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The Deeper Meaning of the Presentation in the Temple

By Clement Harrold

For many Catholics, the fourth joyful mystery—the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple—can be a difficult scene to meditate on. What’s the episode about, anyway? And what might be its deeper meaning?

Beginning with the first question, it’s important to remember that the Presentation described in Luke 2:22-38 is not the circumcision of Jesus. That already took place eight days after His birth. Rather, the Presentation took place in order to fulfill two different dictates of the Mosaic Law.

The first of these, drawn from Leviticus 12, mandated that mothers needed to be purified forty days after giving birth to a male child. This is why the Presentation is celebrated in the Church’s calendar on February 2nd—also known as “Candlemas,” an allusion to Simeon’s words about the boy Jesus being “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32)—because the event takes place forty days after the nativity (counting December 25 as day one).

In order to make the purification, the mother in question was required to sacrifice a lamb as well as either a pigeon or a turtledove. The law made provision, however, for those families who were too poor to afford a lamb, in which case they could sacrifice two pigeons or two turtledoves instead. St. Luke goes out of his way to inform the reader that this is exactly what the Holy Family did, thereby reminding us of their material poverty (see Lk 2:24).

The second precept of the Mosaic Law which Mary and Joseph were following is the requirement from Exodus 13:2 that all firstborns be consecrated to God in a special way. More specifically, this ritual rested on the understanding that the firstborn naturally belonged to God, and so the child’s human parents were expected to “redeem” (from the Latin redimō , meaning to “buy back”) their child by paying five shekels to the priest.

All of this helps us to see that the Presentation in the Temple was about two important things: (1) the purification of Mary and (2) the redemption of baby Jesus. So far so good. But there are two other elements here which are worth paying attention to. For one thing, the Mosaic Law nowhere demanded that the purification or the redemption take place within the Temple. This means that the Holy Family was being extra devout by going to the Temple for this special day.

Additionally, there is one detail in the Presentation narrative which is startling for its absence. While St. Luke does mention that Mary and Joseph bought the two turtledoves, he never takes the time to mention the paying of the five shekels to redeem baby Jesus. In other words, he cites the redeeming-of-the-firstborns precept laid down in Exodus 13:2, but he leaves out a description of this redemption taking place. Why might that be?

For the late Pope Benedict XVI, in his Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives , the answer was obvious. St. Luke leaves a literary silence in the passage in order to drive home the point that the infant Jesus belongs to His Heavenly Father:

Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being “redeemed” and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God. . . . Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of “redemption” prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely. (p. 3)

Understanding this detail can help us bring the fourth joyful mystery to life in a new way. The Presentation isn’t just another boring religious ritual. On the contrary, it is a deeply symbolic moment pointing to Jesus’s divine identity, and to Mary and Joseph’s perfect cooperation with His divine mission.

KJV Dictionary Definition: present

PRES'ENT, a. s as z. L. proesens; proe and sum, esse, to be.

1. Being in a certain place; opposed to absent.

2. Being before the face or near; being in company. Inquire of some of the gentlemen present.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. John 14.

3. Being now in view or under consideration. In the present instance, facts will not warrant the conclusion. The present question must be decided on different principles.

4. Now existing, or being at this time; not past or future; as the present session of congress. The court is in session at the present time. We say, a present good,the present year or age.

5. Ready at hand; quick in emergency; as present wit.

'Tis a high point of philosophy and virtue for a man to be present to himself.

6. Favorably attentive; not heedless; propitious.

Nor could I hope in any place but there

To find a god so present to my prayer.

7. Not absent of mind; not abstracted; attentive.

The present, an elliptical expression for the present time.

At present, elliptically for, at the present time.

Present tense, in grammar, the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time, as I am writing; or something that exists at all times, as virtue is always to be preferred to vice; or it expresses habits or general truths, as plants spring from the earth; fishes swim; reptiles creep; birds fly; some animals subsist on herbage, others are carnivorous.

PRES'ENT, n. That which is presented or given; a gift; a donative; something given or offered to another gratuitously; a word of general application. Gen.32.

Presents' in the plural, is used in law for a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney or other writing; as in the phrase, "Know all men by these presents," that is, by the writing itself, per presentes. In this sense, it is rarely used in the singular.

presentable

PRESENT'ABLE, a. That may be presented; that may be exhibited or represented.

1. That may be offered to a church living; as a presentable clerk.

2. That admits of the presentation of a clerk; as a church presentable. Unusual.

presentation

PRESENTA'TION, n. The act of presenting.

Prayers are sometimes a presentation of mere desires.

1. Exhibition; representation; display; as the presentation of fighting on the stage.

2. In ecclesiastical law, the act of offering a clerk to the bishop or ordinary for institution in a benefice. An advowson is he right of presentation.

If the bishop admits the patron's presentation, the clerk so admitted is next to be instituted by him.

3. The right of presenting a clerk. The patron has the presentation of the benefice.

presentative

PRESENT'ATIVE, a. In ecclesiastical affairs, that has the right of presentation, or offering a clerk to the bishop for institution. Advowsons are presentative, collative or donative.

An advowson presentative is where the patron hath a right of presentation to the bishop or ordinary.

1. That admits the presentation of a clerk; as a presentative parsonage.

PRESENT'ED, pp. Offered; given; exhibited to view; accused.

PRESENT'ER, n. One that presents.

PRES'ENTLY, adv. s as z. At present; at this time.

The towns and forts you presently have.

1. In a short time after; soon after.

Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. Phil.2.

And presently the fig-tree withered away. Matt.21.

presentment

PRESENT'MENT, n. s as z. The act of presenting.

1. Appearance to the view; representation.

2. In law, a presentment, properly speaking, is the notice taken by a grand jury of any offense from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them at the suit of the king; as the presentment of a nuisance, a libel or the like, on which the officer of the court must afterwards frame an indictment, before the party presented can be put to answer it.

3. In a more general sense, presentment comprehends inquisitions of office and indictments.

In the United States, a presentment is an official accusation presented to a tribunal by the grand jury in an indictment; or it is the act of offering an indictment. It is also used for the indictment itself. The grand jury are charged to inquire and due presentment make of all crimes, &c. The use of the word is limited to accusations by grand jurors.

4. The official notice in court which the jury or homage gives of the surrender of a copyhold estate.

presentness

PRES'ENTNESS, n. s as z. Presence; as presentness of mind. Not used.

For a complete Scripture study system, try SwordSearcher Bible Software , which includes the unabridged version of this dictionary. Once you experience the swiftness and ease-of-use SwordSearcher gives you right on your own computer, combined with the most powerful search features available, you will never want to use the web to do online study again. Includes tens of thousands of topical, encyclopedic, dictionary, and commentary entries all linked to verses, fully searchable by topic or verse reference.

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The Real Meaning of the Presentation of the Lord

Perhaps, you are familiar with the story of Joseph and Mary taking the baby Jesus to the temple after his birth. This event is called the Presentation. But why is it called this and what is so significant about this event? Dr. Edward Sri answers these questions and explains the deeper meaning of the Presentation that few Christians understand.

Snippet from the Show Our lives are meant to be a sacrifice to God.

Quotation from Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI

“Luke begins by specifically quoting the law regarding consecration of the first-born: ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’ (2:23; cf. Ex 13:12). What is unusual about this account is that instead of then relating the redemption of Jesus, it speaks of a third event: Jesus’ presentation. Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being ‘redeemed’ and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God. The verb paristanai , here translate as ‘to present,’ also means ‘to offer’ in the way that sacrifices in the Temple were ‘offered.’ The language of sacrificial offering and priesthood is evoked here.

Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of ‘redemption’ prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely. None of the aforementioned acts prescribed by the law required an appearance in the Temple. Yet for Luke, Jesus’ first entry into the Temple as the locus of the event is essential. Here, in the place of encounter between God and his people, instead of the reclamation of the first born, what happens is that Jesus is publicly handed over to God, his Father.”

“To offer” or “to present”

Purification of a Woman After Childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8)

The Lord said to Moses: Tell the Israelites: When a woman has a child, giving birth to a boy, she shall be unclean for seven days, with the same uncleanness as during her menstrual period. On the eighth day, the flesh of the boy’s foreskin shall be circumcised, and then she shall spend thirty-three days more in a state of blood purity; she shall not touch anything sacred nor enter the sanctuary till the days of her purification are fulfilled. If she gives birth to a girl, for fourteen days she shall be as unclean as during her menstrual period, after which she shall spend sixty-six days in a state of blood purity.

When the days of her purification for a son or for a daughter are fulfilled, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a yearling lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtledove for a purification offering. The priest shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and thus she will be clean again after her flow of blood. Such is the ritual for the woman who gives birth to a child, male or female. If, however, she cannot afford a lamb, she may take two turtledoves or two pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering. The priest shall make atonement for her, and thus she will again be clean.

Repayment of the Firstborn (Numbers 18:15-16)

Every living thing that opens the womb, human being and beast alike, such as are to be offered to the Lord, shall be yours; but you must redeem the firstborn of human beings, as well as redeem the firstborn of unclean animals. For the redemption price of a son, when he is a month old, you shall pay the equivalent of five silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel, that is, twenty gerahs.

Isaiah 42:6

I, the Lord, have called you for justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

Isaiah 49:6

It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 52:10

The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth can see the salvation of our God.

Upcoming Events with Dr. Sri

Jan 31: St. Thomas More Parish Marriage Talk – Centennial CO
Feb 9-10: St. Vincent de Paul Parish Renewal Weekend – Austin TX
Feb 15: St. Rita Parish Mission – Wellington FL
Feb 16-17: Archdiocese of St. Louis Men’s Conference – St. Louis MO
Feb 21: St. Anna’s Catholic Church – Parish Lenten Mission – Monroe GA
Feb 22: Holy Trinity Catholic Church – Parish Lenten Mission – Peachtree City GA
Mar 1-2: Annual Diocesan Conference – Laredo TX
Mar 8-9: Catholic Men’s Conference of Maryland – Baltimore MD
Mar 13-14: St. Michael Catholic Church Parish Mission – St. Michael MN
Mar 15: Bishop Lucker Lecture for Diocese of New Ulm – Redwood Falls MN
Mar 20-21: St. Louis Catholic Church Parish Mission – Miami FL
Apr 5-6: Diocese of Charleston Eucharistic Congress – Columbia SC
Apr 19-20: Diocesan Eucharistic Congress – Altoona-Johnstown PA
June 20-23: St. Patrick Catholic Church – Summer Summit – London, England
June 23-July 1: Rome Pilgrimage
July 19-20: 2024 National Eucharistic Congress – Indianapolis IN
Aug 10: Discipleship Conference – Oklahoma City OK
Aug 23-24: Diocesan Faith Formation Conference – Tulsa OK
Sept 21: 2024 Annual Meeting and Investiture of the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem – Denver CO
Oct 3: Diocese of Harrisburg Annual Priest Workshop – Hunt Valley MD
Visit Dr. Sri’s website at www.edwardsri.com and to book online events with Dr. Sri email [email protected]
Find more of Dr. Sri’s episodes at www.ascensionpress.com/allthingscatholic
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Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.

Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri . Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.

Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.

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Our Response: How to Surrender Everything (Kerygma Part 5)

How to Cast a Fishing Net

Reflections for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Introduction: This feast commemorates how Jesus, as a baby, was presented to God in the Temple in Jerusalem. This presentation finds its complete and perfect fulfillment in the mystery of the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord. The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is a combined feast , commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child to God in the Temple and his buying back ( redemption ) from God. It is also known as the Feast of the Purification of Mary , and the Feast of Candlemas. It is also called the Feast of Encounter ( Hypapánte in Greek) because the New Testament, represented by the baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna. Joseph offered two pigeons in the Temple as sacrifice for the purification of Mary after her childbirth and for the presentation and redemption ceremonies performed for baby Jesus.

Homily starter anecdote: “Four chaplains Sunday: Julia Duin in the Washington Times Sunday, February 1, 2009 told this story. Just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943, an act of extraordinary unselfishness by a group of men became a legend of martyrdom and sacrifice. When the Army ship Dorchester was torpedoed by the Germans just south of Greenland that night, its passengers and crew had 25 minutes to get off the boat. As 902 people went for the life jackets, it quickly was discovered there weren’t near enough. Of the 13 lifeboats, only two functioned. In the ship’s final minutes, Methodist senior chaplain George Lansing Fox, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Dutch Reformed minister Clark V. Poling and John P. Washington, a Roman Catholic priest, were helping passengers leave the vessel. Then four men appeared all of them without life jackets. The chaplains quickly gave up their own vests and went down with the ship, perishing in the freezing water. Survivors saw them, locked arm in arm, praying and singing the Navy hymn, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” just before the ship dove beneath the waves. It was a night as dramatic as the sinking of the Titanic but without a blockbuster movie to record the drama. “The Four Immortal Chaplains,” as they are now known, have been honored many times, including on a stamp issued in their honor by the U.S. Postal Service. Hence the first Sunday in February is known as “Four Chaplains Sunday” in some Christian denominations. They presented and offered themselves completely for the wellbeing of others as Jesus was presented to God his Heavenly Father in the Temple of Jerusalem for the salvation of the world. ( http://frtonyshomilies.com/).

