II PETER 3:16

" He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other scriptures, to their own destruction."  (NIV)







When Peter wrote this letter to the Believers, he wrote it to warn them of false teachers who were distorting the writings of Paul.  Peter pointed out that Paul wrote with wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit. Peter pointed out to his fellow-Believers that while Paul's writings are not always EASY to understand, they were God-inspired truth. The false teachers against whom Peter  wrote were purposely misquoting Paul's teachings, attempting to use scriptures to make themselves seem impressive.  They were purposely creating confusion. Worse yet, false teachers are often subtly deceitful.  This letter from Peter gives us clues to help detect false teaching. Believers today must remain vigilant against falling into false doctrine.

One of my favorite scriptures is I Corinthians 1:33, which states, :For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."  Okay... if God is NOT the author of confusion, then who IS?    (Hint:  Don't you think confusion goes hand-in-hand with evil?  Have you ever noticed that movie scenes of hell are always chaotic?   Hmmm...)






So, here is the gist of Peters' letter:  Avoid false teachings.  How? By knowing the truth.  We really must read and study on our own;  not depend upon someone else to tell us what the scriptures say.  Many believers want the peace and grace of God, but are not willing to exert the effort to get to know Him better.  To enjoy God's abundance, we need knowledge.  First-hand knowledge, obtainable only through Bible study and prayer.  We must remain diligent in seeking God.



And, what did Jesus have to say about teaching and truth?  "To the Jews who had believed him,  Jesus said,
'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"  (John 8:31,32)





                                      
  

  AND,
 ..." I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:6)

PHILEMON

   "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains." (Philemon 1:10  NIV)
                                (the book of Philemon has no "3:16"

Paul was in this prison...ghastly

The book of Philemon   is a short letter written by Paula while he was in prison. Paul wrote this letter to his friend Philemon, asking him to forgive Onesimus and give him assistance. In this scripture the terminology "son" refers to the fact that Paul had led Onesimus to Christ; thus, Paul had "fathered" Onesimus in Christianity.  Paul had also fathered Philemon in Christ many years earlier...

Paul and Onesimus met in prison. When they met, Onesimus was a runaway slave, and his master was Paul's old friend Philemon.  Small world.  Now, in this letter, Paul is asking Philemon to forgive this runaway slave and to take him in as a brother.  Paul writes, "You both are now brothers in Christ.  Forgive him - like Christ forgives you.  Take him in.  But not as a slave; as a brother.  And, if he owes you anything, I will pay it." This reminds me of the story of  "The Good Samaritan";  the good Samaritan not only immediately helped the injured man, he payed for several days of  the mans care, and, returned a few days later to check on his progress. The story of the Good Samaritan can be read in Luke 10:30-37.  It  is a word picture, demonstrating the difference between  selfishness and compassion in action.

Near the end of Paul's letter to Philemon, he writes, "Confident of your obedience, I write to you knowing that you will do even more than I ask." (Philemon 1:21)

The short book of Philemon reveals the characteristics of forgiveness at its best.   Not only was Paul willing to help Onesimus by writing this letter,  he was also willing to pay his debts. (Put your money where your mouth is!)  And, he trusted Philemon to do the right thing as well.



Today it is very easy to walk past a situation and say, "I don't want to get involved."   But, as Believers,  we have a higher calling than theordinary person.  Let us not be like sardines in a can... all lined up,  looking alike, acting alike, being alike.  But, we are called to be more Christlike... forgiveness, compassion, caring. Even if we think the other person doesn't "deserve" it.  As one elderly lady said  to me years ago, "If any of us got what we deserve, we'd all be in hell."

TITUS

 

  "Holding forth the faithful word as he hath been  taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers."  Titus 1:9  KJV

The book of Titus has no "3:16".  Titus is one of the three "Pastoral"  letters the Apostle Paul wrote to deal with matters concerning pastors and congregations. (The other two were I and II Timothy.)  These  were the only letters of Paul written to individuals - with pastoral advice about false teaching, sound doctrine, and good works... What to do, and what not to do...

The book of Titus emphasizes sound doctrine, but also challenges believers to do good works.  In other words, there can be no separation between what we believe and doing what is right.  All action is shaped on belief;  if there are no convictions in a person's heart, there will be no fruitfulness in his life. Paul  stresses the need for good works and gives many practical examples of what good works are to the people. And,  although he tells them that it is only by the grace of God that good works are possible (2:11,12), he also teaches that human involvement is necessary in motivating  believers. He states the need for teaching (1:11;2:3,12), preaching (1:3), speaking (2:1,15), reminding (3:1), admonishing (2:4), exhortation (1:9;2:6,15) and rebuke (1:13;2:15). There is a tremendous call to action in the epistle to Titus. This is a book requiring people to "do."

The final chapter of Titus lists ideal characteristics for Believers. Paul urged Titus to avoid such traps as legalism, man-made traditions, and disputes over moot points (foolish controversies.)  There is a balance to be maintained;  it is most-important to always remember that the measuring stick for appropriate behavior is the Word of God.

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."  Proverbs 4:23

I CORINTHIANS 3:16

    

         "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" (NIV)

I remember hearing this verse quoted when I was a teenager.\;  it was often used in reference to not smoking, not doing drugs, not drinking alcohol; and, rightly so. Later in life I remember that it became a popular reference for Christian-based weight loss programs.  Also appropriate.  This scripture is also used in prayers of confession for twelve-step programs for various substance abuse problems.  We humans have a lot of problems putting bad stuff (or too much good stuff) in our bodies... Remember Grandma saying, "You are what you eat."?  Scientists have proven that if your diet consists of lots of fatty meats, deep-fried foods, and high-sugar treats, then you are probably going to be overweight. Our bodies belong to God.  We are caretakers of these wonderfully-made vessels which contain our souls.  God wants us to take care of our physical selves so as to give our souls the chance to survive and thrive and grow in knowledge and grace.  We are not a physical beings trying to live in a spiritual world; we are spiritual beings trying to live in a physical world.


But, have you ever thought about your MIND being the temple of God?  Since we are what we eat, it stands to reason that our minds also become what we feed them.  What do you feed your mind? If your personal entertainment consists of movies, music, TV, or magazines filled with violence or sexual immorality or vulgar language, your thoughts and actions will reflect that input.  If the doctor could draw our blood and test it for human degradation,  many of us would have some very bad  lab results!  Of course, deep down, you already knew that, didn't you? Ask God to help you find your way back to Him. He is there. So gentle. So kind.

The Apostle Paul wrote I Corinthians.  In fact, he wrote a lot of the New Testament/Renewed Covenant.  In the book of Philippians, Paul wrote:  "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or receiver or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice and the God of peace will be with you."  (Philippians 4: 8 & 9  NIV)

There is yet another way in which the body is the temple of God.  We, who have accepted Christ Jesus as our personal Savior are the Body of Christ.  We ARE the temple! We, then, are instructed to take care of the temple... take care of each other.  Jesus tried to explain this when He said,  "Love your neighbor as yourself". (Matthew 22:39).  It is our responsibility and privilege to appreciate each others' differences within the church.  We don't have to agree on everything to love each other.  The world is watching, waiting to see us react in an ungodly way.  Sadly, we often do so... No wonder non-believers are not impressed with "Christianity"!    As Gandhi said, " I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians."

So, let us take the challenge to be God's Temple.  To react to situations in a Christ-like manner.  With love, patience, and humility. God's Temple. Where His Spirit dwells. The Temple is sacred. And, we are that Temple.