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Showing posts from September, 2026

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Browse at Your Own Pace

Begin wherever your curiosity leads. The studies will be here when you’re ready. When I shared my first Matthew study on Facebook today, I mentioned that I planned to post daily, though I might not share every post on Facebook. As I continue setting up this blog, I’ve realized that what matters most to me is making my past studies available for anyone who wants to explore them. For now, I’ll be adding posts to my heart’s content as I work through those studies. Some days that may mean one post; other days it may mean several. I’ll continue reading through and preparing each one before sharing it. There is no need to keep up with everything as it appears. This blog is becoming a place you can browse at your own pace—begin with a book, a question, or a study that interests you, and follow from there. The Bible Books page gathers studies by book, while Study Threads helps connect topics that travel through more than one book. The labels on individual posts also bring related material to...
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14. God’s Image: Bringing the Study Into the Life We Live

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As I bring this series to a close, I want to return to the understanding that began it. For me, being in God’s image concerns receiving the Spirit and living faithfully in that relationship. I connect that life with love and with following God’s commandments. These posts have given me room to explain the connections. They have also raised questions that deserve fuller studies of their own. What We Have Been Following We have considered Christ as the image of God, the distinction between treasure and vessel, spiritual life, renewal, and the dwelling within. We have also followed the responsibility that accompanies receiving. The inward relationship cannot be established simply through outward participation. A religious title cannot answer every question about the heart, and approval from others cannot take God’s place. These distinctions matter to me because I want to understand what the passages mean for the life I actually live. Love Must Remain Central 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 gives a s...
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13. God’s Image: Remaining in the Relationship

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Receiving the Spirit has been central to this study. So has the responsibility that follows. I want to bring those two concerns together before closing the series. What does it mean to continue faithfully in a relationship whose life comes from God? The Branch Does Not Supply Its Own Life In John 15:1–5 , Jesus identifies Himself as the vine and the Father as the husbandman. He describes the disciples as branches and tells them to abide in Him. The branch cannot bear fruit independently of the vine. For me, this helps explain why remaining faithful cannot mean becoming spiritually self-sufficient. The relationship continues to depend upon its source. Receiving does not make the gift something I now control apart from God. The Instruction to Remain Matters Jesus also describes what happens when someone does not abide. The warning belongs alongside the promise of fruitfulness. I want to hear both. A comforting statement should not cause me to overlook an accompanying responsibility. Nor ...
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12. God’s Image: Receiving What Comes From God

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In the previous post, I considered the difference between outward participation and the inward relationship. That brings me to a question beneath everything we have been examining: where does spiritual life come from? For me, being in God’s image begins with receiving the Spirit. It is not something I can create by adopting a title, joining a group, or repeating words without understanding what they mean. Born of the Spirit In John 3:3–8 , Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born anew. Nicodemus asks about another physical birth. Jesus distinguishes what is born of the flesh from what is born of the Spirit. That distinction is central to my understanding. I am examining a life received from God, rather than a status people can confer upon one another. Nicodemus already holds a recognized religious position. Yet he still asks how these things can happen. That detail reminds me that familiarity with religious language does not necessarily mean we understand the relationship being descr...
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11. God’s Image: The Relationship Within and the Life We Live

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As I continue this study, I want to pause on a distinction that can easily be overlooked: outward participation and inward spiritual life. A person may attend services, volunteer, send thoughtful cards, and help with what a religious community needs. Those actions can express genuine care. But what happens beyond those activities? For me, being in God’s image concerns a relationship that reaches the whole life. What we profess must also reach how we speak, how we treat others, and what we do when no one is watching. Inwardly, of the Heart In Romans 2:28–29 , Paul distinguishes what is outward from what is inward: “but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” The final words matter: “not of men, but of God.” Another person’s approval cannot create the inward relationship being described. Paul’s surrounding questions also concern conduct. Someone may teach against stealing while steal...
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10. God’s Image: Receiving the Gift and Continuing in the Relationship

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As I consider the conduct described in the previous post, a familiar statement comes to mind: “It is not about works.” But what do we mean by that? My understanding makes a distinction between receiving the Spirit and how someone lives afterward. Our works do not purchase the Spirit. The gift comes from God. Yet receiving that gift does not remove the responsibility to remain faithful. For me, the relationship must be lived. How Was the Spirit Received? In Galatians 3:2 , Paul asks: “Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” His question directs attention to the source of what they received. Then he asks whether, having begun in the Spirit, they are now being perfected in the flesh. I want to keep both questions together. I cannot claim to receive life from God and then treat its continuation as something I accomplish independently of the Spirit. In my understanding, remaining faithful means continuing to receive guidance, accept correction, and respo...
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9. God’s Image: Being Renewed and Putting On Love

