Article February 15, 1941 Issue

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in this column can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons. The Notes in this issue are related to the Lesson-Sermon designated to be read in Christian Science churches on February 23, 1941.]

"God . . . worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13) — More literally this passage reads: "God . . . works in you both the willing and the working to satisfy his good will." It may be noted that "worketh" and "to do" are renderings of the same Greek verb — "energein" (to effect, or work), the root of our word "energy." Goodspeed has: "It is God who in his good-will is at work in your hearts, inspiring your will and your action;" and Moffatt: "God ... in his goodwill enables you to will this and to achieve it."

"Harmless" (Phil. 2:15) — The Greek term "akeraios," which is thus translated, means literally "unmixed," and was constantly employed with special reference to gold or other metals which were not mixed with any base alloy; while the meaning of the word, in its metaphorical use, has been defined as "without admixture of evil, — free from guile; innocent; simple." In Philippians 2:15, Goodspeed has the rendering "honest." The Twentieth Century New Testament prefers: "innocent."

"The sons of without rebuke" (Phil. 2:15) — The word rendered "without rebuke" is "amoma," which means literally "blameless," but was often used in a secondary sense to mean "without blemish." Moffatt suggests: "faultless children of God;" while Weymouth has: "irreproachable children of God."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

Without the help of practitioners and my own application...