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Theology of Work Bible Commentary
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Theology of Work Bible Commentary
- Genesis through Deuteronomy
- Introduction to Genesis 1-11
- God Brings the Material World into Being (Genesis 1:2)
- God’s Creation Takes Work (Genesis 1:3-25; 2:7)
- Creation Is of God, but Is Not Identical with God (Genesis 1:11)
- God Sees that His Work Is Good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)
- God Works Relationally (Genesis 1:26a)
- God Limits His Work, Resting on the Seventh Day (Genesis 2:1-3)
- People are Created in God’s Image (Genesis 1:26, 27; 5:1)
- Dominion (Genesis 1:26; 2:5)
- Relationships (Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 21-25)
- Fruitfulness/Growth (Genesis 1:28; 2:15, 19-20)
- God equips people to bear fruit and multiply (Genesis 2:15, 19-20)
- Provision (Genesis 1:29-30; 2:8-14)
- God Sets Limits (Genesis 2:3; 2:17)
- The Work of the “Creation Mandate” (Genesis 1:28, 2:15)
- People Fall into Sin in Work (Genesis 3:1-24)
- The First Murder (Genesis 4:1-25)
- God Calls Noah and Creates a New World (Genesis 6:9-8:19)
- God’s Covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:1-19)
- Noah’s Fall (Genesis 9:20-29)
- Noah’s Descendants and the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:1-11:32)
- Introduction to Genesis 12-50 and Work
- Abraham’s Faithfulness Contrasted with the Faithlessness of Babel (Genesis 12:1-3)
- The Pastoral Lifestyle of Abraham and his Family (Genesis 12:4-7)
- Abraham’s Journey Begins with Disaster in Egypt (Genesis 12:8-13:2)
- Abraham and Lot Parted: Abraham’s Generosity (Genesis 13:3-18)
- Abraham and Sarah’s Hospitality (Genesis 18:1-15)
- Abraham’s Dispute with Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-16; 21:22-34)
- A Burial Plot for Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20)
- Isaac (Genesis 21:1-35:29)
- Jacob (Genesis 25:19-49:33)
- Jacob’s Unethical Procurement of Esau’s Birthright and Blessing (Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34-28:9)
- Jacob Gains His Fortune (Genesis 30-31)
- Jacob’s Transformation and Reconciliation with Esau (Genesis 32-33)
- Joseph Rejected and Sold into Slavery by His Brothers (Genesis 37:2-36)
- The Schemes of Potiphar’s Wife and Joseph’s Imprisonment (Genesis 39:1-20)
- Joseph’s Interpretation of Dreams in Prison (Genesis 39:20-40:23)
- Joseph’s Promotion by Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-45)
- Joseph Creates a Long-term Agricultural Policy and Infrastructure (Genesis 41:46-57)
- Joseph Relieves the Poverty of Egypt’s People (Genesis 47:13-26)
- Applications from Joseph’s Management Experience (Genesis 41:46-57; 47:13-26)
- Joseph’s Dealings with His Brothers (Genesis 42-43)
- Judah’s Transformation to a Man of God (Genesis 44:1-45:15)
- Jacob’s family’s move to Egypt (Genesis 45:16-47:12)
- God Meant All for Good (Genesis 50:15-21)
- Introduction to Exodus
- The Harshness of the Israelites’ Slave Labor in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14)
- The Work of Midwifery and Mothering (Exodus 1:15-2:10)
- God’s Call to Moses (Exodus 2:11-3:22)
- God’s Work of Redemption for Israel (Exodus 5:1-6:28)
- Moses and Aaron Announce God’s Judgment to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1-12:51)
- The Work of Justice among the People of Israel (Exodus 18:1-27)
- The Meaning of Law in Exodus (Exodus 19:1-24:18)
- The Role of the Law for Christians (Exodus 20:1-24:18)
- The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
- “You Shall Have No Other Gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)
- “You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol” (Exodus 20:4)
- “You Shall Not Make Wrongful Use of the Name of the LORD Your God” (Exodus 20:7)
- Remember the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy. Six Days You Shall Labor (Exodus 20:8-11)
- “Honor Your Father and Your Mother” (Exodus 20:12)
- “You Shall Not Murder” (Exodus 20:13)
- “You Shall Not Commit Adultery” (Exodus 20:14)
- “You Shall Not Steal” (Exodus 20:15)
- “You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor” (Exodus 20:16)
- “You Shall Not Covet … Anything That Belongs to Your Neighbor” (Exodus 20:17)
- Slavery or Indentured Servitude (Exodus 21:1-11)
- Commercial Restitution and lex talionis (Exodus 21:18-22:15)
- Productive Opportunities for the Poor - Gleaning (Exodus 22:21-27 & 23:10-11)
- Lending and Collateral (Exodus 22:25-27)
- The Tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-40:38)
- Introduction—Does Leviticus Have Anything to Tell Us about Our Work?
