That’s just ancient history?

‘That’s just ancient history': this is what many people say about the Bible story. Is that all there is to it? or Is there something more? The Bible story challenges worldly people to think again - to question their assumption that everything can be explained without God. Could it be that the world’s ‘answers’ are …

When we witness for our Lord

"In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). It's not about how important we are. It's about how wonderful Jesus is. We are to …

The truth will set you free.

Jesus says to us, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). What is the truth that sets us free? There is the truth concerning ourselves: We are sinners. We need to be saved. There is the truth concernimg our Saviour: Jesus saves sinners. He saves us. The truth …

When the love of Christ breaks through

When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus he was livid. He was furious. He was in a rage. He was "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" (Acts 9:1). He was pursuing the Lord's disciples - with murder on his mind! This, however, was not the full story. Saul was …

Sin And Salvation

I was reading Psalm 58. It speaks about sin. As I read these dark words, words that show us up for what we really are: sinners, I thought about something else: salvation. God's Word shows us more than our sin. It shows us that we can be saved by the grace of God. It shows …

New Year: a time for thinking about something else – new life

We're nearly at the end of the old year. Our thoughts are turning to the New Year. Is it time for thinking about something else - new life? "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who …

The before and the after

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me …

Holy, Holy, Holy…

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3); “Your sins are forgiven” (Isaiah 6:7). “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them” (1 Timothy 1:15). — In Jesus Christ, crucified for us, we see awesome holiness and amazing love. Awesome holiness: Jesus is the sinless Son of God. …

Does Jesus still have something worthwhile to say to people in today’s world?

What are we to believe? Are we to believe in God? or Are we to say that there is no God? Are we to believe that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15)? or Are we to say that we do not believe that Jesus is our Saviour? These are …

Praying Through God’s Word: 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1-2:15 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance” (1 Timothy 1:15). Help us, Lord, to receive this Gospel truth – and to have this Gospel testimony: “I received mercy … the grace of our Lord overflowed for me” (1 Thessalonians 1:13-14). Help us …

The Mystery Of Godliness

"I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God ... the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh..." (1 Timothy 3:15-16). We read, in 1 Timothy 3:16, of our deeply-held convictions concerning our Saviour, Jesus Christ: "God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen …

We are sinners. We’re called to be servants. Jesus is our Saviour.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). We read the words of Paul - and we look beyond him to …

“Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Do we stop believing this just because it comes to us from a long time ago? No! We keep on saying, “Praise the Lord! It’s true!” We keep on singing the song of our Saviour.

Good news that everyone needs to hear

Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say (Proverbs 8:6). As I was reading this verse, I recalled "a trustworthy saying" that is given to us in 1 Timothy 1:15, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Listen! This is a trustworthy saying." This is what Paul is saying to us when he …

Set free

Jeremiah 32:26-34:22; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 119:41-48 The slaves were to be set free (Jeremiah 34:8-9). The setting free of slaves is a form of imagery which is used in Scripture to declare the wonder of God’s saving grace. We do not deserve to be set free, yet, in grace and mercy, the Lord saves …

Our God is greater than our problems.

Jeremiah 38:1-40:6; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 119:57-64 The difficulties faced by Jeremiah were great - “bound in chains” (Jeremiah 40:1). They were not insurmountable - “the commander ... let him go” (Jeremiah 40:5). The Psalmist says, “Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget Your law” (Psalm 119:61). Whatever difficulties we may …

When things are difficult, keep on praying.

Jeremiah 35:1-37:21; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 119:49-56 Life was not easy for the prophet Jeremiah. The king and his attendants did not pay “any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet” (Jeremiah 37:1-2). We must pray for “kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). They have so much …

The good news for sinners: our Saviour is greater than our sin.

 "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless (or unsearchable) riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). This post continues on from an earlier post, which contrasts Paul and Jesus. You may find it helpful to read that post before reading this one. …

Responding to God’s Word (49): Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me…

The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:14). God has saved us and called us to a holy life: not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace (2 Timothy 1:9). What …

Jesus loves sinners. Jesus saves sinners.

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). What a wonderful verse this is! This is good news. Jesus loves sinners. Jesus saves sinners. The love of Christ reaches our hearts, and it changes our lives. Can our lives ever be the same again, once we have realized the truth of …

No condemnation…

"Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Here, Paul speaks to us about "faith", and he, also, speaks to us about "our Lord Jesus Christ." What does it mean to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? "Faith" and "our Lord Jesus Christ": it is important that …

More than a moral teacher

How are we to get to know Jesus Christ? Are we to look at his moral teaching - and look no further than that? Looking at Jesus' moral teaching will take us so far - but does it really take us to the heart of the good news concerning God's love for us? If we …

The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord

"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32) - What a special person Jesus is! He's the Son of God - and he's our Saviour! "And there were shepherds living out in …

When things are difficult, keep on praying.

