Daily Bible Nugget #834, Leviticus 18:5

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Lev 18:5  Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

My Comment:

It is interesting but tragic to see that non-Christians, unbelievers, think they understand the Bible more accurately than Bible believing, Bible studying Christians do.

Some of you are constantly attacking the message of the Apostle Paul.

You seem to be attacking what you do not understand.

Abe AU above cited Romans 10:9, 13, then claimed Paul “promised them of easy way of obtaining ticket to heaven simply by acknowledging Jesus as their saviour.”

Try reading more of the context in order to begin to get a more accurate understanding of what is being said:

Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Unbelievers here are unfortunately in a similar state to the position of the Jews in Paul’s day: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

Notice what Paul states next:

Rom 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. (KJV)

Rom 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. (ESV)

Paul is citing Leviticus 18:5,

Lev 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. (KJV)

Lev 18:5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (ESV)

A careful comparison of Scripture with Scripture, a most important method of Bible study, will lead to the fact that there is yet another way of salvation previously revealed by God to Abraham, the way of faith:

Gen 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (KJV)

Gen 15:6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. (ESV)

In Scripture, therefore, the promise of eternal life (Leviticus 18:5, “shall live”) to those who perfectly keep God’s Law and so receive eternal life by works is set in contrast to those who receive eternal life by faith (Genesis 15:6 and Habakkuk 2:4).

No one (except the Lord Jesus Christ) has ever met the requirement of keeping the law perfectly so as to qualify to receive eternal life on the basis of works.

Proverbs 20:9  Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Ecclesiastes 7:20  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

James 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions, False Religions, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly, How to Study the Bible | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #833, Matthew 12:31

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. (KJV)

The Question:

Hello brother, I am sorry for disturbing you with my question Mark 3:29 ‘…. whoever blasphemies the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness….’ How does it look like to blasphemy the Holy Spirit?

The Answer:

Matthew 12:31 is a parallel passage to Mark 3:29.

Mar 3:29  But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Mar 3:30  Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

The following notes and cross references from my digital Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, should provide the answer to your question:

Matthew 12:31
All manner of sin. *Isa 1:18; **Isa 55:7, Eze 33:11, Mar 3:28, 29, 30, Luk 24:47, **Joh 6:37, Act 13:38, 39, *1Ti 1:13, 14, 15, *Heb 6:4, 5, 6, etc. +*Heb 10:26; +*Heb 10:29, **1Jn 1:9; **1Jn 2:1; **1Jn 2:2.

and blasphemy. βλασφημια here first. Its meaning in reference to God is plain from the saying of the Pharisees (Mat 12:24), to which the term is here applied; (see the parallel place in Mar 3:28, 29, 30) and from Mat 26:65, Mar 2:7, Joh 10:33, Rev 13:5, 6, Compare βλασφημον, 1Ti 1:13, and 2Ti 3:2, and see Mat 4:3 note. It is always rendered “Blasphemy” except Eph 4:31, where “evil-speaking;” and 1Ti 6:4 and Jud 1:9, where “railing” (De Burgh). Note: Blasphemy, blasphemia, βλασφημια (S# G988) either from βλαπειν την φημην, blaptein tain phaman, to hurt or blast the reputation, or from βαλλειν ταις φημαις, ballein tais phamais, to smite with words, or reports, when applied to men denotes injurious speaking, or calumny, and when used in reference to God signifies speaking impiously of his nature, attributes, and works. Mat 15:19; Mat 26:65, Mar 2:7; Mar 3:28; *+Mar 7:22; Mar 14:64, Luk 5:21, Joh 10:33, Eph 4:31, Col 3:8, 1Ti 6:4, Jud 1:9, Rev 2:9; Rev 13:1; Rev 13:5, 6; Rev 17:3.

shall be forgiven. Isa 1:18, Mar 3:28, 29, 30, Luk 12:10, Col 2:13 note. 1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 1:9; 1Jn 2:1, 2.

but the blasphemy. What the Holy Spirit did to prove the divinity of Christ’s person and mission, the Pharisees turned into an argument to show that Christ was an impostor, and actuated by Satanic agency. Thus their sin consisted in the unreasonable and absurd rejection of the Son of God as the Saviour of men, in opposition to the plain and unanswerable testimony of the Holy Spirit. This sin against the Holy Spirit is a rejection of the truth as it is revealed in the Divine Word, especially of that truth as it respects Christ and His salvation—this in disregard of many favourable opportunities to know the truth as it is in Christ and His Word—with severe and bitter feelings of aversion and hatred, peculiarly provoked by any distinct reference to the Holy Spirit and His work in either the inspired Word, or the Divine Saviour whom it His office to honour (James Morgan, The Scripture Testimony to the Holy Spirit, pp. 144, 147). Lev 24:16, Mar 3:28, 29, 30, Luk 12:10; Luk 22:65, Joh 8:48; Joh 10:32, 33; Joh 10:36, *Act 5:3; Act 7:51, +*1Jn 5:16.

shall be. FS96C9, +Gen 2:10.

forgiven. +*Exo 34:7, Lev 6:7.

but the blasphemy against. +Lev 24:11; +Lev 24:16, Pro 19:1, Luk 11:18, Act 5:3; Act 7:51, *Heb 10:29, +1Jn 5:16.

Ghost. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 3:16.

shall not be forgiven. The sin against the Holy Ghost is unpardonable because of its own nature: it consists in the rejection of the way of salvation by Christ, in opposition to the fullest evidence, and the only evidence that shall ever be given (Heb 2:3). The sin against the Holy Spirit consists in continued impenitence and unbelief (**Heb 10:26, 27, 29). It is not an act, but a habit. It is the calm, determined, and persevering rejection of Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of men, in opposition to all the testimony of His word and Spirit. Consequently in its nature it is incapable of forgiveness. No one who is afraid of having committed this sin has done so; for its very nature is to have no fear on that account. It is committed and continued in delightedly and knowingly, where it is committed at all. Fear is incompatible with its nature. Yet we need to be on our guard against this sin, lest we be betrayed into it. The progress of sin is rapid and dangerous. We need to be watchful against both the sins of the life and the sins of the heart. Apostasy may be nearer to any of us than we imagine (Rom 11:20, +*Heb 3:12, 1Jn 3:24). Cherish a sense of dependence on both the teaching and support of the Spirit. Through Him cleave unto Christ and ye shall be safe (See Morgan, The Scripture Testimony to the Holy Spirit, pp. 148-151). Mat 12:32, Mat 21:37, 38; Mat 27:18, Mar 4:17, %Act 3:17; *Act 7:51, Rom 11:20, Heb 2:3; Heb 3:12; Heb 6:4, 5, 6; Heb 10:26, 27, 28, 29, 1Jn 3:24; 1Jn 5:16.

Matthew 12:32
whosoever. Mat 11:19; Mat 13:55, 56, 57; Mat 26:65, 66, 67, 68; Mat 27:39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, Luk 7:34; *Luk 12:10; Luk 22:65; *Luk 23:34, *Joh 7:12; *Joh 7:52; Joh 9:24, *Act 3:14; *Act 3:15; *Act 3:19; Act 26:9, 10, 11, 1Ti 1:13; 1Ti 1:15.

the Son of man. +Mat 8:20; Mat 16:13.

it shall be forgiven. Isa 33:24, Jer 50:20, Mar 3:28, Luk 23:34, *Act 8:18; *Act 8:19; *Act 8:22, *1Ti 1:12; *1Ti 1:13.

but whosoever. Num 15:30, Joh 7:39, **Heb 6:4, 5, 6; **Heb 10:26, 27, 28, 29, Jas 3:6, +*1Jn 5:16.

speaketh against. FS73, +Zec 1:5. That the Holy Spirit can be the subject of blasphemy (by attributing his miraculous works to Satan) proves him to be as much a person as the Son; and it proves him to be divine, because it shows that he may be sinned against, and so sinned against that the blasphemer shall not be forgiven. A person he must be, or he could not be blasphemed: a divine person he must be to constitute this blasphemy a sin against him in the proper sense, and of so malignant a kind as to place it beyond the reach of mercy (Watson, Theological Institutes, vol. i. p. 629, cited in McClintock and Strong, vol. iv. p. 309, article “Holy Ghost”). “These passages (Mat 12:31, 32, Mar 3:28, 29, Luk 12:10) at least imply beyond cavil the personality of the Holy Spirit, for sin and blasphemy can only be committed against persons” (T. Rees, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 1, p. 486, article “Blasphemy”). %+Gen 1:2, +*Luk 3:22 note. Joh 14:26; Joh 16:13, 14, Act 8:29; Act 8:39; Act 13:2; Act 15:28; Act 16:7; Act 20:28; Act 28:25, Rom 8:27, 1Co 2:10, 11; 1Co 12:8; 1Co 12:11, Eph 4:30.

