Author: Skip Moen, Ph.D.

  • Miracle Consciousness

    The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back.  Psalm 114:3  NASB Turned back – Biblical cartoon animation.  That’s what I imagine when I read a verse like this.  Why?  Because the verbs associated with these descriptions of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds and the Jordan are emotional and personal, as if the Sea and…

  • Written and Red

    the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan;  Joshua 3:16a  NASB At Adam – As you know, sometimes the text of the Tanakh is written one way but read another.  Here is an example (in red): וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַמַּיִם הַיֹּרְדִים מִלְמַעְלָה…

  • A Matter of Opinion

    But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  2 Peter 2:1  NASB Heresies – “Don’t call me a heretic until I am one.”  That’s usually my approach to slanderous claims about what I believe and…

  • Birth Rite

    So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.  Genesis 3:24  NASB Drove – Human birth is painful.  Every mother knows this.  The biblical account seems to establish this painful experience as…

  • Cubix’s Rube

    “However, there shall be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Joshua 3:4  NASB About two thousand cubits – Think about this!  God instructs…

  • Death Anxiety

    He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  Colossians 1:18  NASB Firstborn from the dead – Clearly Yeshua was not the first human being to be raised from the dead.  Every theologian recognizes this.  Then…

  • Strong Persuasion

    Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.  Philemon 1:21  NASB Confidence – If we pay attention of the use of this Greek term (pépoitha) in the LXX, we discover that it often translates the Hebrew root bṭḥ (baṭaḥ).  Paul could…

  • Lost in Translation

    Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Philemon 1:20  NASB Benefit – We’re reaching the end.  Just one more remark and Paul will wrap up his appeal.  And since we’re reaching the end, it’s time to back off a bit from the aggressive exhortation.  Now Paul lightens up. …

  • The IOU

    I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). Philemon 1:19  NASB You owe to me – “I really don’t want to bring this up.  It’s not something that needs to be mentioned among friends.  But—just…