Author: Skip Moen, Ph.D.

  • Bite Your Tongue

    to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people.  Titus 3:2  NASB Consideration – You know, sometimes trying to get Paul’s ideas into English is just such a mess.  Here we have a translation that first says “gentle” (epieikḗs) which really should be something like “upright” (doing what is the right…

  • Meek and Mild

    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…

  • Coming to Blows

    to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people.  Titus 3:2  NASB Contentious – The NASB translation is only one of several possible choices for the Greek term ámachos.  Other English Bibles provide “peaceable,” “not brawlers,” “avoid quarreling,” and “avoid fighting.”  The reason for this is that the Greek term is the…

  • Image Eraser

    to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people.  Titus 3:2  NASB Slander – You might not recognize the intensity of this word in Paul’s letter unless you read it in Greek.  Then it would be obvious. Why?  Because the word is blasphēmein.  Yes, the same root that verbally violates and…

  • How Could You Forget?

    Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,  Titus 3:1  NASB Remind – You’ve probably never asked, “Why do these followers of the Messiah need reminding?  Aren’t they new men and women in the Lord?  Haven’t they given up the old life and adopted the way…

  • An Exegetical Review of Hebrews 8:13

    (First published on 26 December 2010.  Now with corrections)  I apologize.  This is long. Hebrews 8:13 is often cited by Christians as positive proof that the Mosaic laws have been abolished.  Wayne Jackson’s remarks are a typical Christian view: “The vast majority of the Jewish community had rejected the Messiah and his New Covenant arrangement….