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The world and the Church will face difficult times, marked by lawlessness and apostasy, but in the end the Lord will be victorious. Previous 2 Thess. Index Next 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 The world and the Church will face difficult times, marked by lawlessness and apostasy, but in the end the Lord will be victorious. Image by Zac Durant provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 10, 2025 2 Thess. 2:1-12 What to expect before the end, including the appearance of the lawless one In verses 1-2, what has upset the Thessalonians? They think they have received information, either through a prophetic word from the Spirit or by a letter supposedly from Paul, saying that the Second Coming is already here or has already begun (see the Introduction ). In verse 1, Paul describes the Second Coming as our “assembling with” the Lord (NABRE) or being “gathered together to him” (NRSV) – it is when we will rejoin him and live with him forever. In verses 3-4, what two things does Paul say must happen before the Second Coming of Christ? There will be an apostasy – a time in which many people renounce the faith – and the lawless one will be revealed. In verses 3-4, how does Paul describe the lawless one (or man of lawlessness, or man of sin)? In verse 4, Paul describes this anti-Christ as seated in the temple of God. This image has been interpreted in a variety of ways ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 2 Thess. 2:4, p. 382): Some church fathers saw this as referring to a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. I don’t think Paul would have seen it that way. The Temple was still standing in Jerusalem when he wrote this. The Jews had suffered the ignominy of having Antiochus IV sack Jerusalem and set up a statue of the Greek god Zeus in the Temple, but to Paul, the Temple in Jerusalem was no longer a focal point of God’s activity. God now resided in his people, not in a building (see next bullet). So Paul is not likely to have had the physical Temple in Jerusalem in mind. Some church fathers believed Paul was talking about the Church. This fits well with Paul’s other letters. To Paul, Christians individually (1 Cor. 3:16-17) and collectively (2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21) were and are the temple of God. Some scholars read the passage more metaphorically, seeing the Antichrist as placing himself symbolically in the place of God, in our hearts, in our nations, in our world. In verses 9-10, how does Paul describe the lawless one? Based on verses 10 and 11, what is the lawless one’s primary tool for doing his evil work? Deceit. In verse 7, Paul says that lawlessness is already at work in the world. What are some ways that you see lawlessness at work in your world? Lawlessness shows up in big ways (murder) and small ways (excessive speeding). It shows up in family abuse and neglect, in the sale of unsafe products by corporations and the failure to give workers their rights to overtime pay, in the “anything goes” attitude that infects many corners of the Internet, in athletes who break the rules in order to win, and the list goes on. If you look behind the surface manifestations of lawlessness, what would you say is the root cause behind the many different kinds of lawlessness in our world? There are many possible answers to this question. It could be the attitude that the law does not apply to me, that I decide what is right and wrong, that I’m more important than anyone else and my welfare and goals matter most. That could be described as selfishness. Another possible answer is that in our world there is an underlying disregard for human life or a dehumanization of others that desensitizes us to the ways we are out of control. The fact that a society allows these things to happen can lead to a resignation to the idea that there is no other way to live. Paul suggests that the lawlessness is not yet at flood level – it is restrained right now. Specifically, in verse 6 he tells the Thessalonians that they know what is restraining lawlessness right now, because he told them. We do not know what he told them and cannot be sure what he has in mind. Scholars disagree among themselves about what the restraining power is (verse 6) and who the one who restrains is (verse 7). Here are some of the explanations they offer (the following points are drawn from NABRE, fn. to 2 Thess. 2:6-7; and Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , “Word Study: Restraining (2 Thess.2:6),” p. 382): Some say the Roman Empire or the Roman emperor is the restraining force because they establish order. They point to Paul’s view of government in Romans 13:1-7 as support for this position. (Others argue against this view, pointing to the rampant abuses perpetrated by the Romans in their dealings with every nation they sought to conquer, control, and exploit, which Paul would have known well.) Some draw on Revelations 12:7-9 and 20:1-3 to suggest that angelic powers such as Michael the Archangel hold Satan back (2 Thess. 2:9). (Verse 7’s statement that the one who restrains the evil will be removed poses a problem for this interpretation.) Some say that God himself is the restrainer: that the Holy Spirit is the restraining power in verse 6 and God the Father is the one who restrains in verse 7. Some say that the preaching of the gospel holds lawlessness back, or that the need to allow time for the spread of the gospel to all nations holds off the end (Mark 13:10). Some argue that “restraining” is the wrong translation of the Greek word and that “seizing” is a more accurate translation. In this view, Paul is saying that an evil prophetic spirit like those seen in the worship of the Greek god Dionysius is seizing people in the Thessalonian Christian community and shaking them out of their wits (verse 2). Paul has warned them about it so that they can avoid it, but they have given in to deceit. But this is just a foretaste of the threat posed by the lawless one in the full power of his deceit. Given the wide range of guesses as to who or what Paul thinks is restraining lawlessness, it is not fruitful to spend too much time speculating about it. But 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is patient and delays his coming so that all may come to repentance, and Revelation 20:2-3 tells us that we are living in the figurative “one-thousand-year” period between Jesus’s victory over sin and his final return, during which Satan is being restrained. In one way or another, God is restraining evil or allowing it to be restrained. In what ways do you see God restraining evil in our day and giving people time to repent and turn to him? In verse 8, Paul says that the Lord kills the lawless one by the breath of his mouth. This is a reference to Isaiah 11:4. In Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah issued a prophecy describing an ideal king from the line of David, the one who would come and set all things right. In verse 4 of that passage, he says that this shoot from the stump of Jesse, on whom the spirit of the Lord rests, would judge the poor with justice and slay the wicked with his breath. When