As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“It is, admittedly, quite weird…. But just because it’s unfamiliar to us doesn’t mean it’s nonsense. Imagine if we somehow plopped Abram down into this year’s Kentucky Derby. Or at the starting line of a Tough Mudder.
“If the pre-flood humans were biologically superior, then it is likely to assume that their cognitive functions were superior as well. They had higher I.Q.’s, which means that they had better problem-solving skills than we have today.” - P&D
“The truth is—most Christians probably couldn’t answer these questions. And yet there are answers.” - Ken Ham
In my training in the original Biblical languages, I was clearly instructed to remember that words have greater meaning than the sum of their constituent parts.
While that rule stands true, there is still one particular New Testament word that is built of fascinating components. It is a word that has a significant presence in our theological vocabulary, even though it is actually found only two times in the Scriptures. It is the word regeneration.
A study by LifeWay Research several years ago found that 75% of the general population agreed with the statement, “There is an ultimate purpose and plan for every person’s life.” That number still seems surprisingly high to me. The same study found that 50% of those who never attend church services said there is no purpose or plan for human lives.
“On the surface Genesis 1 and 2 appear to contain discrepancies. This is called antinomy and occurs elsewhere in the Bible…. however, careful thought uncovers the solution.” - DBTS Blog
“The simple aim of this article is to show that, far from being a peripheral matter for fussy literalists, it is biblically and theologically necessary for Christians to believe in Adam as a historical person who fathered the entire human race.” - TGC
“In Genesis 37–50, there are seven scenes where Joseph weeps. As we read about Joseph’s emotions, they also stir our own….In the Bible, the use of seven is part of an author’s literary strategy. We can look more closely to see whether these seven scenes have an even more strategic design.” - TGC
“Consider two points drawn from Strong’s treatment of the matter. First, Strong points out that though the word covenant does not appear in Genesis 2, the necessary elements of a covenant are clearly there. These necessary elements are the ideas of stipulation and reward.” - Ref21
This was written as an excursus for a chapter in the book The Words of the Covenant.
Discussion