Christian Leadership

 Christian Leadership

Leaders can be the most inspiring people and those who lead in Christian ministry are no exception. Most everyone values a good leader. But what constitutes a good leader? What is it about a leader that makes him or her effective? While there are numerous principles, needs and steps that leaders should engage in, looking at just a few of them will provide an understanding of some of the basic areas that a leader should focus on. These will be addressed by looking into the areas of  felt needs, evangelism, discipleship and mobilization.

Felt Needs

There are several things that leaders in ministry need in order to be effective in leadership. It is important for leaders to be aware of these needs and seek healthy ways of incorporating them consistently into their lives. While there are several needs that leaders have, there are a few needs that are quite essential, namely: solitude, encouragement, wisdom and love. 

Solitude is a need that many leaders often are not able to experience on a regular basis. Busyness and the needs of others can easily pull leaders away from experiencing solitude consistently. Yet, scripture reveals the importance of solitude through the life of Jesus. In the book of Mark we see that Jesus highly valued solitude. Over and over we find Jesus trying to get away from crowds and go somewhere to be alone with either His Father or with His disciples. You also see him trying to keep his fame from spreading and trying to avoid crowds (See Mark 1:12, 35, 44,45; 6:31,32, 46; 7:33,36; 8:30; 9:25; 14:32-40). If Jesus, who was the ultimate leader and God Himself, needed time to be alone with His Father, how much more should leaders today make solitude with God a priority? Success in ministry can only live and grow out of a place of solitude with God. That should be the number one goal of every leader who desires to serve God. Charles Spurgeon said, “There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in his service.” (http://www.goodreads.com). What would happen if every Christian leader made an extra effort to do just that? This place of rest and communion with God is essential to the life of every individual and crucial for success in leadership. It is something that will require a sacrifice. Time, and most likely many other good things, will have to be sacrificed to make this place of solitude with God a reality. Yet, it is probably the most important thing anyone could spend his or her time on and it is key to effective leadership. 

It was important to Jesus to not only spend time alone with His father, but also with those He led. It is also important for leaders to take time to be alone with their disciples. Mark says that Jesus and His disciples were so busy that they didn’t have time to eat (Mark 6:31,32). Jesus then said that they should go to a place where they could be alone. Jesus knew the importance of pulling his followers out of the busyness of ministry to allow them a chance to rest with Him. Leaders today should also take the time to bring those they lead out of the busyness of ministry for a while in order to refresh and pour into them. This will strengthen and build up their followers so that they become effective leaders themselves. 

Encouragement is also a very important need in the lives of leaders. Words are very powerful and words of encouragement can be a huge help in making leaders successful. In the book of Joshua, you see the importance of encouragement regarding leadership. This book starts out with God encouraging Joshua as he steps into a big, new leadership role. Over and over through out the book, you find God encouraging Joshua and instructing him not to fear. You also find that Joshua encourages those he is leading. You see Him encouraging the people to take the land. He encourages them not to let fear get in the way of their inheriting the promised land land (See Joshua 1:6-9; 3:7,8; 8:1,2; 10:8; 11:6). Encouragement is essential for leaders to receive and it is essential that they give it as well. When they encourage those they lead, they are in reality loving those individuals. I like what James Kouzes says when discussing love in leadership, “The word encouragement has its root in the Latin word cor meaning heart. When leaders encourage others, through recognition and celebration, they inspire them with courage-with heart. When we encourage others, we give them heart. And when we give heart to others, we give love “( Kouzes, 1995). Through simple encouragement leaders are equipped with the heart that they need to lead others and through encouragement those they lead are equipped to follow. Encouragement has a great impact in the area of leadership and this is something that leaders and followers should be aware of.

You also see how serious of a matter it is to God when men and women complain or use words against their leaders. Numbers reveals the seriousness of complaining against leadership. You see several Israelites are punished or are put to death throughout this book for complaining about and rebelling against the leadership that God sets over them. You also see that God constantly takes the side of Moses who is the leader He has appointed. God viewed the people’s rebellion against leadership as an act of rebellion against Him (Numbers 16:11). You see Miriam punished because of her decision to conspire with Aaron against Moses’ leadership (Numbers 12). God obviously views complaining against leadership quite seriously. Not only is encouragement important, but it is also important to make sure that negative words are not used in regards to leadership. 

Wisdom is another need that every leader has. Because Proverbs is a book of wisdom written by a king to his son, it is filled with valuable insight for leaders. Proverbs 8:15-21 reveals how important it is for leaders to be filled with wisdom. It says that through wisdom, kings reign, rulers lead and nobles make righteous judgments. Proverbs 11:14 reveals the importance of a nation having a wise leader stating that when they don’t have one, the nation falls. Chapter 28 verse 2 states that wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability to a nation. When this is not in place, moral rot begins to grow and the government topples. Wise leaders bring stability and they also provide joy to those who are under their rule (See Proverbs 29:2,4).  Proverbs 16:10-15 states that leaders are to judge with wisdom and justice because God loves accurate scales and balances. Wisdom is mentioned over and over as being crucial for effective leadership and it ultimately comes from a healthy fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). 

Finally, love is essential for Christian leaders. This is probably the most important need that leaders have. Without love, a leader will be unsuccessful. I Corinthians says that without love, everything else is pointless (I Cor 13:1-3). A leader can have a great ministry, great gifts, great speaking ability and a great following, but without love it is all considered worthless to God. A true leader is someone who leads out in love. They don’t need to be loved first before they love back. They choose to give freely. Just as the bride in Song of Solomon states that she belongs to the bridegroom regardless of whether he belongs to her or not, so true love gives without any expectation of return (Song of Solomon 7:10).  Nothing is greater than love. If we want to be leaders, love is the greatest thing we could possess. True love gives without expecting to get back. To lead out means to love the unlovable. It means to love even when you are not loved back. It means to consistently, faithfully love even when it’s tough. A leader is someone who loves whether they see the fruit of that love or not. They realize the importance of faithful, unearned love and when that love is manifested, it will change the world. Jesus led out in love on the cross and He said that the world would know who the real Christians were by their love (John 13:35). Love is truly the greatest need of every leader. Love is the greatest thing a leader can possess.