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In the previous post, I followed the connection between a new heart, the Spirit, and the life that becomes visible through our actions. That brings me to a passage where Paul speaks directly about renewal and image. As I read it, I want to keep the surrounding instructions visible. The discussion does not remain at the level of what someone knows or what someone calls themselves. It reaches into how people speak, respond, and treat one another. Being Renewed In Colossians 3:9–10 , Paul writes: “lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him.” The words “being renewed” catch my attention. Putting off the old man includes his doings. The discussion concerns a change that reaches into conduct. For my study, this connects with the understanding I have been following: receiving spiritual life carries responsibility. I cannot separate being in God’s ima...
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8. God’s Image: A New Heart and the Work of the Spirit

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As I continue examining God’s image, I want to return to the heart. Knowing the words of Scripture and receiving the life those words describe are questions that belong together. I can become familiar with a passage while still needing to examine what is taking place within me. Who brings about the change? And how does that change affect the way I live? God Gives the New Heart In Ezekiel 36:22–27 , YHWH (יהוה) addresses the house of Israel concerning His name, their conduct, and the cleansing He will bring. He promises to remove the stony heart and give a heart of flesh. Then He says: “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.” —Ezekiel 36:27, ASV The source of the change remains visible: God cleanses, gives, and places the Spirit within. The passage also connects that inward work with conduct. Receiving the Spirit and walking according to God’s instruction appear together. That connection is central to my...
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7. God’s Image: Continuing in the Life Received

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In the previous post, I followed the distinction between Zion and the children she brings forth. That brings another question into view: what follows the receiving of life? In my understanding, receiving the Spirit and continuing in faithfulness belong together. Birth begins a relationship that must be lived. Childbearing and Continuing 1 Timothy 2:13–15 places Adam, Eve, transgression, and childbearing within the same discussion. The closing verse reads: “but she shall be saved through her child-bearing, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.” —1 Timothy 2:15, ASV The wording moves from “she” to “they.” That change deserves attention. The verse does not separately name the children as the subject of “they,” so their identity remains a question to examine in context. Nevertheless, the connection with our study is worth following: childbearing appears alongside salvation and continuing in faith, love, and holiness. The passage does not stop at the bringing...
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6. God’s Image: Zion and the Children Who Follow

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As I continue tracing progression, Zion’s motherhood brings another important distinction into view. The mother and her children belong in the same relationship, but they do not occupy the same role. In my wider study, this matters to understanding the woman, those who follow, and how spiritual life extends to many. The Mother and Her Children Isaiah 54:1–3 addresses a barren woman who will have many children. She is told to enlarge her dwelling because her offspring will spread. The woman is addressed concerning those who come from her. I want to preserve that relationship as I compare her with the Bride and the gathering that follows. Later, the chapter says: “And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” —Isaiah 54:13, ASV The children receive teaching from YHWH (יהוה). Their relationship with the mother does not remove God as the source. Paying Attention to the Birth Isaiah 66:7–9 gives details that should not be rushed past. Vers...
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5. God’s Image: The Last Adam and the Heavenly Image

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As I continue examining God’s image, I come to a passage that brings image and progression into the same discussion. In 1 Corinthians 15:45–49 , Paul distinguishes the first Adam from the Last Adam, the natural from the spiritual, and the earthly from the heavenly. Those distinctions deserve attention before we combine them. Receiving Life and Giving Life Paul writes: “The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” —1 Corinthians 15:45, ASV The descriptions differ: a living soul and a life-giving spirit. In my study, that difference raises an important question about the source of spiritual life and those who receive it. I want to follow the relationship without making the receiver the independent source. This connects with our examination of the treasure and the vessel. The Order Matters Paul continues by placing the natural first and the spiritual afterward. He then distinguishes the earthly man from the heavenly and those associated with each. E...
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4. God’s Image: The Word Received and the Life That Follows

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As I follow the connection between Christ’s presence and receiving the Spirit, another question becomes important: what is being communicated, and where does it come from? In John 14–16, Jesus repeatedly draws attention to the source of His words. Hearing, receiving, and living according to those words belong together. The Father as the Source In John 14:10, 24 , Jesus explains that He does not speak from Himself. He identifies the word being heard as belonging to the Father who sent Him. I want to keep that relationship visible. Jesus speaks, while directing attention to the Father as the source. Representing the Father does not make the distinction between the One sending and the One sent unimportant. This matters throughout my study of God’s image. I am examining how God is made known through the one representing Him. Teaching and Remembrance In John 14:26, Jesus says the Father will send the Holy Spirit in His name. The Spirit will teach and bring to remembrance what Jesus has said...
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3. God’s Image: Christ’s Presence and the Progression Still Unfolding

