do you think technology and AI is going to somehow survive during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation with all the wars, rumors of wars, economic devastation, plagues, famine, multiple global earthquakes, balls of fire, grass and trees burning up, water turning to blood, hail that’s on fire, freaky locusts with stingers getting into everything, AND there will be 200 million fiery horses from Heaven shooting fire and brimstone out of their mouths?

Make no mistake. Technology will be dead in the first half of the Tribulation.

So how will the mark of the beast be implemented? Demonically.

AI Exists to Deceive You Argument

“But Joel!!! You don’t understand! AI is different! AI is all about getting into your head and getting you addicted to it so that you’re letting it do all of your thinking for you and then you’ll be deceived! It exists for this reason! It’s already deceived people!”

Think about what you’re saying.

You’re not arguing against AI. You’re arguing for discernment.

Are you going to give up using the internet because it’s full of deception? No. How about TV shows, movies, books, articles? Are you going to avoid talking to people from now on because they might try to deceive you? No. Are you going to hide in a closet the rest of your life? No. Why not? How are you going to protect yourself from deception?

Through the Word and your ability to discern.

You will continue to use discernment like everything else in life. You can’t hide in a corner and avoid all the deception that exists in the world. You have to go out into the world, face the deception head-on having the Word of God built up in your soul.

Besides - if you’re letting AI do all of your thinking for you, whose fault is that?

Let me ask another question. How much do you really study your Bible? How many years have you let your pastor (or pastors on YouTube) do all of your theological thinking for you without studying the Word of God for yourself? And think for yourself?

The danger is not in the existence of AI. The danger is in your spiritual / intellectual laziness about studying the Word of God on your own for yourself.

A believer who is unwilling to think critically has bigger issues than AI. The real battlefield is not artificial intelligence. The real battlefield is in what YOU are doing with YOUR mind.

If someone told me, "AI is dangerous because people will stop thinking," my response would be: “Then don't stop thinking.”

Drums are Evil Argument

A few times I have been reminded that Satan was in control of music in Heaven (Ezek. 28:13). So… what? Does that mean we can’t have grace songs?

Some would argue that certain musical styles are inherently evil like the late night grace jazz album we put out. It’s just a female singer giving us grace songs in the style of jazz with a trip hop beat. And some would argue that this style of music is inherently evil. How is a style evil? Well, it’s guilty by association with how that style has been used in the past. What musical genre has NOT been used in some way to subvert minds?

Where are the Bible verses telling us that certain styles of music are evil? Does not the moral weight of certain music come from the total package – lyrics, intent, context, presentation, and the overall message that’s being communicated?

When it comes to pure grace music, I would argue that style is irrelevant. It’s just different colored wrapping paper around the same gift. In fact, I would suggest that there is no style that cannot be redeemed and used to glorify God with wonderful grace lyrics.

And then there was the time we were rebuked for having drumbeats because - drumbeats are evil. Where’s the Bible verse in which God laments the evils of a drumbeat?

This person couldn’t use Scripture to argue against a drumbeat. So his argument was that the most evil man alive, Aleister Crowley, loved tribal drums.

Therefore, drums are evil.

If we learned that Aleister Crowley loved cupcakes, does that make cupcakes evil? Do we judge what’s evil by the Word of God or by the personal preferences of Aleister Crowley?

By the way, they used drums in the OT. Have you not read about timbrels? “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (Exo 15:20). Timbrels were hand-held drums like tambourines. All the women used drums along with Miriam and danced.

Speaking of dancing - "And David danced before God with all his might" (1 Chronicles 15:29). Don’t you think there had to have been some high-energy rhythms in all that music for David to be dancing so hard? They were “shouting” and used “the cornet… trumpets… cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps” (1 Chron. 15:28).

Man, they rocked the house in a loud way. You can’t dance to old hymns.

David’s wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul, criticized David bitterly for dancing so hard he was exposing himself. God was not too happy with her complaining about David dancing, and she became barren (2 Sam. 6:20-23). I think God loves dancing.

AI is Putting Musicians Out of Business Argument

Can you name one musician alive now who has built a career on grace songs?

We, as a grace movement, have NEVER had that luxury! We’ve gone all our lives with hardly any grace songs. We have learned to live in a world without grace music.

Tell me, who exactly am I hurting?

Having said that, if a real musician comes along playing real instruments singing real grace songs, I will always elevate that person's work above mine. Real musicians should be elevated above digital creations. Not only that, any musician who wants to sing grace songs can have unlimited access to use any of our songs for free.

Stick with the Hymns Argument

I love hymns. I’m not anti-hymn at all, but we need to be intellectually honest with ourselves about hymns. Our hymn books are filled with Calvinist landmines.

No grace believer has ever written a classic hymn. All those classic hymns are, without exception, written by Calvinists or Armenians.

We’ve spent our lives compromising on Calvinist songs that didn’t push the TULIP too strongly, but we still encounter many problems. I can’t tell you how many times in our church we’ll sing a classic hymn, but we only sing 3 of the 4 verses because one of those verses is a doctrinal disaster because it’s filled with Calvinist nonsense.

Take John Newton's "Amazing Grace." My all-time favorite hymn! John Newton was a dyed-in-the-wool Calvinist. When he wrote "Amazing Grace," he was actually writing about "Irresistible Grace" - the "I" in the TULIP. He was, in fact, praising God for picking and choosing who gets saved and who doesn't. It’s subtle but - oh yes - it's there.

