BIBLE IN TEN

Thursday, 18 December 2025   And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:9   “And vainly they revere Me, Teaching instructions – men’s injunctions.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus cited the first half of Isaiah 29:13. He now completes citing that verse, beginning with, “And vainly they revere Me.”   Two new words are seen. The first is matén. It gives the sense of an unsuccessful search. Adverbially, it then signifies something done aimlessly, to no purpose or in vain. The second is sebó, to revere.   Jesus, being the Lord who reads the hearts and minds, had seen numerous generations of men come and go, one after the other, paying lip service to Him while their hearts were turned far from Him. In His incarnation, He knew how they worshiped God, and He called them out for it. Their holding tradition above the commandments of God was one of the ways in which this was done.   Further, He continues the citation, saying, “Teaching instructions – men’s injunctions.” Two more new words are seen. The first is didaskalia, instruction. That is derived from the noun, didaskalos, an instructor. That, in turn, is from the verb didaskó, to teach, which is also found in this same clause.   They are “teaching instructions” which are “men’s injunctions.” This includes the next new word, entalma, an injunction or religious precept that focuses “on the result of following the directive to its end” (HELPS Word Studies). In this case, they are derived from men. Thus, the instruction does not have the ultimate goal of glorifying God, but satisfying man in some manner.   Looking at the verses again, we can see the structure.   And vainly they revere Me, Teaching instructions – men’s injunctions.   The “vainly” corresponds to “men’s injunctions,” while the “revere” is directed to the instructions. In this case, the reverence should have been directed toward God, but the instruction belies the supposed intent, leading to the satisfaction of man, not the glorification of God.   Life application: When you go to church, pay attention to the things done in the church as it is conducted. What is the goal and purpose of what is being done? When songs are sung, are people truly glorifying God through them, or are they “me” centered? If the church wants you to wear a certain type of clothes, is it because God will be glorified, or that some pet peeve of man is being imposed on the people?   Pay attention to the various aspects of the service and see if they match what the Bible instructs or omits as instruction. The psalms are written to glorify God. That is their intent and purpose. The type of clothing expected in church is never addressed. However, a poor man’s clothing is spoken of by James. How such a person with his raggedy clothing is treated is highlighted by him.   Quite often, you’ll find that a church has devolved into a “me” centered group. The things they do have nothing to do with honoring God or being obedient to His precepts. Such things will often have the opposite effect by moving people away from sound worship. Eventually, some will rebel and just stop going to church.   Legalism is an infection in the church. Me-centered worship only increases the neurosis of the congregation because their eyes are always directed at sinful beings whose faults and limitations are not being addressed in a God-centered manner.   If you see something in a church that is following a path that directs people from proper worship, it is right to address it. Asking why things are done as they are is proper. There is no need to be accusing or finger-pointing at such times. But it is right to know why the church does things as they are done. Usually, tradition has stepped in and taken over for a heartfelt worship of the Lord. Getting back to the basics will be a breath of fresh air as proper God-centered worship is encouraged.   Lord God, may our lives be directed to You at all times. Help us not to get stuck in unhealthy ruts in life that keep us from a close and personal walk with You. Instead, may our hearts be open to You at all times, and may our worship and praise of You flow from hearts of gratitude and joy in You. Amen.

