Edition 1 of the First Principals

Saturday, October 22nd

Edition 1 of the First Principals

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Teach (verb):

1. To impart knowledge or skill to.


2. To provide knowledge of; instruct in.


3. To condition to a certain action or frame of mind.


4. To cause to learn by example or experience.


5. To advocate or preach.

Rebuke (verb):

1. To criticize or reprove sharply; reprimand.


2. To check or repress.


3. Censure severely or angrily.

Correct (verb):

1. To remove the errors or mistakes from.


2. To indicate or mark the errors in.


3. To punish for the purpose of improving or reforming.


4. To remove, remedy, or counteract (a malfunction, for example).


5. To adjust so as to meet a required standard or condition.

Train (verb):

1. To coach in or accustom to a mode of behavior or performance.


2. To make proficient with specialized instruction and practice.


3. To prepare physically, as with a regimen.

The purpose of the bible looks clear. God wants me to become a specific person for him, to be like Jesus in every way. And based on the definitions, it is not an easy process. I have to be willing to see my errors. I have to commit to a regimen. I must be open to reprimand. It doesn’t sound all warm and fuzzy. It’s not a Burger King religion.

Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Living (adj.):

1. Possessing life.


2. In active function or use.


3. Of persons who are alive.


4. Relating to the routine conduct or maintenance of life.


5. Full of life, interest, or vitality/


6. True to life; realistic.

Active (adj.):

1. Being in physical motion.


2. Functioning or capable of functioning.


3. Marked by energetic activity; busy.


4. Involving or requiring physical exertion and energy.


5. Being in a state of action; not quiescent.


6. Erupting or liable to erupt; not dormant.

Soul (noun):

1. The spiritual nature of humans, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state.


2. The disembodied spirit of a dead human.

Spirit (noun):

1. The soul, considered as departing from the body of a person at death.

So the bible is possessing life and is not dormant. Some may call the bible boring, and in some parts (Leviticus, Numbers) I think it can be… but, the thing is how you read it. I remember in High School trying to read the bible front to back, and when I hit Leviticus, I stalled out and soon gave up. I find doing studies such as these to be more inspirational. Now the word can also separate soul and spirit. According to dictionary.com, they mean the same thing. I find that absolutely amazing, because so many people say they are different things, yet the dictionary doesn’t see it that way. Can you imagine something so sharp as to cut apart your soul and spirit, which we as people cannot grasp a total understanding of what the difference is between the two? The pain that must be… being cut is not a good feeling. It hurts.

John 8:31-32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Believe (verb):

1. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.


2. To have faith, confidence, or trust.


3. To have confidence in the truth or value of something.

Hold (verb):

1. To keep in the mind or convey as a judgment, conviction, or point of view.


2. To assert or affirm, especially formally.


3. To regard in a certain way.

To be a Christian, there has to be more than just belief. You have to hold to the teachings. The people Jesus was talking to already believed. They needed to do more than that. They needed conviction. They needed to be more assertive.