A Truth to Believe

       How Can We Summarize Paul's Epistles to Individuals?

In the New Testament Paul wrote most of his letters to churches. Yet, he also wrote a few letters to individuals (that also had implications for the church). These letters center around guarding the gospel that has been handed down to believers and living according to it in one’s personal life and within the church.

Here is one way we could summarize each book:

1 Timothy is a letter encouraging Timothy and those in his church to guard sound doctrine and live godly lives transformed by the gospel.

2 Timothy is a letter calling Timothy to persevere in the gospel even within suffering and affliction.

Titus is letter warning against false teaching and commending upright and godly living.

Philemon is a letter about how the gospel transforms human relationships within the body of Christ.

Truths to Believe Archive

Something about Caregiving

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

We know the challenges of caregiving can feel overwhelming. To be sure, God greatly blesses those he calls to be caregivers–whether for a season or lifetime. Yet, caregiving remains a hard privilege–constant, demanding, and often brings us to the end of ourselves. For a moment, though, let your mind and heart step outside the weight of daily needs.

In Acts 4 we are told that Jesus–the stone that was rejected–has become the cornerstone. It is about Jesus that Luke declares there is salvation in no one else in Acts 4:12. He is the ONE and ONLY avenue of salvation to a needy world. He is the only name under heaven by which anyone can be saved. There is salvation in NO ONE ELSE.

So if you belong to Christ, take a moment to soak this in: you know the one person in this entire universe who can save you from your sins and bring you to everlasting joy in God. You believe on the one name on whom people from every tongue, tribe, and nation must call upon in faith in order to find forgiveness. You know the true and living God who gave his life and death to redeem a people for his glory.

Yes, caregiving is challenging, but you know Jesus.

A Quote

"My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is doing for me." - Charles H. Spurgeon

A Resource

The best resource I have ever found for knowing Jesus more and studying his word is the ESV Study Bible.

This study Bible took years to compile by various scholars. It is one of my go to resources for understanding passages. Additionally, the added theological sections and the history of salvation section are excellent resources outside of the verse by verse study notes.

If you are going to spend time in only one resources this year, do it in an ESV Study Bible!