Not Driven by Appetite or Money: 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Part 4
What is the main virtue displayed by elders in the church? Self-control. They are not ruled by anything other than God and his word.
Nov 26, 2024
Look at the Book
Look at the Book is John Piper's ongoing series of 8-12 minute videos to help you learn to read the Bible for yourself.
Episodes
Irreproachable and Husband of One Wife: 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Part 3
Any man who would be a leader in Christ’s church must be above reproach. But what does “above reproach” mean?
Nov 23, 2024
What Kind of Desire Leads to Godly Leadership? 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Part 2
What kind of desire sends men into ministry and keeps them there? Durable desire, servant-hearted desire, holy desire, informed desire, mature desire.
Nov 19, 2024
Pastors Are Doing a Worthy Work: 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Part 1
Do you honor your pastors? If they are doing what God calls them to do, they are doing good work, worthy work, work you should be thankful for.
Nov 16, 2024
The Woman Shall Be Saved Through Childbearing: 1 Timothy 2:11–15, Part 3
When Paul says women “will be saved through childbearing,” what does he mean?
Nov 12, 2024
How Paul Roots a Woman’s Submission in Creation: 1 Timothy 2:11–15, Part 2
The God-appointed callings of men and women are not arbitrary. They find their foundation in the very beginning, grounded in how God created us.
Nov 09, 2024
‘I Do Not Permit a Woman to Teach’: 1 Timothy 2:11–15, Part 1
When Paul encourages women to be quiet, what does he mean? Not total silence, but the kind of submissive speech that does not contradict the calling of men to lead.
Nov 05, 2024
What Should Women Wear? 1 Timothy 2:8–10, Part 2
When we dress to get attention, we signal our neediness. But the godly have their deepest needs already met, and they dress accordingly.
Nov 02, 2024
Holy Men, Modest Women: 1 Timothy 2:8–10, Part 1
Men and women may wrestle with different kinds of temptations, but the end goal for both remains the same: holiness adorned with good works.
Oct 29, 2024
Paul, a Teacher of the Nations: 1 Timothy 2:5–7, Part 2
Why did God appoint Paul to be a herald, an apostle, and a teacher? So that the offer of Christ’s ransom might be taken to the ends of the earth.
Oct 26, 2024
One God, One Mediator, One Ransom for All: 1 Timothy 2:5–7, Part 1
In what sense is Jesus the ransom “for all,” as Paul says, if many are never reconciled to God?
Oct 22, 2024
If God Desires All to Be Saved, Why Aren’t They? 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Part 5
If God desires all to be saved, but many are not saved, does God have a deeper desire that governs his desire for universal salvation?
Oct 19, 2024
What Does It Mean to Be Godly and Dignified? 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Part 4
What does a life of godliness and dignity look like? Such a life is marked by God-directed reverence, serious joy grounded in weighty truth, and settled maturity.
Oct 15, 2024
How Should We Pray for Rulers? 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Part 3
Paul encourages Christians to pray for kings and rulers, but to what end? What should we ask God to do in and through those who hold power?
Oct 12, 2024
Should Exiles Pray for the King? 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Part 2
In this world, Christians live as sojourners and exiles, citizens of heaven under the lordship of Christ. So, how should we relate to earthly rulers?
Oct 08, 2024
Start with God, Stay with God: 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Part 1
Our prayers should exclude no one. Kings and laymen, enemies and friends, rich and needy, wicked and righteous, near and far — we should pray for all kinds of people.
Oct 05, 2024
How Satan Saves Sinners: 1 Timothy 1:18–20, Part 4
In the sovereignty of God, even Satan can serve as a means of sanctification. But when is it right to surrender egregious sinners into his hand?
Oct 01, 2024
How Does Rejecting Conscience Wreck Faith? 1 Timothy 1:18–20, Part 3
When someone silences the voice of conscience and repeatedly prefers sin over the glory of the blessed God, faith ends up shipwrecked.
Sep 28, 2024
Pastor, Soldier, Athlete, Farmer, Manager: 1 Timothy 1:18–20, Part 2
What images does the New Testament use to depict leaders in the church? Paul gives us several in the Pastoral Epistles, and they are all needed.
Sep 24, 2024
Wage War by Faith and a Good Conscience: 1 Timothy 1:18–20, Part 1
When Paul talks about waging the good warfare, what does he mean? Where is the battle — and who are the combatants?
Sep 21, 2024
Why Paul Soars into Doxology: 1 Timothy 1:17
Paul handles glories all the time, touching majesty in almost every line. Yet what kind of reality compels Paul into a soaring doxology? Eternal life.
Sep 17, 2024
Why Did God Allow Paul to Become a Persecutor? 1 Timothy 1:12–16, Part 4
Why did God allow Paul, whom he would later call as an apostle, to become a Christ-persecutor and Christian-killer first?
Sep 14, 2024
Faith and Love Are the Overflow of Grace: 1 Timothy 1:12–16, Part 3
By his grace, God unites believers with Christ, and from that vital union, the Christian life of faith and love flows forth.
Sep 10, 2024
Do Ignorance and Unbelief Deserve Mercy? 1 Timothy 1:12–16, Part 2
Paul says that he received mercy because he “acted ignorantly in unbelief.” What does that mean? Did Paul’s ignorance merit God’s mercy?
Sep 07, 2024
Was Paul Found Faithful or Made Faithful? 1 Timothy 1:12–16, Part 1
We live the Christian life in the strength of another. When we believe, Christ not only saves us but also empowers us for fruitful labor.
Sep 03, 2024
What Difference Does God’s Happiness Make? 1 Timothy 1:8–11, Part 3
The happiness of the triune God beats at the very heart of reality: the Father has always delighted in the Son by the Spirit. All Christian joy finds its wellspring here.
Aug 30, 2024
What Is Healthy Teaching? 1 Timothy 1:8–11, Part 2
What is healthy teaching? Teaching that fits with the gospel, agrees with the words of Jesus, and promotes the hearers’ godliness.
Aug 27, 2024
How Did the False Teachers Misuse the Law? 1 Timothy 1:8–11, Part 1
God’s old-covenant law is good, but it can be applied in bad ways — such as by demanding that those justified by faith in Christ must keep it.
Aug 25, 2024
Where Does Empty Talk Come From? 1 Timothy 1:5–7
What does the state of our heart have to do with the content of our speech? Everything.
Aug 23, 2024
God’s Household Plan for His Church: 1 Timothy 1:3–5, Part 2
In his word, God has laid out his household plan, which aims to cultivate love, faith, and purity in his people. Do you know what that plan is?
Aug 20, 2024