The phrase “born-again Christian” has become almost cliché. Yet seen through a key Greek word in a dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, this common phrase can be clothed anew in meaningful truth. The word at issue is ἄνωθεν anothen “from above.” The word is formed from ἄνω “above” + -θεν, a suffix denoting origin of …
Born Again or From Above? A Two-Pronged Question Read More »
Editor’s note: This post is part of a series featuring outstanding excerpts from student papers at the BibleMesh Institute, which offers affordable online training for local churches, schools, and ministries. The author’s name has been withheld for privacy and security purposes. Understanding the Holy Spirit as a divine person of the Trinity is crucial to …
Pastor Calvin Coulter was visiting an older widow in her home when she asked about heaven. As Coulter discussed the wonder of seeing Jesus face to face, he realized the widow was confused about the doctrine of the Trinity. She thought Jesus and God the Father were the same person. Immediately, his training from Union …
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (ESV) Shakespeare’s King Lear is the prototypical proud, rash father. The play opens with Lear entreating his three daughters to flatter him. His eldest, Goneril and Regan, happily oblige, but Lear sees red …
“It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not by the reason.”[1] These words, found in a collection of writings penned by Blaise Pascal, were meant to become part of a congruent apology for the Christian faith. But Pascal died before they …
Meditation on Faith and Reason: Pascal’s Pensées Read More »
Interested in learning Biblical Greek? BibleMesh Biblical Languages will guide you to become a confident reader of the biblical text—and it begins with taking your first steps. Find out more and get our Greek First Steps course for free. The thrice-repeated question “Lovest thou me?” Jesus posed to Peter after His resurrection as recorded in …