“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” James 1:17 Good thing – Two points of view in the same verse. “Good thing” is not the same as “perfect gift”. If we knew the Greek words, we would see it immediately. “Good thing” is dosis. …
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8 Freely – Grace is the exception to the rule of life. Sin is not. Sin has inevitability. It always leads to death. Sin is structurally dysfunctional. It is the epitome of insanity. Sin is ubiquitous. …
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ” Galatians 1:6 Called – The Greek kaleo (to call) has nuances that paint a much richer picture than we might imagine. We need to see all the colors and shades if we are going to appreciate the…
“Against You, You only, I have sinned” Psalm 51:4 You only – David’s adultery and murder led to the destruction of his family and the eventual collapse of the monarchy. He was publicly humiliated. He spent the rest of his life facing the consequences of his disobedience. The only reason he was not executed was…
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace;” Romans 8:6 Mind – One of the biggest problems for translators is choosing words that reflect what the writer intended, not what the reader understands. Translations that do not pay attention to this usually end…
“who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” Romans 8:4 Who – Remember the marginal note from yesterday? In verse 1 of chapter 8, some versions include this thought while others leave it out. But just because it is relegated to the margin in verse 1 does not mean it…
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (footnote)” Romans 8:1 (footnote) – If you read the King James, you will find that verse 1 of chapter 8 continues with “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit”. But if you read the NASB or the NIV or…
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1 No – Greek has no exclamation marks. So, in order to put emphasis on the most important word in a sentence, Greek often places the word first. Of course, it doesn’t make good English but unless we know the order…
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1 Condemnation – The greatest fear that any human being can have is not to be loved. We can deal with adversity, poverty, trials, even torture. But human beings wilt without love. They shrivel up and die from within. What stands…
“and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body; what use is that?” James 2:16 Necessary – God is in the distribution business. He does not believe in accumulation for self-preservation. He does not work for surplus. He is not interested in deferred compensation or stock options. God is all about…
