The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the New Living Translation ( NLT ).  Matthew 20:20-28 read as follows:

"Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons.  She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.  'What is your request?'  he asked.  She replied, 'In your Kingdom, will you let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one at your right and the other at your left?'  But Jesus told them, 'You don't know what you are asking!  Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?'  'Oh yes,' they replied, 'we are able!'  'You will indeed drink from it,' he told them.  'But I have no right to say who will sit on the thrones next to mine.  My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.'  When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.  But Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them.  But among you it should be quite different.  Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave.  For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.'"

Jesus ( see verse 20 ) teaches something in this passage from the Holy Bible that is "quite different" ( see verse 26 ) from this world's view of leadership.  According to this world, leadership means to be a tyrant, or to "lord it over" ( see verse 25 ) those over which one has authority.  Jesus teaches that a leader, in His kingdom ( the New Testament church, the church of Christ - see Daniel 2:1-45 ( especially verse 44, for example ), Joel 2:28-32, Matthew 16:18, Luke 1:26-38 ( especially verses 31-33, for example ), Acts 2:1-47 ( especially verses 14 through 21, for example ); 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, Ephesians 1:22, 23, and Colossians 1:18, for example ), must be a servant, and one who desires to be first, in His kingdom, must be a slave ( see verses 26 and 27 ).  See also 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" ), Colossians 2:8, 9, 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 Living Translation ( NLT ).  John 8:31-34 read as follows:

"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'  'But we are descendants of Abraham,' they said.  'We have never been slaves to anyone on earth.  What do you mean, '"set free"'?'  Jesus replied, 'I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin.'"

Moreover, 2 Peter 2:19 reads as follows:  "They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption.  For you are a slave to whatever controls you."

     The word "apocrypha" ( with regard to the Old Testament apocryphal books ) is defined as follows:

"Meaning 'things that are hidden,' apocrypha is applied to a collection of fifteen books written between about 200 B.C. and A.D. 100. . . .  The word 'apocrypha' is not found in the Bible.  Although never part of the Hebrew Scriptures, all fifteen apocryphal books except 2 Esdras appear in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. . . ."  [  See HOLMAN BIBLE DICTIONARY, HOLMAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, Copyright 1991 Holman Bible Publishers, p. 69.  ]

The word "apocrypha" ( with regard to the New Testament apocryphal books ) is defined as follows:

"When the term apokryphos occurs in the New Testament, it simply means 'hidden things.'  This original sense does not include the later meanings associated with it.  In the formation of the Christian canon of Scripture, 'apocrypha' came to mean works that were not divinely inspired and authoritative. . . ."  [  Ibid., p. 71.  ]

A list of the New Testament apocryphal books is as follows:

"Epistle of Pseudo-Barnabas (A.D. 70-79)

 Epistle to the Corinthians (about A.D. 96)

 Ancient Homily, or the so-called Second Epistle of Clement (about A.D. 120-140)

 Didache, Teaching of the Twelve (about A.D. 100-120)

 Apocalypse of Peter (about A.D. 150)

 The Acts of Paul and Thecla (A.D. 170)

 Epistle to the Laodiceans (fourth century?)

 The Gospel According to the Hebrews (A.D. 65-100)

 Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (about A.D. 108)

 The Seven Epistles of Ignatius (about A.D. 100)

 This is but a partial list of spurious and rejected writings. (Geisler, BP, 297-316)"  [  See The NEW EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT, McDOWELL, JOSH, THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS, Nashville, Copyright 1999 by Josh D. McDowell, p. 25.  ]

Why the New Testament apocryphal books are rejected:

"Geisler and Nix sum up the case against the canonical status of these books: '(1) None of them enjoyed any more than a temporary or local recognition.  (2) Most of them never did have anything more than a semi-canonical status, being appended to various manuscripts or mentioned in tables of contents.  (3) No major canon or church council included them as inspired books of the New Testament.  (4) The limited acceptance enjoyed by most of these books is attributable to the fact that they attached themselves to references in canonical books (e.g., Laodiceans to Col. 4:16), because of their alleged apostolic authorship (e.g., Acts of Paul).  Once these issues were clarified, there remained little doubt that these books were not canonical.' (Geisler, GIB, 317)"  [  Ibid., pp. 25, 26.  ]

A list of the Old Testament apocryphal books is as follows:

"First Esdras (about 150 B.C.) . . . .

