10 Calvinist Questions for Arminians Answered–Question 1

Posted on November 15, 2026 by Jerry

QUESTION 1

From a Calvinist (Reformed) perspective, these questions are intended to probe whether Arminian theology consistently explains biblical passages on election, grace, regeneration, and perseverance. Below are representative Calvinist answers to each issue.

1. If salvation ultimately depends on man’s free response, how do you understand passages that say faith itself is God’s gift or granted by God?

(John 6:37, 44, 65; Acts 13:48; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8–9)

Calvinist Answer:

Calvinists believe saving faith is not self-generated but is graciously given by God through the Holy Spirit. Fallen man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–5) and morally unable to come to Christ unless the Father draws him effectually (John 6:44, 65). Therefore, faith is the result of God’s regenerating work rather than the autonomous decision of fallen man.

My Response:

The Bible verses cited (John 6:37, 44, 65; Acts 13:48; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 2:8–9) DO NOT support the position taken!

Calvinists and many others are basing their arguments on how these Bible verses are to be understood by their “ism” and its associated theology rather than on what the text states.

A better starting point is to develop a biblical theology directly from the Bible itself first (going by what is IN the Bible, not by what is NOT IN the Bible).

For example, our English Bible translations are inconsistent in how they treat the subjunctive mood that is present in the underlying Greek text. One possible reason for that inconsistency may well be the desire to protect the chosen viewpoint of the translators.

Let me explain in more detail. The Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible, though older, does quite well in preserving in English translation the subjunctive mood which is critical when it comes to correctly understanding any Bible text where it is used.

John 6:37

Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  (KJV)

Joh 6:37  all that the Father doth give to me will come unto me; and him who is coming unto me, I may in no wise cast without, (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible)

Note carefully the words “I may in no wise cast without.” “May” marks the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood marks the contingency “is coming.”

What this means in plain English: As long as a person continues to come, that person will not be cast out. The promised benefit–will never be cast out–is valid only for those who meet the contingency of continuing to come.

John 6:44

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (KJV)

Joh 6:44  no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day; (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible)

My Comment:

Notice that Young’s translation more clearly preserves the “if.” It also is almost alone among English translations in conveying the subjunctive mood in the words “may not draw him.” This is absolutely critical to understand!

Here is the documentation I have presented in my Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury (UCRT) explaining this in more detail:

draw. or, may draw. Aorist tense, active voice, subjunctive mood, third person singular verb.

Logically, Calvinism cannot base absolute sovereignty and absolute predestination or the doctrine of irresistible grace upon (or in the face of) the “may” of the subjunctive mood in the probable future third class condition here [marked by the “if”] and in verse 65 (Jhn 6:65). That would be an absolute contradiction in terms.

“May” expresses contingency; the “third class condition” expresses probability, but not certainty, because of the contingency. The “third class condition” asserts that if a specified condition is met, a certain result will follow.

Thus, the Calvinistic position is proven absolutely untenable according to the grammar of Scripture. The terms of the contingency are expressed in Jhn 6:37 and Jhn 6:40, and include continuing belief. Gr. ελκυση (S# G1670: Jhn 12:32; Jhn 18:10; Jhn 21:6; Jhn 21:11; Act 16:19; Act 21:30; Jas 2:6). **Jhn 6:65.

John 6:65

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (KJV)

Joh 6:65  and he said, ‘Because of this I have said to you—No one is able to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father.’ (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

My Comment:

Young’s translation preserves the subjunctive mood (may not have been given).

As in Jhn 6:44, the subjunctive mood (“may”) marks a stipulated contingency involving continued hearing of His word (Jhn 6:63) and continued believing (Jhn 6:40; Jhn 6:47; Jhn 6:64).

Joh 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (KJV)

Joh 6:40  and this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who is beholding the Son, and is believing in him, may have life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day.’ (YLT)

Joh 6:47  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (KJV)

Joh 6:47  ‘Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during; (YLT)

Joh 6:64  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. (KJV)

Joh 6:64  but there are certain of you who do not believe;’ for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he who will deliver him up, (YLT)

Notice the repeated reference to continued believing. Continued believing fulfills the contingency expressed or required by the subjunctive mood “may” of “may draw” in John 6:44.

Acts 13:48

Act 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (KJV)

My Comment:

This text of Scripture has been much misused to promote a very mistaken doctrine. I have presented the correct view in my digital resource, the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury (UCRT), in my notes for Acts 13:48 as follows:

ordained. Gr. tassō [(S# G5021), to arrange in an orderly manner, that is, assign or dispose (to a certain position or lot) [Strong]: [Rendered (1) appoint: Mat 28:16, Act 22:10; Act 28:23, (2) ordain: Act 13:48, Rom 13:1, (3) set: Luk 7:8, (4) determine: Act 15:2, (5) addict: 1Co 16:15].

or, as had inclined themselves (LNT). Had inclined themselves, ēsan tetagmenoi, may be either in the middle voice, as translated, or passive, had been inclined. In the middle voice the subject participates in the results of the action, as here (cf. Dana and Mantey, § 155).