- Israel’s Sacrificial System (Leviticus 1-10)
- The Significance of the Guilt Offering (Leviticus 6:1-7)
- The Permissibility of Eating Particular Animals (Leviticus 11)
- Dealing with Skin Diseases and Mold Infections (Leviticus 13-14)
- Gleaning (Leviticus 19:9-10)
- Behaving Honestly (Leviticus 19:11-12)
- Treating Workers Fairly (Leviticus 19:13)
- Rights of People with Disabilities (Leviticus 19:14)
- Doing Justice (Leviticus 19:15-16)
- Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself (Leviticus 19:17-18)
- Who is My Neighbor? (Leviticus 19:33-34)
- Trading Fairly (Leviticus 19:35-36)
- The Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25)
- Introduction to Numbers
- God Numbers and Orders the Nation of Israel (Numbers 1:1-2:34)
- The Levites and the Work of God (Numbers 3-8)
- Offering God the Products of Our Work (Numbers 4 and 7)
- Repentance, Restitution and Reconciliation (Numbers 5:5-10)
- Aaron’s Blessing for the People (Numbers 6:22–27)
- Retirement from Regular Service (Numbers 8:23-26)
- The Challenge to Moses’ Authority (Numbers 12)
- When Leadership Leads to Unpopularity (Numbers 13 and 14)
- Offering God our First Fruits (Numbers 15:20-21; 18:12-18)
- Reminders of the Covenant (Numbers 15:37-41)
- Moses’ Unfaithfulness at Meribah (Numbers 20:2-13)
- When God Speaks through Unexpected Sources (Numbers 22-24)
- Land Ownership and Property Rights (Numbers 26-27; 36:1-12)
- Succession Planning (Numbers 27:12-23)
- Daily Offering: Praying for Others (Numbers 28 and 29)
- Honoring Commitments (Numbers 30)
- Civic Planning for Levitical Towns (Numbers 35:1-5)
- Introduction to Deuteronomy
- Israel Refuses to Enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:19-45)
- When Success Leads to Complacency (Deuteronomy 4:25-40)
- The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-21)
- “You Shall Nave No Other Gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7)
- “You Shall Not Make for Yourself an Idol” (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8)
- “You Shall Not Make Wrongful Use of the Name of the LORD Your God” (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11)
- “Observe the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy” (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12)
- The Sabbath and the Work We Do (Deuteronomy 5:13)
- “Honor Your Father and Your Mother” (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16)
- “You Shall Not Murder” (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17)
- “You Shall Not Commit Adultery” (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18)
- “You Shall Not Steal” (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19)
- “You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor” (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20)
- “You Shall Not Covet … Anything That Belongs to Your Neighbor” (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21)
- Statues and Ordinances (Deuteronomy 4:44-28:68)
- The Blessings of Obeying God’s Covenant (Deuteronomy 7:12-15; 28:2-12)
- The Dangers of Prosperity (Deuteronomy 8:11-20)
- Generosity and God’s Blessing (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
- Slavery (Deuteronomy 15:12-18)
- Bribery and Corruption (Deuteronomy 16:18-20)
- Obeying Decisions of Courts of Law (Deuteronomy 17:8-13)
- Using Governmental Authority Justly (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)
- Employing Assets for the Common Good (Deuteronomy 23:1-24:13)
- Economic Justice (Deuteronomy 24:14-15; 25:19; 27:17-25)
- Moses’ Final Appeal for Obedience to God (Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20)
