Sin – God Breathed Words

Posted on November 19, 2025November 19, 2025 by christianwordsblog

WITHHOLD

a man named Ananias, along with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. With his wife’s knowledge, he withheld some of the proceeds from the sale. (Acts 5:1-2a; Common English Bible)

The Greek verb translated in many translations as ‘keep back’ but in the above more simply ‘withhold’ is νοσφίζω nosphizó ‘to sequestrate for oneself’. The more common usage of this Greek word ‘to embezzle, pilfer or purloin’ is more problematic in the context of this singular incident that beset the foundational Church with fear when first Ananias and then his wife, were struck dead by God as the result of this act. After all, as the head quotation shows this was Ananias and Sapphira’s asset to theirs to dispose of as they pleased; they stole from no one.

Posted on January 30, 2019June 14, 2020 by christianwordsblog

VOWS (Nazirite)

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-2)

The Hebrew word referred to is נָזִיר nazir (Strong’s 5139) means pure; therefore, a Nazirite is one given in devotion, or one who is consecrated. It is the principle of being separated or set aside for God’s exclusive use.

Posted on February 24, 2018June 14, 2020 by christianwordsblog

TRIALS (TEMPTATION)

Another form of trial is temptation, but if God instigates tests, would he also tempt any to do evil? James makes clear that would violate his nature. So how does the follower of Christ distinguish between trials, by origin or motive?

When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (James 1:13-14)

πειρασμός peirasmos (G3986) translates trial but is also the word translated ‘temptation’.

Posted on December 20, 2017December 21, 2017 by christianwordsblog

TOLERANCE

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Today tolerance is seen as a virtue. That it is so, is simply a product of a world view that excludes absolutes. Where truth can be individual, there is no Truth, therefore all is tolerable because all is fabricated and therefore of no value. It is the lot of humankind to be prone to deception. It was no different in the early church.

Posted on December 4, 2017December 5, 2017 by christianwordsblog

SALVATION (security of)

salvation

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11)

The word in Greek that is translated as ‘salvation’ is σωτηρία sótéria (Strong’s 4991). In Titus, Paul uses the adjectival form, and the sense is of deliverance; this begs the preposition, ‘from’. From what is anyone delivered or saved? God offers through Christ, His grace personified, to save individuals from a terrible judgment and ultimate expulsion from His communion.

Posted on October 28, 2017October 28, 2017 by christianwordsblog

COVENANT

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God is faithful and keeps his promises – even when humankind cannot. To save his creation, he had to make a covenant and populate both sides of the agreement. Jesus was God made flesh to ensure God the Father had no cause for default, but the cost was the separation, expressed in the Cry of Dereliction. To understand this process, it best to look to the previous biblical covenants, only then will the radical design of the ‘New Covenant’ emerge.

Posted on October 21, 2017October 22, 2017 by christianwordsblog

LIFE

Is life a mere accident? Does human life have meaning, if so how and through whom? Science has answered many questions about the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’. But as beings that seek identity and purpose, failing to answer why there is life is more than unsatisfactory, for it leaves humankind in an existential vacuum that few can bear. Attempts to fill that vacuum include the accumulation of wealth or experiences, frenetic activity or developing addictive, destructive lifestyles. But nothing ultimately works – the gaping hole remains a chasm at our very core.

In this post, I attempt to explain that only when we face the fact that we are creatures and we have a creator, and moreover, wish to restore the relationship with our creator that life has meaning.

Posted on October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 by christianwordsblog

DEATH

Barker, Thomas, 1769-1847; The Bride of Death

While warrior cultures like that of the Vikings sought a heroic death, today death is feared or ignored. Western medicine is given over to the pursuit of protracting life, even at the expense of its quality. For humankind, however, death was not and is not God’s intention but is the result of men and women’s rebellion.

Posted on August 30, 2017January 1, 2021 by christianwordsblog

FEAR (of the Lord)

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… (Proverbs 9:10)

Often in the modern church, ‘fear’ is said to be ‘respect’, ‘awe’ or ‘reverence’. Indeed, fear is thought to be incompatible with love. How could any fear a god which, through grace, offers salvation and eternal life? How could anyone keep the first commandment to love God, and yet fear Him at the same time? The answer lies in the rest of the verse from Proverbs:

….and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
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