Wednesday, 17 December 2025   ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:8   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth, And the lips – he honors Me, And their heart, it distances far from Me” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called the scribes and the Pharisees hypocrites. He then noted that Isaiah had rightly spoken of them. What Isaiah said is next cited by Jesus, saying –   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth.” The words begin the quote of Isaiah 29:13. It is what people do when they speak about, praise, thank, or petition the Lord. They will draw near to Him with the mouth. The words are in a common Hebrew form of speaking.   First, the people are referred to in the singular through a masculine verb, as if one man, “He neared me.” It is then explained by the words, “this people.” From there, the plural is given when speaking of the individual mouth of each person, “their mouth.”   The Lord acknowledges this form of expression. As a collective, the people truly near themselves to the Lord. And more, He acknowledges, “And the lips – he honors Me.”   It happened all over Israel as people would call out, honoring the Lord with their lips. One can think of any apostate church. They will draw themselves near to the Lord in their words. In those words, there will be great words of honor and adoration for God. However, it is all done falsely as Jesus next notes while still citing Isaiah, “And their heart, it distances far from Me.”   A new word is seen, the adverb porró, far. It is derived from the preposition pro, forward (as in proceed, project, etc.). Thus, it refers to something at a distance. The point is that even though the people openly draw near to the Lord, honoring Him with their lips, the true substance of who they are (the heart) remains a far distance from Him.   One can think of a church with a lesbian preacher or priest, such as is quite common in many mainstream denominations today. They stand in the pulpit, raise their hands, and say, “We honor You, Lord of the universe. We call on You to send Your Spirit upon us anew today.”   The fact is that if they were honoring the Lord, she wouldn’t have been appointed, and she wouldn’t be a lesbian. There is no heart for the Lord. Instead, there is a show-and-pretend religion. This type of pretense allows people to claim they are right with God when their lives and actions deny any relationship with Him at all.   One can see the patterns in Isaiah’s words that are common in Hebrew writings –   “He neared Me, this people – the mouth, And the lips – he honors Me, And their heart, it distances far from Me”   Nearing and honoring are set in parallel and then contrasted to distancing. The mouth and the lips are set in parallel and then contrasted to the heart. At the same time, the first two clauses are reversed in order, though parallel in thought. In the third line, the word “far” is given to accentuate the truth of the matter. The structure calls out for thought and then an active consideration of the state of those it is referring to.   Life application: One of the joys of reading many different translations is that the mind can think differently when seeing things laid out differently. The translators of the LSV disagree, saying, “While some readers may prefer paragraph breaks in narrative and line breaks in poetic portions for the purpose of readability, it was the decision of the translators to mimic the style of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek autographs in presenting God’s word as a continuous text block. ... Furthermore, the modern trend even extended to differentiating the words of Christ in red letters, as if God’s word should be divided in such a way. The LSV is the polar opposite, regarding the entirety of Scripture as God-breathed, with its different genres of literature resting on a level playing field.”   That is ridiculous. First, the translators admit that there are purposeful markers within the text that naturally break the flow of the reading for the mind of the reader. Why shouldn’t such marks be variously employed for the modern reader in his own language?   But more poignantly, as noted above, there is almost no punctuation or capitalization in the original manuscripts. There are also no chapter or verse divisions. To use their logic in a consistent way would mean that they should do the same thing and have everything follow a simple block format with no other markings, including capitalization, punctuation, etc. It would be insane for an English reader to even bother reading such a translation, and so these changes are made.   A third point is that between the Old and New Testaments in their version, a painting is included in the hard copy translation. Where is that found in the original manuscripts? As nice as the painting is, was that painted by God as breathed out through His Spirit? Obviously not. It is a hypocritical thing to say one thing and do another. These and many other translational changes by them demonstrate that their words in the preface do not align with their translation at all.   As for the text itself with the various formatting differences, at what point does it become “wrong” to make a translation more understandable for the reader? This is the fallacy of the beard, and the LSV translators entered into it just when the beard was enough to tickle the faces of baby readers who first pick it up. Others have a beard a bit longer and can tickle even toddlers. While others choose for the beard to be fully grown and mature.   Don’t get legalistic! Get into the word! How it is formatted is something each reader will find suitable to his own needs. So, look through the next Bible you want to read, see if it will help you in your reading, and buy that one.   Lord God, You have given us the freedom to translate Your word, highlighting nuances for the benefit of the reader, setting parts off for greater clarity and understanding, and so forth. Thank You for those who have done the hard work so that we can more fully appreciate this wonderful word You have given us. Amen.

