| The Sixth Commandment |
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| Written by Dr. John E. Russell Sr |
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VI The Sixth Commandment "You shall not murder" "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man." Genesis 9:6, NIV Introduction Life in the United States has been so devalued that our very existence as a nation is at stake. The taking of human life is of critical importance today. We must protect life. This commandment will be presented in three parts: (1) Part I - A Biblical View of Murder (2) Part II - Handling Anger (3) Part III - Spiritual Roots of Murder
VI The Sixth Commandment "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13, NIV) Part I - A Biblical View of Murder Introduction Murder is not the act of killing per se, but it is killing that is unauthorized by God's Word. Killing that does not come under the heading of murder could come under the headings of executions, manslaughter, war and accidents. The motive is important in finding someone guilty of murder. Old Testament Teaching The Mosaic Law required execution for several types of law violations. In order to be convicted of these serious crimes, there had to be two or more eyewitnesses: One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." Premeditated murder required the death penalty: . . .if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death. Child sacrifice required the death penalty: The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: `Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech [roasts them in the idol's arms] must be put to death.'" Negligent manslaughter could bring the death penalty in some cases. Sometimes there could be what we call a civil court settlement: "If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death. However, if payment is demanded of him, he may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded." Manslaughter could sometimes evoke the death penalty by the avenger (the nearest relative of the of the person killed). Six cities of refuge were set up for the one to live in who accidentally killed someone. (Numbers 35:6-28). Bearing false witness on a capital charge was also punishable by death: The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Kidnapping was punishable by death: If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you. Sexual immorality required the death penalty. Sexual immorality was defined as incest, unchastity, prostitution, fornication, adultery, homosexuality and bestiality: Incest occurs when one has sex with one's mother, stepmother, half-sister, granddaughter, stepsister, aunt, uncle's wife, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, stepdaughter, step-granddaughter, or mother-in-law. "'No one is to approach any close relative to sexual relations, I am the LORD. Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. .... Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife [stepmother].... Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter [half-sister].... Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter.... Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister.... Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister.... Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt. Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. .... Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife.... Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughters.... Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living." Unchastity required the death penalty. If a woman was proven not to be a virgin, she was stoned to death: If, however, the charge [of her not being a virgin] is true, and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you." Prostitution by a priest's daughter was punished by death: "'If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.'" NOTE: Some pagan religions had temple prostitutes. Sexual immorality was part of their "religious worship." Adultery was punished by death: If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel. Homosexual or Lesbian Acts were punished by death: "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.'" "'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.'" Bestiality required the death penalty: Both the man or woman and the animal were to be executed. (See Leviticus 18:23; 20:15-16.) Participation in the occult required the death penalty: "Do not allow a sorceress to live." "'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.'" "'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.'" Certain Offenses against the Lord were punished by death: Idolatry was a capital offense: If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again. "Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed." Blasphemy was worthy of death: "Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.'" False Prophets were executed: If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. .... That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God.... You must purge the evil from among you. Someone who was not a priest or a Levite who usurped certain religious functions required the death penalty: Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death. "Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death." The LORD spoke these words to Aaron, the brother of Moses: "But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain, I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death." Breaking the Sabbath merited the death penalty: "'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.'" Please note that death sentences were not handed out without forethought. People were not executed on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Justice was tempered with mercy. New Testament Teaching Technically, the New Testament did not start until after the death of Jesus. However, it is included here for convenience. Jesus did not rescind the Sixth Commandment: "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." Jesus cut through to the heart of this commandment in the above scripture passage. We will deal more fully with this in Part II, Handling Anger. Paul did not rescind the sixth commandment: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. In New Testament times, Israel was under Roman authority. Israel was not to not execute people. Rome reserved that right for herself. Even though Rome was corrupt, Paul charged the Church at Rome to submit to Roman civil authority. Later, Paul was executed by Rome for being a Christian. Handling of Murderers in the United States There is a debate here in the United States concerning the validity of execution. Some believe that certain crimes should be punishable by death. Others believe that capital punishment should be abolished. Execution can be viewed as pure punishment. The philosophy of punishment says, "Those who murder a human being should also be killed." There is Old Testament support for this school of thought. Execution can be viewed as a deterrent. Some object to this stating, "In places where there is capital punishment, the murder rate is not lowered." However, the one who is executed cannot murder again. In this sense, no one can argue that execution is not a deterrent. Execution can be viewed economically. It saves the taxpayer money. The United States has the world's largest inmate population: 2,266,800 adults and it costs taxpayers $30,600 per inmate. Execution can be viewed as an act of mercy. After Cain killed his brother Abel, Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." Cain was filled with fear, loneliness and probably guilt. Death for Cain may have been an act of mercy. Execution may be an act of mercy for the murderer himself. If his conscience function is strong, he may suffer guilt. Guilt, coupled with incarceration produces great pain. What kind of quality of life will a murderer have in prison? Execution would certainly be an act of mercy to other potential murder victims. Those who have testified against the murderer live in anxiety that the prisoner could escape, or seek revenge when released from prison. (The writer knows of one man in Texas who only served six months after killing his wife). Imprisonment can be viewed as retributive. In this philosophical approach, the criminal "pays" for his crime. This approach is psychologically sound, in that it lessens the criminal's psychological guilt. The victim's family also feels that justice has been satisfied. Imprisonment can be viewed as corrective. An attempt is made to "cure" the criminal of his evil bent. The writer believes that this is a more scriptural approach, an approach more in line with God’s way of dealing with believers. The key question is, "Does the criminal want to change?" Imprisonment can be viewed as protective. Society needs to be protected from criminals. On the other hand, criminals have certain weaknesses. The criminal himself is protected from yielding to these weaknesses when he is in prison. I knew an ex-con who found that he could live a more moral life in prison. The philosophy of imprisonment has certain problems of management. How do you keep prisoners from murdering or "executing" other prisoners? States are responsible for what goes on in their prisons. By allowing murder to take place in prison, they are guilty of being accessories to murder by default. How do you keep prisons from becoming "schools of crime"? Some criminals have willing students who want to learn how to become more efficient at breaking the law. Should taxpayers pay the tuition for a school of crime? Some criminals turn others into homosexuals and spread STD, including the deadly AIDS virus. Prisons, then, have another problem: they allow younger prisoners to become malconditioned sexually (homosexuals). There is the possibility of pardon by a state governor, or in some cases, the president of the United States. And the Supreme Court may order a stay of execution. It would seem that if a murderer no longer has a "murderer's heart," that he should be pardoned. How does one distinguish a prisoner with "jailhouse religion" from a prisoner with a sincere change of heart? I would look for changed behavior and speech. Then, too, the type of crime would have a bearing. Where there is life there is hope. Jesus Christ can take a murderer and change him into a different person. The murder nature can be "put to death" and a loving nature resurrected! The criminal can be freer behind bars than the unconverted person outside the prison. Motives for Murder Motive is one factor that distinguishes manslaughter from murder. While it is impossible to discern a killer's motive absolutely, human beings understand other human beings and can therefore discern probable motives. A crime of passion may happen unexpectedly during an argument. Premeditated murder is a cold, calculated, planned murder by a sociopathic person—someone with a seared conscience. Vengeance is another motive for murder. If one's family member or friend is murdered, he may murder the one who murdered his loved one. Motives also include (1) hatred; (2) jealousy; (3) an attempt to cover another crime by murdering witnesses. (4) anger can precipitate the loss of self-control which results in murder. (5) Sometimes someone who is suicidal will become homicidal before killing himself. (6) euthanasia, from the Greek, "dying well," can be a well-intentioned, but misguided motivation. For example, while was serving as an Army Chaplain in Viet Nam, a young soldier told me that his buddy had been wounded and was dying. His fatally wounded friend asked him to shoot him to end his suffering. According to this young soldier, he did. I drove him directly to a psychiatrist because he appeared suicidal. (7) Another motive for murder is ideological—the devaluing of human life on a rational plane. Sociopaths such as Mao, Stalin, Hitler and religious leaders who incite "Holy Wars" are prime examples. Also, those who believe the lie that the world is overpopulated may support abortion and allow certain groups to starve to death or die from disease. Those who believe that the human race needs to be purified want to practice eugenics. Hitler bred select teenagers to produce his dream of a super race. Margaret Sanger is a notorious example of misguided people who believe the lie of eugenics, "the human race needs to be purged of inferior people." Sanger, the creator of Planned Parenthood wanted the genocide of "inferior humans" such as blacks, Jews, certain Europeans, and Evangelicals. Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu is the notorious French inventor of the abortifacient RU-486, who made a statement on national TV that human life was not valuable to him. He is reminiscent of evil Nazi medical doctors. The French conquered the Nazis in World War II and now the Nazi culture has captured France and the United States. Probiophobes (those who fear and hate pro-lifers) are quick to murder unborn and newborn children. Yet these pro-death people get beside themselves when a vicious murderer is about to be executed. Their position is irrational! Since 1973, 312 million babies have been aborted in the USA: 62 million surgical abortions The population of the USA is now 330 million. 8) Greed or the violation of the Tenth Commandment is a prime motive. Included would be the love of money. How many people have been killed for insurance? Others have been killed because someone wanted their position. Mates have been killed because someone lusted after another mate. (9) Some excuse murderers on the basis of mental illness. However, there is a school of psychology that states that there is no such thing as mental illness. Many problems such as delusions, psychoses, even physical "organ language" sicknesses can have their genesis in past sins. When the sins are corrected, the so-called illnesses go away—research confirms this. (10) Sex drive can be a motive to murder. In rape, the victim may be murdered so the rapist cannot be identified. On the other hand, the rapist may kill to facilitate rape. I talked with one prisoner who had raped a woman after he murdered her. He had not been executed for his double crime. Some believe that control, rather than sex drive is the motive for rape. (11) Those who practice necrophilia may kill. This is the disgusting, demoniacal, disease that desires to have sex with dead people. (12) Those who practice cannibalism may kill. (13) Also, one who has HIV murders his sexual partner when he knowingly transfers the virus to him, since there is no cure for AIDS. An example of this was published in THE KANSAS CITY STAR, a homophile newspaper, a few years ago. A homosexual airline steward deliberately spread HIV to his partners. AIDS can shorten one's life by almost half. One is just as dead if killed by a bullet or HIV. The article did not condemn this type of murder. Any individual or organization who supports the practice of homosexuality and heterosexual promiscuity must share in the guilt of murder with the weapon of HIV. (14) Some say that brain damage could be a reason to hold a murderer not culpable. However, there are people living today who only have half a brain (literally) and who are functioning well in society. One girl who had to have half her brain removed is making high grades in school! (15) Murder of convenience is a prominent motive in our society. Abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and killing the handicapped can "free" a caregiver to pursue selfish pleasures. Killing vs. Murder Killing and murder are not necessarily the same. War entails killing, but it has been my experience that most of our servicemen are not murderers. They do not like killing. Manslaughter is the accidental killing of another human being. The motive is different, but the effect is the same. For instance, if a mother accidentally backs her car over her child and kills it, the child is just as dead as if it had been murdered. The mother is in anguish over what she did. She wishes her child were alive. The mother is guilty of killing her child, but incurs no culpability. However, if she knew that her brakes were defective, and bad brakes caused her child's death, she incurs some culpability. Another example is a driver under the influence of drugs. If he has an accident in which people are killed, he is guilty of manslaughter and incurs culpability. He will be held accountable because of taking drugs and will be punished. Execution of a murderer by the state is killing, but it incurs no culpability. If the state does not execute its murderers, then it does incur culpability, since it may allow the murderer to commit murder over and over again. It is a heart-wrenching dilemma, but the responsible choice must be made. Execution is the only option for those who love life. Murderers do not stop killing after entering prison. I know of a prisoner who killed people in prison. For additional material on this subject, see the power article, "No one deserves to die," on my website Prevention of Murder Prevention of murder is like the prevention of disease in the field of medicine. Lives are saved, suffering is reduced and costs are contained by the practice of preventive medicine. In the same manner, prevention of future murders saves lives, prevents suffering of the bereaved, and spares unnecessary costs to those involved and to the American taxpayer. A speedy and just trial of murderers would probably prevent more murders. The slow process of appeals, coupled with some being let off because of technicalities, certainly is less a deterrent! Character training of children must be a priority. Parents bear primary responsibility in character training. Next comes the church or synagogue, then the state. We cannot remove the Ten Commandments and discipline from the classroom and expect children to receive character training. We cannot teach promiscuity and homosexual conduct and expect children to behave correctly. We cannot permeate the media with violence and immorality and expect to produce a moral child. What a price for social experimentation! It grieves us to see the results of this experiment: children killing children; teenage STD and pregnancy; the "dumbing-down" and making fools of our most precious national treasures, our children! A fool is one who does not believe in God: The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. Evangelization must be the number one priority. A person's nature is changed through the new birth and the hatred is replaced by God's love. The motive for murder is changed to a pro-life motive. Being filled with the Holy Spirit intensifies God's love within the heart. God's love crowds out evil. Discipleship teaches people how to become more like Christ. The disciple learns how to better help others. Influencing society: We are called to be a positive influence on society. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth...." "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." This entails positive role modeling. We are all role models for someone. We have no choice of being a role model or not being a role model. However, we do have a choice of being a good role model or a bad role model. This also entails being a living witness for Jesus Christ in word as well as deed. Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you to the very end of the age." Also involved in influencing society is helping direct other people's energy constructively. Left alone, some will direct their energy destructively. Examples of constructive activity are, work, study, sports and guided recreation. Everyone benefits when people build up instead of tear down. For more on this subject, see the works of Psychiatrist Smiley Blanton and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, especially Dr. Blanton's book, Love or Perish. Helping people meet their basic needs is very important. Some may steal and even kill for food and security needs. The instinct for self-preservation is very strong. Conclusion God's Word teaches that murder is a sin and that the convicted murderer should be executed. Circumstantial evidence is not enough for execution. (With our scientific methods today, circumstantial evidence may be enough for a conviction and imprisonment.) There are exceptions to the execution or imprisonment of murderers. Those who truly change may be pardoned and live very positive, productive lives. King David, the woman caught in adultery and the Apostle Paul are Biblical examples. VI The Sixth Commandment "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13, NIV) Part II - Handling Anger "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I [Jesus] tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison, I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." Introduction Unresolved anger can cause us to say and do damaging things. It can even result in murder. It is vital that we acknowledge our anger and then learn to handle our anger positively. Ralph Earle, ThD, has been an inspiration and an excellent source of New Testament exposition from the original Greek. It was an enlightening experience studying under him in seminary and since then in his written materials. His commentary on the Sermon on the Mount was very helpful: Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press). Matthew, by Ralph Earle 1964, 74-76. I am indebted to Richard Dobbins, PhD and Jay E. Adams, PhD, for the psychological aspects of handling anger. Especially helpful was Jay E. Adams, The Christian Counselor's Manual (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 348-367. From a medical perspective, S. I. McMillen, MD, added much to this section. His book still is a valuable asset to anyone's library: S. I. McMillen, None of These Diseases (Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1967). Anger Defined The word translated "anger" in Matthew 5:22, is orgizo. It is an abiding emotional condition of the mind caused by resentment that is becoming worse and moving toward taking revenge. Jesus then uses the word "raca" which is a transliteration