Holy Ghost. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 3:16. +Mat 3:16, Joh 7:39.

it shall not. FS175B, +Gen 21:16. God the Holy Spirit is immutable (+*Mat 28:19 note). +Mat 12:31, Job 36:13, Mar 3:29, +Luk 12:10; Luk 16:23, 24, 25, 26.

in this world. Gr. aion, +Mat 6:13, lit. “this age,” as in Mat 13:22, Mar 4:19; +Mar 10:30, Luk 1:70; +Luk 16:8; Luk 20:34, +**Joh 6:54 note. Joh 9:39, Rom 12:2, 1Co 1:20; 1Co 2:6; 1Co 2:8; 1Co 3:18, 2Co 4:4, Gal 1:4, Eph 1:21; Eph 2:2; Eph 6:12, 1Ti 6:17, 2Ti 4:10, Tit 2:12.

the world to come. i.e. neither in this Gospel dispensation, nor in that which is to follow, namely, the dispensation of Messiah’s reign, though so much more abounding in blessing, extending to the whole world and all nations. But, if not then, never, as stated in Mat 12:31; see the parallel place, Mar 3:28 (De Burgh). The primary reference is probably to the prophecy Isa 9:6, where for The everlasting Father, the LXX. and the Vulgate read The Father of the age to come (De Burgh). Mat 13:39, 40; Mat 13:49; Mat 24:3; Mat 19:28; Mat 28:20, Eze 33:16 note. +*Mar 10:30, Luk 18:30; Luk 20:35, +**Joh 6:54 note. *Eph 1:21, Heb 2:5; Heb 6:5; +*Heb 9:27.

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My answer to “REFUTING Christian claim on Psalm 16:10”

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Psalm 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)

Psalm 16:10  For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit. (JPS-ASVII, Jewish Publication Society)

Psalm 16:10.  For thou wilt not abandon my soul to the grave: thou wilt not suffer thy pious (servant) to see corruption. (Isaac Leeser translation)

Psalm 16:10.  For you leave not your Darling to look on decay. (Ferrar Fenton translation)

Psalm 16:10. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol. You will not allow your loyal one to see the pit. (NWT, New World Translation, 1984)

Psalm 16:10.  For thou hast not left my soul in Sheol; neither hast thou suffered thy Holy One to see corruption. (Lamsa translation)

Psalm 16:10  for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol; you will not give your faithful one to see the grave. (LEB, Lexham English Bible)

Psalm 16:10  For you will not let my soul be prisoned in the underworld; you will not let your loved one see the place of death. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

Psalm 16:10  because you will not leave Me in the grave or let Your loved One experience decay. (William Beck translation)

Psalm 16:10  because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Psalm 16:10  because you protect me from the power of death. I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead. (GNB, Good News Bible)

Psalm 16:10  I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

 

THE CHALLENGE:

Christian tried to link this to Psalm 16:10 which has nothing to do with the messiah, him dying and resurrecting — and his body not rotting.

Psalm 16:10 is translated as: “For You shall not forsake my life (being alive / the living part of the soul) to the grave; You shall not allow Your pious one to see the pit.”

Most Christian do not know Hebrew (or they rely on poor tools such as the Strong Concordance) and when they see an English translation it will say “my soul” and not “my life.” Even most Jewish translations say “my soul,” but educated Jews realize that the Hebrew is not speaking of the immortal soul at all.

The Hebrew word in question is is נַפְשִׁ֣י / (nafSHI).

נַפְשִׁ֣י / (nafSHI) is a form of נֶפֶש / nefesh — a word which is speaking of the part of the soul attached to a living body which keeps the body alive through blood coursing through its veins. Animals and humans have a נֶפֶש / nefesh (נַפְשִׁ֣י / (nafSHI) means “my” soul). . . Nefesh is the lowest level of consciousness, is awareness of the physical body and the physical world.

Let me repeat: this is not the immortal soul. Animals do not have immortal souls.

Nefesh is the spiritual existence which resides in the body and keeps the physical metabolism working and the person alive.

“The ruach” is a connection between the neshama and the nefesh. It is the cause of feelings and personal qualities.

“Neshama” is the spiritual existence which pulls the man towards God, to the performance of good deeds, to be pious and humble and to seek knowledge and achievement in spiritual fields. It resides around the head.”

Thus Psalm 16 is not speaking of Jesus’ (or King David’s) immortal soul not rotting in a grave. The Hebrew does not speak of the immortal soul in this passage. It simply says that David is grateful that he is alive — PHYSICALLY alive.

This concept of more than one “soul” may be new to some readers, so let me repeat that there are three different terms that people confuse when it comes to translation:

רוּחַ ru’ah,

נְשָׁמָה n’shamah and

נֶפֶשׁ nefesh.

רוּחַ ru’ah is a “spirit“, also translated as “wind.” God breathed a spirit into man (Genesis 2:7).

נְשָׁמָה n’shamah is a word most people think of when they hear the English word “soul.” It means the immortal soul — the one that lives on after death, and defines who we are as people.

נֶפֶשׁ nefesh, confusingly, is also translated as a “soul” — but this word is actually that which keeps the body alive (the blood coursing through your veins). Both animals and humans have a נֶפֶשׁ nefesh.

Psalm 16:10 (and many other psalms) are speaking of the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh — the living human being. It has nothing to do with a person who dies (the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh would then die and this passage would not be applicable). Thus the idea that one can relate this psalm to Jesus dying, being resurrected and his body not rotting to Psalm 16:10 does not “match” the Hebrew word in question.

As mentioned earlier, Psalm 16 is written by King David, about himself after God has forgiven him for the sins related to his relationship with his wife, the daughter of Sheva ( בַּת שֶׁ֫בַע / Bat (daughter of) Sheva).

Psalm 16 does not at all say anything about rising from the dead either. In this Psalm King David is thanking God for not punishing him with death. King David writes: “Therefore, my heart rejoiced, and my soul was glad; even my flesh shall dwell in safety.” Psalm 16:9.

If this were about Jesus who is saying (in present tense) that his heart rejoiced and his soul was glad that his life was safe?

Did you see anything yet about someone dying and arising from the dead?

Nope — and you never will.

Psalm 16:10 says “For You shall not forsake my life (being alive / the living part of the soul) to the grave; You shall not allow Your pious one to see the pit.”

Most people only think of “soul” as the immortal soul, but this is not the meaning of the word נַפְשִׁ֣י / (nafSHI). Animals and humans have a נֶפֶש / nefesh — a life force which keeps the body alive through oxygenated blood coursing through our veins. Animals do not have an immortal soul, a gift God breathed into man alone.

I repeat, in Psalm 16 David is simply speaking of being alive — not his immortal soul.

King David is saying that he will NOT die (so how is he going to arise from the dead if he isn’t dying?).

Psalm 16:11 says “You shall let me know the way of life, the fullness of joys in Your presence. The delights that are in Your right hand for eternity.”

“the way of life” — not death and resurrection.

King David is thanking God for allowing him to live and enjoy life. When King David speaks of delights being eternal — he is speaking of three things: enjoying life, enjoying the presence of God in his life and the realization that when he dies he will have eternal life with God.

There is no prophecy that the messiah will die and be resurrected in the T’nach (Jewish bible).