Scripture lessons summarized: In the first reading, taken from Malachi, the prophet speaks of the Lord suddenly coming to Jerusalem to purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire. Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who has come to the Temple, "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel." In the second reading, St. Paul proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God. He replaces the former priesthood. The Gospel describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the Child’s “redemption.” It also describes the Holy Family’s encounter with the old prophet Simeon and the holy old widow Anna. In his prophecy, Simeon extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men and predicts that Mary will play a crucial and sacrificial role in her Son's redemptive work by sharing in her Son's sufferings.

The first reading explained : Malachi prophesies in the first reading that the Lord is going to appear suddenly in the Temple of Jerusalem to purify its priests and the people . The prophecy warns that nobody can endure the day of the messenger's coming because he will be like a refining fire, purifying the sons of Levi. Led by the Spirit, Simeon saw the Infant Jesus as the fulfillment of this passage . Simeon, even if unknown to himself, foresaw Christ and His priests of the New Covenant who were ordained during the Last Supper. He saw Jesus as the Lord Who would come to the Temple, "destined to be the downfall and rise of many in Israel." In today's reading, Malachi prophesies that God will purify the lax, lazy and indifferent priests of His Temple as silver is purified by fire. At the time of Malachi (around 460-450 BC), the priests were offering blemished (blind, lame) sacrifices and giving bad example (1:6-2:4). The people were negligent in their support of the Temple (3:6-12). Israelite wives were being rejected by husbands who wished to marry foreign women (2:14-16). Social injustice was rampant (3:5), and the people doubted God’s love (1:2-5). Hence, Malachi reminds them that the Day of the Lord, a Day of Judgment, reward and retribution is coming. He describes the Divine intervention as a two-stage process. First God’s messenger will appear to prepare the way by purifying the clergy and refining the cult (v. 3). This purification will take place until they present offerings to the Lord in a spirit of justice and righteousness. Then, the Lord of Hosts will suddenly appear in the Temple (v. 1), to bring judgment and justice against unfaithful sinners (v. 5). The Psalm announces to Jerusalem that Jerusalem is about to receive a great visitor. The Psalmist identifies him as “The LORD of hosts … the king of glory.”

The second reading explained: The second reading proclaims Jesus as our Eternal High Priest of the New Covenant (Heb 2:17), Who offered Himself on the altar of Calvary, the only pure priestly sacrifice that could please God. The Didache or the first catechism of the early Church (14:1-3), saw Malachi’s prophecy of a pure sacrifice and offering made from east to west as a prophecy of the sacrifice of the Eucharist. Hence Malachi prophesies that the Lord will enter His Temple, there will be a renewed priesthood, and there will be a pure sacrifice offered worldwide and pleasing to God -- the Eucharist. Jesus became like us in all things except sin in order that He might offer to the Father perfect praise and glory. Besides, since Jesus fully shared our experience, He is now a merciful and faithful High Priest on our behalf, "able to help those who are being tested." Jesus replaces the former priesthood. In keeping with the theme of today’s feast, namely, the presentation of the first fruits, this excerpt from Hebrews emphasizes Jesus’ dual role, as first-fruits , par excellence , and as the faithful High priest Who presents the perfect gift of Himself to God for the expiation of human sin. By virtue of His Incarnation, Jesus became human in every way (vv. 17-18) except as regards sin. As representative of His brothers and sisters before God and as their Mediator, Christ perfected His service as both sacrifice and priest. By so doing, Christ was able to “rob the devil” of power (v. 14). As the first-fruits from the dead, as the conqueror of sin and death, Christ, in His person and through His mission, has set the course and cleared the way we are to follow; the decision to do so must be a daily and deliberate one. It takes faith to see God's power at work in the death of Jesus. Simeon hinted at this when he told Mary that she herself would be pierced with a sword. Even knowing that her Son was the Savior of the world, it would be difficult for Mary to see him accomplish that salvation by being crucified.

Exegesis of today’s Gospel: The birth of Christ was revealed by three kinds of witnesses in three different ways -- first, by the shepherds, after the angel's announcement; second, by the Magi, who were guided by a star; third, by Simeon and Anna, who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Today’s Gospel describes the Presentation of the Baby Jesus in the Temple. It was intended to ritually redeem Jesus who was the first born in the family and where Mary herself will have to be ritually purified. Mary and Joseph was a typical pious Jewish couple, who went to the Temple in obedience to do all that was required and expected of them by the Law.The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus is a combined feast , commemorating the Jewish practice of the purification of the mother after childbirth and the presentation of the child in the Temple. It is known as the Hypapánte feast or Feast of the Purification of Mary (by the offering two pigeons in the Temple), the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (by prayers and a sacrifice offered in the Temple to redeem or buy the firstborn male child back from the Lord), the Feast of Candlemas (because of its ancient rite of blessing of the candles to be used in the church for the next year — a practice dating from the middle of the fifth century) and the Feast of Encounter (because the New Testament, represented by the Baby Jesus, encountered the Old Testament, represented by Simeon and Anna). Originally, there was no connection between today’s festival and the blessing of candles. In the ancient East, this celebration occurred on February 14, forty days after Epiphany. On February 15, pagans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia , a great “light” festival. Perhaps this is an instance of the Church's “baptizing” a pagan custom. At the principal Mass, the celebrant blesses candles, and people take part in a candlelight procession. This should remind us that Jesus is our High Priest and the Light of the World.

Purification and redemption ceremonies : The Gospel describes how Joseph, as the head of the Holy Family of Nazareth, presented Mary and the baby Jesus in the Temple of God for the mother’s purification and the child’s “redemption.” According to Leviticus 12:2-8, a woman who bore a child was unclean for forty days following the birth of a son or eighty days following the birth of a daughter. Although Mary, the most holy of women, ever-Virgin, was exempt from these precepts of the Law, because of her miraculous conception, she chose to submit herself to the Law just like any other Jewish mother. Joseph and Mary showed their total submission to Law and obey the norms prescribed by the Old Testament. The custom was practiced probably for the physical and emotional re-integration of the new mother into the community. There was a religious reason as well. Exodus 13:2, 12-13 prescribes that every first-born male belongs to God and must be set apart for the Lord, that is, dedicated to the service of God. However, once divine worship was reserved to the tribe of Levi, first-born who did not belong to that tribe were not dedicated to God's service, and to show that they continued to be God's special property, a rite of redemption was performed. The Law also commanded that the Israelites should offer in sacrifice some lesser victim -- for example, a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of doves or two pigeons. The Book of Numbers 18: 15 taught that since every Jewish firstborn male child belonged to Yahweh, the parents had to “buy back” (redeem), the child by offering a lamb or turtledoves as a sacrifice in the Temple. The price of redemption for a human baby is five shekels of silver (Num 18:15-16). Jesus never needed to be "bought back," as he belonged wholly to the Lord, but Joseph kept these laws as an act of obedience to God.

The encounter with Simeon and Anna : By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the old, pious and Spirit-filled Simeon and Anna had been waiting in the Temple for the revelation of God’s salvation. The Greek Church celebrates the Hypapánte or Feast of the Encounter commemorating the encounter of the New Testament represented by Jesus with the Old Testament represented by Simeon and Anna. Simeon, who is described as a righteous and devout man, obedient to God's will, addresses himself to our Lord as a vassal or loyal servant who, having kept watch all his life in expectation of the coming of his Lord, sees that this moment has "now" come, the moment that explains his whole life. When he takes the Child in his arms, he learns, not through any reasoning process but through a special grace from God, that this Child is the promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Light of the nations. Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Lord’s anointed one, and in his prayer of blessing he prophesies that Jesus is meant to be the glory of Israel and the light of revelation to the Gentiles. Pope Francis: “Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally “seen” salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigor and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.”

Simeon’s prophecy: Simeon's canticle (verses 29-32) is also a prophecy. It consists of two stanzas: the first (verses 29-30) is his act of thanksgiving to God, filled with profound joy for having seen the Messiah. The second (verses 31-32) is more obviously prophetic and extols the divine blessings which the Messiah is bringing to Israel and to all men. The canticle highlights the fact that Christ brings redemption to all men without exception -- something foretold in many Old Testament prophecies (cf. Genesis 22:18; Isaiah 2:6; 42:6; 60:3; Psalm 28:2). While Simeon blessed Mary, he warned her that her child would be “ a sign of contradiction, ” and that she would be “ pierced with a sword.” Simeon was prophesying both the universal salvation that would be proclaimed by Jesus and the necessity of suffering in the mission of the Messiah. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, yet He would be a sign of contradiction because some people would obstinately reject Him -- and for this reason He would be their ruin. But for those who would accept Him with faith, Jesus would be their salvation, freeing them from sin in this life and raising them up to eternal life. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph marveled, but not because they did not know who Christ was. They were in awe at the way God was revealing Him.

The paradox of blessedness: Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also would become a sword which would pierce her heart as her Son died upon the cross. The words Simeon addressed to Mary announced that she would be intimately linked with her Son's redemptive work. The sword indicated that Mary would have a share in her Son's sufferings. Her suffering would be an unspeakable pain which would pierce her soul. Our Lord suffered on the cross for our sins, and it is those sins which forged the sword of Mary's pain. Mary received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises. Jesus promised his disciples, "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). The Lord gives us a supernatural joy which enables us to bear any sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way. Do you know the joy of a life fully surrendered to God with faith and trust? According to Dr. Scot Hann, the feast we celebrate shows a curious turn of events. The Redeemer is redeemed. She who is all-pure presents herself to be purified. Such is the humility of our God. Such is the humility of the Blessed Virgin. They submit to the law even though they are not bound by it.

Anna’s encounter with the Lord and her testifying to the Messiah: Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow who spent her days in the Temple in fasting and prayer, waiting for the promised Messiah. She was rewarded with the joy of seeing her Redeemer as a Baby. In her excitement, she praised God and introduced the Infant to others around her as the expected Messiah. Supernatural hope grows with prayer and age! Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. She is a model of godliness for all believers as we advance in age. Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and His promises grew with age. She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and the service of God's people. We grow in hope by placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. After completing the presentation and redemption of baby Jesus and the ritual purification of Mary and the meeting with Simeon and Anna, Joseph and Mary understood more fully their responsibility before God to protect the child as they return to Nazareth

Life messages : 1) Every Holy Mass in which we participate is our presentation . Although we were officially presented to God on the day of our Baptism, we present ourselves and our dear ones on the altar before God our Father through our Savior Jesus Christ at every Holy Mass. Hence, we need to live our daily lives with the awareness both that we are dedicated people consecrated to God and that we are obliged to lead holy lives.

2) We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit to recognize the presence of Jesus in ourselves and in others: All those who, like Simeon and Anna, persevere in piety and in the service of God, no matter how insignificant their lives seem in men's eyes, become instruments the Holy Spirit uses to make Christ known to others. In His plan of redemption, God makes use of these simple souls to do much good for all mankind. In other words, The Holy Spirit employs ordinary men and women with simple faith as His instruments to bear witness to Christ, His ideals and teachings, just as He used Simeon and Anna. The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to us when we are receptive and eager to receive Him. Let us be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit within us to recognize the indwelling presence of the Lord with us and in others. (Fr. Antony Kadavil)

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What’s Happening at the Presentation of the Lord?

Forty days after his birth, Christ was presented at the Temple. Why?

Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1290-1348), “The Presentation”

Feb. 2 is the Feast of the the Presentation of the Lord.

We read about the presentation of the Lord in Luke Chapter 2, but the text can be a little mysterious.

What is actually happening there?

Some claim that Luke himself didn't know...

What Luke Says

Here is what Luke (2:22-24) actually says about the event:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ’Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’

He then records the encounters with Simeon and Anna the prophetess, but at the moment our focus is what Luke refers to as “their purification.”

What is he talking about?

The Purification of the Mother

The first thing to note is that Luke is not talking about the time of Jesus' circumcision. That occurred on the eighth day after his birth . Luke has already talked about that and is now referring to a later time.

Specifically, he's talking about the 40th day after Christ's birth.

We know that because of he quotes from Leviticus 12:8 (“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons”), which refers to the purification ritual that a Jewish mother needed to perform to become ritually clean again after childbirth.

In the case of a boy, this was on the 40th day after childbirth (which is why this feast is on Feb. 2 — 40 days after Christmas, counting Dec. 25 as the first day).

In the case of a girl child, the purification was later.

This leads to a question ...

Why “Their” Purification?

Leviticus only mentions the purification of the mother, not anybody else. So why does Luke refer to the time of “their” purification?

