Structure of Galatians 6:6-10

Posted inGalatians
In my previous post I pointed out that Galatians 6:1-5 has the structure ABCAB. The next 5 verses have a slightly different structure: ABBAC. Verses 6 and 9 go together because they are both exhortations, verses 7 and 8 go together because they give us the reasons for the exhortations, and verse 10 is the…

The Structure of Galatians 6:1-5

Posted inGalatians
According to his usual custom, the Apostle Paul divided his letter to the Galatians into two parts, a theological part (chapters 1-4) and a practical, or hortatory, part (chapters 5-6). Chapters 5 and 6 have four main sections. In 5:1-15, God instructs us in the proper use of our liberty and in verses 16-26 about…

Psalm 40: New Ears

Posted inPsalms Commentary
In the NKJV, Psalm 40:6 reads, Sacrifice and Offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt Offering and sin offering You did not require. All the major English translations render it in a very similar way. However, the Hebrew word (kara) translated as ‘have opened’ has a somewhat different idea. It appears…

The Many Repetitions of Psalm 118

Posted inPsalm Translations, Psalms Commentary
1. Give thanks to Yahweh, because he is good,Because to forever is his lovingkindness.2. Let Israel now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.3. Let the house of Aaron now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.4. Let those who fear Yahweh now sayThat to forever is his lovingkindness.5. From distress I call Yah.Yah answers me in…

A Recompense from the Lord

Posted inSuffering
Merriam Webster defines recompense as an equivalent or a return for something done, suffered, or given. The verb means to give something to by way of compensation (as for a service rendered or damage incurred), to pay for, to return in kind. The basic idea is that there is a correspondence between what is received…

Unconditional Reprobation

Posted inReprobation
In the early seventeenth century the first Arminians taught that God's election is conditional. They said that God knew from eternity who would believe and chose them to be his people. His election was based on foreseen faith. This, along with other aspects of Arminian teaching, turns faith into a work and makes salvation dependent…

Hatred in the Bible

Posted inHatred
Perhaps you have heard, as I have more than once, that there are times when the word "hate" in the Bible means "love less." Three passages come to mind. Genesis 29:31-33 tells us that Leah was hated. The NKJV, NIV and NASB all translate the word as unloved, but the KJV, ESV and RSV are…

The Jealousy of God

Posted inExodus
The Hebrew word for jealousy also encompasses the ideas of envy (Prov. 14:30) and zeal (Isa. 9:7). Envy is a vice because it wants what God has given to the neighbor and is sometimes willing to harm the neighbor to obtain it. Zeal can be either a virtue or a vice depending on its focus.…

Hebrews 13:7-17: A Chiasm of Exhortations

Posted inHebrews
The book of Hebrews addresses Jewish believers who, under the pressure of persecution, were returning to their old faith. The argument of the book against such apostasy is that they will be abandoning the much better things accomplished by Christ and will be attaching themselves to things that have become obsolete and will vanish away…