MY RESPONSE:

The answer to this challenge is simple: the author of the Opening Post has not categorized the lexical uses of the Hebrew word nephesh correctly. I give the correct categorizations below.

 

I have made an exhaustive study of the Hebrew and Greek terms used for “soul” and several other related terms as used in the Bible. I have given the results of my study of these Bible terms in both The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (1992, 1996, 2023, 2024) and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury (2016).

Psalm 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Here are my notes and cross references to related passages of Scripture as I have given them in my digital Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for Psalm 16:10,

Psalms 16:10
not leave my. +*Psa 9:17; Psa 21:4; Psa 30:3; *Psa 49:15 mg. Psa 69:15; Psa 71:20; *Psa 86:13; Psa 139:8, Lev 19:28, Num 6:6, *Deut 32:22, Job 11:8, *Pro 15:11; *Pro 27:20, *Isa 5:14; *Isa 14:9, Hos 13:14, *Amos 9:2, Mat 17:23, Mar 10:34, *Luk 16:23, *Joh 2:21; *Joh 2:22; Joh 20:9, Act 2:24; >Act 2:31; Act 3:15; Act 7:59, *1Co 15:4; *1Co 15:55 mg. Eph 1:20, *Rev 1:18; Rev 20:13, 14.

soul. Heb. nephesh, +Psa 30:3, FS121A8, Metonymy of the Cause F/S 545. Soul is put for the person, as when a city contains so many thousand souls. For other instances of this figure see Psa 49:15; Psa 103:1, Luk 1:46, Act 2:27; Act 2:31, +*Rev 6:9 note. Rev 20:4 note. Probably the theological presuppositions of E. W. Bullinger have influenced his categorization of “soul” here, for he was a materialist, who did not believe that the soul was a separate, conscious entity in man, and therefore he denied the conscious existence of man after death. Other more appropriate categorizations of “soul” here, equally if not more defensible than that assigned by Bullinger, would be **FS171Q1, +Gen 12:5, or FS171Q2, +Num 23:10. Other examples which should be carefully noted where the theology of the interpreter greatly influences the figure of speech categories assigned are discussed in the related notes (Gen 24:10 note. Jer 33:18 note. **Php 1:23 note). This materialist bias in the works of Bullinger necessitated considerable reorganization of the New Testament categories for “soul” (+*Mat 2:20 note) and “spirit” (+*Mat 8:16 note) presented in this edition of the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, compared with Bullinger’s original scheme presented in the otherwise helpful volume The Giver and His Gifts, Appendix I, “Classified List of Usages of Pneuma.” Gen 35:18.

hell. Heb. sheol, +Gen 37:35, +Psa 30:3. The word hell, from the Saxon hillan or helan, to hide, or from holl, a cavern, though now used only for the place of torment, anciently denoted the concealed or unseen place of the dead in general; corresponding to the Greek adas, hades, i.e. o aidas topos, the invisible place, and the Hebrew sheol, from shaal, to ask, seek, the place and state of those who are out of the way, and to be sought for. Psa 139:8, Isa 14:9, Amos 9:2, Jon 2:2, +**Mat 10:28.

neither. T44. *Psa 49:15; Psa 71:20, +*Gen 3:15; +*Gen 49:10, +*Isa 7:14; Isa 35:3-6, **Isaiah 53, Zec 11:12, 13, *Act 2:27-31; *>Act 13:35,6, 37, 38, *1Co 15:42; *1Co 15:50-54.

suffer. **FS108A4, +Gen 31:7, +Amo 3:6.

Holy One. or, saint. i.e. Christ the Messiah. T1916. Psa 89:18, 19, Deut 33:8, +Isa 1:4; Isa 10:17; Isa 29:23; Isa 49:7, *Dan 9:24, Hos 11:9, Hab 1:12; Hab 3:3, $Mar 1:24, +*$Luk 1:35; *Luk 4:34, >Act 2:27; *Act 3:14; Act 4:27; >Act 13:35, Heb 5:7; Heb 7:26, 1Jn 2:20, Rev 3:7.

corruption. Heb. shachath, +Job 9:31 (*S# H7845). +Psa 30:3; Psa 49:9; Psa 103:4, Gen 37:35 note. Num 6:20, Job 17:14, Jon 2:3; Jon 2:6-7, Rom 6:9.

I have given a list of the classified uses of nephesh at Genesis 2:7 in my digital resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Genesis 2:7
Lord God. +Gen 2:4.

formed. Gen 2:19, 2Ki 19:25, Psa 94:9; Psa 95:5; Psa 100:3; Psa 139:14, 15, Isa 45:18; Isa 64:8, Note that man’s body was formed, but soul and spirit were created, Gen 1:26, 27, proving man is a compound being.

man. Gen 2:8; Gen 2:15. Note man is a compound being consisting of body and spirit (Gen 41:8 note. Num 27:16 note. Rom 8:10 note), +*Job 14:22, +*Ecc 12:7, +*Mat 10:28, Luk 8:55, 1Co 5:3; >1Co 15:45, 2Co 5:6; 2Co 5:8, %1Th 5:23, %Heb 4:12, 3Jn 1:2.

of the. Heb. dust of the ground.

dust. *Gen 3:19; *Gen 3:23, *Job 4:19; Job 33:6, +*Psa 103:14, Ecc 3:20; +*Ecc 12:7, *Isa 64:8, Rom 9:20, *1Co 15:47, 2Co 4:7; 2Co 5:1, S# H6083, translated elsewhere “ashes,” Num 19:17, 2Ki 23:4; “earth,” Gen 26:15; “ground,” Job 14:8; “morter,” Lev 14:42; Lev 14:45; “powder,” 2Ki 23:6; 2Ki 23:15; “rubbish,” Neh 4:2; Neh 4:10.

and breathed. Job 27:3; Job 33:4, Eze 37:9, Joh 20:22, Act 17:25.

nostrils. Gen 7:22, +*Ecc 3:21, Isa 2:22.

breath. Heb. neshamah. *S# H5397. Gen 7:22, Deut 20:16, Jos 10:40; Jos 11:11; Jos 11:14, 2Sa 22:16, 1Ki 15:29; 1Ki 17:17, Job 4:9; Job 26:4; *Job 27:3; Job 32:8; Job 33:4; +*Job 34:14; Job 37:10, Psa 18:15; Psa 150:6, Pro 20:27, Isa 2:22; Isa 30:33; Isa 42:5; Isa 57:16, Dan 5:23; Dan 10:17. Note that “spirit” or “soul” are not merely “breath.” “Breath” constitutes function, “spirit” and “soul” often designate “being,” or the immaterial part of man. “Breath” is distinct from “spirit” and “soul” as it cannot substitute for these terms in the following passages: Gen 34:3; Gen 41:8, Lev 20:27, Deut 2:30, 1Sa 1:15; 1Sa 28:7, 1Ki 21:5; 1Ki 22:21, 22, 23, 24, Job 34:14, Psa 16:10; Psa 19:7; Psa 34:18; Psa 106:15, Pro 16:18, 19; Pro 18:14, Ecc 1:14, Isa 29:24; Isa 58:5, +*Mat 10:28, Luk 12:19, Joh 4:23, Act 23:8-9, Eph 4:23, 1Th 5:23, Heb 4:12, 1Jn 4:1, Rev 6:9, 10, 11; Rev 20:4, Note also that the human soul or spirit is distinguished from the divine Spirit from whom it proceeded, thus refuting pantheism, 1Co 2:11. Soul or spirit is distinguished from the body it inhabits, refuting materialism, Gen 35:18. *1Ki 17:21, +*Job 14:22, +*Ecc 12:7, +*Zec 12:1 note. +**Mat 10:28 note. Jas 2:26.

of. FS181D. Genitive of Apposition, equivalent to “that is to say” or “consisting of,” thus “breath, that is to say, life.” For other instances of the Genitive of Apposition, see Isa 14:14, *Joh 2:21, Rom 4:11; Rom 4:13; Rom 4:18; Rom 8:23, 2Co 1:22; 2Co 3:17, 18; 2Co 5:1; 2Co 5:5, Eph 4:3; *Eph 4:9; *Eph 6:14, Heb 6:1, 1Pe 1:1, 2Pe 2:6.

