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Plato

3 sermons · All people cited

May 15, 2022

The Ministry of Paul in Corinth

Jim ButlerActs 18:1–11

What does faithful gospel ministry look like when met with sustained opposition, rejection, and fear? Expounding Acts 18:1–11 within Paul's second missionary journey, this sermon traces four movements: Paul's strategic arrival in Corinth, his testimony in the synagogue, the fierce Jewish opposition and his response, and the Lord's night vision that commands him to speak because God already has a people in the city. The sermon argues that sovereign election and human culpability stand together — the God who predestines the elect also holds every rejector accountable for his own blood. A closing application presses believers toward faithful gospel proclamation, the planting of churches, and the catechesis of covenant children as genuine instruments of the effectual call.

Jul 13, 2014

The Duties of Slaves

Jim Butler1 Timothy 6:1–2

What does God require of those under the authority of others, and what is ultimately at stake in how they fulfill that duty? Expounding 1 Timothy 6:1–2, this sermon examines the apostle Paul's instructions to Christian slaves — both those under unbelieving masters and those under believing masters — showing that faithful, diligent service is grounded not in pragmatics but in theology proper: the name and doctrine of God must not be blasphemed. The sermon draws out implications for the Decalogue, for the employer-employee relationship, and closes with the warning that all who are outside of Christ, whatever their outward condition, remain slaves to sin — and that only Christ can make a person truly free.

Audio
Jul 24, 2013

2LCF Chapter 1 - Of the Holy Scriptures, Part 2

Jim Butler2 Timothy 3:16–17

What does it mean to interpret Scripture rightly, and why does it matter? This Bible study exposition of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (part 2) builds on the prior week's treatment of the doctrine of Scripture to address the discipline of hermeneutics — the principles, laws, and methods of biblical interpretation. Eight basic principles are set forth: Scripture's interpretation is a spiritual exercise requiring Spirit-dependent prayer; the text's meaning is objective, not reader-relative; the grammatical-historical method governs exegesis; context is paramount; Scripture is its own best interpreter; literary genre must be recognized; the relationship between the Old and New Testaments must be understood; and the interpreter is not alone but stands within the community of the church's gifted teachers across the centuries. The governing application is that every believer, not merely the ordained minister, must handle the Word of God accurately rather than twisting it to suit preferred meanings.