Roots. Acts 7.

Stephen's response to the accusations that he blasphemed Moses and God, was to tell the history of the Hebrew people, from God's choosing Abraham, up to the present moment. In doing so, he placed Jesus, not in opposition to all that had preceded, but as the culmination of all that had preceded. Jesus coming, His message, and His sacrifice were rooted in God's choice of the Hebrew people to bring His Word, both written and living, to humanity. Contrary to the accusation, Stephen's proclamation of Jesus honors both Moses and God. And that left the council, the ones who rejected Jesus, as the real blasphemers.

Our roots as Christians include the history narrated by Stephen. They include the history of the church from Acts forward. But what about our more recent history? How did you and I end up as followers of Jesus? Do we know the story for a generation or so? Most importantly, as a witness, can we tell about the most recent part of the story?

"I couldn't put it down." Acts 6.

I don't know about you, but at the end of chapter 6, I had to keep reading.

Obedience. Acts 5.

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people." v.29 (NET)

What do you want say about chapter 5?

Challenged. Acts 4.

This chapter is one of the most challenging for me in the entire New Testament. How does my faith measure up to the faith of those in the early church, who:

• were arrested; arrested because God had healed through them?
• were filled with the Holy Spirit?
• just a few weeks earlier, had scattered and denied their connection to Jesus, and were now standing in front of the same authorities speaking boldly?
• remained steadfast in the face of additional threats?
• were promised they could ask for anything and it would be given to them, and asked for power that would demonstrate the authority of Jesus and help in the spread of the good news?
• were of one heart and mind?
• understood that everything they had was really God's and graciously shared it with one another?

What does a faith like that look like in the 21st century? Am I willing to live that kind of life? Are you?

Speaking out. Acts 3.

Peter has plenty to say to the people who are marveling over the healing of a lame man at the Temple gate called Beautiful.

What would you like to say about Acts 3?

Progress Report. Acts 2.

The first progress report for the church looks like this:

Acts 2:46-47 (NET) -- Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.

Imagine for a moment the intimacy of the just-birthed church. Sharing food around the table, sharing the teaching of the apostles, sharing the joy of the good news and of changed hearts, and sharing the power of God's spirit poured over them. Not so much like many of our gatherings today.

As an organization, Life Groups are one of the formal ways BCC encourages a return to the spirit and style of the church when it began. But there are plenty of other occasions when we get together in small groups, perhaps around a meal or a table, or riding in a car, or shoveling barkdust; a time when true fellowship with glad and humble hearts takes place. Cherish those occasions.

Assignments. Acts 1.

Jesus' followers were given two assignments: wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, and then be His witnesses. I'll be watching in the coming weeks to see if that's what they do.

In the meantime, I'm intrigued by the new apostle they chose, Matthias. He has been with the 12, "all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us." A quick search by computer for Matthias reveals that he is never mentioned by name again. Here's someone who walked with Jesus, learned from Jesus, and served Jesus in a position of importance, but we know nothing of his particular actions. We do know this -- he was chosen to also be a witness to Jesus' resurrection. Another witness to who Jesus is, and what He did.

We're called to do that, too. Be a witness. A very few of us may get mentioned in various records of the acts of Christ's church. But God needs all of us to be His witnesses. In the long span of time between Jesus' instructions to the apostles, and our decisions to follow Him, there have been hundreds of Matthiases who were faithful in following those instructions. I, too, want to be a Matthias for others.

Resurrection. Mark 16.

Here's a place for you to write about this last chapter of Mark, and to reflect back on the entire gospel. How has this read through impacted your life, your thoughts, so far?

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? Mark 15.

Are there any harder words in the Bible than Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Hard words for us, in the hard times when we feel abandoned. Harder words for us, when we realize He uttered them on our behalf, because of things we've done that separated us from the Father.

These words Jesus spoke are the beginning of Psalm 22. For 20 long, despairing verses, David cries out for rescue, until finallly, in verse 21, he declares triumphantly, "You have answered me!" As I read these words of Jesus, I realize that they are the Father's answer to any sense of abandonment I might experience &ndash He has not abandoned me; He has rescued me.

What would you like to share from Mark 15?

Catch-up. Mark:1 – 14.

If you'd like to share any thoughts from your reading of the first 14 chapters of Mark, this is the place to do it.

A late start.

It occurred to me today, that for those of us reading through the New Testament, there might be some interest in sharing our thoughts in response to each day's reading. This is a place to do that.

Yes, it's a late start. You'd think a computer guy like me would have thought of it sooner. But we still have a lot of reading to do, so take advantage of this spot if you want to.

Here's how it will work. I'll post a new entry for each day's reading, and you can then add comments to that post. If I have time, I may include my own thoughts about the reading in the post itself. Otherwise it'll just be a starting point for anyone to comment.

So we begin.

Cure for the Summertime Blues.

This post is available for comments about your summertime activities. Just add a comment if you'd like to share what you've been up to this summer.

And who, you ask, could be blue during the summer? Well, someone who has to work, when others are on vacation. The song, Summertime Blues (1958), was performed and co-written by Eddie Cochran. It's one of the more covered songs of rock and roll. The story in the song, is about a teen whose lack of money and parental insistence have forced him to work. Bummer.