life. Gen 6:17; Gen 7:22; Gen 17:15, *Act 17:25, *1Co 15:45, *Heb 12:9.

became. +Gen 1:2.

living. Gen 1:21; Gen 1:24; Gen 2:19, Job 27:3; Job 32:8; Job 33:4, Note man’s body is vitalized by a single principle, the living soul.

soul. Heb. +S# H5315, nephesh. +Gen 1:20; +**Gen 12:5; Gen 35:18, Num 16:22; Num 27:16, *1Ki 17:21, 2Ki 4:27, +*Job 14:22; Job 34:14, Psa 63:1, Pro 20:27, +*Ecc 12:7, *Isa 10:18, *Dan 7:15, Zec 12:1, +*Mat 10:28 note. *Mar 12:26; *Mar 12:27, 1Co 15:45, 1Th 5:23, +*Heb 12:9, Jas 2:26, +*1Pe 3:4. Note that Scripture uses the terms “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably in such passages as Gen 41:8 with Psa 42:6. Both depart the body at death: Gen 35:18 with Psa 146:4, 1Sa 30:12 with Lam 1:11 mg. Both are affirmed to be within man: Job 14:22 with Zec 12:1, Mat 10:28 with Mat 27:50, Joh 12:27 with Joh 13:21, Heb 12:23 with Rev 6:9. Both ’soul’ (nephesh, +Gen 23:8) and ’spirit’ (ruach, +Gen_26:35) are rendered mind: Eze 23:18; Eze 23:28 with Eze 20:32. Both are used of the departed: 1Pe 3:19 with Rev 20:4. Both are used of sadness or sorrow: 1Ki 21:5 with Psa 62:11, Mat 26:28 with Joh 13:21, Isa 26:9 a with Isa 26:9 b. Luk 1:46 with Luk 1:47, Php 1:27 a with Php 1:27 b. An examination of its lexical uses shows immediately that nephesh is used with a broader range of meaning than the more theological English term “soul.” The 754 occurrences of the Hebrew word nephesh (most often rendered “soul”) may be classified as to its lexical uses as follows.

(1) +Gen 2:19, used of lower creatures;

(2) +Gen 9:15, used alike of lower creatures and man, rendered “creature,” “life” (Lev 17:11), “soul” (Num 31:28);

(3) +Gen 12:5, used of man as an individual person;

(4) +Gen 12:13, used of mortal man, as though the soul could die or be destroyed; also rendered “life” (+Gen 44:30), “ghost,” etc. (+Num 23:10);

(5) +Gen 17:14, used of man as being “cut off” by God;

(6) +Gen 27:31, used of man, exercising certain powers, or performing certain acts, often rendered by emphatic pronouns;

(7) +Gen 34:3, used of man, exercising mental faculties, rendered “soul,” “mind” (+Gen 23:8), “heart” (+Exo 23:9), “lust,” etc. (+Exo 15:9); also used of God Himself, +Lev 26:11;

(8) +Lev 19:28, used of man actually dead;

(9) +Num 11:6, used of man as possessing animal appetites and desires;

(10) +Jos 10:28, used of man being slain or killed by man.

(11) +Psa 30:3, used of man as going to a place described by the word “grave,” etc.

[Note that at each key reference given above I give a full list of the occurrences of the Hebrew word that belongs to that lexical category.]

Compare the classification of the corresponding New Testament term psychē at Mat 2:20 note. For “spirit,” Heb. ruach, see Gen 6:3 note. Several faith groups, and some individuals, are most mistaken in their understanding of “soul” and “spirit” as used in the Bible, for they have failed to make a complete induction from all the evidence. All the evidence, a complete induction, is given immediately above under eleven lexical categories.

 

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Who wrote 2 Peter?

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

1 Peter 5:12  By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

[Peter made use of a secretary named Silvanus, emphasized in the Greek text by the preceding article “the” before the name, someone well known in the Christian community at that time. Silvanus was skilled in writing Greek, which explains why 1 Peter differs in its style of Greek, compared to 2 Peter.]

Romans 16:22  I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

[Paul had the assistance of Tertius, who served as a secretary, when Paul wrote the book of Romans]

2 Thessalonians 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

[“nor by letter as from us” indicates there was a counterfeit letter claiming to be from Paul circulating that was not from Paul]

To certify that Paul actually wrote subsequent letters Paul wrote his signature at the conclusion:

1Co 16:21  The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.

Gal 6:11  Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.

Col 4:18  The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. Written from Rome to Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.

Phm 1:19  I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

2Pe 1:1  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

[The opening statement of the book of 2 Peter states it was written by Peter. The spelling of Simon in the Greek text, given in the margin of the  King James Version, is given as the translators’ rendering: or, Symeon. This spelling occurs only once elsewhere in the New Testament record at Acts 15:14. It is highly unlikely that a forger at a later time would come up with or use such a spelling for Peter’s name. This is an undesigned coincidence which provides further authentication that 2 Peter was indeed written by the Apostle Peter.]

The Challenge:

As for 2 Peters, i dont know why you accept it as reliable when scholars rejected the notion that Peter wrote it… let me quote an exerpt

“ There has been much debate over the authorship of 2 Peter. Most conservative evangelicals hold to the traditional view that Peter was the author, but historical and literary critics have almost unanimously concluded that to be impossible. For example: Ksemann states that 2 Peter is “perhaps the most dubious writing” in the New Testament.1 Harris says, “virtually none believe that 2 Peter was written by Jesus’ chief disciple.”2 And Brevard S. Childs, an excellent rhetorical critic, shows his assumption when he says, “even among scholars who recognize the non-Petrine authorship there remains the sharpest possible disagreement on a theological assessment.”3

If your own scholars REJECTED 2 Peter why should I accept it?

My Answer:

As to the so-called “scholarship” that you marshal to assert the non-Petrine authorship of 2 Peter, I reject their conclusions because they are ill-founded.

You state:

“If your own scholars REJECTED 2 Peter why should I accept it?”

My answer:

I have been studying these issues for more years than any of the individual scholars you have named (yes, I am getting old, I’m considerably older than former President Trump or the current American President Biden, but thank the Lord, I am still in very good health, take no medications, and am surely more knowledgeable about these things than many others you may encounter).

I have studied the reception history of 2 Peter. I own the resources required to learn even more.

Some scholars argue that 1 Peter was not written by the same author as 2 Peter.

They base this judgment on the difference in the Greek employed in each book.

But it was common practice in the first century for authors to employ amanuenses, what we commonly call secretaries, to take by dictation or otherwise assist the author in writing a letter or document.

The difference in the Greek style can very legitimately be attributed to the skill of the secretary employed as a far better option than to suppose that 2 Peter was written by an unknown author pretending to be Peter.

The original recipients of the letter would know for certain from whom it came and therefore would receive it as from Peter himself. Otherwise it would not have been received.

The early Christian movement was very careful, very meticulous in making sure of the validity of the documents they accepted as Scripture were written by the author the document claimed.

That is why none of the so-called Gnostic gospels and other such writings were ever acknowledged by the Christians of the first century as divinely inspired Scripture.

You can read in depth about this process and what it involved in a very interesting book by Harry A. Gamble titled Books and Readers in the Early Church: A History of Early Christian Texts. Yale University Press (1995. 337 pages), the handiest book on my bookshelves in my personal library of printed books here by my computer that I have carefully studied and recommend to you on this subject.

Response to my comment:

 i am fully aware of those evidence why your scholars held such opinion. I respect them and found some merit on their evidence.

Nevertheless, IMO Peter would in no way could give commendation to Paul. Because we knew that Peter and Paul dosnt have a good relationship.

The animosity and hatred between Paul and Peter is reflected in Paul narrative on Galatian 2…

it dosnt make sense to me that Peter would promote Paul dogma after Paul accused him of being hypocrite and impious.

My Response:

You have not been reading the New Testament records carefully enough. I hope what I have written below will help you to more accurately understand these issues.

