As different translations are published and we are free to choose which translation we use, we need to be cognizant of the changes each new translation makes and why. We believe in Verbal, Plenary, God-breathed (Gk, theopneuustos, theos, God + pneo, breathed) Scripture in the autographa, i.e., the autograph copies. (cf. 2 Tim 3:16) Of course, we do not have the original documents, but through years of research, we can be assured that the Greek translations are authentic and trustworthy, especially when there is a critical apparatus allowing us to measure which manuscripts are the most trustworthy.

New translations have become so common that often significant changes in wording from one translation to another are overlooked. These changes come as translators choose between concordant and dynamic equivalency methodology. Concordant seeks to find the closest match between the source language and receptor language, i.e., Greek to English. Dynamic Equivalency seeks to emphasize readability and interpretation, often substituting the translator’s doctrinal persuasion for accuracy.

One example is the attempt by newer translations to clarify the distinction between male and female with the phrase, sons and daughters of God. By doing so, this adds to the confusion of genders that has been taking place for decades and is now reaching crisis proportions. After years of searching, I have not found any text where daughters of God is the correct translation. I have written and spoken regarding the topic of sons of God. (see, see) There is no room here for a full explanation. Here is a simplified attempt to clarify.

First, God created man, male and female. That has never changed. To be sure, there are significant issues at birth with some infants, but this is not the norm. Second, God has clearly stated that, before Him, there is neither male nor female, all are sons (Gk huios, son) of God. (cf. Gal 3:23ff.)

In another context, Paul makes it clear that this relationship with God does not annul the distinction when he writes:

Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
(1 Cor 11:2-4)

Here, as in other contexts, even the NASB, the most concordant of the newer translations, stumbles by failing to see that the context is referring to traditions (Gk paradosis, para, alongside, + didomi, to give or pass on). Paul was referring to what he previously taught concerning marriage. He is not referring to men dominating women. (cf. 1 Cor 11:1-16)

In such passages, careful exegesis is extremely important. Confusion throughout Church history regarding passages about marriage has led to male dominance, abuses, and giving our Lord’s enemies fodder to blaspheme His good name. Failure to understand biblical teaching regarding such matters leads to the Church’s failure to have a voice in society today.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12-13)

The context is the upper room discourse. Jesus was comforting His disciples because in a few hours He would be arrested, tried in an illegal court, tortured, and crucified. How could a single believer do greater works than what Jesus had performed?

Some want to apply this to the efforts of individuals with special gifts, doing the same things Jesus did, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons. However, upon careful examination of the text, it becomes clear that while verse 12 refers to a single believer, the verbs that precede and follow are all plural. He is speaking of one individual in concert with other believers. We see this same synergy within the godhead in John’s gospel account:

For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. (John 5:20)

The term synergy is transliterated from the Greek sunergos. One dictionary defines synergy as:

the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. (see)

Sunergos is a combination of two Greek terms (sun, meaning “together,” and ergon, meaning “work”) that form a single effort. The promise Jesus gave to His disciples was that when they received the Holy Spirit, they would be able to accomplish more together than alone.

Christianity went off the rails when the Western Church, which originated in the school at Alexandria, Egypt, formed hierarchies with leaders possessing authority that Jesus forbade. (cf. Matt 20:25-28; Mk 10:42-45; Lk 22-25-27) The grip that this false teaching held on the early church was the reason so many believers of the conservative school in Antioch of Syria were martyred. The Alexandrian church leaders chose political power, while the Antioch church leaders chose spiritual influence. The literal interpretation of what Jesus and the Apostles taught was a threat to the oligarchs.

The world thinks bigger is better. Numbers mean success. Throughout Jesus’ ministry on earth, especially during the upper room discourse, Jesus taught the opposite. The epistles, especially the sections regarding the proper understanding and use of spiritual gifts, emphasize what each believer, working together with other gifted believers, can accomplish.