I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler
About a workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar

And the guy can't go on a date, doesn't have time for much of anything but work, and like those of us in the 5x5x5 class, doesn't see his friends on a regular basis. But you can share here, what you've been up to. Give us a cure for the summertime blues.

The Who's version of the song is probably the most well-known, although artists as diverse as James Taylor, The Beach Boys, and Bruce Springsteen. The version I remember best was performed by Blue Cheer.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

Word of the Day Archive

This post has all the most recent words of the day. Click here, to see the words from January through April. Click here, to see the words from May through July. Format is: word (verse word is in) - original language word (Strongs #), followed by definitions. A Strongs # is an arbitrary but common way to identify words from Greek and Hebrew so they can be referenced, without fully knowing the original language.

without the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14) - psuchikos (5591) -

• natural, of the soul or mind.
• unspiritual, not possessing the Spirit of God; non-spiritual, physical, material.
• pertaining to being material or physical, espcially in relation to life processes.
• pertaining to human nature.
• pertaining to behavior which is typical of human nature, in contrast with that which is under the control of God’s Spirit.

worldly (1 Corinthians 3:3) - sarkikos (4559) -

• pertaining to the flesh, carnal.
• belonging to this world, not under the control of God's Spirit; material.
• pertaining to what is human or characteristic of human nature.
• pertaining to being material or physical, with the possible implication of inferior.
• pertaining to the natural, physical characteristics of persons and often including their characteristic behavior.
• pertaining to behavior which is typical of human nature, but with special focus upon more base physical desires.

guardian (1 Corinthians 4:15) - paidagogos (3807) -

• a trainer of boys, i.e. a tutor.
• instructor, teacher, guide.
• a person who guides, directs, and shows concern for. In classical times, a paidagogos was a man, usually a slave, whose task it was to conduct a boy to and from school and to supervise and direct his general conduct -- not a teacher.

associate (1 Corinthians 5:9) - sunanamignumi (4874) -

• to mix up together, hence to associate with.
• associate with, have dealings with.
• to associate with one another, normally involving special proximity and/or joint activity, and usually implying some kind of reciprocal relation or involvement.

temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) - naos (3485) -

• a temple.
• temple, inner part of Jewish temple, sanctuary; model of a temple or shrine.
• a building in which a deity is worshipped (in the case of the Temple in Jerusalem, a place where God was also regarded as dwelling).

Note: there are two Greek words for temple. The first is heiron and refers to all the temple precincts. The second is naos, and refers to the sanctuary or shrine proper.

called (1 Corinthians 7:20,21,22,24) - kaleo (2564) -

• to call.
• call, name, address; invite; summon, call in.
• to use an attribution in speaking of a person.
• to communicate directly or indirectly to someone who is presumably at a distance, in order to tell such a person to come .
• to urgently invite someone to accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new relationship to the one who does the calling
• to ask a person to accept offered hospitality.

stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13) - skandalizo (4624) -

• to put a snare (in the way), hence to cause to stumble, to give offense.
• to cause someone to no longer believe.
• to cause to sin, with the probable implication of providing some special circumstances which contribute to such behavior.
• to cause someone to experience anger and/or shock because of what has been said or done.

strict training (1 Corinthians 9:25) - egkrateuomai (1467) -

• to exercise self-control.
• to exercise complete control over one's desires and actions.

thanksgiving (1 Corinthians 10:16) - eulogia (2129) -

• praise, blessing.
• blessing; praise; consecration; gift, contribution.
• to speak of something in favorable terms.
• to ask God to bestow divine favor on, with the implication that the verbal act itself constitutes a significant benefit.
• the content of the act of blessing.
• that which is bestowed or given as a blessing or benefit.

gift (1 Corinthians 12:4,9,28,30-31) - charisma (5486) -

• a gift of grace, a free gift.
• gift (as an expression of divine grace).
• that which is given freely and generously.

tongue[s] (1 Corinthians 14:2+) - glossa (1100) -

• the tongue, a language.
• tongue; language; utterance.
• an utterance having the form of language but requiring an inspired interpreter for an understanding of the content.

sleep (1 Corinthians 15:51) - koimaomai (2837) -

• to put to sleep, fall asleep.
• sleep, fall asleep; die.
• the state of being asleep.
• to sleep, as a euphemistic expression for the state of being dead.

great work (1 Corinthians 16:9) - energes (1756) -

• at work, active.
• active, effective.
• pertaining to being effective in causing something to happen.

amen (2 Corinthians 1:20) - amen (281) -

• truly.
• amen (of prayer); truly indeed.
• strong affirmation of what is declared.

leads us in triumphal procession (2 Corinthians 2:14) - thriambeuo (2358) -

• to triumph.
• to demonstrate one's successful conquest of opposition (a figurative extension of the meaning of a root word which meant 'to lead prisoners of war in a victory procession').
• to cause someone to completely triumph over.

reflect (2 Corinthians 3:18) - katoptrizo (2734) -

• to reflect as a mirror.
• behold, reflect.
• to see indirectly or by reflection as in a mirror.
• to reflect light or visual patterns coming from some source.