Paul himself tells us that he and Barnabas were given the right hands of fellowship and therefore were certainly officially received and endorsed by James, Cephas [Peter], and John:

Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (KJV)

The Book of Galatians is thought by many scholars to be the oldest, that is, first to be written, book in the New Testament. Other scholars think 1 Thessalonians might have been written first.

There is irrefutable internal evidence that proves the historicity of Paul’s letters and the Book of Acts as seen by the undesigned coincidences found between them. These are discussed in a very important book by William Paley titled Horae Paulinae (1879, 240 pages).

Galatians 2:9 contains an example of such an undesigned coincidence:

James. An undesigned coincidence is apparent here in the order of mention of James and Peter. Where missionary work is in view, Peter alone is mentioned; but where the church action is described, James takes precedence. This corresponds with Acts 15:7 where Peter first speaks, but James is the leader of the assembly, Acts 15:13.

You state:

“it dosnt make sense to me that Peter would promote Paul dogma after Paul accused him of being hypocrite and impious.”

It is very clear in the record of the first church council recorded in Acts 15 that Paul and Barnabas were on very cordial terms with Peter and James and the whole Jerusalem church:

The Jerusalem Council

Act 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Act 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Act 15:3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

Act 15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

There was a false party who are otherwise known as Judaizers–Pharisees, apparently new believers who were untaught regarding the doctrines of grace, who were still stuck on their legalistic commitment to the ritual requirements of the Mosaic Law, requirements rendered unnecessary because Jesus fully met those requirements on our behalf:

Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

Notice carefully how both Peter and James took the side of Paul and Barnabas in this matter:

Act 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Act 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Act 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Peter declared:

Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Notice what happened next:

Act 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

Act 15:13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

Notice Acts 15:14. Peter WAS NOT an Apostle to the Gentiles. Peter WAS used of God to bring the Gospel message of salvation to the first Gentile convert and his family and friends gathered in his home, a man by the name of Cornelius, as recorded in Acts 10, the whole chapter. Note the critically important words in Acts 15:14, “at the first.” Peter’s ministry to Cornelius and his family and friends was a one-time singular event of ministry to Gentiles by Peter.

The Judaizers who had stirred up controversy regarding the ministry of Paul and Barnabas were not approved of or sent by the church in Jerusalem as clearly evident by this statement contained in a letter sent to the churches:

Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Act 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Act 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

Notice the expression contained in the letter:

Act 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Act 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no evidence of any continuing discord between Paul and Barnabas with the leadership of the Jerusalem church–including Peter–here or anywhere else in the primary source first century documents of the New Testament.

Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Apologetics--Christian, Bible Historicity and Validity, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #832, Psalm 138:7

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Psalm 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. (KJV)

Psa 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. (ESV)

Psa 138:7 Even when trouble is round me, you will give me life; your hand will be stretched out against the wrath of my haters, and your right hand will be my salvation. (BBE, Basic English Bible)

Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me alive. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies, and you save me with your right hand. (LEB, Lexham English Bible)

Psa 138:7  Even though I walk into the middle of trouble, you guard my life against the anger of my enemies. You stretch out your hand, and your right hand saves me. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Psa 138:7 I am surrounded by trouble, but you protect me against my angry enemies. With your own powerful arm you keep me safe. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

My Comment:

Thirty-eight years ago, on this date, March 13, 1986, on that Thursday morning at 7:15 am, I was shot in the back of the head by a never identified assailant wielding a nine millimeter handgun. I was knocked flat on the ground in the melting snow and mud of the back teachers parking lot of Southeastern High School.

I did not return to teaching until the fall of 1990 when I was assigned to Denby High School, where I taught English until I retired from teaching twenty-three years ago.

During my time off from teaching, I completed two major tasks. I developed an introductory chapter to my Language Enrichment Program as a result of tutoring a local third grade student. That chapter enables readers of any skill level to successfully work through the rest of my reading program. My reading program is now available on Amazon almost anywhere in the world. You can search for and find it easily by searching under the “book” category then entering my name, Jerome Smith, or the title, The Language Enrichment Program. In its 350 page printed book form it is priced $20. In Kindle format, it costs $10. Anyone who uses this program and follows its directions carefully will experience improvement in reading comprehension, reading speed, and reading motivation. Some users of my reading program report they can write better after using it.

The second major task I completed was the creation of a new Bible study tool to help ordinary readers of the Bible understand the Bible better. This book, first released in 1992, then released digitally in 1996, and now re-released in much corrected form in 2023, with an additionally improved digital edition coming soon, is an expanded collection of cross references to nearly every verse in the Bible. The book, titled The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, is arranged just like a Bible. By looking up any verse in the Bible, you can find the many other verses in the Bible that explain or shed further light on that verse.

Our society as a whole is in deep trouble. Institutions that were once trusted to do their job fairly and honestly no longer do so. Our current leadership is incompetent, misdirected, wrongly intentioned, up to no good, and constantly telling lies. The major news sources that could once be depended upon to let us know what is going on are no longer serving in their protected first amendment duty but are hiding the truth, mocking the truth, denying the truth by foisting on the public their agenda-driven opinion and not the facts. The media, too, are constantly telling lies. To suggest that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that is a root cause of so-called climate change and global warming shows how ill-informed anyone who believes such nonsense is. Utility companies, their leadership, their boards of directors, and state public utility commissions and regulatory agencies are equally unknowledgeable regarding green energy and the actual laws of physics. Those who promote the wide use of all-electric vehicles likewise demonstrate their lack of knowledge of basic science and the laws (not suggestions) of physics.

To equip yourself against all the disinformation and misinformation being promulgated by the government and the media, read basic reliable sources about science, especially physics. Don’t depend upon Google and other Internet sources alone. Read books published by reputable publishers written by knowledgeable authors who are not agenda driven by warped ideologies. If you really have not done much book study since you left college or high school, use my “reading ladder” approach. Find a book from the children’s section of the public library, followed by a book from the young adult section of the library, followed by a book from the adult section of the library on the subject. Read the three books in that order. The easiest book will prepare you to read the middle difficulty book; the middle difficulty book will prepare you to read the adult level book successfully. Once you have read three non-fiction books on the same subject you will know much more than most people do about it.

To make the “reading ladder” approach even more effective, buy and work through my Language Enrichment Program.

As I see it, and as I have directly experienced it, our communities and our nation are lacking academically and morally. I have addressed both issues head on by creating the tools which most certainly can and will correct both problems. It is now up to everyone to be a part of the solution by using these tools and encouraging others to do likewise.

Posted in Bible Study Tools, Daily Bible Nuggets, Education Issues, The Language Enrichment Program | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #831, 1 John 5:20

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (KJV)

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (ESV)

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us insight to recognize the True One; and we are in union with the True One through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (Williams NT)

1Jn 5:20 And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (Basic English Bible)

1Jn 5:20  We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life. (GW, God’s Word Translation)

1Jn 5:19.  We realize that we come from God, while all the world is under the influence of the Evil One.
1Jn 5:20.  We realize, too, that the Son of God has come among us, and has given us the discernment to know the True God; and we are in union with the True God by our union with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the True God and he is Immortal Life. (Twentieth Century New Testament)

My Comment:

1Co 12:3  Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Even in our day, the divinely inspired test of Holy Spirit derived genuine illumination and true understanding of the Bible is that such understanding is only possessed by those who affirm the full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To gain such understanding, carefully study the Bible by comparing Scripture with Scripture using The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. You may also use the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as well as Bibles that contain cross references.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

My thanks and appreciation to  Ken Sagely for allowing me to share his post below.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

THE INFALLIBLE WORD IS UNDERSTOOD THROUGH ILLUMINATION OF GOD

(Illumination is that ministry of the
Holy Spirit which enables each person
who is in right relation to God to understand

the Scriptures)

The Spirit breathes upon the Word, and brings the truth to sight, Precepts and Promises afford A sanctifying light. Newton

PSALM 119.18
Open Thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things

out of Thy law.

LUKE 24.45
Then opened He their understanding

that they might understand the scriptures.

JOHN 7.17
If any man will do His will,
he shall know of the doctrine,
whether be of God,

or whether I speak of myself.

