Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 5

This is a continuation of a consideration of “Matthew’s and the Holy Spirit’s word choices”1 in Matthew 12:18-21. I’ll continue to mine the rich vein of רָצָה (rāṣâ) encountered in another essay in its Qal perfect 3rd person feminine form רָצְתָה (ESV:...

3 John, Part 6

This is a continuation of my notes on 3 John for the preaching class I’m taking. John wrote (3 John 1:11 ESV): Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good (τὸ ἀγαθόν). Whoever does good1 is from God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν); whoever does evil has not seen God. I...

Exploration, Part 9

For our freedom Christ has us set free.1 Jesus promised this freedom from slavery to sin: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth2…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will...

Exploration, Part 8

Describing the results of the freedom for which Christ has set us free,1 Paul contrasted the works of the flesh2 (τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός) of your former way of life to the new life in Christ: the fruit of the Spirit3 (ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος), e.g., the Spirit’s...

Exploration, Part 2

Paul continued to address the more intimate and pervasive issues of how one believes and how one obeys (Galatians 5:5, 6 ESV). For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor...