Sunday, January 27, 2013

On 2-3-13, Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ.

Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
 Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20
International Sunday School Lesson
February 3, 2013



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

(This is a scripture about faith, faith in Jesus Christ.  If they aren’t a part of your lesson you need to tack on verses 21-23.)
Do you believe that God rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and made you a part of the kingdom of light?  That as a result you are an heir because your sins were forgiven?
According to today’s scripture it is clear that there are three tenses to faith: past, present and future.  A lot of people don’t teach it because a lot of people don’t like it.  Could I be clearer?
You had faith and you were reconciled to God.  Paul then uses two important words: If and Continue.  God will not let His Son’s sacrifice be treated contemptuously by insulting His grace (Hebrews 10:29).
Now do we need to understand it?  No, we just need to have faith.
When we read the scriptures that precede verses 21-23 we may not understand them either, but we have faith in them don’t we? 
Don’t you have faith that Jesus is the image of God?
Don’t you have faith that EVERYTHING was created by and for Jesus?
Don’t you have faith that EVERYTHING is subject to and held together by Christ?
Don’t you have faith that God who must have order had a plan to bring it all about?
Don’t you have faith this order was brought about through Christ’s blood shed on the cross?
Don’t you have faith that through this blood you too were reconciled to God?
Having faith doesn’t mean you have to understand, just accept.  God was willing to accept you despite your evil behavior.  It doesn’t seem too much that we should have to continue in our faith, “not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.”
That is what Paul wanted for these Colossians and what he would want for us today.  He heard about them being taught the gospel by Epaphras.  Since then he prayed for them as he would for us that they would continue in their faith and grow in their knowledge of God actively living out their Christian lives going forward not make it a one time or part time event.
Continue, hold firm.  The gospel was, is and shall be the truth! 


For Discussion:

1.     Discuss what comes to mind when you think of the kingdom of light and the dominion of darkness.
2.     Explore and discuss the origins of the word redemption.
3.     Discuss Jesus being the image of our God who has never been seen and what that means to you.
4.     Discuss that Jesus “is before all things”.  Does it mean time, place or something else?
5.     Discuss what you have or don’t have in place for helping new Christians to continue in their faith where you worship.
6.     Discuss the words if, continue, established and firm from verse 23.



Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries




2-10-13:   Raised with Christ Full Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15
2-17-13:   Clothed with Christ Colossians 3:5-17
2-24-13:   Disciplined for Life aka Spiritual Disciplines for New Life Colossians 4:2-17 or 4:2-6
3-3-13:     Daniel’s Vision of Change Daniel 7:1-3, 9-14 or 7:9-14



Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved



Sunday, January 20, 2013

On 1-27-13, Philippians 3:12-4:1 or 3:12-16 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Standing Firm in Christ aka Stand Firm.

Standing Firm in Christ aka Stand Firm
 Philippians 3:12-4:1 or 3:12-16
International Sunday School Lesson
January 27, 2013



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


If you refresh your memory by going back and reading last week’s scripture you will see that Paul is smart enough by what he has seen to know that those he is instructing are in most cases not as zealous as him.  When they read how much and how far he wanted to know Jesus they may have been literally intimidated or even doubtful about their faith.
So in today’s scripture Paul follows up by saying, “Hey, not that I am perfect yet, but I press on!”
Remember that.  Paul wasn’t thinking too highly of himself.  He realized that Christ had literally grabbed him in a sense and had a plan for him.  Paul knew he had one thing to do: forget the past and forge ahead with vigor.  He uses the word straining
Straining...think of the hardest exercise you have ever done.  To my mind it is repetitive weight lifting where the idea of strain really comes into play.  It is this effort that Paul was talking about and what we should be seeing in our own efforts.
We all know that we aren’t straining or pressing on as we should but let’s do as Paul and forget the past and forge ahead with vigor and see what we can do about that.  Paul isn’t very vague when he say’s if we don’t view things in this manner we are immature in our faith!  And I love it that Paul so confidently expresses that God will clear things up for us if we disagree with him.
But I certainly am grateful for Paul’s confidence and wouldn’t it be great if all in authority could not just say, “be like me”, but actually have it be true that they always practice what they preach.  It is one thing to implore someone to be something but it is a different matter to be that way as well. 
That is how as Paul concludes in 4:1 that you should stand firm by being like him, forgetting the past, straining ahead, pressing on toward the goal and using his example and others who live according to the pattern Paul had given.
Are others going forward going to be able to use you as their example so that they can stand firm?  If so then they will be a part of your crown.  If not….well we will all answer one day for what we have done.