JOHN 16.13
Howbeit when He,
the Spirit of truth, is come,
He will guide you into all truth:
for He shall not speak of Himself,
but what soever He shall hear,
that shall He speak:

and He will show you things to come.

EPHESIANS 1.17-18
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
may give unto you
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him:
18 The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened;
that you may know
what is the hope of His calling,
and what the riches of the glory

of His inheritance in the saints.

1 JOHN 2.27
But the anointing
which you have received of Him
abideth in you,
and you need not that any man teach you;
but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things,
and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you,

you shall abide in Him.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord
is laid for your faith in His excellent Word;
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply :
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

 

Dig Deeper into God’s Word by studying the notes and cross references given in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for 1 Corinthians 12:3 which I share below:

1 Corinthians 12:3
give you to understand. Paul here gives a test, stated both negatively and positively, for determining the source—demonic or divine—of spiritual gifts. Negatively, the counterfeit source refuses to positively confess the deity of Christ, is self-exalting, and disorderly, and stems from the soulish nature of man; positively, the true source confesses the full deity of Christ, is self-effacing, and orderly, and stems from the spiritual nature in man (Joh 4:24). As many spiritual gifts had been paralleled by demons in the false worship of pagan deities in Corinth, with which these Gentile Christians had been most familiar (1Co 12:2), they needed a test to distinguish false spirituality from the true. Paul’s subsequent discussion affirms the unity of the Body of Christ (1Co 12:13), and the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit who according to His discretion distributes gifts to every believer. Paul gives further admonition and direction for the use of these gifts, that everything in the congregation may be done “decently and in order” (1Co 14:40). 1Co 15:1 g.

no man. *Mar 9:39, Luk 9:50, Joh 16:14, 15, *1Jn 4:2; *1Jn 4:3.

speaking by. Psa 109:20, Mat 23:34, Mar 12:36, +Luk 4:1; Luk 10:21.

the Spirit of. Gr. pneuma, +Rom 8:1 note. Job 26:4, +*Mat 1:20.

calleth Jesus. That is, to say he was a malefactor, one justly condemned to death. This the Jews said who invoked his blood upon their heads (Hodge). This was probably a form of renunciation (CB). 1Jn 2:22.

accursed. or, anathema. 1Co 16:22, Lev 27:28, 29, *Deut 21:23, Luk 21:5 g. +Act 23:14 g. Rom 9:3, Gal 1:8, 9; *Gal 3:13.

no man. 1Co 8:6, *Mat 16:16; *Mat 16:17, *Joh 13:13; Joh 15:26, *2Co 3:5; 2Co 11:4.

can say. FS108B22, +Pro 20:9. Act 8:37.

the Lord. The word kurios, Lord, is that by which the word Jehovah is commonly rendered in the Greek version of the Old Testament. To say Jesus is the Lord, therefore, in the sense of the apostle, is to acknowledge him to be truly God. No one can truly believe and openly confess that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh unless he is enlightened by the Spirit of God (Hodge). Thus only those enlightened by the Holy Spirit can recognize Jesus as Jehovah. Belief in the full deity of the Lord Jesus is the positive test of orthodoxy given by the apostle. **1Co 2:8; **1Co 15:47, +*Neh 9:6, *Mat 7:21, 22, 23, *Luk 6:46, +*Joh 8:24; +**Joh 20:28, +**Act 10:37; Act 11:21 note. **Rom 10:9; **Rom 10:10, 2Co 4:5, Php 2:11, +**1Pe 2:3 note with >Psa 34:8.

but. or, if not. Gr. ei mē. FS184C, Mat 4:9. 1Co 14:5 g.

but by. This means acknowledging Him as Lord and Master (Rom 10:9), not mere lip-service (CB). Mat 16:17, +Luk 4:1, Joh 15:26, **+Rom 10:9.

Ghost. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 1:18 note. +*Mat 3:16, +*Joh 14:26.

 

FOR FURTHER STUDY: +**1Pe 2:3 note with >Psa 34:8 

1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Psa 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

the Lord. The Hebrew text underlying this quotation from the Old Testament reads “Jehovah” (Psa 34:8 h); this is therefore a very clear instance of the Divine Name of Jehovah being applied directly to Jesus Christ by the apostles in the New Testament, for the following verse (1Pe 2:4) shows unmistakably that this reference is to Jesus (Act 11:21 note). The following pairs of references will show that this identification is very frequently made in the New Testament:

(1) Mat 3:3 with Isa 40:3.

(2) Joh 12:41 with Isa 6:1 note.

(3) Eph 4:7, 8 note with Psa 68:18.

(4) 1Pe 3:15 with Isa 8:13.

(5) 1Co 2:8 with Psa 24:7; Psa 24:10.

(6) Jas 2:1 with Psa 24:7; Psa 24:10.

(7) 1Co 1:30 with **Jer 23:5; **Jer 23:6.

(8) Joh 3:31 with Psa 97:9.

(9) Rev 1:17 with Isa 44:6.

(10) Php 2:6 with Zec 13:7.

(11) Heb 13:20 with Isa 40:10, 11.

(12) Col 1:16 with Pro 16:4.

(13) Luk 7:27 with Mal 3:1.

(14) Heb 1:8; Heb 1:10, 11, 12 with Psa 102:24, 25, 26, 27.

(15) Tit 2:13 with Hos 1:7.

(16) 2Ti 4:1 with Ecc 12:14.

(17) Rev 1:5; Rev 17:14 with Dan 2:47.

(18) Joh 1:3 with Isa 40:28.

(19) Col 1:17 with +*Neh 9:6.

When I present the above information to Jehovah’s Witnesses, the reaction I get is the question, “How could Jesus be Jehovah? Is that what you are claiming?” The answer is that in the Bible there is more than one Person in the Triune Godhead who is called Jehovah (**Gen 19:24 note; +*Exo 3:2 note; Isa 6:1 note). For Scripture evidence establishing the divinity or deity of Christ, see Topic Numbers 74-82, the sets of references gathered at Mat 28:19 note, and the following related notes and references: (1) Deity of Christ, Col 1:16 note. (2) Christ received worship, +*Mat 14:33, +*Joh 20:28; +*Joh 20:29 note. +*Act 7:59 note. (3) Christ is not a lesser god, or entitled to a lesser degree of worship, +*Joh 1:1 note. Php 2:6 note. (4) Jesus called God, +**Joh 20:28; Joh 20:29 note. (5) Charged with blasphemy for his claim to deity, Joh 10:32 note. (6) Only a divine Savior possessing full deity could qualify as our substitute in the atonement for sins, Heb 10:4 note. **Jer 23:5; Jer 23:6.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #830, Matthew 4:4

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

My Comment:

To stay alive spiritually we must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Those words are found only in the Bible. Our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to regularly read and study the written word of God.

Our Lord Jesus Christ quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 as recorded in Matthew 4:4 in response to the Tempter or Satan (Matthew 4:3) who challenged Jesus when Jesus was very hungry after fasting for forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), saying:

Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Notice that Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God.” The underlying Greek text uses what is called the First Class Condition of “if,” which assumes the condition to be true. By the use of “if,” Satan was not calling into question whether in fact Jesus is the Son of God; rather, he assumes this to be true.

Greek has four different kinds or classes of the word “if.” I have marked these as carefully as I could in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury in a note at Matthew 4:9. The different classes of “if” represent different degrees of “ifyness.” Most interesting to me is the class which means contrary to fact or impossible.

Notice that Jesus answered the Devil by citing Scripture to refute him. This ought to be a lesson to us on how important it is to know the Scriptures. Remember how James wrote that we are to resist the Devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

There is still more truth to glean from Matthew 4:4. There are two commonly used Greek words, logos and rhema translated by the same English word word. Understanding the important difference between these two Greek words opens up a whole new world of understanding, especially when reading Hebrews chapter 11, starting with the use of rhema at Hebrews 11:3.

Many thanks are due to Ken Sagely for allowing me to share his encouraging Facebook post.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

THE INFALLIBLE WORD IS ESSENTIAL !!