Some have thought Luke was fuzzy on how all this was supposed to work.

That seems unlikely to me. Luke may have been a Gentile Christian, but he was living amidst numerous Jewish Christians, and in keeping with his habit of investigating things thoroughly, he would have been able to find out precisely how these things worked.

I think another explanation is more likely, and there are several possible ones.

One is that Luke is just speaking in a general way. The rite of purification was something that the whole family was present for. They all made the journey to the temple together, and so it was in some sense “their” effort, even if it was Mary in particular who was being ritually purified.

If a modern family goes to a restaurant to celebrate the birthday of one of it’s members, it is in one sense “their” party, even if in another sense it is the party of the one having the birthday.

In the same way, if the whole family goes to the temple for a purification, Luke can speak of it as “their” purification, even if they aren’t all being purified.

A Poor But Obedient Family

There are a couple more things to note about Mary’s purification.

The first is that the offering she made indicates that the Holy Family was poor. The ordinary offering was a lamb and a dove, but in cases where a family was too poor for that, two doves were used instead.

Despite its noble lineage, belonging to the line of David, Joseph’s family had fallen on hard times and was among the poor.

They were still obedient to what the Law of Moses required, though. This is the reason why Mary offers the second dove as “a sin offering” (see Leviticus 12:6), though she herself was immaculate.

This act does not indicate that she was a sinner any more than Jesus' circumcision, baptism, or participation in other sacrificial rites indicates that he was a sinner.

And there is more happening here ...

The Redemption of the Firstborn

Luke also quotes Exodus 13:2, which deals with the redemption of firstborn males.

The idea behind this ritual was that every male firstborn — whether human or animal — is holy to God, the same way that the firstfruits of a crop were holy to God.

Consequently, they had to either be given to God in sacrifice or redeemed — bought back from him.

Since human sacrifice was illegal and immoral, all firstborn boys had to be redeemed, which was done by their father paying a priest five shekels.

Luke Confused Again?

Again, people accuse Luke of being confused about this. It is argued that the redemption of the firstborn didn't take place at the Temple, and so there was no reason for the Holy Family to bring Jesus there.

Again, the criticism is misplaced.

While it may have been possible for a boy to be redeemed anywhere, it was natural for this to be done at the temple, and we know — in fact — that there was a tradition of doing so.

We read about that in Nehemiah 10:35-36, where the people took an oath, saying:

We obligate ourselves ... to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law.

No Mention of Redemption?

Interestingly, Luke does not mention Joseph paying the five shekels to a priest. Why not?

It could be that he simply takes this act for granted, just as he doesn't go into the details of the rite of Mary’s purification. He has cited the Old Testament passages referring to these rites, and he takes that as sufficient indication they were performed.

But some have thought there may be a deeper significance to his failing to mention Jesus being redeemed.

Why might that be?

Still Consecrated

The obvious answer would be that Jesus was considered as still consecrated to the Lord.

Two reasons suggest themselves. First, as the Jewish Encyclopedia notes :

Not only priests and Levites, but also Israelites whose wives are the daughters of priests or Levites, need not redeem their firstborn .

Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, who was “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5), so perhaps Mary's lineage didn't require her to have her Son redeemed.

In that case, he was presented at the Temple in acknowledgement of his consecration to God.

Or, if the redemption was done, Luke may meant to suggest, on a literary level, that Jesus remained totally consecrated to God.

Benedict XVI comments:

Evidently Luke intends to say that instead of being ‘redeemed’ and restored to his parents, this child was personally handed over to God in the Temple, given over completely to God. ... Luke has nothing to say regarding the act of 'redemption' prescribed by the law. In its place we find the exact opposite: the child is handed over to God, and from now on belongs to him completely. (Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives: 3)

This article originally appeared Feb. 2, 2014, at the Register.

presentation

Jimmy Akin Jimmy was born in Texas and grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant pastor or seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith. Eventually, he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, “A Triumph and a Tragedy,” is published in Surprised by Truth . Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine , and a weekly guest on “Catholic Answers Live.”

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Why do Catholics celebrate the feast of the Presentation?

This feast day celebrates both the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, as well as the Purification of Mary, which was required by the Mosaic Law forty days after the birth of a child.

The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2, also called Candlemas for the custom of using lighted candles. In the early Church it was often celebrated on February 14th, 40 days after the Epiphany, in keeping with the practice of celebrating Christmas on that date in the East. Among the Orthodox it is known as the Hypapante (“Meeting” of the Lord with Simeon).

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The Holy Rosary is an amazing prayer, encouraged by popes, loved by saints, and prayed by the faithful. Many miracles have come from this beautiful devotion. At its heart, the Rosary is a meditation on Sacred Scripture, on the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Through this Scriptural Rosary, we hope that you will be able to better meditate on each Hail Mary and deepen your understanding of Sacred Scripture. Use the form below to get your free copy of, The Scriptural Rosary .

Why is the Presentation of Jesus important?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 529) teaches,

The presentation of Jesus in the temple shows him to be the firstborn Son who belongs to the Lord. With Simeon and Anna, all Israel awaits its encounter with the Savior-the name given to this event in the Byzantine tradition. Jesus is recognized as the long-expected Messiah, the “light to the nations” and the “glory of Israel,” but also “a sign that is spoken against.” The sword of sorrow predicted for Mary announces Christ's perfect and unique oblation on the cross that will impart the salvation God had “prepared in the presence of all peoples.”

It is also important to note that, as a poor family, the Holy Family gave an offering of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. However, the Lamb whom they brought to the Temple was the Lamb of God.

At what age was Jesus presented in the temple?

He was presented when He was still a newborn, only 40 days old.

“In the mysterious encounter between Simeon and Mary, the Old and New Testaments are joined. Together the aging prophet and the young mother give thanks for this Light which has kept the darkness from prevailing. It is the Light which shines in the heart of human life: Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, ‘a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory of his people Israel.’” – Pope St. John Paul II

Who are Simeon and Anna in the Bible?

The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40 states:

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Regarding Simeon and Anna, Pope Benedict XVI said,

Even the priests proved incapable of recognizing the signs of the new and special presence of the Messiah and Saviour. Alone two elderly people, Simeon and Anna, discover this great newness. Led by the Holy Spirit, in this Child they find the fulfilment of their long waiting and watchfulness. They both contemplate the light of God that comes to illuminate the world and their prophetic gaze is opened to the future in the proclamation of the Messiah: “Lumen ad revelationem gentium!” (Lk 2:32). The prophetic attitude of the two elderly people contains the entire Old Covenant which expresses the joy of the encounter with the Redeemer. Upon seeing the Child, Simeon and Anna understood that he was the Awaited One.

“… while we are still at the dawn of Jesus’ life, we are already oriented to Calvary. It is on the Cross that Jesus will be definitively confirmed as a sign of contradiction, and it is there that his Mother’s heart will be pierced by the sword of sorrow. We are told it all from the beginning, on the 40th day after Jesus’ birth, on the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, so important in the Church’s liturgy.” - Pope St. John Paul II

What does the name “Simeon” mean?

This is a Hebrew name that means “he has heard” or “God has heard.”

When is St. Simeon’s feast day?

The Church celebrates his feast day on the day after Candlemas, February 3.

Was Simeon a prophet?

In Hebrew navi, a prophet is one who tells, a spokesperson of God, speaking divine truth, or foretelling what will be the consequences for the future. On both counts, Simeon was a prophet, who revealed the truth about who Jesus was, as well as the implications for Israel, for Jesus Himself and for Mary.

What does the name “Anna” mean?

Originally taken from the Hebrew name Hannah, it means “favor” or “grace.”

When is St. Anna’s feast day?

Anna the Prophetess shares a feast day with St. Simeon on February 3.

“In the encounter between the old man Simeon and Mary, a young mother, the Old and New Testaments come together in a wondrous way in giving thanks for the gift of the light that shone in the darkness and has prevented it from prevailing: Christ the Lord.” - Pope Benedict XVI

What did Simeon say when he saw Jesus?

St. Simeon offered this prayer,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

Called the Nunc Dimittis, for the first words in the Latin Vulgate, it is one of the three major Canticles used in the Church’s liturgy. It is said each evening at the end of Night Prayer, the last Divine Office of the Liturgy of the Hours, or Breviary. The other Canticles are that of Zechariah, used for Lauds or Morning Prayer, and of Mary (the Magnificat), used for Vespers or Evening Prayer.

What did Simeon say about Mary?

After speaking of Jesus, St. Simeon then spoke to Mary of her role of accompanying her Son in His redemptive suffering. Simeon reveals, as well, Mary’s own mission of intercession and compassion for us, her spiritual children.

Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:34-35)

“This is the meeting point of the two Testaments, Old and New. Jesus enters the ancient temple; he who is the new Temple of God: he comes to visit his people, thus bringing to fulfilment obedience to the Law and ushering in the last times of salvation.” - Pope Benedict XVI

Who is Anna in the Bible?

Anna is the prophetess who saw the Holy Family at the Presentation of Jesus at the temple. The Gospel of Luke 2:36-38 tells us about Anna:

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

What does the Purification of Mary mean?

The purification was ritual, preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards. Thus, the Jewish priest purified himself by bathing before entering the holy place, and, similarly, the priest at Mass washes his hands before beginning the Eucharistic Prayer and handing the Body and Blood of Christ.

Mary, although morally pure, fulfilled her religious obligations by being purified 40 days after Jesus’ birth. Throughout her life, the Blessed Mother was always obedient to God’s Will, in this case expressed through the laws given to Israel through Moses.

“Simeon’s words seem like a second Annunciation to Mary, for they tell her of the actual historical situation in which the Son is to accomplish his mission, namely, in misunderstanding and sorrow. While this announcement on the one hand confirms her faith in the accomplishment of the divine promises of salvation, on the other hand it also reveals to her that she will have to live her obedience of faith in suffering, at the side of the suffering Savior, and that her motherhood will be mysterious and sorrowful.” — Pope St. John Paul II

Why is it called Candlemas Day?

This is the day when candles are blessed in the Church and traditionally have been lit in celebration of the feast.

Pope St. John Paul II said, “Christian traditions of the East and West have been interwoven, enriching the liturgy of this feast with a special procession in which the light of candles both large and small is a symbol of Christ, the true Light who came to illumine his people and all peoples.”

How many days after Christmas is Candlemas celebrated?

Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christmas. According to Leviticus 12, women should be purified 40 days after a son’s birth (33 days after the boy’s circumcision) and 80 days after a daughter’s birth. The purification was ritual, and preparatory to worship, in this case after the momentous events of childbirth and the time of rest or “laying in” afterwards.

Is Candlemas the end of Christmas?

In the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite, the liturgical forms and calendar as revised after the Second Vatican Council, the last day of the Christmas Season is the Baptism of Our Lord, when His hidden life ended and His public ministry began.

However, the Church maintains an Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite which utilizes the forms and calendar in use prior to the Council. In this usage, the Christmas Season continues until the Feast of the Presentation. Many Catholics, therefore, maintain their Christmas decorations through Candlemas.

What is the significance of Candlemas Day?

Pope St. John Paul II said,

The prophetic words spoken by the aged Simeon shed light on the mission of the Child brought to the temple by his parents: “Behold this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against ... that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). To Mary Simeon said: “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Lk 2:35). The hymns of Bethlehem have now faded and the cross of Golgotha can already be glimpsed; this happens in the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered. The event we are commemorating today is thus a bridge as it were, linking the two most important seasons of the Church's year.

What do you eat on Candlemas?

Pancakes are the traditional choice on Candlemas. In Mexico, people eat tamales on this feast day, and in France, they eat crepes.

What are the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary?

The Joyful Mysteries include:

The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity of Our Lord
The Presentation in the Temple
The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

What is the World Day for Consecrated Life?

The Presentation is celebrated in the Church as the World Day for Consecrated Life. Pope St. John Paul II instituted this annual celebration in 1997 as a day of prayer for religious men and women and other consecrated persons. This recalls the special offering which they have made to the Lord through their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In Rome, the Holy Father celebrates a special Mass for them at St. Peter’s, which the religious living in Rome attend.

Pope Benedict XVI said,

The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple is an eloquent image of the total gift of one’s life for all those, men and women, who are called to represent “the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 1) in the Church and in the world, through the evangelical counsels. For this reason Venerable John Paul II chose today’s Feast to celebrate the Annual World Day of Consecrated Life.

Where the world comes to study the Bible

You are here, recent articles, from the series: core faith: understanding the essentials of the christian life previous page | next page, lesson 6: principles of biblical interpretation.