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As I continue this study, I want to distinguish Christ’s presence through the Spirit from the events Scripture describes concerning His coming and gathering. These belong together in my understanding, but their relationship requires attention to progression. Receiving does not mean every stage has been completed. Waiting does not mean there is no relationship already being lived. Receiving While Still Waiting 1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 places these details together. Paul describes people who received the word with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Yet he also describes them as waiting for God’s Son from heaven. They have received, and they are waiting. That distinction matters to my study. I understand Christ’s presence through the Spirit as a living relationship. I do not understand that relationship to mean every promise concerning His manifestation and gathering has already been fulfilled. An Encounter With the Risen Jesus In Acts 9:3–17 , Jesus addresses Saul, who asks who is speaking. Jesu...
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2. God’s Image: The Treasure and the Vessel

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As I examine what it means to be in God’s image, I want to keep an important distinction visible: what is received and the person who receives it. My understanding concerns Christ’s presence through the Spirit and the life that follows. To explain that connection, I want to stay with Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians. Beginning With Christ In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6 , Paul identifies Christ as the image of God. He then speaks of God shining in their hearts, bringing the light of the knowledge of God’s Glory in the face of Jesus Christ. The heart belongs in this discussion. Paul is describing something God brings about within. That directs my attention beyond outward appearance or a claim of religious belonging. The Treasure and What Carries It Paul continues: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.” —2 Corinthians 4:7, ASV The treasure and the vessel remain distinguishable. The vessel carries something whos...
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1. God’s Image: Receiving the Spirit and Living the Relationship

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After examining the particular roles and relationships in One Versus Many , I want to turn toward a closely connected question: what does it mean to be in God’s image? For me, this concerns receiving the Spirit and living the relationship that follows. I understand being born again in connection with receiving the Spirit, and I do not separate that spiritual life from love, obedience, and responsibility. But before examining what it means to bear the image, I want to begin with the One that Scripture explicitly identifies as God’s image. Beginning With Christ In Colossians 1:13–15 , Paul speaks of the Son and describes Him as “the image of the invisible God.” Second Corinthians 4:4 likewise identifies Christ as God’s image. These statements give me a starting point. I want to follow what Scripture reveals about Jesus, His relationship with the Father, and the life that comes through Him. The relationship matters. The image and the One whose image is revealed must both remain visible a...
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A Small Change in How I Write God’s Name

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Going forward, I will use YHWH (יהוה) in place of Jehovah in my own writing where the divine name belongs. I know some readers are comfortable with Jehovah, while others prefer Yahweh. By using YHWH—the four letters representing the Hebrew divine name, יהוה—I hope to keep a difference over its rendering from becoming a barrier to considering the studies themselves. My reverence for God has not changed. Neither has the importance I place on His name. For me, the deeper concern is how that name is carried in our lives . Saying a name with care matters, but so does the way we represent the One whose name we use: through our words, our actions, our treatment of others, and our willingness to follow His guidance. That is something I want to explore further when we study the Ten Commandments, including the command concerning taking God’s name in vain. I know God as my Father, and I will sometimes speak of Him that way. I also recognize that not every reader shares that sense of relationshi...
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28. One Versus Many: The Relationships I Want to Keep Visible

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As I close this first part of the study, I return to the question that brought these passages together: what distinguishes the Bride’s particular role from the many connected with her? My understanding follows the woman joined to Christ, with the wider gathering remaining important in its own right. I wanted to share the details that led me to that distinction, allowing readers to examine the passages and follow the connections with me. What Drew My Attention It was often a small detail that caused me to pause. A mother is described in relation to her children. A Bride is distinguished from those invited. A messenger gives testimony for the churches. The Bride speaks, and others are invited to respond. Each relationship gives me something specific to examine. Who is being described? What are they doing? Who follows, receives, or belongs in relationship to them? Those questions have helped me avoid moving so quickly toward an overall explanation that the details lose their place. The Pa...
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27. One Versus Many: One Spirit Dwelling Within Many

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Before closing this series, I want to explain more clearly what I mean by the city comparison. In my understanding, one spirit can dwell within many members without becoming identical to the collection of those members. The many share in that indwelling, but receiving does not erase the identity of what is received. The Spirit and Those Receiving In Romans 8:9–11 , Paul describes the Spirit dwelling within those he addresses. The passage also speaks of belonging to Christ and of Christ being in them. This brings my attention to the relationship between the spirit and those receiving its presence. The number of recipients does not mean that the spirit becomes a separate possession belonging to each person. In my understanding, the spirit retains its identity while dwelling within many. How I Am Using the City Comparison This is the thought behind my comparison: one spirit dwelling within many members can be represented as a connected city. Within that understanding, the city expresses t...
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26. One Versus Many: Keeping the Particular Role Visible

