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This is Paul's first letter to his convert, Timothy, who was from the city of Lystra (Acts 16:1). It appears to have been written after Paul's release from his initial Roman imprisonment (Acts 28). Timothy was a frequent traveling companion of Paul. The apostle warns the young evangelist about fa...
Jesus once prayed that God's will might be done on earth, just as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Jehovah's will is what is best for humanity and what he requires us to implement in our lives. The Lord has the right to exert his will because of who he is (deity), and he can impose it in any way c...
The church in Thessalonica was established on Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17:1ff). After he left the region, he received a report regarding the congregation in Thessalonica, containing both positive and negative news. This letter, written from Corinth (Acts 18:1, 5), is a response to t...
The Bible affirms God's omniscience (i.e., that he knows everything—past, present, and future; cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Psa. 139; Is. 40:13ff; Acts 1:24; Heb. 4:13). One aspect of divine omniscience is "foreknowledge" (prognosis -- knowing beforehand). This divine attribute is affirmed of God in Acts 2:2...
This book contains the historical record of the change in Israel's form of government from judges to that of the kings. The nation, in an act of rejecting God, desired a king to be like their pagan neighbors (1 Sam. 8:4ff). The book spans more than a century, from the birth of Samuel to the death...
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the very foundation of Christianity. If the Lord was not raised, the religion of Christ is a hoax (cf. 1 Cor. 15:4; 14-19). The Savior's resurrection was foretold by the prophets (Psa. 16:8ff), and promised by Jesus himself (Jn. 2:19-22; Mt. 12:39...
The word "agnostic" does not appear in the English Bible. The term derives, however, from Greek roots suggesting the idea "not known." When Paul visited Athens, he noted that the pagans there had erected an altar to an "unknown" (agnostos) god (Acts 17:23). The apostle used that inscription as th...
The imagery of a "lamb" is taken from the Old Testament to convey certain thoughts about the Messiah. John the Baptizer introduced Jesus as the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The Passover lamb of the Old Testament was clearly a "type" (see) of Christ (1 Corinthians...
The term "restoration" conveys a number of ideas in the Scriptures, depending upon the immediate context. (a) It may refer to the restitution of property or money in compliance to law (Dt. 22:2), or it may be a reflection of one's repentance (Lk. 19:8). (b) The term may be used of a spiritual inv...
On several occasions the Scriptures speak of a "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). What does the phrase mean? It does not refer to a literal new heavens and earth. This is so very obvious in that these very contexts speak of the material heavens and earth being destroye...
This English term is related to the Latin conscientia, literally, "to know together" or "joint knowledge." It corresponds to the Greek suneidesis (found thirty times in the New Testament), which essentially has the same meaning. The conscience is an inward faculty, unique to human beings, that ei...
The most popular Greek word for "authority" is exousia (sometimes translated as "power"). The term, with various usages, is found 102 times in the New Testament. The word, together with some parallel terms, are employed of: • The authority of God (Lk. 12:5; Rom. 9:21; Jude 25). God's authority is...
Paul commended Timothy for making "the good confession" before many witnesses (1 Tim. 6:12). The word "confession" comes from the Greek homologia, which means "to say the same thing." It implies agreeing with and openly affirming what Jesus said about himself—that he is the Christ, the promised M...
Two Greek words express the idea of immortality -- athanasia (no death), and aphtharsia (no corruption). In the absolute sense, only God possesses immortality, i.e., an underived and unending existence (1 Tim. 6:16). Concerning those who are created in God's image (human beings exclusively), we p...
The term "works" is a perfectly noble word; yet, in the minds of some, there is a distorted view of this biblical term. Especially has the Protestant world reacted negatively to Catholicism's "works system" -- an ideology contrary to the divine plan of redemption. This reaction, however, is itsel...
The term "heaven" is used in different ways in the Bible. The expression may refer to the atmospheric region just above the earth where the birds fly, the rain forms, and the wind blows (Gen. 1:10; 7:11; Dan. 8:8). The outer space region that houses the stars, the sun, and the planets is also des...
The English "angel" is an anglicized form of the Greekaggelos(pronounced angelos). The term signifies a "messenger." The wordAggelosis used in several ways in the Scriptures. • It commonly denotes a heavenly order of created beings (Psa. 148:2, 5), who are by nature "spirit beings." These creatur...
Demons (not "devils" KJV) were evil spirits (Mt. 12:43-45) that were permitted to inhabit the bodies of some people during the days of Christ and his apostles. Almost certainly, this was to allow the Savior and his men the opportunity to demonstrate the superiority of God's power over Satan (see ...
The concept of eternal life is outlined in an abbreviated form in the Old Testament (cf. Dan. 12:2). However, it comes into full bloom in the New Testament revelation. Life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). Many believe that eternal life, as the glorious promi...
The Greek word eirene ("peace") may derive from an original term meaning, "to weave together." This is a very significant Bible word. (a) There is a peace to be sought with God. Sin has separated man from his Creator (Isa. 59:1-2), so that rebellious man has become an enemy to God (Rom. 5:10; Jas...