james-3:10

Sit down with pencil and paper, and – verse by verse – let the Word of God search your heart. It will mean recognizing, admitting, even recording your sins as they’re revealed – yours, not your neighbor’s. It will mean Spirit-guided confession and restoration. It will mean obedience at any cost – in... Read More

I recently read a little book entitled "The Young Christian." It was a reprint of a work written by Matthew Henry some 300 years ago. It did me good. Its chief theme was "sobermindedness," or to use a more contemporary idiom--self-control. It is a book with a challenge and it led me to look a little... Read More

Fear--a being afraid, a feeling that danger is near; to regard with fear, to feel concern of or about; an anxious thought, concern; awe, dread or terror Respect--honor, esteem Reverence--a feeling of deep respect, mixed with wonder, awe and love. There is clearly a difference between fearing, respec... Read More

Asps (785) (aspis) describes a deadly serpent (Egyptian cobra) whose poison was contained in a bag under the lips! In the Greek writings and in the Septuagint (LXX) aspis was also used to describe a round shield (Lat. clipeus, of bull's hide, overlaid with metal plates, with a boss in the middle, an... Read More

Slander (988) (blasphemia from blapto = hinder, injure, hurt + pheme = report, rumor, fame from phemí = to speak; see study of verb form blasphemeo) refers to verbal abuse against someone which denotes the very worst type of slander. It is speech which seeks to wound someone's reputation by evil rep... Read More

Double-minded (1374) (dipsuchos from dís = twice + psuche = soul, mind) is an adjective which literally describes one who has two minds or one who is two-spirited. In context it is the "sin of being two-faced with God, of wavering inconsistency" (Motyer). Double psyche. See also notes on use of dips... Read More

Encounter (4045) (peripipto from peri = around + pipto = to fall, to fall into, to fall down) means literally to fall around, and so to fall in with or among (trials, Jas 1:2, robbers Lk 10:30). In one NT context peripipto means to mover toward something and strike against it (Acts 27:41). This verb... Read More

Perfect (5046) (teleios from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal) means complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness, in good working order. Teleios signifies consummate soundness, includes the idea of being whole. ... Read More

Religious (2357) (threskos which some say derives from threomai = to tremble, whereas more modern scholars link it with therap- = to serve) is used only in this verse and describes the individual who is preoccupied with religious observances. Rogers has this note on threskos, used only here in Scrip... Read More

Wisdom (4678) (sophia) is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding. Sophia is used 6x in Colossians (clearly it is a key word) Sophia - 51x in 49v - Matt 11:19; 12:42; 13:54; Mark 6:2; Luke 2:40, 52; 7:35; 11:31, 49; 21:15; Acts 6:3... Read More