Paul invokes the prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 11:4 to say that the Lord slays the lawless one with the breath of his mouth, that prophecy says that the future Son of David will defend the poor and slay the wicked. How is the mistreatment of the poor a manifestation of the lawlessness in the world? How can we stand up for the poor against the lawless powers that mistreat them? In verses 10-12, Paul says that the lawless one, who is aligned with the power of Satan, deceives those who do not believe the truth. How can you know when you are being spiritually deceived? In verse 11, where Paul says God sends upon them a deceiving power or delusion (NABRE/NRSV), this is typical Jewish language of Paul’s time, where everything was attributed to God because nothing can happen unless God allows it. Since God does not tempt anyone to do evil (James 1:13), it is wisest to interpret this passage as talking about God’s permissive will, not his direct action – i.e., that God allows it, not that he causes it. God does not tempt us to do evil, but he does not shield us from being deceived when we have refused to accept the truth. The hinge or linchpin around which this whole passage revolves is verse 8. What does it say the Lord will do? If the Lord will destroy this evil one when he comes in his Second Coming, with what attitude can we approach the future? In verse 8, the Lord gains victory over the lawless one by a simple word – the breath of his mouth. God speaks a word in Genesis 1 and Creation comes into being. Jesus speaks a word in Mark 4:39 and the roaring storm is stilled. There is no battle between God and the lawless one; God merely issue a word and the opposition is gone. What does this ability of God to issue a word say to you in your life? Notice that this passage began by saying that these things must happen before the Second Coming of the Lord. Therefore, he is telling them that “the day of the Lord” is not at hand; it is not almost about to happen. A lot of other things must happen first. What they should worry about is not the timing of the Lord’s return but the risk of being deceived and losing their faith. What are the things in your life today that might pose a risk that you might lose your faith? What can you do about it? What message in this passage is important to you? Take a step back and consider this: Paul is trying to walk a fine line: telling the Thessalonians about the future and the Second Coming of Christ but not having them become overly preoccupied by it. That is probably a wise approach for us as well. Why is a basic understanding of the Second Coming of Christ an important element of our faith? Why is it more important to focus on what is going on in the here-and-now and not get too worked up (as the Thessalonians had) about possible signs of the future “end times”? How can you strike this balance? In particular, what is one thing (or more) that you should hang onto about Christ’s Second Coming and one thing (or more) that you should focus on as more important right now than the timing of the end times? Bibliography See 2 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/2-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 2 Thess. Index Next

Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess.). Previous 2 Thess. Index Next 2 Thessalonians - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess.). Some of the resources on the author's bookshelf. Tom Faletti March 8, 2025 Major Sources Barclay, William. The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians . The Westminster Press, Revised Edition, 1975. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. Cousins, Peter E. “2 Thessalonians.” The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Demarest, Gary W. 1, 2 Thessalonians; 1, 2 Timothy; and Titus . The Communicator’s Commentary (Mastering the New Testament) , Lloyd J. Ogilvie, general editor. Word Books, 1984. Giblin, Charles Homer, S.J. “The Second Letter to the Thessalonians.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. Havener, Ivan, OSB. First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, Second Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians . Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Liturgical Press, 1983. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition . Ignatius Press, 2010. Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ . Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott . An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899. For the full Lexicon from 1940 available online, see A Greek-English Lexicon , Furman Classics Editions, http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ or A Greek-English Lexicon , Internet Archive , Volume I: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0001/mode/2up and Volume II: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0002/mode/2up . New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) . Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: With the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible . Eds. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010. New Revised Standard Version Bible , copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance . Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm . Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary , 1940, StudyLight.org , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved.html . Additional Sources Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church . Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005. “The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops , https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/the-dignity-of-work-and-the-rights-of-workers . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 2 Thess. Index Next

Your attitude determines what is a “win.” Previous Christian Faith Next Look for the Perspective that Allows You to See Joy Your attitude determines what is a “win.” Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 21, 2024 A mother called in to the Internet radio station K-Love at 9:55 a.m. EST on January 25, 2023. The DJs were asking listeners to fill in the blank in this sentence: “I am wealthy because . . . (not necessarily wealthy monetarily, but wealthy in some way).” In response, the mother told a story about making dinner. She made a casserole with chicken, broccoli, and rice. When she went to serve it to her 12-year-old son, he said, “I don’t want any broccoli.” So she gave it to him without the broccoli. He went to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a sauce packet from Chick-fil-A. He poured the sauce on his dinner and ate it. When he was done eating, he said, “That was the best dinner I’ve ever had!” As she told this story on the air, this mother summed it up this way: “Mom for the win! Any time you can make a dinner and your middle-schooler loves it, it’s a win.” Your attitude determines what is a “win” As I listened, I thought about all the ways this mother could have had a different attitude. She could have objected to her son not eating the broccoli. She could have grumbled about his adding the Chick-fil-A sauce to her casserole. Instead, she