- Succession Planning (Deuteronomy 31:1-32:47)
- Joshua through Song of Songs
- Introduction to Joshua and Judges
- Joshua (Joshua 1)
- The Land (Joshua 2-12)
- Working the Land (Joshua 5)
- Conquering the Land - Does God Endorse Conquest? (Joshua 6-12)
- Remembering God’s Presence in the Land (Joshua 4:1-9)
- Coordination (Joshua 13-22)
- Covenant: Israel Makes a Commitment (Joshua 23-24)
- Failing the Driving (Out) Test: Israel’s Idolatry (Judges 1-2)
- Deborah (Judges 4-5)
- The Economic Effects of War (Judges 6:1-11)
- Past Success Doesn’t Ensure the Future - Gideon’s Ambivalent Leadership (Judges 6:12 – 8:35)
- The Judges’ Failure of Leadership (Judges 9-16)
- The prosperity gospel unmasked in early form (Judges 17)
- Human depravity and the complicity of religious authorities unveiled (Judges 18-21)
- Introduction to the Book of Ruth
- Tragedy strikes the family of Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:1-22)
- God’s blessing is the source of human productivity (Ruth 2:1-4)
- God bestows his blessing of productivity through human labor (Ruth 2:5-7)
- Receiving God’s blessing of productivity means respecting co-workers (Ruth 2:8-16)
- God’s law calls people of means to provide economic opportunities for the poor (Ruth 2:17-23)
- God leads individuals to provide economic opportunities for the poor and vulnerable (Ruth 2:17-23)
- God works through human ingenuity (Ruth 3:1-18)
- God works through legal processes (Ruth 4:1-12)
- God works through the fruitfulness of childbearing (Ruth 4:13-18)
- Introduction to Samuel, Kings and Chronicles
- The Calling of Samuel (1 Samuel 1-3)
- The perils of treating God like a good luck charm (1 Samuel 4)
- The opportunities that arise from working faithfully (1 Samuel 5-7)
- When children disappoint (1 Samuel 8:1-3)
- The Israelites ask for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-22)
- The Task of Choosing a King (1 Samuel 9-16)
- Abigail defuses a crisis between David and Nabal (1 Samuel 25)
- David’s dysfunctional handling of family conflict leads to civil war (2 Samuel 13-19)
- David’s disobedience to God causes a national pestilence (1 Chronicles 21:1-17)
- David’s patronage of the musical arts (1 Chronicles 25)
- Assessing David’s reign (1 Kings)
- David Prepares Solomon to Succeed Him as King (1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 22)
- Solomon Succeeds David as King (1 Kings 1-11)
- Solomon Builds the Temple of the Lord (1 Kings 5-8)
- Solomon Centralizes the Rule of the Kingdom (1 Kings 9-11)
- Assessing Solomon’s Golden Age (1 Kings)
- From Failed Monarchies to Exile (1 Kings 11 - 2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 10-36)
- The northern kingdom's march toward exile (1 Kings 12:25 - 2 Kings 17:18)
- Obadiah saves a hundred people by working within a corrupt system (1 Kings 18:1-4)
- Ahab and Jezebel murder Naboth to get his property (1 Kings 21)
- The Prophet Elisha’s Attention to Ordinary Work (2 Kings 2-6)
- Elisha’s restoration of a household’s financial solvency (2 Kings 4:1-7)
- Elisha’s restoration of a military commander’s health (2 Kings 5:1-14)
- Elisha’s restoration of a lumberjack’s axe (2 Kings 6:1-7)
- The Southern Kingdom’s march toward Exile (1 Kings 11:41 - 2 Kings 25:26; 2 Chronicles 10 - 36)
- Financial accountability in the Temple (2 Kings 12:1-12)
- Arrogance and the end of the kingdoms (2 Chronicles 26)
- Introduction to Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther
- Restoration of the Temple (Ezra 1:1-6:22)
- Restoration of Covenant Life, Phase One: The Work of Ezra (Ezra 7:1-10:44)
- Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide (Nehemiah 1:1-1:10)
- Does Trusting God Mean Turning to Prayer, Taking “Practical” Action, or Both? (Nehemiah 1:11-4:23)
- Connecting Lending Practices to the Fear of the Lord (Nehemiah 5:1-5:19)
- Nehemiah Gives Credit to God (Nehemiah 6:1-7:73)
- Esther and Work
- Introduction to Job
- Job’s Prosperity Acknowledged as God’s Blessing (Job 1:1-12)
- God Allows Satan to Destroy Job’s Prosperity (Job 1:13-22)
- God Allows Satan to Destroy Job’s Health (Job 2:1-11)
- Job’s Friends Arrive to Comfort Him (Job 2:11-13)
- Job’s First Lament (Job 3)
- Job’s Friends Accuse Him of Doing Evil (Job 4-23)
- Job’s Friends Accuse Him of Abandoning God (Job 8-22)
- Job Pleads His Case to God (Job 5-13)
- Job’s Friends Try to Protect God (Job 22-23)
- Job’s Complaints Take on Special Significance for Our Work (Job 24)
- Wisdom Revealed (Job 28)
- Job Falls into Nostalgia and Self-Justification (Job 29-30)
- Job’s Ethical Practices Apply to the Workplace (Job 31)
- Dialogue with Elihu (Job 32-37)
- God appears (Job 38-42:9)
- Who Can Comprehend the Wisdom of God? (Job 38:4-42:6)
- God Denounces Job’s friends (Job 42:7-9)
- Job Leaves an Inheritance for His Daughters (Job 42:13-15)
- The Book Comes to an End (Job 42:7-17)
- Introduction to Psalms
- Personal Integrity in Work (Psalm 1)
- Obedience to God (Psalm 2)
- Foes and opponents (Psalms 4, 6, 7, 17)
- Authority (Psalm 8)
- Business ethics (Psalms 15, 24, 34)
- Trusting God in the face of institutional pressure (Psalm 20)
- God’s presence in our struggles at work (Psalm 23)
- God’s guidance in our work (Psalm 25)
- God’s presence in the midst of disaster (Psalm 46)
- Anxiety when unscrupulous people succeed (Psalms 49, 50, 52, 62)
- The workplace consequences of personal failings (Psalm 73)
- The economic consequences of national wrongdoings (Psalm 81, 85)
- God’s grace in the midst of judgment (Psalm 86)
- Working in a fallen world (Psalms 90, 101)
- Human creativity with God (Psalm 104)
- God undergirds all work and productivity (Psalm 107)
- Virtues for those in business (Psalm 112)
- Participating in God’s work (Psalm 113)
- Producing true value at work (Psalms 127)
- The work of marriage, raising children, and caring for parents (Psalm 127, 128, 139)
- The right use of power (Psalm 136)
- Psalm 146
- Psalm 147
- Psalm 149
- Psalm 148
- Psalm 150
- What Do the Proverbs Have to Do With Work?
- Introduction to Ecclesiastes
- Working Under the Sun (Eccl 1:1-11)
- Work is a Chasing After Wind (Eccl 1:12-6:9)
- Achievement (Eccl 1:12-18)
- Pleasure (Eccl 2:1-11)
- Wisdom (Eccl 2:12-17)
- Wealth (Eccl 2:18-26)
- Timing (Eccl 3:1-4:6)
- Friendship (Eccl 4:7-4:16)
- Joy (Eccl 5:1-6:9)
- The Ultimate Results Of Our Actions (Eccl. 7:1-14)
- Good And Evil (Eccl. 7:15-28)
- Power And Justice (Eccl. 8:1-17)
- There is No Way to Know What Comes Afterwards (Eccl 9:1-11:6)
- Throw Yourself Into Your Work Wholeheartedly (Eccl. 9:10)
- Accept Success and Failure as a Part of Life (Eccl. 9:11-12)
- Work Diligently and Invest Wisely (Eccl. 10:18-11:6)
- A Poem on Youth and Old Age (Eccl 11:7-12:8)
- Epilogue of Praise for the Teacher (Eccl 12:9-14)
- Introduction to Song of Songs
- Diligence (Song of Songs 1:7-8)
- When Work is a Pleasure (Song of Songs 1:9-2:17)
- Passion, Family and Work (Song of Songs 3:1-8:5)
- Joy (Song of Songs 8:6-14)
- Isaiah through Malachi
- Introduction to Isaiah
- An Overview of the Book of Isaiah
- Worship and Work (Isaiah 1ff.)
- Arrogant Pride and Self-Sufficiency (Isaiah 2ff.)
- Exploitation and Marginalization (Isaiah 3ff.)
- Peace and Prosperity (Isaiah 9ff.)
- Life, Knowledge, and Wisdom (Isaiah 28ff.)
- Servant at Work (Isaiah 40ff.)
- Work’s Ultimate Meaning (Isaiah 60ff.)
