2025 Bible Study Group

GodfatherPartTwo · Aug 13, 2025

1 John 5

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Whenever someone tells me that we can't know if we're saved, or when they make some stupid argument against the Bible and it's sufficiency, I simply point them to this verse and tell them they don't believe in the Bible, what the Apostles taught. These things have been written so that you who believe in Christ may know (not guess, hope, wonder, doubt) that you have eternal life.

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

This is a prominent passage in the Protestant/Catholic dialectic. The Catholic view is that this passage teaches that there are two kinds of sin, mortal and venial. Mortal sin destroys the grace of Justification and Venial sin hurts your relationship with God but does not destroy it. If you commit a mortal sin, you will be damned if you die, but you can still regain Justification through the sacraments, enter a state of grace again and thus be saved. The textual problem with that is that John precludes the possibility of "reentering a state of grace" in verse 16 when he says "do not make request for this." In other words, don't even pray for this.

Jesus said that all sins are forgivable except for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, neither in this age or the one to come. I believe that's what John is warning about here and what Hebrews warns about in a couple of places. If you blaspheme the Holy Spirit, it's over. There is no forgiveness for it.

18 We know that no one who has been born of God sins; but He who was begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

As Paul said in Romans 8, the inner man, the new man, the Regenerate heart does not sin. But we all still sin experientially. That is the old man in us, our weakness. That sin, that weakness, is not imputed to us because in Christ we are regenerate and the Spirit is sanctifying us. God is keeping us and the devil can't take us away, in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer to the Father in John 17:15. This is why we don't believe that you can "lose your salvation." For we would also have to believe that Christ's prayer is worthless, that God is not able to keep us, and that the devil can snatch us from His hand. All utter impossibilities.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

If you are not trusting in Christ alone to be your God and Savior then you are still trusting in idols. Smash the idols and treat Christ as Lord of your hearts.

Gazza · Aug 14, 2025

Got a ESV Lutheran study bible the other day. Has some great notes, references, devotions and even some fantastic illustrations in it. Really helps with this thread.

GodfatherPartTwo · Aug 15, 2025

Jonah 1

1 Now the word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me.” 3Yet Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh.

You see that it was not by Jonah's free will but by God's providence that he became a prophet. If Jonah had his way, he would've escaped the Lord. If Moses had his, he would not have gone to Egypt. If Paul had his, the Church would've been destroyed. Yet it was God's will to convert all these men, some more violently than others, to do His will.

But Jonah had gone down below into the innermost part of the vessel, lain down, and fallen deep asleep.

Interesting thematic contrast between Jonah being asleep in the boat, then being "asleep" in the whale.

7 Then each man said to the other, “Come, let us have the lots fall so we may know on whose account this calamitous evil has struck us.”

While God would've been in His right to destroy the entire ship and it's crew for being idolaters, it was on account of Jonah that He sent the storm. Keep this in mind for the rest of the book. There is a reversal of the standard story, that God is graceful to His people but severe to those who aren't His people. In Jonah, the roles are almost reversed.

12So Jonah said to them, “Lift me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become quiet for you, for I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13However, the men rowed desperately to return to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy against them. 14Then they called on Yahweh and said, “Ah! O Yahweh, we earnestly pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Yahweh, as You have pleased You have done.”

Keep in mind that Jonah is the only Hebrew and that these men are Gentiles. Yet they show some grace to him by not wanting to throw him overboard, perhaps more grace than a Hebrew would expect from Gentiles. They became afraid that God would hold them accountable for throwing Jonah off and they even believe in God's sovereignty: as You have pleased, so You have done.

15 So they lifted Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stood still from its raging. 16Then the men greatly feared Yahweh, and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.

The language of "lifting up" in Scripture usually carries salvific undertones. Noah's Ark was "lifted up." Moses "lifted up" the bronze serpent. The Son of Man was "lifted up." Here, Jonah is lifted up and thrown into the abyss, which stopped the raging sea. It is a sacrificial picture that points forward to Christ, the one true sacrifice.

17 And Yahweh appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

After he is "sacrificed," Jonah remained in the abyss, in the belly of the beast for three days and three nights.

When Christ ministered to the unbelieving generation of His day, He told them He would give them no sign but the sign of Jonah, the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. And just as Jonah's sacrifice led to the belief of the Gentiles on the boat. Even more does Christ's sacrifice make believers out of us. The sea was stilled and God's Justice was satisfied.

GodfatherPartTwo · Aug 15, 2025

Jonah 2

Interesting bit of trivia: if you look into the history of Davy Jones, the folk character, there is good reason to believe that he is a rendition of Jonah.

