(When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John; but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) Luke 7:29-30 ESV Most Sunday mornings I teach a Sunday school class before the worshipContinue reading “The Curious Case of Jesus’s Speech in Luke 7:29-30”
Category Archives: Bible
Is Jesus God? The Prologue of John’s Gospel in Greek
Three main religions are considered to be monotheistic, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The first two would consider the third as suspect. How can a religion be monotheistic, but worship a triune God made of Father, Son, and Spirit? This question arose from the very beginnings of Christianity and has continued till today. Ultimately, worship ofContinue reading “Is Jesus God? The Prologue of John’s Gospel in Greek”
Faith and Works
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. James 2:18 (NRSV) Every year on this past Monday, our church small group gathers at one of our homes to watch the College Football National ChampionshipContinue reading “Faith and Works”
The Passion of Christ, A Good Friday Reflection
While I am reading Christ in the Psalms by Fr. Patrick Reardon, he is educating me as a life-long Protestant Christian of the two millennia of traditions, both Orthodox and Catholic, related to the regular praying of the Psalms and of their Christ-centered interpretation, in contrast with so much self-centered interpretation that we see today.Continue reading “The Passion of Christ, A Good Friday Reflection”
Delight Shines in the Darkness
“Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked … but his delight is in the torah of Yahweh.” In my previous post in this series, I suggested that Jesus as “the man” of Psalm 1 perfectly delighted in Yahweh and his torah. In Psalm 1, this man is not only positively delighting, butContinue reading “Delight Shines in the Darkness”
The Two Ways (Psalm 1:1-2)
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the torah of Yahweh, and on his torah he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). Psalm 1 introduces a major theme ofContinue reading “The Two Ways (Psalm 1:1-2)”
The Psalms and Jesus
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). In this chaotic time, most people wantContinue reading “The Psalms and Jesus”
How Accurate is my English translation of Scripture?
If you have ever read more than one English version of the Bible, you have realized that each one is different, and in some cases confusingly different. Since the Bible was originally written in ancient Hebrew and Greek, modern translators have all the challenges of how to render an ancient language into one that communicatesContinue reading “How Accurate is my English translation of Scripture?”
O Lordy
A few days ago I was reading Psalm 8 during my devotion and contemplating the opening words, “O LORD, our Lord” in the ESV (English Standard Version) I was using. I wondered whether this phrase was used anywhere else, so I did a search in my Bible program, Accordance, and a Pandora’s Box opened up.Continue reading “O Lordy”
Christmas Stories in the Bible, Part 10
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). All of the other Christmas stories can be summed up in these words from the Gospel of John. The verse not only sums up the others butContinue reading “Christmas Stories in the Bible, Part 10”
R Jackson Painter, PhD 