to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people. Titus 3:2 NASB Gentle – One of the consistent themes of my Sunday school education was the characterization of Jesus as meek and mild. What did that mean? Well, it meant, of course, that 1) he never did anything wrong, 2) he…
Go; behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3 NASB Like lambs – It’s hard to miss his point. Sacrifice! That’s what happens to lambs among wolves. Yeshua sends out the seventy without resources and, apparently, without protection. So why would anyone go? If I came to you and…
You shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God or accept correction; truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. Jeremiah 7:28 NASB Perished – What happens to a society that does not obey the voice of the Lord? Jeremiah gives us a list—a…
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Matthew 23:26 NASB First – Since we are going to explore the word protos (Greek for “first”), it’s probably useful to first note that Yeshua’s scathing remark is not aimed at…
“Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 NASB Proud one – The NASB translation attempts to capture the idiomatic meaning of a phrase that literally says, “behold, swollen not straight his nephesh (person).” “Not straight” is the Hebrew lo…
and having brought them forth, said, “Sirs, what must I do — that I may be saved?” Acts 16:30 Young’s Literal Translation Saved – How do you know you’re saved? If you realize that the Hebraic/Jewish world of the apostolic writings does not adopt the Platonic separation of the material (earth) and the spiritual (heaven)…
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. Psalm 22:27 ESV Worship – “The philosophy of Jewish living is essentially a philosophy of worship. For what is observance, if not a form of worshipping God?”[1] Once you grasp the…
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; Philippians 1:27 NASB Striving – Koheleth, the Teacher,…
And when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” Luke 7:9 NASB Not even in – The centurion exhibited something Yeshua didn’t find among His own people. Even He was…
Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NASB…
