Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… as for zeal, persecuting the church;
Summary: Paul’s zeal for persecuting the church provides a window into who Paul is and the depth of his love for God.
The keyword in this passage is “zeal,” so let’s take a closer look at what it means.
Interestingly, the Greek word for “zeal” is very similar to our English word. In Greek, the word is “zẽlos.” (Zee, I told you! 🙂 )
Continue reading “Philippians 3:6a – Flipped”
[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”