While synergy does not occur in the two texts from John’s gospel account, it occurs in thirteen passages in the New Testament and is translated as fellow workers. Size is not the issue. It is every believer working together through their spiritual gifts, accomplishing the work of the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is spiritual synergy.

Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name. (see)

We are living in an era when church leaders are seeking relevance by searching for and discovering “new truth” in the Bible. As society devolves, the world is drifting farther away from the former biblical truths that were forged on an anvil with blood, sweat, and tears. History is passé. What was good for the past is no longer applicable to the Church today.

This is not new. Paul, writing to the church at Colossae, warned of this trend already existing among the churches of the Lycus Valley. Even though he had not yet visited that area, many had heard of his ministry and the message God had given him. False teachers among the flock were twisting, adding to, and subtracting from his message. Paul wrote to correct the doctrinal errors and to encourage the brethren by having their hearts:

knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2:2-3)

He was seeking to accomplish this through proclaiming Christ Jesus:

admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ (Col 1:28-29)

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Col 2:6-7)

While his letter was to correct false teaching, there are also portions where Paul expressed cause for rejoicing and gratitude.

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. (Col 2:5)

What was needed even more, since the false teachers were at work, was for believers to:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Col 2:8-9)

Today, many believers spend years becoming proficient in their employment, raising their families, engaging in entertainment, and laying aside for retirement. Yet little time and resources are employed in the most important matters of life, achieving full assurance of understanding the faith. (Col 2:2)

Paul’s goal was to present every man complete in Christ. (Col 1:28). He was willing to experience hardship. The history of the Church is strewn with martyrs who gave their lives so that we might enjoy the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Stability in Christ requires that we order ([discipline, NASB] Gk, taxis) our lives to allow time and resources to study God’s Word. A casual perusal of the internet is not enough. Only through consistent personal effort will we be able to separate truth from error and be firmly rooted in the faith of Christ.

Easy Believism, i.e., just praying a prayer and God will do all the rest, works great until difficulties arise. What happens when we want something from God and He doesn’t deliver? Or when difficult or painful circumstances occur over which we have no control? The United States is facing crises that few thought would ever happen. We are about to go through some very dark times. How does this salvation thing work? What responsibilities has God given to us concerning our salvation?

Paul, a prisoner in Rome, wrote to the Philippian church to thank them for their support and steadfastness in the faith. Earlier, he expressed his confidence in them:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)

When the Jews, who were taught that salvation was by works, asked:

What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? (Jn 6:28)

Jesus responded:

This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. (Jn 6:29)

What we believe and the ability to believe come from God. Our responsibility is to study what God has done and apply this to each moment of our lives, taking each step in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In his epistle from prison to the Ephesian church, Paul wrote:

(11) Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Eph 6:11-13)

The command here is to the church. The armor requires a corporate response. The reality is that evil days will come unless the Lord comes for His Church first. This may be in the form of a health crisis, a financial downturn, a catastrophic disaster such as a storm or earthquake, or the downfall of a country. Waiting until it happens is not an option. It will be too late. Every believer needs to take each moment in life as an opportunity to do it God’s way. This requires knowing the correct responses to circumstances and being willing to make the right decisions so that we will be ready when they happen.

None of the talking heads and political pundits know what will happen tomorrow. They may make educated guesses. But only God knows. He is the blessed controller of all things. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, nothing was sure except that God was in control. He encouraged the church to be prepared for what was coming.

Are we prepared?

“You are what you think, even more than you think?”
(anonymous)

What do you spend your time thinking about? It is the only true privacy we have anymore. With social media, the entertainment industry, and intense marketing strategies, we can become so distracted that we forget to think about our relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ and doing His will. We need to take the time to analyze our thought life.

Rev. Steven J. Cole quoted Mark Twain in an article posted on bible.org:

“What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those other things, are his history.” (Reader’s Digest [1/93], p. 155).