As a Protestant I cherish the NT teaching on the priesthood of believers—that each Christian has the right to his own interpretation, but also that each Christian has the responsibility to get it right. ―Daniel Wallace

Introduction

When it comes to making claims about what the Bible means, sometimes we hear comments from Christians or non-Christians like the following: “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” “The Bible can be made to say anything you want.” “You can’t really understand the Bible. It is full of contradictions.” “No one can understand the true meaning of anything anyone says.” Or, someone sitting in a Bible study might say, “This is what the Bible means to me.” All of these types of comments are about principles of biblical interpretation also called in theological jargon hermeneutics. Welcome to our postmodern world. Pilate’s question lives on: “What is truth? (John 18:38).”

Some issues that we as Christians face regarding the topic of biblical interpretation include: How does divine inspiration and human authorship affect biblical interpretation? What does a text mean? What are some general principles of interpretation? How do we interpret the Old Testament? How do we interpret the New Testament? These are all critical questions for us to consider as we seek to become better interpreters of God’s word, the Bible.

What Does a Text Mean?

The last lesson looked at the topic of inspiration and found that the Bible is both a human book and a divine book. There are certain implications of this for biblical interpretation. The first is that the human authors had a specific historical audience, context and purpose. These authors used their own language, writing methods, style of writing and literary form of writing. The divine authorship of the Bible gives it its unity and the ultimate source of all interpretation is from God. In the book of Genesis Joseph was asked about the meaning of some divinely given dreams and he replied, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? (Gen 40:8).

So let’s just start with the most basic question. What does a text mean? The answer to this question is that a text means what the author intended it to mean . If there is only one thing you learn from this lesson this is it. For a simple example, if you wrote a letter with some statements in it that are a little ambiguous, then what does the letter mean? Does it mean what you intended it to mean or how the readers interpret it? Of course it means what you intended it to mean. The true meaning of a text resides in the authorial intent of the text. This leads us to the first primary and fundamental principle of interpreting the Bible.

General Principles of Biblical Interpretation

Principle 1: Interpretation must be based on the author’s intention of meaning and not the reader. This means we must get into the author’s context, historically, grammatically, culturally and the literary forms and conventions the author was working in. To be able to do this some good Bible study tools are needed since we are 2000 years or more removed from the biblical authors and their context is very different than ours. The first tool that any one should get is a good study Bible with notes that explain historical and cultural background information. Most major Bible translations come in editions with these types of notes but by far the NET Bible with its over 60,000 notes surpasses them all. Get the most extensive Study Bible that goes with the translation you use. After this, good evangelical commentaries are essential tools to study the Bible but make sure to look at a couple to get a variety of perspectives. When someone in a Bible study states what the verse means to him, we need to redirect and clarify that the meaning is what the author intended. After that the question then is how that historical meaning applies to us today. The second principle of biblical interpretation should also be considered foundational.

Principle 2: Interpretations must be done in the context of the passage. What does the following mean? “It was a ball.” Well, the answer depends on the context. Consider the following sentences: The baseball umpire saw the pitch drift to the outside and said, “it was a ball.” We went to the dance last night, in fact it was so formal “it was a ball.” As I was walking along the golf course I spotted something small and white in the tall grass, “it was a ball.” I had so much fun at the game night, “it was a ball.” In each case the word ball means something different. Therefore, context determines meaning ! The nearest context must be given the most weight in interpretation. First, there is the near context of the sentence, then the paragraph, then the section and then the book and even author. The interpreter should look at all these circles of context to be able to correctly assess the meaning.

Far too often people try to interpret a verse by itself in isolation without looking at the context itself. For example, consider the verse Revelation 3:20 which is sometimes used as an illustration for evangelism. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me (Rev 3:20; NASB) . 1 If this is all you looked at, it would be easy to understand the verse in terms of someone asking Jesus into his or her life for the first time. But the context in the preceding verse (v. 19) is talking about discipline of those whom Jesus loves, which would most naturally refer to believers. Also, in looking at the larger paragraph the passage is to a church (Rev 3:14, 22). The verse is really addressed to believers who need to repent from their sin and return to fellowship with God.

Principle 3: Interpret the Bible literally ( or normally ) allowing for normal use of figurative language. Take the plain meaning of the text at face value. When the literal does not make sense you probably have a figure of speech. For example, Isaiah 55:12 states the trees of the field will clap their hands. Since trees do not have hands or clap this must be a figure of speech. Look for words such as “like” or “as” which can also communicate a figure of speech. Figures of speech and illustrations give the Bible a powerful and colorful means of expression. They are an important part of the normal expression of language.

Principle 4: Use the Bible to help interpret itself. Interpret difficult passages with clear ones. This is sometimes called the law of non-contradiction. Because the Bible is God’s word, and God is true, the Bible will not contradict itself. For example, there are clear passages that teach the doctrine of eternal security, that once a person is truly saved he or she cannot lose salvation (John 5; Rom 8). Some passages in the Bible are very hard to interpret like Hebrews 6:4-6. 2 So I would let the overall and clear theology of the Bible influence me that a very hard passage like Hebrews 6 is not teaching that someone can lose his salvation. Also, use the New Testament to help interpret the Old Testament. This recognizes the progressive nature of revelation, that is the Bible is giving more revelation on topics over time. But one must start by interpreting the Old Testament text in its context before a New Testament consideration is made.

Principle 5: Interpretation must be distinguished from application. While there is one interpretation that is historical, there are many applications that can be carried over to our modern context. Build an application bridge from the interpretation to the timeless principle and then to the application now. For example in John 12, Mary anoints Jesus with very expensive oil. The historical context records a historical event. The interpretation relates only to what Mary did to Jesus. What about us today? An application might be that we are willing to give sacrificially for the Lord’s work and give Jesus acts of worship as Mary did. Or when Jesus states the principle in Matt 7 to love one’s enemies it is a general command that I might apply specifically by loving a worker who undermines me or a neighbor who offends me.

Principle 6: Be sensi tive to distinctions between Israel and the church and Old Covenant and New Covenant eras/requirements. Promises made to Israel in the Old Testament cannot automatically be transferred to the church in which we are a part. For example, the land promises were given to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:7) but that does not include me, a Gentile Christian. Christians are not under the requirements of the Mosaic law (Rom 6:14). For example, in Lev 19:19 there is a command “you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of fabric.” This was a binding command under the Mosaic law but not under the terms of the New Covenant. It is true that certain Old Testament commands repeated in the New Testament are still binding, but this is made clear by their repetition in the New Testament. The church was formed in Acts 2 with the descent of the Holy Spirit and most direct statements to and about the church occur after that. Also, there is a future for national Israel (cf. Rom 11) in which many Old Testament promises will yet be fulfilled and certain practices of the church age will come to an end at the second coming of Jesus (such as the Lord’s supper 1 Cor 11:26).

Principle 7: Be sensitive to the type of literature you are in. The Bible contains many different types of literature: law, narrative, wisdom, poetry, gospel, parable, epistle, and apocalyptic. Each of these types of literature has specific features that must be considered when interpreting a text. Some of these will be examined in the next section. For now we need to understand that where we are in the Bible makes a big difference on how we interpret and apply it.

Interpreting the Old Testament

Narrative Literature: Much of the Old Testament contains narrative literature. First, the passage needs to be interpreted in its historical context and then applications can be drawn from the characters and events. In the book of Judges, only one verse is given to the judge Shamgar. It reads, “After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath; he killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad 3 and he too delivered Israel” (Judges 3:31). Why did God include this passage? Yes, it records an historical event. Also, the verse teaches God’s delivering power can come in an unexpected way, not with a mighty army but with one man wielding an oxgoad.

Law: Realize that Christians are not under the law as a legal system (Rom 6:14) but that we are to fulfill the principles that stand behind the law of loving God and loving one’s neighbor (cf. Matt 22:37-40)? Sometimes the teaching is carried directly into the New Testament (e.g., Do not murder, etc). Other times, the New Testament takes a text and applies a principle from it. For example, “You must not muzzle your ox when it is treading grain” (Deut 25:4). Paul takes this verse, which refers to feeding a work animal and applies the principle of the Christian worker being worthy of tangible support. Paul states, “Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching. For the scripture says, ‘ Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain ,’ and, ‘The worker deserves his pay’” (1 Tim 5:17-18, cf. 1 Cor 9:9). In general, if the Old Testament command in the law is not repeated in the New Testament, look for the principle behind the statement in the law and then try to apply that.

Wisdom Literature: Realize that much of the proverbial type of wisdom in the Old Testament is general truth based on observations but not absolute truths or promises. Two good examples are seen in the following: “A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath” (Prov 15:1). Another one is, “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Prov 22:6). Christians should not take these types of proverbial statements as promises of what will always happen but rather patterns that are generally true outcomes based on observation. A gentle answer will not always prevent an angry outburst but it is much more likely to than a harsh one. Christian parents who have a child who has gone astray from the faith may have done their best to train the child the right way but the child did not take it.

Poetry: Realize that poetry often has a greater use of figurate language than narrative or law. Also, Hebrew poetry’s main characteristic is parallelism. For example, Psalm 24 says, “The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. For he set its foundation upon the seas, and established it upon the ocean currents. Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?” (Ps 24:1-3). Here we have three sets of pairs in side by side fashion with the second reference restating the basic idea of the first. The phrase “the earth and all it contains” is amplified by the phrase “the world and all who live in it”. The phrase “he sets its foundation upon the seas” is rephrased “established it upon the ocean currents.” The question of who is allowed to ascend to the mountain of the Lord is restated “Who may go up to his Holy Dwelling place?” Most English Bible translations will format poetry using indentation, which helps show the parallel ideas.

Interpreting the New Testament

Gospels: Understand that each writer has a specific audience for whom he is writing, and that he has selected his material for them. Matthew was written for a Jewish audience. Mark was written for a Roman audience. Luke was written for a Greek audience. John was written for a universal or Gentile audience. This can help us see nuances or explain differences between accounts. For example, in Matthew 19:1-12 and Mark 10:1-12 Jesus teaches on the hard topic of divorce. Both gospels state that a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. Mark alone though adds the point that if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she commits adultery against him. Why is this difference there? It probably has to do with the audience. Matthew is writing to a Jewish culture in which a woman could not divorce her husband while Mark is writing to a Roman audience in which one could.

Read the gospels not only verticall y, that is, understanding what is said in each individual account, but also horizontally , that is, considering why one account follows another. For example, see Mark 2-3:6; what do these various accounts have in common? One can notice that they are all different stories that relate to the conflict that Jesus had with the Jewish leadership. Mark 3:6 reads, “So the Pharisees went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians as to how they could assassinate him.” The stories are grouped in a way that gives an explanation as to why Jesus was rejected as strongly as he was.

Lastly, recognize that the gospels are in a transitional stage between Old and New Covenants. Jesus lived in the context of Judaism prior to the birth of the church. For example, Jesus is keeping the Old Testament prescribed feasts in many of his journeys to Jerusalem. Also, he is introducing changes that will be inaugurated with the start of the New Covenant. For example, in Mark 7 Jesus declared all foods clean which was a change from the Old Testament dietary laws. 4

Parables. 5 Parables are a form of figurative speech. They are stories that are used to illustrate a truth. There are parables in different parts of the Bible but Jesus was the master of them and many are found in the gospels (e.g., Matt 13, Mark 4, Luke 15). How then should we interpret the parables? First, determine the context that prompted the parable. Parables always arise out of a context. For example the Pharisees disdain for Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners prompts Jesus to tell a parable about how God loves a lost sinner who repents (Luke 15). Second , understand the story’s natural meaning which is often taken from real life situations in first century Palestine . Third , ascertain the main point or truth the parable is trying to give and focus on this . Only interpret the details of the parables if they can be validated from the passage. Many details are there only for the setting of the story. For example, what is the main point of the mustard seed parable? Jesus stated: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest garden plant and becomes a tree, so that the wild birds come and nest in its branches” (Matt 13:31-32). The parable is an illustration of the kingdom of heaven which starts small but grows to be very large in size. This seems to be the main point. The birds and the branches are probably there only to illustrate how large the tree has become.

Acts. Recognize that Acts is a theologized history of the early church. Acts tells what the church was doing from the human side of things and what God was doing from the divine side of things. For example, consider these passages on the early growth of the church which refer to the same event but from two different perspectives. “So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added”. . . . (Acts 2:41) “And the Lord was adding to their number everyday those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Here we see what God is doing in and through the church. Also, we need to recognize that the church starts in Acts 2 with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, church planting and gospel outreach characterize the events of the book. In addition, some events in Acts are descriptive of what happened not proscriptive of what is necessarily expected in the modern church. For example, Samaritan believers did not receive the Holy Spirit in Acts 8 upon faith in Jesus. They had to wait for Peter and John to get there. When Paul was bitten by a viper in Malta, yet he miraculously lived (Acts 28:1-5). These are descriptions of what happened and are not necessarily normative of what happens in the church today. So it probably would not be a good idea to start snake handling services!

