Article April 9, 1938 Issue

Bible Notes

"Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3)—Literally the references is to "every spiritual blessing," and the word "places" has been supplied by the translators in an effort to complete the sense. Some authorities prefer to render: "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing along with the celestials in Christ;" taking the word "heavenly" as implying "heavenly persons" rather than "heavenly places"; while the margin of the Authorized Version suggests "in heavenly things." Goodspeed translates: "who through Christ has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm."

"Trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1)—It may be observed that the Greek word rendered "trespasses" means literally "lapses or deviations from truth and uprightness" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 485).

"Repent ye" (Matt. 3:2)—It may be noted that the literal and primary meaning of the Greek word "metanoein" is "to change one's mind." From this arose the sense of "to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past misdeeds" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 404). It may be added that "repentance," mentioned in verse 11, comes from the same root, and means literally "change of mind."

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