accepted the situation for what it was and found joy in her son’s joy. Your perspective influences your attitude If she had approached the situation from the perspective that her son’s daily intake of vegetables was deficient, she wouldn’t have been able to call it a “win.” If her perspective had been that she makes good meals and doesn’t need “improvements,” she wouldn’t have been able to call it a “win.” In either of those cases, she wouldn’t have been able to share in her son’s joy. Mom for the win? It all depends on what you focus on, and what you choose to see. St. Paul wrote, “[W]hatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8, NRSV). He also wrote: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Rom. 12:15,NRSV). Sharing in the joy of others is one of the secrets of a joyful Christian life. We are encouraged to find a perspective that allows us to look see joy. Your perspective influences the joy of others American film producer Samuel Goldwyn, founder of MGM, has been quoted as saying, “When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.” This mother’s son left the table happy about a good meal but also happy in his mother’s appreciation of his joy. If she had scolded him, there would have been no joy in that house for either of them that night. Our decision to look for joy can make ourselves and everyone around us happier. Whenever you can, share in the joy of others! Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Christian Faith Next

That's one of our goals. Previous Next God's Purposes To Have the Mind of Christ That's one of our goals. Tom Faletti March 6, 2024 Some people think of religion as being like the relationship between a master and a slave: God orders and I obey. This attracts some people and repels others. They are both missing something central to our faith. People from both perspectives are missing something because they think that the Christian faith asks us to turn off our minds and just “believe.” That’s not the faith of the gospel. St. Paul says, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5-11, NRSV). How can I think of my mind as something to turn off, if I am urged to have the same mind as Christ. I have to think carefully in order to think like Christ. Paul also says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NRSV). What does God want to transform? Our minds. Why? So that we can discern well. If our minds are not valued by God, if He just wants us to turn off our minds and “have faith,” why would Paul say this? Ephesians says that we are to use our gifts to build up the body of Christ “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13, NRSV). Our goal is to reach the full stature of Christ. Did Jesus turn off his brain? No! He used it very carefully and wisely, throughout His ministry. Jesus said to his disciples, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15, NRSV). How could we possibly make use of all the wisdom and knowledge that Jesus has received from the Father if we do not spend time thinking, but instead assume that we can “believe” and be done? So the point is that we are called to think. We are called to use these magnificent brains that we have received from God. We are called to put on the MIND – not just the heart or soul or will – of Jesus. So let’s get to work! TO BE CONTINUED Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous God's Purposes Next

Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Previous Next Luke Index Introduction to Luke Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Image by James Coleman, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti This article will provide an introduction to the Gospel of Luke, including what we know about its author, when it was written, who the intended audience was, Luke's purposes/goals, etc. Bibliography See Luke - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/luke/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Luke Index

Faith Explored offers resources for anyone interested in exploring how to apply God’s Word to our lives today.  The website was launched by Tom Faletti to bring to a wider audience the study materials he has developed in more than 40 years of small-group Bible Study. Forum Welcome! Explore the discussions and join in. Please review our Comment Policy to make sure your comments are appropriate. To see this working, head to your live site. All Posts Categories My Posts Login / Sign up Sort by: Newest Follow All Categories Create New Post Comments Views Recent Activity Item option menu What can we learn from Jimmy Carter that might help us live out our faith? Tom Faletti · Questions & Answers 0 1 Jan 10 What are your recommendations for strong family relationships? Tom Faletti · Questions & Answers 0 0 Oct 13, 2024 Welcome to the Forum Tom Faletti · General Discussion 1 0 Jul 03 Introduce yourself Tom Faletti · General Discussion 0 0 Feb 09, 2024 Forum rules Tom Faletti · General Discussion 2 0 May 10 Forum - Frameless Image at top provided by Wix. Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! Members of Faith Explored can comment on our blog posts, post comments in the forums, and post their own questions. C lick here or the blue button below to join (it's free). Use the other buttons below to post a comment. Become a Member to Enable Comments Blog Page Forum Page

The person Paul is writing to, Philemon, is an example of the kind of encouraging partner everyone might like to have, and Paul is an example of giving thanks and praise. How can we be like them? Previous Index Next Philemon 1-7 The person Paul is writing to, Philemon, is an example of the kind of encouraging partner everyone might like to have, and Paul is an example of giving thanks and praise. How can we be like them? Image by Luis Georg Müller, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti October 5, 2025 Introduction Paul’s letter to Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters that were included in the canon. It is so short that it was not separated into chapters, and therefore we only designate the verses – so Philemon 7 is the 7 th verse (and a very good one). In the New Testament, it is located after all the other letters attributed to Paul, so it is after Titus and before Hebrews, which was not written by Paul. Philemon is pronounced fih-LEE-muhn, with the accent on the second syllable. Who is the letter to and from? Paul wrote this letter to a man named Philemon. Philemon is believed to have lived in Colossae because of the language in Colossians 4:7-9, although some look at Colossians 4:16-17 and wonder if it is the letter to the Laodiceans, which otherwise has been lost to time. Colossae was in southwest Asia Minor, now southwest Turkey (Türkiye), and Laodicea was nearby. Ephesus was 100-120 miles west, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. The subject of the letter is a man named Onesimus (in standard English, pronounced oh-NEH-sih-muhs). Paul wants Philemon to treat Onesimus kindly. Date and place of writing Paul says in the letter that he is writing from prison. The traditional and most widely accepted view is that Paul is writing from house arrest in Rome, which would place the