David Pawson - ’Unlocking the Bible’ Podcast

Timothy and Titus - part 1 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 81 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson begins by explaining why these letters to Timothy & Titus differ from others by Paul. Paul wrote from the condemned cell; he is older and so were the churches. We learn more about Paul from these than any other letters. We see both the pattern and the purpose of Paul’s life. Though trinitarian, Paul has God in priority position. David Pawson objects to these being called the pastoral epistles because they don’t have all the instructions needed for pastors. Rather than dealing with how to run the internal matters of a church, Paul here focuses on the external responsibilities. Paul’s method of follow-up was three-fold – a second visit, or a letter or he sent one of his team back to do the follow-up. David shows that Timothy & Titus were not sent to be pastors but rather troubleshooters. He sees the two as ‘timid Timothy’ and ‘tough Titus’ as Paul spoke differently to them.  He also says that there is danger in one-man ministries and apostles need to plant a church, reach the point where it has elders and deacons, and leave it. His work there is done. David discusses the process of salvation, the need to persevere.

Timothy and Titus - part 2 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 82 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says, though these letters were addressed to individuals, they were all about the churches they were trying to help, and these were quite different. Titus, in Crete, had the task of appointing elders and Paul’s concern was about the quality of membership there; whereas in Ephesus, the membership was good but they had the wrong elders and Timothy was given the task of replacing them with the right men. The important thing at the beginning of a fellowship is to have quality leadership and membership before numbers expand. David says that confrontation is an important part of church leadership. If you neglect a problem, it just gets worse. Ultimately, the best safeguard of a church is constant good teaching. With the Spirit and the Word of God, you grow up. With a plurality of leaders, they will contribute more strengths and balance each other out much better, whereas one man will communicate his own strengths and weaknesses to the church he leads because people do follow unconsciously a leader’s manner of living, rather than what he says. Character is of prime importance. This teaching can help us in choosing those to serve our churches.

Hebrews - part 1 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 83 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that Hebrews is a very ‘Jewish’ letter and is appreciated by Jewish readers whereas Gentiles need familiarity with the Old Testament scriptures. It relates our Christian faith to the ritual of the temple in the old days. David says it throws new light on Jesus that no other writer of the New Testament does. A key word is ‘better’ – Jesus is better than… the prophets, the angels, the ancient leaders, the priests. While there is a continuity of faith from the Old Covenant to the New, the substance is better than the shadow. In the Old Testament they had a lot of foreshadowing of Jesus but now they had the real thing. We do not know who the author is, but David thinks it was sent to the Jewish half of the church in Rome at the time of Nero. They were suffering persecution as Christianity was at that time illegal and this drove some believers back to the synagogue where they would have to deny Jesus. David believes this was the catalyst for the letter to encourage them to hold on to their salvation and to go forward. It’s very encouraging while being severe.     

Hebrews - part 2 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 84 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says there are problems in the Bible when you don’t understand, and there are problems when you do understand but it doesn’t fit with your previous notions. He examines those passages which trouble some readers. One refers to the possibility of losing the salvation which once we have had. David explains this very clearly, giving evidence from other books of the Bible as well. It is important that we grasp the truth – that we can have assurance that we are on the way of salvation, but it is not a guarantee that we cannot turn away into deliberate sin and lose that salvation. This truth runs right through the New Testament, including on the lips of Jesus. Hebrews tells us the relationship between the Old and New Testaments; it keeps our eyes on Jesus; it is faith building; it warns us of the dangers of backsliding; and it emphasizes being an active member of the church.

James - part 1 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 85 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that James is concerned with practical Christianity. James is not hugely on doctrine or belief, but on behaviour which is a vital dimension to Christianity. The keyword is ‘do’. David points out that ‘do’ is a keyword to the entire Bible. Though it is well written, James is not a structured book and David describes it as ‘pearls of wisdom that haven’t been strung.’ The author was the half-brother of Jesus. David reveals two nicknames used of James which give us an insight into his character. The letter was written to help Jews understand how to behave toward Gentiles.