- Introduction to Jeremiah and Lamentations
- Calling to Work (Jeremiah 1)
- Goodness and Defilement of Work (Jeremiah 2)
- Acknowledgement of God’s Provision (Jeremiah 5)
- Material Success and Failure (Jeremiah 5)
- Injustice, Greed, the Common Good and Integrity (Jeremiah 5-8)
- Faith in God’s Provision (Jeremiah 8-16)
- Work Within a Balanced Life (Jeremiah 17)
- Blessing the Wider Society Through Work (Jeremiah 29)
- God’s Presence Everywhere (Jeremiah 29)
- Blessing for All Peoples (Jeremiah 29)
- The Goodness of Work Restored (Jeremiah 30-33)
- Slaves Set Free (Jeremiah 34)
- Taking a Stand at Work (Jeremiah 38)
- Jeremiah the Poet at Work: Lamentations
- Introduction to Ezekiel
- Ezekiel 1-17
- Ezekiel 18
- The Righteous Man Does Not Oppress, But Restores to the Debtor His Pledge (Ezek 18:5, 7)
- The Righteous Man Does Not Steal, But Instead Feeds the Hungry and Clothes the Naked (Ezek 18:7b)
- The Righteous Man Does Not Take Advance or Accrued Interest (Ezek 18:8a)
- The Righteous Man Does No Wrong, But Judges Fairly Between Parties (Ezek 18:8b)
- Ezekiel 22
- Ezekiel 26-28
- Ezekiel 33
- Ezekiel 34
- The Covenantal Hope (Ezek 35-48)
- Introduction to Daniel
- Introduction: In Exile at Babylon U. (Daniel 1)
- Theme A: God will Overthrow Pagan Kingdoms and Replace Them with His Own Kingdom (Daniel 2)
- Theme B: Sufferings, Yet Rewards, for Faithful Witnesses to God in the Meantime (Daniel 3)
- Theme C: Humbling and Overthrow of the Pagan King (Daniel 4)
- Theme C Revisited: Humbling and Overthrow of the Pagan King (Daniel 5)
- Theme B Revisited: Sufferings, Yet Rewards, for Faithful Witnesses to God in the Meantime (Daniel 6)
- Theme A Revisited: God will Overthrow Pagan Kingdoms and Replace Them with His Own Kingdom (Dan 7)
- Who Were the Prophets?
- Introduction to the Twelve Prophets
- God Demands Change (Hosea 1:1-9, Micah 2:1-5)
- God Makes Change Possible (Hosea 14:1-9, Amos 9:11-15, Micah 4:1-5, Obadiah 21)
- Unjust Work (Micah 1:1-7; 3:1-2; 5:10-15)
- Working Unjustly (Hosea 4:1-10; Joel 2:28-29)
- Individuals’ and Communities’ Work are Interdependent (Amos 8:1-6, Micah 6:1-16)
- Work and Worship (Micah 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24; Hosea 4:1-10)
- Apathy Due to Wealth (Amos 3:9-15, 6:1-7)
- God’s Punishing Hand at Work (Nahum 1:1-12; Habakkuk 3:1-19; Zephaniah 1:1-13)
- Idolatrous Work (Habakkuk 2:1-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18)
- Faithfulness in the Midst of Toil (Habakkuk 2:1; Zephaniah 2:1-4)
- The Need for Social Capital (Haggai 1:1-2:19)
- Work, Worship and the Environment (Haggai 1:1-2:19; Zechariah 7:8-14)
- Both Sin and Hope Remain Present in Work (Malachi 1:1-4:6)
- Jonah’s Call and Response (Jonah 1:1-17)
- God’s Blessing for All Nations (Jonah 1:16, 3:1-4:2)
- God’s Care for Those Who Respond to His Call (Jonah 1:3,12-14, 17; 2:10; 4:3-8)
- Matthew through Acts
- Introduction to the Book of Matthew
- Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1-2)
- Jesus Calls the Disciples (Matthew 3-4)
- The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)
- Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3)
- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)
- “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6)
- “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7)
- Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for They Will See God (Matthew 5:8)
- “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9)
- “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matt 5:10)
- Salt and Light in the World of Work (Matthew 5:13-16)
- What is Righteousness? (Matthew 5:17-48)
- Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (Matthew 6:11)
- Store your treasure in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-34)
- “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged” (Matthew 7:1-5)
- The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
- Lord, Have Mercy (Matthew 8-9)
- Laborers Deserve Their Food (Matthew 10)
- My Yoke is Easy (Matthew 11:28-30)
- Working on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8)
- Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13)
- Paying Taxes (Matthew 17:24-27 and 22:15-22)
- Conflict Resolution (Matthew 18:15-35)