 Second Esdras (A.D. 100) . . . .

 Tobit (early second century B.C.) . . . .

 Judith (about the middle of second century B.C.) . . . .

 Additions to Esther (about 100 B.C.) . . . .

 The Wisdom of Solomon (about A.D. 40) . . . .

 Ecclesiasticus, or Wisdom of Sirach (about 180 B.C.) . . . .

 Baruch (about A.D. 100) . . . .

 Letter of Jeremiah (contained in the sixth chapter of Baruch) . . . .

 Susanna ('first century before Christ') . . . .

 Bel and the Dragon (about the same time as Susanna) . . . .

 The Song of the Three Hebrew Children ('follows Daniel 3:23') . . . .

 The Prayer of Manasseh (second century B.C.) . . . .

 First Maccabees (first century B.C.) . . . .

 Second Maccabees (same time) . . . ."  [  Ibid., pp. 30, 31.  ]

Why the Old Testament apocryphal books are excluded:

"Geisler and Nix give ten testimonies of antiquity that argue against recognition of the Apocrypha:

1.  Philo, Alexandrian Jewish philosopher (20 B.C.-A.D. 40), quoted the Old Testament prolifically, and even recognized the threefold classification, but he never quoted from the Apocrypha as inspired.

2.  Josephus (A.D. 30-100), Jewish historian, explicitly excludes the Apocrypha, numbering the books of the Old Testament as twenty-two.  Neither does he quote the apocryphal books as Scripture.

3.  Jesus and the New Testament writers never once quote the Apocrypha, although there are hundreds of quotes and references to almost all of the canonical books of the Old Testament.

4.  The Jewish scholars of Jamnia (A.D. 90) did not recognize the Apocrypha.

5.  No canon or council of the Christian church recognized the Apocrypha as inspired for nearly four centuries.

6.  Many of the great Fathers [ sic ] of the early church spoke out against the Apocrypha-for example, Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Athanasius.

7.  Jerome (A.D. 340-420), the great scholar and translator of the Latin Vulgate, rejected the Apocrypha as part of the canon.  Jerome said that the church reads them 'for example of life and instruction of manners,' but does not 'apply them to establish doctrine.'  He disputed with Augustine across the Mediterranean on this point.  At first Jerome refused even to translate the apocryphal books into Latin, but later he made a hurried translation of a few of them.  After his death and 'over his dead body' the apocryphal books were brought into his Latin Vulgate directly from the Old Latin Version.

8.  Many Roman Catholic scholars through the Reformation period rejected the Apocrypha.

9.  Luther and the Reformers rejected the canonicity of the Apocrypha.

10.  Not until A.D. 1546, in a polemical action at the counter-Reformation Council of Trent (1545-63), did the apocryphal books receive full canonical status by the Roman Catholic Church. (Geisler/Nix, GIB, 272-273)

CONCLUSION

David Dockery, Kenneth Matthews, and Robert Sloan, after reviewing the evidence in their recent book, Foundations for Biblical Interpretation, conclude concerning the Bible's canon: 'No Christian, confident in the providential working of his God and informed about the true nature of canonicity of his Word, should be disturbed about the dependability of the Bible we now possess.' (Dockery, FBI, 77, 78)"  [  Ibid., pp. 31, 32.  ]

     With all of the above-given information in mind, the truth will set us free from the control of sin; the sin, in this case, being the false teaching that the apocryphal books are inspired by God ( 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" ), Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 3:4; 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>

NOTE:  The word "council" does not appear in the context of Acts 15:22-29.  An explanation of this word, as well as the word "canon" ( and related concepts ), will be provided in a future posting to this weblog.  As a reminder, there is no such thing as a denominational Christian ( see Acts 11:26 and Ephesians 4:5, for example ).

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.  1 Thessalonians 5:22 reads as follows:

 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Christians ( see Acts 11:26, for example ) have a command from God ( see Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, for example ) to abstain from even the appearance of evil.  See also 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; Colossians 2:8, 9, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example.

     The following quotation is taken from the Toastmasters International website ( www.toastmasters.org ):

"When people hear the word 'basement' they’re more likely to picture mold and spiders than the birth place of a global communication and leadership training organization. But a basement in a YMCA in Santa Ana, California, is exactly where, in 1924, Ralph C. Smedley held the first meeting of what would eventually become Toastmasters International.