boasting (2 Corinthians 9:2) - kauchaomai (2744) -

• to boast.
• boast, boast about, take pride in; rejoice, be glad.
• to express an unusually high degree of confidence in someone or something being exceptionally noteworthy.

timid (2 Corinthians 10:1) - tapeinos (5011) -

• low-lying, fig. lowly, hence lowly in spirit.
• humble, lowly; poor, of humble circumstance; downcast, downhearted; lacking confidence, meek and mild.
• pertaining to being discouraged and lacking in hope, with the possible implication of some association with low social status.
• pertaining to being unpretentious in one's behavior.
• pertaining to being meek, with the implication of low status.

overseer (1 Tim 3:1,2) - episkope (1984) -

• a visiting, an overseeing.
• visitation (of God's presence among men); office, place of service, office of bishop.
• the coming of divine power, either for benefit or judgment.
• a religious role involving both service and leadership .
• he position of one who has responsibility for the care of someone.

good (1 Tim 4:4,6) - kalos (2570) -

• beautiful, good.
• good; right, proper, fitting; better, honorable, honest, fine, beautiful, precious.
• pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued.
• pertaining to having acceptable characteristics or functioning in an agreeable manner, often with the focus on outward form or appearance.
• pertaining to providing some special or superior benefit.
• pertaining to being fitting and at the same time probably good.

revealed (John 1:31) - phaneroo (5319) -

• to make visible, make clear.
• make known, reveal, show, make evident or plain.
• to cause to become visible.
• to cause something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail.

miraculous signs (John 9:16) - semeion (4592) -

• a sign.
• miraculous sign, miracle; sign, that by which something is known or distinguished, indication, mark, signal; portent, warning sign.
• an event which is regarded as having some special meaning.

Word of the Day Archive - May -- July.

This post has all the words of the day from May through July. Format is: word (verse word is in) - original language word (Strongs #), followed by definitions. A Strongs # is an arbitrary but common way to identify words from Greek and Hebrew so they can be referenced, without fully knowing the original language.

good (Matthew 19:16) - agathos (18) -

• good; useful, satisfactory for one's purpose, fitting, beneficial.
• in a moral sense upright, just; kind, generous; perfect, inherently good (of God).
• positive moral qualities of the most general nature.

wages (Matthew 20:8) - misthos (3408) -

• wages, hire.
• pay, wages; reward, recompense, gain; retribution, punishment.
• (derivative of 'to hire') the amount offered for services or paid for work done.
• reward, recompense (may be either positive or negative as in benefit and penalty).

people (Matthew 21:43)
Gentiles (Romans 1:5) - ethnos (1484) -

• a race, a nation, pl. the nations (as distinct from Israel).
• nation, people.
• the largest unit into which the people of the world are divided on the basis of their constituting a socio-political community.
• (classical Greek) a group with common customs, a clan; and then crowd, people.

love (Matthew 22:37) - agapao (25) -

• to love (one of several Greek words translated as love).
• love (primarily of Christian love); show or prove one's love; place first in one's affections.
• to have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard.
• (Vine's) "Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren, or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings, it does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered."

hypocrites (Matthew 23:11) - hupokrites (5273) -

• one who answers, an actor, a hypocrite.
• one who pretends to be other than what he is; pretender.
• to give an impression of having certain purposes and motivations, while in reality having quite different ones.

keep watch (Matthew 24:42) - gregoreo (1127) -

• be or keep awake; watch, be alert; be alive.
• to remain awake because of the need to continued alert.
• to be in continuous readiness and alertness to learn.
• to remain fully alive and alert.

delivered up (Matthew 26:22) - paradidomi (3680) -

• to hand over, to give or deliver over, to betray.
• hand or give over, deliver up (be arrested); betray, deliver (to death); deliver, entrust, commit, give.
• to hand over to or to convey something to someone, particularly a right or an authority.
• to deliver a person into the control of someone else, involving either the handing over of a presumably guilty person for punishment by authorities or the handing over of an individual to an enemy who will presumably take undue advantage of the victim.

(used 9 times in Matthew 26)

remorse (Matthew 27:3) - metamelomai (3338) -

• to regret, be sorry; repent, change one's mind.
• to feel regret as the result of what one has done.
• to change one's mind about something, with the probably implication of regret.

age (Matthew 28:20) - aion (165) -

• continued duration; a space of time, an age.
• age; world order; eternity.
• a unit of time as a particular stage or period of history - age, era.
• pertaining to an unlimited duration of time - eternal.

kindness (Romans 2:4) - chrestos (5543) -

• serviceable, good.
• kind, loving, good, merciful (kindness).
• pertaining to being superior for a particular purpose - 'fine, better.'
• pertaining to being useful and benevolent - 'good, useful, suitable.'
• pertaining to being kind - 'kind, gracious.'

forbearance (v.3:25) - anoche (463) -

• a delaying, forbearance, tolerance.
• to be patient with, in the sense of enduring possible difficulty.
• of God's forbearance: His refraining, holding back, abstaining and controlling His justice.
• of God's long-suffereing: His suffering a long time, being patient and slow in judging sin.

