You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may certainly rebuke your neighbor, but you are not to incur sin because of him. Leviticus 19:17 NASB Not to incur sin – How can you rebuke someone but not sin doing so? If “rebuke” means “to judge, prove, reprove, and correct,” then what approach should…
Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another. Ephesians 4:25 NASB Ridding yourself of falsehood – Speak the truth! Ah, not always so easy, is it? We don’t typically outright lie. We just modify things a bit to fit the occasion. We don’t want to offend. We don’t…
“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 NASB New – Yeshua says, in the Greek text, “I am giving you a new commandment.” But…
The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39 NASB Your neighbor – “Who is my neighbor?” The scribe’s question brought about the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. We all know the story. But perhaps we haven’t considered all the implications. Ira Stone helps us see one additional consequence:…
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and…
Who slanders not with his tongue nor does to his fellow man evil nor bears reproach for his kin. Psalm 15:3 Robert Alter Bears reproach – The English isn’t common. “Reproach,” what is that? Other translations attempt to explain: “casts slur,” “cast scorn,” “brings shame,” “discredits,” “bribes,” “spreads rumors,” “defames” are some of the synonyms…
Lord, who will sojourn in Your tent, who will dwell on Your holy mountain? Psalm 15:1 Robert Alter Sojourn/ dwell – Who do you suppose the psalmist has in mind? You have all the clues you need: a tent, a mountain, a temporary encampment, a permanent residence. Who else could it be but Moses? The…
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:33 NASB Kingdom – What does it mean to seek the Kingdom of God? The answer might surprise you because it depends on a shift in paradigms that occurred more than two millennia ago. In the early days of Hellenism,…
The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39 NASB Is like it – Why does Yeshua say that the commandment to love your neighbor is hómoios aute (like it)? How can any other commandment be like the first one: to love God will all your heart, mind, and strength? …
The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:31 NASB As yourself – Does the psychology of the Bible require self-love before sacrificial love? When both the Tanakh and the apostolic writings speak about loving your neighbor, the underlying condition seems to be…
