Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Summary: Speaking of children, how did God deal with his kids?
It is interesting that Paul would include this statement in his section on family values, but not surprising.
Paul is sharing information revealed to him by God (Galatians 1:12). As usual, God’s message is completely consistent over the centuries. It is also a message close to God’s heart.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:20 – God’s Children”
[Put to death] … sexual immorality …
Summary: Paul begins to detail how we live according to God’s will.
As we begin to take a closer look at the things Paul wants us to “put to death,” the first thing on his list is “sexual immorality.” (The King James Version of the Bible famously uses the word “fornication” in this passage.)
Without going into details about how this word is used or what it means, we can generally say that God has something specific in mind about human sexuality. And he should. After all, he created us!
Continue reading “Colossians 3:5b – Design Specification”… having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness …
Summary: Understanding what it means to have our “legal indebtedness” canceled requires an understanding of the law.
We know from previous passages that Paul often mixes metaphors with reality. We also know it can be hard to tell the difference. This passage presents us with the same question: Is Paul speaking literally or metaphorically?
The concept of “legal indebtedness” depends on the existence of law. Without laws, nothing is illegal.
God’s law is like that. God doesn’t need a legislature to confirm his laws or a police force to enforce them. All God has to do is speak, and his words become law.
Continue reading “Colossians 2:14a – Legally Dead”… and giving joyful thanks to the Father,
Summary: It is one thing to say we are thankful, and it is another thing altogether to be joyfully thankful. Meditating on the difference helps us to understand what Paul is saying in this passage.
Continue reading “Colossians 1:12a – Joyful Thanks”… what counts is the new creation.
Summary: What is Paul’s letter really all about? It is about something new … you!
Continue reading “Galatians 6:15b – Old and New”They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Summary: Sorting out who Paul is referring to helps us to understand the challenge of the flesh and the hope that comes with God’s Holy Spirit.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:17b – Who Is “You”?”Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.
Summary: The situation in the Galatian churches was new at the time. Paul was horrified at what had happened. His letter to the Galatians is a testimony to his zeal for winning them back to the truth.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:17 – Satan’s Sights”… and I no longer live,
Summary: Understanding Paul’s meaning requires what the psychologists call “active listening.” We must expand our thinking to engage Paul’s mind and vision for what he means.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:20b – The Definition of Evil”All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.
Summary: Being God is a bit like being a parent. As parents, we want our children to learn to do good and avoid doing evil. But we can’t live our children’s lives for them.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:10 – God’s Pickle”… the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Summary: Pondering the meaning of “flaming arrows” leads us to consider the fate of Job.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:16c – And Then There Was Jōb”