Smedley began working as director of education for a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) after he graduated from college. He observed that many of the young patrons needed 'training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings' and Smedley wanted to help them. He decided the training format would be similar to a social club. During the early 1900s the word 'toastmaster' referred to a person who proposed the toasts and introduced the speakers at a banquet. Smedley named his group 'The Toastmasters Club' because he thought it suggested a pleasant, social atmosphere appealing to young men. . . ."

The word "toastmaster" is defined as follows:

". . . n.  A person who, at public dinners, announces the toasts, calls upon the various speakers, etc. . . ."  [  See NEW ILLUSTRATED WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY Including THESAURUS of SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS, PMC Publishing Company, Inc., 118 EAST 28th STREET, NEW YORK, NY  10016, dictionary portion: pages 1-1150, Copyright 1992, by J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, p. 1014.  ]

The word "toast" is defined as follows:

". . . n.  1 The act of drinking to someone's health or to some sentiment. . . ."  [  Ibid.  ]

     With all of the above-given information in mind, there is a sinful ( see 1 John 3:4, for example ) implication associated with being a toastmaster, namely, that of social drinking.  1 Peter 4:1-4 ( NKJV ) read as follows:

"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.  In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you."

Thus, drinking alcoholic beverages, drunkenness, and drinking parties ( social drinking, for example ) are all condemned in the Holy Bible ( see Proverbs 20:1 and verse 3 ( immediately above ), for example ).  Therefore, Christians will not be affiliated with Toastmasters International.

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: The following quotation is taken from the YMCA website ( http://www.ymca.net/diversity-inclusion ):

"The Y is made up of people of all ages and from every walk of life working side by side to  strengthen communities. Together we work to ensure everyone, regardless of gender, income, faith, sexual orientation or cultural background, has the opportunity to live life to its fullest. We share the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility—everything we do stems from it."

Ephesians 4:5 clearly teaches that there is one faith ( and, thus, "religious" denominationalism is not authorized in the Holy Bible ), and homosexuality is a sin ( see Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:24-28 ( especially verses 26-28, for example ), for example ).  Thus, the acronym "YMCA," is a misnomer, since this organization associates the name "Christian" with "religious" denominations, though there is no such thing as a denominational Christian.  Finally, the New Testament church ( the church of Christ - see Matthew 16:18, Romans 16:16, and Ephesians 1:22, 23, for example ) is not a social club: it is "the house of God" ( see 1 Timothy 3:15, for example; NKJV, for example ).

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.  Revelation 1:5, 6 read as follows:
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.  Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen."
The phrase "kings and priests," in verse six, has an equivalent rendering in the margin, which is "a kingdom, priests."
     Moreover, the Greek word ( Greek [ 935 ] ) for the word "kings," in verse six, is defined as follows:
"a sovereign (abs., rel. or fig.). . . ."  [  See ABINGDON'S STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE, STRONG, JAMES, S.T.D., LL.D., ABINGDON PRESS, NASHVILLE, Copyright, 1890, by JAMES STRONG, MADISON, N.J., ( A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek/New Testament with their Renderings in the King James Version, p. 21. ).  ]
The word "sovereign" is defined as follows:
". . . n.   1  One who possesses supreme authority, especially a person or a determinate body of persons in whom the supreme power of the state is vested; a monarch. . . .  See synonyms under IMPERIAL, PREDOMINANT. . . ."  [  See NEW ILLUSTRATED WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY Including THESAURUS of SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS, PMC Publishing Company, Inc., 118 EAST 28th STREET, NEW YORK, NY  10016, dictionary portion: pages 1-1150, Copyright 1992, by J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, p. 922.  ]
The word "king" is defined as follows:
". . . n.   1  The sovereign male ruler of a kingdom. . . ."  [  Ibid., p. 538.  ]
The word "queen" is defined as follows:
". . . n.   1  The wife of a king.   2  A female sovereign or monarch. . . ."  [  Ibid., p. 793.  ]
     Additionally, the Greek word ( Greek [ 2409 ] ) for the word "priests," in verse six, is defined as follows:
"a priest (lit. or fig.). . . ."  [  See ABINGDON'S STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE, STRONG, JAMES, S.T.D., LL.D., ABINGDON PRESS, NASHVILLE, Copyright, 1890, by JAMES STRONG, MADISON, N.J., ( A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek/New Testament with their Renderings in the King James Version, p. 48. ).  ]
The word "priestess" is defined as follows:
". . . n.   A woman or girl who exercises priestly functions or who performs sacred rites."  [  See NEW ILLUSTRATED WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY Including THESAURUS of SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS, PMC Publishing Company, Inc., 118 EAST 28th STREET, NEW YORK, NY  10016, dictionary portion: pages 1-1150, Copyright 1992, by J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, p. 769.  ]  See also Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7-25 ( especially verses 20-22, for example ), Exodus 21:10, 1 Corinthians 7:3, 5, 35, and 36, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, and 1 Timothy 2:12, for example.
     Thus, with all of the above-given information in mind, the phrase "kings and priests," in verse six, can be understood to mean "kings and queens and priests and priestesses" ( since it is impossible for a woman to be a king, for example ).  See also 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, Acts 2:38; 8:26-40 ( especially verses 36-39, for example ); 11:26, Romans 1:20; 6:1-4 ( especially verses 3 and 4, for example ), Galatians 3:26, 27, Colossians 2:8, 9, Titus 1:1, 2, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example.  Please study the Holy Bible ( God's word - see 2 Timothy 2:15, 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 REVISED STANDARD VERSION ( RSV ).  Judges 6:24-27 read as follows:

"Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it, The LORD is peace.  To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.  That night the LORD said to him, 'Take your father's bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.  So Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night."

The word "Asherah" is defined as follows:  "A fertility goddess, the mother of Baal, whose worship was concentrated in Syria and Canaan and the wooden object that represented her. . . ."  [  See HOLMAN BIBLE DICTIONARY, HOLMAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, Copyright 1991 Holman Bible Publishers, p. 111.  ]

     Moreover, Jeremiah 10:8 ( NKJV; with center-column references ) reads as follows:  "But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine."  The phrase "worthless doctrine," in this passage from the Holy Bible, has an equivalent translation, which is "vain teaching."  We see just how worthless the Asherah was, since the LORD commanded ( see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, 151, Ecclesiastes 12:13, and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, for example ) Gideon ( see verses 24 and 25 ) to offer the second bull as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah ( see verse 26 ).  See also 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, Titus 1:1, 2, James 4:7, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example.

     Additionally, the first commandment reads as follows:  "You shall have no other gods before Me" ( see Exodus 20:3; NKJV; with center-column references ).  Jesus ( see Matthew 4:10 ) said to the devil ( see Matthew 4:8 ), the following:  "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve'" ( see Matthew 4:10; NKJV; with center-column references ).  Please study the Holy Bible ( see 2 Timothy 2:15, for example ).

     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/0Bwt40y5qiELlVXdSNHhGNEtmdWc/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 version of the New Testament, known as THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE.  Ephesians 5:21-33 read as follows:

"Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, be subject to your husbands as to the Lord; for the man is the head of the woman, just as Christ also is the head of the church.  Christ is, indeed, the Saviour of the body; but just as the church is subject to Christ, so must women be to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it, to consecrate it, cleansing it by water and word, so that he might present the church to himself all glorious, with no stain or wrinkle or anything of the sort, but holy and without blemish.  In the same way men also are bound to love their wives, as they love their own bodies.  In loving his wife a man loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own body : on the contrary, he provides and cares for it; and that is how Christ treats the church, because it is his body, of which we are living parts.  Thus it is that (in the words of Scripture) 'a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become a single body'.  It is a great truth that is hidden here.  I for my part refer it to Christ and to the church, but it applies also individually : each of you must love his wife as his very self; and the woman must see to it that she pays her husband all respect."

In this passage from the New Testament, we see that the husband must love his wife as Christ loved the church: Jesus ( see Matthew 1:16; RSV, for example ) died for the church ( see also Acts 20:28, Romans 3:21-31 ( especially verses 24 and 25, for example ), Philippians 2:5-8 ( especially verse 8, for example ), Colossians 1:9-20 ( especially verses 13 and 20, for example ), and Hebrews 9:12-18 ( especially verses 14 and 15, for example ), for example ).  Thus, the husband must love his wife enough to be willing to die for her.