Note that it is said of the Jews, in Acts 13:46, you yourselves are rejecting, apōtheisthe, in the middle voice; and of the believers in Acts 13:48 : they inclined themselves, in the middle voice. And so we have here an antithesis between the Jews and believers. Predestinarians use this passage as a stronghold. Predestination is a Roman Catholic view brought to Protestantism:

“This view began with Jerome who revised the old Latin rendering destinati or ordinati to praeordinati in order to make coming to faith and salvation the product of a predestinatory eternal decree. Calvin is the great exponent of the decretum absolutum…” (Lenski, Acts, p. 553). Rarely has a text been so violently twisted and perverted as this one! (LNT, fn f). [LNT, Lavender New Testament]

Philippians 1:29

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

My Comment:

Taking “it is given” in a predestinarian sense would seem to me to be quite a stretch when it comes to translating and interpreting this verse.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

My Comment:

Many get the truth expressed in this Ephesian passage backwards. The works specified are the result of the Holy Spirit working in us to produce the works that are pleasing to God and which are the evidence of the genuineness of our faith in Christ. Such works are the product of the new nature received upon true belief and faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul expands on this truth elsewhere in his letters, especially the book of Galatians, as in Galatians 5:22, 23.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)

2Co 5:17  So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! (NET Bible)

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

The truth intended by Ephesians 2:1-5 is also much misunderstood.

The Calvinist Claim:

“Fallen man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–5) and morally unable to come to Christ unless the Father draws him effectually (John 6:44, 65). Therefore, faith is the result of God’s regenerating work rather than the autonomous decision of fallen man.”

This mistaken position fails because it:

(1) Misrepresents what “spiritually dead” entails.

Being “spiritually dead” is not the same as being physically dead! In the Bible God as well as our Lord Jesus Christ appeal to the will of individuals by inviting them to respond to an invitation (Matthew 11:28) that is in the form of a command or a command (Matthew 11:29). It is instructive to carefully study the entire immediate context (Matthew 11:23-27, 30).

Those who are spiritually dead are able to hear a command and decide to respond, whether positively or negatively.

Mat 11:27  ‘All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him.

Mat 11:28  ‘Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest,

Mat 11:29 take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls,
Mat 11:30 for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

Relevant at this point is the following note I placed in the UCRT at Matthew 11:28,

Come. Regarded by some Calvinistic interpreters as the “General Call to Salvation” (see Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, p. 617).

For the “Effectual Call” see Act 2:39 [T597 (Effectual Calling). Act 13:48, Gen 7:1, **Deut 30:19, %Mat 11:28 note (General Calling). Luk 14:17, Jhn 3:8; Jhn 3:21; Jhn 6:37; Jhn 6:39, 40; Jhn 6:44, 45; Jhn 6:65; Jhn 10:26, 27, 28, 29; Jhn 17:2; Jhn 17:6; Jhn 17:9, Rom 1:6, 7; *Rom 8:28; *Rom 8:30; Rom 9:23, 24, 25, 26, 1Co 1:1, 2; 1Co 1:9; 1Co 1:23, 24, Gal 1:15, 1Th 2:12; 1Th 5:24, 2Th 2:14, +*2Ti 1:9, 1Pe 2:9; 1Pe 5:10, 2Pe 1:3, Jud 1:1, Rev 17:14.]

The “General Call” (Mat 9:13; **Mat 22:14, *Luk 14:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, +*Jhn 7:37) is given to all, but to which Call none can actually respond; the “Effectual Call” is given only to the Elect, to which the Elect unfailingly respond. Such a distinction is not found in Scripture itself and may be objected to on the ground that the Holy Spirit would never offer a Call to which He knows no one can possibly respond. Such a Call on His part would be insincere, actually a lie, which since the Holy Spirit is God (Act 5:4 note) and God cannot lie (Tit 1:2), makes such a belief or assertion blasphemous.

Paul cites Psalm 14 among a series of passages collected in Romans 3. Relative to this discussion is Romans 3:11, 12.

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (KJV)

Note the statement that “there is none that seeketh after God.” Paul is quoting Psalm 14:1, 2, 3.

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psa 14:2  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
Psa 14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

These words, however, are spoken of “The fool” who has said “there is no God.” It is not spoken of everyone.