This love is often expressed through serving. A leader with genuine love will serve those he leads. Jesus was the best example of servant leadership. In John 13 you see Jesus choosing to wash His disciples feet right before He goes to the cross. Despite the fact that He had already given up His heavenly rights (Philippians 2:5-8) and was about to lay down His entire life for the world, He chose to act out true love by serving His disciples and washing their feet. Jesus had every right to be served, but He chose to serve his disciples instead. He then commissioned His disciples to go and do the same (John 13:12-14). Servant leadership is the calling of every leader that is chosen by God. In order to be effective as a leader, sacrifices must be made to serve others. Maxwell says in his book on leadership, “There is no success without sacrifice. The higher the level of leadership you want to reach, the greater the sacrifices you will have to make. To go up, you have to give up. That is the true nature of leadership. That is the Law of Sacrifice.” (Maxwell, 1998). Just as Jesus’ love was lived out through serving, so a leader’s love for others should be lived out through serving.  Through serving in love Christian leaders will be able to greatly impact the world. To the normal mind serving may not seem like the way you become a leader. Yet, God usually chooses to work in ways that seem backwards and upside down to us. As Roy Lessin said, "A godly leader finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant” (http://voices.yahoo.com).

Evangelism 

One of the callings that Christians leaders have is that of evangelism. Leaders are called to lead men and women to Christ. There are several methods and means of making this calling reality, but two of the most important steps needed are quite simple and can be easily dismissed away. They are prayer and the ability to follow. 

First of all, prayer is crucial to leading men and women to Christ. Prayer is important in evangelism. You see over and over again in scripture that those who were called by God to lead spent time in prayer for the people of God. Through prayer they turned God’s people back to him and through prayer those people are commissioned into the harvest.  

Through prayer, leaders or present day “priests” are given an amazing responsibility of bringing people back to God. In Joel 2:15-18 the call is given for the people of God to come to a solemn meeting and fast. Then the “priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence” are called to “stand and weep BETWEEN the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray…” They are called to pray a prayer pleading with God to spare the people. Verse 18 says that THEN the Lord will pity his people. The chapter then goes on to share the blessings that God will bring upon His people and the restoration that He will bring to them. The priests were called to stand in on behalf of the people and pray for them. That was what caused God’s heart to be turned on behalf of His people. Christian leaders and pastors have a tremendous responsibility to stand in on behalf of those they lead, crying out on behalf of those that have sinned. They are called to stand in the gap through prayer. This is what moves God’s heart and brings a turning from destruction to blessing. In Exodus you see Moses interceding for the people of Israel several times. If it were not for His intercession, God would have destroyed the people of Israel. As a leader Moses was acting as a mediator before God on behalf of the people He was leading and he was able to “change God’s mind” (See Exodus 32:11-13, 30, 31; 33:12-17; 34:9).

Jesus also believed prayer was important in this area. In Matthew 9:37,38 you see Jesus commanding his disciples to pray that laborers will be sent into the harvest. This is one of the most effective steps that a leader can take in evangelism. Through prayer leaders are able to raise up an army for an even greater harvest of souls. 

     The simplicity of following Jesus is the other step in evangelism that will be mentioned. Evangelism starts with simply following Jesus wherever He leads. One of the first commands that Jesus ever gives His disciples when He calls them is “Come follow me” (Matthew 4:19). The very first thing they were to do was simply follow Jesus and the result was that He would teach them how to catch men. The simplicity in this is profound. Jesus didn’t initially tell his disciples to follow Him and do some big great thing. He told them to simply follow Him. Once they did that, Jesus did the next thing. He SHOWED them how to catch men. Some versions say, “He MADE them fishers of men”. Either way it was something that Jesus did, not the disciples. They were simply commanded to follow Him. So many of us can get so easily caught up in doing a million and ten things and coming up with all different kinds of strategies and programs in order to win men to Christ that we forget that the first and foremost thing is to simply follow. Do we take the time and effort to make sure that we have done that well first or do we simply rush ahead with all of our own great ideas before we even stop to determine whether we are truly following Jesus’ steps? If we can reach the place in our lives where we are truly fixed upon Jesus alone, walking wherever He decides to walk, everything else will take care of itself. He will show his disciples how to do what He wants done. He will change his followers to become what they could have never become otherwise. We don’t have to figure out all these great strategies and come up with all these great ideas to win men and women to Christ. All we simply have to do is follow. 

Discipleship 

Every person needs discipleship and leaders are no exception. There are several key points that are important for Christian leaders to be aware of as they spiritually lead others. They must remember that true leaders are chosen by God, they are called and used despite their feelings of inadequacy, they are examples to the world and they must trust God’s leadership. 

First of all, the book of Judges shows over and over again how God calls and chooses those He wants in leadership. Whether it is choosing the least expected man like Gideon (Judges 6-8) or bringing a mighty prophet like Samson into the world (Judges 13-16), you can see God over and over again selecting the people that He wants to represent Him to His people. In Judges you see the leaders are not the ones who are ultimately in charge. Rather they are just representatives of God, who is the true King of the nation. This is in fact what leaders are, simple men and women standing in the gap for the King that they serve. Often, God loves to bring leaders out of nowhere. Both Ruth and Boaz were leaders and they both “came out of nowhere”. Ruth just happens to come from Moab and Boaz just “happens” to be the owner of the field she goes to work in. Ruth leads out as the caregiver for her mother-in-law and ends up being a part of the lineage of David and Christ. Boaz leads out in caring for Ruth and Naomi and ends up marrying Ruth and being in Christ’s lineage as well. Leaders that God calls often come from unexpected places and can often “come out of nowhere”. Never underestimate the most seemingly insignificant, unimportant person because they could very well be the person God has chosen to play a very significant role in His grand purpose. Ultimately, God is the One who sets up leaders and those who are leading others can be encouraged in the knowledge that they were put in that place by God.