righteousness (Romans 4:3,5,6,9,11,13,22) - dikaiosune (463) -

• righteousness, justice.
• what God requires; what is right, righteousness, uprightness, justice; righting wrong.
• (God's) putting (man) in a right relationship (with Himself).
• to cause someone to be in a proper or right relationship with someone else - 'to put right with'.

powerless (Romans 5:6) - asthenes (772) -

• without strength, weak.
• sick; weak; delicate (of parts of the body); helpless.
• pertaining to a state of limited capacity to do or be something.
• pertaining to being morally weak and hence incapable of doing good.
• pertaining to a state of helplessness in view of circumstances.

sinful nature (Romans 7:5,18,25) - sarx (4561) -

• flesh.
• flesh, physical body; human nature, earthly descent; one's lower nature, sinful human nature.
• the flesh of both animals and human beings.
• a living body.
• (figurative extension of flesh): humans as physical beings.
• human nature, particularly in reference to the physical aspect of human life.
• the psychological aspect of human nature which contrasts with the spiritual nature.

(hook's note: where a word has so many potential meanings, remember that context is king.)

condemnation (Romans 8:1) - katakrima (2631) -

• penalty.
• condemnation.
• the flesh of both animals and human beings.
• to judge someone as definitely guilty and thus subject to punishment.

election (Romans 9:11) - ekloge (1589) -

• a (divine) selection.
• election, choosing; what is selected or chosen.
• to make a special choice based upon significant preference, often implying a strongly favorable attitude toward what is chosen.
• that which has been chosen.

saved (Romans 10:9) - sozo (4982) -

• to save.
• save (of Christian salvation); save, rescue, deliver; keep safe, preserve; cure, make well.
• to rescue from danger and to restore to a forme state of safety and well being.
• to cause someone to experience divine salvation.
• to cause someone to become well again after having been sick.

envious (Romans 11:11) - parazeloo (3863) -

• to provoke to jealousy.
• make jealous.
• to cause someone to feel strong jealousy or resentment against someone - 'to make jealous, to cause to be envious'.

conform (Romans 12:2) - suschematizo (4964) -

• (to assume a certain form, figure); to conform to.
• be conformed to, be shaped by, live after the pattern of.
• to form or mold one's behavior in accordance with a particular pattern or set of standards - 'to shape one's behavior'.

transformed (Romans 12:2) - metamorphoo (3339) -

• to transform.
• be changed in form, be transformed.
• to change the essential form or nature of something - 'to become, to change, to be changed into'.

debt (Romans 13:8) - opheilo (3784) -

• to owe.
• owe; ought, must, be bound or obligated.
• to be under obligation to make a payment as the result of having previously received something of value - 'to owe, to be in debt'.
• to be necessary or indispensable, with the implication of a contingency - 'must, have to, it is necessary'.
• to be obligatory in view of some moral or legal requirement - 'ought, to be under obligation'.

judge (Romans 14:4) - krino (2919) -

• to judge, decide.
• pass judgment on; condemn; decide, determine; consider, regard, think; prefer.
• to come to a conclusion in the process of thinking and thus be in a position to make a decision.
• to judge something to be better than something else, and hence, to prefer.
• to make a judgment based upon the correctness or value of something.
• to judge a person to be guilty and liable to punishment.
• to hold a view or have an opinion with regard to something.
• to decide a question of legal right or wrong, and thus determine the innocence or guilt of the accused and assign appropriate punishment or retribution.

strong (Romans 15:1) - dunatos (1415) -

• strong, mighty, powerful.
• possible; strong, powerful; able, capable of; influential, leading; person of strong faith or conscience.
• pertaining to being possible, with the implication of power or ability to alter or control circumstances.
• pertaining to having the ability to perform some function.
• pertaining to have special competence in performing some function.
• important persons, based upon their power or influence.

fellow workers (Romans 16:3,8,21) - sunergos (4904) -

• a fellow worker.
• one who works together with someone else.

... said of Priscilla and Aquila, Urbanus, and Timothy.

been in prison (Romans 16:7) - sunaichmalotos (4869) -

• a fellow prisoner.
• one who has been arrested and imprisoned along with someone else.

... said of Andronicus and Junias (or Junia).

dear friend or "whom I love" (Romans 16:5,8,12) - agapetos (27) -

• beloved.
• beloved, dear(est); only.
• pertaining to one who or that which is loved.
pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same.

... said of Epenetus, Ampliatus, Stachys, and Persis.

praise (Ephesians 1:6,12,14) - epaino (4904) -

• praise.
• praise, commendation, approval; a praiseworthy thing.
• to speak of the excellence of a person, object, or event.
• that which is worthy of or deserves praise.

bonus: worship - (from Louie Giglio)

Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God, for who He is and what He has done, expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live.

servant (Ephesians 3:7) - diakonos (1249) -

• a servant, minister.
• male and female servant; helper, minister; deacon; deaconess.
• a person who renders service.
• one who serves as a deacon, with responsibility to care for the needs of believers.
• 
  

(note that Paul refers to himself as a "diakonos" in Ephesians, and to Phoebe in the same way in Romans 16)

worthy (Ephesians 4:1) - axios (516) -

• worthily.
• in a manner worthy of or suitable to.
• pertaining to having a relatively high degree of comparable merit or worth.
• pertaining to being fitting or proper in corresponding to what should be expected.