When the Psalmist states “there is none that doeth good,” care must be taken not to apply this statement beyond the persons to whom it explicitly refers in context, namely, the “fool.” Clearly the Bible teaches that absolutely all are sinners (Pro 20:9, Rom 3:23). But just as clearly the Bible speaks of unsaved individuals who do good (Mat 5:44, 45, 46, 47, Luk 6:32; Luk 11:13, Act 10:1, 2).” (UCRT note on Psalm 53:1)

Paul cites the Psalmist again when he writes:

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

This passage provides material for a very interesting and instructive Bible study. Cross reference passages for this text (Romans 3:11) as given in the UCRT are:

none that seeketh after God. *Rom 8:7, Exo 33:7, +*1Ch 16:11 note. 2Ch 14:7; 2Ch 15:2; 2Ch 15:4; 2Ch 19:3, Ezr 8:22, *Job 21:15; *Job 21:16, **Psa 14:1, Psa 14:2; Psa 77:2; +*Psa 105:4; +**Psa 119:10; +****Psa 119:30, *Isa 9:13; Isa 31:1; %**Isa 45:19 note. **Isa 55:6; Isa 65:1, Dan 3:3, Hos 7:10, Zep 1:6, Mat 7:7, +*Luk 11:9, **+Act 15:17 g. Act 17:27.

Consider the text, note, and cross references given in the UCRT for 1 Chronicles 16:11.

1Ch 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. (KJV)

Seek the Lord. Note that man is encouraged to seek after God. It is therefore possible for man to do so. See the Parallel Passages given at +**Psa 9:10. 1Ch 22:19, *2Ch 11:16, +**Psa 9:10; +*Psa 27:8 note. Psa 53:2; Psa 69:32; Psa 77:2; Psa 105:2; *Psa 105:3; Psa 105:4, Pro 8:17; +*Pro 28:5, +*Isa 8:19; +*Isa 8:20 note. +*Isa 26:9; **Isa 45:19; Isa 51:1, +*Jer 29:13, *Lam 3:25, Amos 5:4; Amos 5:6, *Zep 2:2; *Zep 2:3, Jhn 7:17 note, *Act 17:27, %Rom 3:11, +*Heb 11:6.

[Note: These 10 Calvinist Questions for Arminians were shared by a Roman Catholic Facebook friend in mid-September, 2026. I have been working on answering them since then. Feel free to comment and even correct the view I have expressed should you find I am mistaken.]

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Daily Bible Nugget #982, 1 Peter 1:23

Posted on November 7, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

1Pe 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (KJV)

My Testimony

It was on Saturday, November 7, 1953, that I was born again. Just like this Saturday, November 7, 2026, it was a rather dark, gray, cold and damp day. That was 73 years ago!

It had been warm, sunny weather not many days before that, just like the weather here in Michigan has been this year. I remember that in the sunny weather on a preceding Wednesday while delivering The Detroit Shopping News I met several of the members of the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) I had recently been introduced to. They cheerily greeted me by name. I felt the pang of a guilty conscience when I recognized that they had much cleaner speech than I did. I was attending Cass Technical High School where I was in the Electrical Curriculum. There, my fellow students and electrical teachers freely used swear words whether for emphasis or to express frustration.

The Sunday two weeks prior to November 7, 1953, which I think must have been October 25, 1953, I attended the MYF meeting. That day a Bible quiz was held. I won the quiz, so I was to represent the Thoburn Methodist Church MYF at the Saturday Holiness Youth Crusade meeting in the Detroit Institute of Arts main auditorium. I still think the Lord arranged for all the smart MYF attenders to stay home the day I won the local church quiz.

The grand prize was to be a Bulova watch. I have never owned a Bulova watch. Back then I had a Timex watch. I am still embarrassed by how much I did not know about the Bible both then and now. I missed the true-false question, “‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved’ is found in the Gospels.” I answered “True.” I know now that statement is found in Acts 16:31.

In August of 1953 my family went on a vacation trip to North Dakota. While visiting my grandparents’ farm in Belfield, North Dakota, my brother, who is five years younger than me, found a pocket New Testament that had belonged to my Aunt Norma. I asked my brother to let me have it. I was embarrassed in the Senior High School Sunday School class I attended at Highland Park Baptist. My teachers, Dean Sawdon and John Boyko, asked us Bible questions. I can remember hoping they would not get to me, for I rarely knew the correct answer. With Aunt Norma’s pocket New Testament in hand, I figured I could read it through a few times before I was attending Sunday school again at the end of summer vacation. By October 25, 1953, I had read the New Testament all the way through twice. By November 7, 1953, I had read as far as 1 Corinthians on my third reading.

On Saturday morning, November 7, 1953, I was thinking about all I had read in the New Testament, and I realized I was not saved. While crossing Lumpkin Street in the middle of the block, I paused under an oak tree while folding the next Detroit Shopping News and prayed for forgiveness and salvation. I remember whistling the Gospel hymn, “Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me, not for the years of time alone, but for eternity.”