I was having lunch with a man who was the comptroller of a large paper mill. He had recently received Christ Jesus as his savior following some poor choices and the breakup of his marriage. We were discussing the will of God in our lives. I asked him how many willful decisions he had made that morning. He thought long and hard. “None” was his answer. Knowing his responsible position in the company, I was surprised. He said circumstances determined the decisions he made, not willful decisions.

This should not be true of those of us who are born of God and have a relationship with Him. Often, I find myself distracted from considering the most important subject in my life, the will of God. Is this true with you?

I am not referring to meditating. An internet post distinguishes between thinking and meditating:

Thinking and meditating are fundamentally different cognitive processes, with thinking being an active engagement with thoughts, while meditating involves observing thoughts without attachment. (see)

While meditating can be spiritually uplifting, it does not mean engaging the will. Thinking is gathering information to decide to act. Interestingly, the English terms meditate and meditation occur only twenty-one times in the NASB and then only in the Old Testament. Never in the New Testament.

Why is this? There is not enough room in this blog for a thorough study of the subject of thinking biblically. However, Paul gives us a clue as to a reason why thinking rather than meditating occurs in the New Testament:

For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (1 Cor 2:11ff)

We need to constantly be engaged in Holy Spirit-controlled thinking. Then we will be able to discern the will of God.

What part do emotions play in the Christian life? Emotions are not sinful. Jesus expressed all the emotions you and I experience. After His death, the disciples remembered how Jesus was consumed with anger when He saw the money changers in the temple (Jn 2:17). When the Jews were watching to see if He would heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, He was both angry and grieved (Mk 3:5). Jesus expressed the full range of emotion at the tomb of Lazarus. The sisters noted His love (philos) for them (Jn 11:3) as did the crowd at the tomb (Jn 11:32). Witnessing their unbelief, Jesus wept (Jn 11:35). Even the Godhead expresses love (philos) between them (Jn 5:20) and toward us because we love (philos) the Son (16:27).

Emotions provide information regarding what we are thinking and feeling in the moment. However, in the fall, emotions were damaged. Adam and Eve, for the first time, experienced the emotion of shame (cf. Gen 2:25 w. 3:8ff.). Every human emotion was damaged from then on and became susceptible to sin.

James refers to soul salvation (Jas 1:21-25). This involves learning how to control our emotions through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God (cf. Heb 4:12; 6:19; 10:39). Maturity in the Christian life can be summarized as being able to control our emotions with our mind through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Paul admonished the Corinthians that they were acting like babies (nepios, infants unable to articulate speech, 1 Cor 3:1-3). This was neither a compliment nor an excuse (Heb 5:12-14). Every believer in Jesus Christ is a son of God (Gal 3:24-4:7) old enough to understand and obey our heavenly Father’s will.

Overcoming the damage caused by the fall requires personal effort to know, understand, and apply God’s Word to everyday life. This means learning what triggers our emotions both for good and for evil. First, we need to work on our thoughts and intentions as these affect our emotions. We also need to recognize how culture and our response to it control our emotions. Mass marketing and propaganda are fine-tuned to move us, often in directions Christians should not go. Daily, we witness the effects of crowd psychology in many riots in the streets. We need to identify these triggers and avoid them by being transformed rather than just conforming to the culture (cf. Eph 4:17-32 w. Rom 12:2).

One additional thought is important. The effects of the fall on our emotions sometimes produce permanent changes to our personality over which we have no control, requiring mood-altering intervention. This does not alleviate our responsibility to use these drugs responsibly and not as a substitute for walking in the Spirit in light of God’s Word.

As we enter a time of turmoil around us, we need to be mindful of our emotions and how to express them in a manner that glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)

We live in uncertain times. It is easy to become overwhelmed if we only focus on the present and the future. The present is not always a reliable source for judging reality due to our limited ability to absorb vast amounts of information. The future is uncertain because only God knows the future. On Stanford University’s website, to the question “Why Study History,” the answer given is:

“Once you can see the things that history teaches you. .it becomes easier to make sense of the modern world and the diverse peoples and ideas that you will confront within it.”

