africa study bible

A F RI C A

STUDY

BIBLE™

Sampler

UNCORRECTED PROOF

Africa Study Bible

Please visit our web page, africastudybible.com, to learn more and contribute to the Africa Study Bible project.

Oasis International Limited is Satisfying Africa’s irst for God’s Word. Learn more at oasisint.net.

ASB Cross and Africa Study Bible are trademarks of Oasis International Limited.

Produced with the assistance of Livingstone, the Publishing Division of Barton-Veerman Company.

Introductory artwork graciously provided by Tim Botts: timbotts.com.

Selections from the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series are substantially edited for this

Used by permission of InterVarsity Press. Learn more at ivpress.com.

Reections by Athanasius on each of the psalms are adapted by Larry Stone from a letter to Marcellinus

by Lawrence M. Stone and used by permission.

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rights reserved.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the Africa Study Bible ..............................................5

Articles and Learn Notes Index ...................................................13

Partners, Contributors, and Editors ..........................................16

You Can Trust the Notes in this Bible ....................................... 25

Using the Africa Study Bible .......................................................27

History and Vision of the Africa Study Bible ............................ 30

Introduction to the New Living Translation ............................ 33

A Note of anks ......................................................................... 43

e Story of the Bible .................................................................. 44

Understanding and Applying the Old Testament Today.........47

Hosea

.................................................................................................51

Marriage .......................................................................................... 68

James .................................................................................................73

Children at Risk .............................................................................. 84

Leadership in Africa ....................................................................... 87

A History of Christianity in Africa ................................................ 90

A Narrative Timeline of God’s Work in Africa ..............................93

A FRIC A

STUDY

BIBLE™

Introduction to

the

GOD’S WORD THROUGH AFRICAN EYES

e Africa Study Bible is a pacesetter in using the African experience for understanding the Bible.

I recommend it highly to those who have sought to understand life and the world from an African

perspective.

Dr. Mvume Dandala, former presiding bishop of the Methodist Church of

Southern Africa and former head of the All Africa Conference of Churches

e Africa Study Bible is a welcome blessing to the body of Christ in Africa, which is becoming a

center piece for divine visitation. e most dicult concepts, names, periods, and situations that

African readers grapple with, have been greatly simplied by making them relevant to our un-

derstanding and context. ese were further made easier by including various explanatory notes,

relevant articles, African proverbs, idioms, and pithy sayings. All of these make both the reading

and study of the Bible much easier and friendly to Africans.

is study Bible demonstrates two important things about our church in Africa. First, we are

coming of age. We no longer have to get most of our Bible study resources from outside Africa. e

Spirit of Jesus anointed well over 300 African writers, who contributed to this highly useful study

Bible, the rst of its kind on the African continent. Second, we are coming together. We Christians

have far more that unites us than divides us. erefore, the traditional missionary churches, the

Pentecostals, the indigenous African churches, and others laid aside our minor dierences to write

the notes for this study Bible that can teach and bless all of us. is is the Holy Spirit in action. Jesus’

prayer on his last night on this earth—that “we may be one” is being answered in this study Bible. I

oer my most sincere congratulations and thanks to all our brothers and sisters who have contrib-

uted to this study Bible through coordinating, writing, editing, and funding. I, therefore, endorse

and recommend it very highly to all Christians, churches, and students of the Bible.

Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God

e Africa Study Bible is a clear indication that the African Church has come of age. In this publi-

cation, dierent African Christian Leaders interact with scripture using African lenses yet remain

faithful to the evangelical doctrine. I commend it to all readers, African or otherwise.

Rev. Canon Peter Karanja, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Kenya

Here is a fresh study Bible of signicant value written by African scholars from an African perspec-

tive. is is indeed a much-awaited contribution to our appreciation and deeper understanding of

the biblical narratives in a context, which is very much closer to the African culture and worldview.

It is hoped that not only Africans but also people from other cultures would nd this study most

benecial for personal devotion and spiritual development.

Dr. Opoku Onyinah, Chairman, e Church of Pentecost

e emergence of the Africa Study Bible is, no doubt, divinely providential as the church in Africa.

is clearly fast becoming the global missionary hub of the twenty-rst century and the center of

world Christianity. Oasis International is being used by God to bring us this gift that is an amazing

tool to grow the church in Africa in understanding doctrine, values, and the Bible. It is contextual,

culturally relevant, and truly indigenous as God’s Word through African eyes. e ASB is highly

recommended for every professing Christian in Africa.

Dr. Dachollom C. Datiri, President, Church of Christ in Nations

I welcome this collaboration and fruits of the Africa Study Bible and commend it to readers throughout

the world. Of course the Bible is universal, but it is always given life by the lived experiences of the

people of God.

Dr. abo Makgoba, Archbishop, Church of South Africa, Anglican Community

ou can trust the text (see “Introduction to the

New Living Translation”) and notes of the

Africa Study Bible (ASB). e ASB has undergone

one of the most thorough and rigorous quality

reviews of any study Bible or Bible reference book

in the world. e message, theology, and format

have been checked and double checked to assure

that the ASB speaks with a unied voice; adheres

to the highest editorial standard; and is clear,

readable, and biblically accurate.

e editorial leaders, following the mandate

of the Founding Committee of the Africa Study

Bible, were deeply aware that there is a blessed

and full diversity within the body of Christ. In

fact, the editorial team itself was carefully chosen

to accurately reect the diversity of the church in

Africa. Great eort was made to assure that cor-

rect and accepted Christian beliefs are reected

and encouraged, while allowing for dierences

in opinion on non-essential issues.

It is best to let the editorial process speak for

itself:

1. Denominational or ministry leaders who

are scholars, pastors, or elders recommended

potential writers. Writers were given assign-

ments based on specications established

by the Founding Committee of the Africa

Study Bible, including language, gender, and

geographic diversity. Writing coordinators

worked to match each contributor’s expertise

with a topic or passage to encourage quality

submissions.

e contributors represented people whose

heart languages range from Yoruba in western

Africa to Swahili in the east, and from Zulu in

the south to Amharic in the north. Besides En-

glish, many wrote in French and some in Por-

tuguese, Arabic, or Swahili. A team translated

their contributions into the English that you

will read here.

We are thrilled that the ASB met these goals

for country, language and gender diversity:

• writers from fty countries

•

one hundred ninety-four writers from

Anglophone countries

•

one hundred writers from Francophone

countries

•

eleven from Portuguese-speaking countries

• eleven from Arabic-speaking countries

• sixty-nine female writers

2. Supervising editor Dr. John Jusu reviewed,

commented on, and approved every submis-

sion—often sending material back to a writer

for revision when needed.