After that experience, an experience which did not take place in any church, I began a spiritual adventure which continues to this day. I recall buying several pocket Bibles. I could read the fine print back then. I learned about Bible cross references when Mrs. Cole, who lived kitty-corner across the street from me, asked me to baby-sit her young children. She had a small bookcase with several Bibles, and I looked at one of her Bibles that featured center-column cross references. I turned to those references and saw how these connected verses expanded the theme they contained as mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Mrs. Cole is the person who invited me to attend the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) at her church on Sunday evenings. I started attending the MYF on Sunday evenings since Thoburn Methodist Church was just two blocks from my home.

I began buying Christian books about the Bible.

I met Mr. Fred Hicks, a painter by trade, who encouraged me to accompany him on Saturdays to Campus Martius in downtown Detroit where he parked his Gospel truck, equipped with a podium. He encouraged me to bring short Gospel messages and share my testimony publicly. Mr. Fred Hicks was well known at the time. Many years later after I had lost all contact with him, I heard that he died of a heart attack while driving in the Detroit area in a newscast as it happened.

In the summer of 1954, I attended a vacation Bible school class for high school students about how to study the Bible. The course was taught by Miss Ellen Groh, then a student at the Detroit Bible College, later known as Tyndale College. She taught us about Bible study tools as we studied the book of Second Timothy. One of the tools she introduced us to was the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. My assignment was to study 2 Timothy 1:7 using that resource. This study ultimately changed the course of my whole life.

My Aunt Ethel (Smith) Sherwin sent me a Christmas card containing a 5-dollar bill. I rode my bicycle to the Grand Bible and Bookstore and bought my own copy of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. In that same bookstore I saw and bought a book by Milton S. Terry titled Biblical Hermeneutics.

The Point of My Testimony

How can anyone be sure they are really saved?

The answer is simple: genuinely saved people have a continuing hunger for God’s Word.

Not everyone will take the route I did, but all genuine saved believers in our Lord Jesus Christ will reflect what Jesus stated during His temptation in the wilderness:

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. (KJV)

That word is available to us in only one source, the Bible!

If you find you are not regularly reading the Bible, start now to take time to read it for yourself. The more you read the Bible, the more you will understand its message. The more you understand the Bible, the more interested you will be to understand yet more.

That is the one mark of a real Christian: Real Christians have a continuing hunger and desire for God’s word as found in the Bible.

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How bad is the state of education today and my proven solution

Posted on October 25, 2026 by Jerry

I just read about the plight of many teachers who find they cannot teach their students what they should be learning because students are entirely unprepared for the level of course work for their grade level.

This is true for high schools as well as colleges.

The article claimed many students cannot even start a written sentence on their own.

Students arrive lacking writing skills and reading skills.

Students were just passed along to the next grade even if they had not learned the content for that grade level.

When students arrive at high school with the academic achievement of fourth or fifth graders, how are they going to succeed at the high school level?

This was a serious problem when I was teaching high school English and world and American history.

This was a major problem at the beginning of my teaching career when I taught classes of seventh graders who were three and four years behind grade level in reading comprehension.

There is a solution that works for all grade levels and ages (above age 8 through adult) of students which I painstakingly wrote and rewrote until it worked: my Language Enrichment Program. It is available on Amazon under the author’s name, Jerome Smith, as well as the title.

Share this information with whoever you know needs academic help to become successful in school and life.

Any questions? Post them below. I do have the answers!

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Daily Bible Nugget #981, Proverbs 23:9

Posted on October 17, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Pro 23:9  Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. (KJV)

Pro 23:9  Say nothing in the ears of a fool, lest at any time he sneer at thy wise words. (LXX, Brenton translation)

Pro 23:9  Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words. (BBE, Basic English Bible)

Pro 23:9  Don’t try to teach fools. They will make fun of your wise words. (ERV, Easy-to-Read Version)

Cross Reference study for Proverbs 23:9 from:

A. The original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

Proverbs 23:9
Speak: Pro 9:7, 8, Pro 26:4, 5; Isa 36:21; Mat 7:6; Act 13:45, 46, Act 28:25, 26, 27, 28
he: Luk 16:14; Jhn 8:52, Jhn 9:30, 31, 32, 33, 34, Jhn 9:40, Jhn 10:20; Act 17:18, Act 17:32; 1Co 1:21, 22, 23, 24; 1Co 4:10, 11, 12, 13

