Summing Up

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Don Merritt

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

There is a principle in these two verses that I think people tend to miss, one that is critical to healthy and happy living.  These two verses are quoted often, I’ve even heard them quoted to “prove” that we shouldn’t use bad language, but to me, that sort of thing really misses the point. Let’s see if we can find a little more than meets the eye here.

Notice that verse 8 begins with the word “finally.” This should clue us in to the fact that Paul is summing up everything he’s been teaching in the letter, and this should tell us there is a larger context here.  Paul tells us that we should take note of whatever we find along our life’s path that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy and think about them.  Notice that excellent and praiseworthy are set apart so as to sum up the others. Notice also the way he says we should think about them: “Think about such things.”  This tells us more that we should be focusing on these kinds of things, which rather expands the focus from the specific instance, to the category at large.  To put it another way, we are to focus our minds and attention to things that are excellent and worthy of praise, rather than on things that are not.

Don’t rush through this, for it is very significant advice.  Ask yourself what is not included in this, and I think you’ll end up with a list of things that we usually think about; our problems, our feelings about things, our little resentments, our little hurts, and things that aren’t uplifting. Surely the kinds of things Paul wants us to be thinking about wouldn’t include our circumstances, illnesses, and pains, but would instead include the kinds of things that would inspire us to greatness, and to service of humanity. Now you can see how Paul has been able to have such a positive attitude in his imprisonment.

He wraps up with this statement:

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This is one of those “if – then” statements. Put into practice the things Paul has taught and God will be with you.  By implication, if you don’t put them into practice, you’ll likely find yourself far from God. Now if I was to make such a remark, your eyebrows would surely rise, for who am I?   But by the time he was writing this, Paul had proven himself as the Apostle of Christ, the things that he has taught the people have been from God and for the sake of His purpose; they are the things that will put each of us firmly within God’s purpose and will. Paul has taught us how to be in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and when we dwell in this place, His presence and peace are surely with us.

I have one final thought that I’d like to share with you in light of this discussion. In another place, in a similar discussion, Paul said this:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:2

I’ve heard people say that Paul’s injunction from Romans 12 is a goal that we really can’t attain in this life. Certainly, on our own power it would be a very tall order, but the fact remains that it is stated as an imperative, a command. Could it be that Paul has just told the Philippians how to accomplish this transformation, and that with help from the Holy Spirit that transformation of the mind isn’t so impossible after all?

In any case, it might be well worth our serious consideration.

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False Apostles

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Don Merritt

2 Corinthians 1-15

When you read these verses, you will see that Paul can be pretty direct in his language, that he doesn’t mind the use of sarcasm, and that he doesn’t always pull his punches…

I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! (11:1)

When we read something like this from Paul, we can be sure that he isn’t going to be telling jokes, no, there’s a gut punch coming. He tells the recipients that he had hoped to present the Corinthian church to Christ as a pure bride, but that they, like Eve, had been deceived by serpents. These serpents, however, are entirely human. They, the “super-apostles” were fakes and frauds who all too easily had led them astray.

I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.” I may indeed be untrained as a speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?  (11:5-7)

These three verses are nothing less than fascinating, for we can glean some insight into both the accusations levelled at Paul by the super-apostles, and at the manner in which Paul lived while in Corinth. Paul it would seem, was not a great orator, but unlike his foes, he knew what he was talking about. Paul did not act the “right” way, for he lived in humility, rather than for profit; he didn’t charge a fee to share the gospel. Unlike the people the Corinthians were used to, Paul came to them as a servant, rather than as a master.

That is an interesting bit of insight for us to ponder.

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! (11:8-11)

I would imagine that this bit of text would be rather shaming for the proud Corinthians; the brothers from Macedonia, who were in Paul’s party, took care of all of the expenses, so Paul could serve the Corinthians by teaching them about Christ. Faced with such a loss of face, what would any proud Roman do? Accuse Paul of stealing from the Macedonians, of course. Paul was having none of that as he once again threw it in the faces.

And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (11:12-15)

As we see, Paul isn’t going to change the way he is doing things, and he isn’t going to hold back, comparing his opponents with none other than Satan himself. I doubt there is much for me to add about Paul’s self-explanatory remarks in these verses. However, there is something much closer to home that I should mention. You see, what was going on in Corinth with these opponents and critics of Paul’s was a manifestation of spiritual warfare. Paul makes this clear enough as he makes this comparison of their tactics to those of Satan. Let’s think about it…

Who is the Accuser of our brethren?

