No Escape

For the day of the Lord draws near on all nations, as you have done it will be done to you.  Obadiah 15  NASB Draws near – The word here is not a verb but an adjective.  The word is qarob.  It is used to indicate something that is close at hand or about to…

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 Whole – This is a favourite proof text for those who would claim that the Law is no longer applicable…

Motivating Presence

Let your moderation be known to all men:  the Lord is near.   Philippians 4:5  NASB Near – This is a funny sounding word in Greek – eggus.  It literally means “close or near.”  Therefore, our English translation looks just fine.  But Paul is a deeper thinker than pashat meanings.  He is making an allusion to…

Applied Hesed

or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Romans 12:8  NASB Mercy/ cheerfulness – Paul completes his inventory of charismata with the phrase ho eleon en hilaroteti (“he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness”).  But the typical English translation presents us…

New Testament Commentary

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”  Luke 10:36  NASB Proved to be – It’s a matter of DNA.  Spiritual DNA, in this case.  You would know that if you read the Greek text.  The choice for the verb here is…

What Matters Most

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”  Matthew 23:23  NASB Weightier provisions – Were you able to give an answer…

Is This Justice?

“Far it be from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicker are treated alike.  Far be it from You!  Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly.”  Genesis 18:25  NASB Deal justly – The truth is that Abraham didn’t really…

The Severity of God

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1  NASB Justice – I sincerely hope that you do not pray for this prophecy to come true.  There is no doubt that one day…

The Other Shoe

“YHWH, Elohey Yisrael, there is none like You, Elohim, in the heavens or in the earth, keeping covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.” 2 Chronicles 6:14 (Darby) Mercy – God is faithful.  He keeps His promises.  He is the covenant-keeping God.  That is critically important for us. …

A Reasonable Argument

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says YHWH.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Thoughts – How many times have you heard these verses employed in discussions of the…