In the Bible, guilt and death are interwoven concepts. If you are guilty, you will be given the death penalty, you are as good as dead. In this sense, a Christian confession is like dying. But as John says, Christ will not leave us there. He will resurrect us, He will make us innocent. Like Adam, Jonah ran from God. But when he volunteers himself to be thrown into the sea, he comes clean.

1 Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh his God from the stomach of the fish, 2and he said, “I called out of my distress to Yahweh, And He answered me. I cried for help from the belly of Sheol; You heard my voice.

Jonah certainly undergoes a figurative death and resurrection, perhaps even a literal one. He has passed through the hellmouth. The genre switches here. The rest of the book being a narrative but this chapter is poetry.

3 For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current surrounded me. All Your breakers and waves passed over me. 4 So I said, ‘I have been driven away from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’

Jonah has resurrection hope even in the midst of his death. When Christ quoted Psalm 22 on the cross, He wanted us to see that He also had resurrection hope even as he bled and died.

5 Water encompassed me to my very soul. The great deep surrounded me, Weeds were wrapped around my head.

Couldn't help but notice that Jonah has a crowning image as well, not of thorns but of seaweed.

8 Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their lovingkindness, 9 But as for me, I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”

Jonah anticipates his resurrection life. Notice how sacrifice and thanksgiving are coupled together. This is acceptable worship in the sight of God. He not only wants service, but service with a smile. Many people sacrifice to God, but they do not do it from a place of thanks, and so God does not regard their sacrifice. It's a tale as old as time. If you want your worship of God to be acceptable, do it from a spirit of thanks. How? By first looking at what Christ has done for you. When you see the pains He bore, the Hell He saved you from, and the sins He's forgiven you for, what else can you do but give thanks?

10 Then Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

God loves to do the impossible for those who are in Christ. Jonah still has his role to play in God's plan.

GodfatherPartTwo · Aug 17, 2025

Jonah 3

4 Then Jonah began to go into the city, one day’s walk; and he called out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

Jonah, finally obeying God's Word, heads to Ninevah and proclaims judgement. The repentance of the Ninevites is meant to be stunning. These are the last people that someone in Jonah's shoes would think to repent, yet they do. They cover themselves in sackcloth and ashes, and the king orders a fast. Even the animals are clothed with repentance.

10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, so God relented concerning the evil which He had spoken He would bring upon them. And He did not bring it upon them.

God did not bring judgement on that generation of the Ninevites, seeing their repentance. Of course, we do not grant that men can nakedly repent apart from God's Spirit a la Romans 8, but these did repent and God did not destroy them. Some might say this is God changing His mind, which the Scriptures explicitly say that God does not do. God's Word cannot be broken and He does eventually bring judgement to Ninevah, but for the sake of this generation it is delayed. Not unlike how He promised to bring the Hebrews into Canaan, but delayed it's fulfillment due to the perverseness of that first generation who came out of Egypt.

Even now, God has already promised to bring judgement on this whole world, but for the sake of His Elect, He has not done this yet so that none of His Elect may be lost. When the scoffers consider His coming to be a fable, they do not realize that they are on borrowed time and it is only for the Elect's sake that He has not judged them yet. At any moment, God can end their borrowed time, and instead of mocking Him, they should instead give Him thanks that their judgement has been delayed, even if only for the sake of the Elect.

Gazza · Aug 17, 2025

GodfatherPartTwo · Aug 20, 2025

Jonah 4

1 But this was a great evil to Jonah, and he became angry. 2And he prayed to Yahweh and said, “Ah! O Yahweh, was not this my word to myself while I was still in my own land? Therefore I went ahead to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning evil. 3So now, O Yahweh, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4And Yahweh said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”

Jonah is displeased that God relents of doing evil to Nineveh. He feels like the older son in the parable of the prodigal son. For God to relent would make Jonah to seem like a false prophet since he proclaimed God's wrath. The truth is God's grace is not fair. His wrath is always fair but His grace is not. We do not want God to give us what we deserve but what we need. Jonah's response to this is understandable, but improper. He is being judgemental when God is being graceful, which we should never do. Likewise, we shouldn't be graceful when God is being judgemental.

10 Then Yahweh said, “You had pity on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came to be overnight and perished overnight. 11So should I not have pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

God gives an illustration of His grace to Jonah. God grew the plant and gave shade to Jonah out of His own grace. Then he took the plant away, and Jonah started to complain. God is right and Jonah is wrong, we are never entitled to God's grace. God alone is sovereign and He is free to have mercy on whom He will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion. Every false religion inverts this concept by making the creature, not the Creator, in charge of God's grace.

