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Introduction to 1 Peter — A Study-Bible And Reflection

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Introduction to 1 Peter — A Study-Bible And Reflection Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash We would like to study togather the letter of 1 Peter , I feel that something like the quiet wind that brushing over to the ancient stones like touching an old wall that would still holds warmth from the  sunlight long gone. It’s a book that would tastes both sharp and gentle, like olive oil mixed with a pinch of ash from the burned offering. There’s a kind of scent to it in which old parchment, sea air, maybe even the dust of the exiles walking long roads. This is not a soft letter. But it’s also not a heavy one. It is like a shepherd’s call to that is both firm and tender. And I guess that’s why it stays with me. So here, I’m writing this commentary introduction to 1 Peter, sometimes steady like a slow river, sometimes tumbling like a flip of pages in a windy day. Let’s begin. Who Wrote 1 Peter? The traditional claim is simple: the Apostle Peter wrote it. “Πέτρος” ( Petros ) in Gre...

The Story of Jephthah, that story really sits heavy on the chest, doesn’t it.

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That story really sits heavy on the chest, doesn’t it.  The Story of Jephthah Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash Jephthah is one of those figures who feels painfully human. Rejected child. Tough survivor. Unexpected hero. And then, in his moment of highest victory, he collides with the consequences of his own mouth. It’s almost like the battle he won outside was easier than the one waiting for him at his own front door. What makes this passage in Judges so haunting is the silence around the final act. The text doesn’t linger. No dramatic description, no divine interruption like with Abraham and Isaac. Just a few spare words, and then the note that Israel’s daughters remembered her every year. That quietness is what makes readers wrestle with it for centuries. Some see it as a literal human sacrifice, showing how far Israel had drifted in those chaotic days when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” In that reading, Jephthah isn’t held up as a model to copy but as...

James Chapter 5 —Winded Study Blog with Greek & Hebrew Insights

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James Chapter 5 —Winded Study Blog with Greek & Hebrew Insights Photo by  Humble Lamb  on  Unsplash I read James 5 , my heart feels like it’s walking on gravel barefoot. Little sharp edges poking conviction into all the soft spots of my soul. And then sometimes, in the same chapter, it feels like someone wrapped me in a blanket that smells faintly of old olive oil and desert wind and said, “Hold on… the Lord is near.” This chapter, honestly, it’s rough and tender at the same time… kind of like real life. That’s why I love digging into the Greek words, and sometimes even imagining what the Hebrew equivalents might’ve sounded like in the ears of Jewish believers who grew up with Torah rhythms still humming inside their bones. 1. The Wealthy and Their Withering Gold (James 5:1–6) James starts with a thunderstorm. He doesn’t say “greetings,” he doesn’t warm up the room… he just roars : “Go now, you rich, weep and howl…” The Greek word for weep is κλαύσατε (klaú...

A Study Walk Through James Chapter 4 — wrestling with pride, grace, and the strange tug of the human heart

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  A Study Walk Through James Chapter 4 — wrestling with pride, grace, and the strange tug of the human heart Photo by  Humble Lamb  on  Unsplash I always come back to James 4 like someone returning to an old, half-forgotten trail. You know the kind… dusty, smelling of dry leaves and maybe a hint of olive oil and damp earth (at least that’s how my imagination paints ancient Judea sometimes). Every time I walk through it, something different stings me, or comforts me, or confuses me again. And today, I’m sitting here with my tea that’s kinda too bitter—accidentally left the bag soaking too long because I got distracted thinking about the Greek word μάχαι ( machai , “fights, quarrels”)—and I’m trying to let James speak plainly without me polishing it too much. James 4 is sharp. It bites. It reads like someone grabbing your shoulders and saying, “Hey… you’re drifting.” And honestly, it smells a little like smoke from internal battles we don’t want to admit. “Where ...