Satanic Utterances

unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 2 Timothy 3:3 NASB Malicious gossips – Paul chooses a very interesting word, a word we probably couldn’t imagine would be translated as “malicious gossips.” The word is diaboloi. It is the plural, nominative adjective of diabolos, the word that obviously is often translated “devil.”…

Wasting a Good Bottle of Wine

unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 2 Timothy 3:3 NASB Irreconcilable – What do you think about the translation “irreconcilable”? Does it makes you think of someone who clashes, who is antagonistic, who is incompatible with the community? Would you describe the irreconcilable person as one who cannot be appeased, is…

What Comes Naturally

unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 2 Timothy 3:3 NASB Unloving – If you read this in an English translation, you might think Paul is speaking about those who lack sacrificial love. You might think he uses the Greek agape. Then you would conclude that these people have missed the mark…

Reading the Right Text

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.” Hebrews 1:8 NASB O God – Could there be a more powerful proof text for the Trinity than this? Here the author of Hebrews seems to clearly state that the Son…

Sinless Perfection

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  2 Timothy 3:2 NASB Unholy – Describe the unholy person. Write down his character traits (or flaws). What you will end up with is a list of culturally conditioned spiritual and behavioral attributes. And you won’t come…

Life Without Joy

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  2 Timothy 3:2 NASB Ungrateful – One day quite a few years ago my wife remarked about the joylessness of my life. “Why are you so down all the time? Why don’t you just take one of…

Parental Controls

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  2 Timothy 3:2 NASB Disobedient to parents – “Honor your father and mother” says the Law. But sometimes we need a word like goneusin to remind us why respect and deference are required. Goneusin is the Greek…

What Did You Say?

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  2 Timothy 3:2 NASB Revilers – Once you read the Greek, you have no doubt about the meaning of this word, but in English translations the true intent will escape you. The word is blasphemoi. Ah, now…