DEUTERONOMY 8.3
And He humbled thee,
and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna,
which thou knowest not,
neither did thy fathers know;
that He might make thee know;
that man doth not live by bread only,
but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord

doth man live.

JOSHUA 1.8
This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,
that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein:
for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,

and then thou shalt have good success.

JOB 23.12
Neither have I gone back
from the commandment of His lips;
I have esteemed the words of His mouth

more than my necessary food.

PSALM 119.11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against Thee.

JEREMIAH 22.29
O earth, earth, earth,

hear the Word of the Lord,

MATTHEW 22.29
Jesus answered and said unto them,
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,

nor the power of God.

1 PETER 2.2
As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word,

that ye may grow thereby.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith
in His excellent Word! What more can He
say than to you He hath said—To you, who
for refuge to Jesus have fled? When thru
fiery fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My
grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply ‘
the flame shall not hurt thee–I only design
thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
What more can He say than to you He hath

said—-To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled.

For Deeper Study:

Matthew 4:4
It is written. The appeal is not to the spoken voice (Mat 3:17) but to the written Word (CB). T1034, Mat 4:6, 7; Mat 4:10, **Mat 22:29, +*Psa 119:11, Mar 12:10, Luk 4:4; Luk 4:8; Luk 4:12, Joh 7:42; Joh 17:8; Joh 17:14; Joh 17:17, +*Rom 15:4, *Eph 6:17, Heb 10:7, 8.

Man. Mat 6:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. *>Deut 8:3, Luk 4:4, Joh 4:31, 32, 33, 34; Joh 6:49, 50, 51.

not live. Isa 38:16, Dan 1:15.

bread. FS171, +Gen 3:19. Mat 4:3, Mat 6:11; Mat 6:31; +*Mat 24:45, Gen 42:2, 1Ki 17:4.

but. Mat 14:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, Exo 16:8; Exo 16:15; Exo 16:35; Exo 23:15, 1Ki 17:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 2Ki 4:42, 43, 44; 2Ki 7:1, 2, Hag 2:16, 17, 18, 19, Mal 3:9, 10, 11, Mar 6:38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44; Mar 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Joh 6:5, etc., Joh 6:31, etc., Joh 6:63.

by. T1047, Deut 8:3. Note: That is, as Dr. Campbell renders, “by every thing which God is pleased to appoint;” for rama, which generally signifies a word, is, by a Hebraism, here taken for a thing, like davar, in Hebrew.

every word. Gr. rhēma (S# G4487, Mar 9:32 note). (Mat 5:11). Mat 12:36; Mat 18:16; Mat 26:75; Mat 27:14, +Mar 9:32 note. Mar 14:72, (Luk 1:37), Luk 1:65; Luk 2:15 (thing), Luk 2:17; Luk 2:19 (things), Luk 2:29; Luk 2:50, 51; Luk 3:2; Luk 5:5; Luk 7:1; Luk 9:45; Luk 18:34; Luk 20:26; Luk 24:8; Luk 24:11, Joh 3:34; Joh 5:47; Joh 6:63; Joh 6:68; Joh 8:20; Joh 8:47; Joh 10:21; Joh 12:47, 48; Joh 14:10; Joh 15:7; Joh 17:8, Act 2:14; Act 5:20; Act 5:32 (things). Act 6:11; Act 6:13, Act 10:22; Act 10:37; Act 10:44; Act 11:14; Act 11:16; Act 13:42; Act 16:38; Act 26:25; Act 28:25, Rom 10:8; Rom 10:17, 18, 2Co 12:4; 2Co 13:1, Eph 5:26; Eph 6:17, Heb 1:3; Heb 6:5; **Heb 11:3 note; Heb 12:19 a. 1Pe 1:25, 2Pe 3:2, Jud 1:17, Rev 17:17.

of God. Deut 32:47, +*Jos 1:8, =1Sa 21:9, +*Job 23:12, *Psa 17:4; **Psa 119:11, Isa 38:16, +*Jer 15:16, +*Joh 5:39; *Joh 6:63, 1Co 3:15, *Eph 6:17, **Heb 4:12, 1Pe 4:18, Rev 19:15.

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How to Solve the Reading Problem

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Jerry

 

Proverbs and Quotations:

“Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year.”  Horace Mann

The Problem:

Very recently (February, 2024) I listened to a report on the radio where it was claimed that very few students at all levels of education actually are able to read at or above grade level.

When I was teaching high school English in the 1990s I had no students among my eleventh and twelfth grade classes who read at or above grade level. My best students, perhaps two or three students out of a class of 35, could read at an eighth grade level at most.

The problem is still with us–it remains unsolved.

I devised a solution that worked for 80% of my students when I was given the freedom to teach my students using teaching materials I devised.

That freedom to utilize teacher expertise and experience to solve the problems of my own students disappeared, much to the loss of my students’ educational progress.

When I was forced to follow a mandated “new Bible,” a pacing chart which dictated what I was to teach each day from the assigned course textbook, I had no further opportunity to supplement or replace the required texts with texts which met the current ability and interest of my individual students. Sometimes I did find ways to circumvent this lock-step and very deadening curriculum requirement, but it was not easy. Rather, it was very expensive for me at my own out-of-pocket cost to produce better teaching materials than those provided by the Board of Education.

Some Examples Reflected in the Professional Literature:

In an article by Michael J. Young in the journal Language Arts, Volume 99, Number 2, November 2021, pages 113-125, titled “Not Allowed: Power and Practice in Literacy Teaching as Defined by the State,” there is featured as the opening vignette this report of a first grade teacher’s personal experience:

“I feel like we are testing kids to death. Every two weeks we have a reading assessment that we have to do with our students. We’re not allowed to read it to them, so they really struggle … there’s a lot of pressure…. I feel like we’re just pushing them away too fast, way too hard. And then I think that leads into the behaviors and things that we see. They aren’t allowed to be kids. We’ve taken that away from them.  –Annie, first-grade teacher”

The opening sentence of the article reads:

“Annie’s concerns are tied to a challenge facing US elementary literacy education: third-grade reading laws” (page 113).

Another publication I receive through my NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) subscription is the Council Chronicle. The November, 2021 issue is titled “The Promise of Making a Difference.” An article by Trisha Collopy is titled “A Stress Test for American Democracy: Teaching Civic Reasoning and Engagement in a Time of Division,” pages 18-20. The article concludes under the heading “Fresh Challenges,” and states:

“While the COVID-19 pandemic was not on the horizon when the NAEd [National Academy of Education] began its work, Lee [Carol D. Lee] says it has added urgency to the conversation–and to the interdisciplinary nature of the work.

“To make sense of the pandemic requires an understanding of the science of viral mutations and vaccines; the math behind probability and trends; the literacy to sort credible news sources from disinformation; and a knowledge of the history of US vaccination campaigns, she says. “If you can’t engage in that kind of content alone, along with questions about the rights of the individual versus community good,” decisions can have devastating results, she says.

“As the culture wars over school curricula play out, Lee, Levine [Peter Levine], and Freedman [Sarah Warshauer Freedman] say the answer for educators is not to step back, but to step forward.

“The more teachers avoid these [difficult] topics, the less engaged in the civics space … young people will become,” Freedman says. “And the role of schools in a democracy, including English teachers, is to teach young people to grapple with these kinds of tensions.”

Lastly, from the NCTE journal English Education, also part of my NCTE subscription, Volume 53, Number 4, for July 2021, in an editorial by Melanie Shoffner titled “Leadership: Honestly, It’s Not for Everyone,” pages 248-253, wisely observes:

“How can teachers be empowered and agentic if they have little autonomy over their own curriculum? … how can educators at any level lead if their instructional practices and professional identity are constantly, and publicly, denigrated and devalued? When did leadership in education default to those with the smoothest smiles and the politic responses and the right connections instead of those who know what they’re doing, who are doing it for the right reasons?” (emphasis added)

My Comment:

Many educational leaders do not know what they are doing.

They have what I call the “Nabal Syndrome.”