For Discussion:

1.      Discuss how Paul’s statement of not having obtained all that or being perfect can be used as an encouragement when we are disappointed in ourselves.
2.      If you are a teacher spend time with God examining what you need to do as an example.
3.      If you aren’t a teacher leader you are still an example to other Christians.  Spend time in prayer with God examining what you need to do as an example for others.
4.      Discuss verse 16.
5.      It may seem obvious but discuss what it means to live as an enemy to the cross if you are supposed to be a Christian.
6.      In regard to verses 18-20 ask people to consider what they think about first when they awake in the morning.  Is it God, or is it the kids, the bills the job and so on. 
7.      With regard to the crown Paul mentions in 4:1 see where else a crown is mentioned in the NT.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries




2-3-13:   Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20
2-10-13:   Raised with Christ Full Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15
2-17-13:   Clothed with Christ Colossians 3:5-17
2-24-13:   Disciplined for Life aka Spiritual Disciplines for New Life Colossians 4:2-17 or 4:2-6




Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, January 13, 2013

On 1-20-13, Philippians 3:1-11 or 3:7-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Knowing Jesus Christ aka Gaining in Jesus Christ.

Knowing Jesus Christ aka Gaining in Jesus Christ
 Philippians 3:1-11 or 3:7-11
International Sunday School Lesson
January 20, 2013



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

Verse 1: Having filled his letter thus far with instructions Paul takes a moment here to sound a happy note: Rejoice in the Lord!  And then without pause he starts in again with a reminder that the things he is sharing with them are not something new.  There are no surprises in what he has been saying and in what he is about to say.  In fact it is necessary for him to repeat the same things.  And if it is necessary to repeat again it is good and right that he do so.  In doing that Paul is being sure it is in the forefront of their mind and ours thus it is a safe guard for them and us.  Clearly not a bad suggestion just for the existing Christian but the new one for whom these instructions are less familiar.
Verse 2:  This verse sounds harsh but I feel strongly that we can take this as an example for how serious we should consider and react to those that are sowing confusion among us.  Passivity has a place but clearly not in this area.
Verse 3:  One of the things that was incorrectly being taught was that circumcision was still a necessity.  Paul made it clear that this outward physical mark was not what counted but rather that the Father be worshiped in Spirit and in truth.
Verses 4-6:  Paul knew from experience that being literally circumcised as he had been according to the Law, born into one of the tribes of Israel, pharisaical in the zealousness of how he pursued the Law was without merit.  This is how we first come to know him as Saul when we see him persecuting early Christians.  Paul found out as we saw his conversion that despite all his physical and mental efforts in pursuing these things from having been circumcised to his being thoroughly legalistic, that all these over the top efforts that exceeded those of an average Jew the confidence was without merit.
Verse 7:  It was when Paul saw with clarity Christ’s sacrifice that he realized all those efforts of his own were pointless.
Verse 8:  In fact he could assign no value to any of those things at all, they were rubbish.  All that mattered to him now was that he knew Jesus!
Verse 9:  Paul wasn’t able to achieve righteousness despite all those efforts but he received the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.  And the thing we must not miss is that this came from God.
Verse 10-11:  Paul is so adamant in wanting to know Christ and everything about him he even expresses a desire to suffer as Christ suffered even unto death.

Don’t you suppose that for many of us today these strong words of instruction, these strong expressions of passion of so desiring Christ might sound foreign? 
Much of what is heard today is instruction in how to give generously, how to be faithful to their roles in life or how to be happy.  If they heard from the pulpit that their faith should be as Paul described I dare say they might get a bit scared at such hard teaching.  But if their faith was as Paul’s all the social preaching wouldn’t be needed.
There is more to being a Christian than being good it means really knowing Jesus.  Paul shows that the more he knew the less he valued or counted everything else and the more he wanted to be like Him even unto the most difficult.


