“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, […] For my yoke is kind, and my burden is light.” In this phrase, the word “yoke” is referring to what Jesus is asking people to do: the sum total of his teachings, and he said it was kind (not “easy”) and light. The word “yoke” […]
“I say to you today, you will be with me…” What Jesus said to the criminal on the cross has been quoted to prove that when a person dies, he goes immediately to Heaven or Hell, but it does not have to read that way. Admittedly, the way that this verse is punctuated in almost […]
Intimate Joint Participation – Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship…” The Greek word for fellowship in Acts 2:42 is koinōnia. Like many words, it has a range of meanings and uses, so it is important to pay attention to the context to determine which meaning it has in […]
Heralding His Victory – Insight on 1 Peter 3:19-20 “…in which also he went and heralded his victory to the spirits in prison, who at one time were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah…” Jesus was raised from the dead as a “life giving spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45), or […]
Adapted from the REV Commentary by Renee Dugan, STF full-time staff member Any parent with lots of children knows that each child is loved. However, if one child is rebellious and another one is helpful and obedient, the parents will often do things and extend themselves a little more for the obedient child than they […]
Friend of Jesus: John 15:14 & 15 and the Last Supper mark an important shift in the relation between Jesus and those who closely follow him and obey him. Jesus now says he will not call his close disciples “servants,” but friends, denoting an intimate and affectionate relationship. In John 15, Jesus tells the apostles […]
Matthew 10:29: “Are not two little sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them will fall on the ground apart from your Father …” Many commentators who are zealous to bolster the position that God is in control of everything that happens have interpreted this verse to mean God has a specific will […]
1 Corinthians 15:44 – “soul body / spiritual body.” This is an excerpt from the Revised English Version® Commentary. The Greek phrase translated in the REV as “soul body” is sōma psuchikos (#4983 sōma σῶμα; and #5591 psuchikos ψυχικός), and the Greek phrase translated “spiritual body” is sōma pneumatikos (#4983 sōma σῶμα; and #4152 πνευματικός; in the […]
Colossians 3:5 – “and especially greed (which is idolatry).” This is an excerpt from the Revised English Version® Commentary. In most English versions it is unclear if the word “idolatry” refers to the whole list of things in Colossians 3:5, or just the last item, “greed.” Thankfully however, the Greek text is clearer, and from it we […]