But he was pierced [Yeshayah 51:9; Zecharyah 12:10 Sukkah 52a, Tehillim 22:17Targum Hashivim] for our transgressions, he was bruised mei’avonoteinu (for our iniquities); the musar (chastisement) (that brought us shalom [Yeshayah 54:10] was upon him [Moshiach]; and at the cost of his (Moshiach’s) chaburah (stripes, lacerations) we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 OJB Stripes– Some people think I am too pessimistic. They…
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 NASB All – Because we have focused our religious attention on justification by faith, we tend to read this verse as a preamble to the next one, that is, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in…
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, Romans 8:3 NASB Weak as it was– God saved you, right? I mean, you couldn’t save yourself, could you? You sinned. Repentance and restitution don’t…
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, 2 Timothy 2:15a NASB Approved to God– If you’re as old as I am, then you learned this verse in the King James version, i.e., “Study to shew thyself approved unto God . . “ Unfortunately, that translation led to…
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV Power – Does Paul’s declaration seem right to you? Is the Kingdom really about power? If I look around the religious environment today, I don’t see much of Paul’s standard displayed. I hear lots of talk, but I see very little dynamis (power). …
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 2 Timothy 1:9 NASB Our works– Luther established a concrete barricade between faith and works. He was wrong. Because he thought of faith as cognitive agreement to certain doctrines,…
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 2 Timothy 1:8 NASB Prisoner– Imagine the life of a prisoner in the Roman Empire. Don’t import modern ideas about the horrible prisons we see around the world today. “Roman Law…
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB New creature– It’s easy to be confused about the covenants. For centuries the Church has taught that the coming of the Christ meant a replacement of Israel, and as a…
He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10 NASB Was naked–The Genesis narrative tells us why we are filled with fears, regrets, anxieties and hope. It is ancient psychological diagnosis, complete with the appropriate prescription. But we will miss…
THIS WAS POSTED YESTERDAY AND IS REPEATED FOR THOSE WHO ONLY READ ON THE WEEKDAYS If you want to see the photos, go back to Sunday’s posting. THE ITALIAN CONNECTION: An in-depth experience of the development of the Church in Italy and the West. SEPTEMBER 2019 In the early centuries following the resurrection of…