B. The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Proverbs 23:9
Speak not. Pro 9:7, 8; Pro 26:4, 5, Isa 36:21, +*Mat 7:6, Act 13:45, 46; Act 28:25, 26, 27, 28.
he. Luk 16:14, Jhn 8:52; *Jhn 9:30, 31, 32, 33, 34; *Jhn 9:40; Jhn 10:20, *Act 17:18; *Act 17:32, 1Co 1:21, 22, 23, 24; 1Co 4:10, 11, 12, 13.
of a fool. Hebrew. kesil. +Pro 1:7. = fat, and then dense, or stupid, which comes of it, showing itself in impiety. Occurs forty-nine times in Proverbs (CB). Pro 1:22; Pro 1:32; Pro 3:35; Pro 8:5.
will despise. or, treadeth on. Pro 23:22, Pro 6:30; Pro 30:17, 2Ch 25:16, Song 8:1; Song 8:7, 1Th 4:8.
the wisdom. Heb. sekel, intelligence. S# H7922, +1Sa 25:3.
of thy words. or, sayings. Heb. millah, discourse. S# H4405. 1Sa 23:2, Job 4:2; Job 4:4; Job 6:26; Job 8:10; Job 12:11; Job 13:17; Job 15:3; Job 15:13; Job 16:4; Job 18:2; Job 19:2; Job 19:23; Job 21:2; Job 23:5; Job 24:25; Job 26:4; Job 29:9; Job 29:22; Job 30:9; Job 32:11; Job 32:14, 15; Job 32:18; Job 33:1; Job 33:8; Job 33:32; Job 34:2, 3; Job 34:16; Job 35:4; Job 35:16; Job 36:2; Job 36:4; Job 38:2, Psa 19:4; Psa 139:4.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #980, Matthew 12:36

Posted on September 29, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Mat 12:36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (KJV)

My Comment:

Not even one of the 22 English Bible translations I just now consulted that are available to me in my e-Sword Bible software program alerts the reader to the fact that the underlying Greek translated “word” is not the usual term “logos” but a very special term “rhema.” This fact totally changes what is meant by “idle word” in this verse. It is not a reference to the content of ordinary conversation. It has no reference to idle talk or careless speech.

So far as I have been able to discover, only the Lavender NT translation gets it right:

Matthew 12:36. But I say to you that every non-working rhema which men may speak, they will give account concerning it on the Day of Judgment.

Rhema is a revelatory word. The expression “non-working rhema” is a false revelation. It has special reference to Deuteronomy 13:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and many other passages in the Bible. The passages are carefully cross referenced at Matthew 12:36 and notes shared from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury below.

Matthew 12:36
every. *Ecc 12:14, *Rom 2:16, *Eph 5:4, 5, 6; *Eph 5:11, *Jud 1:14; *Jud 1:15, *Rev 20:12.
idle word. The same as the “evil things” of Mat 12:35, and explained by the whole context from Mat 12:31 (De Burgh). S# G692 (idle). S# G4487 (word). Note: Rama argon, ρημα αργον, i.e. aergon, from a, privative, and ergon, work, a word that produces no good effect, and is not calculated to produce any. It is of interest to note that argos is used of ground left idle and not yielding a crop [2Pe 1:8]; of money not invested and yielding no return [Mat 25:25; Mat 25:27]; of those who were unemployed in the marketplace [Mat 20:3; Mat 20:6]. Rhema is a revelatory word (Heb 11:3 note), but here it is referred to as a non-working rhema, i.e., unauthorized, false revelation. As God said in Jer 23:21: “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied” (NKJ; cf. Deut 13:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Jer 14:13, 14, 15, 16; Jer 23:16, 17; Jer 23:25, 26; Jer 23:30, 31, 32; Mat 7:22; Acts 6:11). It is a very serious matter to mishandle the word of God either in prophecy or doctrine (cf. Gal 1:8, 9; 1Ti 4:1, 2, 3 and notes) [LNT, fn y]. *S# G692: Mat 12:36; Mat 20:3; Mat 20:6; Mat 20:6, 1Ti 5:13; 1Ti 5:13, Tit 1:12 (slow). 2Pe 1:8 (barren). “Discourse,” says Dr. Doddridge, “tending to innocent mirth, to exhilarate the spirits, is not idle discourse; as the time spent in necessary recreation is not idle time.” Job 15:3; Job 31:30; Job 35:2; Job 37:20, Psa 59:12, Pro 13:3, Ecc 5:7, +*Ezk 33:31, *Eph 4:29; *Eph 4:31; Eph 5:4, *Col 4:5; *Col 4:6, 1Ti 5:13.
give account. **+Mat 16:27, Job 9:20, Ecc 12:14, Isa 3:8, Jer 23:36, Hos 7:16, Luk 12:3; Luk 16:2, Jhn 16:11, **Rom 14:12, 1Pe 4:5, FS108B28, Idiom F/S 828, “To give account” means not simply to render a mere account, but to suffer the consequences of unrighteousness. For another instance of this idiom see 1Pe 4:5.
day of judgment. +*Mat 10:15 note. Mat 11:22, Mrk 6:11, **+Act 17:31, +*2Pe 3:7, **1Jn 4:17.

 

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My friend can prove she is right and the court is wrong!

Posted on September 22, 2026 by Jerry

My Comment:

My good friend Chris Jackson posted this on Facebook. I read it this morning and thought this is how such a situation should be handled.