Tuesday, 16 December 2025   Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: Matthew 15:7   “Hypocrites! Well, Isaiah, he prophesied concerning you, saying,” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that they had invalidated the commandment of God through their tradition. He continues, sharply criticizing them for this, saying, “Hypocrites!”   The word has been seen several times already, but this is the first time Jesus has directly called these men “hypocrites” to their faces. The word comes from two separate words signifying under and judge. It is a person who judges like a performer under a mask. Thus, he is two-faced.   This is exactly how these men were in their ungodly teachings while claiming to be the epitome of godly examples to the people. Of this sort, Jesus said to them, “Well, Isaiah, he prophesied concerning you, saying.”   The words of Isaiah are words of Scripture, given by God through a prophet. Without yet reading what words Jesus will cite, we can already guess that His reference to these men will not be favorable concerning them and their actions.   Life application: These scribes and Pharisees had an agenda. The conversation began with them asking Jesus why His disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders. Although the tone of their voice is unknown, the very question implies that they felt somehow better than Jesus and His disciples because these supposed religious leaders do something that others don’t do.   It is a way of attempting to shame others into compliance with their lifestyles, values, morals, etc. This is a common way that people handle such things. Look at the world around you at any given time, and you will see people doing this constantly. For example, people are currently in the habit of shaming others if they disagree with all sorts of perverse lifestyles, such as homosexuality. The news media and Hollywood elites shame people because of their skin color, as if being anything but black is bad.   In Christianity, people who read the KJV will constantly demean and shame those who don’t, as if the translation they are reading makes them less of a Christian. One key aspect of all such matters is that the one who is making the accusation is the one who has no valid argument for his stand.   The shaming, when understood from this perspective, is an underhanded attempt not to do right, but to do what is wrong. Those who are doing right have no need to shame others in such a manner. They can call out what is wrong based on their properly aligned position.   For example, nature itself tells us that homosexuality is a perversion of what is normal. Being abnormal, there is no moral justification for such a stand. Therefore, the way to make people accommodate this type of behavior must be pressed from a position of weakness. Shaming others is an inevitable tactic that must be employed to silence those who oppose the behavior.   Shaming someone because of his skin color is a ridiculous proposition. A person is born with skin. It isn’t the skin that makes the person. That is an incidental mark of who he is, like the color of his eyes or the size of his foot. How the person behaves within society, regardless of skin color, is what makes him valuable or worthless. But for those who have an agenda against a predominantly white society, shaming the majority because of their skin color serves their purpose. Let them go to China and try that with yellow skin!   As for cults, those who hold to an untenable position, like KJV Onlyism, will attempt to justify the unjustifiable in their doctrine, covering up errors in their own text as if they don’t exist. At the same time, they will shame others because of the Bible they read, using fallacious thinking and verbal attacks in an attempt to embarrass others into acquiescing to their ridiculous stand.   Be ready to defend your stand on why you believe homosexuality is wrong, why it is ok for you to have whatever color skin you have, and why you read one version of the Bible rather than another. And these are only three of innumerable examples of such things you should be aware of in the world in which you exist. Jesus didn’t cave to shamers, and neither should you.   Glorious God, thank You for the words of Scripture that give us insights into how to live and operate in the world You have placed us in. May we not be ashamed of our stand for the gospel or the truths contained in Your word. Help us to boldly stand on what Your word teaches, knowing that Your word is truth. Amen.  

Monday, 15 December 2025   then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Matthew 15:6   “And no, not he should honor his father or his mother. And you invalidated God’s commandment through your tradition” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began explaining the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in regard to the issue of tending to one’s parents as commanded by the law. He continues that, saying, “And no, not he should honor his father or his mother.”   By the leaders’ granting the people to take their gifts and dedicate them in this fashion, a practice that was derived from tradition, they created a rift in people’s proper adherence to God’s prescription. That is stated by Jesus with the words, “And you invalidated God’s commandment through your tradition.”   The word akuroó, to invalidate, is first seen here. It will be used in the comparable passage in Mark 7:13 and then only again in Galatians 3 concerning the surety of the covenant of promise given to Abraham that is not invalidated by the temporary Law of Moses –   “And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul [akuroó] the covenant that was confirmed before by Godin Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:17, 18   These leaders were essentially saying, “Isn’t it more important to give your gifts to God than to keep them around, taking up space, cluttering up your lives and your homes?” They knew full well that by convincing people they were doing a service to God that they would rush to give. Never mind that these leaders would be on the receiving end of such gifts in one way or another and that the parents would be left unattended to in their old age.   The perverse nature of the doctrine is laid bare by Jesus, shaming the people for their greed, dishonesty, and outright hypocrisy. God doesn’t need their gifts. Rather, what He wants from His people is obedience to His prescriptions.   “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:7-15   Life application: Do you ever hear preachers or teachers making an appeal for donations that includes catchphrases like seed offering, increase, multiply, tithe, tithing, tithes, pleasing to God, firstfruits, opening the storehouses of heaven, and so on?   If you hear these things, be sure not to give to such people. If you are giving to receive in return, you are giving for the wrong reason. If you are giving because someone told you that you are going to make God happy by giving them money, you are giving for the wrong reason.   God is happy with your faith, praise, and thanksgiving. He doesn’t need your money, even if His people do. If His people do, and you are able to give, then do so without expecting anything in return. Be cheerful in your giving, or don’t give. Giving grudgingly will not lead to future rewards.   Glorious Lord God, we come before You to praise You for who You are, to thank You for Your grace and tender mercies, and to glorify You for the salvation You have granted to us through simple belief in the full, final, finished, and forever work of Jesus Christ. We believe and we thank You. All praises to You, O God. Amen.

