“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first” (2 Peter 2:20 ESV). Peter warns of those who, after escaping the corruption of the
“And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things” (2 Peter 1:15 ESV). Near the end of his life, the apostle Peter writes with deep pastoral urgency, determined to ensure that believers would remember the truths he had taught even after his
“The king answered and said to Daniel, ‘Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery” (Daniel 2:47 ESV). Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a troubling dream revealing the future of earthly kingdoms. Recognizing its importance yet unable to
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21 ESV). In this verse, Peter drew a comparison between baptism and Noah’s flood. Just as Noah and his family
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV). Peter wrote to believers facing suffering, reminding them that Christ’s own suffering on the cross secured both their salvation and the power to live faithfully. Jesus bore our sins in
“Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23 ESV). Peter reminded his readers that their spiritual rebirth came not through human means, but through the divine Word of God. Our first birth originated from perishable human flesh and therefore
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully” (1 Peter 1:10 ESV). Peter reminded his readers that our salvation did not originate in the New Testament era, but was long anticipated by the prophets of old. They prophesied about the grace that would one
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 ESV). Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is located near the center of Scripture. It is an acrostic poem using all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with each stanza beginning with a
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10 ESV). James instructed believers to humble themselves before the Lord with the assurance that God would lift them up. Humility was not merely an attitude but an intentional posture of submission to God. The corollary was seen in the broader context, for James
“But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8 ESV). James used very strong language to describe the destructive potential of the human tongue. He compared it to a small rudder that steered a great ship and a spark that set a forest ablaze. He