Situational Legislation

Of old I have known from Your testimonies that You have founded them forever.  Psalm 119:152  NASB Founded – Why don’t you pick up your Bible and read this verse?  KJV, ESV, RSV and NKJV retain “testimonies.”  NLT uses “laws.”  NIV translates “statutes.”  Since the psalmist claims that these are established forever, it would be…

Utter Confusion

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  James 2:20  NASB You foolish fellow – Oswald Chambers’ devotional for October 28 makes an astounding statement.  “I am not saved by believing; I realize that I am saved by believing.  It is not repentance that saves me, repentance is…

True Religion (3)

 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  James 2:10 ESV Rodney Baker has contributed several TW’s on Religion while I am in South Africa. Whole – This is a favourite proof text for those who would claim that the Law is no longer applicable…

Free to Do

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  James 1:25 ESV  Looks – To look into the perfect law of liberty. Twice in his letter, James refers to the nomos eleutherias….

Inside Job

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  Galatians 5:9  ESV Leaven – When the Greek word zyme is used in Matthew 16:6 or 1 Corinthians 5:6, no one has any doubt about the application of the proverbial saying to the context.  In both cases, the metaphor of leaven means some small thing that is introduced…

The Other Good News

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is not really another, only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  Galatians 1:6-7 Gospel – What if we have it all wrong?  What…

The Scales of Justice

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:29  ESV Yoke – Yesterday we connected Paul’s idea of “bond” with Yeshua’s statement about “yoke.”  “Freedom comes in chains,” we said.  When Yeshua invites us to take His…

Ferrari Grace

So, then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.  Romans 7:12  NASB Law – I live on Thoroughbred Lane, but the only horses I have ever had are the ones packed into the back of fine examples of human engineering like this Ferrari 512TR that used to grace my…

Rabbi Paul

for not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.  Romans 2:13 NASB Will be justified – It’s hard to escape the obvious implication of Paul’s statement.  What matters is doing Torah.  Anything less means exclusion from the Kingdom.  Paul’s words are a fatal blow…

Mass Confusion

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”  Acts 15:19-20  NASB Abstain – (This is going to be…