Tag: pure

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Philippians 4:8d – The Choice

A Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man look-alike reads the Bible. (Grok)

… whatever is pure …think about such things. 

Summary: Trying to tell ourselves what NOT to think about is doomed to fail. Paul’s solution is to redirect our thinking towards something without any worldly contamination.   

Paul is clever! 

There is a scene in the 1984 “Ghostbusters” movie where the four Ghostbusters are in the final battle with “Gozer the Gozerian.” After blasting the apparition with their “proton beams,” Gozer disappears. Thinking that they have “won,” the four heroes relax for a moment until the ground starts to shake and the building begins to sway. 

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Philippians 3:5d – He Had it All

Picture of a cup of coffee (AI/ Pixabay)

… a Hebrew of Hebrews…

Summary: Paul’s description of himself as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” is not just a casual reference. The phrasing itself echoes Hebrew history and culture.  

I am fairly certain that no one has ever claimed to be a “Norwegian of Norwegians.” 

My parents were both Scandinavian, but pure bloodlines are not something that our culture values these days. It is okay to be part this and part that. Most of us are of mixed blood. 

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Philippians 2:15a – Becoming Nothing

Picture of two miniature people sitting on a keyboard (Pixabay)

[Do everything without grumbling or arguing] so that you may become blameless and pure…

Summary: The road to being Christ-like requires that we travel a path of humility in God’s service.   

It is interesting that Paul seems to summarize Christian living with two simple words. His words suggest that by doing everything without grumbling or arguing, we can become “blameless and pure.” 

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Colossians 3:5c – Choose Jesus

An artistic picture of wild fire.

[Put to death] … impurity …

Summary: Paul’s reference to impurity draws us into an interesting study of dross and chaff. 

Paul’s list of things belonging to the “earthly nature” and that deserve being put to death includes sexual immorality, impurity, and lust. Together it would seem that all three have a lot in common and, in fact, they do. But there are differences, too. 

Sexual immorality is the use of our human sexuality in ways that God did not intend. Lust is the craving for sexual immorality. Impurity embraces both but, at the same time, encompasses more. 

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