Words on the Word

Hello! I’ve been waiting to talk with you for quite some time. A very dear friend gave me this blog site so that you and I could spend some time together.

The plan is, I’ll write my thoughts as they pertain to the day’s New Testament reading for Morning Prayer. But it’s not a one way street – when you comment on the writing, whether you like it, hate it, or are indifferent to it, you contribute to the conversation and a community is created when folks share their ideas and discuss their thoughts. That’s what I’d like this blog to be; a community.

The world is a busy place and you have lots of things to get done each day. To make life a little easier for you, I’ll copy the day’s reading and paste it here so that you don’t have to get your Bible out every time we chat – the readings will be right here for your convenience. I only use the King James version of the Bible so that’s what you’ll see here. Ready? Let’s give it a go …

The reading for Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021

1 Timothy 1:1-11
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

The Bible tells us, in Ecclesiastes 1:9, that there is nothing new under the sun. The above reading could have come from a modern news source. We are hearing more and more about a twisted gospel coming from places once thought to be the highest authorities on earth. This is where your own home study and church Bible study stands you in good stead; you’ve read the Word on your own, your own good priests have reviewed and highlighted and explained the Gospel and you are armed with the truth so that you recognize error when you see it or hear it. In Anglican congregations, we make the sign of the cross on our foreheads, on our lips, and on our hearts just before the Gospel is read; we do this to seal the truth in our minds, in the things we say, and in our hearts. This is our protection from error. We are armed with truth.