Secondly, God doesn’t choose leaders based on their qualifications. Jacob, the patriarch of Israel was a deceiver. Moses felt totally unqualified for his job and offered God five reasons why he was “inadequate” for the leadership position that God called him to.  Gideon also felt inadequate when he was called by the Lord along with Barak and countless others through out history (Judges 4:8; 6:14-16). Even David, the greatest king of Israel, was an “inadequate” shepherd before he became king. A leader’s ability or qualifications are not based on what they do or cannot do, but rather they are qualified simply because God chooses them (Exodus 3-4). A leader may feel like the most insignificant and weakest individual and may often be tempted to believe lies from the enemy that they are inadequate or not fit for the job. Yet, God is capable and willing to make up for all inadequacies, which is why He often uses the weakest and smallest men and women.

Thirdly, God uses the lives of those He puts in leadership as examples to demonstrate His purposes and workings in the world. As a priest and prophet for Judah, Ezekiel was a spiritual leader for His people. Because God had put him in this position, God used his life as an example to his people. Often throughout scripture we see that God used the lives of His prophets to show what He was going to do with His people or how he felt about His people on a broader scale. God has Hosea marry a prostitute so that He could show Israel that they were forsaking Him (Hosea 1:2). Ezekiel had to lay on his side for 390 days to bear Israel’s sins (Ezekiel 4:4). He also had to experience the death of his wife and refuse to show any signs of mourning for her as an illustration for the people of Israel (Ezekiel 4:15-24). God likes object lessons and He often likes to use the lives of His people as object lessons showing the world what He wants to do on a larger scale. When God places an individual in a role of leadership, there may come a time where He will ask them to do something that may seem crazy, strange or difficult in their life so that He can have an illustration to work with when He decides to act on a larger scale. It is very likely that this could be challenging. Ezekiel had to suffer the loss of his wife which was not easy. Yet, He obeyed the Lord without question. A leader’s life, in reality, is a living testimony of what God longs to do with His people. Do we make ourselves available to this no matter the cost to us?

Lastly, leaders should remember that they can trust the leadership of the One they are following, which is Christ. There is great comfort found in the realization that Christian leaders have the perfect leader who never fails. It is important for leaders to remember that God’s leadership is always trustworthy. God always knows what He’s doing. He always has a plan and even when leaders don’t understand His ways and even in the most difficult situations, He is always trustworthy.

You can see throughout Genesis the fact that God is frequently speaking to His people and giving them direction and leadership. Christian leaders get their direction from God and they are to follow Him even into the impossible. While trusting God’s leadership, it is important for leaders to remember to not take matters into their own hands. Genesis cautions us to not rush God’s will. We are not to try and come up with our own solutions to what God has promised to do in our lives like Abraham did with Hagar or Jacob did with His father by tricking Him. Rather, we are to wait on God’s timing for the fulfillment of what He has promised to do in and through us. God is fully capable of doing what He has said no matter how big it is. Believe the impossible. If God tells us He wants to do something bigger than we can make happen i.e. have a child at 100, we are to believe Him and wait for His timing. It is His responsibility to do it. We don’t make it happen ourselves. We do the possible. Let God do the impossible. As our leader, He will most likely give us visions for impossible things. Then He will put us in charge of leading others into this. Faith is key! He’s trustworthy to lead us as we lead others. God confirmed His will over and over again to Abraham about the Promised Land because He was the leader of the nation. Abraham chose to have faith and obey and as a result, he did the impossible for the nation through His faith in God. 

As the leader of His people, God always had a plan. He has always knows where He is going. He isn’t defeated or distracted by the failings of His followers, but He remains faithful to them. God is always the most excellent leader and He can be completely trusted.

The book of Joshua also reveals that God is the ultimate leader. He constantly longs to provide the leaders that He has set in place with instructions on how to precede in the task He has given them. He gives Joshua instructions on how to cross the Jordan, how to take Jericho and He also provides Him with battle strategies. In fact the only times that you find God speaking in this book are when he is speaking with Joshua. Even though Joshua already knew that Israel was supposed to take the land, he still needed to receive the detailed steps of how to go about accomplishing the task and God constantly instructed him on how to proceed with the task He had given him (See Joshua1:2-9; 3:7,8; 4:2,16; 5:2; 6:1-5; 7:10-15; 8:1,2,18; 10:8; 11:6; 13:1-7; 20:1-6).

Yet most of us struggle with God’s leadership at times. Many of us often think that we have God figured out. It is so easy to fall into the trap of putting God into a box. “Surely God would not do that! Surely he would do things this way. Surely he wouldn’t show love and mercy to the cruelest people.” We often want God to do things our way. We don’t want Him to “show mercy to our enemies”. We want Him to do things in the way that is most comfortable for us. Leaders who fall into the trap of thinking they know how God is going to work or know what He is going to do next will not succeed to the extent that God desires them to. If we are going to lead others into the will of God as the prophet Jonah was called to do, we will have to be willing to step out and lead others into areas that neither we nor our followers are comfortable in. Jonah who was a respectable prophet in Israel was sent to give a word to Israel’s enemies (2 Kings 14:25). He knew that God would show mercy to them and he didn’t want them to be shown mercy. They were the enemies of his people. What if delivering this word made him hated or unpopular with Israel and Israel’s king? He could lose respect, and be humiliated. Yet, taking that step was what God wanted him to do. Most likely, if we are obeying God, the steps we will take will not be popular to those we are leading and they will not be attractive to us either. We will have to swallow our pride as Jonah did and be willing to sacrifice our reputation and humble ourselves. We will have to do things we never wanted to do. Yet, if we are willing to do this in obedience to Christ, God will work in greater ways than we can imagine. 