- The Rich Young Man (Matthew 19:16-30)
- The Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
- Servant Leadership (Matthew 20:20-28)
- Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
- Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-41)
- Serving Upward and Downward (Matthew 24:45-51)
- The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
- Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
- The Body of Christ (Matthew 26)
- Go and Make Disciples (Matthew 28:16-20)
- Introduction to Mark
- The Beginning of the Gospel (Mark 1:1-13)
- The Calling of the First Disciples (Mark 1:16-20)
- The Paralytic Man (Mark 2:1-12)
- The Calling of Levi (Mark 2:13-17)
- The Twelve (Mark 3:13-19)
- Discipleship in Process (Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-52; 8:14-21)
- The First Days of the Movement (Mark 1:21-45)
- The Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-3:6)
- Jesus the Builder (Mark 6:1-6)
- Parables at Work (Mark 4:26-29 and 13:32-37)
- Wealth (Mark 10:17-22)
- Status (Mark 10:13-16, 22)
- The Grace of God (Mark 10:23-31)
- The Temple Incident (Mark 11:15-18)
- Taxes and Caesar (Mark 12:13-17)
- The Cross and Resurrection (Mark 14:32-16:8)
- Introduction to Luke
- God at Work (Luke 1, 2 and 4)
- The Good Shepherd Appears Among the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)
- Jesus’ Job Description: King (Luke 1:26-56, 4:14-22)
- Jesus Calls People at Work (Luke 5:1-11; 27-32)
- John the Baptist Teaches Workplace Ethics (Luke 3:8-14)
- Jesus is Tempted to Abandon Serving God (Luke 4:1-13)
- Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11)
- Set free on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17)
- The Ethics of Conflict (Luke 6:27-36; 17:3-4)
- God’s Provision (Luke 9:10-17; 12:4-7; 12:22-31)
- The Shrewd Manager and the Prodigal Son (Luke 16:1-13; 15:11-32)
- Concern for the Wealthy (Luke 6:25; 12:13-21; 18:18-30)
- Concern for the Poor (Luke 6:17-26; 16:19-31)
- Generosity: The Secret to Breaking Wealth’s Grip (Luke 10:38-42; 14:12-14; 24:13-15)
- Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)
- The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)
- Investing in Jesus’ Work (Luke 8:3; 10:7)
- Persistence: The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)
- Risk: The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27)
- Humble service (Luke 14:7-11, 22:24-30)
- Taxing Issues (Luke 19:1-10; 20:20-26)
- The Passion (Luke 22:47-24:53)
- Introduction to the Gospel of John
- In the Beginning was the Word (John 1:1-18)
- I Have Called You Friends (John 1:35-51, John 15:15)
- Water Into Wine At the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)
- Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
- The Woman at the Well (John 4)
- Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (John 5)
- Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6)
- Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (John 9)
- Jesus’ Sacrifice (John 10-12)
- Servant Leadership (John 13:1-20)
- Farewell Words: Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17)
- I am the Vine and You are the Branches (John 15)
- My Kingdom is Not of This World (John 18:36)
- The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (John 21:20)
- Introduction to Acts
- A Community with a Mission (Acts 1:6)
- An Orienting Vocation for the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:8)
- An Orienting Identity as God’s Kingdom Witnesses in Daily Life (Acts 2:1-41)
- An Orienting Community that Practices the Ways of God’s Kingdom (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-38)
- The Economics of Radical Generosity (Acts 2:45; 4:34-35)
- The Holy Spirit Empowers Radical Generosity With Every Kind of Resource (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-38)
- A Just Community Is a Witness to the World (Acts 2:47; 6:7)
- Ananias and Sapphira: A Case of Malicious Identity (Acts 5:1-11)
- Serving the Word and Serving Tables are Equally Valuable (Acts 6:2-4)
- The Work of Community Leadership is a Work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3)
- Work and Identity (Acts 8-12)
- Vocation in the Context of Community (Acts 13:1-3)
- Leadership and Decision Making in the Christian Community (Acts 15)