Her Post:

I’M BEING SUED BY 46TH DISTRICT COURT: I am being sued by the 46th District Court (Southfield, MI) for a parking ticket they claim I got on June 5, 2007. Yes, 2007—nearly 20 years ago!
They are demanding $125.00. I called the court clerk yesterday, and she hit me with the classic attitude: “Just because the ticket isn’t paid doesn’t mean it goes away.”
I stood my ground and told her: “I never said it goes away. What I am saying is I have absolutely no knowledge of this ticket, and I never received anything in the mail about it.”
Here is why this whole situation is completely ridiculous:
My record is clean: I’ve had plenty of tickets since 2007, and I have paid every single last one of them. I’m not hard to find—I lived at my last address for almost 20 years before buying my current home.
They ghosted me for 14 years: The clerk admitted that the last time the court even attempted to contact me about this was back in 2012.
Nothing is on my record: I ran a name and birthdate search in the court’s official public database, and absolutely nothing came back. No active cases, no warrants, and no judgments.
The Legal Reality:Under Michigan law (MCL § 600.5813), there is a 6-year statute of limitations on civil infractions. Even if a judge had signed a “Default Judgment” against me back then, Michigan judgments expire after 10 years (MCL § 600.5809(3)) unless the court formally renews them. Since their last contact was in 2012 and my public search is completely blank, they missed their legal window to renew it by years.
They let this sit dormant for over a decade, and now they are trying to scare me into a quick payout. I am absolutely fighting this on the basis of the statute of limitations and a total lack of due process.
I WILL KEEP Y’ALL POSTED!
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Daily Bible Nugget #979, 2 Peter 2:19

Posted on September 20, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (KJV)

2Pe 2:19  liberty to them promising, themselves being servants of the corruption, for by whom any one hath been overcome, to this one also he hath been brought to servitude, (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

2Pe 2:19  promising them freedom, though they are slaves of destruction themselves; for a man is the slave of anything that conquers him. (Williams NT)

2Pe 2:19  They promise freedom to everyone. But they are merely slaves of filthy living, because people are slaves of whatever controls them. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

2Pe 2:19  They promise these people freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to. (GW, God’s Word Bible)

2Pe 2:19  Although these false teachers promise such people freedom, they themselves are enslaved to immorality. For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved. (NET Bible) Grk “for by what someone is overcome, to this he is enslaved.”

2Pe 2:19  Saying that they will be free, while they themselves are the servants of destruction; because whatever gets the better of a man makes a servant of him. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

2Pe 2:19  These false teachers promise those people freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves to a mind that has been ruined by sin. Yes, people are slaves to anything that controls them. (ERV, Easy-to-Read Version)

2Pe 2:19  They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. (ESV, English Standard Version)

2Pe 2:19  They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits—for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us. (GNB, Good News Bible)

My Comment:

Perhaps all of us have discovered how easy it is to slip into what turns out to be a bad habit. Sometimes bad habits are virtually addictive. We can become so locked into the habit that it seems impossible to escape its grasp or power. Nicotine, caffeine, and other substances can have such power over us that we become dependent upon them. We need to recognize that “we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.” There can be quite strong “withdrawal pains” when we work to break that dependency. I have lately read that gradually reducing our intake of such substances can make withdrawal easier. The Bible is very clear about our need and duty to conquer any such dependencies we may have, as the cross references shared below demonstrate.

CROSS REFERENCE STUDY FOR 2 PETER 2:19 FROM:

A. The original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

2 Peter 2:19
they promise: Gal 5:1, Gal 5:13; 1Pe 2:16
they themselves: Jhn 8:34; Rom 6:12, 13, 14, Rom 6:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22; Tit 3:3
overcome: 2Pe 2:20; Isa 28:1; Jer 23:9; 2Ti 2:26

B. The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

2 Peter 2:19
they promise. 2Pe 2:18, 2Sa 15:4, 1Ki 12:28; 1Ki 13:19, Jer 6:14, *Ezk 13:22, Luk 14:30, *Gal 5:1; *Gal 5:13; Gal 6:13, 1Pe 2:16,
liberty. Promising “personal liberty,” that is license, not the freedom of truth in Christ (Jhn 8:32, Gal 5:1; Gal 5:13) [see Robertson]. 2Pe 3:15, 16, Gen 3:5, Lev 25:10, +*Psa 119:45, Jhn 8:34, Rom 3:8; Rom 6:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 1Co 8:9, *Gal 2:4; Gal 5:1; Gal 5:13, *+Jas 1:25, 1Pe 2:16, Jud 1:4,
they themselves. FS31, +Isa 1:21, Pro 13:7, Isa 5:20, Mat 7:15, *+Jhn 8:34, Rom 2:19, 20, 21, 22, 23; *Rom 6:12, 13, 14; *Rom 6:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, Tit 3:3,
are. or, being. Gr. huparchō (S# G5225, Luk 9:48).
servants. or, slaves. Gr. doulos (S# G1401). Rom 6:16; Rom 6:20,
corruption. 2Pe 2:12; 2Pe 2:18, 2Pe 1:4, Lev 13:8, Ezk 47:11, Luk 12:45, *Rom 7:5, 1Co 15:42, Gal 6:8, Eph 6:24, Php 3:19, 2Ti 1:10,
overcome. Gr. hēttaō (S# G2774, 2Co 12:13). Perfect tense, passive voice, indicative mood verb. 2Pe 2:20 g. 1Sa 17:9, Isa 28:1, Jer 23:9, Rom 7:21, 2Ti 2:26; 2Ti 3:3, Heb 10:38,
brought in bondage. or, enslaved. Perfect tense, passive voice, indicative mood verb. Jhn 8:34, Act 8:23, Rom 6:16; Rom 6:18; Rom 8:21, 1Jn 3:8.

