Good morning. I'm sure
this does not apply to you. Do not complain against one another, that you
yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
When we complain against someone, we are judging them (that does not mean that you
are incorrect). Remember that it says judge not lest you be judged. Then he
mentions as examples of suffering and patience, the prophets who spoke in the
name of the Lord. They endured a lot and are blessed. He then talks about the
endurance of Job and the outcome of the Lord's dealings – He is full of
compassion and merciful. Then some favorite verses: is anyone among you
suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone
among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer
offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him
up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Of course, the
elders cannot anoint you, if you do not call them. As you know, the oil is not
what heals the person - it is just a point of contact to release faith. Father
thank You that the reader is completely whole. He/she is cheerful and sings
praises to You constantly.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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