Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Paul was guided by the Spirit of God to begin this chapter by reminding us that all gospel ministry must focus upon doing what Christ has commanded us to do. Preaching, teaching and sharing the gospel with others may come at great personal cost.  We may be ridiculed, subjected to hateful attitudes or forced to endure various types of afflictions. The remainder of this chapter is going to focus upon our response to what God has done for us through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our body is the dwelling place of God's Spirit and we must not pollute it. 2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  God has given us a very important life principle. He warns us "Do not be unequally yoked together with an unbeliever." God gave this very warning to the Israelites numerous times in the Old Testament. Every time Israel failed to heed God's w...

Our earthly house contrasted with our heavenly home. 2 Corinthians 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  In chapter five, Paul taught us beautiful truth about our earthly body and our heavenly body.  One day our faith will become sight and we will be present with Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:  7) For we walk by faith, not by sight:  8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.  He taught us that when we are absent from our physical body through death, we are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. He showed how all creation and each Christian is longing for the day when our faith shall be made sight, when we shall see Jesus as He is. God's Spirit guided Paul ...

Praise God for the new life He gives us when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  We looked in some detail about the truth of this glorious verse. God can take a sinner who repents and turns to Jesus and save him.   He will give that sinner a new heart, a new spirit and a new, fresh start in life.  God will teach us how to live as a child of God through His Word and the indwelling Spirit of God. Our fresh start includes the following: Walking after the Spirit, not after the flesh (Romans 8:1-4).  Teaching us to be spiritually minded people instead of carnally minded because the latter leads to death (Romans 8:5-8). Psalm 25:4-5  Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.  5)  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.  Showing us the holy...

  Here is a note about an index containing all Bible lessons posted on this blog since its inception in 2019.   An index for  all lessons  posted from 2019 through 2021, was published on  September 7, 2022. An index for all lessons posted in 2022, was published  J anuary 24, 2023. An index for all lessons posted in 2023 was posted on  February 28, 2024.  Each index lists lesson titles and the date each one was posted, so that you can study subjects that we have written about. The link below will take you to the YouTube channel of the church my family attends, Heritage Baptist Church in Smithville, Ohio. In this lesson, we learn of a great wrong committed by the wealthy and powerful Jews. They oppressed their poorer brothers and sisters and violated the commands of God. The oppressed Jews cried out to Nehemiah for relief.  We saw from many scriptures that God is attentive to the cries of the oppressed, poor, fatherless and widows. They were fo...

The wonderful, powerful constraining love of God is active in us. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  15)  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.  The preceding verses give us a summary statement that shaped how the apostle Paul chose to live his life. This is a good view for all Christians to follow. God used Paul to tell us that His love is shed abroad in our heart, poured out like a river overflowing its banks. This same love constrains us to carry on the Great Commission work Christ gave us to work on (See Matthew 28:18-20).  This same love constrains us to stop living selfish, self centered lives and start loving and serving God and our neighbors.  The word "constraineth" literally means to press something together and holding it, like when we glue two pie...

Living in this corrupt world while longing for our heavenly home. 2 Corinthians 5:1-4  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:  3  If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.  4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.  The Holy Spirit used Paul to teach us about our relationship to this decaying world as he taught us truth about our resurrection body. He taught us truth about desiring and longing to have our earthly house dissolved so that we might receive our heavenly house from our Father. Faithfully serving God with the Holy Spirit's aid while walking by faith.  2 Corinthians 5:5-10  Now he ...