Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
For everything God created is good…
Summary: “Good,” it is said, “is relative.” That can mean a lot of things, but mostly it means we need to see things as God sees them.
“If everything God created is good, why is there so much evil in the world?”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 4:4a – Strange Stories”
This is good …
Summary: The concept of “good and evil” or “good and bad” is central to what the Bible is all about.
Reading Paul’s letter to Timothy is not really like reading someone else’s mail. Paul’s words to Timothy are also intended for us. We are the real audience he was writing for. In the same way, it is not really Paul who wrote the letter — God is the real author (2 Timothy 3:16). This is important because if it is God’s Word we are reading, then the phrase “This is good…” takes on special meaning.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 2:3a – Taste and See”
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Summary: Deciding what is “evil” seems easy to most of us. “Evil” is anything we don’t like or don’t approve of. But what about God’s definition of “evil?”
If the law is a signpost that warns us against evil, what is evil? This is the next BIG question. Did the serpent lie about that, too?
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:7 – Part II: What is Evil? “
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Summary: The topic of the law opens the door to many related questions. The first one we will deal with has to do with the nature of the law itself.
In our last meditation, we discussed the meaning of the verb “judge.” The Bible instructs us to make good judgments about the things we say and do, but warns us against making moral judgments about other people.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:7 – Part I: What is the Law?”
[… advancing God’s work] — which is by faith.
Summary: Advancing God’s work by faith might sound simple, but some aspects of this task can be incredibly hard.
When we talk about “God’s work,” we are talking about something very different from what we normally think of as “work.”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:4c – By Faith”
… since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Summary: The NIV’s use of the word “struggle” prompts us to examine Paul’s intent more closely.
Struggle? What struggle?
Continue reading “Philippians 1:30 – Struggles”
[… rid yourselves of] … malice …
Summary: Words have meanings, and meanings are important. “Malice” may not be a word we use very often anymore, but it is a good word that describes a very common condition.
One of the things Paul encourages us to get rid of is “malice.” Malice is a great word, but one we don’t often use. The simplest definition I found for it is “the intention or desire to do evil.”* More explicitly, it is a desire to do harm or cause suffering.
Okay … “evil” is a small word, but it carries a big stick. What does “evil” mean?
Continue reading “Colossians 3:8d – The Opposite of Good”
[Put to death] … evil desires …
Summary: Paul’s instruction to put evil desires to death forces us to confront ourselves in the mirror of God’s truth.
When Paul talks about putting “evil desires” to death, he opens the door to an important and fascinating conversation.
Who decides what “evil” is?
That sounds like a simple question. Evil is “evil,” right? After all, everybody knows what “evil” is, don’t they?
Continue reading “Colossians 3:5e – Our Personal Tutor”I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Summary: In all things, it is important to remember that our enemies are spiritual forces, not people made of flesh and blood.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:21b – Fight!”… 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”