James - part 2 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 86 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that, although written to dispersed Jews, the book of James is very applicable to Christians today. It is a very practical word for our everyday lives. James was not focusing on doctrine or faith but was giving Christian advice to counter poor attitudes. As many of his readers were businesspeople intent on money making, James warns against neglecting God and the poor. He covers greed, envy, selfish ambition, pride, boasting, presumption, impatience, anger,  arguments, gossip and litigation. If you’re not careful, money comes in and God goes out. James says we need to be alongside people but not to be infected by worldly attitudes. He encourages joy in the face of testing. He shows that we can get wisdom from above right away by asking for it without double mindedness, without doubting. This is a very helpful book though some find it objectionable that it focusses on human activity, but David points out that James’ reason for writing explains why this is so. “Legalism says we’re saved by our good deeds; license says we’re saved without good deeds; but liberty says we’re saved for good deeds.”

Peter - part 1 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 87 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says that 1 Peter is relevant wherever Christians are fearful of persecution. Peter tells believers how to endure for Jesus. So we need this letter today. It is warm and encouraging. Peter had known what it was to fear threat, now he knew how to face it without fear. Jesus had reinstated him after his betrayal of Jesus because Peter still loved him. Now he wanted to encourage others. He had gone from timid to bold with the filling of the Holy Spirit. In this letter, suffering is one theme, submission to it is another and salvation is the third theme. (He lived up to his own advice when he was finally crucified himself, asking to be crucified upside down.) Peter urged his readers to be sure of their salvation as it was their firm foundation, but also to stick together to encourage each other in the face of trials. He speaks of their ‘living hope’. Like Paul, he emphasizes faith, hope and love, as well as the priesthood of all believers, and that we believers are a holy nation.  

Peter - part 2 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 88 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson shows that Peter is teaching what various aspects of true submission are. He also gives advice to wives to win their unbelieving husbands. David sees that Peter is advising his readers on good attitudes which will stand them in good stead when severe persecution comes.  David quotes a friend: ‘If you are faithful in the little battles now, he will give you the grace when the big crunch comes.’ Peter reveals what Jesus did while his body was in the tomb. While the first letter is preparing the people for persecution from outside the church, the second letter of Peter emphasizes dangers within the church. When life is easy, people become materialistic but under persecution the church grows. Heresy is a subtle pressure. David says there were four symptoms of disease within the church: A corrupt Creed – their beliefs were being changed. Corrupt Conduct as a result of the first. Corrupt Character so that they became ‘more animal than human’, operating by base instincts – greedy and lustful. Corrupt Conversation – grumbling, rebellion. Peter shows how to grow in character and maturity.

Paul and His Letters - Unlocking The Bible

Part 89 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson looks at Paul and how he came to write his letters. Over a third of the New Testament focusses on him. “He’s had greater influence on… Europe than any other man.” He had 3 major influences on his life – his Jewish parentage, the Greek language because he came from Tarsus, and his Roman citizenship which gave him certain privileges. He was a missionary before his conversion – but on the wrong side. He had a personal encounter with Jesus (after his ascension) which began his conversion and was his call to evangelize the Gentiles. It was 13 years of preparation before he set off on that mission and he travelled first with Barnabas as his work partner. Most of Paul’s letters are written to churches around the Aegean Sea. His strategy was to plant a community of the Kingdom in every key city and then move on, leaving the church to evangelize their district. In the course of his travels he suffered much – shipwreck, flogging, jail, stoning, hunger as well as the care of the churches. He revisited churches as well as writing to them to encourage, teach and rebuke. A man of dedication and zeal, prayer, compassion and tears who was overwhelmed by God’s grace. These letters have become the Word of God.

The Letters of John - part 1 - Unlocking The Bible

Part 90 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson says the letters of John are grandfatherly letters because John was an old man - and the only apostle to die of old age. John sees things as black or white. It’s in contrast to the relativism which has swept across the world in modern times. He seeks to ensure that his readers’ joy may be full, that they may be living blameless lives, that they may be safe from the wiles of the Devil and that they may have assurance. David puts John’s aims this way: To Promote Harmony; to Produce Happiness; to Protect Holiness; to Prevent Heresy – (David says “we have to be on constant guard against it”) - and to Provide Hope. The arrangement of John’s teaching is characteristic of Jewish Rabbis’ manner, not analytical but unstructured wisdom. The heresy of the time came from Greek philosophy which separated physical and spiritual, secular and sacred, temporal and eternal – and gave the impression that anything physical was dirty. They could not see that God could really become man. David says when we come to Christ, only our past sins are forgiven at that time. Future sins must be dealt with as they happen. This is a very important study for all.