How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Proverbs 28:14 NASB Fears always – It is quite popular to encourage believers with the thought that we do not need to be afraid. We are often reminded that Scripture tells us, “Do not fear” more than…
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….
“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land;” Jeremiah 15:7 NASB Winnow – The Hebrew word is zarah. This verb captures a daily event in the life of the people. Just as they threw grain into the air to separate the good from the bad, God throws His people…
They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 1 Timothy 3:9 ESV Mystery – On my last trip to El Salvador, I received a lesson in theology at the local restaurant. Keith (who accompanied me on the trip) and I decided to have enchiladas. The menu offered three choices. Four enchiladas…
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…
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NASB Take courage – In the Greek text, the word translated “take courage” is tharseite. This verb (tharreo) means, “be confident, take courage, be bold,” in one of its forms, and “to trust, to rely on” in another form. …
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NASB Overcome – Here is the Greek word nenikeka. This is the verb nike (you can see it in the middle of the word). It means, “to be victorious over.” Now you know why a shoe company in Portland…
“He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Ruth 4:15 ESV Restorer – Most biblical students are familiar with the Hebrew concept of the kinsman-redeemer. Christians often consider…
“How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” John 4:9 NASB How? – The Greek word pos introduces a question. This is a particularly interesting question. It contains many of the implications about communal truths that we face today. It is a question of…
Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” Ruth 2:5 NASB Whose – Did you recognize the underlying cultural assumption in Boaz’s question? It is a perfect statement of the difference between the Western Greek world and the Eastern Hebrew world. In our Greek-based society,…
