Received It By Revelation

Galatians 1:11-12 - I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 - For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

Ephesians 3:6 - This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Conclusions:

• Salvation is for all and is received by faith in Christ
• The Spirit searches all things, not in order to know them, for He knows all things
• The Spirit comprehends the depth of God’s nature and His plans of grace; so the Spirit is fully competent to make the revelation claimed in 1 Corinthians 2:10
• In 1 Corinthians 15:3 Paul links himself with early Christian tradition
• Paul was not the tradition’s originator, nor did Paul receive the tradition directly from the Lord
• In 1 Corinthians 15:3, Paul is using technical terms for receiving and transmitting tradition
• The heart of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead
• The repetition of “together” in Ephesians 3:6 indicates the unique aspect of the mystery that was not previously known: the equality and mutuality that Gentiles had with Jews in the church, the one body
• That Gentiles would turn to the God of Israel and be saved was prophesied in the Old Testament; that they would come into an organic unity with believing Jews on equal footing was unexpected

Application:

• Have you received salvation by faith in Christ?
• Has God revealed things to you by His Spirit?
• Are other Christians your source of tradition?
• Do you share in the promise in Christ Jesus?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Eternally Condemned

Galatians 1:3-8,11 - Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!... I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.

Romans 9:3-5 - For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Romans 16:25-27 - Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Conclusions:

• The patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and his sons
• “Christ, who is God” is one of the clearest statements of the deity of Jesus Christ found in the entire New Testament
• “To…God be glory” is the ultimate purpose of all things
• “So quickly” means so soon after your conversion
• “One who called you” is God
• Having the grace of Christ is the test of a pure, unadulterated gospel
• The Greek word for eternally condemned originally referred to a pagan temple offering in payment for a vow
• Later, eternally condemned came to represent a curse
• Salvation is for all and is received by faith in Christ
• The Greek for cursed is anathema, and it means delivered over to the wrath of God for eternal destruction
• Paul’s great love for his fellow Jews is expressed by wishing he was cursed for their sake
• One who is regenerated by the Holy Spirit cannot pronounce a curse on Jesus; rather, he is the only one who from the heart can confess Jesus is Lord
• The Greek word for Lord in 1 Corinthians 12:3 is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew name Yahweh

Application:

• Do you see Christ as God over you?
• Do you see glorifying God as your ultimate purpose?
• Do you have faith in Christ?
• Do you love your brothers so much that you wished you were cursed for the sake of their salvation?
• Can you confess that Jesus is Lord?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

For Our Sins

Galatians 1:3-5 - Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5 - For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

1 Corinthians 1:20 - Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

2 Corinthians 4:4 - The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Conclusions:

• Paul’s source of the early Christian tradition was other Christians
• The heart of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead
• Wise man is probably a reference to Gentile philosopher in general
• Scholar is probably the Jewish teacher of the law
• All humanly devised philosophical systems end in meaninglessness because they have a wrong concept of God and His revelation
• Lamb of God is an expression found in the Bible only in John 1
• John was saying that Jesus would be the sacrifice that would atone for the sin of the world
• The god of this age is the devil, who is the archenemy of God , the unseen power behind all unbelief and ungodliness
• Those who follow the devil have in effect made him their god.
• Christ, who is both the Incarnate Son and the Second Person of the Trinity, authentically displays God to us, for He is the very radiance of divine glory
• Christ is the image of God in which man was originally created and into which redeemed mankind is being gloriously transformed until at last, when Christ comes again at the end of this age, we who believe will be like Him
• “Not against flesh and blood” is a caution against lashing out against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources
• Rules and forces are Paul’s allusions to powerful beings in the unseen world

Application:

• Is your source of tradition other Christians?
• Do you have a wrong concept of God and His revelation?
• Did Jesus sacrifice atone for your sins?
• Has your mind been blinded?
• Do you lash out against human opponents?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Take Hold Of The Life

1 Timothy 6:12,19-21 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses…In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.

Conclusions:

• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• When you made your good confession is probably a reference to Timothy’s confession of faith at his baptism during Paul’s first missionary journey

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Share

1 Timothy 6:18 - Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Romans 12:7-8,13 - If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully…Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Ephesians 4:28 - He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Conclusions:

• Encouraging is exhorting others with an uplifting, cheerful call to worthwhile accomplishment
• The teacher often carried out the function of encouragement
• In teaching, the believer is shown what he must do; in encouraging, he is helped to do it
• Contributing is giving what is one’s own, or possibly distributing what has been given by others
• Let him govern is possibly a reference to an elder
• The Ephesian church had elders about the time of the writing of Romans
• Showing mercy is caring for the sick, the poor and the aged
• Serving the needy should be a delight, not a chore
• The Christian has social responsibility to all people, but especially to other believers
• It is not enough to cease from sin; one must do good
• The former thief must now help those in need

Application:

• Do you help others to do what they must do?
• Are you socially responsible to all people?
• Are you doing good?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

This Command

1 Timothy 6:12-16 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:7 - Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

2 Timothy 4:8 - Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Conclusions:

• A spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit enabling one to minister to the needs of Christ’s body, the church
• The Greek word used for any spiritual gift stresses that it is a gift of grace
• Paul uses the metaphor of the wreath given to the winner of a race
• Paul could be referring to (1) a crown given as a reward for a righteous life, (2) a crown consisting of righteousness or (3) a crown given righteously by the righteous Judge
• That day is the day of Christ’s second coming
• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• When you made your good confession is probably a reference to Timothy’s confession of faith at his baptism during Paul’s first missionary journey

Application:

• Have you been enabled to minister to the needs of Christ's body?
• Will you receive a crown of righteousness on that day?
• Have you fully claimed the benefits of eternal life?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Take Hold Of The Eternal Life

1 Timothy 6:12-16 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 Timothy 4:16 - Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

John 18:36 - Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Conclusions:

• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• When you made your good confession is probably a reference to Timothy’s confession of faith at his baptism during Paul’s first missionary journey
• God alone saves, but Christians can be God’s instruments to bring about the salvation of others
• Salvation is both an event and a process
• We are saved at the time of conversion but are still being saved in the sense of being made more conformed to Christ’s image
• Jesus agrees that He has a kingdom, but asserts that it is not the kind of kingdom that has soldiers to fight for it
• Jesus’ kingdom was not built, nor is it maintained, by military might

Application:

• Are you fighting the good fight of the faith?
• Are you God's instrument to bring about the salvation of others?
• Are you in Jesus' kingdom?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible