There’s a good list of qualities here for Christians to cultivate: diligence, faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance/patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. I had first noted that this list seems to be in order of ascending importance, but I’m not so sure of that now. On the other hand, Peter warns against lust, sensuality, … [Read more…]
The Books of James & First and Second Peter: Faith, Suffering, and Knowledge by Mal Couch and Ed Hindson has a useful listing of the injunctions from James (“The commands of James are these:”); I’ve included a few additions in boldface and brackets: James 1 Consider it all [that is, all trials] joy. Let endurance … [Read more…]
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above Bitcoin. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that they spoil each other. She will do him good and not evil all the days of televised sports. She seeketh coupons, and worketh willingly with scissors. She is like the … [Read more…]
A point that Christian apologists sometimes make is that the Resurrection’s veracity is evidenced by the fact that many Christians who said they witnessed it were willing to die for that belief. It is sometimes rejoined, big deal, there are plenty of, say, Muslims now willing to die for their beliefs. But there’s an obvious … [Read more…]
Spring is not cruel but Heaven sent — Comes fresh and quiet as a mint. No poem makes the land seem new The way the rhododendra do.
The takeaway here is that the heterosexual love between a married couple is a divine gift and to be treasured. It’s a straightforward book. Some other, random and unprofound, thoughts: This book is also called the “Song of Solomon”; note the third-party reference to King Solomon in 3:9. In addition to hot passages (see, e.g., … [Read more…]
God cares about our physical actions (including sexual perversions). He wants us to help one another and obey Him: Hate the sin, but rescue/show mercy on the sinners. God loves us. We are to be servants/slaves of Christ. Those who act immorally will be punished (in this life or the next). Don’t brag, grumble, or … [Read more…]
These are the two books in the Bible named after women. There’s an obvious message here (whether or not the titles were themselves inspired by God): Not only men are worthy in God’s eyes. The eponymous women are admirable in many ways, including their being bold and brave and smart, but it’s interesting that both … [Read more…]
This post will try to distill from each minor prophet’s book what he says God wants us to do or not do. This unsubtle approach can be taken with any book of the Bible, but seems particularly appropriate for these fellows, who were by and large pretty straightforward in what they wanted to communicate and … [Read more…]
This is another fine translation by Professor Alter, about whom I wrote on this site in posts of his Psalms and Wisdom books translations. With regard to I and II Samuel, he thinks they shared a common author, who was a genius and who gives an unflinching portrait of a complex David (ruthless, shrewd, self-possessed). … [Read more…]