of the Greek word hraka. This is contempt that is expressed verbally, from a root word, meaning to spit. It is scorn for another person's mind, the second step in the wrong direction. Jesus next uses the words "you fool!" which is a translation of the Greek word moros. Moros refers to someone who is morally worthless. It is scorn for another person's heart and character. It is the third step in the wrong direction. This is sinful anger. The direction in which it leads is a dangerous one. The following diagram illustrates how destructive it is: → HATRED (Internalized) ANGER → CONTEMPT → RAGE, FURY (Externalized) Contempt is the feeling (or action) of someone against another person whom he feels to be low or worthless and whom he despises. Hatred is a state of personality in which one holds a grudge against another person and feels intensely bitter against him. It may lead to malice, which is the desire to seek revenge and to injure another person, to express hatred in a planned, premeditated way. Rage is a violent outburst of temper in which self-control is lost. Fury is "an overwhelming rage of a frenzied kind that borders on insanity" (Webster). Murder can occur. While on active duty in the Army Reserve, I visited a man in prison who killed another man and hacked him to pieces. He said that he did not remember the incident. He seemed calm and harmless during the times we spoke. A fellow chaplain commented, "They're [the murderers] the type of people you would invite home for dinner if you didn't know better." Externalized anger or ventilation is what we commonly call "blowing up." Ventilation can cause the loss of friendships. It can also cause injury to one's own mind and body. Dr. McMillen relates an incident: I am reminded of a perky old lady, about eighty years old, who came to me at regular intervals to have her blood pressure checked. It usually hovered around 200, but on one particular day it soared to 230. Inwardly I was startled. However, I said, calmly, "Your blood pressure is up today." With a smile she answered, "I can easily account for that. I just had a heated argument with another patient in your waiting room." Think of it: that cultured, intelligent woman could well have blown a cerebral "fuse" and suffered a fatal stroke, simply because she wanted to get even verbally with a man noted for his provocative chatter. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, shares with us this God-given wisdom: A fool gives full vent to his anger, but the wise man, holding it back quiets it. Like a city whose wall is broken down, so is a man whose spirit is without restraint. It is prudent for a man to restrain his anger; it is his glory to overlook an offense. Have you seen a man of hasty words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. A quick-tempered man stirs up strife and a wrathful man abounds in wrong. He who is quick-tempered acts foolishly. He who is slow to anger is of great understanding, but whoever is hasty of spirit exalts folly. A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but one slow to anger quiets contention. A man of great wrath must bear his penalty, for if you deliver him, you must do it again. Do not associate with one given to anger, and with a wrathful man do not keep company, lest you learn his ways and get yourself in a snare. James warns of anger: My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Paul teaches us to deal with our anger daily, or we may give Satan an opportunity to manipulate us to achieve his own evil ends: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Internalized Anger is what we commonly call "clamming up." When we turn anger inward, it causes depression. This can result in suicide. Some people commit homicide, then suicide. (Depression can also be caused by sin, illness, hormonal changes, guilt, grief, bad circumstances, worry, drugs, financial problems, etc.). There is such a thing as righteous anger. Human beings do not experience this frequently. It is reserved mostly for God. God is angry when injustice prevails: God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. Jesus also became angry: When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." It is possible for believers to be angry and not sin: In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Wow, how do we deal with anger? Anger Defused Here are some steps (1) to reduce present anger and (2) to prevent the formation of more anger: Self-control must be strengthened. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit gives us the new birth. Jesus said that the new birth is essential—no exceptions: You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.' The first step in gaining self-control is to accept Christ as Savior and receive the new birth. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. The second step in strengthening one's self-control is to be filled with the Holy Spirit: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. To discover the scriptural way to be filled with the Holy Spirit, see "How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit," in my electronic book, How to Get Your Prayers Answered, 221. Then we must remain filled with the Holy Spirit. The third step in strengthening self-control is to practice making right decisions as a lifestyle. We are creatures of habit. If we make good habits, we will be strong morally. After receiving God's help in self-control, release your rights to God. If you are constantly trying to defend your "rights," you are going to find plenty to be mad about. Jesus gave up his rights and trusted his Heavenly Father. God took excellent care of him. If we trust God, he will take care of us, too. Jesus did not seek to ensure that his rights were protected. Instead, he focused on doing his Father's will. He is our role model. Keep in mind that if someone hurts you, in reality they are hurting God. If someone does not help you when it is in his power to help you, he is in trouble with our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' . . . . whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' We are not to seek revenge for ourselves. God has reserved revenge for himself: Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: Give God your expectations. We enter relationships with a set of expectations. When someone does not live up to our expectations, we become disillusioned, hurt and angry. It may be a spouse, an employer, the government, a friend, etc. Add this to your list of expectations: people will not measure up to all your expectations! Some of these expectations are unrealistic. Many times we expect people to fill the void that only God can fill. It is best to give God all our expectations. When people do something nice for us, we should consider it an unexpected event: a thing for which to be thankful. When God blesses us—and he will—consider it an occasion to thank him. When we give God our expectations, it defuses anger and places us in a positive frame of mind to appreciate and enjoy life. Also, we begin to see people and their actions more objectively—as God does! Become a peacemaker. Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. "Blessed" means happy. If we want to be happy, let us become peacemakers! "Sons of God" is a Hebraism that means that we partake of the nature of God. God is a peacemaker. ("Son" is a generic term for both sexes, here). Abraham Lincoln said the best way to get rid of our enemies is to make friends of them. How true! It takes two to tangle. Solomon shares this wisdom: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Booker T. Washington said, I will not let any man reduce my soul to the level of hatred. Make every effort to be reconciled. First in priority is to be reconciled to God. We must realize that God does not sin, or make mistakes. Jesus said, The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they [believers] may have life, and have it to the full. If someone has been killed, it was done by Satan. If something has been stolen from us, it was stolen by Satan. If something good has been destroyed, it was destroyed by Satan. Satan is a liar and a murderer. Jesus was speaking to evil men and had this to say: You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. A tactic of Satan is to do something evil and persuade people that God did it. The result is that the people who were harmed get mad at God. They become alienated from God and embittered. If we allow this to happen, we side with Satan in his destructive ways and we cut off our fellowship with God. We hinder God from helping us. We become full of anger and evil. I don't want Satan to triumph, do you? Peter summarized Jesus' ministry with these words, You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Notice that Jesus brought good news and peace. He also did good and healed people who had been made sick by the devil. James says, Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. God is good and only does good things. He will never change or exchange roles with Satan! In conclusion, God cannot sin or make mistakes. Getting mad at God is, well, to put it bluntly, stupid, self-destructive and a waste of time. Let us get mad at Satan if we have to get mad at anyone! Satan will not repent. We can and must repent. Let us ask God's forgiveness. Be reconciled with people. When someone has wronged us, Jesus gives these instructions: "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." Notice that every effort must be made to be reconciled with one who has offended us. The writer of Hebrews says, Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. We should "bend over backward" to get along with other people. However, we must not compromise morally. We are to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. Paul writes, Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Peter cuts to the heart of the matter: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. The word that Peter uses and is translated "love" is agapē, "the love of God." It is a special kind of love that we do not have naturally. It is a gift from God when we accept Christ as our Savior. God's love is more than a "feeling." It is a faithful, covenant-keeping concern for others. In all human relationships, there are times when others let us down and times when we let other people down. God's love in us allows us to forgive and forget all injuries. When we wrong someone else, Jesus gives this guidance: "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." Jesus taught us that before we do our religious duty to God, we must be in right relationship with others. Note that these instructions contain the possibility that we may not have actually done anything wrong. The offended person may have interpreted our innocent actions as wrong. It is possible to have offended someone and not know it. However, when we find out, we are instructed to take the initiative in making things right. Anger Directed There are at least five principles we can follow in directing our anger.
