The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the REVISED STANDARD VERSION ( RSV ).  Of the letters written by the apostle Paul, 2 Thessalonians is the ninth: it is the fourteenth book of the New Testament, and the fifty-third of the sixty-six canonical books in the entire Holy Bible.  The book of 2 Thessalonians consists of three chapters; having a total of forty-seven verses, divided up among the chapters as follows:  chapter one has twelve verses, chapter two has seventeen verses, and chapter three has eighteen verses.  As with 1 Thessalonians, this entire book can also be read in a relatively short period of time.
     A slide presentation ( associated with the following link ) has been included for you, the reader, to view.  Please click on the link below:

<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lOkWy9ZftKDpmj4ZgbnImk_6AEk9jTbH-R9CklO4Lko/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000>.
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>

NOTE:  To exit the slide presentation, you will need to click the "home" button in your web browser.  Please feel free to send comments or suggestions to my e-mail address as well.

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as The Amplified Bible.  The following quotation is taken from this version of the Holy Bible:

"IN 1958 The Lockman Foundation and Zondervan Publishing House issued the first edition of THE AMPLIFIED NEW TESTAMENT.  The enthusiasm with which it has been received (more than one million copies are now in print) attests to its usefulness as a means of better understanding the Word of God.  THE AMPLIFIED OLD TESTAMENT, Part 1 - Genesis to Esther - was published in 1964, and THE AMPLIFIED OLD TESTAMENT, Part 2 - Job to Malachi - in 1962.  Both volumes have received the same degree of acceptance as that accorded earlier to THE AMPLIFIED NEW TESTAMENT."  [  See The Amplified Bible, ZONDERVAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS, GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, Copyright 1965 by Zondervan Publishing House, PREFACE.  ]

Furthermore, the following explanations are provided:

"PARENTHESES ( ) and DASHES - -: signify additional phases of meaning included in the original word, phrase or clause of the original language.

TITLES OF DEITY: are set off, however, only with commas.

BRACKETS [ ]: contain justified clarifying words or comments not actually expressed in the immediate original text.

ITALICS: point out certain familiar passages now recognized as not adequately supported by the original manuscripts.  Also, 'and,' 'or' and other connectives in italics indicate that the word itself is not in the original text, but it is used to connect additional English words indicated in the same original word.

CAPITALS: are used in names and personal pronouns referring to Deity, but sparingly elsewhere.

REFERENCES: are intended to cover any part of the preceding verse to which they apply.

SYNONYMS: are limited to what the text seems to warrant, both as to number and wording."  [  Ibid., EXPLANATION of ARBITRARY PUNCTUATION.  ]

     Galatians 1:11-13 read as follows:  "For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man's gospel - a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard.  For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ, the Messiah.  You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it and destroy it."  The apostle Paul ( see Galatians 1:1 ) recorded for us how he "tried to destroy" the New Testament church ( the church of Christ - see Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28 ( see Acts 20:28 ( NKJV; with center-column references ) where the equivalent translation for the phrase "of God" is "of the Lord and God" ), Romans 16:16, and Ephesians 1:17-23 ( especially verses 22 and 23, for example ), for example ) in verse 13 ( RSV, for example ).  The Bible video ( associated with the following link ) is included for you, the reader, to view.  Please click on the link below:

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwt40y5qiELlTVc4TEZKazhXbDQ/edit?usp=sharing>.
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>

NOTE: Keep in mind that The Amplified Bible is not a traditional translation of the Holy Bible ( God's word - see Psalm 119:65-73, Matthew 28:18, John 1:1, 14; 3:16, 17; 5:26, 27; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 14:6; 17:17; Romans 1:20 ( see Romans 1:20 ( KJV, for example; with center-column references, for example ) to get the equivalent translation for the word "Godhead" ), Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example ).  [  Ibid., PUBLISHER'S FOREWARD.  ]
Also, there are two explanations regarding Acts 20:28 ( NKJV; with center-column references ).  To begin with, the equivalent translation "of the Lord and God" ( for the phrase "of God" ) indicates that the church belongs to both God, the Father and God, the Son ( Jesus ( see Matthew 1:16 )); the concept of the Godhead being involved here ( recall John 10:30, for example ).  Since Jesus is the Son of God ( see Luke 4:35-41 ( especially verse 41, for example ), for example ), and the church belongs to Him ( recall Matthew 16:18, for example ), the church of God is the church of Christ.  Secondly, we can simply consider the immediate context of this passage, and rightly conclude that Jesus ( God, the Son ) is implied here ( the phrase "with His own blood" has a cross-reference to Hebrews 9:14, which reads as follows:  "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" ).  Whatever the case may be, the phrase "church of God," in the Holy Bible, is not a reference to the church of God "religious" denomination: it is a reference to the New Testament church ( the church of Christ ).