Jeremiah 35:1-37:21; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 119:49-56 Life was not easy for the prophet Jeremiah. The king and his attendants did not pay “any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet” (Jeremiah 37:1-2). We must pray for “kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). They have so much …

Redeemed by the Lord, let’s live for his glory.

The Kingdom Of God: 1-2 Timothy and Titus We begin with some great verses from Titus - "Jesus Christ ... gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:13-14); "He saved us, not because of deeds …

Big news, good news, true news

We begin with a quotation from Carl Henry - "the gospel is NEWS - big news, good news, true news" (God, Revelation and Authority, Volume I, 28). Big news Why is the gospel big news? It's for "every person in every nation in each succeeding generation." It's for the whole world. It's big news because …

Jesus Christ Has Died For Us – The Righteous For The Unrighteous.

Ps 49:7–9, John 20:28, 1 Tim 2:5–6, 1 Pet 3:18 Some die young. Others live to a ripe old age. None of us can predict what lies ahead of us. There are some things that are beyond our control. We look at what is happening and we say, ‘I wish things could be different’. Absalom …

Repentance – faith: where do we begin? What about beginning with “Christ crucified” – with Jesus, the Saviour of sinners?

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:21). What are we to say about "repentance" and "faith"? Where are we to begin? Are we to begin with repentance? or Are we to begin with faith? Let's begin with …

Journey through the New Testament: 1 and 2 Timothy

1 Timothy ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1:15). To each of us, God says, ‘Watch your life and doctrine closely’ (4:16). What we believe is important. How we live is also important. If our faith is real, it will lead to a change in our way of life. There is a …

Links to Rev James Philip’s notes on 1 and 2 Timothy

1 Timothy 2 Timothy

What a great Saviour Jesus is!

May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed (Psalm 72:17). Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should …

God loves us, and Jesus is our Saviour.

But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence, I bow down toward your holy temple (Psalm 5:7). Coming to the house of the Lord is a great privilege. In his great love, God calls us to worship him. How are we to come to worship the Lord? We are to come …

Impossible?

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him (Acts 2:24). This turns the world's way of thinking on its head. It's the exact opposite of what the world says to us. The world tells us that people don't …

There is a way for sinners to be saved.

God's Word holds out no hope for any of us, saving ourselves: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).There is, however, a way for sinners to be saved: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"(1 Timothy 1:15).

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing …

The story of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, still has life-changing power.

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory (1 Timotjy 3:16). How are sinners led into the pathway of "true godliness"? …

In today’s world, there’s plenty of bad news – but there’s, also, Good News.

In today's world, there's plenty of bad news - but there's, also, Good News (Mark 13:10). In Mark 13:7, we read about the end - "the end is not yet." In Mark 13:8, we read about a beginning - "These are the beginning of sorrows." Beyond "the beginning of sorrows", there is "the end." The …

Mercy And Strength – From The Lord

"God is my stronghold, my merciful God!" (Psalm 59:9,17). God has shown mercy to us. He has forgiven our sins. He gives us the strength that we need to live as His faithful servants. This is the testimony of the Psalmist. It's also the testimony  of the Apostle Paul:  "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord …

Paul, a humble man, who worshipped and served the Lord

1 Timothy 1:12-17 The Lord saved Saul of Tarsus. The Lord changed him. Saul - "blasphemer, persecutor, arrogant man" (1 Timothy 1:13) - became Paul, a humble man, who worshipped and served the Lord.   *  humble - "worst of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:16) * worshipper - "Unto the King ... " (1 Timothy 1:17) …

1 Timothy

1 TIMOTHY 1:1-2:15 -  ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. Paul has something special to say about this statement. This is what he says – ‘Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance’ (1:15). This is Paul’s message, the message of the Gospel: ‘Christ Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for …

Why does God love us?

"The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed …

Don’t let Satan rob you of God’s blessing.

Jeremiah 43:1-45:5; 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2; Psalm 119:65-72 Concerning Egypt, God says, “I will punish you in this place” (Jeremiah 44:29). There can be no blessing when we live in direct contradiction to His Word. What we must never forget is the existence and activity of Satan (1 Timothy 5:15). He is always there, seeking to …

1 Timothy

In this letter, there is much instruction regarding Christian living. This instruction is grounded in Christ, His incarnation and His atonement: "He was made visible in the flesh... " (3:16); "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1:15). Our Christian living is motivated by more than His first coming. It is, also, motivated …

Do not go to Egypt.

Jeremiah 40:7-42:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Proverbs 25:11-20 “Do not go to Egypt” (Jeremiah 42:19) - Here is a Word from the Lord which is more than geographical directions. It is a Word concerning our walk with God. In Scripture, “Egypt” is not simply a particular geographical location. “Egypt” is symbolic of a proud, unbelieving hardness …

One Year Bible: Days 274-304

Day 274 Jeremiah 2:31-4:9; Philippians 2:12-30; Psalm 115:12-18 The Lord calls us back from our backsliding: “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding” (Jeremiah 3:22). The returning people say, “Yes, we will come to You, for You are the Lord our God ... surely in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel” …