Conclusion If anger is your enemy, master it and make it your servant! We cannot change our emotions directly. However, if we deliberately choose to do something good for someone who has harmed us, anger and alienation will turn into friendship!
VI The sixth commandment "You shall not murder" Exodus 20:13, NIV Part III - Spiritual Roots of Murder The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Introduction Behind the visible, physical world there lies another world, spiritual in nature. The spiritual world is more real than the visible world. There are two major powers locked in deadly combat for this world—Jesus is in command of the good forces and Satan is in command of the evil forces. Jesus won ultimate victory over the devil and death 2,000 years ago. All who align themselves with him are assured victory. Satan is a Murderer Jesus reveals the character of Satan: . . . . He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. How does Satan murder people? Satan murders people directly and through the many fallen angels and demons under his control. The Apostle Peter teaches us that Satan is the author of sickness: . . . God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and . . . he [Jesus] went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil [italics mine]. . . . Satan not only kills individuals, but he also kills multitudes through plagues. The black plague and the AIDS epidemic are prime examples. Remember that Peter said that Satan is the one who makes people sick and that Jesus is the healer. Satan uses "natural evil" to kill and destroy: One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan [Satan means "accuser"] also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God [actually Satan] fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" Notice that Satan accused Job of serving God for personal profit. God then gave Satan permission—not commission—to afflict Job: to kill Job's children, destroy servants and sheep with lightning and steal his possessions. Satan worked through immoral people to achieve his means. Satan also used the "natural forces" of lightning and a wind storm to kill Job's children, some servants, and sheep. The messenger wrongly attributed the lightning coming from God. Legal documents today call a natural disaster "an act of God," which is not Biblical—they are an act of Satan. Satan also kills people through "accidents." Satan uses people to murder other people. The above passage in Job shows how Satan murdered Job's servants through the Sabeans and the Chaldeans. Satan may control people completely through demon possession. In demon possession, he controls the person's body, soul and spirit—his whole personality. On the other hand, Satan may have control of an individual's mind and body—this is demon oppression, not possession. Also, Satan may influence people through false indoctrination. The worldwide death movement is inspired by Satan. Homicide, abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, genocide, suicide and all the other "cides" have their origin in the Master Murderer. He writes the scripts and "pulls the strings" of people who have "sold their souls" to him to do his will. The Apostle Paul writes, And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will [italics mine]. Jesus was murdered by Satan's control of Judas, some Jewish leaders, and the Roman government, which actually crucified Him. From Jesus' perspective, he willingly laid down his life that all who accept him as Lord and Savior might live: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Abortion is a doctrine inspired by Satan. Here we are talking about abortion on demand. The United States Supreme Court in ROE V. WADE and DOE V. BOLTON, January 22, 1973, declared that a pregnant woman had the right to abort her unborn child at any time. Since then, this Satanically-inspired decision has resulted in 312 million murders in the United States alone. Now we are trying to export abortion--one of our national sins—to other countries. Spontaneous abortion or miscarriage is generally considered a "natural" event, but Satan may cause it. My mother was ill when she lost a baby girl who had developed for seven months. My mother's illness may have been caused by Satan. Sometimes culpable negligence is involved. If the mother was careless about her diet and behavior, some culpability is incurred. If the husband passed an STD to his pregnant wife which resulted in a miscarriage, then he incurs culpability, etc. Deliberate injury to the mother which results in a miscarriage may be inspired by Satan. Examples are (1) the husband beating his pregnant wife; (2) A suicide attempt by the mother; (3) An auto accident caused by a homicidal-suicidal driver. Euthanasia is another evil doctrine inspired by Satan. Euthanasia is the deliberate taking of another human life, based on faulty logic. Suicide is yet another evil act inspired by Satan. The "politically correct" doctrine is that it solves some problem. Pastor E. V. Hill reminds us that suicide is not a solution but the beginning of another greater problem. The naked truth is that suicide is "jumping out of the frying pan into the fire." Dying without Christ is the objective of Satan. The writer of Hebrews warns that And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment.... King Saul's suicide is an Old Testament example. Saul had been rejected by the LORD due to his disobedience. David had been selected as the new King of Israel, but Saul would not step down. Instead, Saul rebelled against God and tried to kill David. In his last battle against the Philistines, Saul was critically wounded by archers. Then, Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me." But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.1 Samuel 31:4-6, NIV Saul could have avoided this tragedy by obeying God. Or, he could have repented. His suicide was another mistake. Judas' suicide is a New Testament example. Judas was selected by Jesus as one of the Twelve Apostles. His love of money was his downfall. He sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver. Instead of repenting as Peter did, Judas committed suicide: When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. Both the Old and New Testaments tell history like it happened. The Saint's lives are not embellished by omitting sins and mistakes. In the cases of suicide, all are shown to be terrible tragedies and sins. Job's wife urged Job to commit suicide when he was undergoing his great trial, but he refused. Instead he continued to trust God. After his trial, God restored twice what he had lost. He also had seven sons and three daughters. Since the original seven sons and three daughters died physically and not spiritually, he still had fourteen sons and six daughters: The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance with their brothers. After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years. What a contrast Job makes with those who chose suicide over trusting in God! One can speculate about the culpability of those who commit suicide. What about those who are in clinical depression? What about those who are ill? When I was a young barefoot boy in Mississippi, Dr. McCall was our family physician. I remember the compassion he expressed when he treated my case of athlete's foot. Later, we were saddened when he shot himself to death after he was diagnosed with cancer of the liver. Is suicide an act of murder in all cases? If so, could a person repent before dying? We can take comfort in knowing that the Supreme Judge of the Universe is both just and merciful. Let us be sensitive to the needs and conditions of others. We must assume that when one attempts suicide or even talks about suicide, that it is a real attempt, and not merely "a cry for help." Above all, let us trust in God as Job did. Prevention of suicide is the proper tactic. For an additional excellent treatment of suicide, see William Barclay, The Ten Commandments for Today, 81-86. Wars have claimed innocent lives. Satan, working through the leadership of ungodly nations, has murdered countless millions. The mental anguish of soldiers and their families cannot be adequately described. I have seen firsthand the grief of families when participating in the military funerals of soldiers killed in Vietnam. Is there such a thing as a just war? Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Luther and Calvin believe so. Two examples of just wars are: (1) God commanded Israel to defeat evil nations, and (2) World War II was justified in order to defeat the madman Hitler. Some denominations are pacifists: Quakers, Mennonites, Amish and the Assemblies of God in its beginning. Some individuals are conscientious objectors. The service has two categories of conscientious objectors: (1) those totally opposed to war and (2) those willing to serve in the military in a non-combatant role. As an Army Chaplain, I interviewed soldiers who claimed to be conscientious objectors and attempted to determine their sincerity. A Roman Centurion once came to Jesus and requested that he heal his servant: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour. Notice that Jesus did not tell the Roman centurion, who corresponds to a captain in the US Army, "Resign your commission in the Roman Army, get baptized, free all your slaves, pay your tithes, keep all the commandments, and then I will consider healing your servant." Jesus saw his faith in God and his compassion for his servant. Jesus also saw his humility. The centurion first stated, "I myself am a man under authority [italics mine]," instead of "I have authority over a hundred soldiers." Also, he recognized that Jesus was in submission to his Heavenly Father and therefore Jesus had authority to heal his servant. Jesus did not condemn him for being in the Roman Army. Jesus taught that there would be continuous wars. However, he taught that we are to avoid violence on the individual level. We are to "turn the other cheek." Jesus Is The Giver of Life Whenever Jesus came in contact with hurting humanity, he healed them. Foremost, this included spiritual restoration of life. Jesus brought life directly. Based on his atoning death on the cross, he brought justification to every believer. (See chapter one, "Justification," in my ebook, How to Raise Your Self-Esteem: Using Proven Biblical Principles, available free on my website at http://www.jrcministries.org/). After justification, he provided the means for the Holy Spirit to bring spiritual life to the believer. Jesus called this the new birth. (See chapter fourteen in my book How to Raise Your Self-Esteem: Using Proven Biblical Principles.) Jesus also Baptizes Believers in the Holy Spirit. (See "How to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit," in my book, How to Get Your Prayers Answered: The Biblical Way to Pray, 221. We are filled with zoē (The life of God) when we are filled with the Spirit of God. Jesus never turned away a sick person who came to him for healing. (See "Health: Jesus the Healer" at http://www.jrcministries.org/health.html Jesus restored biological life to the sick. Jesus also raised the dead. A good example was the raising of his friend Lazarus. Lazarus had been dead for four days—his body had begun to decay—when Jesus raised him from the dead! Jesus now brings life through others. Believers who are living in obedience to God become channels of blessing to those in need. Soulwinning is the main theme of the heart of God. He longs to be reconciled to his fallen creation. When a lost sheep is found, the very angels of heaven rejoice. Discipleship brings understanding, freedom, and alleviation of needless human suffering: To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The believer who allows the Holy Spirit to guide his life will find that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be in operation in his life. Paul lists these in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. The Holy Spirit will minister help to those in need through the obedient believer. For an overview, see http://www.jrcministries.org/wholeness/10-gifts-of-the-holy-spirit.html. For an excellent teaching on how the Lord is ministering the gifts of the Spirit today, see Kenneth E. Hagin's book, Concerning Spiritual Gifts (Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries), 1974. Believers who maintain a right relationship with Christ will also exercise the critical function of conscience to society. This social function of Christianity brings life and counteracts the "death movement" that automatically follows sin in a given culture. Jesus used the illustration of salt and light: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." God has designed our bodies to be self-healing. Also, he gave us native intelligence to aid this self-healing bodily function. Medical science is a blessing to mankind. We must appreciate the intensive study and hard work of the medical community. However, we must keep uppermost in mind that Christ is the healer. Conclusion Having gained some understanding of the spiritual roots of life and death, let us put this knowledge to work. Let us be like Jesus and minister life. Conclusion No one can keep all the Ten Commandments. However, the Ten Commandments show us our need for the Savior. Paul writes, So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Jesus was the only person who kept the Ten Commandments. He then died on the cross so that we could have a right standing with God. Please accept Christ as your Lord and Savior now. Life is uncertain—don't put it off! It is God's plan for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit immediately after accepting Christ as your Savior. No one can keep all the Ten Commandments. However, the Ten Commandments show us our need for the Savior. Paul writes, So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Jesus was the only person who kept the Ten Commandments. He then died on the cross so that we could have a right standing with God. Please accept Christ as your Lord and Savior now. Life is uncertain—don't put it off! Now that You Are a Christian
Glossary Figures of Speech Figure of Speech. An expression in which words are used in an unusual or nonliteral way to achieve an effect beyond common speech. Hyperbole. From Greek, huper, "above" + bolē, "to throw." A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally. E.g.: I could sleep for a year. Jesus used hyperbole when He said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:25). Irony. From Greek, eironeia, derived from eiron, "dissembler in speech." The humorous or sarcastic use of words to express something directly opposite of their unusual meaning. Litotes. Transliterated from the Greek word litotes, meaning "smooth, simple, plain." A figure of speech in which a thought is expressed by a negation of the contrary. E.g.: "Not a few" = many. Metaphor. From Greek, meta, "with" or "after" + phora, "to carry." A figure of speech in which a word is used to designate another. E.g.: "A sea of troubles" or "All the world's a stage." Metonymy. From Greek, metonumia, (meta, "with" + onuma, "name"). A figure of speech in which one name is substituted for another name with which it is closely associated. E.g.: the use of "Washington" for the federal government. Personification. A figure of speech in which a thing, quality or idea is represented by a person. The writers of the book of Proverbs used personification. E.g., "Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;" (Proverbs 1:20, NIV). Prosopopoeia. From Greek, prosopōpoia, a triple transliteration, (pros "to" + ōps "eye, face" = "person" + poiein "make"), then through Latin, prosopopoeia, transliterated into English. A figure of speech in which an absent, dead or imaginary person is represented as speaking. Simile. A figure of speech in which one thing is compared to another dissimilar thing. It is usually introduced by like or as. E.g.: "She had a heart as big as a barn." Synecdoche. From Greek, sun, "with" + ekdechesthai, "to receive." A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or the whole is used for a part. E.g.: "Give us this day our daily bread (artos)." (Matthew 6:11) Jesus used "bread" to represent "food." Trope. From Greek, tropos, "a turning". The figurative use of a word, a figure of speech. Interpretation Literal. A method of interpretation based on the ordinary meaning of words or events. Not based on figurative or symbolic meaning. Symbolic. From Greek, sun, "together" + bolē, "to throw." A method of interpretation whereby literal words or events are seen as teaching a higher truth. Stories Parables are encrypted truth. Jesus usually uses familiar stories that are based on common knowledge. However there are figures of speech, which are usually obvious. The following definitions are given for information: Allegory. From Greek, allegoria, allos, "other" + agoreuein "to speak in assembly," hence, a teaching story in which people, places, things and events represent a greater reality. E.g.: John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Fable. A usually short fictitious story of imaginary beings, animals or legendary people doing exploits and meant to teach a moral lesson. Myth. From Greek, mythos, "speech, story, legend." A story purporting to be true, invented to explain some earthly phenomenon. Parable. From Greek, parabolē, para, "beside" + balō, "to throw" = "to place beside. A short teaching story that has one moral or spiritual lesson. The spiritual lesson is encrypted or hidden from those, who in their development, are not ready for that particular truth. It is also hidden from truth-rejectors. Philosophical Definitions Metaphysics. The word metaphysics is taken from Aristotle's works, "with or after the physics." his physics dealt with the area of the scientific and