- The Community of the Spirit Confronts the Brokers of Power (Acts 16 and 19)
- Confrontation Over the Liberation of a Slave Girl in Philippi (Acts 16:16-24)
- Confrontation Over the Disruption of Trade in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41)
- Engaging the Culture with Respect (Acts 17:16-34)
- Tent Making and Christian Life (Acts 18:1-4)
- The Gospel and Limits to Vocation and Engagement (Acts 19:17-20)
- Leadership as Witness (Acts 20-28)
- Romans through Revelation
- Introduction to Romans
- The Gospel of Salvation—Paul’s Vocation (Romans 1:1–17)
- Our Need for Salvation in Life and Work (Romans 1:18–1:32)
- All Have Sinned (Romans 2–3)
- Judgment, the Source of Broken Relationships (Romans 3:1–20)
- God’s Justice, the Solution to Our False Judgments (Romans 3:21–26)
- Faith/Faithfulness, the Entry to God’s Justice (Romans 3:27–31)
- An Exemplary Faith: Abraham Trusted God’s Promises (Romans 4)
- Grace Transforms Suffering in Our Life in Christ (Romans 5:1–11)
- Grace and Righteousness Lead to Eternal Life through Christ (Romans 5:12–21)
- Walking in Newness of Life (Romans 6)
- Walking in Newness of Life in the Workplace (Romans 6)
- The Invasive Power of “Sin” (Romans 7)
- Living According to the Spirit Leads to a New Quality of Life (Romans 8:1–14)
- Suffering with Christ in Order to Be Glorified with Christ (Romans 8:15–17)
- Eagerly Awaiting Bodily Redemption for Ourselves and God’s Creation (Romans 8:18–30)
- Nothing can come between us and the love of God (Romans 8:31-39)
- God’s Character Is to Have Mercy on Everyone (Romans 9–11)
- Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Minds (Romans 12:1–3)
- Sacrificing for the Sake of the Community (Romans 12:1–3)
- Involving the Community in Your Decisions (Romans 12:1–3)
- Work as Members of One Another (Romans 12:4–8)
- Specific Behavioral Principles to Guide Moral Discernment (Romans 12:9–21)
- Living under the power of God (Romans 13)
- Welcoming Overcomes Quarrels over Differing Opinions (Romans 14:1–23)
- Welcoming Builds up the Community (Romans 14:19–15:33)
- A Community of Leaders (Romans 16)
- Introduction to 1 Corinthians
- All Are Called (1 Corinthians 1:1–3)
- Spiritual Resources Available (1 Corinthians 1:4–9)
- The Need for a Common Vision (1 Corinthians 1:10–17)
- Friends in Low Places (1 Corinthians 1:18–31)
- It Takes All Sorts (1 Corinthians 3:1–9)
- Do Good Work (1 Corinthians 3:10–17)
- Leadership as Service (1 Corinthians 4:1–4)
- Working with Nonbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:9–10)
- Bloom Where You Are Planted (1 Corinthians 7:20–24)
- Maintain the Proper Perspective (1 Corinthians 7:29–31)
- Everyone Gets Their Fair Share (1 Corinthians 9:7–10)
- God’s Glory Is the Ultimate Goal (1 Corinthians 10)
- Gifted Communities (1 Corinthians 12:1–14:40)
- Our Work Is Not in Vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)
- We Share Our Resources with Those in Hardship (1 Corinthians 16:1–3)
- Introduction to 2 Corinthians
- Thank God for Relationships (2 Corinthians 1:1–11)
- Transparency (2 Corinthians 1:12–23)
- Working for the Joy of Others (2 Corinthians 1:24)
- The Priority of Relationships (2 Corinthians 2:12–16)
- Sincerity (2 Corinthians 2:17)
- A Genuine Reputation (2 Corinthians 3)
- Leading and Serving (2 Corinthians 4)
- Performance and Accountability (2 Corinthians 5:1–15)
- Reconciling the Whole World (2 Corinthians 5:16–21)
- Transparency Revisited (2 Corinthians 6:11)
- Working with Nonbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14–18)
- The Encouragement of Praise (2 Corinthians 7)
- Generosity Is Not Optional (2 Corinthians 8:1–9)
- Timely Fulfillment of Obligations (2 Corinthians 8:10–12)
- Sharing the Wealth (2 Corinthians 8:13–15)
- You Can’t Out-Give God (2 Corinthians 9)
- Assessing Performance (2 Corinthians 10–13)
- Overview of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Work
- Galatians and Work
- Understanding Life in Christ (Galatians 1:6–4:31)
- Living in Christ (Gal. 5–6)
- Living in the Spirit (Galatians 5:13–23)
- Working for the Good of Others (Galatians 6:1–10)
- The Center of the Gospel (Galatians 6:11–18)
- Ephesians and Work
- God’s Grand Plan: A Theological Vision (Ephesians 1:1–3:21)