The book of Acts is also a book of transitions. First there are key transitions in biography. This is especially true as the book focuses more on the ministry of Peter in the first portions of the book then shifts to Paul. There is also a transition in ministry focus from the Jews to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles. Lastly there is a geographical transition starting in Jerusalem taking the gospel outward into Samaria, Asia Minor, Europe and eventually Rome. In Acts 1:8 Luke gives us a rough outline of the progression emphasizing the progress of the gospel. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth."

Epistles. Since the New Testament epistles are directed to churches and individuals in the church, they most directly apply to us today. Most commands given in the epistles are general enough in nature that we need to obey them, or in the case of promises we can claim them. For example in 1 Corinthians 15 there is a promise given for immortal bodies and eventual victory over death. These promises are not just for those in the local Corinthian church but the universal church of God.

In the epistles, pay special attention to logical connectors/conjunctions to explore relationships of clauses and sentences. Look for these types of words: “for, “therefore,” “but,” etc. For example Hebrews 12:1 reads, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us.” The word therefore points back to the previous chapter in which Old Testament saints were held up as people who had given a good testimony or witness of faith. The phrase “cloud of witnesses” then would naturally refer back to the people of the preceding chapter. In another example the author of Hebrews writes, “So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. For our God is indeed a devouring fire” (Heb 12:28-29). Here the word f or sets up a subordinate idea giving the reason we as Christians should offer worship in devotion and awe to God.

Revelation. Revelation is the one book in the New Testament that is one of the hardest to interpret. There are several reasons for this. First, there are substantially different interpretative approaches on the overall timing of the book. Some see most of it as purely historical. Some see most of it as yet future. Second, there are many Old Testament allusions in Revelation. Allusions are phrases and references to the Old Testament without an explicit statement by John that he is quoting the Old Testament. So when John refers to the Old Testament he generally does not tell you he is doing so. Third, there is a greater use of symbolic language in Revelation than in other parts of the Bible. Revelation is in a form of literature known as apocalyptic. 6

How can one get started? First, the book of Revelation promises a blessing to the one who reads it (Rev 1:3). So we should read it even if we do not completely understand everything. The basic thrust of Revelation’s message is clear. Jesus is coming again and will defeat the forces of evil. We can be assured of this. Other interpretative helps that can be given would be to interpret the seven churches as seven historical churches in existence in the first century A.D (Rev 2-3). Interpret chapter 4 onward as primarily future events from our perspective (Rev 1:18-19). 7 Follow a generally chronological view of the book from chapter 4 sequencing the bowls, trumpets and seals, second coming of Jesus, millennial kingdom and eternal state. Use a study Bible with a good set of notes to help frame common interpretations and Old Testament backgrounds. Lastly, become a student of the book and keep working at it.

Conclusion and Summary

Biblical passages must be interpreted according to the intention of the author and in the context in which the statement is made. Interpretation must be distinguished from application. One must be sensitive to what type of literature one is in and how this may or may not apply to a believer in the church age. Interpreting the Bible is sometimes hard work but it’s always worth the cost. David reminds us of the value of God’s word, “They are of greater value than gold, than even a great amount of pure gold; they bring greater delight than honey, than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb” (Ps 19:10).

Discussion Questions

What types of interpretations have you heard where you questioned the method of interpretation?
What would happen to interpretation if the church used reader centered interpretations as opposed to an author centered interpretations?
How does the Holy Spirit help us in interpreting the Bible (1 Cor 2)?
If the Holy Spirit is guiding us in interpretation why do godly Christians have differing interpretations on various passages?
What is our relationship, if any, to the Old Testament Commandments/Law?
Why are only 9 of the 10 commandments repeated in the New Testament? The Sabbath command is the one of the ten commandments that is not there.
How does the distinction between the church and Israel affect application of the Old Testament?
How do you know if something is symbolic or not?

1 The NET Bible gives a translation rendering that helps to alleviate this confusion. “ Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20).

2 “ For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6 and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt (Heb 6:4-6 NET).

3 An oxgoad is simply a long stick with a pointed end that was used to prod animals into walking.

4 He [Jesus] said to them, "Are you so foolish? Don't you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? 19 For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer." (This means all foods are clean.)(Mark 7:18-19 NET).

5 Adapted from Roy Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation (Colorado Springs: Victor, 1991) 194-226.

6 A scholarly definition of Apocalyptic: “a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial insofar as it involves another supernatural world” J.J. Collins “Apocalypse: The Morphology of a Genre,” Semeia 14 (1979), 9. Revelation focuses on the future and spiritual world to a much greater degree than other portions of the New Testament and it is communicated in visions and symbolic language.

7 Revelation 1:19 gives a basic chronological outline of the book. “Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things” (Rev 1:19 NET). (past: what you saw (Chapter 1:9-20); present: what is (Chapters 2-3); and future: what will take place after these things (Chapters 4-22:5).

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33 Bible Verses about The Presentation Of Jesus

Titus 2:11 esv / 10 helpful votes helpful not helpful.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Romans 11:36 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

John 1:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 10:30 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I and the Father are one.”

John 1:14 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Luke 8:14 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

Luke 2:21 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Isaiah 7:14 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Romans 6:1-23 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ...

Acts 9:1-43 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ...

John 3:16-17 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Colossians 3:15 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Romans 5:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Acts 13:38 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

Acts 8:1-40 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. ...

John 14:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 13:34 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 5:24 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Luke 2:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:1-52 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ...

Luke 1:36 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

Mark 16:15 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Mark 10:45 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 1:15 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Matthew 17:1-27 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” ...

Matthew 13:55 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

John 8:58 ESV / 1 helpful vote Helpful Not Helpful

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Matthew 7:12 ESV / 1 helpful vote Helpful Not Helpful

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 2:1 ESV / 1 helpful vote Helpful Not Helpful

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

Proverbs 15:1 ESV / 1 helpful vote Helpful Not Helpful

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Exodus 3:14 ESV / 1 helpful vote Helpful Not Helpful

God said to Moses, “ I am who I am .” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘ I am has sent me to you.’”

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Ask anyone today, "What is truth?" and you’re sure to start an interesting conversation. Try it on a university campus and you’re likely to receive laughter, scorn, and derision. The concept of truth has clearly fallen on hard times, and the consequences of rejecting it are ravaging human society. So let’s go back to the starting point and answer the question: What is truth?

One of the most profound and eternally significant questions in the Bible was posed by an unbeliever. Pilate—the man who handed Jesus over to be crucified—turned to Jesus in His final hour, and asked, “What is truth?” It was a rhetorical question, a cynical response to what Jesus had just revealed: “I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.”

Two thousand years later, the whole world breathes Pilate’s cynicism. Some say truth is a power play, a metanarrative constructed by the elite for the purpose of controlling the ignorant masses. To some, truth is subjective, the individual world of preference and opinion. Others believe truth is a collective judgment, the product of cultural consensus, and still others flatly deny the concept of truth altogether.

So, what is truth?

Here’s a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God . Even more to the point: Truth is the self-expression of God . That is the biblical meaning of truth. Because the definition of truth flows from God, truth is theological .

Truth is also ontological —which is a fancy way of saying it is the way things really are. Reality is what it is because God declared it so and made it so. Therefore God is the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultimate standard, and final judge of all truth.

The Old Testament refers to the Almighty as the “God of truth” ( Deuteronomy 32:4 ; Psalm 31:5 ; Isaiah 65:16 ). When Jesus said of Himself, “I am …the truth” ( John 14:6 , emphasis added), He was thereby making a profound claim about His own deity. He was also making it clear that all truth must ultimately be defined in terms of God and His eternal glory. After all, Jesus is “the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person” ( Hebrews 1:3 ). He is truth incarnate —the perfect expression of God and therefore the absolute embodiment of all that is true.

Jesus also said that the written Word of God is truth. It does not merely contain nuggets of truth; it is pure, unchangeable, and inviolable truth that (according to Jesus) “cannot be broken” ( John 10:35 ). Praying to His heavenly Father on behalf of His disciples, He said this: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” ( John 17:17 ). Moreover, the Word of God is eternal truth “which lives and abides forever” ( 1 Peter 1:23 ).

Of course, there cannot be any discord or difference of opinion between the written Word of God (Scripture) and the incarnate Word of God (Jesus). In the first place, truth by definition cannot contradict itself. Second, Scripture is called “the word of Christ” ( Colossians 3:16 ). It is His message, His self-expression. In other words, the truth of Christ and the truth of the Bible are of the very same character. They are in perfect agreement in every respect. Both are equally true. God has revealed Himself to humanity through Scripture and through His Son. Both perfectly embody the essence of what truth is.

Remember, Scripture also says God reveals basic truth about Himself in nature. The heavens declare His glory ( Psalm 19:1 ). His other invisible attributes (such as His wisdom, power, and beauty) are on constant display in what He has created ( Romans 1:20 ). Knowledge of Him is inborn in the human heart ( Romans 1:19 ), and a sense of the moral character and loftiness of His law is implicit in every human conscience ( Romans 2:15 ).

Those things are universally self-evident truths. According to Romans 1:20 , denial of the spiritual truths we know innately always involves a deliberate and culpable unbelief. And for those who wonder whether basic truths about God and His moral standards really are stamped on the human heart, ample proof can be found in the long history of human law and religion. To suppress this truth is to dishonor God, displace His glory, and incur His wrath ( vv. 19-20 ).

Still, the only infallible interpreter of what we see in nature or know innately in our own consciences is the explicit revelation of Scripture. Since Scripture is also the one place where we are given the way of salvation, entrance into the kingdom of God, and an infallible account of Christ, the Bible is the touchstone to which all truth claims should be brought and by which all other truth must finally be measured.

An obvious corollary of what I am saying is that truth means nothing apart from God. Truth cannot be adequately explained, recognized, understood, or defined without God as the source. Since He alone is eternal and self-existent and He alone is the Creator of all else, He is the fountain of all truth.

If you don’t believe that, try defining truth without reference to God, and see how quickly all such definitions fail. The moment you begin to ponder the essence of truth, you are brought face to face with the requirement of a universal absolute—the eternal reality of God. Conversely, the whole concept of truth instantly becomes nonsense (and every imagination of the human heart therefore turns to sheer foolishness) as soon as people attempt to remove the thought of God from their minds.

That, of course, is precisely how the apostle Paul traced the relentless decline of human ideas in Romans 1:21-22 : “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

There are serious moral implications too, whenever someone tries to dissociate truth from the knowledge of God. Paul went on to write, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting” ( Romans 1:28 ). Abandon a biblical definition of truth, and unrighteousness is the inescapable result. We see it happening before our eyes in every corner of contemporary society. In fact, the widespread acceptance of homosexuality, rebellion, and all forms of iniquity that we see in our society today is a verbatim fulfillment of what Romans 1 says always happens when a society denies and suppresses the essential connection between God and truth.

If you reflect on the subject with any degree of sobriety, you will soon see that even the most fundamental moral distinctions—good and evil, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, or honor and dishonor—cannot possibly have any true or constant meaning apart from God. That is because truth and knowledge themselves simply have no coherent significance apart from a fixed source, namely, God. How could they? God embodies the very definition of truth. Every truth claim apart from Him is preposterous.

Elaborate epistemologies have been proposed and methodically debunked one after another—like a long chain in which every previous link is broken. After thousands of years, the very best of human philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Marx, James, and others) have all utterly failed to account for truth and the origin of human knowledge apart from God.

In fact, the one most valuable lesson humanity ought to have learned from philosophy is that it is impossible to make sense of truth without acknowledging God as the necessary starting point.

Truth is not subjective, it is not a consensual cultural construct, and it is not an invalid, outdated, irrelevant concept. Truth is the self-expression of God. Truth is thus theological; it is the reality God has created and defined, and over which He rules. Truth is therefore a moral issue for every human being.

How each person responds to the truth God has revealed is an issue of eternal significance. To reject and rebel against the truth of God results in darkness, folly, sin, judgment, and the never-ending wrath of God. To accept and submit to the truth of God is to see clearly, to know with certainty, and to find life everlasting.

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Biblical Meaning of Tree of Life

As someone interested in divine wisdom, I've explored the biblical texts to understand the significance of the Tree of Life. This symbol is mentioned throughout the scriptures and holds a deep meaning beyond its physical form.

Let's explore together the various interpretations and symbolism associated with this ancient tree in Christianity and Jewish tradition. We'll discover the spiritual lessons it imparts to those seeking understanding.

Get ready to be enlightened by the wisdom of the Tree of Life.

Key Takeaways

The Tree of Life represents interconnectedness of all living beings and is a symbol of abundance, renewal, and spiritual growth.
It is mentioned in various biblical references, including Genesis 2:9, Proverbs 3:18, Revelation 22:2, and John 15:1-5, symbolizing spiritual connection, divine wisdom, and eternal life.
In Christianity, the Tree of Life signifies spiritual nourishment, eternal connection with God, Christ's redemptive work, and the gift of eternal life.
In Jewish tradition, the Tree of Life symbolizes the connection between God and humanity, grants eternal life and spiritual enlightenment, and reflects the interconnectedness of all aspects of existence and divine presence within individuals.