walk (Ephesians 5:2,8,15) - peripateo (4043) -

• to walk.
• walk, go or move about; live, conduct oneself.
• to walk along or around.
• to live or behave in a customary manner, with possible focus upon continuity of action.
• (idioms, literally ‘to walk in the tracks’ and ‘to follow in the tracks’) to behave in the same manner as someone else.

stand (Ephesians 6:11,13-14) - histemi (2476) -

• to make to stand, to stand.
• set, place, put; establish, set up , make stand.
• stand; stop, stand still; stand firm, hold one's own ground, be moored.
• to be in a standing position.
• to assume a standing position.
• to continue to exist, with the probably implication of some resistance involved.
• to continue firmly or well-established in a particular state.

conduct yourselves (Philippians 1:27) - politeuomai (4176) -

• to live as a citizen.
• live, conduct one's life.
• to conduct oneself with proper reference to one’s obligations in relationship to others, as part of some community - ‘to live, to conduct one’s life, to live in relation to others.’

very nature (Philippians 2:6) - morphe (3444) -

• form, shape.
• nature, form.
• the nature or character of something, with emphasis upon both the internal and external form - 'nature, character.'
• a visual form of something.
• nature, form, appearance, model. It means the permanent, constant being of a person. It is the very essence of a person, that part of him that never changes. It is the unchangeable being.

made [himself] nothing (Philippians 2:7) - kenoo (2758) -

• to empty.
• deprive of power, make of no meaing or effect.
• to completely remove or eliminate elements of high status or rank by eliminating all privileges or prerogatives associated with such status or rank - 'to divest oneself of position.'

knowing (Philippians 3:8) - gnosis (1108) -

• a knowing, knowledge.
• to possess information about, be acquainted with.
• the content of what is known (may imply a process of communication to acquire information).
• esoteric knowledge.
• to come to an understanding as the result of ability to experience and learn.

Two notes: this is the Greek word from which the name of the heresy we looked at last week comes from -- gnosticism, because the adherents relied on "secret" or "esoteric" knowledge; it's the same word used for sexual intercourse, an implication of knowing well, not just head knowledge.

In the passage in Philippians, this knowledge is the deep knowledge of relationship with Christ.

think about (Philippians 4:8) - logizomai (3049) -

• (in the sense of an account or reckoning); to reckon, to consider.
• count, reckon, calculate, take into account; credit, place to one’s account; consider, think, suppose; evaluate, look upon as, class; maintain, claim; think on, reflect upon.
• to think about something in a detailed and logical manner - 'to think about, to reason about, to ponder.'

pray (Colossians 1:9) - proseuchomai (4336) -

• to pray.
• to speak to or to make requests of God.

from pros + euchomai
pros (4314) - advantageous for, at, toward.
euchomai (2712) - to pray.

deceive (Colossians 2:4) - paralogizomai (3884) -

• to miscalculate, to reason falsely.
• deceive, lead astray.
• to deceive by arguments or false reasons.

compassion (Colossians 3:12) - splagchnon + oiktirmos
splagchnon (4698) -

• the inward parts (heart, liver, lungs, etc.), fig. the emotions.
• one's inmost self or feelings, heart; affection, love.
• the inner parts of the body, especially the intestines.
• the psychological faculty of desire, intent, and feeling.

oiktirmos (3628) -

• compassion, mercy, pity.
• to show mercy and concern, with the implication of sensitivity and compassion.

devote (Colossians 4:2) -prokartereo (4342) -

• to attend constantly.
• devote oneself to, continue in; keep close company with.
• to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty.
• to associate closely and continuously with.

sharing (Philemon 6) - koinonia (4342) -

• fellowship.
• fellowship, a close mutual relationship; participation, sharing in; partnership; contribution, gift.
• an association involving close mutual relations and involvement.
• to share one's possessions, with the implication of some kind of joint participation and mutual interest.
• that which is readily shared - 'willing gift, ready contribution.'

certainty (Luke 1:4) - asphaleia (803) -

• certainty, security.
• security, safety; accurate information, full truth.
• a state fo safety and security, implying a complete lack of danger.
• a state of certainty with regard to a belief - 'certainty, being without doubt.'

NASB translates this word as "exact truth".

consolation (Luke 2:25) - paraklesis (3874) -

• a calling to one's aid, i.e. encouragement, comfort.
• encouragement, help; comfort, appeal, request; salvation, setting free.
• to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled, either by verbal or non-verbal means.
• to ask for something earnestly and with propriety.

Spirit (Luke 3:16,22) - pneuma (4151) -

• wind, spirit.
• Spirit (of God); spirit, inner life, self; disposition, state of mind; breath; ghost, apparition.
• a title for the third person of the Trinity, literally 'spirit') - 'Spirit, Spirit of God, Holy Spirit.'
• to ask for something earnestly and with propriety.

