by John Hartshorn | Apr 14, 2025 | Articles, Mentors Corner
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed as it is written, “HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER” (2 Corinthians 9:8,9). 10 “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for [your] obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:10-15). Note that I have created an arbitrary new paragraph at v.10. Verses 8 and 9 are often used as further substantiation that compliance to “every good deed” should then further the message that the realization of one’s financial dreams and aspirations are a simple matter of you “investing in God” by faith. This has been used as the justification for the dangerous, heretical doctrine of the “prosperity gospel”. This is the concept that God’s purpose for us is to temporally prosper us. ...
by John Hartshorn | Feb 19, 2021 | Articles, Mentors Corner
If you ask most anyone if they want to be “free” they might say, “Sure, who wouldn’t?” If you ask them what it means to be free, they would most likely say something to the effect of being unrestrained in being able to do what they want to do. That idea runs into difficulty when filtered through the Bible, which in turn raises some interesting questions regarding the presuppositions and predispositions of that view. There are a number of key verses/passages in the Bible that address what it means to be free, and how it is attained. We will focus on two, in close proximity, in the gospel of John. Those are: John 8:32 “and you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” John 8:36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” Let’s follow the time tested method of moving from information, to implication, then to application. In John 8:32, Jesus is making a direct, and very clear, connection. Truth makes you free. Said another way, you cannot disconnect being free from Truth. Both the Bible itself – “The sum of Your word is truth,” (Psalm 119:160) – and Jesus in the bible – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life ..” (John 14:6), declare themselves to be truth. Now we have an implication. When Jesus declares Himself to be truth in John 14:6, in very simple terms it means you cannot be “free” apart from Jesus, as the Apostle Paul notes in Romans 6:15-22. Let us now consider John 8:36, “So if the Son makes you...
by John Hartshorn | Aug 13, 2018 | Articles, Mentors Corner
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SEQUENCE One of the consistent themes of God through the whole of the Bible is “order”. That is “order” as in the noun used to note a specific sequence. That is clearly seen in Old Testament by noting “first” things. There are first born, first fruits, first day, first offspring, etc. The use of “first” carries into the New Testament as well with well known verses such as Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”. (NASB) Even a basic reading of the bible should confirm the idea that God is rather particular about the “order” in which His commands are observed. His instructions to the Israelites in regard to the sacrifices, and the specific order required when the movement of the cloud during the Exodus dictated the movement of the tabernacle (Numbers Chap. 2-4), are two OT examples. Let us consider a few often cited passages where the “order” is noteworthy: Romans 12:1-2 notes a sequence in the commands that one is to l)”present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice..” 2) “…not be conformed to this world..” 3) “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Luke 9:23 (also Matt. 10:38 and Mark 8:34) records Christ telling anyone who would be His follower to l) “deny himself’ 2) “take up his cross (daily)” 3) “follow me”. James 4:7-8 1) “Submit therefore to God” 2) “Resist the devil and he will flee from you 3) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” I find these mentioned interesting for the following...
by John Hartshorn | May 7, 2018 | Articles, Mentors Corner
In this final part of looking at the correlations and contrasts of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (as they are mentioned in several instances together in Proverbs), we will consider “understanding”. With respect to the prior discussion on wisdom, it is interesting to note that wisdom and understanding occur together in the same phrase over 25 times in Proverbs in the NAS (New American Standard) translation . Trying to develop a basic definition for understanding can be a challenge. Seemingly, all of the dictionary definitions develop around “comprehension”. A definition I encountered several years ago said “Understanding is the capacity to make experience intelligible by applying concepts and categories”. Although I do not believe it was intended as a biblical definition, it has some valuable applications for thinking biblically. In our discussion on wisdom a suggested definition for wisdom was “Doing things God’s way”. For our discussion I might propose a definition for “understanding” might be “Seeing things God’s way”. One of the noticeable aspects of “understanding” is the variation of its implications and applications in Scripture. The Hebrew word translated most often as “understanding” is the verb [biyn], or one of its derivatives. One Bible dictionary commenting on the OT usage suggests it means ” . to separate, to distinguish. It is perceptive insight with the ability to judge.” It occurs nearly 250 times in the each of the NAS, ESV (English Standard Version), and KJV (King James Version) translations of the OT In the NT their are two words most often translated “understanding”. One is [suniemi], or one of its derivatives — meaning “to gain insight to...
by John Hartshorn | Apr 9, 2018 | Articles, Mentors Corner
What Knowledge? Part 2 of 2 In the prior comments it was noted from Proverbs (Prov. 24:3) that Solomon related knowledge to wisdom and understanding. This session will intend to look more in depth into our understanding of the term wisdom, as we continue to try and identify our thinking in this area. In addition to a closer look at wisdom, there will also be an intent to consider the closing comment on the first session which suggested a fundamental difference in knowing and believing. That is, the former does not necessarily lead to a change in behavior, as does the latter. With that in view, it is hoped a distinction will be developed between acknowledgment/assent or agreement, and obedience. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary (OT) there are nine Hebrew words that can be used for “wisdom”. Primarily those words suggest technical skill — experience — shrewdness. In the NT version of that same resource there are two Greek words. The primary one is [sophia] — skill in the affairs of life, wise management as shown in forming the best plans and selecting the best means, including the idea of sound judgment. Much like knowledge, there is certainly value in having that type of wisdom. The challenge comes in taking our view of wisdom into the economy of God, especially in meeting the terms He defines as required for a right relationship with Him. As many are aware, a primary theme the apostle Paul addresses in his first letter to the church at Corinth is “the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God” (1 Cor. 3:19)....
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