letter around AD 61-63 (according to Fitzmyer and others; some scholars count the years slightly differently and say 60-62). Traditionally, scholars have believed that Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians were written during the same imprisonment and they are called the “captivity” letters. Some scholars prefer to see the letter as having been written during Paul’s two-year imprisonment in Caesarea, before he was sent to Rome, which would mean around AD 58-60 (or 57-59). A newer view is that Paul is in prison in Ephesus and writing around AD 56-57. We do not have any explicit evidence that Paul was ever in prison in Ephesus. However, Paul says he was imprisoned multiple times (2 Cor. 11:23), and neither Paul nor Luke in the Acts of the Apostles describes any of those imprisonments. He could have been jailed in Ephesus at some point (he stayed there for 2 years). Paul’s statement in Philemon 22 that Philemon should prepare a guest room for him to come for a visit if he is released makes more sense if he is writing from Ephesus, 100-120 miles away, than if he is writing from Rome, a distance of 1,312 miles by land and sea (Witherington, p. 530). Witherington ( PDF ) and White ( PDF ) provide competing, both very thoughtful, arguments against and in favor of the view that Paul’s captivity was in Ephesus. Read Philemon 1-7 . What is the tone of the letter, so far? What do you think the relationship is between Paul and Philemon? Read Philemon 8-11 . Paul finally turns to the subject of his letter, a man named Onesimus. How does the tone of the letter shift at this point? Read Philemon 10-25 . What is Onesimus’s social status? How has Onesimus changed? What does verse 14 tell us about Philemon? Verse 14 tells us that Philemon has the power and authority to decide what happens to Onesimus. He must have at least a little bit of wealth to be able to afford a slave, but many people “owned” slaves at that time in the Roman Empire. What does verse 19 tell us about Philemon? Verse 19 tells us that Philemon owes his life to Paul, presumably meaning he owes his faith in Christ to Paul – i.e., Paul converted him. What does verse 22 tell us about Philemon? Verse 22 tells us that Philemon’s house is big enough for the local church to meet there and has at least one spare room that could be made available for Paul to stay there as a guest. So, again, he is reasonably wealthy. Looking at all of the things Paul says about Philemon, how would you describe Philemon? What is Paul asking Philemon to do? Why does he think Philemon might be willing to do it? We are going to look at the details of what Paul writes, and then we will take a step back and look at the broader issue of slavery in the Roman Empire and how Paul handles that issue. Let’s dive into the details of what Paul writes: Philemon 1-3 Greetings How does Paul describe himself? In the first verse of Ephesians and of Colossians, Paul describes himself as an “apostle,” In Philippians, he describes himself as a “slave of Christ Jesus.” How does he describe himself in the first verse of this letter, and how is this difference significant? In verse 2, “your” is singular – the house the church meets in belongs to one of them. Scholars think the most likely interpretation is that Apphia is Philemon’s wife and Archippus is his son; but some think these are leading people in the church community. Similarly, the general belief is that the house the church meets in belongs to Philemon, who is a leader of the Christian community there, and that Onesimus is owned by Philemon; but some scholars think the house they meet in is owned by Archippus. Paul has already established a standard way of greeting the people he writes to: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). We see the exact same wording in Ephesians and Philippians, almost identical wording in 1 Thessalonians, and abbreviated versions of it in other letters. In verse 3, Paul uses the Greek word “grace” ( charis ). This is a New Testament/Christian concept for the unearned favor we receive from God. For that concept, Paul uses a word familiar in the Greek world that described the unearned favor or blessing a person might receive, for example, from a wealthy person. Paul also uses the Greek word for “peace,” which would call to mind the standard Hebrew greeting of shalom that expressed the desire for wholeness and well-being in all of one’s relationships. How do the two words “grace” and “peace” in Paul’s greeting capture well what we might wish for people we care about? Paul describes each of these three people – Philemon, Apphia, and Archippus – in very positive terms using just a few words. What is important to him about them? What can we learn from Paul’s example in the way he acknowledges the good he sees in other people? Philemon 4-7 Paul is thankful for Philemon In verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, the word “you” is singular each time. Paul is talking specifically to Philemon, not to the family as a whole. Let’s look some more at what kind of person Philemon is. In verse 2, Paul calls him “our co-worker.” What do you think “our co-worker” means? What does Paul say about Philemon in verses 5-6? Verse 5: Paul is thankful for Philemon’s faith in the Lord Jesus and his love for Jesus and his fellow Christians. Verse 6: Paul says that Philemon shares a “partnership” in the faith. In verse 5, Paul praises Philemon’s faith and love. Ignatius of Antioch, writing 50 years later, said that “faith and love in Christ Jesus . . . are the beginning and the end of life. For the beginning is faith, and the end is love” ( Ignatius of Antioch ). How do faith and love encompass the Christian life? In verse 6, what do you think Paul means when he refers to Philemon’s “partnership in the faith”? In what ways are we called to be co-workers or partners in the work God is doing through his people? What does Paul say about Philemon in verse 7? He says that Philemon encourages others in a way that refreshes the hearts of the believers. What do you think Paul means when he says Philemon refreshes the hearts of others? Some possible answers are: Philemon is hospitable or generous towards others in a way that helps them feel encouraged, renewed, and loved. Note: The Greek word Paul uses that is translated as “heart” is actually the word for “bowels” – the inner parts of us. To a Hebrew mind that is the seat of the emotions or place of one’s “innermost self” ( New American Bible, revised edition , Phile. 