There is a shadow of prophecy here as well. In those days, God's grace was primarily centered on the people of Israel but the Gentiles, as Paul says, were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and were without God in the world. Though from time to time, God would have mercy on some of the Gentiles here and there, such as He had here with the Ninevites. But now that we are on the other side of the cross, this has been flipped. God's grace has gone out to the Gentiles in large measure with the Jews lagging behind, being jealous for it. This is a great evil in their sight because they still don't understand that God will have mercy on whom He wills.

Jesus told the unbelieving Jews of His day that the repentant people of Ninevah would stand up at the judgement and condemn the unbelieving generation of His day. The Ninevites repented at the word of the minor prophet Jonah, but the Jews did not repent even when they were given one greater than Jonah, the Christ.

GodfatherPartTwo · Wednesday at 3:26 AM

Titus 1

1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and the full knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2in the hope of eternal life, which the God who cannot lie promised from all eternity,

The salutations at the beginning of the epistles are packed with more content than they are often given credit for. Each word being more concrete and having a strong referent than a passing hearing would catch. Here, Paul states that God cannot lie. There are interesting implications that come from this. I've heard convincing, logical arguments that God's inability to lie is a proof that only He has the logical qualifications to be the true God. I don't want to go to deep into that here, but it is worth looking into if you are so inclined. But God's inability to lie, for our immediate purposes, is important for our salvation through the Gospel.

From all eternity, before the world was created, God so decreed that He would give a people to the Son and that the Son would redeem a people for Himself. If you want to read about it from the Bible, read from Psalm 2:

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession."

This is what theologians have called the Covenant of Redemption. The world we live in was expressly created by God for this purpose, to save a people for Himself. Secularists have fooled many into believing in an impersonal, mechanistic universe. On the other side, many have made the error of overmystifying the universe, seeking to reenchant it, presenting it as something magical. These are both false. The universe is covenantal, God created it and it belongs to Him. It's very identity is defined by it's covenantal relation to Him. It's very name, the creation, signifies Him as the Creator.

3 but at the proper time manifested His word in preaching, with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior

The preaching of the Gospel is what sets the universe right again. God revealing Himself and His purposes to us came by the preaching of the Word. It is a covenantal act. Man did not reason his way up to God, but God revealed Himself to man.

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

Paul writing to Titus, outlines the work that he should do in the Church, namely the appointing of Elders, the Presbyters.

6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious.

Here are the qualifications for the Presbyters. They must be beyond reproach, having a good and faithful moral character. The husband of one wife, as opposed to multiple wives or mistresses on the side, following the Lord's model for marriage. Faithful children, demonstrating the Elder's ability to lead his family in the faith. This is not referring to children who have matured, gone their own way and abandoned the faith, but children who are still being raised by their father. Not accused of dissipation, being reckless, frivolous, or irresponsible. Not rebellious, obeying the authority that is above them.

7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of dishonest gain, 8but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled,

When speaking about the qualifications of the Presbyter, Paul seamlessly speaks about the qualifications of the Overseer, the Bishop, for these were one and the same office in the Apostolic Church. The Elder is God's steward, responsible for what God has entrusted to him. Not self-willed, but God-ordained. Not easily irritated, but patient. Not pugnacious, not quick to argue, but deliberative. Not fond of dishonest gain, but responsible and content.

9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.

And above all, the Elder must be loyal, knowledgeable, and faithful to the Word so that he can execute his office well, being able to build up in the faith and counter those who would oppose it.

GodfatherPartTwo · Thursday at 12:50 AM

Titus 1

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain.

Paul set out the qualifications of the Elder to safeguard the Church against men such as these. No doubt that Paul chiefly has in mind his recurring enemy, the Judaizers. One could wonder how the Judaizers could gain as much traction as they did, even to the point of the churches in Galatia following after them. The truth is "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is more attractive to many people than the Gospel of free grace. Rule keeping, legalism, rituals, etc, all offer a tangible way to measure your holiness against others. It is the same reason people like simple to-do lists. You can do the chore, check the box, and tell yourself that you're a good person. The empty promise of self-righteousness is too attractive for many to resist.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,

The Jews have always been notoriously racist towards Gentiles. What's funny is that Paul does not deny this Jewish testimony of the Cretans, but he gives the solution for it. There are many applications we can draw from this: "Jews are always schemers, racists, fraudsters." "Blacks are always criminals, thieves, and murderers." "Whites are always sell outs, homosexuals, and Faustians." These testimonies are true, so reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith. Let God's Law convict all men of everything so that His Grace might redeem them from everything.