3. A team of editors worked to standardize

submissions so the Africa Study Bible speaks with

a unied voice.

4. Edited articles and notes by book batches

were sent to a group of ten African theological

scholars to review and make suggestions for im-

provement.

5. An experienced Bible editorial team re-

vised the material according to the African schol-

ars’ suggestions and edited the articles and notes

for clarity.

6. Two senior Ph.D.-level theological editors

reviewed the revised articles and notes book by

book.

7. Finally, the articles and notes were copy-

edited and checked for reading level and acces

sibility by the target audience.

8. Once typeset into the current format, the

entire biblical text, articles, notes, and supple-

mental study materials were proofread to assure

accuracy and editorial excellence.

Fourteen to twenty individuals reviewed, ed-

ited, and proofread each note and article. is

rigorous and exhaustive process assures us that

the Africa Study Bible speaks with the highest

quality as a trusted resource for the church.

YOU CAN TRUST THE NOTES IN THIS BIBLE

SYMBOLS OF THE AFRICA STUDY BIBLE

is Ornate Cross serves as the primary symbol of the Africa

Study Bible. e four points of the cross represent the four corners

of Africa: North, South, East, and West. e points are comprised

of spears, as the holy Word of God serves as our primary weapon

in the battle for his kingdom. e concentric rings represent

the unity the Gospel can bring to people of every country, race,

and denomination. Finally, the four shields represent God’s all-

encompassing protection of those he has called to faith, such

that they need fear only him.

e Coptic Cross highlights “Learn” features in the Africa Study

Bible, which provide key historical doctrinal understandings

of God’s Word and the Church. It represents the North African

region, reminding readers of Africa as ancient seat of Christianity,

home of Augustine and Athanasius.

e “Mate Masie” highlights the “Proverbs and Stories” features,

revealing the connection between uniquely African sayings and

the wisdom of Scripture. It is an Adinkra symbol, representing

West Africa, and stands for wisdom and for God’s omniscience.

e Nguni symbol for “Made Peace” serves to high light the

“African Touch Points” features, where Scripture and the African

way of life are considered and reconciled. Representing Southern

Africa, this symbol serves to represent our peace with God and

one another.

e Masai Shield and Spear highlight “Application Notes,” which

equip the reader with the tools they need to act righteously and

ght for God’s glory. Representing East Africa, these symbols

remind readers of the safeguard of faith and of the great power

of God’s Word to defeat Satan.

ach feature of the Africa Study Bible was

planned by African leaders who teach and

lead God’s people. eir goal was to help us grow

strong in Jesus Christ and to give insight about

God’s Word to the continent and to the world as

God’s Word rough African Eyes.

Each note is written to inform us about an

important topic or to help us understand a verse

or passage. is is not information to memorize

but instruction on how to live a good and righ-

teous life. Each is based on God’s wisdom and

truth. What are the special concerns and issues

that we face in Africa? How does God want us to

live as we face each challenge? Even as we ask

those questions, the Africa Study Bible is much

more. It will teach us how to apply the Word of

God to our lives. Each day, we must open the

Bible and let it be God’s bread for us through the

power of the Holy Spirit.

e notes in the Africa Study Bible can show

us, by example, how to apply God’s truth. Some-

times our thinking or our culture really ts the

truth in God’s Word, and this Bible shows us

how to celebrate and encourage that. Some-

times we need correction from God’s Word, and

we need to learn to think and live dierently.

Perhaps we need to nd a new path or even re-

pentance. e Africa Study Bible shows us how

to do that, too. And sometimes, the Africa Study

Bible will help us grow deep and mature in our

faith or encourage us in the tough times.

It is our prayer that we will not only be reading

and learning what others have to say about the

Bible, but we will be learning by example to take

what we are reading and apply it in a way that

honours God and builds his Kingdom for our-

selves. e Africa Study Bible is written by lead-

ers across our continent who have worked their

entire lives to learn how to apply the truth found

in the Bible. ey wish to be faithful in applying

God's Word to our lives in Africa and the world.

As we read and listen to their wisdom, we can

learn this skill as well. e Bible has many more

applications than we will nd in this Bible, but

by observing how to apply the Bible correctly, we

can learn to apply the Bible to our own situation.

If you would like to learn more, we have devel-

oped tools that teach how to apply the Bible. Visit

africastudybible.com for more information.

As Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Work

hard so you can present yourself to God and re-

ceive his approval. Be a good worker, one who

does not need to be ashamed and who correct-

ly explains the word of truth.”

African Touch Points draw attention to Scrip-

ture passages with a special connection to Af-

rica. ere are three kinds of Touch Points. In

some Touch Points, we explore a passage where

the Bible talks about Africa or a person from

Africa. Other Touch Points have an important

quotation from one of the greatest early African

Christian leaders, whose writings and teachings

helped shape all of Christianity. Listen careful-

ly to the voices of thinkers such as Augustine,

Athanasius, Cyril, and Origen. Finally, many

of the Touch Points feature an example of how

African culture sheds light on the meaning of a

passage. Often, African cultures are much clos-

er to the culture of the Bible than the cultures

of North America and Europe. is is a key

area where the African church can speak about

the signicance and impact of Scripture to the

worldwide church.

Introductions to each book of the Bible

help us understand its history and biblical

cultures. ey have a special focus on issues

close to the African heart. Sometimes a book

of the Bible does not tell us who wrote it, but

most often we have evidence that may point to

a particular person. Sometimes scholars who

study the Bible disagree about who wrote a

book of the Bible. Some stories were passed on

orally for a long time before they were written

down, just as is common in our culture. A priest

or a prophet may have written stories down or

edited a book years after it was rst written to

help it speak correctly to his own time. But we

have historical evidence showing us that there

was a very accurate transmission of the stories

written in the Bible. We can trust that God

inspired this process, and Jesus arms the Old

Testament as the Word of God. In the Africa

Study Bible, when we do not know who was the

original author, we may say something like “Ac-

cording to Jewish tradition, Moses wrote Gene-

sis.” We arm with our whole hearts the words

of 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by

USING THE AFRICA STUDY BIBLE

God and is useful to teach us what is true and

to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It

corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us

to do what is right.”

Beyond listing general facts, the introductions

will connect you to the original purpose and au-

dience. Many books of the Bible were originally

read aloud to a group of people or even sung.

ey are written records of stories, poems, and

instructions that people often heard rather than

read. Like musicians, often the authors used re-

peating patterns to communicate their message.

ey also focused on characters and plot to make

a point, like great storytellers. ey had a message

for the listener to learn. e book introduction

highlights the story and the rhythm of each Bible

book and what the book can teach us, just like the

traditional African storyteller.

