Talking Point

Considerations in Studying the Bible
March 21, 2024
2 Timothy 2:14-16
"14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to ungodliness."
Today, i am so much challenged in my readings and study of the Bible to share things that may be difficult to take in at one sitting. Also, with the challenges i am reading concerning topics, or hot topics, on Facebook. I do not minimize valuable informations that I read out there posted by7 some well-meaning friends, I believe have not studied well before sharing.
I have before us three verses taken from Second Timothy. i was planning to use verse 15 for my presentation today, but i change my mind by putting the verse in its context. I have three considerations for us to consider in our study of the Bible. before dealing with Verses 14 and 16.
Verse 14 is a responsibility, while verse 16 is the parameter of verse 15. For the time being, I introduce everyone to my three naughty young ladies. 1) Miss Quotation;. She is an aggressive apologists quoting verses of the Bible verbatim. Her only problem is the ways of quoting her references. There so much for her to learn from 2 Timothy 2:15.
2) Miss Interpretation. Nobody could argue will with this disciple if one is not familiar with the Bible. I was planning to send her over to a class in Hermeneutics to learn the elements of interpretation to avoid the warnings of 2 Timothy 2:16.
And 3) Miss Application. This lady is treading the grey area of 2 Timothy 2:16. If she's not careful the warnings in the verse will really pop up before her face. The underlying issue here is this: One can only applied the value and reality of a passage if it has been applied to oneself, first.
So, with all that has been said and done, these are the considerations i will be treading on our future studies.
God bless you all and more power to you. - pastor ray

Philippine Election 2022: Sarsuela-Style
Philippine Election on May 2022 appears to Look like "Sarzuela-style where everybody is dancing on their own tune. Imagine more than 2 dozens aspiring for the presidency! In those days, election is really great with two or three, most of the time two, parties are competing. Two or three parties should be enough. Party-list ... "sahong-sahong" in Bicol or the ugly Pilipino term "sawsawan."
The ugly thing for becoming a President is the kind of term a President is in office. There should a second-term for the office. Why? A sitting does not care whether he is good or not. After all the office terminate after six year. But if there is a reelection, he would try to maintain a good image. If the President wasted the first term. there would be no re-election because the people does not want the sitting President to remain in office.
The juiciest of the 2022 election in on BBM's court. I would say, if the electorate are wise and intelligent voters, BBM is the best choice. Why? Everybody will be throwing trash on his camp. When that happens nobody will be able to present the best agenda if elected President. The people might choose the under-dog which has all the opportunity to prove himself. That is if the electorate are intelligently voting. If the people choose the wrong person, there would be another six years of heartbreaking issues in the country. Why can't the Philippine Congress think of reform in governance rather than wasting time and money to ridiculous investigations. Sometimes they only know "mud-slinging" one to another more than what is best for the people.
Let us hear and see what these candidates would promise and the elected do with their promises.
See you all next time.