There were millions of slaves in the Roman empire at the time Paul wrote this letter. Those converted to Christ were urged to be good servants giving proper respect to their masters. If they were offered their freedom, they should certainly take it and only be a slave to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:21... [ Continue Reading ]
THE IDENTITY AND TEACHING OF FALSE TEACHERS False teachers can be identified through their teaching, which is different from the true words of Jesus. Any modification of Christ's teaching makes it different and unacceptable in God's eyes (Galatians 1:6-9). Paul uses the word "wholesome," which is s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TRUTH ABOUT RICHES Paul said being God like and content with the state in which one finds himself leads to the richest rewards (1 Peter 4:11-12). Jesus urged his followers to seek the best interests of God and his kingdom first and all the material things they truly needed would be provided (1... [ Continue Reading ]
CONFESSING THE GOOD CONFESSION The man devoted to God's service will run away from material greed and pursue God's will. He will display reverence toward God, trust in God's word by obeying his will, show love for God and others in all his pursuits, endure difficulties with God at his side, and mai... [ Continue Reading ]
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RICH Paul gave the young preacher special instructions to pass on to the rich. First, they should not be overly proud of their wealth because riches are temporary and can disappear in short order (Matthew 6:19-21). Second, they should place their trust in God who is actually the... [ Continue Reading ]
CLOSING THOUGHTS Paul closed his letter with the appeal of a father to his son. He asked him to protect the truth entrusted to his care. He especially asked him to refuse the so-called knowledge of the false teachers, which was in reality just a bunch of empty talk. Others who had joined the false... [ Continue Reading ]