his metaphysics dealt with basic assumptions, first principles, and the religious, including cosmology and ontology. Cosmology. Cosmology deals with the origin and structure of the universe. Science can understand the nature of the universe to a limited extent. However, science does not understand the nature of the universe well enough to demonstrate scientifically how the universe came into being—it is out of the realm of science. As Christians, we believe that the world was created by God and it is sustained by God: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). (Also see Hebrews 1:2-3). The universe is devolving. The only principle of "evolution" in effect today is the work of God in redeemed man. Later, God will make a new heaven and earth: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-12 Ontology. From ontos, "being" + logos, "word, study" = "the study of reality." Ontology is that branch of philosophy that seeks to explain the nature of being or reality. Is what we experience through our senses all there is? Is it reality? Yes, but God is Ultimate Reality—His creation is reality. God alone is eternally self-existent, whereas His creation is finite. His creation is dependent on Him. We are not pantheists (From Greek, pan = "all" + Theos = "God," = "All is God" or "God is All"). Rather, we are panentheists: (From Greek, pan = "all" + en = "in" + Theos = "God" = "all in God." "For in him [God] we live and move and have our being..." (Acts 17:28). God exists both in our universe and outside it, in all His attributes. From metaphysics, we move logically to epistemology. Epistemology. From Greek epistēmē, "knowledge" + logos, "word, study" = "The study of knowledge." Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that seeks to define truth and discover the nature of knowledge. Absolute truth exists only in the mind of God. Jesus is Truth personified, the greatest revelation of truth from God to human beings: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" John 14:6 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe" Hebrews 1:1-2 Absolute truth is communicated to us in abstract form from the Bible. As we read it, the Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible, which is the objective revelation of the Word of God. Human beings discover relative truth through their experience or interaction with creation. Refined human experience we call scientific method, which produces relative truth or knowledge, the results of which are always tentative and subject to revision. By using extensions of our senses, we examine the macrocosm and the microcosm. Then we analyze the data in our minds—aided by computers, etc. Logically, we proceed to the next branch of philosophy which is axiology. Axiology. From Greek Axia, "value, worth" + logos, "word, study" = "the study of values." Axiology deals with the nature and types of values. We will deal with two kinds of values: 1. Ethics and 2. Aesthetics. Ethics. Ethics is the study of moral good and evil. Natural evil, such as earthquakes, accidents and tornados are excluded unless it is demonstrated that a free moral agent caused the evils. The only valid source of ethics is God Himself, as transmitted to us through His Son Jesus and His written Word. Human experience is invalid as an ethical standard. Aesthetics. Aesthetics deals with the nature of beauty. The standard for the beautiful is found in the mind of God. It was reflected in His pristine (original) creation—before the fall of man. 1. Spiritually, holiness is beautiful—the good and the beautiful belong together. 2. Rationally, that which is logical is beautiful, but since man's reason is fallen, his mind cannot be the standard—it must be renewed by the Word of God for both content and logical form. 3. Physically, that which is symmetrical and flawless is beautiful. From the study of values, we move to teleology: Teleology. From Greek teleos "entire, perfect, complete," genitive of telos "end, goal, result" + logos, "word, study" = "The study of whether or not there is any purpose or end to which history is moving. Teleology is the study of final causes. The Christian dismisses the ideas that the universe is simply a machine, or that human beings generate purpose in life. God has a purpose in history—it is His story. Through Jesus, His Son, He is reconciling mankind to Himself, and redeeming His creation: The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:19-23 Psychological Definitions Conscience. Conscience is that part of the human spirit that punishes us when we do wrong and rewards us when we do right. The conscience also tells us what is right or wrong and prompts us to do the right thing. It corresponds to the superego in psychology. For a more thorough treatment of the conscience, see the power article How to Have a Clear Conscience. Conscious. The conscious is that area of the mind of which we are immediately aware. See Mind. Heterosexual. From the combination of Greek, hetero, "other, different" + Latin sexus = "to cut, divide" [the derived meaning is having the character of being either male or female], therefore meaning a normal person who is attracted to the opposite sex. Homophobe. From the combination of homo (Greek, homo, "same)" + phobe (Greek, phobos, "fear"), literally, one who fears homosexuals. Homosexuals use this word in name-calling. Homophobe is used of one who hates homosexuals, which is a misnomer. See Misanthrope and homomist. Homomist is from Greek, homos, "same" + misos, "hate" = one who hates homosexuals (male and female). See lesbian. Homosexual. A malconditioned male who is sexually attracted to another male. Having sex with another person of the same sex was illegal in 38 states until the federal government passed a law allowing consensual sodomy. Lesbian. A malconditioned female who is sexually attracted to another female. "...the word lesbian derives from the poems of Sappho, who was born in Lesbos and who wrote with powerful emotional content directed toward other women." See Lesbos. Mind. The mind consists of three parts: Conscious, Preconscious and Unconscious. Misanthrope is from Greek, mīsánthrōpos, misos, "hate" + anthropos, "human being" = one who hates people. Misogyny is from Greek, from misos, "hate" + gunē, "woman" = hatred of women. Misandry is from Greek misos, "hate" + anēr, "man" = hatred of men. Projection. The way one's own immoral desires or past acts are imagined to be in other people. Psychopath. A person who has a seared conscience, who has violated his conscience so often that his conscience function is very low. See Conscience and Sociopath. Conscience function varies in individuals. Psychopath refers to an immoral state of mind and the resulting syndrome. Sociopath. A psychopath is one whose mind is in a psychopathic state, resulting in his manipulating and mistreating other people, even to the point of murdering them. A smart sociopath manipulates and injures people without getting arrested and imprisoned. George Soros is a smart sociopath. A dumb psychopath gets caught and probably will end in prison or be executed. Hitler was a dumb sociopath who thought that he could breed a superior race and conquer the world. The Apostle Paul was not a sociopath. His conscience was functioning fully. He had wrong content in his conscience when he persecuted Christians, but the Lord changed that content when he was converted. Subconscious. The term subconscious is a less precise term that includes both the conscious and preconscious. See Mind. Unconscious. The unconscious is the vast storage area of the mind that contains information that cannot be recalled at will. It contains both cognitive and affective information which can profoundly affect our lives by affecting our mental and physical health. See Mind. General Definitions Autosoteric. From Greek, autos, "self" + soteria, "salvation" = "self-salvation." A religious belief of personal salvation by good works. Most religions are autosoteric in nature. Blaspheme. Blasphemy is the act of slandering God. The English word "blaspheme" is the transliteration of blasphēmeō, translated blaspheme when directed toward God and slander when directed toward people (Definition by Ralph Earle, ThD). Recorded slander against people is called libel. Cognate. As it applies to the etymology of words in this book: "A word is cognate with another if both derive from the same word in an ancestral language" (Sage 2006, S.v., "cognate"). Etymology. Etymology, from the compound Greek word etymologia, etumon, "true sense," + logos "study of," therefore, tracing a word through its history of development to find its present meaning. Hapax legomenon. A word that occurs only once in the New Testament. Householder. From Greek, oikos, "House" + despotēs, "master." Owner of an estate. Hour. The Jews, Greeks and Romans divided both the night into twelve equal parts and the day into twelve equal parts. The length of the day was measured from sunrise to sunset and varied from a little less than 10 of our hours to more than 14 of our hours. Their hours could vary up to 22 of our minutes. The first hour was about 6:00 AM. The third hour was about 9:00 AM. The sixth hour was about 12 M (noon). The ninth hour was about 3:00 PM. The eleventh hour was about 5:00 PM. Holonym. A word that names the whole of which a given word is a part (SAGE 2006, S.v., "holonym"). Hypernym. A word that is more generic than a given word (SAGE 2006, S.v., "hypernym"). Hyponym. A word that is more specific than a given word (SAGE 2006, S.v. "hyponym"). Infrastructure. Noun 1. The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area. > Synonym: base, substructure. > Hypernym: fund, stock, store, structure. > Meronym: communication equipment, communication system, fire station, firehouse, gas system, grid, main, penal facility, penal institution, power grid, power system, public works, school system, sewage system, sewage works, sewer system, transit, transportation, transportation system, water, water supply, water system. > Holonym: system. 