Symbolism and Significance of the Tree of Life

The symbolism and significance of the Tree of Life in the biblical context are profound and multifaceted. This ancient symbol has roots in mythology and can be found in various cultures throughout history.

In mythology, the Tree of Life represents the interconnectedness of all living beings and the cyclical nature of life and death. Different cultures have their own interpretations of the Tree of Life, but the underlying theme remains the same – it's a symbol of abundance, renewal, and spiritual growth.

In Christian theology, the Tree of Life is often associated with the Garden of Eden, where it represented eternal life and a connection with God. Understanding the symbolism and significance of the Tree of Life in different cultures helps us appreciate the universal themes of life, death, and spiritual enlightenment that it embodies.

Biblical References to the Tree of Life

Continuing the discussion on the symbolism and significance of the Tree of Life, I frequently encounter biblical references to this ancient symbol. The Tree of Life holds deep biblical symbolism, representing a divine connection between God and humanity.

Here are a few key references:

Genesis 2:9: The Tree of Life is mentioned in the Garden of Eden, where God placed it along with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Proverbs 3:18: The Tree of Life is described as a source of wisdom and a pathway to understanding.
Revelation 22:2: In the final book of the Bible, the Tree of Life reappears in the New Jerusalem, bearing fruit that brings healing and eternal life.
John 15:1-5: Jesus refers to himself as the true vine, and believers are called to abide in him, gaining spiritual nourishment and life.

These biblical references emphasize the Tree of Life's significance as a symbol of spiritual connection, divine wisdom, and eternal life.

Interpretations of the Tree of Life in Christianity

As I delve into the interpretations of the Tree of Life in Christianity, I find that it holds significant meaning for believers, serving as a symbol of spiritual nourishment and eternal connection with God. The historical interpretations of the Tree of Life in Christianity trace back to the early church fathers, who saw it as a representation of Christ's redemptive work and the gift of eternal life. They viewed it as a reminder of the original paradise lost and the hope of restoration through faith in Christ.

In contemporary perspectives, the Tree of Life continues to be a powerful symbol of spiritual growth and transformation. It represents the abundant life that believers can experience through their relationship with Christ. It signifies the deep roots of faith that provide stability and sustenance, while the branches reach out to bear fruit and share God's love with others. The Tree of Life also serves as a reminder of the ultimate goal of believers, which is to dwell eternally in the presence of God.

To further understand the interpretations of the Tree of Life in Christianity, let's explore its symbolism in the table below:

Symbol	Meaning
Roots	Stability, foundation in faith
Trunk	Growth, nourishment, connection with God
Branches	Fruitfulness, sharing God's love
Leaves	Healing, renewal, spiritual abundance

The Tree of Life in Jewish Tradition

Now, let's delve into the significance of the Tree of Life in Jewish tradition. In Jewish beliefs, the Tree of Life holds a prominent place, symbolizing the connection between God and humanity. According to Kabbalistic teachings, the Tree of Life represents the divine blueprint of creation, with its branches representing different aspects of the spiritual realm.

Here are four key points to consider:

The Tree of Life is seen as a source of wisdom and understanding, providing guidance on how to live a righteous and meaningful life.
It's believed to grant eternal life, both in the physical and spiritual sense, offering a path towards spiritual enlightenment and immortality.
The Tree of Life serves as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all aspects of existence, highlighting the unity of God's creation.
It symbolizes the divine presence within every individual, reminding them of their inherent connection to the divine and their potential for spiritual growth.

These concepts reflect the deep spiritual significance attributed to the Tree of Life in Jewish tradition.

Spiritual Lessons From the Tree of Life

Through my exploration of the Tree of Life in Jewish tradition, I have gained valuable spiritual lessons. The Tree of Life holds deep symbolism and offers profound teachings for those who seek understanding. Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

Lessons	Symbolism
Unity	The interconnectedness of all life is represented by the branches and roots of the tree. It reminds us of our shared humanity and the importance of unity.
Growth and Transformation	Just as a tree grows and changes throughout its life, we too have the capacity for growth and transformation. The Tree of Life teaches us to embrace change and strive for personal development.
Nourishment	The tree's ability to provide sustenance and shelter symbolizes the importance of nourishing our body, mind, and soul. It reminds us to seek spiritual nourishment and cultivate inner peace.

These lessons remind us of the spiritual wisdom embedded in the Tree of Life. By reflecting on its symbolism, we can find guidance and inspiration for our own spiritual journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the origin of the tree of life symbol in biblical texts.

The origin of the Tree of Life symbol in biblical texts can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures. Its symbolism, representing immortality and divine wisdom, has resonated throughout history, capturing the imagination of believers and scholars alike.

How Does the Tree of Life Relate to the Concept of Salvation in Christianity?

The Tree of Life holds deep symbolism in Christianity, particularly in the concept of salvation. It represents eternal life and the restoration of humanity's relationship with God, offering hope and redemption.

Are There Any Specific Rituals or Practices Associated With the Tree of Life in Jewish Tradition?

There are specific rituals and practices associated with the Tree of Life in Jewish tradition. These rituals and practices are deeply rooted in the religious beliefs and customs of the Jewish people.

What Are Some Alternative Interpretations of the Tree of Life in Other Religious or Spiritual Contexts?

The Tree of Life holds significance in multiple religious and spiritual contexts. In Hinduism and Buddhism, it represents enlightenment and the interconnectedness of all beings. In Native American spirituality, it symbolizes harmony with nature and the wisdom of ancestors.

Can the Tree of Life Be Found in Other Ancient Texts or Mythologies Apart From the Bible?

The Tree of Life is not only found in the Bible, but also in ancient Mesopotamian mythology and Norse mythology. It holds significance in various cultures, representing immortality, connection to the divine, and the cycle of life and death.

Hi there! I'm Tiffany Christensen, and I have a passion for all the stories and lessons the Bible has to offer. Ever since I was little, I've been drawn to the way these ancient texts still resonate today. I've devoted my studies to Christian theology and enjoy translating that into everyday language that’s easy to connect with. My goal is to bring the pages of the Bible to life in a way that's both informative and engaging. I'm thrilled to share this journey with you through my writing on Biblical Pathway.

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Prepare for Spiritual Battle with the Breastplate of Righteousness

When we think about some of the most vital parts of the human body, the heart is at the top of the list. Seeing a heartbeat in an ultrasound confirms life in the womb, and having a heart stop beating confirms death. It is no surprise that in battle, it is key for soldiers to wear breastplates to protect their hearts.

Today we will study why it is so significant for us to be spiritual warriors, equipped with the breastplate of righteousness.

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints” ( Ephesians 6:10-18 ).

Our focus verse this week will be Ephesians 6:14 b, which says “righteousness like armor on your chest.” (Many versions use: breastplate of righteousness.)

What Is a Breastplate?

Webster’s Dictionary shares different definitions of a breastplate: “a usually metal plate worn as defensive armor for the breast; a vestment worn in ancient times by a Jewish high priest and set with 12 gems bearing the names of the tribes of Israel.”

The first definition is more obvious to us; a breastplate is a protective metal plate that guarded the heart of a soldier. However, the second definition reveals something amazing. In Jewish culture, the breastplate was worn by the high priest.

Bethany Verrett shares , “Once a year, the High Priest would be able to enter the Holy of Holies, which no one else could do because it was where the presence of God came to rest on the Ark of the Covenant. Before he could enter, he had to atone for his own sins…The High Priest would atone for all the sins of the people, and intercede on their behalf, and God would forgive.”

The high priest had a service position that was well-respected because he was to be a man above reproach and faithfully honoring the Lord. He was called to a life of holiness. However, only Jesus, the Ultimate High Priest, could live a sinless life. All of the other high priests had sins that needed to be forgiven by God.

Within the armor of God, I find it no accident that the breastplate is paired with righteousness. A high priest wore a breastplate and was supposed to be a symbol of living a life honoring to the Lord. We as believers in Jesus are actually called the royal priesthood in 2 Peter 2:9 . We too are invited to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and guard our hearts to live holy lives for His glory.

The Breastplate of Righteousness for a Fallen Heart?

Have you ever noticed how when the Bible mentions the heart , it is described as sinful ( Genesis 6:5 ), deceptive ( Jeremiah 17:9-10 ), a decision maker ( Proverbs 4:23 ), failing us ( Psalm 73:26 ), and troubled ( John 14:27 ). However with the help of Christ, the heart can be pure ( Matthew 5:8 ), it can meditate on things above ( Psalm 19:14 ), and God removes our hearts of stone and gives us new hearts of flesh ( Ezekiel 36:26 ).

As we intentionally ponder the breastplate of righteousness, it is important we know that our hearts, apart from Christ, are evil and sinful. However, He has made us righteous and holy. There may no longer be a war for our spiritual eternity, but there is a war for our holiness, and we are to be an example to those around us. The enemy wants us to follow our fleshly hearts instead of being armed with the breastplate of righteousness. He wants us to fall into temptation and sin. He wants to destroy our reputation, cause others to think that we are hypocritical Christians, and separate God-honoring friendships, marriages, families, and church communities. We must be on our guard.

“Above all else, guard your heart , for everything you do flows from it” ( Proverbs 4:23 ).

First, we put on that belt of truth, standing firm on the gospel and Bible. Then, we connect our breastplate of righteousness by living by the Spirit and not our flesh, and staying guarded and watchful to areas of sin in our lives. We must be aware that we all have vulnerable places that are important to guard on behalf of our testimonies, families, and the body of Christ.

Jesus Models the Breastplate of Righteousness

Jesus models the breastplate of righteousness in so many ways. He was fully human, but without sin. He spent intentional time in prayer ( Matthew 14:23 ), He was honorable in His lifestyle, and He lived to always glorify the Father. Jesus guarded His heart on a daily basis because He lived a holy life.

Warren Buffet famously said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” The fact that Jesus built His life on holiness and never once followed a sinful desire reveals that He was God. Only God has a perfect heart. Jesus never made one mistake that gave others true reason to place Him in jail or kill Him.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” ( Hebrews 4:15 ).

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” ( 1 Peter 2:2 ).

“You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” ( 1 John 3:5 ).

Jesus did what we could not do and now His Spirit in us can help us live like Him and be protected from our own sinful hearts and the spiritual battle.

Am I a Spiritual Warrior with the Breastplate of Righteousness?

Is there a sin that I am falling into by living out my fleshly heart?

What are ways (with the help of Christ and community) that I can guard my heart with the breastplate of righteousness?

In what ways is Satan attacking the church as a whole to not be able to live holy lives? How can I pray for the body of Christ to put on the breastplate of righteousness?

Related article Prepare for Spiritual Battle with the Belt of Truth

Six Ways to Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn (Job 2:11-13)

September 16, 2024
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Trials and Suffering

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Over the last few months, while a man in our congregation was dying of cancer, I developed a burden to equip the church to minister to those mourning. Job’s friends set a great example in Job 2:11-13. Read on to learn six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn.

Comforting without saying anything, second, provide biblical comfort for those who mourn by taking the initiative, third, provide biblical comfort for those who mourn by dealing with silence wisely, distinguishing between sympathy and empathy, being empathetic is incredibly difficult, children comforting children, a woman who also lost her brother to a drug overdose, the bauskas comforting the ordways, feeling inadequate comforting, why everyone must be involved in comforting, wedding, births, and deaths, perfect comfort is not until the next life.

The previous post, Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep , was about what we should not do when what we shouldn’t do when comforting those who mourn. This post is about what we should do. Here are six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn.

First, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Like Job’s Friends (at the Beginning)

I know Job’s friends are the proverbial bad friends . When you want to tell people they are bad friends, you tell them they are like Job’s friends. So you might look at this lesson and wonder if I made a mistake. But Job’s friends started off well. Look at Job 2:11:

Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.

Notice three things about Job’s friends:

Each man came from his own separate place. They didn’t live near each other.
They made an appointment to meet to travel to see Job. This is the ancient world before people had cell phones or cars to drive. I don’t know how far they lived from each other and then how far it was to travel to Job, but I’m sure this was no small thing.
They wanted to do two things. First, they wanted to show him sympathy, and second, they wanted to comfort him. We’ll talk about sympathy later. For now, let’s see how they comforted him:

Job 2:12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.

They wept with him. Romans 12:15 says, “Weep with those who weep.” Job’s friends are a great example of this. First Corinthians 12:26 says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together.” They suffered with him as well:

Job 2:13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job’s friends continue to impress! We tend to read verses quickly, but think about what this says because it is incredible: they sat on the ground for seven days and seven nights and didn’t say a word!

Verse eleven says they were going to comfort him. If we were asked what it means to comfort someone, wouldn’t we think it involves saying something? But they comforted him without saying anything, and we’re told the reason why: because they saw that his suffering was great.

