The phrase “the fellowship of His sufferings” comes from Philippians 3:10, which says “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” This verse speaks of the believer’s desire to identify and connect with Christ’s sufferings. The background is that the apostle Paul is reflecting on his goal in life as a follower of Christ. He counts everything else as loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). This “knowing” Christ involves both knowing Him relationally, and also knowing and experiencing the realities of…
Author: Kristal Wheatley
The Song of Solomon is a beautiful love poem depicting the courtship and marriage of King Solomon and the Shulammite woman. In Song of Solomon 1:6, the Shulammite woman declares, “Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has looked upon me.” This verse has sparked much discussion about the meaning of the Shulammite having “dark” skin. There are a few key things to understand about this verse: The term “dark” (Heb. shechorah) can refer to dark hair, dark eyes, or dark skin. It is the same word used in Song of Solomon 1:5 to describe…
Psalm 116:17 states “I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.” This verse raises the question – what is the sacrifice of thanksgiving? To understand this, we must first look at the context of Psalm 116. This psalm was written by King David, and it is classified as one of the “Hallel” psalms (Psalms 113-118), which were recited by the Jews at their religious feasts. In this psalm, David expresses his love and gratitude to God for delivering him from death. He had been afflicted and brought low, but the Lord…
The phrase “this too shall pass” is commonly used to encourage people going through difficult times. The idea behind the phrase is that whatever troubles someone is facing will eventually come to an end. While this sentiment expresses an important biblical truth, the exact phrase “this too shall pass” is not found word-for-word in the Bible. However, there are several passages in Scripture that communicate the same essential message. The Bible clearly teaches that our trials in this life are temporary, while the joys of eternal life with God are everlasting. Let’s look at some key biblical passages that point…
Social media and networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have become incredibly popular ways for people to connect, share information, and express themselves. As Christians, how should we think about using these tools? What does the Bible say that might guide our use of social media? There are no explicit verses in the Bible about social media since these platforms did not exist at the time. However, there are many biblical principles that can help Christians wisely discern how to use social media and think through potential benefits and pitfalls. The potential benefits of social media for Christians…
The identity of the antichrist has been a topic of much debate and speculation throughout history. In recent years, some have suggested that the antichrist will be a Muslim or will arise from Islam. This view is based on interpreting certain biblical passages as well as current events happening in the world. The Bible does mention an antichrist figure, though the exact term “antichrist” is only used a few times. The Apostle John wrote, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it…
The Bible contains passages that condemn certain behaviors and mindsets because God, in His holiness and justice, cannot tolerate sin. Sin separates people from God and leads to death and destruction. Out of His great love for humanity, God wants to warn people away from evil and point them to righteousness and life (Ezekiel 18:23). Throughout Scripture, God condemns behaviors such as idolatry, sexual immorality, greed, pride, hypocrisy, injustice, selfishness, and callousness toward the poor and needy. He condemns harmful mindsets like self-righteousness, stubbornness, and hard-heartedness. God even condemns things that may seem harmless on the surface but can lead…
The Bible does not directly address the topic of corporal punishment as practiced by governments, but it does contain principles and examples that can inform a Christian perspective on this issue. This approximately 9,000 word article will survey relevant biblical passages, analyze their implications for state-sanctioned corporal punishment, and explore how Christians have applied scriptural teachings to their views on this controversial subject throughout history. Old Testament Examples and Principles The Old Testament records several instances of God commanding or approving of capital punishment for various offenses under the Law of Moses. While this does not directly apply to modern…
The reference to the “unknown god” in Acts 17:23 refers to an altar the Apostle Paul saw while visiting Athens. The full verse reads: “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” (Acts 17:23, KJV) To understand the context, Paul was distressed to see the city full of idols and false gods. The Athenians had altars set up to honor many different deities. One altar simply said “To the Unknown God”, meaning they wanted to make sure they…
The verse 1 Corinthians 16:14 says “Let all that you do be done in love.” This verse encourages believers to make love their guiding principle in everything they do. But what exactly does it mean to let our actions be motivated by love? Love as the Foundation Firstly, this verse establishes love as the foundation for Christian living. As believers, we are called to live our lives centered around love – God’s love for us and our love for Him and others. This goes beyond having a loving attitude, but actually putting love into action in practical ways through our…