by Jonn Claybaugh | Dec 19, 2023 |
Revelation 15-22 A Preview As always, the chapter headings are of great help, but here is an even more succinct overview of these chapters: the righteous gather and praise God the wicked, being spread throughout the world, suffer plagues and destruction Armageddon the...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Dec 5, 2023 |
Revelation 6-7 The Opening of the Seals We now move into the next portion of John’s visions. A significant help for understanding comes from two of Joseph Smith’s questions about the book of Revelation—and the Lord’s answers—as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Nov 21, 2023 |
1 John 1-2 To Know Jesus The three epistles of John are considered to be the last of the New Testament writings; having been penned by the apostle John the Beloved in about 90-110 AD. John may have been serving at the time as the equivalent of today’s President of the...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Nov 7, 2023 |
James 1 “Pure Religion” This is the James who was the half-brother of Jesus; being the son of Joseph and Mary (see Matthew 13:55). He was converted after the death of Jesus (see John 7:2-5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 2:9). The date of this epistle is...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Oct 24, 2023 |
Hebrews 1 The Father and the Son The epistle of Hebrews is a treasure, in which we find Paul at his theological best—bearing powerful witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ (look for special names and titles of Christ), of the priesthood of God, and of other great...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Oct 10, 2023 |
1 Thessalonians 1-3 Missionaries and Their Converts Thessalonica is in northern Greece. This epistle is thought to be the earliest-written of Paul’s New Testament epistles, having been written in about 50 A.D. from Athens (or perhaps Corinth). Again, Paul begins with...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Sep 26, 2023 |
Ephesians 1-2 Chosen Before the Foundation of the World Ephesus is on the west coast of Turkey, and its ruins are considered one of the largest and most treasured archaeological sites in the world. Paul wrote this epistle to church members there—being mostly gentile...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Sep 12, 2023 |
2 Corinthians 8-9 Giving to Those in Need In 8:1-5 Paul is telling the Saints in Corinth about the generous charitable giving of the church members in Macedonia (the northern part of Greece; see also 2 Corinthians 11:9). This was in spite of the Macedonians’ enduring...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Aug 29, 2023 |
1 Corinthians 14 More on Spiritual Gifts Read verses 1-3, 6-9, 12, 19, 40, looking for additional teachings and counsel from Paul in relation to the gifts of the Spirit and our behavior and interactions with others. Which of these verses stand out most for you, and...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Aug 15, 2023 |
1 Corinthians 1 “We Preach Christ” Corinth (in modern-day Greece) was known as a wicked place in Paul’s day, yet during his second missionary journey he had great success there, bringing many into the church (he had previously been rejected in Athens, about 40 miles...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Dec 12, 2023 |
A King Is Born What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Christmas”? Consider the following: The birth of Jesus Christ was celebrated by a small group of people on earth, escaping the attention of all others. Yet His birth had been...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Nov 28, 2023 |
The Book of Revelation Introduction The following can assist in your study: The book of Revelation contains an account of a vision given to the Apostle John the Beloved, during his time as an exile on the Isle of Patmos (in the Mediterranean). The book is thought by...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Nov 14, 2023 |
1 Peter 1 Holding onto Faith The Prophet Joseph Smith declared that “Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles” (History of the Church, 5:392). Peter was serving as the equivalent to today’s president of the church, and wrote this epistle in about...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Oct 31, 2023 |
Hebrews 7-8 “A More Excellent Ministry” Chapters 7-10 form a wonderful treatise regarding the Savior Jesus Christ and the higher priesthood and law. Note the following regarding chapters 7-8: What significant things did Paul teach about Melchizedek, in Hebrews 7:1-2,...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Oct 17, 2023 |
1 Timothy 1 “No Other Doctrine” Apostasy was becoming more widespread and Paul was fulfilling his apostolic role in ministering to and strengthening church members. This epistle was written in about 65 A.D., between Paul’s first and second Roman imprisonments....
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Oct 3, 2023 |
Philippians 1 “To Speak the Word without Fear” Philippi is in northeast Greece, and was the first branch of the church in Europe. The epistle was written in about 60 A.D., from prison in Rome. One Bible commentary says that Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is “the...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Sep 19, 2023 |
Galatians 1 “So Soon Removed” Why do some who join the LDS Church later turn away? How do you maintain your own faith and obedience? How can you help those who struggle spiritually? Paul wrote this epistle to church members in Galatia (in today’s middle Turkey) in...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Sep 5, 2023 |
2 Corinthians 1-2 “Comforted of God” This epistle was written by Paul in about 58 AD, about a year after writing 1 Corinthians and near the end of his third missionary journey. In the first verse Paul includes Timothy as sending his greetings and perhaps as a...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Aug 22, 2023 |
1 Corinthians 8 “God, the Father” The more we learn about Paul’s world, the more we see ourselves in it. For example, in what ways could you apply verses 1-2 to circumstances in our day? Paul’s teachings in verse 5 are confirmed true by this statement from the Prophet...
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by Jonn Claybaugh | Aug 8, 2023 |
Romans 7-8 Old versus New In Ether 12:11 we read, “Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way.” It is clear throughout Paul’s epistles that the transition from the law of Moses (which many were not...
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