Notes: Different languages, cultures, and religious thinking influence how to translate this word. Here are some examples of what works in different circumstances: 'the unseen one', 'the invisibleness of God', 'breath', 'shadow'. At other times, the Holy Spirit is named by phrases explaining something of the nature and activity of the Spirit: 'Spirit of God', 'the Eternal Spirit', and 'the Spirit of Truth'.

amazed (Luke 4:22) - thaumazo (2296) -

• to marvel, wonder.
• marvel, wonder, be amazed.
• to wonder or marvel at some event or object.

amazed (Luke 5:26) - ekstasis (1611) -

• a displacement (of the mind), i.e. bewilderment, ecstasy.
• amazement, trance, vision.
• a state of intense amazement, to the point of being beside oneself with astonishment.

Lord (Luke 6:5,46) - kurios (2962) -

• (authority); lord, master.
• Lord (of God and Christ); master, lord, owner; sir (of address).
• (a title for God and for Christ) one who exercises supernatural authority over mankind.
• one who owns and controls property, including especially servants and slaves, with important supplementary semantic components of high status and respect.

pay back (Luke 7:42) - apodidomi (591) -

• to give up, give back, return, restore.
• give; pay, render; give account.
• to make a payment with the implication of such a payment being in response to an incurred obligation.
• to recompense someone, whether positively or negatively, depending upon what the individual deserves.

commanded (Luke 8:29) - paraggello (3853) -

• to transmit a message, to order.
• command, order, give strict orders.
• to announce what must be done.

come after (Luke 9:23) -
come - erchomai (2064)

• to come, go.
• to move from one place to another, either coming or going.
• to move toward or up to the reference point of the viewpoint character or event.

after - opiso (3694)

• back, behind, after.
• after (after erchomai or related verbs often follow, be a disciple).
• a position behind an object or other position.
• marker of one who is followed as a leader.

woe (Luke 10:13) - ouai (3759) -

• alas! woe! (an expression of grief or denunciation).
• (interj.) how horrible it will be!
• (noun) horror, disaster, calamity.
• a state of intense hardship or distress.

hypocrite (Luke 13:15) - hupokrites (5273) -

• one who answers, an actor, a hypocrite.
• one who pretends to be other than what he is.
• pretender, one who acts hypocritically.

kingdom (Luke 14:15) - basileia (932) -

• kingdom, sovereignty, royal power.
• reign, rule; kingdom, domain.
• to rule as a king, with the implication of complete authority and the possibility of being able to pass on the right to rule to one's son or near kin.
• an area or district ruled by a king.

sinners (Luke 15:1,2) - hamartolos (268) -

• sinful.
• pertaining to sinful behavior.
• a person who customarily sins - 'sinner, outcast.' In contexts such as Luke 15:1,2 may refer to persons who were irreligious in the sense of having no concern for observing the details of the Law. Such people were often treated as social outcasts.

manager (Luke 16:1) - oikonomos (3623) -

• the manager of a household.
• steward, manager; treasurer (of a city); trustee.
• one who is in charge of running a household - 'manager of a household, steward.'
• one who has the authority and responsibility for something.

things that cause people to sin (Luke 17:1) - skandalon (4625) -

• a stick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare, a stumbling block, an offense.
• that which causes sin or gives occasion for sin; that which causes stumbling or trouble, obstacle.
• a trap, probably of the type which has a stick which when touched by an animal causes the trap to shut.
• that which causes offense and thus arouses opposition.

should (Luke 18:1) - dei (1162) -

• it is necessary.
• be necessary, must; should, ought; be proper.
• to be that which must necessarily take place, often with the implication of inevitablity.
• to be something which should be done as the result of compulsion, whether internal (as a matter of duty) or external (law, custom, and circumstances).

mutter (Luke 19:7) - diagogguzo (1234) -

• to murmur among themselves.
• complain, grumble.
• to express discontent in an emphatic way.

dared (Luke 20:40) - tolmao (5111) -

• to have courage, to be bold.
• dare, be brave or bold enough; take upon oneself (to do something).
• to be so bold as to challenge or defy possible danger or opposition.

death (Luke 21:16) - thanatoo (2289) -

• to put to death.
• kill, put to death; put in danger of death.
• to deprive a person of life, with the implication of this being the result by legal or quasi-legal procedures.

perish (Luke 21:18) - apollumi (622) -

• to destroy, destroy utterly.
• destroy; kill; lose; be lost, perish, be ruined; die; pass away.
• to destroy or cause the destruction of persons, objects or institutions.
• to lose something which one already possesses.

desired (Luke 22:15) - epithumeo (1937) -

• desire, lust after.
• long for, desire; covet; lust for.
• to greatly desire to do or have something.

Christ (Luke 23:2) - Christos (5547) -

• the Anointed One, Messiah, Christ.
• ('one who has been anointed') in the NT, titles for Jesus as the Messiah.
• (Greek translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic word 'Messiah') a proper name for Jesus.

recognized (Luke 24:16,31) - epiginosko (1921) -

• to know exactly, to recognize.
• know, perceive, understand; recognize, acknowledge; find out, learn; know well.
• to possess more or less definite information about, possibly with a degree of thoroughness or competence.
• to come to an understanding as the result of ability to experience and learn.
• to identify newly acquired information with what had been previously learned or known.

wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17,19-22,24,30) - sophia (4678) -

• skill, wisdom.
• wisdom, insight, intelligence, knowledge; Wisdom (of God).
• the capacity to understand, and, as a result, to act wisely.
• the content of what is know by those regarded as wise.
• knowledge which makes possible skillful activity or performance.

