Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
[Jesus]… did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
Summary: The nature of Jesus comes into focus in this passage. Understanding who Jesus is helps us understand how he wants us to live.
Who, exactly, is Jesus?
If you have read the Bible, or even if you have just heard about him from others, you probably know he is the “Messiah” (Matthew 16:16), the “Son of God” (Mark 1:1).
Continue reading “Philippians 2:6b – Fire and Ice”
[… rid yourselves of] … slander …
Summary: By following each step in Paul’s thinking, we discover that he has something very specific in mind.
Let’s go back and review the whole verse so far:
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander …”
Paul is painting a portrait of a slave to SELF. When we put our self-interest above God and others, we will always find things that offend us. The rest of the world is only interested in pleasing themselves, so since my SELF is most important (to me), it is very irritating when other people do not share my concern for my own happiness.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:8e – Doom Loop”
[Put to death] … lust …
Summary: How is lust different than sexual immorality? The difference is significant. As we look into the roots of the word Paul used, we find a life-saving warning.
Paul’s third category of things to put to death is represented in the NIV by the word “lust.” About half of all English translations use this word. The other half, with a few exceptions, use the word “passion.” Both are a fair translation, but some clarification is helpful here.
The word Paul uses in Greek is “páthos.” “Páthos” is a word that describes a feeling we humans sometimes have. It is correctly translated as “passion,” but it is a very specific kind of passion.
Continue reading “Colossians 3:5d – Good Passion and Bad”