For Discussion:

1.      Discuss how necessary that such teaching as what Paul covered in Philippians be repeated regularly.
2.      Discuss how people react and should react to false influence.
3.      Discuss how Christians both great and small from individual to church can just as easily have too much confidence in their own efforts.
4.      Discuss how Paul’s early endeavors may have still come out in who he was at the time of this scripture.
5.      Discuss whether Paul is being completely literal.  I for one believe he was.
6.      Find within the Psalms a verse or two that might mirror what Paul is expressing in verse 10-11.
7.      Discuss how truly knowing Christ can transform someone as Paul was and as he describes.
8.      Discuss verse 11.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries




1-27-13:   Standing Firm in Christ aka Stand Firm Philippians 3:12-4:1 or 3:12-16
2-3-13:   Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20
2-10-13:   Raised with Christ Full Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15
2-17-13:   Clothed with Christ Colossians 3:5-17


Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Monday, January 7, 2013

On 01-13-13, Philippians 2:1-13 or 2:5-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Imitating Christ aka Jesus’ Humility and Exaltation.

Imitating Christ aka Jesus’ Humility and Exaltation
 Philippians 2:1-13 or 2:5-11
International Sunday School Lesson
January 13, 2013



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


For those of you who study the lesson plan that is entitled “Jesus’ Humility and Exaltation” and the scripture for it of Philippians 2:5-11 please don’t think I am choosing any other group over yours.  But I must say that we will all be better served this week if we look at Philippians 2:1-13 and embrace the lesson title “Imitating Christ”.
You see if you come away with nothing else after your class and getting prepared if the idea of imitating Christ stays with you and with the students who make up the class Paul and any who teach on this lesson will have accomplished much!
Paul wanted to make sure that everyone who read or heard his words included themselves in the group of being like-minded.  That is why he used the word “any”.  If any had been encouraged by Christ, if any had been comforted, if any had any fellowship with the Spirit, if any had tenderness, any compassion, they too should take on the attitude of Christ.
Therefore any and every Christian should, “not think more highly of themselves than they ought.  They too should take on “the very nature of a servant,” just as Christ did even unto the point of death for all of us.
This idea of servant is a hard one as I know from my own personal experience but it is one that God has spoken to me from His word.  To quote from my About Me section of this blog, “As for the About Me part of this, it has been my concerted effort to not make my projects, my lessons, the things I feel compelled to teach to be about me, but rather about all of us: Christians and those that I hope aspire to be. God has put those of us that are Christians into roles of responsibility for each other. This is a commonly recurring theme for us to lift from the pages of the scripture just one example of which can be found in Matthew 24. God is expecting much of us with regard to each other and if you didn't know it, now you do!”
When we read of the encouraging and teaching we are to do for each other in the scriptures it shouldn’t just pass through your mind like you were reading a novel.  We aren’t just expected to become converted ourselves but to convert others.  That’s why we have what we know as the Great Commission. 
Yes, the end result is to glorify God but the glory comes about by our helping others to see that He is to be glorified.  We each are the servant in charge that Jesus is telling of in Matthew 24. 
For some of us this form of imitation of Christ in becoming a servant is a struggle and for others, you perhaps included, it is natural.  I for instance will admit that writing a commentary weekly in hopes that I can help you can at times be difficult.  Sometimes no pay and few comments from visitors can take its toll but a servant isn’t paid and is expected to perform their duty.  In the end the real Master will express what needs to be!

For Discussion:

1.      Read Matthew 24:36-51
2.      Isaiah 45:23
3.      Find those examples from Isaiah where the theme of a servant is found.  My personal favorite is Isaiah 53.
4.      Discuss how Satan did the opposite of the example of Christ.  Do a verse by verse comparison.
5.      I wrote the following in my Bible some years ago concerning this passage, “I find it a great example of why the Bible is true!  Who would make up a God that humbles Himself?!”
6.      Verse 5 says that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, yes and amen but never forget the rest, “to the glory of God the Father.”
7.      If you ever want to make a note in your Bible concerning Regeneration, a great simple verse is Philippians 2:13 from today.
8.      Discuss examples you know of those who exhibit humility, consider others and have displayed a servant’s heart.
9.      Discuss how you may have personally or how you may know of others who become “burned out”.
10.  Discuss how your class might develop a program or class for your church called something like “The Servant”.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries




1-20-13:   Knowing Jesus Christ aka Gaining in Jesus Christ Philippians 3:1-11 or 3:7-11
1-27-13:   Standing Firm in Christ aka Stand Firm Philippians 3:12-4:1 or 3:12-16
2-3-13:     Focused Solely on Christ aka The Supremacy of Jesus Christ Colossians 1:12-23 or 1:15-20
2-10-13:   Raised with Christ Full Life in Christ Colossians 2:6-15




Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved