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All About Love

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Scripture Used to Create “All About Love”

1 Corinthians 12:31 (Greek Text Analysis for 1 Corinthians 12:31)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with 1 Corinthians 13:1)

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible

 

But eagerly desire the 1 greater gifts. And now I will show you the 2 most excellent way.

If I speak in the 3 tongues of men and of angels, but have not 4 love, I am only a 5 ringing gong or a 6 clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of 7 prophesy and can 8 fathom all mysteries and all 9 knowledge, and if I have 10 absolute faith so as to 11 move mountains, but have not love, 12 I am nothing. 13 If I give all I possess to the poor and 14 exult in the surrender of my body so that I may boast, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is 15 patient, love is 16 kind. It does not 17 envy, it does not 18 boast, it is not 19 proud. It is not 20 rude, it is not 21 self-seeking, it is not 22 easily angered, it keeps 23 no account of wrongs. Love takes no 24 pleasure in evil, but 25 rejoices in the truth. It 26 bears all things, 27 believes all things, 28 hopes all things, 29 endures all things. 30 Love never fails.

But where there are 31 prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. For 32 we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.

33When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. 34 Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three 35 remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

 

NOTES

 

1 greater gifts: The greater gifts are listed throughout 1 Corinthians 12. They include (but are not limited to) apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helping, administrating, wisdom, knowledge, faith, distinguishing of spirits, speaking in different languages previously unknown, and the ability to interpret languages previously unknown. In chapter 14, prophesy is elevated even above the other gifts of chapter 12. See Note 7 for more on prophesy. No gift is more important than love, as chapter 13 is making clear to us. Also, no gift makes the recipient of said gift more valuable over another member of Christ’s church (1 Corinthians 12:12-30), as all gifts are given, as Paul says, “for the common good” see 1 Corinthians 12:7. (BACK)

2 most excellent way: The Greek words used here in 1 Corinthians 12:31 are  huperbolé and hodos. They mean “a more surpassing way”, and give the feel of using the best means possible to arrive at your destination point. Paul is saying if you desire these greater gifts (as described in 1 Corinthians 12), here’s the best way to them. (BACK)

3 tongues of men and of angels: The Greek word used for tongues in 1 Corinthians 13:1 is glóssa and it means “language, nation” and it also means the physical organ of the tongue. Here, Paul is saying, “Even if one is the most eloquent orator of Scripture, speaking to both humans and angels”. It should be noted that all of the situations described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (faith, surrender, giving to the poor, etc.) are all proper actions/attitudes that should be exhibited in a Christian’s behavior. What we are learning here is that all of these outward “actions” mean nothing without the love to accompany them. This is an underlined point in the Bible: outward show doesn’t mean a thing when the inside motives are lacking true Godly love. See Matthew 23:23-27 as example. (BACK)

4 love: The Greek word used for love throughout 1 Corinthians 13 is agapé and it means “love”. This type of love is unconditional, has no strings attached, and is self-sacrificing. It is not based on feelings or how you are treated by the recipient of your love. Don’t think of it as how a parent loves a child. That type of love still has some human motivation attached to it. Think of agapé love like this: Your innocent baby has been brutally beaten, spit on, mocked and called every filthy name ever invented, and then murdered in the most painful and humiliating way possible, for everyone to see. Many people laugh about the murder, or simply don’t care that it happened. They even use your baby’s name as a swear word or as a casual jest. But you have compassion, pity, and forgiveness for the perpetrators of these (seemingly) unforgiveable crimes and offenses. You even feed and clothe these people. Not only that, you allow and promote good things to happen in their lives. When bad things happen in their lives (even if they caused their own bad situation), you provide a way through, giving them every chance to lean on you for understanding and comfort. The Bible is very clear, that this love is the basic building block in our relationship to God and to each other (1 John 4:8-21). (BACK)

5 ringing gong: Gongs were simple instruments with percussion pitches. They were usually made of brass, a metal less costly than gold or silver, and hit with a type of mallet. They were used, in a way,  like a drum or to transmit signals.  The Greek word used for gong is chalkos and means “bronze, brass”. The Greek word used for ringing is écheó and it means “to sound, echo”. (BACK)

6 clanging cymbal: The Greek words used for clanging and cymbal in 1 Corinthians 13:1 are alalazó and kumbalon. Cymbals were used as musical instruments in worship or celebration. And, just like today, cymbals were limited in their range or variety of notes. (BACK)

7 prophesy: The Greek word used for prophesy in 1 Corinthians 13:2 is prophéteia and means “the gift of communicating revealed truth of God”. Today, we have the Bible that communicates all of the revealed truth of God, including those events we haven’t seen played out yet, as described in Daniel 7-12 and the Book of Revelation. (BACK)

8 fathom all mysteries: The Greek word used in 1 Corinthians 13:2 for fathom is eidó and means “to understand, perceive” with the feeling of intuition or deeper understanding. The Greek word used for mysteries is mustérion and means “mystery”. In the Bible, a mystery is an unrevealed detail or truth of God, and just to be clear, is not a mystery to God, just to humans. (BACK)

9 knowledge: The Greek word used for knowledge in 1 Corinthians 13:2 is gnósis and it means “to understand or to know”. It can apply to both secular and spiritual understanding. (BACK)

10 absolute faith: The Greek phrase used in 1 Corinthians 13:2 says “all the faith” or “entire faith”, using the Greek words pas (every, all, entire ) and pistis (faith). The faith referred to here means to have confidence and trust in what you have been persuaded to believe in as truth. Faith in Christ is a gift of God, see Ephesians 2:8-9. In our own natural human state, God’s ways, including the idea of needing salvation from sin, are foolishness to us, 1 Corinthians 2:14. (BACK)

11 move mountains: Jesus talks about moving mountains by faith in Matthew 17:20. This can be understood in the context of hyperbole, as even the apostle Paul isn’t recorded as having removed any mountains. However, he is recorded, in Philippians 4:13, as understanding that he can do all things through God who strengthens him. It is to be understood that this is because it is God who can do all things, not man, therefore the glory belongs to God. See Mark 10:27; Ephesians 3:20-21. (BACK)

12 I am nothing: The Greek word for nothing used in 1 Corinthians 13:2-3 is from the word oudeis  and it means “none, nothing”. Oudeis is a complete void and is devoid of any substance. Our English terms sometimes don’t carry the same mental picture that is meant to be conveyed. (BACK)

13 If I give all I possess to the poor: The Greek phrasing for 1 Corinthians 13:3 says “If I may give away all the possessions of me”. The Greek word used for I may give away is psómizó and it means “to feed” with the idea of giving a small piece of food to one in need. Although the word poor is not included in the Greek text, it is implied through the use of psómizó. Jesus once told a rich man to give all he had to the poor and then to follow Him (Matthew 19:21-22; Mark 10:21-22). And, judging by the understanding of the disciples at the Last Supper, giving to the poor was a common action for the Lord’s ministry (John 13:29). The apostles were concerned with those in need as well (Galatians 2:9-10). It is a Christian attribute, to be concerned with the needs of those who don’t have enough. See 1 Timothy 6:17-19 on instructions for those who have an abundance. (BACK)

14 exult in the surrender of my body so that I may boast: 1 Corinthians 13:3. There are many English translations that read “surrender my body to be burned” or to the same effect. The original Greek phrase does not mention burning. The transliteral Greek says “I may deliver up the body of me that I may boast”. It is in the usage of the word deliver that gives us a clue to the sacrifice involved, but not the method used. The Greek word used for deliver is paradidómi and it means “to deliver, betray, abandon, commit”. The word is also used to describe the delivering up of Jesus for crucifixion, as shown in Luke 23:25. The Greek word used for boast is kauchaomai and it means “to glory, boast, exult”.  Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:17 (Jeremiah 9:23-24) that the only boasting (using the word kauchaomai) anyone should do is in the Lord. (BACK)

15 patient: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 now explains just what agapé love really is. The Greek word used for patient in verse 4 is makrothumeó and it means “patient, long-suffering”. This patience does not retaliate even when someone is trying to be provoking, and will put up with long-term hardship without anger. (BACK)

16 kind: 1 Corinthians 13:4. The Greek word used for kind is chrésteuomai and it means “kind, useful, benevolent to others”. This kindness does not expect anything in return, including a “thank you”, for its benevolence. It is gentle and service-minded, wanting to be useful in doing good for other people. (BACK)

17 envy: 1 Corinthians 13:4. The Greek word used for envy is zéloó and it means “to be eager to possess”. This can be a good thing, as in eager to possess the right attitudes and mind-set in Christ. But in the negative shade, envy means wanting/coveting what someone else has. There’s even a commandment against envy (Exodus 20:17). (BACK)

18 boast: 1 Corinthians 13:4. The Greek word used for boast is perpereuomai and it means “boast, brag, arrogant”.  Pride is the base element in perpereuomai .  See Note 14 regarding proper boasting. (BACK)

19 proud: 1 Corinthians 13:4. The Greek word used for proud is phusioó and it means “puffed up, arrogant, pride”. See the following verses for a sampling on pride: Proverbs 16:18; Romans 12:16; James 4:6. (BACK)

20 rude: 1 Corinthians 13:5. Many English translations use the word rude here. The Greek word used here is aschémoneó and it means “behave improperly, act unbecomingly”. It can encompass rudeness, but it means to behave inappropriately or in shameful manner. (BACK)

21 self-seeking: 1 Corinthians 13:5. The Greek word used for seek is zéteó (seek, desire, search for). It gives the feeling of intense searching, with determination to get what it wanted. This is admirable when seeking the things of God. It is the self part or selfish part that is a problem here. Jesus said we should first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness and He will take care of our actual needs. See Matthew 6:25-34 on this lesson. (BACK)

22 easily angered: 1 Corinthians 13:5. The Greek word used for easily angered is paroxunó and it means “to stir up, provoke, irritate, anger”. For some passages regarding anger, see Psalm 37:8; Proverbs 14:29;  Proverbs 15:1; Galatians 5:19-20; Ephesians 4:31; James 1:19-20. (BACK)

23 no account of wrongs: 1 Corinthians 13:5. The Greek word used here for account is logizomai and it means “charge with, count, reckon”. It has legal and financial applications. The Greek word used for wrongs is kakos and it means “bad, evil”. It has a wide application and covers anything considered harmful. (BACK)

24 pleasure in evil: 1 Corinthians 13:6. The Greek word used for pleasure is chairó and it means “rejoice, glad”. It gives the feel of an internal joy and delight with a celebratory mood. The Greek word used for evil is adikia and it means “injustice, wrongdoing”. It would be difficult to imagine anyone taking joy in bad things happening to so-called good people, but what about a person who is perceived to be “getting what they deserve”?  This actually plays around the border of revenge. We should never take joy in anyone’s misfortune, even if they caused it themselves and even if it seems they deserve it. We are instructed to cry with those who cry, as well as to laugh with those who are joyful (Romans 12:15-21). For a few verses on revenge, see Proverbs 20:22; Matthew 5:38-39; 1 Thessalonians 5:15. (BACK)

25 rejoices in the truth: 1 Corinthians 13:6. The Greek word used for rejoices is sugchairó and it means “to be glad with”. This is not a singular or personal gladness—it is shared with others. The Greek word used for truth is alétheia and it means “truth”. This word encompasses what is reality, and alongside that, what is moral and trustworthy. (BACK)

26 bears all things: 1 Corinthians 13:7. The Greek word used for bears is stegó and it means “to cover, endure, conceal”. It gives the feeling of protecting with a covering or safety in covering. (BACK)

27 believes all things: 1 Corinthians 13:7. The Greek word used for believes is pisteuó and means “faith, believe, to place trust in”. It is the same word used for the God-gifted faith that Christians have in Christ. This kind of faith is filled with trust and confidence. It is important to understand that this is not a blind faith nor is love blind, as many like to think. There are people who are not trustworthy and we have been instructed to be wise (Matthew 10:16). Does this mean that we don’t love those we can’t trust? Of course not, we are to love everyone, even enemies (Luke 6:32-35). But 0ur faith and trust is always in God, not in people. God will be our provision, our protection, and our salvation (see Proverbs 3:5-6, 25-26). (BACK)

28 hopes all things: 1 Corinthians 13:7. The Greek word used for hope is elpizó and it means to “to hope, trust, expect”. This kind of hope is not wishful thinking with positive thoughts that something might happen. This hope is filled with confidence and assurance; this kind of hope knows that what has been promised will be fulfilled. It is the believer’s hope that is held in Jesus Christ. (BACK)

29 endures all things: 1 Corinthians 13:7. The Greek word used for endures is hupomenó and it means “endure, persevere”. This endurance’s power to hold one steady and faithful isn’t shaken by adversity, trials, disappointment, pain or horrors. (BACK)

30 Love never fails: 1 Corinthians 13:8. If you have to sum up 1 Corinthians 13 into three words, this is it: Love never fails. The Greek word used for fails is piptó and it means “to fall”. The word can be used in a wide ranging sense from metaphoric to literal. It’s overall significance is falling equals decline, and therefore, failure or ruin. Love can never be ruined. (BACK)

31 prophecies…cease… tongues…restrained… knowledge… dismissed: Eventually, all prophecy will be fulfilled, all the language will be unnecessary, all the knowledge will be known. This is what the Christian is waiting for, when all of these temporal things are done with. See Revelation 21 and 22. (BACK)

32 we know in part…prophesy in part…perfect comes… partial passes away: God knows everything, but we don’t. Even our Bible is only what God wants us to know; it is by no means a full explanation, as there are things we can’t possibly understand (Romans 11:33-36). We do, however, have everything we need to make our decision to trust the Lord and to obey Him (Romans 1:20). (BACK)

33 When I was a child…I set aside childish ways: Children are not generally deep or forward thinkers. Their decisions are usually made with focus on self and based on immediate need or situation. Children rarely, if ever, have long-term ramifications in mind when choosing a path forward. As adults, we (should) have a much more advanced understanding. We make important decisions based on outcomes that will possibly have short-term discomfort, but have long-term and lasting benefit. This analogy of maturity can also be equated to “before- Christ thinking” and “with-Christ thinking” or “how I used to think before I knew Jesus” and “how I think now that I know and trust Jesus”. (BACK)

34 Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror: Mirrors were made of polished metal back in the days of Paul, and they weren’t very detailed in the reflection. They also tarnished and were usually small, not giving a full head-to-toe reflection. To read about the interesting find of an ancient mirror in a Jerusalem grave, click here. (BACK)

35 but the greatest of these is love: Jesus was once asked by the scribes which of the commandments was the greatest. Jesus answers in the definite that loving God with all that you are is the first greatest and loving your neighbor is the second greatest. Note that He gives both the greatest and the second greatest, even though they asked for only the first one. This is because of His answer in Matthew 22:40 and also because of  1 John 4:20-21. See Leviticus 19:18;  Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-31; Galatians 5:14. (BACK)

God Creates the Universe

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Scripture Used in the Writing of “God Creates the Universe”

Genesis 1:1-2:4 (Hebrew Text analysis beginning with Genesis 1:1)

See this document for a list of additional supporting Scripture used.

 

English translation used: Berean Standard Bible

 

Colossians 1:15-17
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

1 In the beginning God created the 2 heavens and the earth. Now the earth was 3 formless and void, and darkness was over the 4 surface of the deep. And the 5 Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” 6 and there was light. And 7 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And 8 there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And God said, “Let there be an 9 expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the expanse and separated the waters beneath it from 10 the waters above. And it was so. God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into 11 one place, so that the 12 dry land may appear.” And it was so. 13 God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was 14 good. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. 15 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. God made 16 two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the  night. And He made the stars as well. God set these lights in the expanse of the sky 17 to shine upon the earth, to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” So God created the 18 great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every winged bird after its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God 19 blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the sea, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And then there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “20 Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth 21 according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “22 Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, 23 to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; 24 male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “25 Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—26 I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day 27 He rested from all His work. Then God 28 blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.

This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.

 

NOTES

 

1 In the beginning: Genesis 1:1. This is the very beginning of the Bible, as well as the universe. The Hebrew word for In the beginning is reshith and it means “first, beginning, time, order”. In order to have a beginning, you must have time. God exists both inside and outside of time and space. However, this universe only exists within time. Time, therefore, is the first thing mentioned in the creation account, but this is not proof that time was created at the same time as space and the earth. It’s important to understand that we have no idea how much “time” passed between the creation of space and the earth in Genesis 1:1 and the action that takes place in Genesis 1:2-5, where we have the creation of days and nights for the tracking of time. Because of this, we cannot accurately say how old the earth is or how old the universe is. It could be that the earth is 4 billion years old. It could be that the earth is 6000 years old. It could be that the earth and our universe are two ages at once, because they have existed within the tracking of days, months and years and have existed outside of those constraints. (Back)

 

2 heavens and the earth: The heavens in Hebrew (shamayim) is understood to have three parts to it: our sky, outer space and God’s heaven where He resides. God’s heaven has always been in existence— the heavens mentioned during creation would be the other two. (Back)

 

3 formless and void, and darkness: The Hebrew word used for formless is tohu and it means “formlessness, emptiness, worthless, desolation”. The Hebrew word used for void is bohu and it means “void, waste, empty”. The Hebrew word used for darkness is choshek and it means “darkness”, both literally and metaphorically. From these definitions we can know that the earth was a desolate wasteland that was completely dark. (Back)

 

4 surface of the deep: We know that the surface of the earth was water and that solid land was under the water because of Genesis 1:2, 6, 7, 9, 10 and Psalm 104:5-9. The Hebrew word used for deep in Genesis 1:2 is tehom and it means “abyss, depths”. From this definition we can understand the the water on the face of the earth was a deep, vast (and dark) sea. It’s possible that the waters were also chaotic at the time, because the word tehom is from a Hebrew word, huwm (or hum), and it means “to roar, to agitate”. (Back)

 

5 Spirit of God was hovering: The Greek word used in Genesis 1:2 for hovering is rachaph and means “hover, relax”. It can also mean “flutter”. The word itself gives the idea that the Holy Spirit was gently and calmly floating over the face of the earth’s water, which was not only vast, deep and dark but also (probably) chaotic, see Note 4. It is a fascinating juxtaposition: the light and calm of God against a dark and restless sea.  (Back)

 

6 and there was light: This light is apart from God’s glory; it is a natural light, instead of His supernatural light. In the New Jerusalem, there will be no need for the sun or the moon (natural light), because God’s supernatural light that emits from His glory will be the lumination for His city. See Revelation 21:23-25. (Back)

 

7 God saw that the light was good: The Hebrew word used for saw in Genesis 1:4 is raah and it means “see, perceive, to behold, approve”. It is a wide-reaching term, with literal and metaphorical uses.  It’s important to understand that God did not need to experiment with His creation and discover that it was good by seeing it with His eyes. The interpretation that we can apply to God “seeing” His creation as good is as a declaration. He was and still is the ultimate Witness to the goodness of what He has made. This makes the eventual fall into sin (Genesis 3) even more tragic (if that’s possible), due to the fact that His creation is now marred by sin and waits to be set free from the corruption of it (see Romans 8:19-23). (Back)

 

8 there was evening, and there was morning:  Today, we think of night as the close of the day, but God created the emergence into morning as the end of a day. This also makes morning the beginning of a new day.  (Back)

 

9 expanse: The Hebrew word for expanse used in Genesis 1:6 is towb and it means “expanse, firmament, arch of the sky”. There may have been those in the ancient world that thought that the earth was flat, but those with a true understanding of the Hebrew or the Greek in the Septuagint for Genesis 1:6 understood, at the very least, that this word mean that the sky had some degree of curvature. (Back)

 

10 the waters above: This water above the earth’s sky has some mysterious aspects. We don’t know if the water above the sky was above the exosphere or somewhere in between the layers of the atmosphere.  We don’t know how much water was separated from the earth and established above the sky. Many Bible scholars hold to the idea that the water above the sky was significant enough to create a dome of water surrounding the earth and that it was this dome of water that was used to flood the earth in Genesis 7:10-12. The language used in these verses does not specifically say that there was a dome of water above the earth used to flood it. However, the words used to describe the water, especially in Genesis 7:11 with the usage of the word tehom (the waters mentioned in Genesis 1:2), does strongly support the idea. (Back)

 

11 one place: If you look at the geography of the earth on a map or topographical application, it is easily seen that the land in its current pieces used to fit together, back in the day. We don’t know how or when the land separated into the pieces we have today, but it could have been because of the flood (Genesis 7) or maybe it happened when God scattered people around the earth in Genesis 11:8. The Bible is silent on the subject. (Back)