Isaiah also gives leaders an excellent example of how they can trust in the Lord when faced with enemies or situations that are too difficult for them. Isaiah tells the story of Hezekiah who is threatened by the king of Assyria (Isaiah 36-39). His chief of staff attempts to turn the people against the king and attacks God’s character. Hezekiah gives the correct response and tears his clothes, puts on burlap and goes to the temple (Isaiah 37:1). God is the first one he turns to. Despite all the idol worship that is mentioned throughout the book of Isaiah, here you find a righteous king who instantly goes to the Lord and responds to him. Hezekiah later receives yet another message from the king of Assyria. Again, Hezekiah brings it before the Lord. It says in Isaiah 37:14 that after Hezekiah received and read the letter that he went to the temple and spread it out before the Lord and prayed.  The Lord then answers him saying “Because you prayed…” (Isaiah 37:21) Hezekiah knew where his source of strength was found. He knew who his Defender was. He didn’t look to other kings or people. Rather, he looked to the Lord and He was delivered. When faced with a difficult situation, a truly righteous leader will got to the Lord first. He is their leader and they should turn to Him first when they find themselves in difficult situations. When they do this they will find over and over that He is trustworthy. 

Mobilization 

When it comes to mobilization it is important for leaders to remember that they are working for the Lord and not for themselves. Action is important but it is essential that leaders are certain that they are mobilizing in the way that God wishes them to. As leaders step into action they must be aware that they are to build God’s buildings instead of their own, they must rely on him to build through them and they must constantly make their relationship with God their main priority. 

First, it is important for leaders to be 100% sure that they are working on what the Lord is building and not simply what they are wanting to build. It can be so easy to get caught up in doing a great number of “good” things for the Lord in ministry that we lose sight of what He is actually doing. These “houses” of ours may look luxurious to everyone, including us. They may be very good ministry opportunities or simply things that we would desire to see built. But if God wants something else built, are we truly serving Him and bringing success to His kingdom through doing these seemingly good things? In the book of Haggai you find that the returned exiles, because of persecution, had ceased building the temple of the Lord and had focused on their own houses instead (Haggai 1:2-11). As a result God had removed His blessings from them.  Often what God is doing or wants done is different than what we think should be done. We can very easily slip into the trap of building things and doing things that in reality are not what God wants. If leaders are going to be effective in ministry, they must be constantly seeking the Lord in prayer asking Him what is currently on His heart and mind and then partner with that. We need to be completely sure that we are building God’s kingdom, not our own. This is not a one-time thing we do. Rather, it is something that we will need to practice every day. Serving God is not about building what we think needs built, but rather identifying what it is that God wants built and then working on that whether it seems grand to us or not. 

Secondly, leaders should rely on the Lord to build His kingdom through them. Nehemiah is filled with insight for leaders on how to go about building the “city” that God has asked them to build. Restoring and building things for the Lord often requires a lot of time and work. In this book you see Nehemiah face many challenges. His enemies attacks him with many different strategies. They mock him (Nehemiah 4:1-5), threaten him  (Nehemiah 5:11,12), pretend to be his friend (Nehemiah 6:1-3), and falsely accuse him (Nehemiah 6-9). Yet, Nehemiah constantly perseveres and finishes the work in the end. It even says that when Nehemiah realized that the enemy was trying to intimidate and discourage him, he worked with even greater determination (Nehemiah 6:9). Despite great opposition, God is faithful to protect and help His people build what He wants built. You see that Nehemiah was very aware of this and chose to rely on the Lord to fight on his behalf (Nehemiah 1:18, 20; 4:9,14,15,19; 6:14-16). In the end, even the enemy realized that the work was finished because God was the One helping to build the “city” (Nehemiah 6:16). The same is true for leaders now. God is the One that builds what He desires built in and through us. He is the One that protects us from the enemy and He is the One who should ultimately receive the credit for the finished building.  

Lastly and most importantly, leaders in Christian ministry must never forget that their relationship with God is their greatest priority and apart from God everything done is completely pointless. In ministry it is easy to get caught up in what is being “done” for God that we fail to simply “be” for God. People tend to define who they are or how they are doing with God based on “what” they are doing for God. Ecclesiastes shows the meaninglessness of every action apart from God. Even searching out wisdom was considered meaningless to Solomon, the wisest man in the world ( Ecclesiastes 1:17,18). It is important to always keep in mind that our actions are not where we find ultimate satisfaction. Apart from God they are all worthless. Real fruit and satisfaction comes from knowing God, the Creator ( Ecclesiastes 12:6). Ecclesiastes says that it is our duty to fear God and obey His commands (Ecclesiastes 12:14). If we are doing that, we will find satisfaction because it is God and God alone who gives us the satisfaction that we long for. 

While the areas of  felt needs, evangelism, discipleship and mobilization could be discussed more in depth, incorporating these few practices into life will greatly enrich the life of a leader. Not only will is help us become better at leading others, but we will discover that in the process we has become more like the greatest leader-Jesus Christ. When a leader has become like Jesus Christ, He has truly become a success. 

Bibliography

Kouzes, J. 1995. The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Publishers

Maxwell, J. 1998. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 

Sachem, J. 2010. Inspirational Quotes about Servant Leadership. Yahoo Voices. Retrieved December 15, 2012. From. http://voices.yahoo.com/inspirational-quotes-servant-leadership-5706416.html

Spurgeon, C. 2012. Charles H. Spurgeon Quotes. Good Reads. Retrieved December 15,2012. From. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/20486-there-are-times-when-solitude-is-better-than-society-and 

Jude

Jude

Historical Background

At the time that Jude was written, evil people has risen up in the church to attempt to instruct the church with unsound doctrine (4,18). The apostles were concerned about the fact that false teachings were beginning to arise and soon all of the eyewitnesses would be gone. They were continuing to send out letters stating the truth of what they had taught and warning the church about those who would come in with false teaching (17-19). 