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the REVISED STANDARD VERSION ( RSV ).  Of the letters written by the apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians is the eighth: it is the thirteenth book of the New Testament, and the fifty-second of the sixty-six canonical books in the entire Holy Bible.  The book of 1 Thessalonians consists of five chapters; having a total of eighty-nine verses, divided up among the chapters as follows: chapter one has ten verses, chapter two has twenty verses, chapter three has thirteen verses, chapter four has eighteen verses, and chapter five has twenty-eight verses.  The entire book can be read in a relatively short period of time.
     A slide presentation ( associated with the following link ) is included for you, the reader, to view: it is a brief lesson regarding the book of 1 Thessalonians.  Please click on the link below:
<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1w0culGWvYGBjrqlibwRs7un3LP6QatB7Kn7ZB9ctEIc/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000>.
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>

NOTE: To exit the slide presentation, you will need to click on the "home" button in your web browser.  Please feel free to send comments or suggestions to my e-mail address as well.

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the KING JAMES VERSION ( KJV ); being entitled: The Scofield Study Bible.  Matthew 28:18 reads as follows:  "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."  Moreover, Jesus ( see John 5:19 ) said the following in John 5:26, 27:  "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

     Considering Matthew 28:18 and John 5:26, 27 together, we see that God, the Father, has given all power ( "authority" - see Matthew 28:18; NKJV, for example ) to God, the Son ( see also Psalm 119:65-73, John 1:1, 14; 3:16, 17; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 14:6; 17:17, Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example ).  The slide presentation ( associated with the following link )  is a brief lesson regarding authority: it has been included for you, the reader, to view.  Please click on the link below:

<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vvPqzzt7n8r5sC7yzO0xUE-2F_RFVfMgb0vyNi8U__s/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000>.

If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>

<Russell E. Willis>

NOTE: To exit the slide presentation, you will need to click on the "home" button in your web browser.  If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to send them to my e-mail address as well.

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ).  In Judges, chapter 1, we see the following failures of the sons of Israel ( see Judges 1:1 ) to drive out various inhabitants:  Judah, regarding the inhabitants of the valley ( see verse 19 ); the sons of Benjamin, regarding the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem ( see verse 21 ); Manasseh, regarding the Canaanites ( see verse 27 ); Ephraim, regarding the Canaanites ( see verse 29 ); Zebulun, regarding the Canaanites ( see verse 30 ); Asher, regarding the Canaanites ( see verse 32 ); Naphtali, regarding the Canaanites ( see verse 33 ); Dan, regarding the Amorites ( see verses 34-36 ).  Moreover, there were two reasons why the LORD ( see Judges 2:20 ) would "no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died" ( see Judges 2:21 ):  to test Israel by them, to see whether they would keep the way of the LORD to walk in it as their fathers had done ( see Judges 2:22 ), and to test Israel by them, so that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war ( see Judges 3:1, 2 ).

     Christians ( see Acts, chapter 11 ( especially verse 26, for example )), members of the New Testament church ( the church of Christ - see Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:38, 41, and 47 ( KJV, for example ); 8:26-40 ( especially verses 36-39, for example ), Romans 6:1-4 ( especially verses 3 and 4, for example ), Galatians 3:26, 27, and Ephesians 4:5, for example ), are to fight the good fight of faith ( cf. Mark 16:16, Acts 8:4-24 ( especially verse 12 ), Romans 6:10, 1 Timothy 1:18, 19; 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7, 8, James 1:12, and Revelation 2:8-11 ( especially verse 10, for example ( KJV, for example; with center-column references, for example )), for example ).  In 1 Timothy 1:18 ( KJV; with center-column references, for example ), we find the phrase "war a good warfare."  Christians are to war a good warfare, that warfare being based on what the Holy Bible ( God's word - see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, 151, Matthew 28:18, John 1:1, 14; 3:16, 17; 5:26, 27; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 14:6; 17:17, Romans 1:20 ( see Romans 1:20 ( KJV, for example; with center-column references, for example ) to get the equivalent translation for the word "Godhead" ); 10:17; 15:1-4 (especially verses 3 and 4, for example ( KJV, for example; with center-column references, for example )), Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example ) teaches.

     A Bible video ( associated with the following link ) is included for you, the reader, to view.  Please click on the link below:

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwt40y5qiELldVFRdThXYzFydnM/edit?usp=sharing>.

If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>

<Russell E. Willis>

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ).  Psalm 45:6, 7 read as follows:  "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.  Thou has loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of joy above Thy fellows."  A portion of The Westminster Confession of Faith ( 1648 ) reads as follows:  "God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass . . . ."  [  See Calvinism, QUEST FOR TRUTH, Berkley, Warren E., PRECEPTOR CO., P.O. BOX 22283, BEAUMONT, TX  77720, p. 5.  ]

     According to the false doctrine of Calvinism, everything that happens is the will of God.  [  Ibid., p. 6.  ]  If such a claim were true, then we would arrive at the absurd conclusion that it is God's will for someone to rob a bank, for example.  However, the apostle Paul ( see Ephesians 1:1 ) recorded the following in Ephesians 4:28:  "Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need."  As we can read in Psalm 45:6, 7, for example, God hates wickedness.  Please study the Holy Bible ( God's word - see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, 151, Matthew 28:18, John 1:1, 14; 3:16, 17; 5:26, 27; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 14:6; 17:17, Romans 1:20 ( see Romans 1:20 ( KJV, for example; with center-column references ) to get the equivalent translation for the word "Godhead" ); 15:4, Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example ).

If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>

<Russell E. Willis>

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ).  The following quotation is taken from this version of the Holy Bible:  "In the history of English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most prestigious.  This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishop's Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version appearing in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament).  The American counterpart of this last work was published in 1901 as the American Standard Version.  Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, the Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to update it by incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and by rendering it into more current English.  Therefore, in 1959 a new translation project was launched, based on the ASV.  The result is the New American Standard Bible.

     The American Standard Version (1901) has been highly regarded for its scholarship and accuracy.  A product of both British and American scholarship, it has frequently been used as a standard for other translations.  It is still recognized as a valuable tool for study of the Scriptures.  The New American Standard Bible has sought to preserve these and other lasting values of the ASV."  [  See The HOLY BIBLE, New American Standard Bible, INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, Colorado Springs, Mexico City, Herrljunga, Nairobi, Hyderabad, Bangkok, Copyright THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, p. iv.  ]
     Jesus ( see Matthew 4:23 ) said the following in Matthew 5:44:  "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."  A Bible video ( associated with the following link ) has been included for you, the reader, to view.  Please click on the link below:

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwt40y5qiELlbEEwbFhzVUcyR0U/edit?usp=sharing>.
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>

NOTE:  It can be shown from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ) that the United States of America is not God's spiritual nation.  1 Peter 2:9 reads as follows:  "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  As explained in the previous weblog posting, the word "NATION," in 1 Peter 2:9, is not a reference to a physical nation ( such as the United States of America ), because there are a number of unholy things occurring in America ( such as the sin of homosexuality, for example - see Leviticus 18:22, Psalm 119:65-72, 142, 151, John 1:1, 14; 3:16, 17; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 14:6; 17:17, Romans 1:20 ( see Romans 1:20 ( KJV, for example; with center-column references ) to get the equivalent translation for the word "Godhead" ); 1:24-27 ( especially verses 26 and 27, for example ); 15:4, Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, 1 John 3:4 ( KJV, for example ); 5:6-8, for example ), for example.  In short, God's spiritual nation is the New Testament church ( the church of Christ - see Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:38, 41, 47 ( KJV, for example; with center-column references ); 8:26-40 ( especially verses 36-39, for example ), Romans 6:1-4 ( especially verses 3 and 4, for example ); 16:16, Galatians 3:26, 27, Hebrews 10:22, and 1 Peter 1:1, 2, for example ).  Also, the use of all-capital letters, in some of the above-given words in this note ( in 1 Peter 2:9 ), is based on a format employed by the copy of the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ( NASB ) referenced in this weblog posting, whereby small capital letters in the New Testament "are used in the text to indicate Old Testament quotations or obvious allusions to Old Testament texts" ( ibid., p. vii. ).