Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
Summary: Paul’s statement about Adam and Eve is often discussed but not always understood.
Do you think God would have allowed this verse to be in the Bible if it were not true?* I don’t think so, which leaves us with a conundrum: If Adam was not deceived, why did he eat the forbidden fruit?
Continue reading “1 Timothy 2:14 – Deception”
I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
Summary: Whoo-boy! How do we deal with Paul’s statement about women from two thousand years ago?
Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about this verse in generalities. Nobody likes to be told what to wear, especially if what you wear is important to you. But it gets worse. It almost sounds like Paul is talking down to women. In the next few verses, he digs the hole deeper and even makes the case that Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden is the reason for all of these rules.
Continue reading “1 Timothy 2:9-10 – Eve’s Outfit (Part I)”
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?”
… from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary: Warning: This meditation delves into dangerous waters.
Have you ever wondered why Paul didn’t write, “Grace, mercy and peace from God,” and leave it at that?
Continue reading “1 Timothy 1:2e – The Curious Cat”[Therefore, if you ….make my joy complete by being like-minded]… having the same love…
Summary: Having the “same love” as Christ is a challenge. Understanding why helps us to focus our efforts on serving God’s will.
Paul’s sentences are famously long and convoluted. In this passage, he begins with a series of “if’s,” and then, when he reaches his “then,” he asks his readers to “make my joy complete by being like-minded.”
Continue reading “Philippians 2:2c – Two Kinds of Love”
As a result …
Summary: The first three words of this passage open the door to looking back through time at the beginning of our human history.
I thought we might start this next verse with the first three words, “As a result…”
Paul has just pointed out that what has happened to him has actually been good — from a certain point of view.
Continue reading “Philippians 1:13a – As a Result …”
… so that you may be able to discern what is best …
Summary: There is a reason we need help to discern what is best. To find out what that reason is, we have to go back to the very beginning of history.
To discern what is best requires love that abounds “more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.”
Why?
Continue reading “Philippians 1:10a – The Need to Discern”They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Summary: Sorting out who Paul is referring to helps us to understand the challenge of the flesh and the hope that comes with God’s Holy Spirit.
Continue reading “Galatians 5:17b – Who Is “You”?”Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God …
Summary: Reliance on the law is a fantasy whispered in our ear by the same serpent who whispered in Eve’s ear in the Garden of Eden.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:11a – Did God Really Say?”… you may be able to stand your ground,
Summary: In the old days, “standing your ground” meant just that. You would stand in a spot on the ground and defend it with your life. In the world of spiritual matters, we stand on a different kind of ground.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:13c – The Ground We Stand On”