 

12 dry land may appear: Psalm 104:6-9 tells us that before this command of God’s, the mountains had been covered with the primordial water, and when God told the waters to gather into one place, the mountains rose up and the valleys sank. Because of verse 9, we know that the land of earth will never be overtaken by the water, nor will the water be overtaken by the land because God has set the boundaries. This is comforting, when thinking about our melting ice caps and glaciers, the rising sea levels, and the hurricanes that seem to be getting worse. But God has promised not to destroy the earth by water ever again (Genesis 9:11-16). The next time (and last time) God destroys the earth, it will be by fire (Isaiah 66:15-16; 2 Peter 3:5-13). (Back)

 

13 God called: When God names or “calls” something, He is proclaiming its name, with purpose. The Hebrew word used for called throughout Genesis 1 is qara and it means “to call, proclaim, to read, to name”. (Back)

 

14 good: The Hebrew word used for good throughout Genesis 1 is towb. It means “good” but it also means “beautiful, pleasing” and is associated with the goodness of God Himself, which is perfect goodness. Just like many overused or under-defined words in the English language, the word good lacks the color and depth needed for the declaration of God’s creation. (Back)

 

15 The earth produced vegetation: The growing of vegetation didn’t happen right away according to Genesis 2:5, but some time after its creation. Irrigation was accomplished by a mist or vapor that rose from the ground, before rain was introduced, see Genesis 2:6. (Back)

 

16 two great lights: The deliverance of sunlight from the sun in the day and the reflection of the same from the moon at night (also see Psalm 136:7-9). The Hebrew word used for great in Genesis 1:16 is gadol and this word has a range of application. It can mean great in magnitude, extent, number, intensity, age, and importance.  We can certainly apply the greatness of these lights to mean that they are great, in all the  application of the word, to us here on earth. (Back)

 

17 to shine upon the earth: Jeremiah 31:35 amplifies this statement. (Back)

 

18 great sea creatures: The Hebrew word used for sea creatures in Genesis 1:21 is tannin and it means “dragon, serpent, monster (both land and sea)”. Tannin has a very similar meaning to Livyathan, or Leviathan, which is used in Isaiah 27:1. The words do not originate from the same root, though. It is possible that tannin’s usage here is to be applied to whales, but we don’t know for sure. (Back)

 

19 blessed: The Hebrew word used for blessed in Genesis 1:22 and 28 is barak and it means “bless, kneel”. When God blesses someone, He pours His favor, love, protection and prosperity on them. (Back)

 

20 Let the earth bring forth: God spoke the land animals into existence, just like the fish and birds, but it seems that land animals emerged from the earth. The Hebrew word yatsa is used in Genesis 1:24, meaning “to bring forth, out of, to go out”. The earth’s dust is used in creating people, as explained in Genesis 2:7 and 3:19.(Back)

 

21 according to its kind: God made each species in its own kind and therefore one species cannot evolve from another. (Back)

 

22 Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: This statement tells us that God is more than one Person, due to the usage of plurals in the first-person identifiers of “Us” and “Our” in Genesis 1:26. To be made in God’s image is not to be made in a physical likeness of God, because He is spiritual and invisible (John 4:24; Colossians 1:15) and we are physical and visible. To be made in God’s image is not to know right from wrong because of Genesis 2:17. To be made in the likeness of God is to have His characteristics and attributes (in a limited capacity), such as love, forgiveness and kindness. It means to have the abilities that we have, such as creating. It also means to have the eternality of a soul— just as God is eternal (eternally past and future, see 2 Timothy 1:9 for a reference to the past), so are we. It is a comfort to know that even though our human body must die, we do live on, and will even have a new type of body someday (1 Corinthians 15:40-49; Philippians 3:20-21). Some Scripture that states the eternality of God and of those who love Him is found Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 40:28;  John 3:16, 36; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; 1 Peter 5:10. Those who hate God are also eternal: Matthew 25:41-46; 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Revelation 14:9-11, 21:8. (Back)

 

23 to rule over: It is repulsive and disgraceful to use this verse as some excuse for disregarding the pain and suffering of animals or to defend the mistreatment of animals with “It’s just an animal”. Animals are a part of God’s creation and therefore were created “good” and should have consideration just on that point alone, as should all of creation. Speaking of the rest of creation, there are some pastors saying that it’s ok to pollute the earth because God will destroy it anyway.  This pompous statement is like saying that because your best friend will some day throw out her favorite dress when it becomes unwearable, you are allowed to destroy it now! Yes, there is coming the day when God will destroy  the current heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1), but He didn’t give any human the permission to destroy it in His place. God has given us the example on how to rule (Psalm 86:15), so choose to rule all of creation with kindness, compassion, dignity and gentleness, just as God rules over you. Proverbs 12:10. (Back)

 

24 male and female He created them: There are only two genders or sexes, as Genesis 1:27 tells us. There are some who feel that they are something different then male or female, but the facts are you are born either male or either female. There is a rare condition called hermaphroditism that does exist, but it is considered an anomaly by the medical field, not a gender assignment. (Back)

 

25 Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth: Genesis 1:28. It is important to understand that this is a blessing, as stated directly in Genesis 1:28. There are those who use this verse, as well as Genesis 38:9-10 as reasons for not using birth control. There is nothing in this blessing from God or in Genesis 38:9-10 or anywhere in the Bible forbidding a married couple from controlling their family size or even from choosing to remain childless. Genesis 38:9-10 was aimed at one specific person who was being spiteful, derelict in duty to his brother (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Matthew 22:24), and was disobedient to his father. This is what God found displeasing. On a related note, it is stated in Psalm 127:3-5 that children are a blessing from the Lord. (Back)

 

26 I have given every green plant for food: All living things started out as vegetarians. Meat-eating didn’t begin until after the flood (Genesis 9:2-4). Eating as vegetarians continued even after the fall of man into sin, but it seems people were using animals in some capacity, such as for sacrifice to God (Genesis 4:2-4). They also possibly used the hides for clothing, tent-making, etc. God had demonstrated to Adam and Eve that the skins could be used for clothing in Genesis 3:21—the fig leaves probably didn’t hold up so well (Genesis 3:7). (Back)

 

27 He rested from all His work: The Hebrew word used for rest in Genesis 2:2 is shabath and it means “desist, cease, rest”. It can also mean “celebrate”, as in celebrating the Sabbath. God rested, not because He was tired (Isaiah 40:28), although Exodus 31:17 does state that God was “refreshed” during this seventh day. God rested because He was done with creation, and He wanted the day of rest to become the Sabbath which all of Israel was supposed to observe with rest, as well. It was so important to observe this day of rest, that it was included in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath was used as a sign of sanctification  between God and Israel (Exodus 31:12-17; Ezekiel 20:12). The Sabbath is supposed to be celebrated in an assembly (Leviticus 23:3), and dedicated to God, not one’s own pleasures (Isaiah 58:13). Jesus does remind us that we aren’t to be ridiculous in enforcing this day off (Mark 2:23-3:5). It is within ourselves where we prove our dedication to God, not in outward show that everyone else can see (1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 23:27). (Back)

 

28 blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: The seventh day is Saturday. To sanctify means to make it a holy day, a “set apart” day. If the Sabbath is on Saturday, why does the current church gather on Sundays? There is nothing Biblical about holding church services on Sundays, other than the fact that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). There is one mention of Luke and some other Christians meeting with Paul on the first day of the week (Sunday) and eating together. At that gathering, Paul taught all night, see Acts 20:7-12.  Some use 1 Corinthians 16:2 as the reason, but it doesn’t say anything about having “church”, just that each person was supposed to save (not give) their money each Sunday so Paul doesn’t have to arrange a collection when he visits them. Others also use Revelation 1:10 which is baffling, because there is no mention of John being with others and having “church”, and he doesn’t specify which day, Saturday or Sunday, is the Lord’s day. Regardless of when you dedicate a day to God, it is important that the dedication is true and not just some outward show, like the Pharisees (Matthew 23:27). (Back)

Setting the Scene for the Genealogy of Jesus

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The Biblical account of Jesus’s ancestral history is given to us in Matthew and Luke only. Although the Bible isn’t exactly clear on the lineages, there has been much said over the years about accrediting one account of the genealogy to Joseph’s family line and one account to Mary’s family line. If we are going to assume this idea, we can safely pin Matthew’s account on Joseph’s family lineage and Luke’s account on Mary’s family lineage. The reason why I would say that Matthew has given us Joseph’s family line is because of Matthew 1:16:

“Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.”

Throughout Matthew’s account, he uses the Greek word gennaó where ever you see the English word father or fathered. Gennaó means “to beget” when applied to males and “to bring forth” when applied females. The word can be used metaphorically, but there is no logic to that here, when gennaó is used literally throughout the other 15 verses of Matthew’s account. Matthew is straight up telling his readers that Jacob is Joseph’s biological father.

Now look at Luke’s account of the genealogy, particularly Luke 3:23:

“When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,”

Mary is not mentioned, as women didn’t seem to count (they weren’t included when counting the feeding of the 5,000 or the 4,000, see  Matthew 14:21), but we could assume that Eli is actually Mary’s father. The original Greek Septuagint doesn’t say that Eli “begat” Joseph. The Greek word used in Luke for the English word son is huios and it can mean a biological son, an adopted son, a descendant, a subject of a king, or a figurative son (one regarded as a son, but not actually a son). The application of the word is broad. It is important to remember that women didn’t count when recording lineage back then. And, Luke never lists any women in the lineage, just the men.

Another thing to consider is why, if Joseph is not Jesus’s biological family member, bring up Joseph’s lineage at all? We can safely assume that Jesus was adopted by Joseph, whether a full legal adoption or a casual familial-accepted adoption, and adoption came with all the benefits that natural children had, including inheritance. Most importantly, it seems God saw Joseph as a surrogate/adoptive father for Jesus, because of the way He instructed and included Joseph in the information concerning the conception, birth, protection, and the continued care of Jesus (see Matthew 1:18-25, 2:13-23; Luke 2:4, 5, 16, 33, 39-52).

There is proof of some sort of adoption to be considered within Luke 2:41-48 and from Luke 3:23. In these verses, Luke gives us the account of Jesus, at the age of twelve, as He was left behind in Jerusalem after the Passover. Luke uses the two words “parents” and “father” within these verses and Mary herself refers to Joseph as Jesus’s “father” in Luke 2:48. And in Luke 3:23, the Greek word enomizeto is used for the English phrase was supposed.  It is a form of the Greek word nomizó which means “to hold by custom or by law”. Therefore, to call Jesus the adopted son of Joseph would make sense.