Character and Nature of God

While Jude informs the believers that scoffers are going to arise to cause division, he also closes out the book by encouraging the believers by identifying God as the One who is able to keep them from falling (24). Despite the fact that the believers are being “attacked” by false teachers and doctrines, they can find rest in the fact that God is the One who ultimately keeps them from falling. He is the One who presents them without a single fault before the presence of His glory. He is the Only God and therefore the only one who is able to do that (25).

Reason Written

Jesus’ half brother Jude writes this book to remind the church of the teachings that the apostles had previously taught them (3,5,17). He writes to warn them about ungodly people who will come in among them. He describes to the believers what these people are like and how they can be identified (8-13,16). He writes to give them instructions on how to act in the midst of these challenges so that they will remain safe in the love of God (20,21).

Main Idea

The main idea from Jude is that the believers are to remember what the apostles have instructed them and live holy lives while continually watching out for people who will come in to bring divisions among them. He instructs the believers to build each other up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, and await God’s mercy. Jude says that doing these things will keep them safe even in the midst of facing dangerous people who are among them (17-23). At the close of his letter he gives practical instructions on how to minister to others (22,23). These are practical steps given by Jude to ensure that the believers will continue to follow what the apostles have instructed, even in the midst of encountering scoffers. 

II Peter

II Peter

Historical Background

During the time that II Peter was written, there were various false doctrines being spread around the empire. The apostles were concerned about the abundance of false doctrine and were attempting to ensure that the churches knew the truth. The lives of the apostles would have been coming to a close and they wanted to ensure that solid, clear doctrine was given to the churches before all eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life had disappeared (1:12-20). 

Character and Nature of God

II Peter states that God is patient (3:15). Despite the abundance of false doctrine and wicked people that were spreading during this time, Peter reminds the church that God is patient to delay His return because He wants to give people time to be saved. You see God’s heart come through at the end of this book. God has so much patience and love for people who have strayed from Him. He could choose to end all evil in the world whenever He wants but chooses to hold back because He desires to give people time to repent so that they will be spared from a greater evil.

Reason Written

II Peter was written to warn the church about false doctrines that were arising. Peter feels compelled to write this letter because he knows he is about to die and wants to remind the church of everything he, as an eyewitness of Christ’s life, had previously told them (1:12-19). He warns them that false teachers will arise to teach destructive heresies and provides them with a description of what these people are like (2).

Main Idea

II Peter was written so that the church would be reminded of what they had been previously taught about Christ and the gospel (1:12; 3:1-2). Peter is wanting them to think about everything they had been taught. He knew that false teachers will come in to deceive them and he is once again telling them to remember what they have been taught and not to forget it. He closes the book by reminding them that people will in the last days question whether Christ is returning. He reminds them that Christ will eventually come back. Yet, He will come in an unexpected way. He instructs them to live pure and blameless lives in the mean time while they are awaiting Christ’s return (3:4-14). 

I Peter

I Peter 

Historical Background

At the time of the writing of I Peter, Christians were undergoing persecution for their faith. Christianity was not approved of by the Roman government during this time. Rather, it was deemed an illegal religion. Because of this, believers would have been forced to scatter to various locations (1:1). These believers would also have been placed under great persecution and would have been in need of hope and encouragement (1:1,1:6,7).

Character and Nature of God

Peter reveals Christ as the One who suffered (3:18-4:2). Peter describes the suffering that Christ went through when He laid down His life on the cross. This would have been a great encouragement to the believers who were suffering for Christ. They could rest in the knowledge that Christ understood the suffering that they were going through because He suffered in the same way.

Reason Written

I Peter was written to encourage the believers who were scattered throughout various provinces. These believers were being persecuted for their faith at this time and this letter would have encouraged them to remain strong in the face of persecution (1:1; 2:18-21; 4:1,19; 5:10). 

Main Idea

The main idea from I Peter is that those who are suffering for Christ’s sake should continue to endure and not give up for their suffering pleases Christ and brings them great reward (2:19; 3:14,12-13; 5:10). The Jews that this letter was written to were encouraged to continue to endure because they were imitating Christ by imitating His suffering (2:17-4:1). They were encouraged to rejoice because just past their sufferings lay a great joy (1:6). They were also informed that their faith would prove the genuineness of their faith (1:7).

James

James

Historical Background: 

At the time that James was written the Jews were being dispersed throughout the world due to persecution (1:1-3).  During this time, there were various false teachings been spread. The Jews would most likely have had to face false doctrines while they were being separated from other believers. The author of James was James, the brother of Jesus. James most likely would have had related well with the Jewish believers because He himself was a Jew and he had lived with Jesus. 

Character and Nature of God:

James reveals that God is a Giver. In James 1:5 it says that we can ask our generous God for wisdom and He will give it to us. James also says that every good and perfect gift comes down to us from God. God loves to give. He gives blessings to those who are persecuted and eventually gives them a crown of life (1:12). 

Reason Written:

The book of James was written to give the Jewish believers practical instructions for how to go about living out their faith. Because the Jewish believers were being scattered abroad (1:1) and because of the reality of false teachers, it was important that they were aware of how to go about living out their faith. James also writes to encourage these Christians because they were undergoing persecution at this time (1:2,12,13). 

Main Idea: 

The main idea from the book of James is that faith consists of actions along with belief. James reveals that faith without works is not actually faith (2:14-26). James gives many practical instruction for how to go about living out faith. He talks about the importance of the tongue and how it can cause great damage (3:1-12). He also gives various other commands such as instructing them to live a honorable life doing good works (3:13), warning them about jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14-15), commanding them not to speak evil of others (4:11) and also commanding them not to grumble against others (5:9). 

