The nature of God has been a subject of philosophical and theological inquiry for centuries. Throughout human history, people have attempted to understand the nature of the divine and the role it plays in the universe. While the concept of God varies among different cultures and religions, there are some common features that define the nature of God.
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John 4:25-26: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
These two verses are part of the account in John’s Gospel of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. He admitted openly to her that He was the Messiah, the deliverer whom God had been promising to send to His people for hundreds of years.
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The Ten Commandments remind children to honor their parents. Paul applies this command here by teaching that honor begins with obedience. Paul’s reason is not that parents are always right or because children owe some debt to parents, but because obedience toward parents pleases the Lord.
Continue reading HOW SHOULD CHILDREN TREAT PARENTS?
Solomon’s bride, the Shulamite, is speaking in this verse. In an age when women prized pure white skin, she was a country girl whose skin had been darkened by long exposure to the sun.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (SEEING BENEATH THE SURFACE)
1.Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (1 CORITHIANS 13:1-13 “THE GREATEST GIFT”)
NEW TESTAMENT – The contrasting elements of wisdom and folly evident in the OT were clearly in the mind of Paul when he asked, “Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? (1 Cor 1:20b HCSB). However, in the NT, this polarity between wisdom and folly is not always stressed. In fact, it is possible that a certain kind of wisdom can actually be folly. In Matt 7:26;2-3; Rom 2:20 “folly” is used synonymously with “experiential wisdom.” Wisdom based only on human intellect and experiences without considering God is folly.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (FOOL, FOOLISHNESS, AND FOLLY PT 2 OF 2)
Apart from these examples of literally raising hands, we also find biblical examples of this action in two related figures of speech. The mutinous revolt against established authority is described as raising one’s hand against a sitting ruler. Shortly after David survived the coup attempt of Absalom, Sheba initiated a revolt against David (2 Sam 20:1). Joab characterized this act of aggression by stating that Sheba had “lifted up his hand against the king” (2 Sam 20:21; 18:28; Ezra 6:12). The violence behind this figure of speech is also present in the figurative
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (HAND “TO RAISE OR STRETCH OUR” PT 2 OF 3)
Isn’t it amazing how an entire life can change in a moment? That’s the way it happened for the unnamed woman we meet in John 4.
Continue reading WOMEN OF THE BIBLE (THE SAMARITAN WOMAN “MEETING THE THIRST QUENCHER”)
Most Christians approach this topic from one of three viewpoints. One group sees all the gifts mentioned in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 as still operative today. Another group says that the more spectacular, so-called “sign” gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing) were given only for the beginning era of the church (people who hold this position are called “cessationists”). Still others teach that all the gifts were temporary in nature.
Continue reading WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS?