Bible Study Lessons
According to Paul, a battle rages between the flesh and the Spirit. In the original Greek the word “flesh” is sarx; the word Spirit is pneuma and it refers to God’s Holy Spirit. The word “flesh” is the most commonly used word to translate sarx. It is used in the NIV, NRSV, ESV, HCSB and … Read more
In his book, The Deliverance of God, Douglas Campbell argues that Romans 1:18–3:20 should be read as an ancient form of rhetoric, known as prosopopoeia or in modern-day terms, parody. This type of literary device was used in the writings of Plato to show the absurdity of an opponent’s argument. If Campbell’s interpretation is correct, … Read more
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Those are the opening words of John’s Gospel. According to that statement, the Word existed prior to everything that was created. And John continues by asserting that through the Word “all things were made” (v. 3). The Word, … Read more
Some passages of Scripture contain ideas that are so great they blow me away. Consider the text below: 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For … Read more
The traditional Protestant understanding of salvation places a strong emphasis on personal faith. For example, “If you believe, you will be saved.” This emphasis can be a healthy corrective to the prideful idea that we are saved by our good deeds. But while it’s not often recognized, the same danger lurks in the emphasis on … Read more