Selective Ethics

 and now Israel, what does the LORD require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, . . .   Deuteronomy 10:12  ESV Israel – One of the principal differences between…

The Spice of Life

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.   1 Peter 1:6  NASB Various – Peter uses an interesting adjective to describe the testing of our faith.  It is the word poikilos.  It does not mean “many.”  Instead it means “of a wide…

The Evangelical Lynchpin

who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope.    1 Peter 1:3  NASB Born again – The Greek word here is anagennesas.  This word comes from ana (again) and gennao (to beget).  This is a word that Peter made up.  It is not found anywhere else in…

Ordinal Insanity

Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”  Matthew 8:21  ESV First – Someone called me with a personal dilemma.  “I feel as if my wife and I need to move [to another city].  But I have so much family here and they are in such need. …

Necessary Redundancy

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Genesis 1:27  NASB Male and female – What is the point of the repetition?  Wasn’t it clear enough with the first, “God created man”?  Why add the second “in the image of God He…

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing (Greek) Word – Part 1.

For it is not merely the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of what Torah says who will be made righteous in God’s sight. (Rom. 2:13, Complete Jewish Bible) Alone – When Skip extended an invitation to contribute to Today’s Word, I knew I would have some difficulty in matching his…