1 Kings 6-9; 2 Chronicles 3-8
- The Davidic Covenant: Notice the recurring references to the covenant that God made with David. 2 Samuel 7:8-17. 1 Kings 6:12, 9:4, 11:4-6, 14:8; 2 Chronicles 6:16, all seem to imply that faithfulness was a condition of the covenant, yet in the original with David, it seemed unconditional. For Solomon and others, indeed, it was conditional. Obedience is expected with every covenant! But Jesus was perfectly obedient to the Father in all that He did, and Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant with David. He indeed sits on the throne of David forever. What kind of a king is Jesus?
- The temple: Solomon oversees the work, 1 Kings 6-7, 2 Chronicles 3-4. Solomon stocks it with implements to be used in worship, and finally brings in the ark and dedicates it, 1 Kings 8. At the dedication, notice how God seems to steal the show, 1 Kings 8:10-11, 2 Chronicles 5:14. What was the message of this action by God? Some Christians expect a “glory cloud.” Should we expect this kind of appearance by God? Solomon remarks that the temple cannot really contain God. What are some implications of Solomon’s observation?
- Solomon’s Prayers: 1 Kings 8:28-53, 54-61. Notice the theological content: The covenant 8:40; the blessings to the nations (gospel) 8:43, 60; universal sin of mankind, 8:46; repentance, 8:47-50; exile, 8:46-50.
- God’s Response: What was God’s response to Solomon’s prayer? See 1 Kings 9:1-9, 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. Notice that the Lord touches on the purpose of the temple, the covenant with Israel, and the promises and warnings of the covenant with David.
1 Timothy 1-5 (An outline by Justin Bessinger)
- Greeting (1:1-2)
- Reminder of previous charge to confront false teachers (1:3-7)
- Proper (cooperative) use of the law (1:8-11)
- The gospel message that confronts false teaching (1:12-17)
- The purpose of the letter (1:18-20)
- 1:18 the charge: wage the good warfare (in the pastoral sense of overseeing the flock)
- 1:19 attaining a positive result and not…
- 1:20 a negative result
- What waging the good (pastoral) fight looks like: don’t stop at teaching good doctrine (1:3) but also teach what Christian living looks like (2:1-3:16)
- 2:1 the foundational role of corporate prayer
- 2:4 Evangelistic prayer cooperative with God’s desire
- 2:5-6 the gospel is at the center of God’s desire/priority
- 2:8 Christian living advice for men
- 2:9-15 Christian living advice for women; there is apparently some correction needed or some misunderstanding concerning the role of women
- 2:12 women teaching and exercising authority is prohibited
- 2:13 God’s design
- 2:14 tragic consequences when God’s design is circumvented
- 2:15 the gospel undoes the tragic effects of ignoring God’s design
- 3:1-7 qualifications for pastors
- 3:1 an office that is desired (internal and external call)
- 3:2 character is paramount; “able to teach” is the only distinguishing mark as compared to deacon
- 3:6 not a recent convert
- 3:8-13 qualifications for deacons
- 2:1 the foundational role of corporate prayer
- Identifying false teaching (4:1-5)
- Instructions for Timothy (4:6-16)
- 4:6 these admonitions (emphasis on prayer, roles, and Christian living [4:15 “behave”], when tethered to and springing from the truth of the gospel, constitute a faithful execution of the pastoral work
- Gospel-centered instruction for leading the church
- 5:1-2 dealing with age/gender demographics respectfully and uniquely
- 5:3-16 widows
- 5:3 “truly a widow” means having no family to help
- 5:17-20 elders (which means pastors)
- 5:21-25 instruction (particularly with ecclesiology/church government in view) in light of the fact that we do not have a God’s eye view or knowledge of sin and holiness
- Pastor Eric’s position on 1 Timothy 2:12. “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.” I take this passage as prescriptive – that is a command that applies to all churches of all time. I hold this because Paul clearly brings the created order as the reason. I have read and understand the opposing views, and I disagree. This is related to the order of the household in marriage, Ephesians 5:21-31, in which the same order is established. Our present cultural context struggles with this principle primarily because our culture assesses human worth according to materialist principles. By materialist principles, one cannot separate issues of submission and headship from issues of status or worth. Biblically, both genders are equally made in the image of God, and of equal intrinsic value. That one gender is commanded by God to be responsible for leadership in no way implies that God values that gender more. Further, in the church, all are equal before God, but are called to differing levels of responsibility and authority.
- Pastor Eric’s position on 1 Timothy 3:2, 12, “the husband of one wife.” This is one description among a list of character attributes. The simple language itself is not making an assertion concerning the candidate’s past. Rather, this is clearly an appeal to character attributes of faithfulness and integrity in the present. It would be well paraphrased as a “one-woman kind of guy.” If a candidate for elder or deacon has been divorced, the circumstances of the divorce must be discussed. If the candidate was not a believer at the time, there should probably be grace extended. If the candidate was a believer at the time, a more careful discussion of the circumstances should be made to see if he acted appropriately.
Psalms
- Psalm 30: First of all, David was not alive at the dedication of the temple. So was this written beforehand by David and used at the dedication or was it written at the time of dedication and in honor of David? What elements of this Psalm express great joy? How does this model for us good prayer practices?
- Psalm 121: Beautiful promises of the Lord. Of these promises in this Psalm, which one speaks most clearly to your life situation right now?
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