Hebrews

Hebrews

Important Historical Background

The book of Hebrews was written to a Jewish community around the time of the Roman Emperor Nero. The christians at this time were experiencing great persecution because Christianity was an illegal religion at this time (10:32-36). We do not know for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews. Some people believe it was Paul while others believe it could have been Priscilla or Barnabas. 

Character and Nature of God

In Hebrews God reveals Jesus ultimately as the Great Hight Priest. This is the first time in the New Testament that Jesus is revealed as being a high priest. The author presents his case throughout the book proving that Jesus is a valid priest and is much better than the old form of Judaism that the Jews had previously followed (3:1,2; 4:14-10; 7-8:6).

Reason Written

Hebrews was written to the Jewish Christian community who were experiencing persecution during the time of Nero’s rule. Because of their persecution, it would have been easier for them to simply return to Judaism, which was their former way of following God. This book was written to encourage them to continue on despite persecution and warn them of the dangers of apostasy and turning away from following after Christ (3:6-4:16; 6:1-6,10-12; 9:23; 10:32-39; 12:1-17).

Main Idea

The main idea from Hebrews is that Jesus is the best way. The Christians were facing temptation to resort back to the way things by going back to Judaism due to the persecution undergoing Christians at that time. The author wanted the readers to understand that Jesus is the ultimate way and that He is the best way. There was to be no turning back to the old ways but a complete embracing of Jesus as He was the best and only way to God (7:8-28; 10). 

Character Study of Paul

Character Study of Paul

What was Paul’s definition of the Christian life? 

Paul viewed the Christian life as a holy life that was brought about by the blood of Christ alone and lived out through the Holy Spirit. He states over and over throughout his various letters that salvation does not come through works, but through faith in Christ’s work alone (Rom1:17; 6:23; 2:29; 3:27,28; Gal 1:15,16; 5:1-4; Col 1:13; 2:8-20).  He viewed the Christian life as a life that was lived in freedom through the Spirit (Rom 8:1-16 Gal 5:13-16). Yet, this life was not be lived doing whatever the individual desired. Rather, it was to be marked by the fruits of the Spirit and love for others (Gal 5:22-26; Phil 2:1-15; Col 3:12-17). That person was to live a life filled with love, which was the most important thing of all (I Cor 13-14:1; Phil 1:9; Eph 3:17-19; 5:1,2). Paul lived this out by faithfully choosing to love the people he ministered to. Despite the fact that he was often treated wrongly, he still chose to love people through speaking the truth to them, praying for them and encouraging them in the Lord (Acts 14:1,5-7,19-22; II Cor 6:11-13; II Cor 12:15; Eph 1:15-20; Phil 1:3-5; 3:1; 4:1; I Thess 1:2,3; 2:12; 3:1-3). 

What was Paul’s understanding of missions?

Paul saw missions as something that was essential to the early church and something that required a great cost to live out. Paul himself, along with many of his coworkers, experienced many rewards as a result of their mission work. They saw many men and women come to the knowledge of Christ and also performed  great miracles and signs through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:12,42-43,48; 14:3,21; 15:12; 16:32; 19:11,12). Yet, Paul also experienced many difficulties due to his mission work. He was forced to flee from cities, stoned, thrown in jail, beaten, hated by many people, held in prison in Rome, and was compelled to give up freedoms for the sakes of those he was ministering to (13:45; 14:5,6,19; 16:22-39; 17:5-7; 18:5-7; 21:30-36; 27:1). On more than one occasion Paul mentions in his letters that he has gone through these many persecutions for the gospel of Christ ( I Cor 4:10-13; 9:19-23; 15:30,31; II Cor 6:3-10 I Thess 2:2,3). He also mentions several times that he has gone to the effort of making sure that he is not a burden to anyone, trying to provide for himself while doing mission work. Even though he knew he had a right to receive help from those that he was ministering to, he chose to give up his rights to those benefits so that he would not burden them (I Cor 11-16; I Thess 1:9-10; II Thess 3:6-10). Paul knew that there was a cost to mission work and he was willing to live it out throughout his life. 

Are there sacrifices  you have made/may make that are similar to Paul? 

Paul made himself look like a fool because he chose to preach the message of the cross with simplicity. He acknowledges that the cross is considered foolish to those who are headed for destruction but to those who are being saved it is the power of God (I Cor 1:17-19). As I think about my life and the places where I have to chose to crucify my own desires and follow Christ’s, I realize how foolish my life ends up appearing. I have seen places in my life where God has asked me to look like a fool by taking up a cross and following after Him. To the logical mind those crosses make no sense and I take the name of a fool. Paul was aware that to live a life for Christ will bring you to a place where in some way or another you are going to end up looking like a fool and I can totally relate with that. Yet, it is in that place that God gets the most glory because He uses seemingly foolish things to confound the wise.

Are there areas of Paul’s teaching that God is asking you to apply to your life? 

As I read Galatians, I found myself convicted regarding my attempts to rely on my own efforts to earn favor with God. Paul states that we are made right with God because of our faith in Him, not our obedience to the law (2:16). He also asks the Galatians why, if they already received the Spirit because they believed in Christ, are they trying to become perfect by their own human efforts. God revealed to me that there was an area in my life where  I was trying in my own efforts to obey His command and basing my standing with Him on my performance of that command. God reminded me that His acceptance of me is based on what He did and not what I do and that apart from His Spirit I can’t do anything. It is His Spirit that enables me to keep His commands. After realizing this and repenting of it, God revealed to me how easy it is to keep His commands when His Spirit does the work and you are no longer relying on your strength. In order for me to continue to live this out, I feel like one of the best things that I can do is stay in the word. It is the word that reminds me that salvation and God’s favor are gifts that are given to me. It is the word that corrects me when I forget this. I want to continue to use His word and  focus specifically on His work for me.

