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Ecclesiastes 5
[Bible]Ecclesiastes 5 opens with counsel to guard one's words in the house of God and to keep one's vows, goes on to speak of the vanity of loving wealth, and closes with the conclusion that enjoying the portion God gives is a gift.
Ecclesiastes 11
[Bible]Ecclesiastes 11 urges generous giving and diligent sowing in a life whose future cannot be known. It then tells the young to rejoice in their youth while remembering God's judgment.
Ecclesiastes 4
[Bible]Ecclesiastes 4 records the Preacher's reflections on the oppression and envy he has seen under the sun, on solitary toil, and on the fleeting nature of power, and teaches that two are better than one.
Micah
[Bible]The sixth book of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, containing the message of Micah, a prophet of Judah in the eighth century BC. It is known for its proclamation of judgment on social injustice, its promise of restoration, and its prophecy of a ruler who would come forth from Bethlehem.
Zechariah
[Bible]Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old Testament. This prophetic book encourages the people of Judah who had returned from the Babylonian exile to rebuild the Temple, and it prophesies concerning the Messiah and the restoration of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 11
[Bible]Matthew 11 records John the Baptist sending his disciples from prison to question Jesus, Jesus' testimony about John, His rebuke of the towns that did not repent, and His invitation to "all ye that labour and are heavy laden."
James 1:5–6
[Bible Verses]James 1:5–6 urges anyone who lacks wisdom to ask in faith, without doubting, of God, who gives generously. The passage is often cited in discussions of praying for discernment amid trials and of what it means to pray "nothing wavering."
Joppa
[Bible]Joppa was a port city on the Mediterranean coast. In the Old Testament it was the port through which timber for the Temple arrived and the place where Jonah boarded a ship; in the New Testament it was where Peter raised Tabitha from the dead and received the vision that opened the way for the mission to the Gentiles.
James 2:21–24
[Bible Verses]James 2:21–24 is a passage that cites Abraham's offering of Isaac to argue that a person is "justified by works, and not by faith only." Because it appears to conflict with Paul's teaching of justification by faith, it is frequently discussed in treatments of the relationship between faith and works.
James 2:1–4
[Bible Verses]James 2:1–4 is a passage instructing believers in Christ not to show partiality between the rich and the poor in their assembly. It is frequently cited as a warning against treating people differently in the church on the basis of wealth or status.
Levites
[Bible]The Levites were members of the Israelite tribe descended from Levi, the son of Jacob. Rather than receiving land as an inheritance, they were set apart for the work of the tabernacle and the temple. Among them, the descendants of Aaron became priests.
Jews
[Bible]The term "Jew" originally referred to a member of the tribe of Judah or of the southern kingdom of Judah. After the Babylonian exile it became a name for the people of Israel as a whole, and in the New Testament it frequently appears paired with "Gentile."
Numbers 3
[Bible]Numbers 3 records the genealogy of Aaron's sons and the tribe of Levi. It sets apart the Levites as those given to God in place of Israel's firstborn, assigns each Levite family its camp position and tabernacle duties, and then numbers both the Levites and the firstborn, requiring a redemption price for the difference.
Mark 9:50
[Bible Verses]Mark 9:50 records Jesus' charge to his disciples, given through the figure of salt, to live as disciples who have not lost their savor and to be at peace with one another. Because it concludes a teaching that began with a dispute over who was the greatest, the verse is often cited in discussions of peace within the Christian community.
James 4:2–3
[Bible Verses]A passage in James 4 that rebukes quarrels within the community as arising from selfish desire and gives two reasons why believers do not receive what they want: they do not ask, or they ask with wrong motives. It is frequently cited in discussions of answered prayer and the motives behind prayer.
James 4:11-12
[Bible Verses]A passage in the Epistle of James teaching that to speak evil of or judge a brother is to judge the law, and that God alone is lawgiver and judge. It is frequently cited as a warning against slander and condemnation, and discussion of it also addresses how such judgment differs from legitimate discernment and church discipline.
James 2:15-17
[Bible Verses]A passage in which James uses the example of a fellow believer who is poorly clothed and hungry, and who receives only kind words without having his needs met, to declare that "faith, if it hath not works, is dead." It is frequently cited to encourage almsgiving, and its relationship to Paul's teaching on justification by faith has long been debated.
Shunem
[Bible]Shunem was a town of the tribe of Issachar in the Jezreel Valley. It is known as the hometown of the Shunammite woman who hosted Elisha and of Abishag, who attended David.
Fig Tree
[Bible]The fig tree, together with the grapevine and the olive tree, is one of the fruit trees most characteristic of the land of Israel. In the Bible it symbolizes peace and abundance, and it frequently serves as a figure for the people of Israel.
Assarion
[Bible]The assarion was a small copper coin used in the Roman Empire during the New Testament era. It appears when Jesus cites the price of sparrows to speak of God's care (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6).