Exodus ends, “In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month” (Exod. 40:17). Leviticus continues the story of God’s people settled at the foot of Mt. Sinai with the little word and. “And the LORD called Moses . . [...]

At the end of Genesis, the sons of Israel are in Egypt, and Joseph dies. At the beginning of Exodus, the sons of Israel “increased greatly” (Exod. 1:6). A new king arose over Egypt “who did not know Joseph” (Exod. 1:8). Slavery followed. “They set [...]

Genesis has three main divisions. Genesis 1-11 begins with creation and takes us up to the time of Abraham. Genesis 12-36 zooms in on the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Finally, slowing down to a snail’s pace, Genesis 37-50 give us what we call [...]

“You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). The you is plural. Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people (Matthew 5:1). Salt is a preservative. Salt brings out flavor. Christian people scattered over society preserve the degree of goodness, righteousness, and love still [...]

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and [...]

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world (1 John 2:16). Such desire and lust is not from the [...]

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if [...]

This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ (1 John 5:6). What does it mean that He came by water and blood? The prepositional phrase is adverbial, modifies the main verb, and tells us how Christ came. As Westcott (1966) indicates, [...]

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. First John 5:1 and 5:4 both speak of someone born of God. Verse 1 begins with the masculine, whoever, but verse 4 starts with the neuter, whatever. “By the use of the neuter whatsoever John states [...]

First John 5:3 defines love in terms of the Ten commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. In what events may we recognize the love of God? They are in the keeping of His commandments (Haas et al., 1972, [...]