It is Satan. These people came along and presented a false gospel together with false accusations based entirely upon a deceitful twisting of the facts about Paul for the sole purpose of discrediting both he, and the gospel of Christ that he preached. Why would they bother? They did it to destroy the Body of Christ. Satan tried to directly destroy the Son of God by scheming to have Him nailed to a cross, but God raised Him from the dead in triumph over sin, death, and Satan himself: Satan cannot defeat the Lord Jesus Christ, and he cannot defeat the Father in heaven, but he can deceive the followers of Christ, His Body the church; at least he tried to.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles stood in his way, but Paul was not backing down, instead, in this section, he doubles down and calls out the deceivers, and by the power of Christ, the deceivers will be overthrown. Yet in another amazing shift, Paul will show us that those who would act as the agents of Satan will be overthrown by weakness, not by brute strength, at least, not Paul’s brute strength.

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Victory!

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Don Merritt

There are days in my life that don’t feel very victorious; how about you?

There are also days when I’m not feeling all that strong or confident in the future; maybe you have those days also.

I’ve lived life long enough to begin to recognize that there’s a pattern to those kinds of feelings and days, for you see those days are days in which I am focused on the things of this world.  OK, nothing crazy here, just ordinary things like the job, the newspaper, the bills, the kids, the leak in the roof, the weeds outside…  No, I don’t feel terribly victorious on those days.

There are other times though, times when the obvious victory causes me not even to notice that other stuff.  These are times when I actually handle the cares of this life better; I get more accomplished and do a better job of it… Maybe you’ve had this experience too.

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

What are the problems of everyday life compared to eternal life?  What are life’s discouragements compared to relationship with the one who conquered death?  What is earthly life as a “slave to the system” compared to life on this earth as a servant of the Most High God?

It’s all a matter of perspective and focus, isn’t it?  Where is my focus today, is it on problems or is it on Jesus?

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Opening Salvo

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Don Merritt

2 Corinthians 10

The first thing we are likely to notice when we turn the page from chapter 9 and start reading chapter 10 is that Paul is no longer talking about giving glory to God by experiencing the blessings of giving. It would be an understatement to say that the switch was abrupt; there is no transition whatsoever.

One thing is clear enough in the first six verses: Somebody has been saying that Paul is much bolder when he writes a letter than he is in person, which could be a serious charge if it is coupled with the accusation that he can’t back up what he writes about when he is challenged. There is an alternative possibility as well; he might not be a natural public speaker, a little shy perhaps.

You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. (10:7-11)

These verses give us a bit more insight into the charges levelled against Paul; his writings are forceful, weighty and seem to contain a little boasting about his authority as an apostle. Come to think of it, he pulled rank a few times in both 1 Corinthians, and earlier is 2 Corinthians, and of course there are at least 2 letters we haven’t seen… Yet in person, he’s “unimpressive”. We have no real way to judge whether or not these apparent allegations are true, but we should be able to see how they might be true. In our time we have social media. Anyone who has had any experience with social media is aware of the fact that people tend to be much more abrasive when typing on a computer at home than they are face-to-face, which is why there are so many more fights on social media than in person.

Back in the days when people wrote letters, the same was true. In fact, don’t some people write a letter or a note, or send a text or email to express something that they would be too uncomfortable saying in person, even an expression of love? Why yes, they do. So, we can see how this charge might have been true, even though we cannot be certain of it.

Having pointed this out, we also know that it is a lot easier to make accusations behind someone’s back than it is to their face.

In 10:12-18, Paul has a charge of his own: His boasting falls within the limits of what he has accomplished in the Lord in his ministry to and for the Corinthians. His boasting speaks to God’s being glorified in their midst, but those who oppose him seem to have the audacity to commend themselves purely by their own standards, not by God’s. They congratulate themselves, they approve of their own actions, while Paul is commended by the Lord and his actions are the Lord’s actions.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (10:18)

As we read through these verses trying to figure out what happened, I’m struck so far with one thing in particular: Over the past two thousand years of human development, nothing much has changed. Humans seem to have a need to criticize others who actually try to do something positive, we want to tear down, to belittle. What’s the point of that?

Maybe Paul will reveal more in chapter 11.

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Entering the Home Stretch

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Don Merritt

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

The final chapter of Philippians is largely personal in nature, and I like to think of it as taking place at a certain stop on a longer journey; Paul is giving some last instructions before heading off, and we are getting set to head off on a different road.  In a way, that’s what was really happening at the time. Paul was going into the final stretch before heading home to glory, but the Philippians still had a long trail ahead before they would attain their reward.