7, fn.). The translators wisely substitute the word “heart” because that is where people in our time locate our deepest self. In what ways are we called to refresh the hearts of our fellow believers, and how can we do that effectively? Some possible answers are: Be there for others, which means we need to be connected to them (for example, part of the church community with them). Talk with others and listen well. Be positive and encouraging. Practice being aware of other people’s needs. Avoid seeming to be telling people what to do as though we know better than them how they should live their lives (otherwise, they will not feel encouraged and refreshed). How important is it to be plugged into a local church in order to be a co-worker and refresh others? What seem to be Paul’s criteria for evaluating a person, and how do his criteria compare with the criteria our culture uses to measure a person’s worth? Looking at the example Philemon has set by how he has lived his life, what do you see in Philemon that you might be able to manifest more fully in your life? Take a step back and consider this: We have gotten through 7 verses of Paul’s letter to Philemon, and Paul hasn’t even begun to broach the main subject of his letter: Onesimus. We could cynically say that he is just buttering up Philemon so that he can win him over. Or we could say that this just shows how important it is to Paul to maintain a strong relationship with his friend. Or we could say that this is what effective Christians always do: praise other people and express appreciation for them whenever they can, in order to encourage them in their walk with the Lord. What does Paul’s expansive praise say to you about your own way of interacting with other people? Are there any suggestions here for your own relationships? Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Index Next

Paul takes the long view, seeing present events in light of eternity, and provides early evidence of the doctrine of the Trinity. [1 Thessalonians 2:17-20; 3:1-8; 3:9-13] Previous 1 Thess. Index Next 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 Paul takes the long view, seeing present events in light of eternity, and provides early evidence of the doctrine of the Trinity. Image by Chuttersnap via Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-blue-cloudy-sky-TSgwbumanuE . Tom Faletti January 26, 2025 1 Thess. 2:17-20 Paul longs to visit the Thessalonians In this section of the letter, Paul describes what has been happening since he left the Thessalonians and how much he longs to see them again. When have you been separated – as Paul put it, “in person, not in heart” (2:17) – from someone you cared greatly about? How did you feel at the time and how did you feel when you received news about them or were reunited with them? How do you feel when you see signs of progress in the faith of someone whose spiritual welfare you have been concerned about? In verse 18, Paul says that Satan “thwarted” him (NABRE) or “blocked” him (NRSV) when he desired to return to Thessalonica. He does not specifically describe the obstacle. When the things you want to do are blocked, do you tend to interpret it as Satan thwarting you or as other people making choices that get in the way, or both? Explain. In verse 19, Paul describes the Thessalonians as his crown and joy. The word he uses for “crown” is not the word for the crown of royalty but rather for what an athlete receives after having won a race or other competition – for example, a laurel wreath. He uses similar language years later to describe the Philippians (Phil. 4:1). He is not saying he will get a crown for something he did. He is saying that they are the affirmation that his life was not lived in vain. In verse 20, Paul says the Thessalonians are his glory and joy. In verse 19, he says that their faith is an affirmation that his efforts were worthwhile. When your life is over and you come before God, what aspects of your life will you be joyful about or see as an affirmation of how you lived your life? How does thinking about what might matter to you when you come into the presence of the Lord affect how you want to live your life now? Notice how Paul frequently sees a bigger picture. Nothing ever matters to him only for the moment or only for itself. He is always evaluating everything in the light of what it will look like when we are fully in the presence of God. 1 Thess. 3:1-8 Paul sends Timothy, who brings back good news about the Thessalonians In verse 2, the phrase Paul literally says Timothy is a “co-worker of God.” Many translations soften this to co-worker for God, but scholars suggest the best translation may be “God’s co-worker” (see Collins, “1 Thessalonians,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 26, p. 776, and Cousins, “1 Thessalonians.” The International Bible Commentary , p. 1463). In what ways are you God’s co-worker, working with God to help bring about God’s purposes in your sphere of influence? Paul says that Christians should expect persecution (3:3). Do we live our lives with that expectation? Why or why not? What is Paul’s worst fear regarding the Thessalonians, the thing he most fears might happen as they are persecuted (3:5)? In 2:18, Paul referred to the devil as “Satan,” a word that comes from the Hebrew word for “adversary.” Satan is God’s chief adversary in the spiritual world. In 3:5, Paul uses the word “tempter” – another reference to the devil. In what ways is the devil a “tempter”? How does temptation work in our lives today? What can we do so that our initial openness to the gospel is not in vain? In verses 6-8, what good news does Timothy bring back from his visit to the Thessalonians? Specifically: How do the Thessalonians feel about Paul? How are they handling the persecution? In verse 8, Paul says that “we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8, NRSV). What does he mean? What do you need to do to keep standing firm in the Lord? 1 Thess. 3:9-13 Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonians and prays that he may see them again Why is Paul so full of joy? In verse 10, what is the additional reason he now wants to visit the Thessalonians? Paul says that he would like to “restore whatever is lacking” (1 Thess. 3:10, NRSV) or “remedy the deficiencies” (1 Thess. 3:10, NABRE) in their faith. Many scholars think the meaning is probably that he wants to give them further instruction in the faith, since he may have spent less than a month with them. He might want to address individual gaps in understanding that individual members have, but he is probably thinking about what the community still needs to be taught collectively, as a community. In what areas might you need additional understanding, to be stronger in your faith? What things might be lacking in your local church, and how could you help fill the gaps? Parts of the doctrine of the Trinity are embedded in Paul’s letter In verse 11, Paul prays that he may be able to return to the Thessalonians. There is a significant theological point buried in that prayer. When Paul refers to God the Father and the Lord Jesus, the verb he uses (the word “direct”) is in the third person singular. In English, we sometimes can’t tell the different between the third person singular and the third person plural (“he will direct,” “they will direct”), but the Greek language does a better job of making that distinction. The difference matters here. It’s the difference between saying of two directors of a play, “Sue and Bob direct it” (third person plural) or “Sue and Bob directs it” (third person singular). You would only use the singular if Sue and Bob were in such total union with each other that they always act as one. Otherwise, you would use the plural “are.” Paul uses the third person singular verb . He chooses the verb form that treats God the Father and the Lord Jesus as a unity that acts as one. This was