Acts/Pauline Epistles

Acts

Reason Written:

Acts was written to provide Theophilus with further instruction and knowledge regarding Jesus and the ministry of the disciples. Acts provided him with teaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit as well as the early ministry of the the apostles (1:1-3). Acts was also written to provide the church with an account of the coming of and the new ministry of the Holy Spirit (2; 4:31; 8:29,39; 10:44-48; 11:24; 13:4,9; 13:52; 19:5,6; 21:4).

Main Idea: 

Acts reveals the practical beginning of the apostles ministry assigned to them by Jesus. The central idea in the book of Acts is that the Holy Spirit was sent and was poured out on the early church and they were then sent into all the world with the gospel. In Acts you find that Jesus fulfills His promise and sends the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (2). Due to persecution, believers are then sent out from Jerusalem to Samaria (8) and then into all the world (10:24,28; 11:1,18-27).

Romans

Reason Written:

Romans was written to the Roman church to address doctrinal concerns that they had with Christianity. Because the church consisted of Jews and Gentiles, there were rifts between the two parties on what requirements and laws should be practiced and followed. Paul addresses this issue and reveals that they are one body (3:28-30). 

Main Idea:

Salvation is not based on works. Paul clearly states that the keeping the law does nothing to bring salvation. It simply shows us our sin (3:20). Rather, our salvation is based on faith in Christ alone. It is his death that brought about our salvation (3:22-31). 

I Corinthians

Reason Written:

I Corinthians was written to the Corinthian church to emphasize to them the importance of living out love in all of their actions. There was quite a bit of conflict and division in the church (6:1,2; 11:17-19). The church had questions regarding meat offered to idols, sexual relations,and spiritual gifts to name a few. (7,8; 9,11; 12:1).  Paul wanted to point out that every action should be motivated and lived out in love (13; 14:1). 

Main Idea:

The main idea of I Corinthians is that love is the highest goal (14:1).  It is more important than knowledge about various doctrines. Paul says in 8:1 that it is love, not knowledge that strengthens the church. In verse 3 He says that the one who loves God is the one that God recognizes. Towards the close of the book he commands the Corinthians to make love their highest goal (14:1) for it is important than knowledge and all spiritual gifts. All else is as nothing without it (13:1-3). 

II Corinthians

Reason Written: 

Paul wrote II Corinthians in order to instruct the Corinthian church to follow through with his instructions and to quit listening to accusations that others were making against his apostleship (10). He hopes that they will follow through so that he can deal kindly with them on his next visit (13:10). Paul uses sarcasm frequently towards the end of the book as a way of revealing to the Corinthians that they are buying into foolish notions by other apostles (10-12).

Main Idea: 

The main idea that Paul wanted conveyed to the Corinthian church was: “Live out what I have instructed you”. He wanted them to be obedient to the instructions that He had previously given so that on his next visit, he would not have to spend time correcting them. He also wanted those that were going to be visiting them to see that Paul’s boasting about them was valid (9:3-5; 10:1,2).

Galatians

Reason Written:

Galatians was written to correct the people in Galatia who had fallen back into the practice of relying on their obedience to the law to bring about their salvation (4:10; 5:7-9). Paul wanted them to understand that the gospel message that he had formally preached to them was from the Lord and that it did not require works (1:11-12; 3:1-7). Paul also clearly states that this salvation is for everyone, not just the jews (3:26-29). 

Main Idea: 

The main idea conveyed in Galatians is that God has brought freedom to everyone by offering salvation as a gift that is received through faith (5:1-6). God makes people right with Him through their faith in Christ’s works, not in their keeping of the law (1:15-16). We were slaves to the law but now we have been set free through faith in Christ’s work of salvation (4:21-5:1).

Ephesians

Reason Written: 

Paul wrote the book of Ephesians in order to help the people in Ephesus truly understand their identity in Christ and live it out. The culture in Ephesus was drastically different than Christianity. This culture included sexual worship practices and ideologies stating that the people needed to appease their numerous gods. Paul writes to reveal to them that there is one God and help them understand the new identity that they have in Christ (1:4, 9-11,15-23; 2:1-7; 3:14-21; 4:1). 

Main Idea:

The main idea of Ephesians is that living out our new identity in Christ brings unity and power (4:3-5; 6:10). Ephesians reveals what it means to live out an identity that is found in Christ (4:1-6). People who have a new identity in Christ are to throw off the old sinful nature of darkness and live out a life led by the Spirit allowing him to renew your thoughts and actions (4:17-32). 

Philippians

Reason Written:

Philippians was written to help the church become more unified, by its members loving one another and giving up their rights for each other in love. Paul shows them how he counts everything as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He reminds them of how he had suffered on behalf of them before and instructs them to follow his example (1:9-11, 30; 2:1-11; 3:5-9,17). He also encourage them to rejoice while following his instructions (2:12-13; 3:1; 4:4) He wants to thank them as well for the gift they had previously sent him (4:10-19). This church had helped Paul and they most likely were concerned for him while he was in prison in Rome. Paul writes to them comforting them by letting them know he is doing well, thanking them for their gift and encourages them in their faith. 

Main Idea: 

The main idea that Paul wanted to convey to the church from this book is that God’s people are able to rejoice even in the midst of suffering and laying down their rights for others. Paul was in prison in Rome at the time he wrote this book (1:13). He had previously been in prison in Philippi and had demonstrated joy and self sacrifice to the church in this situation (Acts 16). Now he writes to the church informing the Philippians that their rights are not something to be kept, but rather, they are to give them up in joy as Christ did, and as he himself did, for the good of others (1:29-30; 2:1-15). The idea of joy is repeated over and over throughout the book. Paul was rejoicing despite the fact that people were using his prison time in Rome to spite him. He rejoiced because regardless of this the gospel was still going out (1:18). He stated that he could rejoice even if he ended up losing his life. He longed to share this joy with the church (2:16-18). He instructs the church to rejoice in the Lord, stating that this safeguards their faith (3:1). He calls the church his joy, rejoices in their faith (1:25), and prays for them with joy (1:4; 4:1). He agains closes with again commanding the church in the last chapter to rejoice and be full of joy in the Lord (4:4). 