2. The basic structure or features of a system or organization. > Synonym: substructure. > Hypernym: structure. > Holonym: system. SAGE 2006, S.v., "Infrastructure" Marketplace. From Greek, agora, The central meeting place in a city where children played, people bought and sold, and philosophers disputed. Meronym. The word that names a part of a larger whole (SAGE 2006, S.v., "meronym"). MS. Manuscript. The plural is MSS—here, part of the Koinē Greek text or a complete New Testament Greek text. Denarius, a Roman silver coin worth about about a day's wages for a laborer. A laborer earning the minimum wage in the United States in January 2014 made $58 for an 8-hour day, at $7.25 per hour (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denarius). Preconscious. That part of the mind from which we can recall information at will. When one takes an academic test, information stored in the memory comes from this part of the mind. See Mind. Proverb. A concise saying that expresses a truth or a common experience. Sects, Jewish. There were three chief Jewish sects at the time of Christ: The Essenes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees: Essenes. A monastic movement of men who lived ascetic lives. Most were celibates. They promised "to honor God, to be righteous toward man, to injure no one ... to hate evil, to promote good, to be faithful to everyone, especially those in authority, to love the truth, to unmask liars, and to keep the hand from theft and the conscience from unrighteous gain." Pharisees. A conservative group who believed in the resurrection of the dead, in the existence of angels, in the supernatural, and in the Word of God. However, many were legalistic and hypocritical. They added to the Word of God and many rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Sadducees. A liberal group who accepted Greek influence and were allied with Rome. They denied the resurrection, the existence of angels and the supernatural. They accepted the Jewish Scriptures alone, but believed in "private interpretation." [John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969), S.v., Essenes, S.v., Pharisees, S.v., Sadducees]. Synonym. Two words that can be interchanged in a context are said to be synonymous relative to that context. Synonym: equivalent word (SAGE 2006, S.v., "synonym"). Talent. The Roman talent was a weight that equaled 71 United States pounds. Transliteration. From Latin trans (prep.) "across, over, beyond," + Latin littera "letter, character" = "to carry across a letter." Writing a word of a language in the alphabet of another in corresponding letters or according to sound. Online Etymology Dictionary Type. A symbol or representation of the reality to be manifested in the future. Some of the Old Covenant is a type of the New Covenant. Abortion. The premeditated murder of a helpless, innocent unborn human being and removal of the remains from the mother's body. (A miscarriage is sometimes called a spontaneous abortion). AIDS. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a condition in which the body's defenses are so impaired by the HIV that opportunistic diseases occur such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, tuberculosis, meningitis, shingles and Kaposi's sarcoma (cancer). AIDS was formerly known as GRIDS (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome), since 70 percent of AIDS victims in the US are male homosexuals and bisexuals. Atheism. A combination of Greek a [alpha negative] + theos, "God" meaning one of many religions or philosophies that reject the idea that God exists. Autographs. The original scriptures in written form. No autographs have been found. Five thousand copies of the whole or parts of the Greek New Testament text exist. From these, Greek scholars reconstruct the Greek New Testament text, making this the most accurate text in existence. Biblical Creationism. The belief that God created the universe(s). Euthanasia. A transliteration of a compound Greek word eu "well" + thanatos "death" which means "dying well." It is a euphemism for murder. Evolution. The theory that present life forms developed on earth about 3,000,000,000 years ago from inanimate matter. Allegedly, groups of organisms change with passage of time, as a result of natural selection and mutation, so that descendants improve morphologically and physiologically from their ancestors. Microbiology has disproved the theory of evolution. See Darwins Black Box. Devolution. The theory of devolution is the opposite of evolution. Based primarily on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, it states that the cosmos is running down,—moving from a state of order to a state of chaos. Some hold to the view of Theistic Evolution, which states that God created or is creating the universe through a process of evolution. Freedom. The state of possessing self-determination. See What Is Freedom? and How to Become Free . Fundamentalist. A person who believes in the doctrines of his faith. Genocide. The planned and systematic attempt to murder an entire national, religious, political or ethnic group. Grace is God’s undeserved favor and help. There are several categories of grace: 1. Grace, common or universal. God’s grace to all people, both saint and sinner. 2. Grace, prevenient. God’s grace given to an individual before his conversion. 3. Grace, saving. God’s grace given to an individual resulting in his conversion. 4. Grace, postvenient. God’s grace given to an individual after his conversion. 5. Grace, special. God’s grace given to an individual for a special need such as a calling to the ministry, dying grace, etc. Hapax Legomenon. A word that occurs only once in a document—in this book, it is defined as a word used only one time in the New Testament. See Happax Legomenon. HIV. Human Immunodeficiency Virus. A retrovirus that attacks the human immune system and other vital organs, such as the brain. This leads to ARC (AIDS-Related Complex)—at this point, the patient will test positive for AIDS infection. From this stage, the patient moves to full-blown AIDS. Koinē Greek. Koinē means "common" in Greek. Koinē Greek was the common Greek language spoken in Jesus time. It was the language of commerce. The New Testament was written in Koinē Greek. Logic. The science of correct reasoning. LXX. See "Septuagint." Man. Anthropos is the Greek word for "human being." Homo Sapiens is the scientific classification of human beings. Human beings include both male (man) and female (woman). There are three main theological views of human beings: 1. Trichotomists believe that human beings consist of (1) pneuma, "spirit," (2) psuchē, "soul" and (3) soma, "body." According to Kenneth E. Hagin, "Man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body" (HAGIN). He views man as being a tripartite being. The writer agrees. The human spirit is the essence of a person, which contains the will and the conscience. The soul is made up of the emotional and intellectual parts of man. The body is the third part. Paul writes, May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23, NIV 2. Dichotomists believe that human beings consist of material and immaterial parts—a bipartite view. Soul and spirit are fused into one and the body is the other part. 3. Achotomists believe that human beings are mere bodies—physical beings only. The mind is a function of the brain. There is no spirit. When a person dies, he no longer exists. Secular Humanists and other atheists take this position. Myth. Taken from the Greek word, mythos, "story," in this book meaning certain false ideas accepted as true by some. Taken together, they form a "politically correct" view. See commentary on Ephesians 2:2, the spirit of the age." Nihilism. The belief that all values are baseless. In the context of this book, American Nihilists are