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REMAIN IN MY LOVE

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  ABIDE IN MY LOVE 9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another. JOHN 15:9-1
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LEARNING TO DISCERN THE MEANING OF WORDS

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  LEARNING TO DISCERN THE MEANING OF WORDS Many times I have heard discussions over the meaning of words in the original language of Scripture, especially over topics that are not clear at first sight. The tendency of many, familiar with Greek and Hebrew, it is to subject the open interpretations, to the strict literal meaning of a main word, submitting all surrounding context to it, but ignoring the context in the process of translation. This may seem to many, but thank God not to the experts, the natural procedure to come to understand the meaning of a passage, beyond empty speculations; however, in the amateur enthusiasm, basic reality is forgotten, and left aside in the search of a accurate meaning. Like in any other language, the biblical languages also contain synonymous, local expressions, and not specific terminology in many cases. Let us see some examples: One example is 2Thessalonians 2:15, where St Paul encourages the Thessalonians to keep the ‘traditions’ they lea
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THE TRUE VINE

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  I AM THE TRUE VINE 1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. JOHN 15:1-8 COMMENTARY In this speech, Lord Jesus warns us to remain always
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WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS, KNOW THE TIME IS NEAR

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  WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS, KNOW THE TIME IS NEAR One of the most important parts of Jesus’s preaching, was the eschatological warnings He gave us. His words in his famous speech about the future of Jerusalem, encompasses all his teachings on the topic: “When you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates” Matthew 24:33 When Jesus said this, He was referring strictly to the future destruction of Jerusalem by Titus (Matthew 24:2), almost 70 years afterwards. But according to other tones in the prophecy, it is clear He also meant it as a call to watch his return (Matthew 24:29-31). We have seen many problems in the world in history. From political disturbances, to increase in crime, and natural disasters; but the world still goes on. In fact, the early Church expected the return of our Lord Jesus Christ sooner of what it has taken (Romans 13:11; 1Peter 4:7; James 5:8), and we are still waiting, so what has happened with the return of Christ?. Som
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JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD

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  JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” JOHN 10:11-18 COMMENTARY This speech was motivated
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THE RIGHT TO REBEL

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  THE RIGHT TO REBEL Christians are commanded in the NT to submit to the authorities, and declares that they exist by God’s will. (Romans 13:1-2; Titus 3:2; 1Peter 2:13). And this becomes even more peculiar, when we consider that by the time these epistles were written, the times fall within Nero and Domitian (55 to 81CE), known enemies of Christianity and Judaism. But are we supposed to submit to all authorities under any circumstance? GOD THE SURPREME AUTHORITY Parallel to this principle, the Bible also teaches that we must obey God before men (Acts 4:19; 5:29). This is based on the premise, that God’s authority is the source of any other authority in the Universe, and obedience to God is above obedience to any other authority on Earth. Interestingly, Paul also recommends to solve our legal problems within ourselves rather than appealing to the secular systems of Justice or government, declaring that if we, the believers in Christ, will judge Angels, what would be the r
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THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN BODY

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  THE SACREDNESS OF THE BODY The Bible teaches that humans were made in God’s ‘Image and Likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). ‘Likeness’ is the group of faculties that are reflection of God’s natural abilities, like the faculty to create, govern, organize, learn, love, morality, etc. These faculties were not given to any other creature in our creation, except humans, the only ones created ‘in the Likeness’ of God. The Hebrew בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ ( Be sal menu), which we translate as ‘In our Image’, it is based in the word   צֶלֶם ( Tselem), which literally means ‘Resemblance or Image’, in a corporeal sense. Since ancient times, the word ‘Tselem’ has been used to denote physical appearance, among the Hebrews. Stories like in Exodus 33:17-23; where Moses sees the back of God but not his face; or the time when Lord God YHWH, the Father, comes and has lunch with Abraham in the region of Mamre (Genesis 18:1) and even when God appears to Adam and Even in a physical manner in Eden (Genesis 3:8); denote
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