1Sa 25:14  But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

1Sa 25:17  Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

They are unwilling  to acknowledge the expertise and success of the teachers who do know what they are doing. Good teachers go unrecognized and are not encouraged in or praised for the work they do. My students asked me, “Mr. Smith, how come you are never chosen as ‘Teacher of the Year’?”

The leaders and administrators are not open to constructive suggestions made by those who serve under them.

Contrast the attitude of King David:

1Sa 25:32  And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
1Sa 25:33  And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

THE SOLUTION:

  1. Parents must take the initiative at home by reading to their child or children from the time they are infants until they are of an age where they no longer live in the household.
  2. Parents must engage in home schooling when possible or in home education which is always possible. Turn off the media. Disengage from excess participation in sports. Use the reading ladder concept to select three books of interest to or concern for your child: choose from the public library three non-fiction books on the same subject–one from the children’s library section for an easy to read book on an elementary level; one from the young adult section of the library for a more advanced level; and finally, one from the adult section for the most advanced level. Reading the books in this order of difficulty, your child will learn enough from the first level to successfully understand and learn from the middle level and will then be able to succeed in reading and understanding the adult level book. Your child will have grown in reading skill and subject knowledge as a result.
  3. To start the whole process, especially for reluctant and struggling readers, invest in the reading program I wrote and used for almost 40 years during my teaching career. The price for the book in printed form on Amazon is $20. The digital (Kindle format) edition is priced at $10. Search for it under the title, The Language Enrichment Program, or my name, Jerome Smith.
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How Not to Teach a Class

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Jerry

 

Proverbs and Quotations:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Derek Bok

My Comment:

I received a book as part of my subscription to ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) that immediately grabbed my attention. The book, authored by Persida and William Himmele, is titled Why are We Still Doing That? The subtitle is: Positive Alternatives to Problematic Teaching Practices (2021, 129 pages). The back cover under the heading “Old Habits Die Hard” lists “16 common educational practices that can undermine student earning.”

Here are three malpractices from the list which concern me most:

Round robin reading

My comment: I rarely if ever used this practice. Yet this practice, as I experienced it in Sunday school, had a profound impact on my life. I was almost never prepared to answer Bible questions when I was part of the high school Sunday school class taught by Mr. Dean Sawdon and Mr. John Boyko at Highland Park Baptist Church in Highland Park, Michigan. As a result of continued embarrassment in front of all the other class members, I was motivated to start reading the New Testament in earnest in August of 1953. By November 7, 1953, I experienced the change that takes place as a result of doing such reading on a regular basis. I have written about what happened in detail each November 7 on this site (See the November archives for each year displayed on the right-hand side of each page on this site).

When I became a Sunday school teacher myself, I learned not to scare pupils away from attending my Sunday school class by employing “round robin” reading or teaching tactics. Instead, I opened the class to answer any questions my students had. When I did not immediately know the answer to a student question, I promised to bring an answer the next Sunday, and I studied the subject of the question so I could do that. I built quite a library as I bought books which provided answers to my student questions.

I vividly remember inviting a potential student to my Sunday school class. She frankly said she was scared to attend any Sunday school class because she might be asked to read aloud from the Bible and she was ashamed of her poor reading skill. I assured her I would never call on her or any other student to read aloud that did not want to. If I recall correctly, I bought her a hard cover New Testament in easy English so she could read it without difficulty for herself. The edition I shared with her is titled The New Life Testament, translated by Gleason H. Ledyard, Word Books, Publisher, Waco, Texas, 1970 (627 pages). This translation uses 850 English words, short sentences, short paragraphs, good size readable print and helpful headings to make reading and reading comprehension easier when reading the New Testament.

Content breadth over depth

When I was teaching English 6, an eleventh grade course titled Early American Literature, I was told not to spend too much time on colonial literature. I determined to do otherwise and cover it as extensively and intensively as I could. This was a long time ago, in the mid 1960s. I am still in touch with two of my students from that time, both of whom later let me know the impact in their lives of studying Early American Literature.

When I taught American history in the 1980s I was told not to spend much time covering the Colonial Period. Once again, I deviated from the suggested procedures and spent more time teaching about the founding of this country and stressed that the United States of America is NOT a democracy, but a Federal Republic, and that the founders of this nation were absolutely against a democracy. I taught the importance of the Electoral College, and how it must be kept in place in order to permit less populated states to have a voice in laws and policies that affect them. Otherwise, two or three most populous states would have full control of the legislative process and the laws Congress might pass. I stressed that truth cannot be determined by a majority vote.

Adhering to rigid pacing guides

Near the end of my teaching career the administration in the field of Language Arts (what used to be called, and more sensibly, the English Department) told us we were being issued what they called our “new Bible.”

Our “new Bible” was a mandatory pacing guide for every course that specified exactly what page of the course textbook we were to teach from over the course of the semester. Our lesson plans must exactly reflect what was specified for each day as given in the pacing chart for the course. Our Department Head and our district supervisors were to visit our classes unannounced to be sure we were teaching on any given day what our lesson plans and the pacing chart specified. The reason given for adopting such a procedure was to enable students who moved from one region of the large district (Detroit Public Schools) to another Detroit region to continue each class at the same point where they left off in their previous school.

That may sound good to school administrators who might not know any better. To those who went to college and actually learned something about how to teach, such a practice of mandating what page of classroom text must be studied each day of the school year is a very horrible and backward idea.

Any parent who has been blessed with two or more children knows that no two children, even in the same family, are alike in terms of when each child is ready to learn a skill like reading.

Any teacher who has paid attention to the progress of two different classes of students taking the same course at different hours of the school day the same semester knows that no two classes are ever the same in their rate of progress.

Every teacher ought to be aware that no two students learn and progress at exactly the same rate or speed or depth. To be most effective as a teacher, a teacher must be prepared to meet the learning needs of each student starting with where the student is in academic achievement and building from there. When teachers are enabled to teach effectively, and the students learn effectively, the end result is that by the end of the semester or course, students are less alike in their achievement than when the class instruction started, for some students, when they are allowed to do so, will learn far more than other students in the same class. That is a good thing, not bad. As teachers we ought to encourage individual differences by encouraging each student to progress as far as possible. This is the opposite of trying to ensure all students end up the same.

Pacing charts take away the opportunity for teachers to meet individual differences in ability and interest that every class always presents and therefore fails to take the learning needs and interests of each student into account. This limits student growth, and leaves every student behind from what they could have achieved if teachers were allowed to use their expertise and discretion effectively.

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Daily Bible Nugget #829, Psalm 119:59

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:59  I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. (KJV)

Psalm 119:59  I have thought about my life, and I have directed my feet back to your written instructions. (GW, God’s Word translation)

My Comment:

The cure for what ails us as individuals and the whole of all society is stated in this Psalm: Think carefully about your life and the direction you are going. When you do that, you will be led to turn back to God’s written instructions in the Bible. It is like a cause/effect relationship (Psalm 9:10).

Read the Bible more, study the Bible more, and you will grow more in your spiritual life and in your love for God’s Word.

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

2 TIMOTHY 3.16-17
All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction,
in righteousness 17 That the man of God
may be adequate, equipped for training

in righteousness.

Cross References:

2 PETER 1.21
For the prophecy came not in old time
by will of men but holy men of God spake

as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

JOHN 5.39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think
ye have eternal life: and they are they which

testify of me.

ACTS 17.11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things

were so.

PSALM 119.103
How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea, sweeter

than honey to my mouth.

PSALM 119.105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. and a light

unto my path.

PSALM 119.59
I thought on my ways, and turned

my feet unto thy testimonies.

PSALM 19.7
The law of the Lord is perfect
restoring the soul: the testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise

the simple.

1 CORINTHIANS 11.31
But if we judged ourselves rightly we

should not be judged.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

ye saints of the Lord,  is laid for
your faith in His excellent Word!
what more can He say than to you
He hath said, To you, who for refuge
to Jesus have fled? When thru fiery
trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace,
all sufficient, shall be thy supply!
What more can we say than to you
He hath said—-To you who for refuge

To Jesus have fled!

Many thanks to Ken Sagely for his encouraging selection of Scripture.

 

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