8Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And behold, an angel of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10Then the angel said to them,...
Daily Verse
Matthew 27:39, 41; Luke 23:39, 40, 42, 43 – The Father’s Will
39And those who passed by blasphemed Him, shaking their heads … 41And in the same way the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders … 39Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." 40But the other,...
Luke 23:13, 14; 20-22; John 19:4 – Spotless Lamb of God
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. … 20Pilate addressed them again wanting...
Mark 14:55, 56, 61b-64 – Christ the Messiah
55And the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and found none. 56For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies were not alike. 61bAgain the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the...
Mark 14:44, 45; John 18:4-7 – Deception vs. Righteousness
44Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "The one I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead him away safely." 45And directly coming to him, he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi!" and kissed Him … 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that were...
Mark 14:32-36 – Man of Sorrows
32Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be astonished and in distress. 34Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even...
Romans 16:27 – To God Be The Glory!
to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen. Truth to Learn God deserves all the glory and all of our praise. Behind the Words “God” is from the Greek noun theos. This is probably derived from the Greek theteres (a placer of things) because the Greeks...
Romans 16:26 – Gospel Proclamation
but now has been revealed, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— Truth to Learn We all need to be preaching the gospel message. Behind the Words The words “has been revealed” are translated...
Romans 16:25 – Stabilizing Power
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the time of the ages. Truth to Learn The power of God is revealed in the gospel message. Behind the...
Romans 16:24 – Precious, Sacred, and True
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Truth to Learn We have the genuine Word of God. Behind the Words “Grace” is translated from charis. This is the noun form of the verb chairō, meaning “to be full of cheer” or “to rejoice.” The noun...
Romans 16:23 – Give Your All
Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. Truth to Learn God wants us all to give liberally. Behind the Words “Host” is from the Greek word xenos, which literally means “a foreigner” or “a stranger.”...
Romans 16:22 – Service or Excuses?
I, Tertius, the one writing this epistle, greet you in the Lord. Truth to Learn God wants people to serve without excuses. Behind the Words The name Tertius is a Latin name meaning “third.” It was common among the Roman aristocracy to name children Primus (first), Secundus (second), Tertius (third),...
Romans 16:21 – Faithful Helpers
Timothy, my fellow worker greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen. Truth to Learn Every ministry needs faithful helpers. Behind the Words “Fellow worker” is from sunergon, which we have seen a couple of times in this chapter. It refers to someone who works together with someone...
Romans 16:20 – Crushing Blow
And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Truth to Learn Through Christ we will have victory over false teachers. Behind the Words The word “crush” is translated from suntribō, which is composed of sun,...
Romans 16:19 – Obedient and Wise
For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I rejoice on your behalf; but I want you to be wise as to what is good, and innocent concerning evil. Truth to Learn It is important for all Christians to be growing in our faith daily by reading and studying...
Romans 16:18 – Servants, Not Crusaders
For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the innocent. Truth to Learn Lack of submissiveness can cause harm to the body of Christ. Behind the Words The word translated “serve”...
Romans 16:17 – Who to Avoid
Now I exhort you, brothers, take note of those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them. Truth to Learn Avoid those who teach false doctrine. Behind the Words “Exhort” is translated from the Greek verb parakalō, which literally means “to...
Romans 16:16 – A Holy Kiss?
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Truth to Learn The early church employed a kiss as a customary greeting. Behind the Words “Greet” is from aspadzomai, meaning “to enfold in the arms” or as we would say, “to hug,” which we learned...
Romans 16:15 – Family of Saints
Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them. Truth to Learn All Christians are saints and are God’s children. Behind the Words The name “Philologus” means “one who loves to learn.” “Nereus,” by some sources is said to be derived from Nereo...
Romans 16:14 – Church Building Idolatry?
Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brothers who are with them. Truth to Learn God wants a relationship, not brick and mortar. Behind the Words “Asyncritus” is the name of a slave who was made a freeman by Caesar Augustus. The name is made up of the negative...
Romans 16:13 – A Choice Christian
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Truth to Learn Some Christians stand out as “choice” within the church. Behind the Words The name “Rufus” is of Roman (Latin) origin, meaning “red.” “Chosen” is translated from the noun eklektos, which is based on the verb eklegomai,...
Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are laboring in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Truth to Learn There are many hard working women in the church! Behind the Words The names “Tryphena and Tryphosa” are Greek and are both derived from the verb truphaō,...
Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation
Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Truth to Learn Some Christians put their lives in danger when they get saved. Behind the Words The word “countryman,” which we saw in verse seven, is translated from sungenēs, meaning “same...
Romans 16:10 – Proving Ground of Faith
Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Truth to Learn Christians undergo trials of their faith. Behind the Words The word translated “approved” is dokimos, derived from the verb dokimadzō, which means “to try or test for the purpose of determining value or...
Romans 16:9 – Hugs and Kisses
Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Truth to Learn Family members greet one another with signs of affection. Behind the Words The word “greet,” which we looked at back in verse three, is aspadzomai, which refers specifically to greeting a person with a hug. There...
Romans 16:8 – My Beloved Brother
Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Truth to Learn Some people were specially honored by the Apostle Paul. Behind the Words “Amplias” is a shortened form of the Latin name Ampliatus, meaning “enlarged.” Some Greek manuscripts have the full name rather than the shortened form. “Beloved” is translated from...
Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are well thought of among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Truth to Learn Some Christians are well known for their service in the church. Behind the Words The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which...
Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary
Greet Mary, who did much hard work for us. Truth to Learn Some people in the church work extremely hard and get little or no recognition. Behind the Words “Mary” is translated from the Greek name Miriam, which is transliterated from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning “rebelliously.” Some texts have...
Romans 16:5 – Committed and Active
And greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is a firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Truth to Learn Christianity involves active participation, not passive attendance. Behind the Words “Church” is from the Greek noun ekklēsia, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of”...
Romans 16:4 – Behind The Scenes
who risked their own necks for me, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Truth to Learn Some of the most important ministries are behind the scenes. Behind the Words The word “risked” is a metaphorical translation of hupotithēmi. This...
Romans 16:3 – Secular Saints
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, Truth to Learn Just because you work at a secular job doesn’t mean God doesn’t want to use you in building up the church. Behind the Words “Greet” is translated from aspadzomai, which is made up of a, denoting...