Application Notesare used to inspire readers

to apply what the Bible teaches to our lives.

ey will help us reect on issues in light of

the truths in Scripture. ese notes can show

us how the Bible's message should change

the way we live. ey also help us understand

how to apply truth from Scripture to our daily

lives. e goal of our writers is to teach us to

think about all issues in light of what the Bi-

ble says. We can use these notes to learn how

to apply the Bible to our lives. First we work

to understand the meaning of the text in the

Bible, then we apply that truth to our current

situation.

Proverbs and Stories illuminate and

complement the biblical text. e African

peoples have a wealth of wise sayings, fables,

and stories that the Africa Study Bible explores.

ese have been referred to as the treasures of

Africa or the wisdom of the elders. is feature

will help the Bible come alive by highlighting

passages that have parallels with a specic Af-

rican proverb or story. e proverb or story is

used as a starting place to illuminate the orig-

inal meaning of the Bible. Proverbs may either

be in agreement or in conict with the text. We

can follow this example to learn how the Bible

relates to our cultures either positively or nega-

tively. In all things, the truth of the Bible is to be

our authority even when it does not agree with

traditional wisdom. Often specic regions or

tribes are identied, with the proverb quoted

in the original language. ese sayings are the

work of the original author and no attempt has

been made to check for accuracy.

Articles are about living the Christian life

and critical concerns that face the African

church and its people. e committee chose

article topics and gave writers main points

and issues to address. Each Article was written

with the following three questions: (1) What

is the biblical basis for the perspective being

presented? (2) What are the specic African

issues for this topic? (3) How may the truth be

applied to everyday life? e Articles appear

between books of the Bible so they do not in-

terrupt the ow of the text. Read through the

index to nd a topic of interest to you. Articles

will help us understand how to apply the Bible

to a specic area of life where God’s wisdom

is needed.

Learn Notes expand our thinking in theology,

doctrine, and biblical values. e committee

chose important topics to be explored, things

that “every Christian should know.” Each Learn

Note explains the topic, giving a basic under-

standing that the majority of Christians agree

on. At least one special point of interest or ap-

plication for Africa is considered for every topic.

Learn Notes are placed near scripture about

the topic. Learn Notes show us how to discern

the great doctrines of our faith by listening to

the whole Bible speak with a unied voice.

Learning and Teaching Helps are included

throughout and at the back of the Bible. e

Topical Index and Concordance lists all the

Articles, Application Notes, Stories and Proverbs,

African Touch Points, and Bible references that

give insight into a particular topic. is Topi-

cal Index and Concordance also includes two

other special features. Words that have special

meaning for the church are explained—like

propitiation or sanctication. Also, this fea-

ture denes English words from the text of the

Bible that may be unclear or are seldom used in

Africa. A brief biography of each Early African

Church Father who is quoted in African Touch

Points is included. is one feature, will equip

us to learn or teach about almost any topic

found in the Bible.

You will also nd a special feature present-

ing the history of God’s people in Africa—A

Narrative Timeline of God’s Work in Africa.

is unique graphical timeline will help you

understand God’s work in Africa from Abra-

ham through the year 2010—it is an insightful

overview of all God has done in our continent

over almost 4,000 years.

In addition, maps and other graphical

timelines and features are spread throughout

the Bible to help us understand the locations,

people, time, and structure of the Bible. One of

the features, Harmony of the Gospels, locat-

ed at the end of the Gospel of John, gives us

a wonderful overview of how the four Gospels

tell a unied story and also how they tell the

Life of Jesus from dierent viewpoints.

Bible Overview Reading Plan was created

specically for the Africa Study Bible. Here is a

plan to give you an overview of the whole Bible

in one year by reading the length of a chapter

six days a week. If you committ to this, you will

receive a wonderful understanding of the story

of God reaching out to us.

All of these features help us understand the

wonder and diversity of the Bible, the rich

Christian heritage of Africa, and the part that

Africa played in the events of the Bible.

Colorful original art in the front of the Africa

Study Bible was created to show the beauty and

power of God’s Word. Verses were chosen that

highlight the project’s goals and beloved vers-

es give encouragement and power as they are

memorized, shared, and hidden in our hearts.

e art is built from many of the scripts, sym-

bols, colors, and patterns of Africa. Here is a

brief explanation of each piece:

Mark 12:29-31—e two greatest com-

mandments are illustrated. e spiraling circle

at the top represents the eternal God and the

row of people at the bottom represents our

neighbors. e two tablets, also in the back-

ground, remind us of the Ten Commandments

which can be summarized in these two com-

mands given to us by Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-10—A special robe celebrates

the great honour God has given us to be a part

of his family when we trust Christ. e lettering

for "God's Masterpiece" is designed to express

the uniqueness of each one of us working to-

gether to bless the world.

Galatians 5:22-23—In these verses, we can

imagine various fruits on the same tree. is

illustrates the supernatural nature of these

character traits. e roots of the tree are in-

cluded at the bottom to remind us that God's

Spirit makes us strong and enables us to live

abundantly.

Psalm 67—A compass pattern was chosen

to represent God's rule and guidance over all

the world's peoples. e words follow the arc of

the globe, stretching from one end of the earth

to the other. e gold dots radiate from God's

name to illustrate that he is the source of all

blessing.

Psalm 91—e large background symbol

represents the condence that we should fear

no one except God. e psalmist expresses that

trust in the Most High through the gentle met-

aphor of a bird's wings. is reminds us that

God's Spirit also revealed himself in the form

of a dove when Jesus was baptized.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26—Jesus uses two pic-

tures of the great sacrice he made for us to be

forgiven and accepted by a holy God. e rst,

his body broken for us, is illustrated here in a

cross made from stas of grain which sprout

new life. e second diagonal image is of

Christ's blood poured out freely as represented

in the wine shared with his disciples.

Philippians 4:12-13—A symbol for strength

and humility is shown very large in the back-

ground to illustrate the power of Christ to help

us do what we can't accomplish in our own

strength. e cross, centrally located in the de-

sign, reminds us of the great cost by which we

have access to His strength.

Romans 8:38—In lettering art, the artist

attempts to make words look like what they

mean. So these words are designed to show

great condence strong and close together. In

contrast, "God's Love" is written in a gentle,

comforting style. e background shield rep-

resents the assurance that this eternal love pro-

tects us.