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GENERAL RULES OF INTERPRETATION

Posted on September 9, 2026 by Jerry

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number:  1229

Special Skills File

Classroom Use Only                                                   Copy Number:

 

Please DO NOT write on this page.  Handle this material very carefully as more students need to use it after you.  Sign this material out then check it back in.

F#JHS0317 of 7/4/96 from F#1229 of 4/20/85.                                             page one

 

TITLE:  GENERAL RULES OF INTERPRETATION

AUTHOR:  Mr. J. H. Smith

 

  1. Interpret the words and sentences of an author literally unless such an interpretation results in a contradiction, absurdity, or nonsense.

a. Be very careful not to label as nonsense what might merely be strange or contrary to your own personal point of view or frame of reference.
b. Sometimes the immediate context will indicate a non‑literal interpretation must be understood (“trees clapped their hands”).
c. Watch for the literal truth or meaning which is being figuratively illustrated in such a passage.

 

  1. Do not give or attribute a meaning that would be foreign to the knowledge or understanding of the author or the original audience, or a meaning which would be outside the purpose of the original author. (Thus, there are no flying saucers in the Bible).

 

  1. Do not interpret one statement or part of a document, law, contract, or work of literature in a way which makes it contradict another part. All the parts must agree without contradictions.  Authors write to be understood, not to confuse their audience.
    a. In literature, and sometimes elsewhere, an author may write an intended ambiguity.
    b. Sometimes our personal perception of the truth, or our knowledge of the cultural context which produced a document, is incomplete, and our own deficiency of knowledge may lead us to find ambiguity, paradox, and contradiction where there is none.
    c. An author, particularly when treating of philosophical and religious subjects, may intentionally introduce paradox (determinism versus free will).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. J. H. Smith                                                           Selection Number:  1229

Special Skills File

Classroom Use Only                                                   Copy Number:

 

Please DO NOT write on this page.  Handle this material very carefully as more students need to use it after you.  Sign this material out then check it back in.

F#JHS0317 of 7/4/96 from F#1229 of 4/20/85.                                             page two

TITLE:  GENERAL RULES OF INTERPRETATION

 

  1. A correct interpretation takes account of all the material in the document, and sometimes related documents.
    a. You cannot legitimately pick and choose separate statements and combine them arbitrarily.
    b. You cannot leave out material which, if included, would require or necessitate a change in the interpretation.
    c. Whenever an interpretation involves the comparison of two or more subjects, the interpretation must take into account not only the similarities but also the differences which exist.

 

  1. Read what comes before and what comes after the sentence you are interpreting. A correct interpretation always fits into the scope, meaning, and purpose of the surrounding passage or context.  A text out of context is a pretext.

 

  1. An interpretation must be in harmony with the grammar of the sentences involved, and in harmony with the meanings of the words which make up the sentences.

 

  1. Always interpret obscure, difficult texts in the light of other passages on the same topic in the same or related documents which are clear in meaning.

 

  1. A correct and authoritative interpretation must be based upon what the text itself says, not upon what someone else claims it says.

 

  1. All that is required to establish an interpretation as correct is evidence (which is in harmony with these rules) from the text sufficient to convince an adequately informed, neutral, unbiased person.

 

  1. When there are two differing interpretations of a document or a part of a document, if the interpretations are contradictory, they cannot both be correct. One or the other must be wrong, or they may both be wrong, but they cannot both be right.  A correct interpretation must comply with the rules of interpretation; a wrong or incorrect interpretation will always be found not to comply with the rules.
Posted in Education Issues, How to Interpret the Bible Correctly | Tagged | 1 Comment

Daily Bible Nugget #978, Proverbs 17:16

Posted on August 31, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Pro 17:16  Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it? (KJV)

Pro 17:16  Why is this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart there is none? (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

Pro 17:16  Why has the fool wealth? for a senseless man will not be able to purchase wisdom. He that exalts his own house seeks ruin; and he that turns aside from instruction shall fall into mischief. (LXX, Brenton translation of the Greek Septuagint)