written a mere 20 years after Jesus rose from the dead. We find that Paul already had in his head two key parts of what was eventually worked out fully in our doctrine of the Trinity: the divinity of Jesus (that he was God) and the oneness of the Father and the Son (that the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father were one God, not two gods). In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30), but that was not written down until perhaps 40 or 50 years after Paul wrote this letter. Paul’s language suggests that, from the early days of Christianity, Christians accepted that the Father and the Son were one God. The idea was not the creation of the Council at Nicaea in 325, although that is where some key language explaining it was nailed down. In verse 12, we see another theological development. Paul prays that the Lord Jesus will help the Thessalonians abound in love. That is not a request one would make of a mere human. God is the one who can answer prayer. This indicates that, 20 years after the Resurrection, Paul sees Jesus was as having the power of God. So, to sum up, Paul is implicitly showing that Christians, very early on, believed that Jesus was one with God and was God. See my article When Did Christians First Recognize the Divinity of Jesus? for a more complete exposition of the early Church’s belief in the divinity of Jesus. Some skeptics like to suggest that the doctrine of the Trinity did not take shape until the Council of Nicaea. That is not true. Paul was not concerned with writing formal doctrine, and it took time to work out the language, but the basic idea was there from the beginning: that Jesus was God – not merely a human – and that Jesus was one with the Father. How is the doctrine of the Trinity important to your understanding of the faith? In verses 12-13 what does Paul pray for the Thessalonians? He prays (1) that the Lord may make them abound in love for each other and for all people; and (2) that the Lord may strengthen their hearts so that they will be blameless and holy before God when the Lord returns. In his prayer for the Thessalonians in verse 12, Paul asks that they may abound in love not just for one another but for all. How is your Christian community doing in abounding in love not just for each other but for all people? What could your church do better in order to abound in love for all? What could you do? What does blamelessness look like? What does holiness look like? Why is it important to have our hearts be strengthened in order to be blameless and holy? To what extend are the two parts of this prayer related? Can you actually be blameless and holy if you are not abounding in love for all people? Explain. Compare Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians with your own prayers for those you care about. When you pray for those you love, do you pray that they may abound in love for each other and for all people, and that they may be strengthened in order to be blameless and holy? (Or do you confine your prayers to more mundane concerns?) How might Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians guide your own prayers for those you care about? Take a step back and consider this: We see in this letter that Paul is constantly looking at everything that happens around him from the perspective of what it looks like in the presence of God. The things he hopes will happen now are the things that he believes will have value when we are with God forever. In that sense, Paul is always playing the long game – considering the present in the light of eternity. How might you focus a little less on how things look from your own perspective now, and a little more on how things look from God’s perspective? How would routinely seeing our time in the light of eternity affect how you think and act in everyday life now? Bibliography See 1 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/1-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 1 Thess. Index Next

How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Previous Index Next Philemon 8-25 How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Philemon reads Paul’s letter. “A Letter to Philemon.” VideoBible.com . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/vb-philemon/ . Tom Faletti October 5, 2025 Philemon 8-9 Paul urges by way of love, not command In verse 8, Paul says he hopes Philemon will “do what is proper” (NABRE) or “do your duty” (NRSV). What does “proper” mean, and how do you decide what is “proper” or your “duty” and not just something that someone else wants you to do? How does Paul characterize himself in verse 9? Look at verse 19 along with verses 8-9. Why does Paul think he could order Philemon to do what he wants? Why does Paul choose not to issue a command? What do you think of Paul’s approach to Philemon, where he tries to urge and not command? In situations you face or think you might face in your life, where might it be useful to try Paul’s approach of leaving some freedom for the other person to make a choice rather than trying to command them? As a teacher, I found that in many cases I was more likely to achieve my goal if I gave students choices, while making clear what I hoped they would do, rather than simply trying to order them to do what I wanted. Philemon 10-14 Paul makes a case for Onesimus After a long introduction, Paul finally mentions Onesimus in verse 10, though he doesn’t actually make his formal request until verse 17. Paul is making a pun in these verses. “Onesimus” means “Profitable” or “Useful.” Onesimus was supposed to be profitable for his master, but instead he has been useless and unprofitable. But now, Paul says to Philemon, Onesimus is useful both to you and to me. Read verse 10. What does Paul mean when he says that Onesimus is his child and he has become Onesimus’s father? What is the relationship between them that he is referring to? Onesimus has apparently come to faith in Jesus through his involvement with Paul, and Paul has become totally invested in Onesimus like a father and his son. Barclay quotes a Rabbinic saying: “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him” (Barclay, pp. 280-281). In other words, you become like a father or mother to those you teach about God. Is there anyone for whom you feel somewhat like a parent in the faith? How does that affect your feelings toward them? What do you think happened in Onesimus that changed him from useless to useful when he became a Christian? Read Ephesians 2:10 . What does Paul say we are made for? How has your faith made you more “useful” in fulfilling your calling? Why is Paul sending Onesimus back to Philemon (verses 12-14)? Why did Paul want to keep Onesimus with him? What does this passage of Philemon suggest to Christians about the need to face up to the past and deal with the consequences of past actions? Philemon 15-25 Paul makes his request In verses 15-16, Paul sees the providential hand of God in the situation and suggests that maybe there was a purpose in Onesimus having been away (run away?) from Philemon. What does Paul suggest might have been the greater purpose? Note that the idea of providence here is not predestination. God did not force Onesimus