Except nobody interprets “Amazing Grace” that way, because Newton was not a great lyricist. And “Amazing Grace” has always been a Calvinist mantra.

Don’t you realize we have never had grace music to call our own?

This may be bold, but I'll take our song, "Saved by Grace," over "Amazing Grace." We're not singing about Calvinist nonsense, and we give a clear gospel in our song.

Conclusion

I would again beg you to not lump our AI Grace Songs with all the other “AI slop.” And I would also invite you to enjoy our songs simply for what they are.

And be encouraged.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

Romans chapter 8 gives the unfortunate circumstances of the truth of every person who is born unto creation itself; and that is, we are all subject unto the bondage of corruption, and that we have no physical “hope” from the “pain,” and sufferings” of our bodies on the earth today. But Romans chapter 8 also teaches us that we have a ‘unseen hope’ that we are to ‘look’ for. We are taught that the hope we are to trust in is the “hope that we see not,” and this concerns the redemption of our body, not the healing of our physical bodies. And the question is, why is it that today's preacher teaches a false doctrine that God will physically heal the bodies of the believers to day? This all boils down to the pastor himself being a novice, and mishandling the word of truth, whether he knows it or not, he himself can become an enemy of the cross of Christ based upon his teaching the Saints to “mind earthly things.” And our earthen vessels are part of the earthly things that we could mind and place an importance upon instead of the Spiritual things that be of God and the Spiritual things that pertain to the inward man himself.

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Moreover, the hope we are given by our Father concerning our outward man is that our outward man will definitely perish. And this doesn’t mean that what Paul is saying is that it will eventually die one day. Paul mentions that concerning the ‘inward man,’ he has a “day by day” hope, and so does the outward man. But oftentimes, many feel that God has promised to ‘renew and refresh’ the bodies of the believers day by day, or whenever it’s His will to do so, this is not scriptural, and is actually contrary to what the will of God is for the believer today. But today’s religion teaches a false hope doctrine that says that, ‘God can, and will heal IF it’s His will to do so, not only does the this mean that they themselves do not know what the will of God is, but if this were true, how does the saints know ‘when’ He will do it. And if it were true, is there anything that the Saints themselves need to do, or not to do to receive God’s ‘will?’ And the question is, where is it in God’s Word of truth that He said that he will physically heal the Saints today? God’s will and hope is for our inward man only, and His love, His Word, and His power, is designed to work effectually within our inward man only, not the outward man.

2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

2Co 5:2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 

2Co 5:3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 

2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 

Therefore, it is the vain imagination of the man today whereby he assumes that God would physically heal or intervene in the physical circumstances of the believers today. And this has become the case based upon the ‘high-minded’ nature of the Man. He assumes that God loves his flesh just as much as the man does. But as we can clearly see in the verses above and below, our outward man is an earthen vessel with no hope, and it is designed to ‘house’ the Word of God, and the life of Christ, but man instead assumes that our bodies are supposed to have an appearance of godliness, and our bodies is where true holiness is shown, and that is through health, wealth, and relationship. Today, the hope that we ought to pray for, and look unto is that our inward man have the renewed mind and that we be conformed unto the Image of His Son, not that we continue to abide in these earthen vessels, and that God would place an importance upon, and treasure and nurture this body for our benefit so that we can continue to “make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof,” but sadly enough, this is what man assumes whether he knows this is the case or not.

2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

Rod Jones

I learned something awesome last weekend.

I was prepping for my message on Eph 4:30 and “grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

I discovered that “grieve” is truly beautiful.

Consider Webster’s 1828 definition:

“GRIEVE, verb transitive [Latin gravo, from gravis.] 1. To give pain of mind to; to afflict; to wound the feelings. Nothing grieves a parent like the conduct of a profligate child. 2. To afflict; to inflict pain on.3. To make sorrowful; to excite regret in.”

“Grieve” is all about love.

This is a relational word. You can offend a king. You can disobey a boss. But you can only grieve someone who loves you.

You don't grieve electricity. You don't grieve AI. You don't grieve car, although my car is in a continual state of despair but that’s another story.

You can only grieve someone who loves you.

This one word grieve already says volumes about the Holy Spirit. You can be made angry by someone you don’t know at a distance, but grieving requires closeness. An enemy may anger you, but that enemy will never grieve you. Only someone you love, someone you have opened your heart to and invested in, has the power to cause you grief.

Therefore, when the Holy Spirit is grieved by our conduct or bitter words, “grieve” reveals to us that He is emotionally vulnerable about you. He’s not some cold, clinical, divine energy out there. He’s a divine Person dwelling inside of you and He has hitched His joy to the way you live your life.

It’s just amazing, isn’t it, that He possesses all the infinite power of the Godhead, and yet, He’s emotionally vulnerable about you. He can be grieved by your conduct.

This also tells us that the Spirit is actively engaged in your life right now. You cannot grieve someone who is absent or doesn’t care. You cannot grieve someone who has walked away. The very possibility of grieving the Spirit assumes His active presence inside of you as well as His active engagement in your life and how you serve the Father.

He is present with you in the middle of everyday life and all its highs and lows.

This also means that the Spirit is astonishingly patient. Because the very Spirit we grieve is the Spirit who remains. The very Spirit pained by our failures is the Spirit who still seals us unto the day of redemption. He is grieved— yet He stays. He is wounded— yet He continues His work inside of us.