attempting to destroy the Judeo-Christian beliefs that guided our society earlier. They are attempting to replace it with defective values. Omnipresent. From omni, "all" + present, "existing in a place," therefore, "existing in all places." The attribute of God that describes his existence everywhere in all time with all His attributes. Omnipotent. From omni, "all" + potent, "powerful," one of the attributes of God, El Shaddai (אל שׁדי), God Almighty. Omniscient. From omni, "all" + scientia, "knowledge," therefore, "all knowledge." The attribute of God that describes His absolute knowledge and infinite wisdom. Panentheist. From Greek, pan = "all" + en = "in" + theos = "God," hence, we are "all in God." We are "in God" in the sense that God is every where. Not every one is like God. This is a biblical view. When addressing the Athenians, Paul said, "For in him [God] we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, for we are also his offspring." (Acts 17:28) Pantheists. From Greek, pan = "all" + theos = "God," hence, "All is God" or "God is All." In this view, the Creator is erroneously equated with his creation. Political Correctness. The body of beliefs collectively held by some non-Christians. Most of the beliefs are myths. (See commentary on Ephesians 2:2.) Political Cleansing is the process by which US citizens are to be purged of Judeo-Christian beliefs and have them replaced with what is politically correct. Pornography. From two Greek words, pornē, "prostitute" + graphein , "write," hence, in today's context, the use of multimedia to incite sexual desire. Propaganda. The systematic dissemination of an ideology, philosophy or religion. Originally it had the positive meaning of preaching the Gospel by the Catholic Church. Now, there is a negative connotation because of the Nazi "brainwashing" technique used in Nazi Germany and the communist revolution in China. The American press continues to use these techniques to indoctrinate American citizens in political correctness. The process is also called "gaslighting." Racism. The belief that one sub-classification of human beings are superior to another. This results in discrimination based on physical or cultural differences. The truth is that we are one race. We have all descended from Adam, the first human being whom God created. Septuagint. The oldest Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament. It is "usually quoted as the LXX. …. [It] …was made at Alexandria; ...it was begun about 280 B.C., and finished about 200 or 150 B.C.; …it was the work of a number of translators who differed greatly both in their knowledge of Hebrew and of Greek; and that from the earliest times it has borne the name of "The Septuagint," i.e., The Seventy: "This version, with all its defects, must be of the greatest interest— (a) as preserving evidence for the text far more ancient than the oldest Hebrew manuscripts; (b) as the means by which the Greek Language was wedded to Hebrew thought; (c) as the source of the great majority of quotations from the Old Testament by writers of the New Testament" (Easton 1897, S.v. "Versions"). Secular Humanism. A religion of humanity in which mankind replaces God. It is a type of atheism and spread via public education and the liberal media. Situational Ethics. A philosophical approach to ethics in which each particular context determines what is right or wrong. Many absolutes are set aside and morality becomes relative. STD "Sexually transmitted diseases," formerly known as VD ("venereal disease"). Synoptic is from Greek sun, "together" and optikos, "seen," To see together. Synoptic Gospels: by comparing three accounts, one is able to get a more complete picture of what Jesus is teaching. Matthew, Mark and Luke constitute the three Synoptic Gospel accounts. Matthew wrote to Jews, Peter (through John Mark) wrote to the Romans and Luke wrote to the Greeks. (John wrote to the Church.) This may be the reason that sometimes the three accounts vary—they are written to three different target groups. When John is added, the resutlt is "Gospel Parallels." Teleology. From Greek, teleos, end + logos, word or study. The study of final causes. It seeks to answer the question, "Is there purpose in life?" Theocracy. From Greek, theos, God + Greek, kratein, "to rule," having the derived meaning of God ruling a country through leaders under His control. No theocracy exists today. Jesus will one day institute the one true Theocracy, when he rules the world for a thousand years. Transcendental Meditation, an integral part of Hinduism. The word transcendental refers to the process of reaching the so-called state of "pure consciousness" in which the mind is emptied. Translation. Changing one language into the equivalent of another language. There are several types of Translations: 1. Dynamic Equivalent. A translation that seeks to evoke the same reaction in the new reader that the original text did in the original reader. (Nida). It is a thought-for-thought translation. 2. Formal Equivalent. A translation that seeks to follow the original text closely. 3. Literal. A word-for-word translation of the Bible. 4. Literal-Interlinear. A word-for-word or phrase-for-word translation of the Greek or Hebrew text. The text is printed with the translation directly below the printed text. It is helpful for those who know some Greek or Hebrew. 5. Paraphrase. A meaning-for-meaning translation of the Bible. 6. Committee. A translation done by a committee, which is usually called a version. 7. Private. A translation done by an individual. 8. Transliteration. A letter-for-letter or sound-for-letter spelling of a word to represent a word in another language. 8. Version. A translation of the Old and/or New Testaments usually made by a committee. END Copyright © Dr. John E. Russell 2018, 2019 Taken from my book, The Ten Commandments. You may freely quote from this article as long as you give the copyright line and do not edit it.
Bibliography Resources Bibles The Amplified Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965. Contemporary English Version: Bible for Today's Family (New Testament). New York: American Bible Society, 1991. The New Testament: The Berkeley Version in Modern English. Translated by Gerrit Verkuyl, 1959. New International Version. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, 1984. New American Standard Version. The Lockman foundation, 2000. Thompson, Frank Charles. Chain-Reference Bible. King James Version. Indianapolis: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc., 1934. Electronic Study Programs Meyers, Rick. e-Sword, 2014. http://www.e-sword.net/. (4 Greek Bible Texts, 25 Bibles, 18 Dictionaries, 22 Commentaries, Maps).
Articles Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963, S.v. "Nietzsche, Friedrich," by Walter Kaufmann. Books Adams, Jay E. The Christian Counselor's Manual. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973. Allen, Charles L. The Ten Commandments: An Interpretation. Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1965. Barclay, William. The Ten Commandments for Today. Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1973. Beacon Bible Commentary. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press. Matthew, By Ralph Earle, 1964. Blanton, Smiley. Love or Perish. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1956. Drakeford, John W. Psychology in Search of a Soul. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1964. Hagin, Kenneth E. Concerning Spiritual Gifts. Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1974. McMillen, S. I. None of These Diseases. Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1963. Smith, Craig R. and Ponte, Lowell. Don't Bank on It! The Unsafe World of 21st Century Banking. Idea Factory Press, Phoenix AZ, 2014. Forward by Pat Boone. Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1890 (Also, From e-Sword). Thayer, Joseph Henry. Thayer’s New Testament Greek Lexicon. 1889 (From e-Sword) Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Lectures in Systematic Theology, revised by Vernon D. Doerksen. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979. Vincent, Marvin R. Word Studies in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1886 (From e-Sword). Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language. College ed. New York: The World Publishing Co., 1966. Electronic Books Russell, John E. The Astonishing Parables of Jesus (Version 2.0). Garden City, MO: Russell Communications, 1994. Russell, John E. Essays Exposing the Myths of Political Correctness (Version 5.1). Garden City, MO: Russell Communications, 1994. Russell, John E. How to Get Your Prayers Answered (Version 2.0). Garden City, MO: Russell Communications, 1994. Russell, John E. How to Raise Your Self-Esteem Using Proven Biblical Principles (Version 3.0). Garden City, MO: Russell Communications, 1994. End |
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