The phrase “even the dogs eat the crumbs” comes from an interaction between Jesus and a Canaanite woman recorded in Matthew 15:21-28. This woman approaches Jesus requesting healing for her demon-possessed daughter. At first Jesus ignores her, but she persists. The disciples urge Jesus to send her away. Jesus responds, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman kneels before Him and begs for help. Jesus replies, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Rather than taking offense, the woman humbly answers, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs…
Author: Richard Curi
The verse in Genesis 2:24 states “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This verse comes right after God creates woman from man’s rib and brings her to Adam. It establishes the foundation for marriage laid out at creation – that a man will leave his parents and cleave to his wife, becoming one flesh with her. There are a few important implications we can draw from this verse: Leaving Father and Mother First, “leave his father and mother” implies a severing of dependence on…
The question of whether God created sin is an important one that many Christians wrestle with. The Bible provides insight into this complex theological issue. While God is not the author of sin, He did allow for its possibility when creating free moral agents. Ultimately, sin originated not from God but from created beings misusing their God-given freedom of choice. To start, the Bible clearly states that God is holy and without sin. Passages like 1 John 1:5 declare, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” James 1:13 says God cannot even be tempted by evil.…
The verse “it is high time to awake out of sleep” comes from Romans 13:11 in the Bible. This verse falls within a passage where the Apostle Paul is urging Christians to live righteously and cast off sinful behaviors. The specific reference to waking up out of sleep is a metaphor for becoming spiritually alert, aware, and responsible. To fully understand this verse, it helps to look at the surrounding context. Romans 13:11-14 states: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when…
The book of Revelation contains several references to what are commonly called “magic arts”. One of the clearest is found in Revelation 21:8, which lists those who will be condemned: But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Specifically, it mentions “sorcerers” (Greek: pharmakeus). This word referred to someone who practiced magic arts through the use of drugs, potions, spells, and occult rituals. These practices were common in the pagan…
John 8:32 says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This is one of the most well-known and important verses in the Bible. But what exactly does it mean? To understand this verse, we first need to look at the context. Jesus spoke these words in a debate with some Jewish religious leaders who did not believe in him. He told them that if they continued in his word, they would be his disciples and would know the truth. This truth would set them free from sin and spiritual blindness. There are a few…
The Bible has a lot to say about who man is in relation to God. Right from the opening chapters of Genesis, we see that man is created uniquely in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). This sets man apart from the rest of creation and gives him inherent value, dignity and purpose. Though man is not divine, he reflects God’s nature in a limited way through attributes such as morality, reason, creativity and will. Being made in God’s image also implies that humans are meant for relationship with God. After creating man, God placed him in the Garden of…
Knowing for sure whether you are saved or not is an important question for many Christians. Here are some key things the Bible teaches about how you can know if you are truly saved: Examine your heart and life One of the clearest indications of salvation is seeing spiritual fruit in your life. As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Some examples of spiritual fruit include: repentance from sin,…
The “upward call of God” is a phrase that the apostle Paul uses in Philippians 3:14, which says “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” This verse gives us insight into Paul’s motivation and purpose as a follower of Christ. Let’s explore the meaning and significance of this important concept. The Context of Philippians 3 To properly understand this phrase, we first need to look at the context of the verse. In Philippians 3, Paul is comparing his life before and after coming to faith in Christ. In verses…
What does it look like to “let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16)? Introduction: In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells his followers, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” This verse comes as part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he lays out what it means to live as citizens of God’s kingdom. In this passage, Jesus uses the metaphor of light to explain how his followers should live in a dark world. When we let our light…