2 Timothy 4:2—God's Word, the Holy Bible,

represented here by a sword and ery ames,

has the power to change us as we listen and

obey. e dierent styles of lettering help to ex-

press the meaning of each word or phrase.

HISTORY AND VISION OF

THE AFRICA STUDY BIBLE

History

e concept of a study Bible specically created

for the needs of African Christians was birthed in

talks among African leaders, Oasis Internation-

al, and Tyndale House Publishers. A survey and

statistical analysis to evaluate the understand-

ing of the Bible by Christians inJos, Nigeria, was

undertaken to evaluate the potential impact of

having the Bible in clear, modern language us-

ing African vocabulary and expressions. e

research clearly showed that meanings of words

and expressions in modern English from the

United States or the United Kingdom were not

always clear for English-speaking Africans.

Over the following years, the project moved

forward through conversations with leaders

throughout Africa, Bible experts at Tyndale, and

the Oasis International Board. ese conversa-

tions included Dr. Tite Tiénou from Burkina Faso,

a member of the team that formed the vision for

the Africa Bible Commentary. He would soon be

joined by several other contributors to the Africa

Bible Commentary.

It was decided that the project, if attempted,

would focus on discipleship and life transfor-

mation by providing tools and helps to grow

Christians deep in their faith.

During an extensive period of evaluating

the need for the project, leaders from the con-

tinentwere asked to give input. Seminary pres-

idents, denominational leaders, and academics

spoke with unity: It was essential that we create

a study Bible to reect the knowledge, culture,

and wisdom of Africa, with the purpose of grow-

ing African Christians and bringing insight to

global Christianity.

Brought together by Oasis International, the

project soon had a number of strong develop-

ment partners, each bringing their unique skills

to the project. Special honour is due Tyndale

House Publishers and Tyndale House Founda-

tion, who provided expertise and seed funding.

In addition, Livingstone, the creators of the best

selling Life Application Study Bible, began their

role as consultant and editorial manager. After

extensive preparation, the Founding Committee

of the Africa Study Bible met in Accra, Ghana.

Leaders from every region of Africa, representing

English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic speak-

ing areas and eleven countries formed the nal

mandate for theproject, making all major ed-

itorial decisions.Special thanks goes to Mark

Taylor, Bruce Barton, Je Wright, and Matthew

Elliott—publishing experts who joined the meet-

ings in Accra to advise the committee in study

Bible creation.

e committee came together in a spirit of

unity; the cornerstone of the meetings was a be-

lief in the power and authority of God’s Word

and a pastor’s heart for growing the African

church. In simplest terms, the committee had

one mind in making each decision, shared one

heart in their desire to foster spiritual growth,

and spoke with one voice. e Africa Study Bible

will for ever reect the work of the Spirit in the

Accra meetings and is for ever indebted to this

special group of people—each bringing a unique

set of qualications and knowledge.

Vision

Formed by the committee, the vision for the

Africa Study Bible reads:

e Africa Study Bible is a Bible with study

tools written by African pastors and schol-

ars. Our goal is to increase the understand-

ing of the Bible using African insights and

experiences to meet the needs of the church

in Africa and around the world.

e expression of the governing com-

mittee is that the Africa Study Bible is to

feed God’s people as we all need constant

feeding from the source of life—God and

his holy Word. We Africans should see

ourselves and our cultural context in the

study notes. Our goal is that the notes will

challenge and encourage the readers to

live as God’s people in Africa.e Africa

Study Bible is to concentrate on knowledge

and application, teaching people how to

apply truth to their specic situation. It

should empower Jesus’ mandate to make

disciples. e Africa Study Bible will help

people make a link between biblical truth

and life transformation. “African” writers

are dened as those who are African in

knowledge, heart, and voice. “Pastors and

scholars” will include ministry and lay

-leaders who function as pastors and

church leaders.

Following from this mandate, the committee

decided that the notes would, whenever possible,

be paired with modern, easily understood trans-

lations. e English edition is being launched us-

ing the clear, accurate, and accessible language of

the New Living Translation, with other languages

added over time. First among these languages

will be French, Portuguese, and Arabic.

Following through on the diverse make-up of

the committee, targets were set for diversity of the

writers by language groups, geographic location,

denomination, age, and gender.

Key points and goals for the project include:

• To treat the Bible text as the nal authority

•

To give practical and wise teaching in a

non-confrontational approach

•

To focus on prescriptive advice, application,

and life-transformation

•

To attempt to answer questions that are

likely to be in the reader’s mind

•

To create a valuable resource for pastors and

teachers as they apply the Word of God for

their listeners

•

To create a study Bible that is culturally rel-

evant and readable for the average reader

•

To bring African insights and experiences to

the text in a way that makes the Bible come

alive for all readers

•

To avoid rehashing specically Western

theological issues and application

Today, with the prayers and support of part-

ners and donors across the world, the Africa

Study Bible is bringing the promise of a readable

and aordable Bible to Africans and the world.

A NOTE TO READERS

OF THE AFRICA STUDY BIBLE

asis International and Tyndale House have

partnered in creating the Africa Study Bible.

One of the things we are most excited about is to

see readers understand the Bible in a new and

fresh way with the text of the New Living Trans-

lation (NLT). You might wonder why this Bible

does not use the traditional and beautiful King

James Version or another modern translation.

We have crafted this introduction to help people

understand how the NLT can help us know God

and his Holy Word. To answer our questions, it

is good to understand how we have a Bible in

English from the original words written in Greek,

Hebrew and Aramaic.

e goal of any Bible translation is to convey

the meaning and content of the ancient Hebrew,

Aramaic, and Greek texts as accurately as possi-

ble to contemporary readers. e challenge for

our translators was to create a text that would

communicate as clearly and powerfully to to-

day’s readers as the original texts did to readers

and listeners in the ancient biblical world. e

resulting translation is easy to read and under-

stand, while also accurately communicating

the meaning and content of the original biblical

texts. e NLT is a general-purpose text espe-

cially good for study, devotional reading, and

reading aloud in worship services.

e Holy Bible, New Living Translation, was

rst published in 1996. It quickly became one

of the most popular Bible translations in the

English-speaking world. While the NLT’s inu-

ence was rapidly growing, the Bible Transla-

tion Committee determined that an additional

investment in scholarly review and text rene-

ment could make it even better. So shortly af-

ter its initial publication, the committee began

an eight-year process with the purpose of in-

creasing the level of the NLT’s precision with-

out sacricing its easy-to-understand quality.

is second-generation text was completed

in 2004, with minor changes subsequently in-

troduced in 2007, 2013, and 2015. e Africa

Study Bible uses the Anglicized version, with

British spelling.