These verses comprise another very memorable bit of advice from Paul, and they are as full of significance today as they were almost 2,000 years ago. As we head off in our journey, Paul reminds us to rejoice in the Lord always.

For emphasis, he repeats his admonition; I can only imagine how that struck the Philippians, aware as they were of Paul’s situation. If Paul can rejoice in his situation, how can we not rejoice in ours?  Then this man who was awaiting the judgment of Caesar that would send him to the executioner’s block tells the Philippians to be sure that their gentleness is evident to all− amazing.

He reminds us that the Lord is near, so we shouldn’t be anxious about anything, and sends us right into His presence as he encourages us to be in prayer. We are to present our prayers and petitions to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God that “transcends all understanding” will guard our hearts and minds.  I just can’t help but think that this would have made a big impression to the Philippians, as it has to so many ever since.

I would like to suggest that we all spend a little time reflecting on these words while remembering the circumstances that Paul found himself in when he penned them, and to ask our Lord to show us where He wants us to go next on our journey through this life.

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A New Section

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Don Merritt

As chapter 10 begins, Paul has started the last section of the letter; it runs through chapter 13. For centuries, scholars have been puzzled by this section, for it really doesn’t seem to fit; this is another section in defense of Paul’s apostolic ministry, but unlike the first section of defense that was based around Paul’s love for the Corinthians, this one adopts a harsh tone, and is laced with sarcasm− why would Paul do that now?

In the past, a great many scholars believed that chapters 10-13 were the contents of Paul’s harsh letter that was referred to back in the beginning of the letter. Yet in more recent times, scholars have mostly moved away from that view in favor of a view that after Paul had sent Titus and the others to Corinth with his letter (chapters 1-9) he received more bad news from Corinth about the same issues as before, became very angry, and then wrote chapters 10-13 as an additional letter.

More recently still, another view has come into vogue, this one originates with experts of Greek literature of the period. In this view, Paul’s earlier defense of his ministry was directed at the majority of the church who were inclined to be most receptive to Paul, as opposed to the outside agitators and the minority of hardline members who were less likely to be receptive. Paul would, in essence, make his peace with the receptive majority, explain himself and set the table to renew his appeal for the offering. With that accomplished, he would then single out the agitators and hard liners and blast them with all guns in a furious broadside to completely discredit them in the eyes of the majority.

So, which of these views is correct?

I can’t say for sure, for the simple reason that we don’t have any clear evidence to support any of these views, other than the fact that right when we come to what should be the end of the letter, the part where we would expect to find Paul’s final greetings, he went off on his opponents. Objectively then, that’s all we can say for certain.

Since I am not an expert on first century Greek literary technique, I really am not in a position to confirm or deny the claims of the most recent theory, but I can tell you that being trained in rhetoric myself, that’s how I would go about it today if I were in Paul’s situation. I would reconcile with the majority who are likely to side with me, and then discredit the opposition; yes, it would be persuasive if done right. The tricky part is to make fools of the opponents without going so far that my allies would be put off.

Did they use the same rhetorical tactics then that we use now?

Sadly, the answer is… sort of.

Since we really can’t be sure, I’ll just leave the “why” open to your interpretation, and deal with the “what” as we go through this rather raucous section.

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Truth

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Don Merritt
OTA 001

Does the truth really count for anything anymore? Does anybody really care, or is the truth just whatever it seems like to me?

Does government tell us the truth about anything, say the economy for instance? How about the news media, are they telling the truth about the stories they report?

Well, I can’t say, for there is clearly enough falsehood flying around out there that when people do tell the truth you really have to wonder…

So, what is truth anyway?

We aren’t the first people to ask this question; in fact, it’s as old as the Scriptures.  It’s a question that Pilate asked Jesus two thousand years ago. (John 18:38) Jesus told Pilate that He “came into the world to testify to the truth.” He also taught us  that He is “The way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

As Christians, there is one thing that we can be certain of: Jesus is Truth; His words are true.  We need to keep this in mind as we see and hear the world around us proclaim “alternate” truths.  If these “truths” are in conflict with the teachings and person of Christ, they are falsehoods. As we listen to newscasts talk about things that are in conflict with what Jesus taught… we know what to conclude.

The truth is that very little in this world is what it appears to be! This is the lesson of Scripture and it is the lesson of history, and it is the first rule of understanding our world.  Jesus Christ is Truth, all else is questionable.

