The BIG Picture (Q&A)

A question on Quora: Can you explain Titus 2:9-10 or rather justify it? My answer: A common objection raised against Titus 2:9-10 is whether Paul’s instruction to servants is justifiable—especially in light of modern views on justice, equality, and human dignity. The question often takes the form:  “How can Paul tell servants to obey their masters? Isn’t that endorsing slavery?”  But such a question, while understandable, misses the doctrinal context entirely. The following reply answers that concern by rightly dividing the Word and clarifying the true purpose of Paul’s instruction in this passage. "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."  (Titus 2:9-10, KJV) This passage is often criticised or dismissed as outdated, oppressive, or culturally irrelevant. Some even use it to ac...

There are only two things that God wants us to do today: (1) to be saved, and (2) to come to a knowledge of the truth, [which is the written Word of God]. We are informed of this in 1Tim.2:4. Although various afflictions and sufferings can come at any time as a believer stands up for their faith in a faith-hostile environment, the predominant form of affliction and suffering we learn of in scripture is concerning a mature believer who has grown up in the faith and doctrine. It is not common for young believers to have matured in the faith to readily suffer for the Lord, and even more so to give thanks to God and count it joy to suffer for His name. The point I’m attempting to make is that suffering for the Lord is something that comes not by one’s willpower or choice, but more by circumstance or happenstance. Suffering comes to you if your faith is strong and is evident in the world. The world hated Christ, and it will do the same to you if Christ is evident in you. It is this very suf...

QUESTION: Did Paul teach fasting? We see it in the 4-Gospels and the book of Acts but not in Paul's writing. Can you show me what I don't see or explain somehow? Is the fast also part of the Church actions or just for Jews? REPLY: What I am about to write is my view and standing in regard to fasting. Judge it according to your faith and conviction. Paul’s ministry focus is primarily on faith in Christ, the gospel, and living by the Spirit. Fasting is not a central theme in his teachings; thus, I believe the specifics of fasting are left to an individual's conviction and context. If you look at Paul's writings, the only time he mentions fasting is in these 3-verses, 1Cor 7:5   Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 2Cor 6:5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 2C...

In the dispensation of Grace, God has changed a lot of the details of life, or the rules of living, as opposed to those for Israel under the law. We do not live in the law dispensation, so we cannot expect to experience life in the same way that we read in the Old Testament or the Gospels. We also cannot expect God to respond to us today as He did in the old ways under the law. Where the old ways of law were focused on the external , the way of grace today puts focus on the internal .   Under the old law dispensation, Jews required signs (1 Cor.1:22), God's glory was present behind a veil in a stone temple, signs and miracles were visible in the natural realm, bodies were healed, prison doors were opened, etc. In other words, the focus was on the physical because God was working according to the rules of life defined under this old law dispensation. Today, the rules of the grace dispensation do not focus greatly on the physical and the exte...

In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, Paul list out a string of sufferings and hardships that he had to endure for the sake of spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. You and I today will probably not be subjected to such a troublesome list as we must bear in mind that it was determined upon Paul to suffer for the name of Christ. It was a necessity of his calling and required according to his ministry and destiny. Acts 9:16 For I [the Lord] will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. We will all however face challenges throughout our lives; small daily problems that remind us of our reliance on Christ to large trials that build up over a period of time and buffet our resolve and our faith. These are part of life, and they come to us because we belong to a sinful human race and we live in an imperfect world controlled by principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places, (Ephesians 6:12).  Paul, our apostle who we know ha...