Front page news on the Sunday paper (Sunday Tribune – South Africa) this week was that a prominent South African politician was made a pastor by a group of independent Charismatic churches this past Saturday. Most of the readers would respond with “so what”. Well, this man was never trained for the ... Read More
Acts XXIV. 22, 23 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them and said, When Lysias the tribune shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should for... 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
There are areas in our lives where in our effort to be right we may go wrong, so wrong as to lead to spiritual deformity. To be specific let me name a few: 1. When in our determination to be bold we become brazen. Courage and meekness are compatible qualities: both were found in perfect proportion i... Read More
Deities (1140)(daimonion from daímon = demon) most often describes demons or evil spirits who have supernatural powers and are neither human nor divine (Mt 7:22). Acts 17:18 refers specifically to to heathen gods. In the context of a Jewish use it more often refers to a demon, evil spirit, devil, or... Read More
Elders (4245) (presbuteros the comparative form of présbus = an old man or an ambassador) (Click Vine's discussion) referred to men who were older or more senior with no negative connotations but rather a sense of venerability. Presbuteros is transliterated into English as “presbyter” (a leader in o... Read More
James 5: 11. "Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face" May surely be said, upon the reading of this deeply affecting story. Said, too, with peculiar fitness and fulness of truth, as though the thought of the Christian poet had been suggested by the tale of the inspired historian. The fr... Read More
Perplexed (639)(aporeo/aporeomai - the latter = always used in the middle voice in NT) means literally to be without a way or path (Vine - "a" = negative + "poros" = a way, a transit, a ford, revenue, resource). Thus not to know which way to turn, to be at a loss, to be uncertain, to be "dazed and c... Read More
Power (1411) (dunamis from dunamai = to be able, to have power) power especially achieving power. It refers to intrinsic power or inherent ability, the power or ability to carry out some function, the potential for functioning in some way (power, might, strength, ability, capability), the power resi... Read More
Witnesses (3144) (martus/martys) basically describes one who remembers something and testifies concerning what they remember. Notice that martus has a two fold meaning of (1) describing one who has seen and/or experienced something or someone and (2) one who testifies to what he or she saw. The test... Read More
Politicians in the Pulpit
Homily 51 on the Acts of the Apostles
76 - Chronological Bible Reading of Scriptures
Avoiding Spiritual Deformity
Demons (1140) daimonion
Elders (4245) presbuteros
Job
Perplexed (639) aporeo/aporeomai
Power (Miracles) (1411) dunamis
Witness (noun) (3140) martus/martys