Synonyms: study, studying, education, schooling, tuition, teaching, academic work, instruction, training, scholarship, knowledge, erudition, culture, intellect, academic attainment, acquirements, enlightenment, illumination, edification, book learning, insight, information, understanding, sageness, wisdom, sophistication
Antonyms: ignorance
Showing 76 to 100 of 797 results
76. Foreword
Proverbs 1:1-7
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... to cower in terror before an unknowable deity; rather, it entails a life lived in constant awareness of one’s dependence on and obligation toward the sovereign Creator. This expression distinguishes biblical wisdom from all other types of human learning. Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature outside of Israel never presents wisdom as rooted in one’s relationship to a deity. The “beginning” refers to the essential foundation without which no growth in understanding can take place. Verse 7b concludes ...
77. Proverbs of Solomon
Proberbs 10:1--22:16
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... one to respond before considering what a conversation partner has to say; this can also lead to humiliation (18:13), and perhaps even to a crushed spirit, which is worse than disease (18:14). In contrast, the ears of the wise eagerly listen and learn (18:15). Disputes, especially within a legal context, are dealt with in 18:16–21. Accordingly, “gift” probably refers to a bribe or private present that secures an unfair advantage for a person rather than to generosity or giftedness (18:16; cf. 21:14 ...
78. Living to Please God
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... between singles. At times it is used in a more restricted sense (fornication, not adultery, as in Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21), but here it indicates all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery (Matt. 5:32; 19:9). The concern is “that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (4:4). The term translated “body” literally means “vessel” and may refer to the person’s own body or the person’s wife (see 1 Pet. 3:7 ESV). Some have suggested that it ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
... to Deut. 23:15–16, where instructions regarding household slaves are given. wasting his possessions: Lit. “scattering his master’s property.” The Lost Son had also “wasted his money” (15:13). 16:2 By receiving an account of the manager’s management the rich man will learn the extent of the waste and theft, while at the same time a new manager will more easily be able to take over the task of management. 16:3–4 If the dishonest manager can no longer be a manager, he is left with two basic ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
... hell. The “religious” assumed that health and wealth evidenced God’s blessing, while sickness and poverty evidenced God’s cursing. As the parable indicates, such assumptions can be hazardous. 16:27–31 The parable continues by developing a second idea. The rich man has learned his lesson, albeit too late. Now he hopes to warn his five brothers so that they will not suffer the same eternal fate. But he is told that his brothers—as he had also—have every opportunity to hear and obey Moses and the ...
Understanding Series
James R. Edwards
... . True faith is strengthening faith, which exists in tension with doubt and disbelief. The ideal, of course, is that the human will might become one with the divine—and someday it will be. But the initial lessons in the classroom of life are not so easily learned. “ ‘Abba, Father.… Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’ ” (Mark 14:36). Jesus too knew the struggle of faith. Faith does not exist in a vacuum. We may worship God in a sanctuary, but we do not normally find ...
Understanding Series
Gerald H. Wilson
... 27:8). 15:3 The term argue is the Heb. ykkh, which describes setting forth one’s case in court (see the discussion on 13:6 in §43). 15:5 The verb ʾlp, NIV prompt, in the Piel means “teach.” The image is of the small child learning to recite from memory the “alephbet”—the Heb. version of the alphabet—founded on the same verbal root. All words are formed on the basis of this foundation, so error at this point compounds itself throughout life. In his first speech, Eliphaz had warned Job against ...
Understanding Series
Robert H. Mounce
... need for healing. Green (p. 104) quotes a similar saying attributed to Diogenes (a fourth century B.C. Cynic philosopher): “Neither does a physician who is capable of giving health practice among those who are well.” Jesus counsels the Pharisees to go and learn (a common rabbinic formula) what the Scripture means when it says that God desires mercy, not sacrifice. The quotation is from Hosea 6:6. Jesus’ ministry to the ceremonially unacceptable is an act of mercy, and this pleases God more than the ...
