[Sorry, we lost the first part of this recording. -MRW]

• I Peter 5:1-14
• I Peter 5:5 – Peter beings to make a comparison between the role of the older men and younger men. The younger men are to be subject to the elders. See Matthew 23:28. We are all to serve each other.
• I Peter 5:6-7 – We must all humble ourselves before God. We must leave all our anxiety in God’s hands because He cares for us.
• I Peter 5:8 – One of the ways Satan seeks to tempt us is in pride. We all have a tendency to think higher of ourselves than we should. We must all realize that Satan is after us personally.
• I Peter 5:9 – Like Jesus, we can put the devil to flight by resisting him. We have more power in this regard than Satan! We’ll never have to give an account to Satan if we resist him, but we will certainly have to give an account to God if we resist Him!
  • See I Timothy 3:12. If we do have to suffer in some way for Christ, we should have the same reaction as the apostles in Acts 5 and rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Christ.
• I Peter 5:12 – “our faithful brother” – this was quite the compliment!
• I Peter 5:13 – “She” here is apparently a woman who was a Christian known to the audience.
• I Peter 5:14 – This “holy kiss” is equivalent to our handshake today.

• Using your Bible: Psalms 51:5, continued:
  • Harmonize
    • Matthew 19:13
    • Romans 5:18-19; 6:4
    • II Corinthians 5:10
  • Figures of speech
    • Acts 2:8 – What does it mean to be born into a language? Any comparison to the manner of speaking in Psalms 51:5.
    • II Samuel 11 – Possible background to Psalm 51.
• Using your Bible: Mark 10:25
  • Read the text!
  • Read the context: Jesus’ discussion with the rich young ruler. Mark 10:17-31
  • Compare translations: Most are very consistent for this verse.
  • Greek
    • Rich - 4454 πλούσιος (plousios) – in abundance
    • Kingdom of God - 993 βασιλεία (basileia) – an area ruled by a king
  • Figure of speech – possibly hyperbole

• Ephesians 1:15-2:8
• Ephesians 1:16 – Paul left us a good example of making mention of other saints in our prayers.
• Ephesians 1:17 – Paul prayed that they would be blessed with wisdom and with a mind to receive revelation from God.
• Ephesians 1:20 – See Ephesians 6:12. The word “heavenly” in Ephesians is used to mean the highest of whatever class is being considered. Compare Ephesians 1:3.
• Ephesians 1:23 – The church is the body of Christ. Compare Ephesians 4:4.
• Ephesians 2:3 – They formerly walked in the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
  • I Corinthians 11:12-13 – One can be something “by nature” either because it is an innate quality or because it is something a person has learned to be. See also Romans 2:14.

• Acts 8:12
• Introduction
  • Acts 10:47, 24
  • Acts 16:15, 33 – Who was baptized?
  • We don’t have any minimum age for baptism listed in the Bible. We must use Bible principles to determine when a person is ready.
  • There is no specific list of questions someone should be able to answer in order to be baptized.
  • Previous sermon: http://scripturestream.com/2016/09/when-can-a-young-person-be-baptized/
• Are they convinced about Christ from the Bible?
  • Acts 8:12; 2:38
  • Romans 6:3-4
  • Acts 17:2-4, 11-12
  • Many children are very open to suggestion. We have to make sure they are actually convinced from the text.
• Do they feel personal guilt for sin?
  • Acts 2:23, 36-38
  • Acts 9:5-6, 9
  • Acts 22:16
  • Happy after baptism: Acts 2:46; 8:39; 9:19; 16:34
• Do they feel guilty before God (and not just Mom and Dad)?
  • Deuteronomy 1:39
  • Psalms 51:4
  • Genesis 39:9
  • I John 3:4
  • II Corinthians 7:8-10
• Are they planning to walk in newness of life?
  • John 12:42-43
  • Acts 26:20
  • Ezekiel 18:30-32
  • Jonah 3:8-10
  • Acts 2:41-42
  • Romans 6:3-4
  • Luke 14:25-33
  • Are they focused on changing their lives after baptism?
• Final thoughts
  • In the end, baptism is between the person being baptized and God (regardless of age).
  • There is no divinely inspired list of questions.
  • We’re trying to avoid baptizing for the wrong reasons.
    • Because someone else got baptized
    • Because it makes family and friends happy
    • Because it seems like a grown-up thing to do
    • Because they want to start taking the Lord’s Supper
    • Because someone told them “it’s about time”

• I Peter 4:17 – 5:4
• I Peter 4:17 – This seems to be talking about the impending destruction of Jerusalem. The second coming of Christ does not fit the time frame or the context of the passage.
• I Peter 5:1 – The “glory to be revealed” is when the righteous are received in Heaven. Note that “elders” here is plural. We never read of a single elder having oversight over a local church.
• I Peter 5:2-3 – See Hebrews 13:17. Elders will give an account for the souls of their flock.
  • Ezekiel 34:1-10 – God will hold those responsible who do not properly care for their flock.
  • Elders are to lead and exercise oversight in spiritual matters. Their primary job is not to be business managers.
• I Peter 5:4 – This unfading crown of glory is that “glory that is to be revealed” from I Peter 5:1.