to become a believer. Similarly, we can embrace or reject opportunities that might lead to good outcomes. In verse 17, Paul finally makes his explicit “ask.” What does he request? Paul does not explicitly ask Philemon to set Onesimus free (manumission). But he asks Philemon to see Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (verse 16) and asks Philemon to “accept him as you would me” (verse 17). Do you think Paul is implying that Philemon should set him free? Or is he just asking him to treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ even as he continues to have Onesimus serve him as a slave? What are some ways that Philemon could respond? He could punish Onesimus severely, punish him lightly, accept him but with resentment and not forgiveness, accept him back as a slave but with forgiveness, send him back to Paul to serve Paul, or free him to do whatever he wants. And he could publicly attack Paul, quietly resent and snub Paul, or welcome Paul’s intervention in his life. How should we respond to people who do wrong and then return? What does this passage say to you about forgiveness? How should we respond when people ask us to do something that is outside of the social norm? In verse 18, Paul tries to “sweeten the pot” by offering to pay for any costs, which implies that Onesimus might have done something wrong. What do you think Onesimus might have done before he ran away? How might verse 19 make it harder for Philemon to say no? In verse 20, Paul uses the word “profit” – which has the same root as Onesimus’s name – when he says he hopes to “profit from you in the Lord.” He also asks Philemon to “refresh” his heart – the same word he used earlier to describe how Philemon refreshed others. How important is that phrase “in the Lord” in verse 20? Explain. When have you found that you could be useful to someone else, but only if you let go of something that would have been beneficial to yourself? Paul is pulling out all the stops, making every case he can to save his friend Onesimus. How do verses 21-22 add to the ways he is pressing Philemon? In verse 23, Paul reiterates what he said in verse 9: that he is in prison. How might the fact that he is in prison affect what he says about slavery? Does anything in the final greetings in verses 24-25 surprise you? Epaphras founded the Colossian church (see Col. 1:7). Aristarchus spent a significant amount of time with Paul (see Acts 19:29; 20:4; and 27:2). We see more about Mark, Demas, and Luke in 2 Timothy 4:9-13. How important do you think Paul’s companions were to him? How important is it for you to have “co-workers” with you in the faith? Do you think Paul’s letter is reasonable, or does it go beyond the bounds of propriety? Why? Here are some of the reactions I have seen: On the one hand, the letter feels somewhat manipulative. Paul has appealed to Philemon in ways that would feel like Paul is pressuring him. On the other hand, Paul has not been coercive. He never says, “Do this or else I’ll . . . ,” nor does he say, “God says you should do this.” And his pressure is based on genuine love for both Philemon and Onesimus. Take a step back and consider this: Paul is working hard to raise a difficult topic with someone he wants to maintain a relationship with, in a way that will achieve his goal and not hurt the relationship. We all have been in such situations, where we need to choose our words carefully because we want to gain the support of someone who does not have to do what we want them to do. Paul’s effort might give us some ideas. Looking over the whole letter and the strategies Paul is using to deal with a difficult situation, when have you used similar strategies, and what happened? What can you learn from Paul’s strategies, that you might be able to apply in your own life? People sometimes think they are applying good strategies but do it in a way that is not effective. What might be an example of that, and how can you avoid mistakes like that in dealing with tricky situations? Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Index Next

Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul’s Letter to Philemon Previous Index Next Philemon - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul’s Letter to Philemon. Some of the resources on the author's bookshelf. Tom Faletti October 4, 2025 Major Sources Ashby, Earnest G. “Philemon.” The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Barclay, William. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon . The Westminster Press, Revised Edition, 1975. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. Dunnam, Maxie D. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, & Philemon . The Communicator’s Commentary (Mastering the New Testament) , Lloyd J. Ogilvie, general editor. Word Books, 1982. Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J. “Philemon.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. Havener, Ivan, OSB. First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, Second Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians . Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Liturgical Press, 1983. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition . Ignatius Press, 2010. Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ . Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott . An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899. For the full Lexicon from 1940 available online, see A Greek-English Lexicon , Furman Classics Editions, http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ or A Greek-English Lexicon , Internet Archive , Volume I: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0001/mode/2up and Volume II: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0002/mode/2up . New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) . Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: With the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible . Eds. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010. New Revised Standard Version Bible , copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance . Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm . Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary , 1940, StudyLight.org , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved.html . Additional Sources The British Museum. “Slavery in ancient Rome.” Exhibition: “Nero the man behind the myth,” 2021. The British Museum , https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/nero-man-behind-myth/slavery-ancient-rome . Coleman-Norton, Paul Robinson. “The Apostle Paul and the Roman Law of Slavery.” Studies in Roman economic and social history . Coleman-Norton, Paul Robinson, editor. Books for Libraries Press, Freeport, N.Y., 1969, 155-177. Internet Archive , https://archive.org/details/studiesinromanec0000cole/page/155 . Ignatius of Antioch. “The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians.” Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Christian Literature Publishing Co., Buffalo, NY, 1885. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. New Advent , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm . Orthodox Church in America. “Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy.” Orthodox Church in America , https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2018/02/15/100526-apostle-onesimus-of-the-seventy . Welch, John W. and John F Hall. “Chart 6-4: Estimated Distribution of Citizenship in the Roman Empire.” Charting the New Testament , BYU Studies, 2002, https://byustudies.byu.edu/further-study-chart/6-4-estimated-distribution-of-citizenship-in-the-roman-empire/ . White, Joel. “The Imprisonment That Could Have Happened (and the Letters Paul Could Have Written There): A Response to Ben Witherington.” JETS 61.3 (2018), 549–558, https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/files_JETS-PDFs_61_61-3_JETS_61.3_549-558_White.pdf . Witherington, Ben III. “The Case of the Imprisonment That Did Not Happen: Paul at Ephesus.” JETS 60/3 (2017), 525–532, https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/files_JETS-PDFs_60_60-3_JETS_60_3-525-532_Witherington.pdf . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Index Next

