Daily Meditations on the Bible
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
Summary: Paul arrives at the crown jewel of his argument for the Gospel. In it, he brings together all the threads he has been working with to make his case.
Continue reading “Galatians 4:4-5 – The Diamond and the Light”He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus …
Summary: There is a big difference between the law and faith. Paul explains the gift we receive when we put our trust in Jesus.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:14a – A Light for the Gentiles”— and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Summary: Understanding the metaphor of light and dark opens up a world of understanding about the spiritual realm.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:13b – Flipping the Switch”Live as children of light …
Summary: God’s realm includes the physical world we live in, but it is much more that we can’t see. To understand what it means to live in God’s house, Paul uses different metaphors to show us what we can’t see.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:8b – Living In God’s House”For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Summary: Paul has the unenviable task of explaining realities that we cannot see with our human eyes. To give us a picture of what he is talking about, he uses an illustration of light and dark.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:8a – Spiritual Light and Dark”… to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Summary: Understanding the word “glory” is important if we are to understand the Scriptures. Paul gives us a clue to what the Lord’s church looks like in this passage about glory.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:21 – Glory Church”…the faithful in Christ Jesus
Summary: When it comes to the Scriptures, the meaning of words is important. Understanding what it means to be faithful in Christ Jesus is a foundational step to understanding our roles as Christians.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:1 – The Challenge of Christianity”You are the light of the world.
Summary: The Bible teaches us about our spiritual nature, yet even though we are being taught, it is hard to understand.
Continue reading “Matthew 5:14 – My Two Selves”
… as to a light shining in a dark place,
Summary: Peter leans on an illustration that would have been common in his day, but is not so common today.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:19d — Two Kinds of Light”
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.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:15 — Doing Good”