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When we look directly below the English word “firstborn” in this resource we find the word prōtotokos.įrom here we can use a Greek lexicon to formulate a working definition.
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This resource aligns the English translation with the corresponding Greek text. The easiest way to pinpoint the Greek word translated as “firstborn” is to use The ESV English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament. Take over 30% off the cover price- subscribe now!Īrticle courtesy of Bible Study Magazine published by Logos Bible Software. To learn more about the Inductive Bible Study Method, go to īible Study Magazine delivers tools and methods for Bible study, as well as insights from respected Bible teachers, professors, historians, and archaeologists. See the different ways “propitiation” is used by reading: Rom 3:25, Heb 2:17, 1 John 2:2 4:10. Jesus’ death brings us permanently back into right relationship with God-it is the eternal propitiation of our sins. In the ancient world, the sacrificial death of an animal brought people temporarily back into right relationship with their God-it was a temporary propitiation for their sins. Propitiation is the act that appeases God’s wrath and enables us to be brought back into right relationship with Him. Sin puts us out of right relationship with God, making us subject to his wrath. We all have sinned (done wrong) by God and other people.
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Likewise, we can run a search for the phrase “God is love,” or search for every time “God” and “love” occur together. To better understand the word love, we can do a word study using Bible software, but we must be sure that context determines how we apply the definitions in dictionaries and lexicons to the text. “Let us love one another” and “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” are clear enough to inform our interpretation of the rest of Scripture. Let the clear, repeated teaching of Scripture inform the obscure. It’s important not to take one difficult to understand verse and use it to define others. When figures of speech such as metaphors are used, they must be handled accordingly. When John says “let us love one another” (John 4:9 NASB) it’s pretty plain and easy to understand. Commentaries should be used to inform our interpretation, not define it. Take the Word of God at face value-in its natural, normal sense, letting the passage speak for itself.Įven though commentaries are very helpful, Scripture is our best commentary on Scripture because it can’t be “broken” (John 10:35). God spoke to us that we might know truth. If your interpretation has never been presented by a biblical scholar before, it’s likely that you’ve misinterpreted the text. This will help you to see if you’re on track or not. Research what other Bible students have understood about the passage by checking commentaries. When we expand the context to the Gospel of John, we see that John 3:16 (NASB) helps explain 1 John 4:10: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The propitiation for our sins was so that those who believe will have eternal life. Now turn to John’s other writings, such as the Gospel of John, to see what else he says about “God is love” or what he says about “God” and “love.” As you do, ask the five “W” questions and the one “H” question: who, what, when, where, why and how. To examine the broader context of 1 John 4:8, read 1 John chapter 4, then the entire book of 1 John. Now we see what “love” is, but we are still left with the question: How is “love” connected to the “propitiation for our sins?” Broader Context (Read these verses.) The immediate context of the passage also leads us to 1 John 4:10 (NASB): “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Let’s turn to 1 John 4:8 (NASB) and apply this principle: “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Immediate Contextįirst John 4:8 says “God is love.” The immediate context of this phrase includes verses 7–9. For the Bible, the broader context is the rest of the book we are interpreting, then other writings by the same author, followed by the New or Old Testament, and finally the whole Bible. What is context, and how do we determine it? Everything is said in an immediate context, the verses preceding and following. To do this, we need to remember that context rules. When interpreting the Bible, we must seek the author’s intended meaning, not our own, imposed on the text. The Bible often says exactly what it means, but that is not true all the time.