Showing results by author "C. O. Bishop" in All Categories

The Book of Ephesians (The Apostle Paul's letter to the Church at Ephesus) is one of the richest of the "small" epistles: It is a complete "Nuts and bolts" treatise on how we are to live, as believers in Jesus Christ. This commentary takes the book, passage by passage, verse by verse, and "unpacks" the book, so as to encourage meditation of the meaning and application of the truth to the believer's life. The epistle is treated as being the inspired Word of God, not just a "Handy Guide to Christian Living." It is written at a popular level, intended to be very readable and in plain language,...

What happens when a dream turns out to not be a dream? What happens when you wake up and have no idea where you are, nor how you got there? And, when it turns out that there are enemies hunting for you, you have no way to escape, and all your resources have been cut off? When all of this happens to a retiree, already bereaved of his wife, cutting him off from all that he has saved and prepared, can his old skills and old technology suffice? Will he have the courage to survive and start over? This is the first in the Sleepwalker Series: “The Flight of the White Owl”

The Book of Hebrews is one of the most difficult and most delightful books in the New Testament, especially for Gentile readers, as it is primarily addressed to the Hebrew professing believers. It dips deeply into Old Testament history, and it makes seven comparisons between important Old Testament Persons, Practices, or Things, and in every case, proves Jesus to be superior in every way. Because it deals with Old Testament truth, it is easy to misunderstand. We need to pay careful attention, to see what it actually says, and not misunderstand. As we learn what the book actually teaches, it...

First and Second Peter are the twin Epistles written by the Apostle Peter. They are filled with "heavy doctrine" which Peter was given by revelation, confirming all that Jesus had taught him in Person. Remember that the writer was Peter, but the Author is God. If we imagine carrying feed to a flock, Peter was just the fellow delivering the food. God provided that food. Remember that, as in the other Epistles, this is God's letter to You. There are portions that are of specific interest to Jewish believers and warnings regarding those that will attempt to corrupt the Church. False Teachers ...

The books of 1st & 2nd Thessalonians were originally letters from the Apostle Paul to the young church at Thessalonica. He had been forced to leave there after only three weeks of teaching, by the riotous response of the unbelieving Jews in the city. He wrote these letters to help stabilize them in their newfound faith and to teach them how to walk with Christ. These two letters are just as valuable to us, as believers today, as they were to those to whom he wrote them, nearly 2000 years ago.

This book is a verse-by-verse (and idea by idea) expository commentary on the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Galatian Churches. It is intended to be both a teaching commentary and a practical responsem encouraging personal application. The original manuscript, though addressed to a widely spread group of churches, was intended to be taken personally, as are the rest of the scriptures. My hope is that this small book will provide foundational teaching to understanding the Bible as God's Word.

Ministerial training and expectations can be “all over the scale” from entertainment to psychoanalysis to financial planning and professional-level salesmanship. But not one of these things is on “God’s List.” God’s primary title for the men he calls “elders, overseers, bishops, presbyters, pastors and shepherds” is…Shepherds, as that is what they are called to do: Shepherd the Flock of God. God lays out the “Job description” in several places in the scriptures, as well as the prerequisites, qualifications, and character requirements. Jesus, God in the Flesh, who is ...

“A Layman’s Look at Genesis” is an attempt to see Jesus as revealed in the Old Testament, particularly in the “Book of Beginnings,” Genesis. The Book of Genesis is the book of foundations. It tells us more about who God is (His identity,) and what God is like (His attributes,) than any other similar section of the Bible. In Luke 24:25-27, we can see that Jesus taught the Old Testament this way to His disciples. We would do well to emulate Him in this manner.

The Epistle of James is an eminently practical book: It is geared toward the concept of how a believer’s faith should change his or her own life, and how it should affect his or her relationships with other people, whether other believers or the unbelievers in the world. The central theme of the book is “Practical Holiness:” It means "putting shoe leather” on your faith. It warns of the effect it will have on other people when we fail to live out that “Practical Holiness.” James also spells out how to recognize God’s wisdom, and how to spot wisdom that does not come from God. ...

The Book of Romans is sometimes called the "Gospel of God's Grace" because that is the central theme: It gives the entire message, (bad news and good news) and explains where we stand with God, in our natural state, how we got there, and what God has done about it. Then it explains what we can do to lay hold of God's Gift of salvation, His gift of eternal life. Finally, it explains all about our new standing with God, and how we are to respond to that new status. This is probably the most fundamental book in the New Testament, in terms of gaining an understanding of the whole counsel of God...

Discipleship is God’s plan of Evangelism. God has called His people (all of them) to be disciples and to make disciples. Those twin tasks are to be integral parts of the “Christian Life” for all believers. We need first to understand “what a disciple is,” then, “what is required in being a disciple,” and finally, “what is involved in making disciples.” This book is an attempt to carefully describe the call to discipleship, as well as the call to make disciples, and how to respond to both. It is designed to be a practical book, not just a scholarly, theoretical treatise. ...

Paul's Epistle to the Church at Philippi is unusual, in that it has no rebuke, no word of correction or reproach. This Church was spiritually in very good shape (though poverty-stricken, in material things) and doing exactly as it was supposed to do. Further, these were Paul's closest friends, and the only church to consistently support his ministry. These facts work together to create a very warm, tender letter, from the Apostle Paul to a church he had planted in Philippi. When we read carefully, and realize that the letter is also addressed to believers today, as well as those in that ...

The Epistle of Paul to the Church at Colosse emphasizes the fuless and sufficiency of Christ, and the dact that the believer is "complete" in Christ. The believer has entered into a relationship with Christ through Faith, and is encourageds to "walk in Him" by the same means. Such a relationship affects the whole person, and all his or her relationships. The entire book builds on the central relationship with Christ Himself, and how it extends into all our human relationships. The Book is addressed to all believers. We are to take it personally, and study it with the express purpose of ...