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 ]