Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Philemon - NIV Philemon Introduction - Insight for Living Enduring Word Commentary 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,  To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— 2 also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:  3 Grace and peace to you[a] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This short letter from Paul differs from his more doctrinal letters like Romans and Galatians. Paul says he is a " prisoner of Christ Jesus ", which will have meaning because in this letter Paul is asking Philemon to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus. The term "prisoner" is a word similar in nature to "slave" in the bible.  But in this letter, as in previous ones, Paul is a prisoner in Rome.  Paul converted Philemon when he was in Ephesus, but Philemon's home was the city of Colossae. Philemon was wealthy enough to own a slave, but also his home served as a house church. It wasn't ...

Titus 3 Enduring Word Commentary Saved in Order to Do Good 3 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. Paul again reiterates that Christians are to be subject to the governing authorities. All authorities have been appointed by God to exercise rule and order in the temporal realm. In our day it is often called, " the rule of law ".  Paul says in Romans 13 that if a Christian disobeys a law they deserve to be punished like anyone else. Elsewhere Paul calls it the " power of the sword" . While the authorities in govern the secular world (government, police, teachers, ...), the church has authority in the spiritualrealm to announce the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name. Luther called it the " power of the keys ".  The way a Christian behaves in the world affects the witness he or she can have....

Titus 2 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel 2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.  3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Paul points to the importance of the older part of the congregation being an example to the younger generation of what it means to be a Christ follower. This is not only by what they teach, but maybe more importantly, by the way they live their lives. He lifts up different qualities for the men and women to show in their daily lives. This reminds us that men an...

Titus 1 - NIV Insight for LIving Intro to Titus Enduring Word Commentary 1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,  4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith:  Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Paul writes this letter to the believers on the island of Crete, who Titus is now pastoring. Paul is both a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. He has given up his life to be a messenger of the gospel. Paul was once in bondage to trying to measure up by obeying the letter of the Law, but when he met Jesus and experienced his grace it set him free. He wanted to make sure that the church kept the purity of t...

2 Timothy 4 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your min istry. Paul continues to encourage Timothy to carry out his duties as the pastor of the church Ephesus. Paul reminds Timothy that ultimately he will be accountable to Jesus, when he returns to judge the living and the dead.  Therefore, Paul challeng...

2 Timothy 3 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary 3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. Many times throughout history Christians have felt like they were living in the " last days ". As we look at the traits which characterize people in the "last days", we observe these types of people living today. Paul gives a laundry list of traits which generally typify the sinful nature we have all inhabited from Adam. Then Paul says they have a form of godliness but denies its power. What does this mean?  This can be the case when people may seem godly on the outside but ...

2 Timothy 2 - Enduring Word Commentary The Appeal Renewed 2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. Though "grace" is a gift, it doesn't mean we should be passive as we seek to live in it. Paul tells Timothy to be "strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." The apostle Peter said in his second letter to the church,  " grow in t...

2 Timothy 1 - NIV Introduction to 2 Timothy - Insight for Living Enduring Word Commentary 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,  2 To Timothy, my dear son:  Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul gives his familiar opening greeting, although he adds " mercy " to " grace and peace ".  "Spurgeon used this verse, along with 1 Timothy 1:2 and Titus 1:4 to show that ministers need more mercy than others do. After all, in the beginning to his letters to churches in general, Paul only wrote grace and peace in his greeting." - Guzik Again Paul uses the term, " my dear son" , showing his fondness and affection for Timothy.    Thanksgiving 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy...

1 Timothy 6 - Enduring Word Commentary 6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. Paul addresses how slaves should treat their masters. Paul commanded them to respect their masters so that Christianity would not come under ill repute. If a slave has a master who is a Christian, they should not only not disrespect them but serve them better because they are a brother in Christ. This shows us that Christians were slave masters at this time in history.  The slavery in Jesus and Paul's day was different than the African slavery in our 20th century.  All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters wort...

1 Timothy 5 - NIV   Enduring Word Commentary 5 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. Paul continues his first letter to Timothy by lifting up different groups of people, and why they deserve special attention, respect, and honor. Specifically, he starts with those who are older, who we often call our elders. Every older man or woman they should treat as if they were their own mother or father. Given the Fourth Commandment is to honor your Father and Mother, we see how important this is.  Paul exhorts Timothy to treat his peers and people younger than him as brothers and sisters. Since we are all children of God and have been adopted into his family, that makes any believer your brother or sister in Christ. Paul adds that Timothy (and the other men) should treat their sisters with absolute purity. When Paul uses the term " purity ...

1 Timothy 4 - NIV   4 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. Some of the false teachers were teaching a strict legalism in areas like marriage and food, yet not following the same rules they had set for others. They were teaching that things God created which brought pleasure to the body were by nature bad. Jesus taught that the things we put into our body are not what are bad, but those things which come out of our hearts.  Sure overeating, getting drunk...