By David Smitherman

Benchley, November 1, 2009

• Hebrews 5:11-14; I Timothy 1:7
• Suggestions for becoming better students
  • Context
    • I Corinthians 2:9?- Is Paul describing heaven?
      • No, he’s talking aobut the wisdom of God.
    • Luke 10:18?- Did Jesus reveal the name of the anti-Christ?
      • No.? Jesus?was saying that Satan was conquerable, his power could be overcome, and the power of the seventy over the demons was proof of this.
  • Compare translations.
    • Don’t rely upon one translation.
    • The “way I’ve always heard it explained” may not be right.
    • Romans 16:17?- KJV says to “mark” people.? ESV says to “watch out for” them.? Compare Philippians 3:17.
    • Romans 12:10?- KJV says “preferring” one another.? ESV says “outdo”.
    • I Peter 2:9?- KJV says “peculiar people”.? NIV says “a people belonging to God.”
    • II Timothy 2:15?- KJV says “study”.? NASB says “be diligent”.? The idea is to make diligent effort, not open a book.? Compare I Thessalonians 4:11.
  • Don’t rely upon other people.
  • Don’t abuse Bible study tools such as commentaries.
  • Be indepedent, unbound by tradition, unprejudiced.
  • Avoid studying to prove “them” wrong and “us” right.

By David Smitherman

Benchley, November 1, 2009

• Matthew 23:23-24
• Things that should be done without neglecting other things:
  • Outward obedience (Ephesians 4:22)
    • Don’t neglect:? inward compliance (Ephesians 4:23-24; Philemon 14)
  • Collective duties (I Thessalonians 4:9)
    • Don’t neglect:? individual responsibilities (Ephesians 2:10; John 15:1-2)
  • Assembling (Hebrews 10:25)
    • Don’t neglect:? personal Bible study (Hebrews 5:11-14)
  • “Institutional issues” (I Peter 5:1-2)
    • Don’t neglect:? other issues (Revelation 3:14-16)
• Luke 18:9?- Be careful of considering yourself more righteous than you are!

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 14, 2008

• Matthew 28:19?- Jesus commissions the apostles
• II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18?- the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have a part in salvation.
• I Peter 1:10?- salvation was prophecied
• II Peter 1:20-21?- scripture came from the Holy Spirit
• Acts 8:32-35?- the Ethiopian tries to understand prophecy.
• Acts 1:16,20;4:25?- words came from the Holy Spirit.
• Hebrews 10:14-17?- The Holy Spirit told of salvation to come.
• Acts 2:38?- The gift of the Holy Spirit arrives.
• John 14:26; 15:26; 6:8-14?- The Holy Spirit came to help the apostles remember what they’d seen.
• Acts 1:8;5:29-32
• I Corinthians 2:1-5?- Paul spoke and confirmed the words with the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 3:1-5?- All these things were revealed by the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 7:51-52?- The people were resisting the Holy Spirit by resisting the prophets.
• I Thessalonians 4:8; Nehemiah 9:20,30?- Rejecting gospel teaching is resisting the Holy Spirit.
• Ephesians 4:30?- The context (Ephesians 4:17-30) is about leaving the old sinful way of life.? We grieve the Holy Spirit by staying in our old sinful ways.
• I Corinthians 14:37-38?- Paul’s words were authoritative because he had the Holy Spirit.
• Revelation 2:7,11,17 – These words were from the Holy Spirit.
• Hebrews 10:23,26?- Don’t give up!

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 13, 2008

• John 3:16
• This verse has been called the “golden text” of the Bible.
• Matthew 4:5-7?- just quoting scripture is not enough to get down to the truth.
  • The law of harmony must be applied to harmonize all the scriptures on a particular topic.
• This verse expresses God’s immense love for mankind and shows that the blessing of eternal life is available to all who believe.
• Ephesians 2:8-9?- salvation is by the grace of God.? It’s not something we can earn.
• If you are?a true believer, you can go to sleep at night without worrying about your fate.
• But what does “believe” mean in John 3:16?
  • The common interpretation is that you can be saved through simple belief alone.
  • The other view iis that belief involves serving God and everything that goes with that service.
  • “Believe” here is a synecdoche.
  • Acts 11:18?- The same figure of speech is used here.
  • John 3:14-15?- To live when bitten by the poisonous serpents, the Israelites had to believe and look on the bronze serpent.? “Believe” here means looking and believing.
  • Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16?- Taken together, these verses show that baptism is required for salvation.
  • Acts 2:38?- These believers were told to repent and be baptized.
  • Acts 22:16?- Saul was told to arise and be baptized.
  • I Peter 3:21?- Baptism saves.
  • James 2:14,24?- Faith without obedience means nothing!
  • Matthew 6:30; Hebrews 3:12; I John 2:16-17?- the dangers of unbelief
  • Romans 5:1; 6:3-7,17-18; 1:5; 16:26?- further examples of this figure of speech
  • Acts 4:4; 2:41; 5:14; 2:47,38,41?- When men believed, repentance and baptism were included.
  • Acts 16:31-34?- Belief here clearly includes baptism.
  • Acts 18:8
  • Hebrews 11:6

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 12, 2008

• Psalms 38?- David feels the weight of sin.
• Matthew 27:3-10?- Judas feels guilt.
• Ephesians 1:3-23?- Praise God because in Him we can be holy and blameless!
• Ephesians 2:1-5,11,13,15,16
• Ephesians 3:6,7
• Romans 2:14?- Even Gentiles has consciences.
• Hebrews 10:1?- There’s a better law than the first law with animal sacrifices.
  • We don’t have to live in guilt if we take advantage of Jesus’ plan.
• II Corinthians 2:6-8?- Reaffirm love for one who repents.
  • When God forgives, accept it and forgive yourself.
• Psalms 51:7-8,12,15
• I Timothy 1:12-16?- Paul, a former sinner, believed Jesus that he was forgiven and got to work for Him.
• Romans 8:31-35
• Psalms 32:1-11?- Be honest about your sin and rejoice when forgiven.
• Matthew 11:28-30?- Christ’s way is the best and is full of comfort.