Colossians

Reason Written:

Colossians was written to bring clarification to the church in Colosse. The people there were being told that they needed to follow certain practices in order to be accepted by Christ. They were being told that their salvation was from Christ AND certain works. Paul writes this book to bring to light the error found in this false doctrine, revealing that works do not bring salvation (2:8-23).

Main Idea:

The main idea revealed in Colossians is that Christ is all that is needed for salvation (1:21,22; 2:13-17,20; 3:1-4) and He is what is needed to live out the Christian life (1:15-21, 29). Colossians also instructs the Colossians to put to death their old lives and live out the new lives that they have received from being crucified and raised with Christ (3:5-4:3).

I Thessalonians

Reason Written:

Paul wrote this book to the people in Thessalonica to help them understand how to live in an a world of persecution while awaiting Christ’s return (1:6; 3:7,8; 4:1). The people in this city had been undergoing persecution and had previously been in need of encouragement (2:14-3:8). Paul wrote this book to continue to encourage them and show them how they should live during these times of persecution. 

Main Idea:

I Thessalonians gives its readers instructions on how to live holy, pure lives for Christ.  It provided its readers with instructions on how to lead quiet, work-filled lives as they waited for Christ’s return (4:3-11 5:11-24). I Thessalonians reveals the importance of continuing to work and walk in a holy way despite persecution and hardships.

 II Thessalonians

Reason Written:

II Thessalonians was written so that the people in Thessalonica who were being persecuted could be encouraged (1:6-12). It was also written to identify a false belief that the people possessed. Certain people had been informing the Christians of Thessalonica that the return of Christ had already begun and, as a result, they had become idle (3:11). Paul wrote to warn them of the falseness of this teaching and correct their idleness (2:1-12; 3:12).

Main Idea: 

The main idea of this book is that God’s people are never to grow tired of doing good despite hardships and delays (3:12,13). The people were instructed to continue to stand fast and do what God had called them to do (2:15-17; 3:4-13). They were not to remain idle but to settle down and work to earn an honest living, while they were waiting for the future coming of Christ (2:15; 3:12).

Philemon

Reason Written:

Paul wrote this letter to one of his friends named Philemon (1) in order request that he receive his slave, Onesimus, back with kindness (10-12). Onesimus was a slave who had run away and become a Christian while he was away. Now Paul is sending him back and despite the fact that Onesimus should have been put to death due to his actions, Paul is asking Philemon to receive him back with kindness (17).

Main Idea: 

The main ideas conveyed through this book is that of reconciliation and forgiveness. Paul is urging one of his coworkers to show forgiveness to a slave from a lower class who has wronged him (10-12,17). Paul, attempts through this letter to bring reconciliation between these two men by trying to help them see each other as brothers (15-16). 

I Timothy

Reason Written:

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to instruct him and teach him on how to go about leading the church that he was currently working with in Ephesus. Paul had previously left him there and hopes to eventually come and see him but also wants to write to him, providing instruction to Timothy in the mean time (1:3; 3:14,15). Timothy was young and inexperienced in leading on his own and this letter from Paul was written to help him in his new ministry (4:11-13). 

Main Idea:

Leading a life of godliness is the central idea in I Timothy. Paul writes to Timothy instructing him how to train members in the church to live holy, godly lives (1:5; 4:11; 6:2). Paul gives specific instructions to Timothy regarding specific groups of people. He gives him instructions regarding widows, women, men and slaves (2; 3; 5; 6:1,2). Paul also gives instructions to Timothy about how he is to go about living a godly life. He tells him to use the gifts that he has been given. (4:14-16). He instructs him to continue fighting a good fight by keeping his conscience clear and clinging to his faith in Christ (1:18-20; 6:11-16). 

II Timothy 

Reason Written: 

At the time that II Timothy was written, Paul was nearing the end of his life. He knew that he was about to die and he therefore wrote this book to Timothy who he viewed like a son (1:2). Paul writes this letter in order to insure that his legacy lasts. He gives final instructions to Timothy hoping that, Timothy will remain faithful to the gospel despite the fact that several others have previously abandoned Paul (2:5,13,14; 3:14-17; 4:16-17).
Main Idea:

II Timothy is written to encourage Timothy to keep the faith. Paul has seen many others abandon the faith (4:10,14,16). He writes to Timothy to encourage and strengthen him in his faith. Paul warns him that men will come who not be obedient to the truth. Paul warns him not to be affected by these people but to continue to be faithful to the faith that he has seen in Him (1:5-7; 2:1-8; 3:1-10). Towards the close of the book he urges Timothy to remain faithful to the things that he has been taught, reminding him of the importance of scripture (3:14-17). 

Titus 

Reason Written:

Titus was written by Paul to the young man Titus who had been left on the island of Crete by Paul to help in the church there (1:4-5). Paul wrote this letter because the church there was undergoing various problems.  There were rebellious people who were deceiving others (1:10-14). There were also various quarrels and fights going on (3:9-11). Paul writes to Titus instructing him on how to go about leading and teaching in this church despite the difficulties. 

Main Idea:

The main idea from this book is that Titus is to teach those under them and instruct them on how to be submissive and obedient to Christ. Paul provides Titus with various instruction on how to go about teaching those that he has been called to minister to. He provides him with instructions for women, men, elders and slaves (2:2-10; 3:1,2). He tells Titus that he is teach and encourage the believers and that he has a right to correct them (3:15). He also emphasizes submission by stating that younger women should be taught by older women (2:4,5), wives should submit to their husbands (2:5), slaves must obey their masters (2:9) and all believers should submit to the government (3:1). This would have been a crucial point to stress seeing as the church there was not unified through various fights and quarrels.