No matter how we view Matthew’s account or Luke’s account of Jesus’s genealogy, the real importance is that Jesus is God’s Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17) and His work on the cross is the reason why He was born in the first place (Matthew 20:28).

Jesus Cleanses A Man with Leprosy

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Cleanses a Man with Leprosy”

Matthew 8:1-4 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 8:1)

Mark 1:40-45 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 1:40)

Luke 5:12-15 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 5:12)

 

Leviticus 13:45-46
45 A diseased person must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

 

THE SPLICE

When Jesus came down from the 1 mountain, large crowds followed Him. While He was in one of the cities there was a man 2 covered with 3 leprosy, and when the man saw Him, he came to Him, and bowed down before Him, falling on his knees and to then to his face, beseeching and imploring Him, saying “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and 4 touched him, and said to him, “I am willing, be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left the man and he was cleansed of it. And Jesus 5 sternly warned and ordered him to tell no one, saying to him, “See that you tell no one, say nothing to anyone; but go and show yourself to the priest and 6 present the offering, that Moses commanded/make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” And Jesus immediately sent him away. But the formerly leprous man went out  and began to proclaim it freely and to  spread the news around, to such an extent that 7 Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but He stayed out in unpopulated areas; and people were coming to Him from everywhere.  The news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

 

NOTES

1  mountain: Jesus had just finished teaching what we call “The Sermon on the Mount” and the inspiring Beatitudes. To read about The Sermon on the Mount and The Beatitudes, see Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49. (Back)

 

2  covered: The Greek word for covered used in Luke 5:12 is plérés and means “full, abounding in, complete, completely occupied with”. This tells us that the person who came to Jesus was in an advanced state of leprosy. (Back)

 

3  leprosy: The Greek word for leprosy is lepra and comes from the Greek word lepis which means “a scale (of a fish)”. The Hebrew priests had a procedure to follow, as ordered by God, in order to deem a person a leper. A person with leprosy amongst the Jews could expect an unhappy, humiliating, and lonely existence (Leviticus 13:45-46). If the person with leprosy happened to become cleansed or cured of the skin ailment, the priest performed a lengthy ceremony which deemed the formerly leprous person ceremonially clean and re-introduced them to social life, as commanded by God. Current-day leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease is rare and not easily transmitted. (Back)

 

4  touched him: This was a huge deal! This poor person had been cut off from all social aspects. No one touched him while he had leprosy and he had been saddled with it for a long time, since he was completely covered in it. (Back)

 

5  sternly: The Greek word used in Mark 1:43 for sternly is embrimaomai and means “to be moved with anger, to admonish sternly”. Jesus was not giving out gentle warnings to people, regarding keeping quiet about their encounters with Him. They rarely seemed to listen. (Back)

 

6  present the offering: See Leviticus 14. (Back)

 

7  Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city: Because of the formerly leprous man’s disobedience, Jesus couldn’t move around in the cities to actually go to the sick people who needed Him. The sick had to be traveled out to Him to be cured, making a miserable person even more so and putting an unneeded stress and strain on those who loved them/carried them out there. (Back)

The Baptism of Jesus

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “The Baptism of Jesus”

Matthew 3:13-17 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 3:13)

Mark 1:9-12 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 1:9)

Luke 3:21-22 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 3:21)

John 1:32-34 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 1:32)

Mark 1:8
I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

THE SPLICE

All the 1 people were coming to John to be baptized. Jesus arrived from 2 Nazareth in Galilee at the 3 Jordan River. He was coming to 4 John to be baptized by him, too. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be 5 baptized by You, and do You come to me?” But Jesus answering, said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to 6 fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted Him.

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and while 7 He was praying, the heavens were opened and Jesus saw the heavens opening, and both Jesus and John saw the Holy Spirit of God in the bodily form of a dove and it was descending down, alighting upon Jesus. And a voice out of the heavens addressed Jesus and said, “8 You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” And the voice also testified to John and said, “ This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Immediately the 9 Spirit impelled Jesus to go out into the wilderness. Some time later, John testified publicly about Jesus’s baptism and His Sonship, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a 10 dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon who you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

NOTES

1  people were coming to John to be baptized: The people participating in the baptism included Pharisees, Sadducees, soldiers, tax collectors and others. To read about John’s baptism ministry, see Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:6-8; 15, 19-37; 3:22-36. (Back)

 

2 Nazareth in Galilee: The town of Nazareth isn’t even mentioned in the Old Testament. It seems it might have had a less-than-elegant reputation due to Nathanael’s reaction to it when Philip tells him about Jesus (John 1:45-46).  Jesus wasn’t born in Nazareth (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4), but it is where His mother Mary and adoptive father Joseph were from (Luke 1:26; 2:4) and where they raised Him at (Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39; 51). It seems Jesus even practiced carpentry there (Mark 6:3). Jesus left Nazareth and moved His base of operations to Capernaum at the very beginning of His ministry (Matthew 4:12-16). He returned to Nazareth to teach in the synagogue, but His hometown people were offended by Him and tried to kill Him for telling them the truth (Matthew 13:53-58, Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:14-30). Because of Nazareth’s disbelief in His Messiahship, Jesus performed no miracles there, except for healing a few of the sick people (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5). (Back)

 

3 Jordan River: The Jordan River is a tiny river (approximately 220 miles long) in comparison to other historic and well-known rivers, such as the Mississippi (2,300 miles), the Nile (4,130 miles) or the Ganges (1,560 miles). Every year, thousands of people make the pilgrimage to be baptized in the Jordan, the most popular spot being the “Bethany Beyond The Jordan” site, but reviews of the tours are mixed at best. However, just about any tour group in the Holy Land will take you there for the whole baptism experience, prices varying. You must wear a baptismal gown for your baptism in the Jordan River, and if you don’t bring your own, you have to rent one that is provided by the site. Bring your own baptizer (a new meaning to BYOB) because they don’t have someone at the site to perform the baptism for you. Keep in mind that no matter what any tourist group or attraction says, we do not know the precise spots where Jesus was born, baptized, where the upper room was where He spent His last Passover, the exact path He walked to Golgotha, or where He was buried at. We also don’t know when Jesus was born: day, month, or year. Click here to read more about the Jordan River, at Britannica.com. (Back)

 

4 John to be baptized by him: John the Baptist, Jesus’s relative, born to Mary’s relative (probably of the cousin variety), Elizabeth and her husband, Zacharias. You canr ead about John’s baptismal ministry in  Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20; John 1:6-8; 15, 19-37; 3:22-36, John’s questions and Jesus’s discussion about him in Matthew 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-34; John 5:32-36 and his martyrdom in Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29. You can read about Elizabeth’s and Zacharias’s story (and John’s birth) in Luke 1:5-25; 57-80. (Back)

 

5 baptized by You: John does not mean by using water, just as he is using water, but by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). (Back)

 

6 fulfill all righteousness: Jesus bore the punishment for our sins in our place; He became sin on our behalf, although He had no sin at all (2 Corinthians 5:21).  John’s baptismal ministry was ordained by God (John 1:6) to be a witness about Jesus (John 1:7-8, 32-34) and also to urge people to repent for their sins (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:4). Water baptism is a symbol of and public demonstration of repentance and death to the old self (Romans 6:2-11) and the washing away one’s sins, but it is only the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus (Titus 3:5-7), by His blood, that can actually remove the sins (1 John 1:7-9). To have sin means to have eternal death and to have sinlessness in Christ means eternal life (Romans 6:23). In summary, Jesus’s symbolic water baptism was in keeping with the will of God the Father (because God declared He was pleased with Jesus’s baptism, see Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22), just as His crucifixion was God’s will for the payment of sin (Isaiah 53:4-12). (Back)

 

7 He was praying: We see many of examples of when Jesus prayed (Mark 14:32-39 and John 17, for example) and He instructs us on how to pray as well (Matthew 6:5-13). There is even the promise that the Holy Spirit will intercede on our behalf because we don’t know how we should pray (Romans 8:26-27). Our prayers should be filled with thanksgiving to God (Philippians 4:6), constant (1 Thessalonians 5:17 , Romans 12:12), in complete faith (Mark 11:24), righteous by God’s standards and according to His will (James 5:16 , John 15:7), bringing all things to Him (Philippians 4:6, Ephesians 6:18 ), as well as petitioning for others (1 Thessalonians 5:25). This is not exhaustive direction on how to pray.  (Back)

 

8 You are My beloved Son: God gives a very similar statement when Jesus is transfigured on the mountain (see Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). To read about this event in the Bible, see Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36. To read the Splice about the transfiguration, click here (Back)

 

9  Spirit impelled Jesus to go out into the wilderness: Jesus spends 40 days and nights out in the wilderness, fasting. The primary reason for this was to be tempted by the devil. To read about the temptation of Jesus, see Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1-13 and to read the Splice about the temptation of Jesus, click here. (Back)

 

10 dove out of heaven: As a sign for John the Baptist (see John 1:33). But we can also consider the Holy Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus as a declaration of Jesus’s innocence of any sin. Jesus Himself uses the imagery of doves and innocence in Matthew 10:16. (Back)

Jewish Feast Timeline

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Information Gathered from Leviticus 16; Leviticus 23; Numbers 29; Deuteronomy 16

 

In the 1st month (Nisan/Abib), 14th day of that month, at twilight: LORD’s Passover. 

 

In the 1st month (Nisan/Abib), 15th day of that month: Feast of Unleavened Bread, which takes place for seven days. On the seventh day of Feast of Unleavened Bread there are several offerings to the LORD.

The very next Sabbath that occurs after the offerings, is the first Sabbath of 7 Sabbaths that must be counted off. 

From the 7th completed Sabbath, 50 days are then counted off.  This is the beginning of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (in the month of Sivan).

 

The seventh month of Tishrei, on the 1st day:  Feast of Trumpets.

 

The seventh month of Tishrei,  on the 10th day: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) .

 

The seventh month of Tishrei, 15th day:  first day of Feast of Booths, and it is celebrated for 7 days. One of the more interesting ceremonies for this feast is that the Jews lived in “booths” (temporary, rustic shelters made out of tree boughs) for those seven days. This was to remind them that when they were brought out of Egypt by God, they lived in those types of temporary dwellings.