- Working Hard for Good and for Giving (Ephesians 4:28)
- Mutuality in Working for the Lord (Ephesians 5:21–6:9)
- Christian Slaves (Ephesians 6:6–8)
- Christian Masters (Ephesians 6:5–11)
- Philippians and Work
- God’s Work in Us (Philippians 1:1–26)
- Do Your Work in a Worthy Manner (Philippians 1:27–2:11)
- Following Christ as Ordinary Christians (Philippians 2:19–3:21)
- Resolving Conflict (Philippians 4:2–9)
- Supporting Each Other in Work (Philippians 4:10–11, 15–16)
- Handling Poverty and Plenty (Philippians 4:12–13, 18)
- Introduction to Colossians and Philemon
- God Worked in Creation, Making Humans Workers in His Image (Colossians 1:1–14)
- God at Work, Jesus at Work (Colossians 1:15–20)
- Jesus, the Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15–29)
- “I’m Doing Alright by Myself” (Colossians 2:1–23)
- Heavenly Living for Earthly Good: The Shape of our Reorientation (Colossians 3:1–16)
- Doing Our Work as for the Lord (Colossians 3:17, 23)
- Of Slaves and Masters, Ancient and Contemporary (Colossians 3:18–4:1)
- Philemon and Work
- Working Faith (1 Thessalonians 1:1–4:8)
- Finishing Up (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:28)
- Keeping the Faith (2 Thessalonians 1:1–2:17)
- Faithful Work (1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6–16)
- Christians Are Expected to Work (1 Thessalonians 4:9–12; 5:14)
- Those Truly Unable to Work Should Receive Assistance (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10)
- Idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6–15)
- Introduction to the Pastoral Epistles and Work
- True Belief Leads to a Sound Organization (1 Timothy 1:1–11, 18–20; 3:14–16)
- Integrity and Relational Ability are Key Leadership Qualities (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9)
- God’s Creation Is Good (1 Timothy 4:1–5)
- Good Relationships Arise from Genuine Respect (1 Timothy 5:1–6:2; Titus 2:1–10)
- Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:3-10, 17-19)
- Cultures Can Persist for Generations (2 Timothy 1:1–2:13; 3:10–17)
- Guard the Tongue (2 Timothy 2:14–26)
- The Time of Difficulty Is Now (2 Timothy 3:1–9)
- Be Zealous for Good Works (Titus 2:11–3:11)
- Introduction to Hebrews
- Christ Created and Sustains the World (Hebrews 1:1–2:8)
- The Creation Has Become Subject to Evil (Hebrews 2:14–3:6)
- Life in the Wilderness: Journey to the New World (Hebrews 3:7–4:16)
- Our Great High Priest (Hebrews 5:1–10:18)
- Christ’s Sacrifice Makes Possible Our Service (Hebrews 5:1–7:28)
- Christ’s Intercession Empowers Our Life and Work (Hebrews 7:1–10:18)
- Realizing the Faith (Hebrews 10–11)
- Enduring Hardship, Pursuing Peace (Hebrews 12:1-16)
- Shaking Things Up (Hebrews 12:18–29)
- Hospitality (Hebrews 13:1–3)
- Money Matters (Hebrews 13:5-6)
- Working Outside the Camp (Hebrews 13:11-25)
- Introduction to General Epistles
- Perseverance, Wisdom, and Spiritual Growth (James 1:1–3)
- Depending on God (James 1:5–18)
- Listening, Taking Action, and Avoiding Anger (James 1:19–21)
- Working for the Benefit of Others in Need (James 1:22–28)
- Discriminating Against the Poor and Currying Favor with the Rich (James 2:1–13)
- Faith and Work(s) (James 2:14–26)
- Taming the Tongue (James 3:1–12)
- Selfish Ambition and Submission to God (James 3:13–4:12)
- Investing in Others (James 4:1–12)
- Business Forecasting (James 4:13–17)
- Oppression of Workers (James 5:1–6)
- Waiting for the Harvest (James 5:7–20)
- Resident Aliens and Priests (1 Peter 1:1–2:12)
- Suffering under the World’s Authorities (1 Peter 2:13–4:19)
- Instructions for Leaders and Followers (1 Peter 5)
- The End of the World and the End of Work? (2 Peter 3:1–18)
- 1 John: Walking in the Light
- Truthfulness (2 John 1–11)
- The Value of In-Person Communications (2 John 12–13)
- Gossip (3 John 1–12)
- Greet People by Name (3 John 13–15)
- Jude
- Introduction: Understanding the Book of Revelation
- The Kingdom of God is Near (Revelation 1)
- The Seven Churches of Revelation (Revelation 2-3)
- The Throne Room of God (Revelation 4 and 5)
- End Times Disaster and Deliverance (Revelation 6-16)
- A Tale of Two Cities (Revelation 17-22)
© 2014 by the Theology of Work Project, Inc.
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