Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1 Branch – You may not appreciate the message in this verse unless you live in Long Branch, New Jersey or North Branch, Minnesota or Olive Branch, Mississippi or West Branch, Iowa. Why? Because there…
“For in every city from ancient generations Moses has those proclaiming him, having been read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Acts 15:21 Proclaiming – Peter delivered the final word on salvation. It is God’s work alone. No man can add to God’s grace formula. Now James endorses Peter’s statement, but he amplifies the thought…
“Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” Acts 15:10 The Test – This translation softens the language. That’s not so unusual. Many translators remove the punch in texts in order to…
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, Luke 24:45 Opened Their Minds – Luke expresses the thought in a truly Greek way. “Opened their minds” is the Greek phrase dienoizen auton ton noun. Literally, it is “he opened up the mind of them.” That’s interesting, isn’t it? The pronoun (auton) is plural but…
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16 Disobedient – There are three different Greek words for disobedience. It is important to know why Paul chooses this one rather than the other two. Here the word is apeitheia. It…
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16 Detestable – Lynyrd Skynyrd plays some mean rock and roll. If you’ve never heard “That Smell,” you need to listen at least once. It’s about the stench of death that surrounds…
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16 Know – We need to read Greek in order to understand the impact of Paul’s opening phrase. First, the most important word comes at the beginning. It is not “they profess.” …
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16 Profess – We need a new vocabulary for the idea of a “confession of faith.” We need a vocabulary that actually describes “faith” as a verb, not a noun. Why? Because…
Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God Galatians 6:16 (NIV translation) Even – By now you must realize that you and I are victims of the translators’ theological persuasion. When we read the text in any language but the original, we must rely on the clinical honesty…
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah whom You have sent.” John 17:3 (with corrections) Know – “For just another $29,000, we anticipate 100,000 decisions for Christ,” the voice on the phone enthusiastically proclaimed. Let’s see. If I do the math quickly, that’s about…
