Vocabulary
Nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31-39)
Romans 8:31-39 is one of the most profound and comforting passages in the New Testament, offering deep theological insights into the love of God, the security of believers in Christ, and the unbreakable bond between Christ and those who belong to him. Paul poses a rhetorical question, "If god is...
Institution of the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
This passage highlights the establishment of the Lord's Supper, also known as the Eucharist, as a fundamental Christian practice. It emphasizes the importance of remembering and proclaiming Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus instructs his followers to partake in the bread and the cup...
Concerning Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-14:40)
The whole discourse on spiritual gifts is one of the most controversial sections in the entire Bible. The study of the original text and employment of literary criticisms open the text in a different way than usually done on the popular level. We would like to point out one particular emphasis...
Resurrection Creed (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 is considered to be an early church's creed. It expresses recorded oral tradition of the resurrection of Jesus. Yet brief, it is very deep. These particular points are stressed: fulfilling of the Scriptures, confirming the reality of the resurrection, and that Christ is both...
Hymn of Peace (Ephesians 2:14-16)
Paul breaks his speech to the Ephesians in verses 2:14-16, and begins a short discourse that is composed as a hymn. This is well discerned by a change of the personal prepositions from the first person plural (we) to the third person singular (he). In this discourse, Paul brings to the...
Wives and Husbands (Ephesians 5:21-33)
The text contains crucial teachings on marriage, emphasizing the love and mutual submission that should characterize the relationship between a husband and wife while drawing a parallel to the relationship between Christ and the Church. The passage begins by calling believers to submit to one...
Exaltation of Christ (Philippians 2:6-11)
This passage is considered to be a fragment of an early Christian hymn. Such hymns existed in order to honor and praise God. There is, of course, a pastoral frame around the hymn. The function of the hymn here is to persuade and motivate Philippian Christians to imitate Christ in his humbleness...
I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13)
The theological significance of Philippians 4:13 lies in its profound statement about Christian reliance on Christ for strength and sustenance. It emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ's power in every situation, a concept that resonates deeply within Christian spirituality and practice. This verse...
Christ’s Supremacy in Cosmos and Atonement (Colossians 1:15-20)
The hymn of Colossians 1:15-20 focuses on the agency of Christ in the creation of all that is. The flow of the text is interrupted by the hymn in the change of the personal pronouns from the first and second person (I, you) to the third person (he). In the end, It is then resumed back to previously...