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As this study approaches its close, I want to return to the distinction that has guided it: being connected does not make every participant interchangeable. My understanding follows the Bride’s particular relationship to Christ and the many connected with that relationship. I want to preserve both without allowing one to disappear into the other. Following the Relationships Throughout the study, I have paused over the mother and her children, the Bride and those invited, the speaker and those who hear. These descriptions give us relationships to examine. They direct our attention to who is acting, who is receiving, and how they are connected. A shared purpose does not, by itself, establish an identical role. Neither does belonging within a larger gathering explain every participant’s particular place. That is why I keep returning to the details rather than allowing a general label to settle the passage before those relationships have been considered. What Does the Description Represent...
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25. One Versus Many: Bringing the Distinctions Together

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As these passages come together, I want to pause over the question that has guided this study: how is the woman described in relation to the many? My understanding follows a particular Bride joined to Christ, with others connected to that relationship. I have been examining the details that led me there, so readers can follow the reasoning rather than simply receive a conclusion. A Mother and Her Children In Galatians 4:26–31 , Paul speaks of Jerusalem above as our mother and places himself among the children of the free woman. That relationship is central to my comparison. The mother and her children belong together, but Paul gives them distinguishable places within the description. When I connect this with Zion’s motherhood, I want to preserve the woman’s role in relation to those brought forth. A Speaker and Those Who Hear In Revelation 22:16–17 , I follow the connection between the messenger’s testimony for the churches and the Bride speaking alongside the Spirit. My reading connec...
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24. One Versus Many: The Bride, the City, and Those Who Come

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Following Zion’s relationship to her children brings me to another description that deserves close attention: the Bride shown as the holy city. Here, I want to keep both the identity presented and the relationships surrounding her visible. The city matters, but so do those who come to her. What John Is Shown In Revelation 21:9–14 , the angel tells John that he will show him the Bride, the Lamb’s wife. John is then shown Jerusalem descending from God. The vision directly connects the Bride with the holy city. Its details also include others: the gates bear the names of Israel’s twelve tribes, and the foundations bear the names of the Lamb’s twelve apostles. Those features belong to the description and need to remain part of its examination. Later, verses 23–27 describe God’s Glory illuminating the city, the Lamb as its lamp, nations walking by its light, and kings bringing their honor into it. The vision presents relationships between the city, its light, and those who approach and ente...
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23. One Versus Many: Zion Gives Birth—The Mother and Her Children

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One detail I do not want lost in this study is Zion’s role in bringing forth children. My attention has followed the woman in relationship to others: the Bride and those invited, the speaker and those who hear, the mother and her children. These descriptions bring me back to the same question: how do we preserve the woman’s particular role while understanding the many connected with her? Zion’s motherhood is important to that examination. Paying Attention to the Birth In Isaiah 66:7–9 , the wording deserves a careful pause. Verse 7 describes a male child delivered before labor pains. Verse 8 then speaks of Zion giving birth to her sons as soon as she is in labor. God’s question in verse 9 emphasizes His power to bring the birth to completion. I want to retain those details: the male child, the sons, and the different descriptions involving labor. How they relate requires examination; they should not disappear into a general statement that a birth occurs. For this part of my study, one ...
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22. One Versus Many: Intercession and Those for Whom It Is Given

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As I continue examining the Bride’s relationship to Christ and the many, another detail comes into view: Romans 8 speaks of intercession in two places. I had noticed this connection during my studies, and it returned to mind as I considered the Spirit and the Bride. Before drawing the comparison further, I want to keep the descriptions themselves visible. Two Descriptions of Intercession In Romans 8:26–27 , the Spirit helps in weakness and intercedes when we do not know how to pray as we should. The intercession concerns the saints and accords with God’s will. Then, in Romans 8:34 , Paul describes Christ Jesus as having died and been raised, being at God’s right hand, and interceding for us. The Spirit intercedes. Christ intercedes. Others receive the benefit of that intercession. I want to notice both descriptions without losing those for whom the work is being done. What I Have Been Comparing In my earlier summary on  MLCD , I described the connection I was following: Christ inte...
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21. One Versus Many: Wisdom Calls, and Others Hear

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As I follow the invitation spoken by the Spirit and the Bride, another connection comes into view: Wisdom calling at the gates. My attention remains on relationship. Who calls? Who listens? What is offered, and how do others respond? These details help me examine the particular role of the woman without immediately identifying her with everyone who receives her words. The Messenger, the Bride, and the Churches Before following the comparison with Wisdom, I want to look more closely at the relationship in Revelation 22:16–17 . Jesus identifies the messenger sent to give testimony for the churches. In the next verse, the Spirit and the Bride speak. What caught my attention was the continuity of the speaking role. A messenger communicates what has been entrusted to them. Here, the messenger bears testimony; then the Bride is named alongside the Spirit, participating in the invitation. I understand these descriptions as connected: the messenger’s work is introduced, and the Bride’s relatio...
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