Word of the Day Archive - January -- April.

This post has all the words of the day from January through April. Format is: word (verse word is in) - original language word (Strongs #), followed by definitions. A Strongs # is an arbitrary but common way to identify words from Greek and Hebrew so they can be referenced, without fully knowing the original language.

salvation (Hebrews 2:3) - soteria (4491)

• deliverance, salvation, release, preservation, salvation (in the Christian sense).
• rescue from danger and to restore to a former state of safety and well being.
• a state of having been saved.
• the process of being saved.

apostle (Hebrews 3:1) - apostolos (652)

• lit., "one sent forth".
• a messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle.

make every effort (Hebrews 4:11) - spoudazo (4704)

• to make haste, to give diligence; to do one's best, spare no effort, work hard.
• to do something hurriedly with the implication of associated energy.
• to do something with intense effort and motivation.

made perfect (Hebrews 5:9) - teleioo (5048)

• to bring to an end; to complete, perfect.
• attaining an end or purpose, in the sense of being complete or perfect.
• bringing something to its designed goal.

enlightened (Hebrews 6:4) - photizo (5461)

• to shine, give light;
• give light to, shine on; bring to light, reveal, make known; enlighten, illumine (inwardly);
• to cause something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail.

repentance (Hebrews 6:6) - metanoia (3341)

• change of mind; repentance;
• change of heart, turning from one's sins, change of way;
• to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness

covenant[1] (Hebrews 7:22) - diatheke (1242)

• testament, will, covenant;
• the verbal content of an agreement between two persons specifying reciprocal benefits and responsibilities.

Greek word used in translating the Hebrew, berith. This word for final will or testament, was chosen over the Greek word for contract.

covenant[2] (Hebrews 8:6) - berith (Heb. 1285)

• a covenant;
• between nations: a treaty, alliance of friendship, between individuals: a pledge or agreement, with obligation between a monarch and subjects: a constitution.
• between God and man: a covenant accompanied by signs, sacrifices, and a solemn oath that sealed the relationship with promises of blessing for keeping the covenant and curses for breaking it.

mediator (Hebrews 9:15) - mesites (3316)

• an arbitrator, a mediator, go-between.
• to bring about an agreement; one who causes or helps parties to come to an agreement, with the implication of guaranteeing the certainty of the arrangement.

encouraging (Hebrews 10:25) - parakaleo (3870)

• to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage.
• beg, urge; encourage, speak words of encouragement; request, ask, appeal to; console, comfort, cheer up.
• to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled, either by verbal or non-verbal means.

promise (Hebrews 11:11) - epaggellomai (1861) -

• to proclaim, to promise.
• promise, profess, proclaim.
• to announce with certainty as to what one will do.

faith (Hebrews 11:1) - pistis (4102) -

• faith, faithfulness.
• faith, trust, belief; the Christian faith; conviction, good conscience.
• faithful and trustworthy, to be loyal and steadfast in devotion and allegiance.

endure (Hebrews 12:7) - hupomeno (5278) -

• to stay behind, to await, endure.
• hold out, stand firm; bear, put up with, undergo; remain, stay behind.
• to continue to bear up despite difficulty and suffering.

holy (Hebrews 13:12) - hagios (40) -

• sacred, holy.
• set apart to or by God, consecrated; morally pure, upright.
• pertaining to being holy in the sense of superior moral qualities and possessing certain essentially divine qualities in contrast with what is human - 'holy, pure, divine.'
• pertaining to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God - 'devout, godly, dedicated.'

set apart (Galatians 1:15) - aphorizo (873) -

• to mark off by boundaries from, i.e. set apart.
• separate, take away; exclude (from one's company); set apart, appoint.
• to set aside a person for a particular task or function.
• to separate into two or more parts or groups, often by some intervening space.

justified (Galatians 2:16) - dikaioo (1344) -

• to show to be righteous, declare righteous.
• put into a right relationship (with God); acquit, declare and treat as righteous; show or prove to be right; set free.
• to cause someone to be in a proper or right relationship with someone else.
• to demonstrate that something is morally right.

sons (Galatians 3:26) - huios (5207) -

• a son, sons.
• descendant, offspring, heir; often one who shares a special relationship with or a likeness to someone or somthing; disciple, follower.
• an immeditate male offspring.
• (when followed by the genitive class or kind) a person of a class or kind, specified by the following genitive -- sons of God.

Abba (v.4:6) - Abba (5) -

• of Aramaic origin; Abba, father.
• Father (a title for God) one who combines aspects of supernatural authority and care for his people.