Pro 17:16  What doth it avail a fool to have riches, seeing he cannot buy wisdom? He that maketh his house high, seeketh a downfall: and he that refuseth to learn, shall fall into evils. (DRB, Douay Rheims Bible)

Pro 17:16  What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty? (NET Bible)

Pro 17:16  It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense. (GNB, Good News Bible)

Pro 17:16  Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn’t have a mind to grasp anything? (GW, God’s Word Bible)

Pro 17:16  Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, Seeing he hath no understanding? (ASV, American Standard Version)

Pro 17:16  Why should fools have money for an education when they refuse to learn? (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

My Comment:

There is much hidden wisdom in Proverbs 17:16. It has much to say about getting an education. If a student is unable to read well with discernment, the student is not prepared to get a college education. If a student simply takes the word of a teacher or professor without question, the student will easily be led astray. The Bible cautions us to “prove all things” and “hold fast what is true” (see 1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Notice the varied marks of the poorly prepared or unprepared students: they (1) refuse to  learn, DRB; (2) their head is empty, NET; (3) have no common sense, GNB; (4) don’t have a mind to grasp anything, GW; (5) have no understanding, ASV.

Though written long ago, Proverbs 17:16 describes the plight and condition of many students and some of their teachers and professors today.

I believe there are some very simple and effective strategies parents, wise teachers, and students themselves can apply to overcome these tragic conditions.

If anyone who reads this post is interested in learning more about the strategies I have found to work to help students do better, post a comment or question below. I am always happy to share my advice when asked.

To learn more about what else the Bible says about the subjects mentioned in Proverbs 17:16 read and study the cross references shared below from my Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Proverbs 17:16
a price. T1834, *Pro 1:22; *Pro 1:23; Pro 8:4, 5; *Pro 9:4, 5, 6, *Isa 55:1, 2, 3, Act 13:46, *2Co 6:1.
fool. T200-18, +Psa 10:4 (T693). *Jer 4:22.
seeing. Pro 1:7; Pro 1:25; *Pro 14:6; *Pro 18:15; Pro 21:25, 26, Deut 5:29, Psa 81:11, 12, 13, *Hos 4:11, *Jhn 3:20, Act 28:26, 27.
no heart. or, sense. FS121J23, Job 12:3, Heart put by the Figure Metonymy (of Subject) for the sense in it. 2Ch 30:10, Luk 4:28; Luk 23:11, Jhn 5:40; Jhn 8:45, Act 17:32, 33; Act 24:25, 26, 27; Act 26:28.

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Daily Bible Nugget #977, Proverbs 17:15

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Pro 17:15  He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. (KJV)

Pro 17:15  He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, even both of them are hateful to Jehovah. (NKJV, New King James Version)

Pro 17:15  The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent – both of them are an abomination to the LORD. (NET Bible)

Pro 17:15  He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. (ESV, English Standard Version)

Pro 17:15  Whoso is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these are an abomination to Jehovah. (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

Pro 17:15  He that pronounces the unjust just, and the just unjust, is unclean and abominable with God. (LXX, Brenton translation of the Greek Septuagint)

Pro 17:15  The LORD hates these two things: punishing the innocent and letting the guilty go free. (ERV, Easy-to-Read Version)

Pro 17:15  He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord. (BBE, Basic English Bible)

Pro 17:15  The LORD doesn’t like those who defend the guilty or condemn the innocent. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

My Comment:

If nine English Bible translations above did not make the point clear, I wonder if anything will!

The very next verse (Proverbs 17:16) is equally relevant to our own time:

Pro 17:16  Why should fools have money for an education when they refuse to learn? (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

When judges let individuals guilty of serious crime go free, they are under the wrath of God. I think such judges should be held responsible for any further serious crime committed by those they refused to sentence to time in prison.

Dig deeper into Proverbs 17:15 by consulting the following cross references from the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury: 

Proverbs 17:15
that justifieth the wicked. *Pro 24:23; *Pro 24:24, %+Gen 9:5; Gen 44:16, 17, *Exo 23:7, %Deut 25:1, 1Ki 8:32; 1Ki 21:13, 2Ch 6:23, Ezr 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Job 27:5, Isa 5:23; **Isa 55:8; **Isa 55:9, Ezk 22:27, 28, 29, Amos 5:7; Amos 5:12; Amos 6:12, *Luk 23:18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, Jhn 18:40, Act 24:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, *Rom 4:5, Jas 5:6.
condemneth the just. Pro 17:26, Psa 94:21, +*Isa 5:20, Lam 3:35, Mic 3:9, Mat 12:7, +*Luk 16:1 note. Luk 23:24, +*Jhn 7:24; +*Jhn 7:51.
abomination. +Pro 3:32; *Pro 6:16; *Pro 11:1; *Pro 15:8, **2Co 5:21 notes.

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