Understanding Series
Robert H. Mounce
... my servants Isaiah and Jeremiah” (2 Esdras 2:16, 18; cf. 2 Macc. 15:14f.). Through Malachi, God promises, “I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (4:5). From Matthew 11:14 and 17:10–13 we learn that John the Baptist was interpreted as Elijah returned from the dead. Elijah was in many ways the greatest of the prophets, and Jeremiah was often listed first among the latter prophets in the Jewish Bible. 16:15–16 But Jesus’ primary concern was who his ...
Understanding Series
William Nelson
... of the men who wanted to “make a name for” themselves by building the tower of Babel, which would reach “to the heavens” (Gen. 11:4). But God gives kingdoms to the “lowliest of men” (Dan. 4:17), so Nebuchadnezzar will be driven out until he learns to acknowledge God’s sovereignty (Dan. 4:25, 32). As the final verse of the chapter says, “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (4:37). The indictment of pride continues in chapter 5. Belshazzar is rebuked for not humbling himself (5:22 ...
86. Life Through the Son
John 5:16-30, John 5:1-15
Understanding Series
J. Ramsey Michaels
... doing (v. 19). But Jesus is not backing down, for his words reiterate the claim of verse 17 that the works he performs are the very works of God (v. 19). His language is like that of a parable; he is like a son apprenticed to a human father, learning by example and imitation (v. 20). His authority is absolute, not in spite of the fact that he does nothing by himself, but because of it. His authority is a derived authority. In all that he does he is subject to his Father and totally dependent on his Father ...
87. Faith or Observance of the Law
Galatians 3:1-14, Galatians 3:15-25
Understanding Series
L. Ann Jervis
... 1.141–142 [Colson and Whitaker, LCL]). In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs an angel is spoken of positively as being the mediator between God and humanity for the peace of Israel (Testament of Dan 6:2). Josephus has Herod say “we have learned the noblest of our doctrines and the holiest of our laws from the messengers [angels] sent by God” (Ant. 15:136 [Marcus, LCL]). 3:20 Paul’s statement that a mediator by definition cannot represent only one party works on the assumption that the mediator ...
88. Two Kinds of Wisdom
James 3:13-18, James 3:1-12
Understanding Series
Peter H. Davids
... His main point will be that the tongue, that is, human speech, is hopelessly evil. He begins with an analogy from nature: “All kinds of species are being tamed and have been tamed by humans.” He is not arguing scientifically: It would not bother him to learn that no one had yet tamed a rhinoceros or that in his day killer whales still lacked human contact; nor is James concerned about whether an animal is fully domesticated. It is enough for him that wild-cats and apes can be brought under human control ...
Understanding Series
John E. Hartley
... ). These place names recall the day when Esau, the hairy one (se’ir), sold his birthright for some red pottage (’adom; 25:30). Although Esau now lived far from central Canaan, Jacob feared that Esau was still so angry at him that on learning of Jacob’s return he would seek retaliation for the losses of the birthright and the patriarchal blessing. To mollify Esau, Jacob sent messengers ahead of him, instructing them to tell Esau about his sojourn with Laban and his wealth. In these instructions Jacob ...
Understanding Series
John Goldingay
... remnant surviving had become some sort of comfort instead of being a threat, verses 20–21 take the idea of a remnant returning and do something new with it that prevents it from being a false comfort. Survival is not enough. It is still necessary that people learn the lesson about false and true reliance (see 30:12; 31:1) or standing firm in faith (7:9; 28:16). Even more strangely, after this prediction there comes another warning of decimation to a remnant (v. 22). If one reads the book of Isaiah in the ...
91. Acts 17: 22-31
Acts 17:16-34
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... Paul addresses a completely different kind of audience, and the apostle adapts his message accordingly. Paul’s ambition to be “all things to all” ( 1 Corinthians 9:22) for the sake of the gospel takes concrete form as he now inhabits the persona of learned Roman citizen, not pious Jew, in order to speak to the sophisticated, pagan listeners gathered at the Areopagus in the great city of Athens. Where did the speech take place? The text does not make it absolutely clear. Perhaps it was in front of the ...