Hebrew ab (1) -

• father, forefather, derived from the baby sounds like abab, or "papa".
• father in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application.

fulfilled (Galatians 5:14) - pleroo (4137) -

• to make full, to complete.
• fulfill, make come true, bring about (of Scripture).
• bring to completion; complete, accomplish, finish, make fully known.
• to make something total or complete.

joy (James 1:2) - chara (5479) -

• joy, delight.
• gladness, happiness; cause or object of joy.
• a state of joy and gladness.
• an inner gladness; a deep-seated pleasure; a depth of assurance and confidence that ignites a cheerful and rejoicing heart.

what he says (lit. "word") (James 3:2) - logos (3056) -

• a word, a statement, a speech.
• something said (e.g. word); saying, message, teaching; talk, conversation.
• that which has been stated or said, with primary focus upon the content of the communication.
• the act of speaking - speech.

submit (James 4:7) - hupotasso (5293) -

• to place or rank under, to subject.
• put in subjection, subject, subordinate; be subject, submit to, obey, be under the authority of.
• to bring something under the firm control of someone.

swear (James 5:12) - omnuo (3660) -

• to swear, take an oath.
• swear, vow, make an oath.
• to affirm the truth of a statement by calling on a divine being to execute sanctions against a person if the statement in question is not true.

fulfill (Matthew 1:22) - pleroo (4137) -

• to make full, to complete.
• fulfill, make come true, bring about (of Scripture); make full known, proclaim fully.
• to cause to happen, with the implication of fulfilling some purpose.

Magi (Matthew 2:1) - magos (3097) -

• a Magian, i.e. an (oriental) astrologer.
• wise man (of one trained in astrology and dream interpretation); magician, sorcerer.
• magi a person noted for unusual capacity of understanding based upon astrology (such persons were regarded as combining both secular and religious aspects of knowledge and understanding) - ‘a wise man and priest, a magus.' May be translated as 'men of wisdom who studied the stars.'

tempt (Matthew 4:1) - peirazo (3985) -

• to make proof of, to attempt, test, tempt.
• to endeavor or attempt to cause someone to sin.
• to try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing - to examine.

perfect (Matthew 5:48) - teleios (5046) -

• having reached it's end, i.e. complete; by extension perfect.
• complete, perfect, whole, mature (of persons).
• pertaining to being perfect in the sense of not lacking any moral quality.
• pertaining to that which is fully accomplished or finished.

worry (Matthew 6:25) - merimnao (3309) -

• to be anxious; to care for.
• be anxious, worry about, care for, be concerned about.
• to have an anxious concern, base on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune.

will (Matthew 7:21) - thelema (2307) -

• will, wish, desire.
• that which is desired or wished for.
• that which is purposed, intended, or willed.

authority (Matthew 8:9) - exousia (1849) -

• power to act, authority.
• authority, right, liberty, ability, capability, supernatural power, ruling power, government, official, jurisdiction.
• the right to control or govern over.
• the power to do something, with or without an added implication of authority.
• the domain or sphere over which one has authority to control or rule - jurisdiction.

follow (v.9:9) - akoloutheo (190) -

there is a sense of both immediacy and continuation in this imperative

• follow, accompany; be a disciple.
• to come/go behind or after someone else.
• to be a follower or a disciple of someone, in the sense of adhering to the teachings and instructions of a leader and in promoting the cause of such a leader.
• to follow or accompany someone who takes the lead in determining direction and route of movement.

disciple (v.10:24) -
mathetes (3101

• a disciple, pupil, follower.
• to follow, to be a disciple of; a person who is a disciple or follower of someone.
• a person who learns from another by instruction, whether formal or informal.

English -

• one who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
• an active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.

weary (Matthew 11:28) - kopiao (2872) -

• to grow weary, toil.
• work, work hard, labor.
• to engage in hard work, implying difficulties and trouble.
• to be tired or weary, as the result of hard or difficult endeavor.
• to become emotionally fatigued and discouraged.

generation (Matthew 12:39) - genea (1074) -

• race, family, generation.
• period, age (of time); family, posterity.
• people living at the same time and belonging to the same reproductive age-class.
• an ethnic group exhibiting cultural similarities.

parable (Matthew 13:3) - parabole (3850b) -

• a placing beside, a comparison.
• parable, proverb; figure, symbol.
• relatively short narrative with symbolic meaning; (tranlators' hint) 'a likeness story'.

Hebrew mashal (4912) -

• a proverb, parable, allegory, byword, taunt, discourse.
• extended parable, extended didatctic discourse.

worshiped (Matthew 14:33) - proskuneo (4352) -
pros + kuneo - at, toward + to kiss

• to do reverence to.
• worship; fall down and worship, kneel, bow low, fall at another's feet.
• to express by attitude and possibly by position one's allegiance to and regard for deity; to prostrate oneself in worship.

praised (Matthew 15:31) - doxazo (1392) -

• to render or esteem glorious.
• praise, honor, glorify, exalt.
• to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor.
• to attribute high status to someone by honoring.

deny (Matthew 16:24) - aparneomai (533) -

• to deny.
• disown, renounce claim to.
• to say that one does not know about or is in any way related to a person or event.
• to refuse to give thought to or express concern for; to say No to.

impossible (Matthew 17:20) - adunateo (101) -

• to be unable; powerless.
• pertaining to be impossible, presumably because of a lack of power to alter or control circumstances.
• pertaining to not being able to do or experience something.

forgive (Matthew 18:21) - aphiemi (863) -

• to send away, leave alone, permit.
• cancel, forgive, remit (of sin or debts); allow, let be, tolerate.
• to remove the guilt (as opposed to the sin, or the event) resulting from wrongdoing.
• to release a person from the obligation of repaying what is owed.