Consider how much of the Bible is history. Without this knowledge, there would not be a gospel. We live in a day when many are forgetting or revising history so that present generations do not know about the past, and hence are making wrong decisions about the present and the future.

Moses, just before his death, composed a song for Israel in which he reminded them:

“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you.” (Deut 32:7)

Moses then instructed the people:

“Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.” (Deut 32:46-47)

If there is one word that describes the history of Israel, it would not be that they remembered. It would be that they forgot.

By attacking and distorting history, progressives are attacking the gospel of Christ Jesus. I am frequently asked to read books and give my reflection. I recently completed a book on the translation of the Bible into English. What a terrible history. It was hard to read about the savagery of men, now considered saints, who persecuted and murdered those who gave their lives to translate and transport the Bible, so it would be available to the common man.

I am presently, upon request, reading a book by a so-called religious scholar, a history professor at a major university, who views the Bible as myths and metaphors. She clearly does not believe in divine revelation or the deity of Christ. Her attacks on the Bible are destroying the confidence of many new believers who are not well-grounded in the history of the Old and New Testaments.

This is why we must continue reading and studying the Bible. Any commentary is only one individual’s opinion of what the Bible says. Commentaries can be helpful if we choose our sources carefully. Even the Greek is accessible to non-language users.

Paraphrasing Moses as he taught Israel concerning the Law, (History) is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.”

Casper Milqetoast was a cartoon character from my early childhood. As his name sounds, milk toast, so was his character. Casper became an antihero. He was always humiliated by life’s bullies. He was someone no one wanted to be.

The Greek term for humility is Tapeinos. Throughout the New Testament, God’s children are exhorted to be like our Savior, Jesus Christ:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” (Phil 2:5-6)

Lawrence O. Richards, in his Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, defines humility:

“Tapeinos represents a person’s proper estimate of himself in relation to God and to others.” (p. 347)

In James, the first epistle written after our Lord’s ascension, sinful human nature was already prevalent among believers in the church. James notes that the ultimate source of sin is not Satan or the fault of others. It is our need for the Word of God to penetrate our souls. James called this “the salvation of the soul,” and it comes through knowing and doing God’s will (cf. 1:21; 5:20).

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, linked the attitude of humility with a humble lifestyle, comparing the humility of Christ (Phil 2:1-5) with his own humility (chapter 4:10-14). The comparison between attitude and lifestyle is essential to understanding biblical humility.

Mentioning his humility in 2 Corinthians 11:7 was difficult due to the nature of his relationship to the brethren there and the types of schisms that existed. His relationship with the Philippians was warm and affectionate. When he stated that he was humble (Phil 4:12), he did not expect to receive a rebuttal. The use of the Present Passive Infinitive expresses this confidence.

The term “know” (oida) appears twice in Philippians 4:12. In both instances, it is Perfect Active Indicative referring to action completed in the past with continuing results. In our vernacular, we would say, “I have learned from experience.” However, this is different than saying, “I am still learning from experience.” This is conveyed in Philippians 3:15-16:

“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

The first epistle by Peter was written approximately eighteen years after James’s epistle, during a time of great persecution. Many Christians were being martyred. Under such circumstances, the natural reaction would be to fight back, even if it means breaking the law.

In its historical context, this epistle presents God’s overarching superintendence of every event under the sun. Chapter 4 concludes with a call not to panic in the face of fiery ordeals, reminding his readers that even when they were suffering wrongfully, they still need to do what is right (4:12-18). Chapter 5 concludes with an appeal to every believer to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. (5:6-11).

In Romans chapter 12, Paul presents a vivid picture of humility without mentioning the term. Both the attitude of humility and acts of humility are applied to the Church. (cf. v. 12:3ff.)

It is important to note that humility occurs four times in the New Testament in our relationship to God. The outstanding and abiding principle regarding biblical humility is: Biblical Humility is knowing and doing God’s will.