92. Luke 10:38-42
Luke 10:38-42
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... , he welcomes her place at his feet and calls her choice "the better part." Martha is concerned with looking after guests and extending her hospitality, but the food and drink and comfort she can offer is transitory. What Mary has chosen to focus on, learning the way of discipleship, is something which cannot "be taken away from her" (v.42). This would seem to be a fairly straight- forward reading of this text, but it does assume several points which are not clearly identifiable as facts. The truth is ...
93. Mark 12:28-34
Mark 12:28-34
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... were within reach. Jesus provides the scribe with an encapsulated version of the Law through a positive interpretation of Hillel the Elder's summary. "What you yourself hate, don't do to your neighbor: This is the whole law, the rest is commentary. Go and learn it." Jesus ties together two commands that he deemed essential by focusing on the one overwhelming principle that defines God: love. We are to "love the Lord your God" (v.30) in such a way that love permeates every fiber of our heart, soul, mind ...
94. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... . Paul could never have been accused of resting on his laurels. He was a dynamic, driving personality who was never content with what he had accomplished. Neither does Paul want anyone else to be called Christian who was not willing to continue growing and learning and developing in faith. Paul always wanted "more and more" (Thessalonians 4:1) from those who had already shown they had taken the gospel to heart. It seems reasonable to assume, then, that Paul's reference is not to some specific deficiency he ...
95. Mark 1:21-28
Mark 1:21-28
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... is a more direct revelation of who he is than what he says. Today’s gospel reading demonstrates that focus perfectly. While Jesus is described as teaching in the synagogue, Mark’s text fails to record a single word of that learned lecture. Instead Jesus’ authority, his authority over scripture and his authority over demonic spirits, is showcased by Mark in a dramatic exorcism scene. The text describes Jesus and his new disciples going to Capernaum, the primary location for Jesus’ Galilean ministry ...
96. Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Ephesians 4:17--5:21
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... the fields, by the sea, on remote mountaintop, and from the humble homes of his disciples. Jesus’ lifestyle just didn’t mesh with the cultural expectations befitting a revered rabbi. The brightest and most promising students didn’t seek him out to learn at his feet. Jesus strolled about the countryside, choosing those who became his “disciples,” his inner circle, from what looked to be random encounters with the most average of working guys. While Jesus was obviously a devout and observant Jew, he ...
97. Luke 6:20-31
Luke 6:17-26
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... comfort will find themselves on top in the new kingdom, so those currently enjoying empowerment and status must find themselves relocated to the bottom. The series of “woes” found in vv. 24-26 detail this subversive inversion. The rich become poor, the full learn of hunger, those smug will “mourn and weep” their losses. As for those whose names are esteemed and honored by the world, Jesus likens the praise they receive to that which had been heaped upon “the false prophets,” and their names have ...
98. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... happily pick far-away destinations for their first away-from-home schools or jobs. Parental power plays are much easier to disregard when they get delivered digitally instead of “in your face.” College students quickly learn that they can ignore their alarm clock and sleep through classes. But they also will learn the consequences of that behavior when they flunk out. “Ditching” work is as easy as it used to be to “ditch” PE class. But the result is getting fired and no paycheck at the end of ...
99. Mark 3:20-35
Mark 3:20-30
Sweet
King Duncan
... source (vv.222-28). Only after Jesus has responded to the scribes’ allegations does the narrative return to the drama between Jesus and his family (vv.30-35). This particular “sandwich” demonstrates the connection between the wrong attitudes held by both these groups. The learned scholars from Jerusalem, as well as those who have known Jesus all his life, both fail to see the presence of the Spirit and the working out of God’s will in the person and actions of Jesus. Greatness is walking by in front ...
100. Mark 12:28-34
Mark 12:28-34
Sweet
Leonard Sweet
... , he is open to and intrigued by Jesus. Favorably impressed by Jesus’ responses to the two previous groups, he merely asks him a question — the most fundamental mode of learning employed by Jewish scholars. This Scribe asks Jesus for his personal judgment upon which commandment is “first” among them all. As a Scribe, a learned scholar and designated interpreter of the Torah, this questioner certainly knew all the 613 commandments identified by Jewish tradition. He also knew that while all of those ...
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