Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®
Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced
Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. . . . For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Bringing his letter to a conclusion, the writer lays out the invisible mental forces to be guarded against. Readers have already been assured of “the exceeding greatness of [God’s] power to us-ward who believe”—and of the authority given to Christ Jesus, setting him “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion” (see 1:19–21).
A commentary observes that the charge to be strong in God is not about human effort: “. . . this empowerment is possible because of the resources that the Lord supplies—in his mighty power.”
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Resources quoted in this issue
GT: Patzia, Arthur G. New International Biblical Commentary—Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990.
RR: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 4, Ezra, Nehemiah, Introduction to Prophetic Literature, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Lamentations. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015; Alter, Robert. The Hebrew Bible, Vol. 2, Prophets: A Translation with Commentary. New York and London. W.W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Cit. 13: Mays, James L., Joseph Blenkinsopp, et al., eds. Harper’s Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.
Cit. 14: Eiselen, Frederick Carl, Edwin Lewis, and David G. Downey, eds. The Abingdon Bible Commentary. New York: Abingdon Press, 1929.
Cit. 16: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 8, Luke, John. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.
COPYRIGHT
Scriptural quotations marked GOD’S WORD Translation are taken from GOD’S WORD®, copyright © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of God’s Word Mission Society.
Scriptural quotations marked International Children’s Bible are taken from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Common English Bible are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright © 2011 by the Common English Bible. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scriptural quotations marked New Century Version are taken from the New Century Version®, copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scriptural quotations marked Amplified® Bible are taken from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
© 2021 The Christian Science Publishing Society. The design of the Cross and Crown is a trademark owned by the Christian Science Board of Directors and is used by permission. Bible Lens and Christian Science Quarterly are trademarks owned by The Christian Science Publishing Society. Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptural quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
