“Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will [a]completely destroy…
Then God spoke all these words, saying, Exodus 20:1 NASB All these words – kāl dābārim, “all words.” But what is the meaning of “all”? This verse precedes the recitation of the ten commandments. Are just the Ten Commandments included in “all”? What about the rest of God’s words to Moses? Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism has a…
From the openings of the righteous ones is heard her voice; and from the congregation of the pious ones her song. Psalm 154:12 DSS The righteous ones – Go ahead. Look this psalm up in your Bible. Ah, wait a minute. It isn’t there. In the Masoretic text there are only 150 psalms. But the…
for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher 2 Timothy 1:11 NASB 1995 Was appointed – According to one source,[1] Paul wrote about 28 percent of the “New Testament.” That source, however, included the letters to the Hebrews as Pauline which is most likely not the case. So, you might…
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16 NASB Teaching/ rebuke/ correction/ training – Paul tells us the purpose of “inspired Scripture.” He’s quite deliberate about it, but did you notice what is strikingly absent? Let’s see. Scripture is useful for “teaching.” Didaskalía, that…
For certain people have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into indecent behavior and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 NASB Our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ – Jude worries about the influence false teachers have on the…
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB Accepted – This verse raises several important questions: 1) Why did…
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 ESV Religion– In recent conversation a young man expressed his determination for spiritual truth in this way: “When I rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me to the truth, I know…
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32 NASB Know the truth – It seems that every once in awhile we need to review our investigative methods. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves if the way we go about examining the Scriptures leads us to a place…
Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13 NASB Sound words – Systematic theology, so essential for doctrine, was simply impossible before Alexander the Great. Why? Because systematic theology requires a special kind of theological dualism, that is, the separation of mind from…
