Murray J. HarrisIn order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Cor 2:11 NIV) One of the Christian’s defenses against the devil’s stratagems is prior awareness of his purposes and methods. In 2 Corinthians 2:5–11, we discover...
We are sometimes told that unless we have experienced the same trial as someone else, we are unable to give that person genuine sympathy and encouragement. For example, only a parent who has lost a very young child can really sympathize with parents...
Word order can often be significant, especially when it is surprising. For example, Paul’s letter to the Christian believers in Rome is the flagship of the Pauline fleet. The apostle greatly treasured his special calling to be an apostle that came...
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. (Luke 23:34 ESV) This first of the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross was uttered probably shortly after he had been crushed to the...
One likely date for the crucifixion of Jesus is Friday, April 6, AD 30. If we assume this chronology, we can tentatively reconstruct Jesus’ movements for the first part of his final week, including his cursing of the fig tree and its subsequent...
Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matt 11:11 CSB) How could any person possibly be greater than the man chosen to announce the...
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:19 CSB) Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will...
A young child is trying valiantly to climb a tree on her own. Her father says, “without me you won’t be able to do that.” Instinctively, the child understands “without me” to mean “without my help”—not “without my physical presence here watching...
Our English word “judge,” like the Greek verb krinō, has two totally different senses. It can refer to passing a negative verdict on a person or thing (= “condemn”), or it may refer to exercising careful evaluation over persons or things (=...
Just forgive and forget! Let bygones be bygones. Such is the all-too-common advice given to someone struggling with the hurt inflicted by another person’s heartless action. But is this always—or ever—the right advice to give to such a person? To...