Introduction

• Acts 20:17, 28
• I Thessalonians 5:12-13
• I Timothy 3:1

Why study this?

• To help our current elders be motivated in their work.
• To help other men prepare for this work.
• To help the rest of us appreciate their work.
• To differentiate between tradition and God’s word.

Overseeing souls

• Acts 20:28-32
• I Thessalonians 5:12
• I Timothy 3:4-5
• Hebrews 13:17 – Elders are keeping watch over souls!
• Acts 11:27-30 – This is the only passage in the New Testament talking about elders handling money.
• James 5:14-16 – Is this physical or spiritual illness?

Wielding the sword of the Spirit

• Titus 1:9-14 – Elders use the Bible in both positive and negative ways.
• Acts 20:32
• I Timothy 5:17-18 – It is authorized to pay elders for their work.
• Elders must be able to use scripture appropriately.

Developing their character

• I Peter 5:1-4
• Ezekiel 34:1-6, 10
• Acts 20:30
• I Thessalonians 5:12
• Titus 1:9, 13
• Men need to be developing their character so they can take on this role.

I Timothy 2

• I Timothy 2:9-10 – Women’s adornment
  • She might be fashionable, but the focus shouldn’t be fashion.
• I Timothy 2:11-14 – “A woman must quietly receive instruction”
  • “quiet”: Compare II Thessalonians 3:12; 4:11; Acts 11:18; 21:14; I Timothy 2:2; I Peter 3:4
  • Acts 18:26 – Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos.
  • Colossians 3:16 – This teaching includes women.
• I Timothy 2:15 – “preserved through the bearing of children”
  • This would be referring to salvation coming through Mary bearing Jesus. It could also be a figure of speech, referring to all the things that women do (metonymy).

Balanced approach

• I Timothy 3:2 – “an overseer, then, must be …”
• I John 1:8 – “If we say that we have no sin …”
• It’s possible to be too lenient or too strict.
• I Peter 5:1 – Peter was writing this as an elder. Yet Jesus at one point called him Satan and also rebuked him. Peter also denied Christ.
• People grow over time.
  • ~ 30s A.D. – impetuous, immature
  • ~ 48 A.D. – Acts 15 – Has grown, taken stands
  • ~ 50 A.D. – Galatians 2 – Hypocrisy
  • ~ 60 A.D. – I Peter – Elder

“above reproach” (blameless)

• I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6
• Colossians 1:21-23

“the husband of one wife”

• I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6

“temperate” (vigilant, sober-minded)

• I Timothy 3:2

“prudent” / “sensible” (sober-minded, self-controlled)

• I Timothy 3:2
• !!!TODO!!!

“respectable” (orderly, of good behavior)

• I Timothy 3:2

“hospitable” (given to hospitality)

• I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8
• The root word behind “hospitality” means “love of strangers.”
• Hebrews 13:2

“able to teach” (apt to teach, skillful in teaching)

• I Timothy 3:2

Part 1: The roots of Israel’s apostasy (Judges 1:1-3:6)

Prelude to apostasy (Judges 1:1-2:5)

Initial battles and seeds of apostasy (Judges 1:1-21)

• Judges 1:4-7 – The Israelites were acting as God’s agent of justice.
• The tribes of Judah and Benjamin feature heavily in the book of Judges. David and Jesus both later came from Judah. Saul came from Benjamin.
• Judges 1:8 – Jerusalem would change hands many times over the years. It wasn’t fully conquered by Israel until II Samuel 5.
• Judges 1:13 – Othniel would later be the first judge. Depending on how you read this, it seems that Othniel married his cousin (Caleb’s daughter).
• The Israelites tended to better be able to hold positions in the hill country. The Canaanites had iron chariots and tended to hold locations in the plains more easily. Of course, with God helping them, if the Israelites had been doing as He instructed, they should have been able to easily hold any position.

Incomplete conquests portending apostasy (Judges 1:22-36)

• Judges 1:24 – They seem to be asking for the secret entrance here, which ancient cities often had in case of siege.
• See Deuteronomy 20:16. No one in Canaan was to be spared.

The angel of the Lord and Israel’s apostasy (Judges 2:1-5)

Takeaways

• An incomplete eradication of sin will result in a disastrous downward spiral into unfaithfulness for us as it did for the Israelites.
• Matthew 18:8
• What is lingering in your life which is causing – or could cause – your spiritual demise?

Introduction

• Nebuchadnezzar was known as a great builder (the hanging gardens of Babylon, for example) and a fierce conqueror.
• Jeremiah 52:4, 10-16 – Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and took some of the people back to Babylon, leaving only the poor in the land.
• Jeremiah 25:8-12 – God used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Israel.

He would ‘learn his lesson,’ but then turn around and sin again.

• Daniel 2:3, 26, 46-49 – Nebuchadnezzar glorified God and blessed Daniel and his friends.
• Daniel 3:1, 6, 14, 19-21, 28-30 – Nebuchadnezzar set up an idol and tried to force others to worship it.
• Daniel 4:29 – Nebuchadnezzar is back with more pride!
• II Corinthians 12:21
• Have I truly repented of my sin?
• It is time to die to sin (Romans 6:2)!

He never focused exclusively on God.

• Daniel 4:1-3 – Nebuchadnezzar calls God “the most high God.” See also Daniel 3:26. Although this is a correct term, it seems that Nebuchadnezzar might have thought of God as just being the highest of many gods.
• Daniel 4:8-9, 18
• Nebuchadnezzar changed the names of Daniel and his friends:
  • Jewish names:
    • Daniel: God is my judge
    • Hananiah: Who is what God is?
    • Azariah: Yahweh has helped
  • Babylonian names:
    • Belteshazzar: Bel protect the prince
    • Shadrach: Command of Aku
    • Meshach: Who is like Aku?
    • Abed-nego: Servant of Nebo
• Daniel 5:11 – He never got rid of the other “magicians” even though he made Daniel chief of the magicians.
• Acts 17:23-24, 31
• Acts 4:12 – Salvation is in no else!
• Matthew 16:18
• Ephesians 4:4-6 – There is one God.

He was guilty of pride.

• Daniel 4:25-37 – God humbled Nebuchadnezzar.
• Are we guilty of pride?
• Belshazzar saw what happened to Nebuchadnezzar and was still guilty of pride.