The final installment of my musings on NT 3:16s

Here we are again, and I'm ready to write this time. Besides my unending boredom, I desire to finish this project. However, I am also sad to see that it is almost over. Oh well, here goes...

2 Timothy 3:16

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."

This verse speaks two different messages. The first is that all Scripture is inspired by God and everything in the Bible is God's Word. Basically, it has authority over all other writings because it is the Word of God.

Secondly, all Scripture is useful. Therefore, as Christians, we must strive to increase our knowledge of The Bible so that we may teach the gospel, rebuke sin, correct said sin with godly behavior, and to train ourselves in righteousness. Hence I decided to undertake a project where I increased my own scriptural knowledge.

Hebrews 3:16-19

"Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief."

This group of verses shows that humans, by nature, sin against God and want to refuse His gifts. Considering whom Paul is writing to, it is obvious why he brings up the parallel of the Promised Land and the wandering of the Israelites. But really what Paul is alluding to is that no man may enter the kingdom of Heaven a sinner. (see Matthew 7:21-23) Only through Jesus Christ is our sin forgiven, and thus this passage is vital.


1 Peter 3:15-16

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

Probably my favorite set of verses written by Peter. All Christians must understand their faith and be able to meet challenges set by nonbelievers and those who work against Christ. For example, I have seen many videos on YouTube attempting to "disprove" God and Jesus. Even I, with my limited Scriptural knowledge, can refute their claims. However, the purpose of this is not to prove them wrong, but to get them to seek Christ as their own Savior. If you attack them, then really you aren't much better than they are. The wrath that you might feel in regards to their blasphemes against Our Lord is still sinful, and will do nothing to help them. Honestly, it is hard for me to not get angry when I argue about ANYTHING, let alone something so important. Therefore, I ought to pray for guidance and help in this matter.

2 Peter 3:16

"He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."

Peter is talking about Paul here, if you didn't know. But the main point of this verse is that people will "interpret" Scripture to suit their own means. This is bad. It leads to your destruction. People have been distorting Scripture since the days of the early church, and it seems to get worse and worse every day. Note that this leads "to their own destruction." Do not fall pray to this trap.

1 John 3:16

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

This verse embodies the Christian view of love. Self-sacrificing love that transcends humanity and is purely God-like. Also known as Agape. Yay!

Revelation 3:15-16

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

What a way to end this series! Jesus, speaking here in John's dream, expresses that we must be "hot." He means that our faith should burn in us like the Holy Spirit, emanating from every fiber of our body and soul, thereby showing itself to all, and glorifying God in the process.

Basically, the 3:16 verses in the New Testament are full of win. Now I need some more verses to write about, so if you have any suggestions...

The 3:16s (part 2)

I don't expect to get this done right now, but I think I will post about three more books or so. Without further ado...

Philippians 3:14-16

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Paul is saying here that he seeks to live out his life in a Godlike manner. How else are we supposed to "live up to what we have already attained?" (Obviously salvation). While salvation is through faith, faith without works is meaningless. James 2:26 - "As the body without spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." While works alone are not enough to enter heaven, faith without works is impossible. Note that "all who are mature should take such a view." Naturally, the converse is also true. You must take reach a view to have reached maturity in your faith. Also, God makes all points of His plan clear as necessary.

This is a very amazing set of verses that I'm actually pretty upset that I've never read before.


Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Christians should congregate in churches, that they might encourage one another and keep each other true to Christ. Pretty obvious, but very important nonetheless.


(First Thessalonians has no 3:16. Second Thessalonians' 3:16 is just a farewell message to Paul's audience.)



1 Timothy 3:16

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

This verse explains the life of Jesus as conciscely as possible. It is good to reflect upon the First Coming of Christ, particularly as we approach the date of His birth, as we anticipate the Second Coming. Jesus, the embodiement of the Word of God (John 1:14), should have each facet of his life, as depicted in this verse in 1 Timothy, celebrated by all Christians all the time, but this time of the year is most important.


Until next time, where the reason I started posting these becomes clear, and my favorite verse written by Peter. Part three should (hopefully) conclude this series. Also, if I don't get on any more, Merry Christmas!

The 3:16s

Every "3:16" verse in the New Testament, and what it says to me. I will be using the NIV for my purposes here. 3:16 will always be included, but other verses will be used as necessary.

Matthew 3:16-17:

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

These verses are cool for many reasons. First, God appears in all three of His "forms," Father, Son, and Spirit. I don't think this happens anywhere else, so baptism is obviously important. Also, Jesus came "up out of the water." The prepositions imply that total immersion is necessary to have a real baptism. If Jesus was baptized in such a way, surely we all must follow. Good stuff.

Mark 3:16-19

"These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."

A list of the twelve disciples. Good information, but probably the least useful verse of those that I am posting. Not a bad list to know, though.

