Contemplative Bible Reading

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. In this verse, Paul was referring to the old law as the “yoke of slavery.” The Galatians were reverting back to something they knew. They were “addicted” […]

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Titus 3:10 (New International Version) 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. This verse struck me this afternoon. Three strikes, and the person is out. I don’t know if this is the origin of three strikes in baseball. It seems that […]

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This is a tough topic. I don’t have all the answers and I’m not sure I have even half of the questions. In the spirit of weakness, let’s go into this. Proverbs 24:30-34 (New International Version) 30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; 31 […]

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This is one of those stories that takes about ten years to finish. Years ago, I saw parts of the 1982 (?) movie “Ghandi.” In one scene, Ghandi is speaking with a group of Indians in South Africa. They are upset about a government policy that will require them to do something they do not […]

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Isaiah 44:16-19 (NIV)ß 16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” 17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to […]

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Acts 4:20 (New International Version) For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. Two items struck me about this verse. What we have seen and heard First, “what we have seen and heard.” This is the answer to the “data question.” That is, what have you seen or heard to lead […]

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This note differs from most of the others. In it I am looking at the different translations of one verse – Mark 14:1. What grabbed my interest is the use of the work sly in the New International Version. I don’t recall seeing that word in many Bible passages. How did the other versions render […]

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Acts 8:4 (Revised Standard Version) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Now this is making the best of a bad situation. These people were really scattered. Saul and others were chasing them down to kill them. They had lots of motivation to scatter far, wide, and quickly. This was a bad […]

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