We understand that many readers are famil-

iar with the King James Version and may have

questions about how the NLT diers from this

older version. Some of the dierences can be ex-

plained easily by dierences in translation phi-

losophy and methodology, which are explored

below in the rst section of the “Introduction to

the New Living Translation.” Other dierences

are related to the NLT’s more contemporary

English style. e NLT uses the English spoken

today, whereas the King James Version was

translated into the English of the 1600s. Howev-

er, readers familiar with the KJV may notice still

other variations related to dierences between

the texts behind the translations. For more on

this, see the discussion in the “Introduction to

the New Living Translation” under the section

header “Textual Dierences between the NLT

and the King James Version.”

A special feature of the Africa Study Bible is

that you can look up some well-loved terms

from the KJV, such as “propitiation” in the con-

cordance to nd their meaning and how the

NLT translates these important ideas.

Each of the translators of the NLT believes

in the power and ultimate authority of God’s

Word. We believe that the New Living Transla-

tion—which combines the latest biblical schol-

arship with a clear, dynamic writing style—will

communicate God’s word powerfully to all

who read it. We publish it with the prayer that

God will use it to speak his timeless truth to the

church and the world in a fresh, new way.

—e Publishers

4444

THE STORY OF THE BIBLE

he story of the Bible is the story of God, his

people, and his world.

God spoke. e world sprang into life. Every-

thing there is—the huge and the tiny, mountains

and oceans, little ants and bugs so small you can

only see them with a microscope—God made

it all.

en he made us. He made the very rst people

and gave us a job: “You be in charge here, for me.

You are to take care of everything. I’ve made you

to be like me; show the world what I’m like.”

He gave our rst ancestors, Adam and Eve, a

garden to live in, with owing rivers and our-

ishing trees. “Start here,” he said. “I’ll meet with

you here.”

When Adam rst saw his wife Eve, he said,

“Eyaa! is is the one!” Adam and Eve had ev-

erything—God, each other, and good work to do.

But ere Was an Enemy

But there was an enemy. He was jealous. He

wanted to wreck what he couldn’t have. He was

also clever. He asked Eve, “Why can’t you be the

boss? Why not run things your own way? Why not

do what you feel like doing? Why let God keep

you back?”

Soon, our ancestors disobeyed. ey did exact-

ly what God said they should not do and set the

pattern that lasts to this day. Everything began

to fall apart. e world is still full of wonderful

things, of beauty that makes you tremble. We are

still smart and still able to do amazing things. But

our thinking and our feelings are twisted and often

broken. When we are all trying to be the boss, we

cut ourselves o from God. We hurt one another.

And the whole world feels the eect. In fact, the

brokenness is inside us and we hurt ourselves, too.

Our brokenness even damages creation.

God saw the messed-up world and the messed-

up people he had put in charge of it. God could

have gone away. Many of the old African stories

say that is what he did. e stories say that we

made God angry, and he went a long way o.

But that is not the story of the Bible. Yes, God

can seem far away. Yes, we can choose to build a

wall between us and God. But God is not going to

be defeated. He is going to get rid of the bad. He

is going to take broken people and make them

over again. And he is going to take the broken

world and make it over again. He is going to do

this through his own Son, who came to live in

this broken world.

God Starts with Abraham

He started small, with Abraham. “Leave your

family. Leave your people. Follow me. I will be

family for you. And I will make you into a nation

with your very own land to rule. rough you, my

blessing will reach the whole world.”

Abraham followed God. Abraham stumbled,

but he still trusted God, and God kept his prom

ise. Abraham and Sarah were given a son, Isaac.

From Isaac came a son named Jacob, also given

the name Israel. From that son came a nation,

also called Israel.

In time, there were thousands of Israelites, but

they were not that impressive. ey lived as forced

laborers in Egypt and the government was trying

to destroy them. God called Moses to lead them

and told the people, “I will rescue you. Come to

me. Meet with me in the desert. Walk with me. Be

my people. Live my way. I will give you your own

rich land, your own garden. And through you, my

blessing will reach the whole world.”

God rescued them by opening up the sea. e

towering cloud and re of his presence marched

with them. But the people still had Adam’s sin-

ful nature. Before long, they forgot the blessings.

ey complained. ey disobeyed. ey said,

“Let’s go back to Egypt.” ey said, “Let us make

our own gods and worship them our own way.”

So God punished them, but he did not leave

them. In spite of what they did wrong, he took

them through the desert and gave them their

own land. ey marched in, led by Joshua. ey

watched city walls fall down and conquered the

communities. ey renewed their promises: “We

will live as God’s people. We will show what he

is like to the world.”

But it didn’t last long. “Let’s be like everybody

else” was the easier way to live. But they belonged

to God, and he did not leave them. ey were his.

He punished them, and he sent leaders to rescue

them. en they would turn from God and things

would get worse again. is pattern repeated for

many years.

Next Come David and the Kings

God gave King David to the people of Israel.

David made no room for false gods. Enemies all

around were defeated. e people lived in peace.

In the time of David’s son Solomon, Jerusalem,

the capital, was made God’s city. God’s presence

was focused in his Temple—a beautiful building

that Solomon built to worship and sacrice to

God. e people gathered there to worship God

in glorious praise. Wisdom for godly living owed

out from there, touching other peoples in other

lands with blessing.

But David and Solomon and Israel were like

Adam. ey all failed. e hints and tastes of

goodness faded. Other kings came and went,

some better, most worse, none good enough.

God sent his prophets, his messengers, to

tell the nation, “You are God’s chosen people,

sworn to him with marriage vows! Turn to him

from disobedience. Turn to him from the false

prophets, the idols, the substitutes, the liars, and

the cheats. Care for the needy among you. Find

blessing. Watch him rescue you. Watch God’s

blessing reach the end of the earth. Or don’t,

and lose what you have, even the land you have

been given.”

In the end, they lost the land. ey were hauled

o to Babylon. But God did not leave them. His

messengers promised that they would come back.

And beyond that came richer promises. e peo-

ple and the world would be made new with God’s

blessing and with Adam’s mess undone.

Some did return to Jerusalem. A small Temple

was built again in God’s city. Prophets encour-

aged the people. But failure and compromise

were everywhere.

Questions remained unanswered: “Has God

failed? His people have failed again and again!

e glory of his blessing for the whole world has

not gone anywhere. From Adam to Israel, the

ones who belong to God mess up. Rescuers come,

rescuers go. e gap between promise and reality

is huge. What is God doing? Will there ever be an

Adam who does what Adam should have done?