(For the full word study, see )

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1-2)

A quick perusal of Amazon Books reveals how popular the title “The Power of Hope” is. I quit counting at twenty different authors. The same theme can be heard in TV commercials. To unlock the power of hope, we need a clear definition of true hope. First, we need to define what faith is. Biblical faith is taking God at His Word. (DJB) Biblical hope is believing from afar. (DJB)

The root meaning of the Hebrew term for hope is qawa, “to wait (qawa) or to look for with eager expectation.” (TWOT) It first occurred with this meaning when Jacob, on his deathbed, prophesied the future of his twelve sons:

“For Thy salvation I wait (qawa), O Lord.” (Gen 49:18)

Isaiah, using an anthropomorphism of God, contrasted God waiting in vain for His people to return to Him in righteousness. (Isa 1-5) Yet He is always true to His promises:

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might, He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait (qawa) for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isa 40:27-31)

In Ephesians 1:11ff., Paul notes that, as in the Old Testament, now in the New Testament, there are only two groups of people on earth: those who have no hope in God and those who are born of God and hope in Him and what He has promised, both Jews and Gentiles. As Paul concludes His letter to the believers in Rome, Jews and Gentiles, he ties hope in the New Testament to hope in the Old Testament:

And again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:12-13; cf. w. Isa 11:1-11)

There is power in hope. But this is true only if the object of that hope is the promises of God through the root of Jesse, our Lord Jesus Christ. Any hope in this world may seem powerful, but it will fail if it is not rooted in God’s Word.

As the world continues to slide into chaos, what happens in the Middle East is worthy of our concern. Yet our hope is in Jesus.

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for
our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Cor 10:11-12)

How do we define victory? In Exodus chapter 17, Israel fought its first battle at Rephidim. The people had already learned of God’s miraculous provision of manna and water. In each situation, the provisions were given by direct instruction from the Lord to Moses. In Exodus 17:8, they were faced with an army. How were they to defend themselves? This is when Moses instructed Joshua to select men to fight against their attackers, the Amalekites.

Moses took Aaron and Hur with him to the top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. When he held up his staff, Israel prevailed. When he lowered his staff, the Amalekites prevailed. Aaron and Hur helped him hold up his staff until sunset, and Israel realized their first victory. There were several lessons for Israel to learn in this first victory.

First, there is no reference to God giving instructions. God was present, to be sure, but the impression might be that Moses provided the victory. Aaron and Hur assisted, but it was Moses’s staff. Centuries later, John records that when the Jews asked for a sign from Jesus that He was authentic, they attributed the giving of manna in the wilderness to Moses and not God. (Jn 6:31; cf. Ex 16:34-35) They did not learn from the first lesson of this victory.

Second, God promised to “utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex 17:14b). Note that Moses was “to write in a book as a memorial (of this victory).” (Ex 17:14a) A quick overview of the internet today reveals countless articles and speculations as to who the Amalekites were and what it all meant. What did God mean when He said He would blot out the memory of them? Victory over the Amalekites was a type, i.e., a historical event or person in the past, which foreshadowed an antitype, i.e., a future event or person. The antitype is always greater than the type. The lesson was that the ultimate victory over Israel’s enemies would be future and still is future.

Third, the staff Moses lifted represented God Who was the ultimate Victor:

And Moses built an altar, and named it The Lord is My Banner; and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.” (Ex 17:15-16)

One commentator wrote:

Abram (Gen 12:7), Isaac (Gen 26:24–25), Jacob (Gen 35:3), David (1 Chron 21:26), and Gideon (Judges 6:24) all built altars and worshiped after having a unique encounter with God. An altar usually represented a person’s desire to consecrate himself fully to the Lord. God had worked in a person’s life in such a way that the person desired to create something tangible to memorialize it. (see)

This example of victory was only a skirmish. We live in a moment when these lessons are more important than ever.