So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.

Numbers 18:1-7

So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. Numbers 18:1

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 18:1-7 - we see God speak to Aaron, giving him and the Levites instructions in their role with the priesthood, reinforcing earlier instructions that serve to prevent future rebellion against Aaron and the Levites.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God seeks for Aaron and the Levites to bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary and the priesthood and the current dictionary definition shares that this means to conduct oneself well relating to sin connected with the sanctuary and priesthood - for example Aaron's participation with the golden calf (Exodus 32) and his sons' use of unauthorized fire (Leviticus 10:1-3). Duties given to Aaron and the Levites are further clarified here in the text today as God shares that they are to guard (word used 4x in the text today) the sanctuary, including its contents such as the altar.  Others are not allowed to come near (let alone into) the sanctuary (Tent of Meeting) for risk of death (v7).  Also mentioned in the text today is how the Levites are a gift to Aaron and given to the Lord to serve in the priesthood (vv6-7).  After Korah's rebellion that very likely shook both Moses and Aaron, God encourages Aaron and makes it clear that Aaron and the Levites have a God-given role to play.  God equips His servants with helpers (including the Holy Spirit) to serve.  They will also be held to a high standard of accountability. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: As I have posted yesterday and with previous posts, we must submit to authorities, specifically church leadership.  We should not grumble and complain about our church leadership but instead defer and pray for them.  Trust God that they will be held to account.     
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): If you are appointed to church leadership, avoid taking this lightly.  Claim the promise that God will equip and help His appointed servants.  Follow the example of Moses and Aaron who were faithful servants of God. Trust God and His appointed servants; submit and defer to their authority.   

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for the church I have and its Godly leadership.  I am not deserving of how You bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Titus 1

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9

I maintain my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 4-day 3, the focus is Titus 1 and a review of this text assisted by the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.  The first chapter of the commentary explores Titus 1:5-9.

From the commentary:

• Main idea: Qualified leaders of the church must be men who exemplify godliness in every area of their lives— their commitments, conduct, character, and convictions.
• Excerpt from the introduction: "God believes leadership of the local church is so important that He addresses the issue in detail four times in the New Testament: Acts 20:28-38; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Emphasis in each list falls on a leader’s personal character and theological competency.  God is primarily interested in who you are and then what you do." 
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. He Must Be a Man with Godly Commitments (1:5-6): We are referred to Acts 27:7-12 for text that describes Paul's time in Crete, as well as to Acts 2:11 where it notes that Cretans were in Jerusalem on Pentecost.  It is also noted how that, although the gospel spread quickly in certain areas, it proceeded slowly on Crete - implying strong leadership from men such as Titus was needed. Paul instructs Titus to seek order and structure in the church and to appoint Godly men as leaders to accomplish these ends. Above all a church leader should be a model for others to imitate and "above reproach". Sexual purity is key - as opposed to sexual immorality such as extramarital affairs. A leaders family and the character of this family must be Godly and the leader must demonstrate Godly leadership in the home.
   
2. He Must Be a Man of Godly Conduct (1:7): Godly leaders must, in all that they do, demonstrate Godly behavior and maintain a reputation as such. The text describes both positive and negative character traits, including not being arrogant, hot tempered, a drunkard, a bully, or greedy - all negative traits a leader should not be known for.  
   
3. He Must Be a Man of Godly Character (1:8): On the positive side, the text points to hospitable, loving what is good, self controlled, sober minded - maintaining a Godly perspective.  The commentary notes how this trait is so important Paul refers to it 5x in Titus 1-2 (1:7; 2:2, 5, 6, 12).  Godly character is described as flowing from Godly priorities and perspective.  Godly character is also described as self-controlled, implying that while Godly passions are positive, earthly passions are not and that we must (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) have "mastery over our passions and impulses." 
   
4. He Must Be a Man with Godly Convictions (1:9): Leaders must be devoted to the Truth and God's Word and be diligent in an approach to teaching (healthy and based on sound doctrine), including use of the text to reproach when necessary. 
   

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your are SO good - Your mercies are new every morning and You provide all that I need, physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you[.]

Titus 1

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you[.] Titus 1:5

I maintain my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 4-day 1, the focus is Titus 1 and an unassisted review of this text. Paul has left Titus, another of his young proteges like Timothy, in Crete to establish Godly order and structure in the church there.

Paul's salutation, in vv1-4 is chalk full of doctrine:

• knowledge of the truth accords with Godliness v1
• God, who never lies, promised salvation and eternal life before the ages began v2
• the Word is God v3

Then in vv5-9, Paul lays out qualifications for church elders, including:

• above reproach, one wife, children are believers, not open to debauchery or insubordination
• God's steward
• not arrogant, quick tempered, drunkard, violent, or greedy for gain
• hospitable, lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined
• hold firm to Word as trustworthy
• able to give instruction in sound doctrine
• able to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine

Paul then moves in vv10-16 to ensure Titus and the church he leads in Crete be aware of "insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party" (v10).  The church must rebuke such people (v13) and avoid falling into the trap of "Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth" (v14).  Paul's words about such people are harsh and his warning about them stern.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus for giving our church such great and Godly leadership.  I learn from such leaders as examples - thank You!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

1 Corinthians 4

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.  The commentary's* introduction for the text shares as it's main idea: "Ministers are servants God will hold accountable for their good and bad service when Christ returns."  The introduction further describes this main idea by warning us against what it claims is "one of the poisonous sins for Christians: judgementalism." The commentary* refers to Don Carson's The Cross and Christian Ministry, Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians where the author writes: "one-upmanship was tearing the church apart" as the members within the church at Corinth used the "cult of personality" to drive division. Four divisions are then described*:

1. A Minister Is a Servant of God (4:1): Paul, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) are described as having achieved "celebrity status" and Paul seeks to address this within the church at Corinth.  V1 seeks to us back to the true role of church leaders - as servants of God, not worthy of any celebrity status or worship. 
   