Luke 3:16

"John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

The fire of the Holy Spirit burns in all saved Christians, ignited by the salvation that Jesus Christ offers, and symbolized by baptism in his name after being graced with said salvation. The Holy Spirit allows us to evangelize and to do good works. Wonderful.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Everyone knows this one. It is worth note that this verse was spoken by Jesus himself to Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin and a leading Pharisee. Jesus is here both literally telling Nicodemus that salvation and entrance into heaven only comes through the Son, but that traditions of man (which the Pharisees were very well known for: they took Levitican and Deuteronimian law very very very literally) are not enough. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. These verses, in conjunction, basically define the basis of Chrsitianity.

Acts 3:16

"By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."

This verse is referring to Peter's healing of a cripple earlier in Chapter 3. It shows that all power that man has to do good comes from faith in Christ. All of the miracles done by the apostles were done only through the power of Christ, and thus it is the same with us.

Romans 3:10-18

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know." "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Oh. My. Goodness! These verses are a stunning, painful indictment of the sinful nature of mankind! No one seeks God; He brings us to Him. We cannot by our own volition follow His Word; it is by grace. We are natural sinners, but we are able to strive towards righteousness through the power of God alone. It is by His mercy that we are offered salvation, despite our natures.

1 Corinthians 3:16

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

Take care of your body, because God lives in it. Do not desecrate it or engage in sin, because you are defiling a temple of God. This is a serious commandment.

2 Corinthians 3:13-16

"We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains as the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is lifted away."

New Testament grace is superior to Old Testament law in many respects, this being paramount among them. We are not truly able to see God's plan simply via the old method. Only though Chirst may our blindness be taken away, and allow us to follow a path that brings glory to God; our sole purpose.

Galatians 3:16

"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ."

This one is very difficult for me to uncover, but I am pretty sure that it means that we all will reap the rewards promised to Abraham's descendents, because we are all one through Christ. (Galatians 3:28)

Ephesians 3:14-19

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Paul is saying that all knowledge, power, everything, comes from God (which seems to be a prominent theme in my responses to these verses, but it is true: EVERYTHING is from God!) The Holy Spirit allows us to live in a Christ-like manner, which we should strive to do. Agape cannot be understood without God.



(I have been writing for quite a while now and am becoming weary. It might have something to do with writing for an hour and a half. I will finish this later, but I want to know what everyone thinks about this so far.)

A-Behr

Meet record time.

1:53.95- 200 free
5:29- 500 free

I should get those easily. The problem comes from having no one to race and the fact that is really hard to make myself go fast when I can win handily without trying. I am seeded first in the 200 by 9 seconds and the 500 by 20. Note that my seed times aren't even my fastest times. This is upsetting.

Pool record time.

1:32 - 200 free relay
3:22 - 400 free relay
Mine and August's splits will be sufficiently fast, easily. Troy should be right there, too. (We have to average 22-high and 50.5 if you don't want to do that maths) Eric needs to step up in the 200 and Karl in the 400. Their performance will define our post-season.

I love swimming, but all this time stuff makes me feel like Christian McGory.

Why is this song so good?

Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in south detroit
He took the midnight train goin anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill,
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin anything to roll the dice,
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people, living just to find emotion
Hiding, somewhere in the night

Dont stop believin
Hold on to the feelin
Streetlight people

New rule:

No girls for Matt. Ever. Not that that will be hard to pull off. It has worked for nearly eighteen years.

Too... many... essays...

Applying for college is terrible. I wish I could just throw some test scores at these people and say "let me in, please." But NO. I have to write 7 essays tomorrow ranging from "What drew you to this school?" to "What would you make out of a stone block and a chisel?"

Now I know why I procrastinated.

I had some Jo Wok today.

General Tao chicken. I only started liking it because someone left it in my locker once. =) I hope she still isn't mad that I ate half of her dinner haha.

But I felt like sharing my fortune cookies.

First one: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

So, either I am going to be President, a biochemist, a missionary, or a pastor. Those are probably the only careers where I can make the difference I wish to see.

I will get to the second one later; instead, I will post mine from lunch on Thursday (I don't exactly remember what it said, but...)

"Your principles are more important to you than money."

This one also hit close to home with me. I can't exactly explain everything that this made me think about, but it involved everything from what college I go to, what career I enter into, and what choices I make in my daily life, to what I eat for breakfast. For a fortune cookie, it really made me examine my life. Ask anyone I was sitting with; I read that fortune for a good ten minutes.

Finally, tonight's second cookie:

"To let another into your heart, first let yourself in."

Jesus is in my heart; I know this. But am I personally in my heart? I don't know. Praying to God about... stuff... recently, and I get so many applicable fortune cookies. Seems like the most blatant way to give me a sign, I guess. I could also talk about my recent readings in 1st Timothy, but that will be for another time.

Some risks aren't worth taking. It was better before. Alas, the point of no return has been passed, and it will never be the same. Hence I will be sad for the rest of my life.

No, it is God's will that this event should have taken place. I will delight myself in the Lord, so that He may give me the desires of my heart. (Psalm 37:4)


...but that was the desire of my heart.

Rick Astley, how relevant are your lyrics?

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Very relevant.

I love my best friend

Nothing more needs to be said than this, for it is completely true.