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: Teaching others is a wonderful calling and profession, if we are teaching God’s truth. For those who teach otherwise, there are consequences.
Now that we have discussed what evil actually is and have a better understanding of what the law is, let’s look at what it means to be a “teacher of the law.”
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:7 – Part III: Teachers of the Law”
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?”
… 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”But the fruit of the Spirit is … goodness …
Summary: Goodness is a word that comes from the word “good,” but has a unique meaning.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:22g – God is Good”… 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.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:13b – The Day of Evil”… 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.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:12b – Opposition”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.
Continue reading “John 8:15 – The Judge of All Things”