2. A Minister Is a Manager of the Mysteries of God (4:1-2): The commentary* builds on the first division by moving to v1b where leaders are described as "stewards of the mysteries of God". They are to "protect and proclaim the gospel"  and all that they do be found faithful to this end. Ultimately, they are held to a higher standard than members of the church as they are positions of trust and authority.
   
3. A Minister Will Ultimately Be Judged Only by God (4:3-5): Although "cult of personality" ran rampant within the church at Corinth, Paul rebuked the church at Corinth by pointing out that judgement belongs to God alone and that he is not worried about judgement by others. This is of course a warning for all of us as God's judgement of us should be something we fear much more so than any human judgement. We are referred to James 4:12.
   
4. A Minister Will Receive His Reward from God (4:5): The commentary* for this division describes how the final verse of the text is not critical but instead encouraging as it focuses on eternal rewards for leaders vs focus on judgement.
   

The commentary concludes by providing 10 thoughts to consider regarding being judgemental: 

1. Check your motives.
2. Examine your walk with the Lord first.
3. Seek out the wisdom of God’s Word and godly counsel before acting.
4. Practice the Golden Rule.
5. Be careful not to make a snap decision or quick judgment.
6. Pray for the one who appears to be caught in sin before correcting them.
7. Remember the example of Jesus and how he helped and ministered to sinners.
8. Speak the truth, but do it in love.
9. Remember that some things are right or wrong, but some things are just different.
10. Never forget that ultimately everyone must give an account to the Lord, not to you or anyone else.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible awesome God who is full of grace for me as You help me understand not only the Godly role of a church leader but also how these same commands apply to all believers, including myself.  Thank You for Your mercies and Your grace and Your sanctification.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Leviticus 21-22

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:22-27

This afternoon, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter nineteen - Holiness and Leadership - covering Leviticus 21-22, looking specifically at the third theme for the chapter - God Calls Us to Represent His Design in Our Marriages.  Here, the commentary calls out Leviticus 21:7-9 and 13-15 as the basis to encourage us to demonstrate holiness within our marriages. While the intent of Leviticus was directed towards the Old Testament priesthood, believers in Christ should see how, in the New Testament, we are called to "represent His design in marriage."  The commentary calls out three scripture examples for us to see this at work:

• 2 Corinthians 6:14: we are to marry those with whom we are "equally yoked"
  
• Ephesians 5:22-25: husbands are to love their wives and wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ
  
• 1 Timothy 3:2, 12: leadership in the church must have exemplary marriage

The commentary wraps by stating that "[i]n the old covenant, God held a high standard for the marriages of priests.  In the new covenant, God continues to hold a high standard for the marriages of all followers of Jesus."

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My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blessed me with a wonderful wife, marriage and family.  I am undeserving.  My sin continues as I often fall down in my role as a both a husband and father - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Leviticus 21-22

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter eighteen - Holiness and Leadership - covering Leviticus 21-22, looking specifically at the introduction and first theme for the chapter - God Calls Spiritual Leaders to a Higher Standard.  Here, the commentary pivots from how God seeks holiness from His people (as I have posted about recently), to how He seeks a higher standard of holiness for spiritual leaders. The commentary first points to Leviticus 21:16-23 where God requires the priests to be free of blemish, including physical infirmities such as a crippled hand, skin disease, paralysis, or blindness.  The commentary emphasizes that it is not the physical infirmities that precluded an Old Testament priest from serving, but the symbolism of the infirmities.  "The tabernacle, everything that happened in the tabernacle, and everybody who served in the tabernacle symbolized the presence of God. God is holy; He is without blemish.  To represent the fact of God's perfection, only what was unblemished could be part of the worship of God."  The commentary also makes it crystal clear that those with physical infirmities are of no less value to Him (and to us). 

The New Testament does away with these requirements for spiritual leaders as Jesus becomes our High Priest and He is perfect and without blemish, representing the presence of God. Nonetheless, the New Testament does still have a higher standard for spiritual leaders (see James 3:1), and the commentary points us to "two New Testament truths concerning spiritual leadership in the church[:]"

• God says all Christians are spiritual leaders in the world; see 1 Peter 2:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 where believers and the church are called a royal priesthood and how all believers are given a role in the ministry of reconciliation and the Great Commission. 
• God gives spiritual leaders to the church; see Ephesians 4:11-12, Acts 20, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5 where scripture provides attributes of Godly character required to serve in leadership positions in the church.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has provided and continues to provide Godly men in churches I have attended and in the church I now attend - huge blessings to me!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sins of worry and harshness towards others continues.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.