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1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy Titus.
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“All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God and to wait for his Son to come from heaven—his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God’s anger that is coming.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9,10 – GN)
“Our brothers and sisters, the same things happened to you that happened to the churches of God in Judea, to the people there who belong to Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from your own people that they suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How hostile they are to everyone! They even tried to stop us from preaching to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed. And now God’s anger has at last come down on them!” (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 – GN)
“We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, to make sure that you do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that in the same way God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that we who are still alive for the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have fallen asleep.At the signal given by the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise,and only after that shall we who remain alive be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. This is the way we shall be with the Lord for ever.With such thoughts as these, then, you should encourage one another.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – NJB )
“This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried, it is mortal; when raised, it will be immortal. When buried, it is ugly and weak; when raised, it will be beautiful and strong. ” (1 Corinthians 15:42,43 – GN)
“A voice cries out, ‘Proclaim a message!’ ‘What message shall I proclaim?’ I ask. ‘Proclaim that all human beings are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers. Grass withers and flowers fade when the Lord sends the wind blowing over them. People are no more enduring than grass. Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever.’” (Isaiah 40:6 – GN) • “He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach.” (1 Timothy 6:16 – GN) • “For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal.” (1 Corinthians 15:53 – GN)
“The last enemy to be defeated will be death…Death is destroyed; victory is complete!” (1 Corinthians 15:26,54) • “And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!’” (Revelation 5:13 – GN)
“It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, [coming] from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty by being destroyed forever, by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, GOD’S WORD)
“The day is coming when all proud and evil people will burn like straw. On that day they will burn up, and there will be nothing left of them.” (Malachi 4:1 – GN) • “The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: ‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?’ He who walks righteously and speaks what is right…” (Isaiah 33:14-15 – NIV) • “As wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in his presence. But the righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy.” (Psalms 68:2 – GN)
Tyndale: • “And ye, in putting them [the departed souls] in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection.... And again, if the souls be in heaven, tell me why they be not in as good case as the angels be? And then what cause is there of the resurrection?” (William Tyndale, An Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue - Parker's 1850 reprint - book. 4, chapter 4, pp. 180, 181).
Luther : • “…that the soul is immortal; and all these endless monstrosities in the Roman dunghill of decretals” • “Thus after death the soul goes to its bedchamber and to its peace, and while it is sleeping it does not realize its sleep, and God preserves indeed the awakening soul. God is able to awake Elijah, Moses, and others, and so control them, so that they will live. But how can that be? That we do not know; we satisfy ourselves with the example of bodily sleep, and with what God says: it is a sleep, a rest, and a peace. He who sleeps naturally knows nothing of that which happens in his neighbor’s house; and nevertheless, he still is living, even though, contrary to the nature of life, he is unconscious in his sleep. Exactly the same will happen also in that life, but in another and a better way” (Auslegung des erstenBuchesMose, in Schriften, vol. 1, cols. 1759, 1760).
“It is beyond the power of the human mind to estimate the evil which has been wrought by the heresy of eternal torment. The religion of the Bible, full of love and goodness, and abounding in compassion, is darkened by superstition and clothed with terror. When we consider in what false colors Satan has painted the character of God, can we wonder that our merciful Creator is feared, dreaded, and even hated? The appalling views of God which have spread over the world from the teachings of the pulpit have made thousands, yes, millions, of skeptics and infidels. The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abomination of Babylon...” (EGW, GC, page 536)
“There is no need to write to you, brothers and sisters, about the times and occasions when these things will happen. For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night. When people say, ‘Everything is quiet and safe,’ then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 – GN) • “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness, and the Day should not take you by surprise like a thief. All of you are people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 – GN)
“Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until the final Rebellion takes place and the Wicked One appears, who is destined for hell. He will oppose every so-called god or object of worship and will put himself above them all. He will even go in and sit down in God’s Temple and claim to be God. Don’t you remember? I told you all this while I was with you. Yet there is something that keeps this from happening now, and you know what it is. At the proper time, then, the Wicked One will appear. The Mysterious Wickedness is already at work, but what is going to happen will not happen until the one who holds it back is taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7 – GN)
“Then the Wicked One will be revealed, but when the Lord Jesus comes, he will kill him with the breath from his mouth and destroy him with his dazzling presence. The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. And so God sends the power of error to work in them so that they believe what is false. The result is that all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in sin, will be condemned.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 – 13 – GN)
“I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth.” (John 18:27 – GN) • “And eternal life means knowing you, the only true God, and knowing Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do…I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world.” (John 17:3-6 – GN)
“The dragon was furious with the woman and went off to fight against the rest of her descendants, all those who obey God’s commandments and are faithful to the truth revealed by Jesus.” (Revelation 12:17 – GN) • “I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God! For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.” (Revelation 19:10 – GN) • “I also saw the souls of those who had been executed because they had proclaimed the truth that Jesus revealed and the word of God.” (Revelation 20:4 – GN)
“The purpose of this order is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5 – GN) • “But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion.” (1 Timothy 1:5,6 – NET) • “But avoid stupid arguments, long list of ancestors, quarrels, and fights about the Law.” (Titus 3:9 – GN)
“…that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence towards God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth. For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem everyone. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved, and that is why I was sent as an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, to proclaim the message of faith and truth. I am not lying; I am telling the truth!” (1 Timothy 2:2-7 – GN)
“Do not drink water only, but take a little wine to help your digestion, since you are ill so often.” (1 Timothy 5:23 – GN) • “This is a true saying: if a man is eager to be a church leader, he desires an excellent work. A church leader must be … • Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money” (1 Timothy 3:1, 8 – GN)
Noah • Abraham • David • Solomon • Hosea • Peter • Martin Luther • “king of hops”
C.S. Lewis • “God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love.” • “From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self…” • “Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger.”
Health reform • Church attendance • Sabbath observance • Bible reading • Mission and outreach • Tithe paying
Hebrews 11 • “It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome. Should I go on? There isn’t enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.” (Hebrews 11:31,32 – GN)
“I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 – GN) • “God does not judge by outward appearances.” (Galatians 2:6 – GN)
“If, along with the Messiah, you died to the elemental spirits of the world, then why, as if you still belonged to the world, are you letting yourselves be bothered by its rules? —“Don’t touch this!” “Don’t eat that!” “Don’t handle the other!”Such prohibitions are concerned with things meant to perish by being used [not by being avoided!], and they are based on man-made rules and teachings.They do indeed have the outward appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed religious observances, false humility and asceticism; but they have no value at all in restraining people from indulging their old nature.” (Colossians 2:20-23 – JNT)
“…you were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created.” (Ezekiel 28:12,13 – GN)
“Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days. People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 – GN)
“Rather, the real Jew is the person who is a Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised...” (Romans 2:29 – GN)
“For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people. That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world, as we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ will appear. He gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good” (Titus 2:11-14) • “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for” (Titus 3:4-7)
“Surely you know that God is kind, because he is trying to lead you to repent” (Romans 2:4 – GN) • “In our Latin Bible, 'repent' has come to mean 'to do penance.' But in the original Greek it means 'to change one's mind' — and that is what Jesus meant. Jesus didn't ask for penance... works, deeds or rituals... he asks for a simple change of heart.” (Martin Luther) • “All who receive God’s abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ” (Romans 5:17 – GN)
“…pray for us that the Lord’s message may continue to spread rapidly and be received with honor…May the Lord lead you into a greater understanding of God’s love…” (2 Thessalonians 3:1,5 – GN)