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.

To those who are forgiven, they are forgiven everything. To the unbelieving, nothing is forgiven and all things count against them. Even if someone professes to know God, they can deny him by their works, and the works that Paul has in mind are unforgiveness, legalism, rigorosity. These things do not come from God's forgiveness but come from self-righteousness.

Servant of Christ · Thursday at 2:09 PM

I have "featured" this thread. It will now appear prominently at the top of the home page and under the "featured content" section.

Keep up the good work everyone.

In Christ,

SoC

GodfatherPartTwo · Thursday at 11:54 PM

Titus 2

2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good

It seems that the wine mom phenomenon existed even in Paul's day. But Paul here lays out how men and women, young and old, should live their lives in the Church.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age

I would interpet verse 11 in light of what comes before and what comes after. "All men" referring to the kinds of men that Paul has previously outlined (men and women, young and old). And referring to his next referent in verse 12: "us [the Church]." Not "every single man" is saved, but God's covenant people, which are made up of all kinds of men, are. And having been saved, they are to live godly lives, even in this present, evil age.

13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Some have tried to insert the doctrine of the Rapture into "the blessed hope." I think that demands too much from the text. "Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" does not have two referents but only one. Paul is not saying "we are waiting for both God and Jesus to show up." Instead, he is saying "we are waiting for Jesus, who is both our God and our Savior." This technique of the ancient Greek language is known as the Granville Sharp Rule.

14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.

Here is language concerning the Atonement. He gave Himself for us. Jesus died for us. "Might" should not be understood as "He might/He might not." It should be understood as "to this purpose." Jesus died for us in order to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to purify a people for Himself, who are zealous for good works. His death accomplishes this purpose.

15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

If you are ever asked by who's authority do you teach these things, the answer is God, as confirmed by Paul. You have all authority to preach the Gospel as long as you teach consistently with what the Apostles have written, according to what God has revealed.

GodfatherPartTwo · 2025-08-29T10:10:23-0500

Titus 3

1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate, demonstrating all gentleness to all men. 3For we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.

Paul hasn't switched topics yet, this is still a pastoral epistle. "Them" are the men and women, young and old, in the Church. They are to be innocent, kindly, peaceable, and gentle towards their neighbors. Old Testament Law told the Israelites to be kind to the strangers, for the Israelites were strangers in Egypt. Paul invokes the same principle here. This world is not your home. You belong to a better, heavenly home. So while you are sojourning here, be kind to the stranger to God. Just as you were a stranger to God until He saved you by His grace.

4 But when the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, 5He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Not even our righteous, faithful works have saved us, but God's mercy did. "Washing of regeneration" can refer to Baptism so long as one is looking at the spiritual side of Baptism, the renewing by the Holy Ghost, and not restricting the Spirit's power to the water. 1 Peter 3:21 makes it clear that the water does not save, but the Spirit does. The water itself being the symbol that signifies the seal of the Holy Spirit's act of regeneration.

6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior

Know that the Spirit does not regenerate anyone whom the Son does not intercede for, and the Son does not intercede for anyone whom the Father has not given Him. Notice how it says "whom He poured on us." Not "what He poured on us."

7 so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs aaccording to the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be intent to lead in good works. These things are good and profitable for men.

We are justified by grace through faith, unto good works.

9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and conflicts about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

If we are justified by grace through faith, then why all this bickering over the Law? I still hear people get into long debates over Sabbath observance. None of this is necessary. Such talk only seeks to plunge Christians under the Law and snatch them from Grace again.

14 And our people must also learn to lead in good works to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

Paul's final point. We must learn to lead in good works and charitable deeds. These good works will produce much fruit. If there are no good works, then we will not produce fruit. So take responsibility over what God has given you, be a help to those who need help, go out of your way for them, even as Christ went out of His way for you.

GodfatherPartTwo · 2025-08-29T11:39:44-0500

Brothers. Let me know what you would like to cover next. I would like to do Exodus, Deuteronomy, or Judges. I am open to suggestions.

Wutang · 2025-08-29T12:12:08-0500

I vote for Judges since even though I've read through the book it's still a part of the Bible I haven't gone over as much as I do with other parts of the Bible.

Gazza · 2025-08-29T22:59:01-0500

I’m happy either way.