The Consequences of Confession

Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”  Joshua 7:19  NASB From me – מִמֶּֽנִּי  “from me.”  Notice the personal character of this request.  First, it’s not…

Are You Paying Attention to the Fine Print?

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.  Psalm 7:1 (Hebrew)  NASB translation   Shiggaion – What is a shiggaion?  Oh, and why should we care?  First, let’s notice how Christian translations handle this Hebrew word.  The NASB footnote defines it as “Dithyrambic rhythm; or wild, passionate song,”  The NIV…

A History of Spiritual Abuse

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.  James 5:16  NASB Confess – to one another– Was James the first Twelve-Step sponsor?  It certainly seems as if he exhorts the assembly to reveal sins…

The Big “If”

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 NASB Confess – What does it mean to confess our sins? Does it require verbal affirmation of specific acts? Does it mean a change of heart? Does it work if…

Pay Attention

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate;  1 Timothy 6:13  NASB Good confession – Paul gives orders to Timothy.  Those orders still govern us because we are volunteers committed to the same way of life Paul…

Missing the Introduction

To the choirmaster.  According to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.  Psalm 62:1 (Hebrew Text) Jeduthun – Most translations of the psalms put the “introduction” of the text in tiny letters or completely ignore these “preliminary” words.  This is not the case in the Hebrew text.  The introduction is an essential part of knowing what the…

Confession of Faith

“For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”  Ruth 1:16  JPS Your people – No declaration in the Tanakh carries more impact than Ruth’s declaration of personal commitment.  It has been used over and over as a statement of…

Half Way There

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 Confess – Let’s translate this verse according to contemporary standards: “If we admit our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins.” In Hollywood terms, this is the equivalent…