Will there ever be an Israel that lives according to

God’s good law? Will there ever be a David who

rules in true peace? Will God’s Temple presence

ever come close to stay?”

For four hundred years, things went very quiet.

Finally, Jesus

But then a surprise. God did exactly what he

said he would do. And he did it in a way that no

one expected.

ere was a harsh colonial government and

a baby was born in a poor family. He was called

Jesus, which means Joshua—Saviour. Born in

David’s village from David’s family, he would be

called God’s Christ, Messiah, Lord, Immanuel

(which means God with us), King. He would call

himself Son of Man, son of Adam, Son of God.

He would talk to God as his Father. He would

command wind and waves, rebuke disease, and

banish cringing demons. He would forgive sins,

putting people right with God. He would give wis-

dom greater than Solomon’s. He would command

more than Moses. He was God with his people

when the Temple could not be. He would be the

one faithful Israelite when all Israel had failed.

He would bless the nations.

He marched to Jerusalem and then rode into

the city as King of peace, surrounded by followers

praising God. But the rulers did not see it that

way. e government did not see it that way. e

enemy from back in Eden did not see it that way.

Jesus was a threat. His Kingdom would break the

kingdoms of the earth. e rulers determined to

break him. Arrested and falsely accused, Jesus

was executed on a cross in cruelty and shame,

then sealed in a rock tomb.

Little did they know. Jesus did not run or hide.

At that moment, and every moment, he gave him-

self over to God’s will and purpose. He knew God

had a plan. He did the opposite of Adam. Having

nothing and losing his life, he gave himself to God,

to stand in the place of all those who followed

Adam. He stood in our place, took on our failure,

our brokenness, our rebellion. He said to God,

“Father, I am utterly alone. Yet I give myself to you.

You will put things right. You will bring victory

from total defeat.”

And God did.

On the third day, God reversed death. He

launched the age of new creation. He started

to make all the brokenness fresh and new. He

raised Jesus from that tomb. He declared him

for ever innocent, for ever right. He conrmed

every title—Saviour, Messiah, King, Lord. And

he lifted Jesus to glory.

He also did something else. He gave Jesus a

people, a Kingdom. e faithful people of God

were few. Now God said, “Repent. Trust Jesus.

Give yourself to him. Abandon your old self. In

Jesus, you share in his blessings. You, too, will

be right with God. In him, your wrecked life will

be remade. God’s very own Spirit will be present

within you. You were nobodies, but now, you are

his dear family.”

He Is Alive

Jesus’ followers spread out. ey could not stop

telling people what they had seen: “He is alive!”

e rst time they said this, people from many na-

tions heard them. And three thousand believed.

Soon his followers were beaten, they were impris-

oned, they were killed. But they declared, “He has

won!” ey were despised and they were mocked,

but they declared, “Every honour belongs to him,

for he is God!”

ose who believed the good news, those who

turned to Jesus, lived as his family, his people, his

Kingdom, showing and telling what he is like to

the world. Eagerly they waited for the completion

of God’s victory in Jesus. ey wanted everyone

to know him.

e good things started were a long way from

complete. God’s people in Jesus failed. ey did

not understand who they really were. And they

did not live like who they really were. Lots of

times, they would get confused.

But Jesus had sent his apostles, empowered by

his Spirit, to declare his message and teach his

people. Jesus’ people belong to him so tightly;

they are his body. ey are hands and feet for

him in this world. Just like Adam, they are here to

show his world what he is like, show every people

what he is like. ey are also here to suer as Jesus

suered. Time and again, they would be attacked

and hurt, just because they were his.

e apostles said, “Look back. Look at Jesus

and all he has done for you. Look ahead. Look to

Jesus and all he will do. You are his people, being

formed from every language, tribe, and nation.

at same enemy from the beginning, those same

rulers and powers who raged at Jesus, they want

to hurt us all that they can. But their time is short.

Jesus will defeat them once and for all. Soon, in

God’s time, they will be stripped of all strength

and doomed to the punishment they deserve.

Even the evil that still lurks inside us will be rooted

out. Jesus is coming back with all God’s power

and authority in full view.”

e story began in a garden. It ends in a beau-

tiful city. A city full of people but still rich in ow-

ing water and ourishing trees. A city of beauty,

praise, and joy. A city without tears or hurt or

wrong. A city with God and Jesus right there, for

ever, with us.

e story of the Bible is the story of God, his

people, and his world. It is the story of Jesus, who

is God, of his new people, of his Kingdom, and

his new world.

And it is our story. We are still living it.

Author: e prophet Hosea. e son of Beeri, Hosea’s name means “salvation.” His three

children, Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi, later played an important part in Hosea’s

message to Israel.

Date: Hosea recorded events between about 760 and 722 , before the fall of Israel to

Assyria.

Purpose: To illustrate God’s covenant love for his people even when they are unfaithful

and to call them to repentance. e illustration of marriage and intimate language portray

our relational and loving God in a way that prepares us for the teachings of Jesus.

Overview and Story: e book of Hosea illustrates the intimate relationship between God

and his people. Hosea ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel for forty years before

its fall to the Assyrians in 722 . Other prophets during this time who preached the same

messages of unfaithfulness to God were Amos, Isaiah, and Micah. God asked Hosea to

marry Gomer, a prostitute, saying that children born during the marriage might not be

his. e rst three chapters tell the story of the unfaithfulness and then the redemption

of Gomer. “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another

lover. is will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel” (Hosea 3:1). Hosea’s experience

with Gomer illustrates God’s experience with Israel. is dramatic story shows that the

Lord (the husband) still loves Israel (his wife) even though she has loved other gods. is

is a unique situation that serves as an object lesson, not as a model for our families.

e second part of the book (Hosea 4–14) uses this story to warn of severe judgement

because of Israel’s worshipping of other gods. e book ends with the hopeful message that

Israel would receive forgiveness and restoration if the people returned to God (Hosea 14).

God is faithful to his people. He pursues us, even when we have been unfaithful to him

and rejected his love. is is true, eternal, and unconditional love.

What Hosea Teaches Us

• Faith in God requires total dedication to him, just as we should be fully dedicated to

our husband or wife (see Ephesians 5:25-33). We cannot trust God and also trust in our

traditions, good behaviour, wealth, status, or position. If we trust God completely, he

promises to answer our prayers and take care of us (Hosea 14:8).

• True repentance requires a turning away from sin to God himself and choosing to love

him and to know him (Hosea 6:6). In some churches in Africa, people are called to

repent again and again. e danger is that repetitive repentance can become an emp-

ty ritual. e people of Israel were convinced that God would be impressed by their

sacrices (Hosea 6:1-3), but their hearts and their lifestyles showed they were not truly

repentant.