Suffering and words are practically inversely related: the greater the suffering, the fewer the words. When people learn someone is going through something difficult, they want to visit but don’t know what to say. Most of the time, when you are with suffering people, the best thing you can do is be with them and listen. It is called the ministry of presence. You won’t probably won’t have to say much.

Job’s friends made an appointment to meet and coordinate their travel to see him, but Job didn’t seek them out. When people are suffering, they don’t usually ask for help, a meal, or to be visited. Typically, we have to do these things without being asked.

Social media is one of the greatest threats to comforting those who are mourning and to the Ministry of Presence. I’m not saying social media can’t be used in positive ways. However, social media makes people feel like sending a message is the same as visiting.

I understand if we live on the other side of the country and it isn’t reasonable to visit, then sending a message telling people we are praying for them and asking if there is anything we can do is reasonable. But, over the years, I haven’t heard people talk about how encouraging it was when they got a message. I have heard people say how encouraging it was when someone visited them or brought them a meal.

When did Job’s friends start looking like bad friends? When they started talking! A good principle is: if you can’t improve on silence, don’t. I know silence can be awkward, but when silence is best, let there be silence.

But this is a wisdom issue that requires balance because there are times we should talk, and people are waiting for us to talk. So, if you’re confident you should improve on silence, let me give you recommendations:

Read scripture, and I recommend going into these situations with verses in mind. Here are some recommendations: Psalm 23, Psalm 48:14, Psalm 116:15, Isaiah 43:1-2, Revelation 21:3-4, John 11:25, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Pray for healing and comfort. Assuming the person is a believer, you can thank God for the gospel, thank God that the person’s suffering will end soon, and thank God the person will soon be in Christ’s presence.
Share encouraging memories. Friends and family want to know their loved one will not be forgotten, and sharing memories communicates that the person will be remembered. Plus, hearing memories can bring people joy that combats the grief. They know the person is physically gone, but in a small way, it seems like the person is still here.
Sing even if you don’t think you have the best voice. People will often sing with you if it’s a familiar song.

Fourth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Empathetic

Job 2:11 says Job’s friends wanted to show him sympathy. I’m not saying this would have saved them from the problems they caused later, but maybe it would have helped if they pursued empathy instead.

The Bible commands sympathy and empathy, and they are different:

Sympathy is feeling for someone, but empathy is feeling with someone
Sympathy is understanding someone’s feelings, but empathy is feeling someone’s feelings

Here’s a verse about sympathy:

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, live with your wives IN AN UNDERSTANDING WAY, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

This verse commands us as husbands to understand our wives or be sympathetic to them . We should think about what our wives are going through and strive to live with them according to that understanding. But this is not empathy. Empathy means trying to experience what someone is experiencing.

We must understand the difference between sympathy and empathy because the two verses we have been focusing on command empathy. We are not just to understand what people are experiencing; we are to do our best to put ourselves in their place and try to feel what they are feeling:

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

If this verse were about sympathy, it would say to be happy for those rejoicing or sad for those weeping. Instead, it says to do what they are doing – rejoice and weep – because we feel what they are feeling.

1 Corinthians 12:26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

It doesn’t say that if one member suffers, everyone is sad for them, or if one member is honored, everyone is happy for them. Instead, everyone suffers with the suffering person and rejoices with the honored person because we are supposed to try to feel their suffering and feel like we are being honored.

Remember, Job’s friends accused him of being a horrible sinner. According to their theology, God only lets evil people suffer, so because Job suffered so much, he must be terrible. Job responded by describing his innocence and righteousness. Here’s one of the reasons Job said he was a righteous man:

Job 30:25 Did not I weep for him whose day was hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?

Job declared that he was empathetic.

I am not the best at empathy. I am not talking about this because I’m great at it. Instead, I am trying to rightly divide God’s Word and tell you what it says, and I recognize it is challenging.

Sympathy is no small thing. It requires listening well, concentrating on what the person says, and trying to understand them. These things are important. But they are not empathy. Empathy requires trying to put ourselves in the suffering person’s position to feel what they are feeling, doing our best to imagine what happened to them is happening to us.

I visited a twelve-year-old girl who died of a brain tumor. Empathy requires imagining that’s your sister, daughter, or granddaughter. I visited a family whose son drowned , and empathy requires imagining your son or brother drowned. A man in our church slowly died of cancer, and empathy requires imagining watching your father, husband, or grandfather slowly pass away before your eyes. And this is why we weep with those who weep and suffer with those who suffer, not just because we are sad for them but because we imagine the same thing is happening to us.

Fifth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Recognizing Some Can Comfort Better than Us

We should recognize that some people can provide better comfort than us for two reasons: their season of life and their experiences. Let me deal with each of these.

First, when I say season of life, I will give you an example with children. When tragedy strikes, children are often involved, and I have found that children can often minister to children better than adults. For that reason, I have frequently tried to bring my children when other children were present, and it’s been communicated that it’s a blessing, so I want to pass this along.

When a family’s house burned down, I brought Rhea to be with the daughters, and the mother told me later that she appreciated it. When a boy drowned, I brought Rhea and Ricky to be with his brother and sister. In this situation, Ricky might have also ministered to the father because I can still vividly remember watching him cling to Ricky and cry on him for a while after we arrived at the house. I think my children provided ministries in these situations that I couldn’t.

Those with Similar Experiences Comforting Each Other

The second way this lesson applies is regarding the trial itself. People who have been through a trial can often minister to those going through something similar. Let me clarify: this does not mean we can’t comfort people just because we haven’t been through the same thing. Whether or not we’ve been through the same thing, we must all mourn with those who mourn. But we should recognize that when people have been through the same thing, God can give them a unique ministry to each other.

Once, I saw a van pull up, and it was filled with burn survivors. They got out one after another. We had a good friend who worked with burn survivors , and when I talked to her about it, she said, “Yes, it’s common to bring burn survivors together. It is such a traumatic experience that they need to be surrounded by people who have experienced the same.” Even the secular world recognizes how people who have experienced the same trials can help each other.

A few years ago, I received a phone call from a woman wanting me to perform a funeral. The woman didn’t live here, and I had never met her. To put it simply, we had no relationship. It was very impersonal: I would perform a service for her, and that’s it.

So I asked her about the person who died, and she said, “He was my brother.” I thought, “I lost a brother.” I said, “Was it unexpected?” She said, “Yes, it was completely unexpected.” I thought, “It was unexpected when my brother died.” She said, “He had been struggling with drugs, in and out of jail a few times.” I thought, “My brother was struggling with drugs and was in and out of jail a few times.” Then she said, “We got a phone call that he overdosed.” I thought, “I remember when I got the phone call that my brother overdosed.” Then I told her what happened with Jason.

At that moment, the conversation changed. In a way, our relationship changed. Even though we had never met before, there was a connection now. I could understand her, and she could understand me. I could sympathize with her, and she could sympathize with me. I knew what she had been through, and she knew what I had been through. You feel a relationship with people who have been through something similar.

One of my good friends, Elwyn Ordway , was instrumental in my becoming a Christian. After I moved to Woodland, he followed with his family. They moved back to California a few years later and then moved east. We have been able to remain friends. They stayed with Rhea and me two years ago at a speech and debate tournament, and we were texting back and forth earlier this week.

When they lived here, they had a son, Jonah, and he was born with a genetic disorder. I think it was particularly devastating to Britta. She said it was one of her greatest fears coming true. Our church rallied around them as we have done with others, but they praised the ministry of one family in particular. When I visited Elwyn out east, he again mentioned how much this family ministered to them, and that was the Bauskas.

Praise God that Andy’s cancer is so far in the rearview mirror that many of you probably don’t even know that he battled with it. Plus, he’s thirteen feet tall, so you would never guess he had a disease. But that was something they fought for years, and it allowed them to minister to the Ordways uniquely and beautifully.

One Sunday, someone came up after service. Before the person reached me, I could tell he was burdened, and this would be a heavy conversation. Sadly, I felt inadequate to help him because he wanted to talk to someone who went through something similar. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone who had experienced something similar. I motioned for the person to come over, and then I had the pleasure of watching him minister to the hurting man in a beautiful way that I couldn’t.

I can talk to:

someone who lost a spouse, but how much better might another widow be able to minister to her?
a woman who can’t have children, but how much better might another woman who can’t have children be able to minister to her?
people who have lost a child, but how much better might another couple who lost a child might be able to minister to them?

Let me give you another example that has happened a few times at my marriage conferences . Katie isn’t a perfect wife, and I’m far from a perfect husband, but she has been wonderful.

Proverbs 31:10 the heart of her husband trusts her.

I share about being able to trust Katie not to talk bad about me behind my back or embarrass me by things she says or how she acts when I’m not around. So, what is a man thinking if he comes up to me to talk about his wife disrespecting or embarrassing him? He’s thinking, “You don’t have any idea what I’m going through.”

What if she has committed adultery, and the topic of having to forgive her comes up? He’s thinking, “Easy for you to say. How would you know how difficult it is to forgive an adulterous spouse? Why don’t you come back and talk to me if your wife is ever unfaithful.” But who might be able to minister to this man in a way that I couldn’t? The man who had a difficult wife.

That’s why we read these verses that are so important regarding comforting others:

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

One of the main points of these verses is that we are supposed to comfort others because of the difficult situations we have experienced. Nobody likes to be afflicted, but one of the blessings of suffering is that it allows us to minister to others in ways we wouldn’t be able to if we didn’t experience those trials. We can comfort others with the same comfort with which God has comforted us.

This is also why every single person in the church is so important. Your different afflictions will allow you to minister to others in ways the elders could never do.

Sixth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Making Yourself Uncomfortable

I know that going and being with people who are suffering is uncomfortable for most people. I know that doing things I mentioned, such as praying aloud, reading Scripture, or singing, is uncomfortable for many people. So, I have just told you to do something uncomfortable in the middle of an already uncomfortable situation.

But here’s the thing: These situations are not about our comfort. They are about the suffering person’s comfort. We are not putting ourselves in these situations to be comfortable. We are putting ourselves in these situations to comfort others. So, maybe you are uncomfortable:

Maybe you are uncomfortable going, but remember it’s not about your comfort.
Maybe you are uncomfortable praying in front of people, but remember it’s not about your comfort.
Maybe you are uncomfortable reading Scripture in front of people, but remember it’s not about your comfort.

In these situations, we must prioritize the suffering person’s comfort over our own. We must stretch ourselves and do what might be uncomfortable.

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I think the two most wonderful events in life are weddings and births. I have performed almost twenty weddings and have been there for the births of ten children. Each was an emotional and beautiful experience. But there is also something unique and sacred about being with people at the end of their lives.

When I went to be with a man dying of cancer, I brought Johnny to minister to his son and grandson. When I came home, I told Katie that Johnny turned a chapter in his life. When the man took his last breath, Johnny was standing at the end of the bed with his arm around the grandson, holding him and weeping with him. When we drove home, I didn’t have to talk to Johnny about it other than to tell him I was proud of him. I knew that night changed him, and he would never forget it.

When dealing with people during these sacred moments, there are different expectations or rules. Dignity is different. Some acceptable things happen in these situations that wouldn’t be acceptable at other times. You must try to read people in these situations to see what they want. I would never encourage you to violate your conscience, but even if you would never hug someone of the opposite sex, or maybe even someone of the same sex who isn’t your spouse or family member, if you can comfort the person mourning by hugging them, I would encourage you to do so.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Only when we get to heaven will all weeping and suffering end. Until then, it remains part of our lives. So, as long as we’re on this side of heaven, we will continue to have the great privilege of providing comfort for those who mourn.

Second, this encourages us to look forward to heaven. God doesn’t allow us to turn this life into the next. He wants us to look forward to the next life when we will finally experience complete comfort and spend eternity worshiping Him.

If you’re an unbeliever, this will be the closest you’ll ever get to comfort. Instead of looking forward to comfort for eternity you are looking forward to eternal torment . Those who reject Christ choose eternity apart from Him. I am pleading with you to repent of your sins and believe.

Matthew 25:46 says, “[These] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Today can be the day of your salvation.

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What Does the Bible Say about Alcohol?

Warnings against Drunkenness

Several New Testament passages specify the moral evil of becoming drunk:

I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is . . . [a] drunkard . (1 Cor. 5:11) And do not get drunk with wine , for that is debauchery. (Eph. 5:18)

In addition, Paul includes “drunkards” among those who will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:10). Elsewhere he says that “drunkenness” is among those activities of which “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21; see also Luke 21:34; Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 4:3). In listing the qualifications for an elder in the church, Paul says that he must not be “a drunkard” (1 Tim. 3:3; also Titus 1:7), and a deacon must not be “addicted to much wine” (1 Tim. 3:8).

Some Old Testament passages also warn against drunkenness. Two prominent stories show that people who get drunk lose good judgment and moral restraint, as happened with Noah, who shamefully “became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent” (Gen. 9:21), and with Lot, who twice became drunk and, without realizing what he was doing, committed incest with his daughters (Gen. 19:30–36).

