Romans, Part 71

This is a continuation of my consideration of Contribute (κοινωνοῦντες, a form of κοινωνέω) to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.[1]  I’ll begin with the dark side of contributing (or, sharing in): Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, Paul warned a young...

Antichrist, Part 4

Back at Eden in Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist” she (Charlotte Gainsbourg) explained an incident that happened the past summer.  She heard her son Nic crying.  She searched everywhere for him.  When she found him, he was playing contentedly, but the crying persisted for...

Romans, Part 32

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear (φόβον, a form of φόβος), Paul continued, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”1  Human beings have been afraid of God ever since Adam died and hid from Him, saying,...

The Soul

In Romans, Part 31 I related Paul’s statement—if you live according to the flesh, you will die1—to Jesus’ saying to his disciples, The one who loves his life [i.e., in this world] destroys [or, loses] it.2  The word translated life here is ψυχὴν (a form of ψυχή).  Two...