• e abuse of wealth leads to idolatry. e idolatry of Israel in the time of Hosea was

strongly connected with wealth and prosperity (Hosea 2:5, 12; 10:1). People were ly-

THE BOOK OF

HOSEA

ing and cheating in order to get rich (Hosea 12:7-8). ere is much controversy about

wealth in the church in Africa today. Some Christians view wealth as positive, part of

the blessing of God in life, while other Christians see it is negative. Hosea focussed on

the abuse of wealth with four warnings: (1) wealth must not be acquired fraudulently

(Hosea 12:7-8); (2) wealth must not be used for wrong purposes (Hosea 2:8; 8:4; 13:2),

including turning away from God (Hosea 2:13; 12:8); (3) the pursuit of wealth must not

become our major goal in life (Hosea 10:12; 12:1); and (4) the abuse of wealth will bring

judgement from God (Hosea 2:8-13; 9:9).

• God has strong warnings for leaders in church (Hosea 4:4-9) and society (Hosea 5:1-

10). God hates corruption, deceit, and indierence (see Micah 3:9-11). Leaders are

called to show people the right path of love, unity, and justice (Hosea 12:6).

• We serve a personal and passionate God. God desires love over sacrice (Hosea 6:6).

He desires sincere repentance and worship (Hosea 7:19; 9:1). He also desires a loving

relationship with his people, a relationship that is broken by our rebellion (Hosea 11:8-

9).

O  R

Hosea and God as the loving but rejected husbands (1:1–3:5)

Hosea and God marry unfaithful mates (1:1–2:1)

Gomer and Israel continue to be unfaithful (2:2-23)

Hosea and God oer redemption (3:1-5)

God as the loving but rejected husband (4:1–10:16)

e people are unfaithful (4:1-19)

e leaders are unfaithful (5:1-15)

e call to repentance (6:1-11)

e rejection of that call (7:1-16)

e results of that rejection (8:1–10:16)

God as the loving but rejected Father (11:1–13:16)

God as the loving Father (11:1-12)

Example of Jacob (12:1-14)

Example of Ephraim (13:1-16)

God as the forgiving and loving Lord (14:1-9)

53 HOSEA 2:3

1:1

2Kgs 15:32-38;

16:2-20; 18:1-8

2Chr 26:1-23;

27:1-9; 28:1-

27; 29:1-32

Mic 1:1

1:2

Jer 3:1

Hos 2:5; 3:1

1:4

2Kgs 10:1-36

1:7

Ps 44:3-7

Isa 30:18

1:9

*1Pet 2:10

1:10

Gen 22:17;

32:12

Isa 63:16; 64:8

Jer 33:22

*Rom 9:26

1:11

Isa 11:12

Jer 30:21

Ezek 37:21-24

Hos 3:5

2:2

Isa 50:1

Hos 4:5

2:3

Isa 20:2-3;

32:13-14

Jer 14:3

Ezek 16:7, 22

Hos 13:15

The L gave this message to Ho sea son

of Be e ri during the years when Uz ziah,

Jo tham, Ahaz, and Hez e ki ah were kings of

Ju dah, and Jer o bo am son of Je ho ash* was

king of Is ra el.

Hosea’s Wife and Children



When the L first began speaking to

Is ra el through Ho sea, he said to him, “Go

and marry a prostitute,* so that some of her

children will be conceived in prostitution.

This will illustrate how Is ra el has acted like

a prostitute by turning against the L and

worshipping other gods.”



So Ho sea married Go mer, the daughter of

Dib la im, and she became pregnant and gave

Ho sea a son.



And the L said, “Name

the child Jez re el, for I am about to punish

King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders

he committed at Jez re el. In fact, I will bring

an end to Is ra el’s independence.



I will break

its military power in the Jez re el Valley.”



Soon Go mer became pregnant again and

gave birth to a daughter. And the L said to

Ho sea, “Name your daughter Lo-ru ha mah—

‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to

the people of Is ra el or forgive them.



But I will

show love to the people of Ju dah. I will free

them from their enemies—not with weapons

and armies or horses and char i oteers, but by

my power as the L their God.”



After Go mer had weaned Lo-ru ha mah,

she again became pregnant and gave birth

to a second son.



And the L said, “Name

him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Is ra el

is not my people, and I am not their God.

*“Yet the time will come when Is ra el’s

people will be like the sands of the sea-

shore—too many to count! Then, at the

place where they were told, ‘You are not my

people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the

living God.’



Then the people of Ju dah and

Is ra el will unite together. They will choose

one leader for themselves, and they will

return from exile together. What a day that

will be—the day of Jez re el*—when God will

again plant his people in his land.

2:1

*“In that day you will call your brothers

Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your

sisters Ru ha mah—‘The ones I love.’

Charges against an Unfaithful Wife

“But now bring charges against

Israel—your mother—

for she is no longer my wife,

and I am no longer her husband.

Tell her to remove the prostitute’s

makeup from her face

and the clothing that exposes her

breasts.

Otherwise, I will strip her as naked

as she was on the day she was born.

1:1Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash. 1:2Or a promiscuous woman. 1:10Verses 1:10-11 are numbered 2:1-2 in

Hebrew text. 1:11Jezreel means “God plants.” 2:1Verses 2:1-23 are numbered 2:3-25 in Hebrew text.

God asked the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute and have

children with her. He warned Hosea that this woman, Gomer,

would continue in her prostitution and not be a faithful wife. The

prophet obeyed and married her. Gomer bore three children—

probably not all fathered by Hosea. God gave the children

names that reﬂected Israel’s spiritual state and how he felt

about Israel’s idolatry. Then, despite all the pain Hosea felt over

Gomer’s unfaithfulness, God asked him to go and take her back

as a demonstration of God’s love for his people (Hosea 3:1).

God used the prophet’s family to illustrate what was hap-

pening in Israel and how he felt about their rebellion. The people

had abandoned God to serve idols, just as Gomer abandoned

Hosea for other men. God was very pained by Israel’s un-

faithfulness, but he still loved them. Therefore, although God

punished them and rejected their children (Hosea 2:1-13), he

promised to restore them once again (Hosea 2:14).

God loved us while we were still sinners and sent Jesus

to die for us (Romans 5:6-8). Yet we are often attracted by

what the world offers, and we abandon God’s way. But he still

continues to show us his love and pursue us. Like the prodigal

son’s father, when we return to him, he will abundantly pardon

(Luke 15:11-24). In the same way as God pardons us, he wants

us to love, forgive, and accept others in our daily relationships

(Colossians 3:13).