     Wives must be subject to their husbands "as to the Lord" ( see verse 22 ), and "in everything" ( see verse 24 ).  With these two phrases in mind, the wife does not have to submit to her husband if he threatens her with physical harm ( see Matthew 22:39 and verse 28 ( above ), for example ), or if he commands her to do something sinful ( see Matthew 6:33, Acts 4:19; 5:29, and 1 John 3:4, for example ), for example.  Finally, incidents of domestic violence can be avoided if the husband will "love his wife as his very self" ( see verse 33 ), and if the wife will "pay her husband all respect" ( see verse 33 ).

     A slide presentation ( associated with the following link ) has been included for you, the reader, to view ( and there is a brief lesson regarding husbands, wives, and younger widows included in this study of the book of 1 Timothy ).  Please click on the link below:

<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-zC2Vu1AHUn2xo9DkWoLWyjVEkcGy_ykqle4nTOTGUM/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 send them to my e-mail address as well.

The Holy Bible.

     Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the New Testament, known as THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE.  The following quotation is taken from this version of the New Testament:

"This translation of the New Testament (to be followed in due course by the Old Testament and by the Apocrypha) was undertaken with the object of providing English readers, whether familiar with the Bible or not, with a faithful rendering of the best available Greek text into the current speech of our own time, and a rendering which should harvest the gains of recent biblical scholarship.  It is just three hundred and fifty years since King James's men put out what we have come to know as the Authorized Version.  Two hundred and seventy years later the New Testament was revised.  The Revised Version, which appeared in 1881, marked a new departure especially in that it abandoned the so-called Received Text, which had reigned ever since printed editions of the New Testament began, but which the advance of textual criticism had antiquated.  The Revisers no longer followed (like their predecessors) the text of the majority of manuscripts, which, being for the most part of late date, had been exposed not only to the accidental corruptions of long-continued copying, but also in part to deliberate correction and 'improvement'.  Instead, they followed a very small group of manuscripts, the earliest, and in their judgement the best, of those which had survived.  During the eighty years which have passed since their time, textual criticism has not stood still."  [  See New Testament, THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1961, Copyright THE DELEGATES OF THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS AND THE SYNDICS OF THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1961, p. vii.  ]

The word "homily" is defined as follows:

"n.   pl.  -lies   1  A didactic sermon on some text or topic from the Bible. . . ."  [  See NEW ILLUSTRATED WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY Including THESAURUS of SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS, PMC Publishing Company, Inc., 118 EAST 28th STREET, NEW YORK, NY  10016, dictionary portion: pages 1-1150, Copyright 1992, by J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, p. 463.  ]

Additionally, the word "didactic" is defined as follows:

"adj.  1 Pertaining to or of the nature of teaching; intended to instruct; expository. . . ."  [  Ibid., p. 272.  ]

     Thus, with the two above-given definitions in mind, a homily is a sermon, of a teaching nature, on some text or topic from the Bible.  Matthew 5:1, 2 read as follows:  "WHEN HE SAW the crowds he went up the hill.  There he took his seat, and when his disciples had gathered round him he began to address them.  And this is the teaching he gave" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).  Moreover, Matthew 7:28, 29 read as follows:  "When Jesus had finished this discourse the people were astounded at his teaching; unlike their own teachers he taught with a note of authority" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).  The word "teaching" is used at the beginning of the sermon on the mount, and the word "taught" is used at the end, therefore, we can rightly conclude that the sermon on the mount was a homily.

     Within this homily, Jesus ( see Matthew 4:19 ) said the following in Matthew 5:10:  "How blest are those who have suffered persecution for the cause of right; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs."  Christians ( see Acts 11:26, for example ) will suffer persecution for the cause of right.  We must not become discouraged when this happens.  The apostle Paul recorded the following in 2 Timothy 3:10-12:  "But you, my son, have followed, step by step, my teaching and my manner of life, my resolution, my faith, patience, and spirit of love, and my fortitude under persecutions and sufferings-all that I went through at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, all the persecutions I endured; and the Lord rescued me out of them all.  Yes, persecution will come to all who want to live a godly life as Christians."  We must remember that the Lord will deliver us out of all of our persecutions.  Jesus said we are blest when we suffer persecution for the cause of right.  Please study the Holy Bible ( see 2 Timothy 2:15, 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>

NOTE: The apocryphal books are not inspired by God ( see 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, for example ).  An explanation of the apocryphal books will be provided in a future entry to this weblog.