Civil Obedience?

Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1  NASB Governing authorities – The divine right of kings.  That’s what this verse seems to support.  And for centuries some parts of the Christian Church read it that way,…

History Lessons (1)

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1:27  NASB Religion– A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away—we investigated thrēskeía, the Greek term James uses in this verse translated “religion.” The translation obscures some of the…

Old Time Religion

I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.  2 Timothy 1:3  ESV As did my ancestors – Sometimes the smallest phrases require the greatest attention.  In this introduction to his letter to Timothy, Paul makes an almost parenthetical…

The First Synagogue

Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.  Genesis 1:9 NASB Place – In Hebrew, the word translated “place” is maqom.  From a root meaning “to stand,” it is fairly straightforward as far as translations go.  It means some…