good – Three Minute Bible

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025

Colossians 3:8d – The Opposite of Good

Picture of a man with a devil on his shoulder whispering in his ear.

[… 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?

July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Galatians 5:22g – God is Good

But the fruit of the Spirit is … goodness …

Summary: Goodness is a word that comes from the word “good,” but has a unique meaning.

October 17, 2023October 17, 2023

Ephesians 6:13b – The Day of Evil

… so that when the day of evil comes,

Summary: “Good” and “evil” are two terms we toss around a lot. But what do they mean? Do we all use the same definitions? If we don’t use the right one, we might not recognize when the day of evil is here.

October 13, 2023October 13, 2023

Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition

… but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world …

Summary: As we pick our way through the text of Paul’s letter, we discover treasures and insights. Today’s insight is confirmation that we are not alone in this world.

December 9, 2022December 9, 2022

John 8:15 – The Judge of All Things

You judge by human standards …

Summary: How we define “good” and “evil,” says a lot about our relationship with God. Using God’s definitions is a way of honoring our Creator.

December 7, 2022December 8, 2022

Mark 10:15 – Hey, Kid!

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

Summary: Jesus throws us a curve ball with this passage. How do we become like a little child?

October 30, 2022October 30, 2022

Mark 10:18 — The Law of Goodness

No one is good—except God alone.

Summary: Being the center of the universe is great if you actually are the Center of the Universe. If you are not but you think you are, then you are simply fooling yourself.

September 12, 2021September 13, 2021

2 Peter 1:5c — The Bridge

… to add to your faith goodness …

Summary: Faith is that precious gift of knowing Jesus Christ personally. Goodness is what we do with it.

July 28, 2020July 28, 2020

1 Peter 2:15 — Doing Good

Picture: two hands holding a candle against a black background.

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

There are some words in the ancient texts that give translators trouble. If you look in the NIV it might say something different than the King James Version. Sometimes out of thirty or more English translations you might find as many as ten different English equivalents. “Ignorance” is not one of those troublesome words.

Except for one or two exceptions, every English translation uses the word “ignorant” to express the Greek, “agnōsia.” In English, the word “ignorant” is often confused with “stupid.” These are two very different words. The word “ignorant” means a lack of knowledge. The cure to ignorance is knowledge.