Actually, you have many purposes! Previous Next God's Purposes You Have a Purpose Actually, you have many purposes! Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti You have a purpose! In fact, you have multiple purposes in many different dimensions of your life. You are part of God’s great plan for the human race, a plan that depends on your active cooperation and creativity. You are made in God’s image, and God is working to reveal that image in you and through you. God is also working in every person around you. Your mission, your calling if you accept it, is to shine forth the image of God fully, in your unique way, and to help others do the same in their unique ways, so that the world may become what God has always intended it to be. You are not an accident. God designed the universe so that it had the capability to produce a person with your unique abilities and interests. He did this with a goal: so that you could freely choose to take on the character of God and let it shine forth in your own unique way. Because of your unique nature and experiences, you have the opportunity to reflect the image of God in your own distinct and special ways. This is one of the many beautiful things about God‘s creation: that each person has the potential to show forth the very image of God in their own unique ways. You are not alone in this potential. It is inherent in every human being. We all are made with a purpose and a unique role to play in bringing the image of God to life in this world. In order to reflect God‘s image accurately, we need to know what God is like. Fortunately, God did not leave us groping in the dark for an understanding of His nature and character. He sent his son Jesus to show us who He is. Jesus became one of us to show us how to live — how to be like Him in our own unique ways. Jesus talked about the kingdom of God — the place where what God desires for humans actually happens. He said the kingdom of God is “near” or “at hand” (Mark 1:15; Luke 10:9). He wants us to embrace God‘s ways and infuse them into every aspect of our natural lives. When we take on the character of God and allow it to transform our lives, we change the world around us so that it is a little bit more like what God intended, so that a little more of the kingdom of God is present. This means that for each and every one of us there is an ever-present invitation from God, telling us all the time: You Can Change Your World! I’m not saying you’re going to change the entire world in one grand act. But every day, multiple times every day, we have opportunities to change our little part of the world. At every moment, we can make our part of the world reflect more fully God’s vision for the world, or we can let it reflect something else. We can choose to show forth the image of God — what He intends us to be, what He has designed us to be — or we can miss the opportunity. The choice is ours. The invitation is always fresh. This is the unseen truth about our lives: that the God who created the universe is standing with each of us at all times, always ready to enable us to bring a little bit more of Himself into every situation. And every time we say yes to God and do the things that reflect who God is, we transform another part of the world and become a bit more like Him. God does not force us to accept this invitation. The choice is always ours: Right now, at this very moment, will I be like Jesus, and change a little bit of this world to be more like what God intended it to be, or will I go my own way? That is always a choice. But God’s desire is even greater than that. He is not interested only in transforming us as individuals and transforming our little parts of the world. He wants to change the entire way that human society operates. He wants to transform all of human life so that it reflects His nature. No single person can do that. Fortunately, we are not alone. God calls us to work together to redeem the culture, change social structures where needed, and transform the world. Guided by God’s clear teaching in the Bible, working in and through the community known as the church as well as with other people of good will, we can work to transform the social structures of our society to make them reflect more of the nature and character of God. This, too, is part of our calling, because this, too, is part of God’s desired plan. What an adventure God is offering us! No day need be dull when we accept the invitation He is offering us. In this book, we will explore who God is, what He is trying to do in this world, and how we can cooperate in the transformation He is trying to achieve in us and, through us, in the world. In the course of our explorations, we will have to confront some difficult questions, the foremost of which is: If God is all-loving, why does He allow so much suffering in the world? To answer that question, we will have to put on the mind of Christ in order to understand more fully what God’s purposes are for human beings, individually and as a whole. A second difficult question we will have to confront is this: Deep down, most people know how they should act towards others. Yet time and time again, people put themselves first and mistreat others. Why do people cause so much suffering in the world? Why do we ourselves get it wrong so often? And what does God want us to do about it? Fortunately, there are answers to these questions, if we are willing to search the Scriptures carefully and put on the mind of Christ. As we learn to see as God sees and think as God thinks, we can understand what God is trying to do in the world and in our lives, and find a way to participate fully in God’s work. When we do that, we discover another unseen truth about the world: There is great joy in participating in the work of God. If you are ready to tackle tough questions and embrace your calling to participate in God’s work to change the world, read on! Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous God's Purposes Next

If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Previous Next God's Purposes Is God More Powerful Than Any Other Force? If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous God's Purposes Next