Sunday, 14 December 2025   But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—Matthew 15:5   “And you, you say, ‘Whoever, he should say to father or mother, “Gift – whatever if from me you should benefit”’” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus cited the fifth commandment and then a penalty found in Exodus for cursing one’s father or mother. He continues His words to the scribes and Pharisees, emphatically saying, “And you, you say.”   The stress indicates a teaching of these men that will come into conflict with the laws just cited from Exodus 20 and 21. In essence, “God says this, and you, you say this...” The treacherous teaching they say is, “Whoever, he should say to father or mother, ‘Gift – whatever if from me you should benefit.’”   A new word is seen in this verse, ópheleó, to be useful, to benefit, to profit, etc. The parents could have received benefits from the child, but that is no longer the case because it has been given as a gift.   The words make little sense to us because the idea has to be understood from the cultural practices of the people. The inserted words of many translations, to God, help provide clarity. A person has parents he is required by law to tend to. However, if he gives the gift to God, it becomes sacred and can no longer be used for common purposes. Charles Ellicott gives a suitable explanation –   “If he had once devoted his property once said it was ‘corban,’ or a gift to God - it could not be appropriated even to the support of a parent. If a parent was needy and poor, and if he should apply to a son for assistance, and the son should reply, though in anger, ‘It is devoted to God; this property which you need, and by which you might be profited by me, is “corban” - I have given it to God;’ the Jews said the property could not be recalled, and the son was not under obligation to aid a parent with it. He had done a more important thing in giving it to God. The son was free. He could not be required to do anything for his father after that. Thus, he might, in a moment, free himself from the obligation to obey his father or mother.”   In the end, this shows a mean-spirited attitude towards one’s parents by giving a gift to God, something the leaders would be all too happy to receive, and thus denying the parents what was otherwise commanded by God. Once it was devoted to God, even though it violated the law by denying the parents what he was responsible for, it was henceforth out of reach for that proper purpose.   Life application: There are all kinds of ways of getting around obligations. Some are good and some are devious. Some are legal, the legality of some may be questionable, and some are obviously illegal. Man has contrived many ways of getting around what they are directed to do.   In some cases, the government itself makes allowances for getting around paying taxes. These usually benefit people who have the money to do so, such as gift and inheritance taxes. However, some countries allow money to be given to churches or other charitable organizations that would otherwise have been taken as taxes.   These usually start with good intent. A charitable organization, such as a food ministry to the poor, is set up. People can give to it and get a tax deduction. The problem is that the food organization begins funneling money off to other things, still legally, that really have nothing to do with helping others.   This has gotten completely out of control in the US, where organizations like BLM were receiving millions of dollars for really perverse purposes. All the while, the people who set the organization up were pocketing millions.   At the same time, because of the hard left ideology of those in the government, real charitable organizations, based on Christian values, were being targeted or denied tax-exempt status in order to frustrate their efforts.   The path people will normally take is the bad one. Tax exemption programs are a great place for people to do devious things. When you give to such organizations, be sure to check them out thoroughly. Don’t just assume that what you are giving is being handled properly.   If a preacher has a Learjet, you can bet he also has a giant house, maybe two or three. Is that where you want your money to go? Be wise and discerning in how you give. It is important.   Lord God, help us to have discernment in how we spend our money. There are a lot of teachers and preachers of Your word who have hidden agendas that do nothing to further the gospel or an understanding of Your word. We pray that You direct us so that we don’t get duped by those who appear one way but are not at all what they seem. Amen.