By Steve Fontenot

November 11, 2008

• Acts 19:1-5?- all types of baptism are not acceptable to God.
• Four characteristics of baptism in the name of Jesus:
  • The right candidate
    • Someone must understand and have faith in Jesus.
    • Acts 8:35-37?- The Ethiopian eunuch believed and was baptized.
    • Acts 2:37-38?- The people had to believe, repent, and be baptized.
    • Infant baptism or baptism just because of family pressure is not in the name of Jesus Christ.? There is no faith or change of will behind the baptism.
    • It is not important who baptizes you.? John 4:1-2; I Corinthians 1:14-17; Acts 18:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16
    • II Peter 3:18?- You don’t have to know everything about the Bible to be baptized.
    • Mark 9:20-24?- The question is not of Jesus’ power – it is of our belief.
  • The right element
    • Acts 10:47-48?- Baptism should be in water to be in the name of Jesus.
  • The right act
    • Acts 8:38-39?- Baptism is immersion.
  • The right design
    • Acts 2:37-38?- for the remission of sins
    • Acts 2:41?- People were baptized the same day they believed.
    • Acts 8:36?- The Ethiopian was baptized immediately.
    • Acts 16:30-33?- They were baptized immediately.
    • Acts 9:18?- Paul was baptized immediately.
    • Baptism is urgent because it is required for salvation.
    • Acts 8:39?- The Ethiopian rejoiced for salvation after he was baptized.
    • Acts 16:33-34?- The jailer rejoiced after baptism.
    • Acts 9:19?- Paul ate after baptism because he was relieved and rejoicing.
    • Romans 6:3; I Peter 3:21 – We are baptized into Jesus’ death for the remission of our sins.

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 10, 2008

• Luke 1:15?- John would be filled witht eh Holy Spirit even before he was born.
• Acts 2:4?- apostles filled witht eh Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
• Ephesians 3:18?- be filled with the Spirit
• The phrase “filled with the Spirit” is idiomatic.? It is not literal.
  • Acts 10:44?- “fell upon” is idiomatic as well
  • II Timothy 1:14?- “dwells in us” is idiomatic
  • Acts 1:5?- “baptized with the Holy Spirit” is also idiomatic.
  • These figures of speech were often used then just as they are now.
• Luke 4:28?- “filled with” means “under the influence of”
  • Acts 5:3?- Ananias was under the influence of Satan
  • Romans 1:29?- people who were under the influence of evil
  • Romans 15:14?- filled with knowledge
• Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not the same as being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 1:4-5?- Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a command to be obeyed.? It is a promise to be kept.? It was only promised to the apostles.
  • Luke 1:15?- This is not the same as baptism in the Holy Spirit.? See Luke 1:41,67.
    • There’s no record of Zacharias and Elizabeth ever prophesying again.
    • Acts 7:55?- the Holy Spirit temporarily allowed Stephen to see heavenly things.
    • Acts 13:9?- the Holy Spirit affected Saul
    • The power of the Holy Spirit may act only temporarily.
• Ephesians 5:18-19?- result of the Holy Spirit’s power.
  • Colossians 3:16?- same result here, but different cause.? The gospel caused the result!
• “Filled with the Holy Spirit” can mean a variety of things.
  • Acts 2:4?- Here it means the apostles had the ability to speak in tongues.
  • Acts 4:8?- Here it allowed Peter to speak what the Holy Spirit gave him to speak.
  • Acts 11:22-24?- Here it is connectd with Barnabas and this particular mission.
  • Acts 13:52?- Verse 48?shows that this refers to the knowledge they had of salvation for the Gentiles.
• Never in the New Testament is “filled with the Holy Spirit” used to mean some kind of loss of bodily control.
• Don’t let error rob you of the beauty and power of truth!
• Ephesians 5:18-21
  • If we don’t sing, we aren’t filled with the Spirit!

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 9, 2008

• I Corinthians 6:20?- “glorify God in your body”
  • This verse is talking about fornication.? This discussion begins in I Corinthians 5:1.
• Habakkuk 1:2-12?- example of “dialogue” figure of speech.
• Isaiah 63:1-3?- another example of dialogue
• I Corinthians 8:1,7?- do all have knowledge or not?
  • Paul was combatting gnosticism here.
• I Corinthians 6:12?- This is a principal that governs the use of our bodies.? If it does not edify others, we shouldn’t be doing it!
• I Corinthians 6:16?- As members of Christ (in a spiritual sense), our bodies should be used in the way Christ wants them to be used.
• I Corinthians 6:18?- We should flee immorality like a fugitive flees justice.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1-7?- Life is fleeting, so remember God and glorify Him with your body.

By Steve Fontenot

Benchley, November 9, 2008

• Luke 12:15?- beware of greed
  • Luke 12:16-21?- parable of rich man
    • Notice the self-centeredness of this story.
    • Material things rob us of time and energy.

  • Luke 12:22-34 – Jesus warns his disciples about worrying about earthly things.
    • God will provide!? Worrying about these things serves no purpose.
    • Worrying about material things shows a lack of faith.
• Mark 4:19?- cares of the world chuked out the word in the parable of the sower.