PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Biblical truth standing on its spiritual head to get our eternal attention.

1 Peter 3:7 – “Weaker Vessel” – Different Translations

| August 25, 2010

1 Peter 3:7 uses a phrase quite familiar due to the prevalence of the KJV – wives are the “weaker vessel.” That is a very literal and accurate translation and the ESV and the older NASB follow suit. The challenge comes not from the word vessel, but from the word weaker. How are wives “weaker?” […]

Acts – What Is the Book of Acts

| August 1, 2010

Tradition says it is the Acts of the Apostles. Yet, most are ignored. It is mainly Peter then Paul, with Paul not one of the original twelve. Why the silence? Why doesn’t inspiration inform of us what Matthew and Matthias did? And then there are non-apostles such as Stephen and Philip who are given much […]

Romans 1:16-17 – Romans 14:1-23 – Thematic Echoes

| April 15, 2010

Romans 1:16-17 NASB (16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS […]

Romans 10:9-10 – Chiasm

| March 10, 2010

(9)  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (10)  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. This might be the most easily recognized chiasm […]

Romans 1:16-17 – Thematic Echoes (Romans 10:1-15)

| March 10, 2010

I am not ashamed (1:16-17) – How beautiful are the feet (10:15); confess with mouth (10:9); confesses (10:10) The gospel (1:16) – glad tidings (10:15); ascend and descend (10:16-17); word of faith (10:8); preaching (10:8); Jesus as Lord (10:9); raised from the dead (10:9); Lord of all (10:12) Salvation (1:16) – their salvation (10:1); saved […]

Romans 1:16-17 – Thematic Echoes (Romans 3:21-26)

| March 9, 2010

The gospel reveals the righteousness of God (1:16-17) – The righteousness of God is manifested apart from the Law (lit., law) (3:21). The gospel reveals the righteousness of God (1:16-17) – The righteousness of God is manifested through faith in Jesus Christ (3:21-22) To everyone who believes (1:16) –  for all those who believe (3:22) The […]

Romans – Hamartia (Sin)

| March 3, 2010

Trends should not be ignored, especially when considering how words are used.  Sometimes noticing the trend will lead to greater understanding.  Sometimes the trend is simply coincidence.  When looking at harmartia (266), which is the most common Greek word for sin and means, “to miss the mark,” we see some interesting trends within the book […]

Romans 5:12-8:33 – (Pistis)

| February 24, 2010

There are various opinions on how to divide Romans. Does chapter 5 belong with 1-4 or with 6-8? Personally I believe the division starts at 5:12, with 5:1-11 concluding the first section. One reason for that is the curious fact concerning the word faith (pistis). 40 times in Romans 26 times in 1:1-5:11 14 times […]

Romans 5:12 – What Question Is Being Asked

| February 10, 2010

Before we can properly get out of a text what the writer put in the text we must discover, “What question is being asked?” To find an answer to a question that is not being asked is an improper use of that text. For example, in Romans 5:12 is Paul asking “why do all men […]

Romans 3:20 – Flesh

| January 5, 2010

Instead of translating sarx as “flesh” some translations choose to generalize the meaning to “man” (BBE); “people” (CEV); “human being” (ESV; NRSV); “no one” (NIV) and such.  But doing so removes the nuances of the word “flesh” spread throughout Romans.  Flesh refers to more than just being human.  It echoes the argument concerning circumcision, and […]