Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB Dwell– How much does the visual model of reality and culture affect us? Compare that to the auditory…
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6 Berean Study Bible Gifts– The Greeks recognized a connection between chairo (joy) and edone (pleasure). In later Greek thinking the two terms are barely distinguishable. Alignment with the deepest expression of joy is the truest sense of pleasure. Eric Liddell made the connection when he…
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 of the…
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NASB Takes Away– “Take up and carry”? Or, maybe, “carry off.” The Greek verb, aíro, can mean either. “Whether the sense in Jn. 1:29 is ‘to take up and carry,’ i.e., in a…
For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, James 2:2 NASB Assembly– In Greek, the word translated “assembly” is synagōgḗ. James addresses his audience with this word, obviously intending that the audience are members of a synagogue, not…
But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Luke 12:5 NASB Fear Him– Yeshua, the Platonist. No, maybe he’s a Stoic. Don’t worry about what can happen to you while you live. Worry about what can happen to…
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.Philemon 1:8-9a NIV Order you– The letter to Philemon is the shortest of the Pauline material in Scripture. That’s why it comes last in Paul’s work. It is also unique…
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16 NASB Inspired– Why do we bother to investigate the historical and cultural settings of the biblical authors and audiences? If God is able to speak to each of us through the Spirit, does any of this…
“He changes a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water;” Psalm 107:35 NASB Dry land– The answer to a thirsty soul is the action of God. He changes things. I don’t go into His desert and dig a well for myself. In His desert, I cannot survive without His response to…
“My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You. In a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NASB Dry land– The Hebrew word ʾereṣ ṣāyôn describes a parched wilderness. That’s exactly the kind of place where David composed this psalm. As he reflected on that arid land, he realized that it was…