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Where Blessings Abound

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Don Merritt

2 Corinthians 9

In the first 5 verses, Paul wraps up his discussion from chapter 8 about the collection for the church in Jerusalem. In this conclusion, he tells the Corinthians that he has told the people in Macedonia all about their willingness to give, how the Corinthians have assured him that they will be all in when the time comes to produce their contribution to the fund. He gives them a heads up that the men are coming to collect their gift, so they won’t be surprised; so they can be prepared, in other words.

Of course, he did manage to mention how embarrassing it would be if they didn’t come through with their pledge… no pressure or anything.

After this, there is a subtle shift from this specific collection, to a more general theme on giving, one we can all benefit from.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (9:6-8)

Who can argue with any of this?

In my experience, quite a lot of people argue with this. Oh, of course they agree with every word when they’re talking about someone else, but if there is the slightest implication that it might apply to them, they become indignant: “They just want my money”, they say. If you ask me, I’d say that if this is how you feel about it, then you should keep your money; every penny of it.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (9:12-15)

With these verses, Paul makes the whole point of the exercise clear: We are asked to give because we need to give, not because God cannot provide in other ways. As people who have so fully received God’s blessings, doesn’t it follow that we would want to be a blessing to others, particularly to our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we love? Wouldn’t we want to be a blessing to that neighbor of ours whom we love as ourselves?

Wouldn’t we want to bring glory and praise to God through our giving to fill the legitimate needs of others?

Well, if the answer is no, then by all means, keep your money; we’ll pray for you that God will open your eyes to see the blessing you are missing out on.

Yes, I think that about sums up what Paul is saying here, don’t you?

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Exhortations

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Don Merritt

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 3:17-21

Here is the exhortation− Paul is urging the people to follow his example, and the example of others who live as he does.  Because of this, it is quite clear that he is talking about the way we all live; follow the example of the way he and certain others live. This is an important distinction, for many say all of the right things and live quite differently.

Pay careful attention to verses 18 and 19: Many live a different kind of life than Paul does− a life that leads to destruction.  My first question about this would be, “Just exactly who are we talking about?” My first impulse is to assume that he must be talking about unbelievers, to make a distinction between Christians and non-Christians; some might even want to toss in the concept of phony Christians or fake Christians, or Christians who aren’t “really” saved.  I’d prefer to leave that kind of speculation to others; they are probably much smarter than I am if they can make such judgments. I’ll ‘play it safe’ and stick with the context.  Since Paul is sending this message to Christian believers, I must infer that he thinks it is possible for Christians to follow the wrong path, thus the warning; otherwise, the warning is pointless and sent to the wrong people. Are there Christians that we might know of (or be) who live for the things of this world and neglect the heavenly priorities of Christ? If so, we should not follow their example.

Our citizenship is in heaven! Our priorities must be on heavenly things. As citizens of heaven, we must concern ourselves with the mission that Jesus has given us, to love others, to put their interests ahead of our own in true humility, and to share the awesome gospel of Jesus Christ, for this is the way that will lead us to our reward. As it happens, it is also the reason that Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians.

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Grace and Truth

Posted on August 24, 2025 by Don Merritt

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:17

It’s a short little verse really, nice phrasing, sort of a lyrical quality, but it falls within a chapter that is full of profound and quotable verses, so it almost gets overlooked. John had a certain way with words, don’t you think?

I’ve never seen this verse on a bumper sticker or a sign; I’ve not seen it added to a nice picture either, yes maybe it’s overlooked, but consider what it says…

“For the law was given through Moses.” Doesn’t that make the Law sound rather impersonal, a bit like a judge handing down a sentence? “The Law was given,” seems to me almost a scary thing, certainly a difficult thing.

Contrast the law being given with the rest of the verse: “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

The Law Was Given. Grace and truth came… It’s a bit like grace and truth are a person, and they came to pay us a call. Yes, that’s how it strikes me, they came here and sat down at the kitchen table for a visit over a fresh cup of coffee. Yes, grace and truth are so much more personal than “the law was given…”

Now see what happens when we connect this short little verse with the one before it, verse 16:

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:16-17

Law can never do that, but grace can. Jesus Christ brought grace and truth with Him when He came here to pay a visit, and He left His grace and truth behind in abundance! What did the Law ever do for us?

It condemned us.

Grace and Truth bring with it forgiveness from all of the condemnation of the Law, and with that forgiveness it brings eternal life for all who choose to receive it: WOW!

Even more, Jesus is still with us today, through the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Why not pull up a chair, grab a fresh cup and visit with Him again in His grace and truth!

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