2 Corinthians 8:15

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). To be a disciple of the Lord Jesus, one must forsake all. This is the unmistakable meaning of the words of the Savior. No matter how much we might object to such an “extreme” demand, no ... Read More

THE DEACONS In our study of bishops, we learned that their function is the spiritual care and oversight of the house of God. We noted that bishops are also called elders, and that there are several bishops in one church, rather than one bishop over several churches. We come next to the study of deac... Read More

Introduction to the Philokalia Volume 1 The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. It was compiled in the eighteenth century by two Greek monks, St Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain of Athos (1... Read More

There is a great need in the body of Christ for consistent reading of the Holy Scriptures in their entirety, book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. In this case we are encouraging a chronological reading of the Scriptures. Most of the confusion is created when certain teachers, groups, or... Read More

"Therefore, as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge, and in all diligence and in your love to us, see that you abound in this grace also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His povert... Read More

Behavior (391) (anastrophe from ana = again + strepho = to turn) literally describes a turning around or turning back and is used figuratively to refer to one's conduct, especially focusing on our daily behavior and our general deportment. In essence anastrophe deals with on the whole manner of one'... Read More

Little while (3641) (oligos) is an adjective which can have several nuances depending on the context... (1) Small in number ("few" - few workers = Mt 9:37, few fish = Mt 15:34, a few sick people = Mk 6:5), (2) Small in regard to the amount of time (little, small, short) and short in reference to amo... Read More

Increases (4121) (pleonazo from pleion = more) means to cause to increase or superabound and so to be present in abundance or to have plenty (2Pe 1:8-note, Php 4:17). To have more than is necessary or more than enough to meet one's needs (2Co 8:15). To become more and more - in Ro 5:20-note speaking... Read More

Stroke (KJV = tittle) (2762) (keraia from kéras = a horn) means something horn-like and is specifically the apex, point or extremity of a Hebrew letter, these small marks helping to distinguish one Hebrew letter from another. Keraia was a small extension of a letter similar to a serif (any of the sh... Read More

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon." (Luke 16:13) Here our Lord made it clear that the alternate master to God, is Mammon (money and material riches). The alternate m... Read More