Christian Ethics

Wayne Grudem

In this highly practical, biblically based volume on Christian ethics, bestselling author Wayne Grudem explains what the Bible says about ethical questions regarding marriage, government, abortion, and dozens of other issues.

The author of Proverbs counsels:

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty , and slumber will clothe them with rags. (Prov. 23:20–21)

A longer passage describes with vivid poetic imagery the consequences of drunkenness:

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.” (Prov. 23:29–35)

But how should we define being drunk? Individual people vary widely in the amount of alcohol they are able to drink without becoming drunk, but some passages in Scripture emphasize the loss of good judgment and moral restraint (see Gen. 9:21; 19:30–36; Prov. 31:4–5) or being “led astray” by alcohol (Prov. 20:1). Paul says that being drunk “is debauchery” (Eph. 5:18; the Greek word, asōtia , refers to “reckless abandon, debauchery, dissipation, profligacy,” and the related adjective is used in Luke 15:13 of the prodigal son who “squandered his property in reckless living”).

Therefore, a definition of drunkenness would specify that a person is drunk when he or she:

has lost good judgment;
is not thinking clearly;
has lost some moral restraint;
acts in a way that brings reproach on the person’s own reputation or the reputation of the gospel; or
has lost good physical coordination (as in the inability to drive a car safely).

Warnings about the Dangers of Alcohol

1. Scripture warns against being deceived by alcoholic beverages.

The book of Proverbs frequently cautions about the deceptive nature of alcohol:

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Prov. 20:1) Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. (Prov. 21:17)

Governmental leaders have a special responsibility in this regard. They must be particularly careful of clouding their judgment through the use of alcohol, and thereby making wrong decisions:

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. (Prov. 31:4–5; see also Eccl. 10:17; Jer. 13:13)

Under the Mosaic covenant, certain groups of people were actually prohibited from all use of wine or “strong drink,” such as Aaron and his sons, who were priests (Lev. 10:8–9), and people who took a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:1–4; see also Luke 1:15 regarding John the Baptist).

2. Scripture also warns against making another person “stumble.”

An important passage on this topic is 1 Corinthians 8:1–13. Though it does not specifically discuss alcoholic beverages, but rather food offered to idols, there are still some helpful principles in the passage that we can apply to the question of alcoholic beverages.

The city of Corinth was full of temples to various Greek and Roman gods, which Paul identified as “idols” (1 Cor. 8:1). Many of the Corinthian Christians had previously participated in the worship of these idols in their various temples (see 1 Cor. 12:2). But then the question arose whether it was right to eat food that had previously been offered to idols and then was sold in the meat market at Corinth.

Paul responded to this question with these instructions:

Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” (1 Cor. 10:25–26)

In other words, the Corinthians were free to eat such meat without worrying that it had been tainted by its previous dedication to an idol in a temple. (However, Paul specified that they should refrain if an unbeliever explicitly stated that it had been offered to an idol, for then it would appear as though the Christians were agreeing with the offering of such food to idols and the spiritual efficacy connected with it; see 1 Cor. 10:28–29.)

Yet there was another complicating factor: though the Corinthians were ordinarily free to eat such food, realizing there was no spiritual harm connected with it, not all the Christians in Corinth shared this conviction or understood this principle. For them, it was morally wrong to eat food offered to idols, and thus it violated the conviction of their consciences.

Therefore, Paul warned the Corinthian Christians to be careful in how they used their freedom to eat such food that had been offered to idols. In itself, the practice was harmless, but if it set an example that led other Christians to act contrary to the convictions of their consciences , then it was wrong. Therefore, Paul said, “Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9). Then he explained:

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. (1 Cor. 8:10–11)

The sin involved here is encouraging a Christian to sin against his conscience by eating food offered to idols, even though he believes it is wrong to do so (see also 1 Cor. 8:7). 1

Not everything that is morally right in itself is wise or helpful in every situation.

Paul’s conclusion was that he would be very careful not to publicly eat food offered to idols in a place or a time that would encourage Christians to do so even though they themselves believed it was wrong:

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble , I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. (1 Cor. 8:13) 2

We can apply this teaching to the question of alcoholic beverages. Christian believers who have no moral objection to drinking alcoholic beverages should still be careful that they not drink them in a way that might encourage younger Christians (or others who think drinking alcoholic beverages is wrong) to drink also and thereby to violate their consciences. This would be to cause them to “stumble” in the way Paul means in 1 Corinthians 8:13.

But it is also important to keep in mind that the verse does not say, “If food makes another person become upset with me or irritated with me . . .” It is talking only about the question of encouraging people who think that eating meat offered to idols is wrong to eat it anyway and thereby to violate their consciences. The verse does not mean that a person has to refrain from all use of alcohol when in the company of others who disagree about this question.

Romans 14 contains a similar teaching about observing special days or refraining from eating certain foods, such as meat. But here Paul adds that Christians should not judge one another on questions of food:

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats , for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. . . . Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (1 Cor. 8:1–4, 13)

Taken together, the passages in 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 encourage Christians to allow freedom for individual convictions on this matter and to be content to let each person individually be accountable before God for how he or she answers this question.

Other Passages in Scripture View Alcoholic Beverages More Positively

We should recognize that the warnings against drunkenness in Scripture (see passages above) reveal a tacit assumption that there is a right use of alcohol that does not lead to drunkenness. If it had been God’s intention to prohibit all use of alcoholic beverages in all circumstances, the Bible would explicitly prohibit it rather than prohibiting only drunkenness.

In contrast to the Bible’s repeated and strong prohibitions against drunkenness and the frequent warnings about the dangers of alcoholic beverages, a number of other biblical passages see these beverages as part of God’s good creation, for which people should give thanks:

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man , oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart. (Ps. 104:14–15)

This psalm says that one of the reasons God causes “plants for man to cultivate” on the earth is so that people may bring forth “wine to gladden the heart of man” as one of the good products of the earth, similar to oil and bread. A related verse is found in Ecclesiastes: “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do” (Eccl. 9:7).

Proverbs says:

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine . (Prov. 3:9–10)

These “vats” may have contained unfermented grape juice for the first day or two, but in the climate of the Middle East, without modern refrigeration, it quickly turned to wine.

Sometimes wine is seen as part of a joyful celebration in the presence of God, as when Melchizedek “brought out bread and wine” and blessed Abraham after his victory over the kings who had captured Lot (Gen. 14:18–20), or when the people of Israel were to “eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock” in the presence of the Lord at a place he had commanded (see Deut. 14:22–26). In the New Testament, Jesus celebrated the Passover with the use of a cup of wine (see Matt. 26:27–29), and John’s Gospel records that Jesus’s first miracle was turning water to wine in six large jars, each holding “twenty or thirty gallons” and filled with water “up to the brim” (John 2:6–7). This wine was so good that the master of the feast thought the bridegroom had saved “the good wine” until the end (John 2:10). The point is that Jesus “manifested his glory” by miraculously creating excellent wine at a wedding feast (John 2:11).

When Paul names some things about which Christians should “not pass judgment on one another” (Rom. 14:13), he explicitly names wine:

Everything is indeed clean , but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Rom. 14:20–21)

Paul elsewhere says that one of the “teachings of demons” is to “forbid marriage” and also to “require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:1–3). Though he does not specify wine in this passage, the principle still applies, and Paul’s reasoning in the following passages is relevant to the question of wine as well as food:

For everything created by God is good , and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim. 4:4–5; see also Col. 2:20–23)

In one passage Paul explicitly tells Timothy to drink wine, and implies that there is some health benefit from it:

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Tim. 5:23)

According to the Mayo Clinic, red wine seems to have heart-healthy benefits, because it contains antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, which are good for the heart. Resveratrol helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces bad cholesterol (LDL), and prevents blood clots. Other antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may also protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart. However, the Mayo Clinic says that additional research needs to be done to verify these benefits. 3 John Hopkins University has found that red wine also helps protect against strokes. 4

But Paul’s words of caution about not causing others to stumble by what we do are a reminder that not everything that is morally right in itself is wise or helpful in every situation. Paul also says, “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 10:23).

See a longer discussion of this question in Andrew David Naselli and J. D. Crowley, Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 109–10.
The word translated as “makes . . . stumble” (Greek, skandalizō , “to cause to sin, cause to stumble”) is elsewhere translated as “cause to sin” (see Matt. 5:29, 30; 18:6, 8, 9).
“Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?” The Mayo Clinic, November 12, 2016, http://www .mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281.
“How Red Wine May Shield Brain from Stroke Damage,” John Hopkins Medicine, April 21, 2010, http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/How_Red_Wine_May_Shield_Brain_From_Stroke _Damage.

This article is adapted from Christian Ethics: Living a Life That Is Pleasing to God by Wayne Grudem.

Wayne Grudem (PhD, University of Cambridge) is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including Bible Doctrine and Christian Beliefs.

Should Drinking Alcohol Disqualify a Pastor from Ministry?

David Mathis

“Not a drunkard” means more than just “Knows how to toe the line and stay within the legal limits.” It implies a positive vision. It calls for men who are reliable, ever vigilant, “ready in season and out.”

Why the Study of Ethics Matters for Everyday Christians

Why should we study ethics from a biblical perspective? Why should we collect and summarize the Bible’s teaching in a systematic way?

Why Sexual Ethics Matter

Sexual ethics, and a high standard of sexual integrity, are so vital. It is vital because it isn't just a petty taboo.

What Should We Keep in Mind When Considering the Ethics of the Bible?

Gregory Goswell

When we speak about the ethics in the Bible, we are not just thinking of the Old Testament law or of the Sermon on the Mount, nor do we only have in mind actual moral instructions, injunctions, and prohibitions.

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All of this helps us to see that the Presentation in the Temple was about two important things: (1) the purification of Mary and (2) the redemption of baby Jesus. So far so good. But there are two other elements here which are worth paying attention to. For one thing, the Mosaic Law nowhere demanded that the purification or the redemption take ...
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The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem.It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jesus".The episode is described in chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. [1] Within the account, "Luke's narration of the Presentation in the ...
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Bible verses about Presentation. 1 Peter 3:18-20 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of ...
Lesson 6: Principles of Biblical Interpretation
General Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Principle 1: Interpretation must be based on the author's intention of meaning and not the reader. This means we must get into the author's context, historically, grammatically, culturally and the literary forms and conventions the author was working in.
What was the bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:30)?
And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord.". This bread of the Presence was 1) made of fine flour, 2) baked in 12 loaves, 3) arranged in two piles of six loaves each on a table of pure gold, 4) covered with frankincense, and 5) served as a memorial food ...
What Does the Bible Say About The Presentation Of Jesus?
And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.". He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." ...
What is the gospel?
Answer. The word gospel literally means "good news" and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament. In Greek, it is the word euaggelion, from which we get our English words evangelist, evangel, and evangelical. The gospel is, broadly speaking, the whole of Scripture; more narrowly, the gospel is the good news concerning ...
What Is Truth?
Here's a simple definition drawn from what the Bible teaches: Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being of God. Even more to the point: Truth is the self-expression of God. That is the biblical meaning of truth. Because the definition of truth flows from God, truth is theological.
Free PowerPoint Bible Study and Sermon Presentation Charts
PowerPoint Bible Study and Sermon Presentation Charts. PowerPoint charts and slides to accompany and illustrate our free Bible study sermons and articles for preaching and teaching. Listed below are free Bible study PowerPoint slides for projection and presentation with the associated sermons and articles. Written by David E. Pratte.
Biblical Meaning Of Tree Of Life
Biblical References to the Tree of Life. Continuing the discussion on the symbolism and significance of the Tree of Life, I frequently encounter biblical references to this ancient symbol. The Tree of Life holds deep biblical symbolism, representing a divine connection between God and humanity. Here are a few key references:
What is expository preaching?
Answer. Expository preaching involves the exposition, or comprehensive explanation, of the Scripture; that is, expository preaching presents the meaning and intent of a biblical text, providing commentary and examples to make the passage clear and understandable. The word exposition is related to the word expose —the expository preacher's ...
Prepare for Spiritual Battle with the Breastplate of Righteousness
Webster's Dictionary shares different definitions of a breastplate: "a usually metal plate worn as defensive armor for the breast; ... but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021.
Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn
Fourth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Empathetic. Job 2:11 says Job's friends wanted to show him sympathy. I'm not saying this would have saved them from the problems they caused later, but maybe it would have helped if they pursued empathy instead. The Bible commands sympathy and empathy, and they are different:
What Does the Bible Say about Alcohol?
Therefore, a definition of drunkenness would specify that a person is drunk when he or she: has lost good judgment; ... When we speak about the ethics in the Bible, we are not just thinking of the Old Testament law or of the Sermon on the Mount, nor do we only have in mind actual moral instructions, injunctions, and prohibitions. ...