P L F •

Hosea 1–3

A

In the Krou tribe in Côte d’Ivoire, when a woman has

lost several children in childbirth, the elders recom-

mend that the next child be named “Koukougnon.”

Paradoxically, this name, which roughly translates to

“a being ﬁt for death,” was supposed to protect the

child from premature death. It was as if acknowledg-

ing death’s power would cause death to have mercy

on the child. People who were called “ﬁt for death”

were actually those destined to live.

This reversed identity is in complete contrast with

the names that God gave to Hosea’s children. By

God’s command, the prophet’s sons’ names literally

reﬂected their identity. The third child born of this

unusual couple had a signiﬁcant name, Lo-ammi,

which means, “not my people” (Hosea 1:9). This

terrible name signiﬁed a broken relationship. The

child was the symbol of God’s rejection. His name

indicated how God felt abandoned by his people.

The pagan gods of the ancient world would not

show this kind of great marriage-like attachment to

their subjects. Our God, in contrast, passionately longs

for his wandering children. If you have wandered from

God, he is waiting with longing for your return. He

wants to be your loving Father again.

A T P

N

54HOSEA 2:4

2:5

Jer 2:25; 3:1-2

Ezek 23:16-17,

40-45

2:6

Job 19:8

2:7

Jer 2:2; 3:1

Ezek 23:4

Hos 5:13

2:8

Ezek 16:18

Hos 8:4

2:9

Hos 8:7

2:10

Ezek 16:37

2:11

Isa 1:13-14

Jer 7:34; 16:9

2:12

Jer 5:17; 8:13

2:13

Jer 7:9

Ezek 23:40-42

Hos 4:13; 11:2

2:14

Ezek 20:33-38

2:15

Josh 7:26

Jer 2:1-3

Ezek 16:8, 22

2:16

Isa 54:5

Hos 2:7

I will strip her naked in public,

while all her lovers look on.

No one will be able

to rescue her from my hands.

I will put an end to her annual festivals,

her new moon celebrations, and her

Sabbath days—

all her appointed festivals.

I will destroy her grapevines and fig

trees,

things she claims her lovers gave her.

I will let them grow into tangled thickets,

where only wild animals will eat the

fruit.

I will punish her for all those times

when she burned incense to her

images of Baal,

when she put on her earrings and jewels

and went out to look for her lovers

but forgot all about me,”

says the L.

The L’s Love for Unfaithful Israel

“But then I will win her back once again.

I will lead her into the desert

and speak tenderly to her there.

I will return her vineyards to her

and transform the Valley of Trouble*

into a gateway of hope.

She will give herself to me there,

as she did long ago when she was

young,

when I freed her from her captivity in

Egypt.

When that day comes,” says the L,

“you will call me ‘my husband’

instead of ‘my master.’*

I will leave her to die of thirst,

as in a dry and barren wilderness.

And I will not love her children,

for they were conceived in prostitution.

Their mother is a shameless prostitute

and became pregnant in a shameful

way.

She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers

and sell myself to them for food and

water,

for clothing of wool and linen,

and for olive oil and drinks.’

“For this reason I will fence her in with

thorn bushes.

I will block her path with a wall

to make her lose her way.

When she runs after her lovers,

she won’t be able to catch them.

She will search for them

but not find them.

Then she will think,

‘I might as well return to my husband,

for I was better off with him than I am

now.’

She doesn’t realise it was I who gave her

everything she has—

the grain, the new wine, the olive oil;

I even gave her silver and gold.

But she gave all my gifts to Baal.

“But now I will take back the ripened

grain and new wine

I generously provided each harvest

season.

I will take away the wool and linen

clothing

I gave her to cover her nakedness.

2:15Hebrew valley of Achor. 2:16Hebrew ‘my baal.’

Hosea and his unfaithful wife illustrated the state of the rela-

tionship between God and people who had left him to follow

other gods. A Kinyarwanda proverb translates to say, “Any

chick that spends a night in the bush becomes wild. For you

to receive it back, you must pick out what [the chick] was

[going] after in the bush, and in its disappointment, it will

remember home.”

The Israelites abandoned God to follow foreign gods known

as Baals because of the blessing the people of Israel thought

the gods would give. Like the wild chick, God snatched out of

the Israelites’ hands what they were after so that they could

hear him and return to him.

We are chosen for fellowship with God, which means that

we must not go into the bushes to ﬁnd any other treasures.

We already have what we seek—a relationship with a loving

Father.

D G A A O

P  S

After all Israel’s rejection of God, their neglect of the law, their

idolatry, and their immorality, God still longed for a relationship

with them. He instructed Hosea to illustrate this by actually

paying the price of a prostitute to be with his wayward wife

again. Can you imagine having the rights of marriage, and

instead of demanding loyalty, buying back that loyalty? The

love that would motivate this laying down of marriage rights

is difﬁcult to understand, yet that is how God feels towards

his wayward children of Israel.

As we read through the prophets in this part of the Bible,

we ﬁnd incredible details of God’s angry judgement. But here

we see the other side: God’s anger is motivated by a great

love. We are not usually so angry when a distant relative’s wife

leaves him, but we are very angry when our wife leaves us.

We are angry at the unfaithfulness of the one we love greatly.

That is the way it is with God. His great love motivates both

his anger over unfaithfulness and his great longing to see the

relationship restored.

T G W L  U •

Hosea 2:14-15; 3:1

A

55 HOSEA 2:21

2:18

Lev 26:5-6

Job 5:23

Isa 2:4

Ezek 34:25;

39:1-10

2:20

Jer 31:34

Hos 6:6; 13:4

2:21

Zech 8:12

I will make you my wife for ever,

showing you righteousness and justice,

unfailing love and compassion.

I will be faithful to you and make you

mine,

and you will finally know me as the

L.

“In that day, I will answer,”

says the L.

“I will answer the sky as it pleads for

clouds.

And the sky will answer the earth with

rain.

OIsrael, I will wipe the many names of

Baal from your lips,

and you will never mention them again.

On that day I will make a covenant

with all the wild animals and the birds

of the sky

and the animals that move along the

ground

so they will not harm you.

I will remove all weapons of war from

the land,

all swords and bows,

so you can live unafraid

in peace and safety.

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love

comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows

God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for

God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). Genuine love is our greatest tool

for evangelism and impacting society.

Here in Hosea 3:1, we see the depth of God’s love. The Lord

sent Hosea to love his wife again, even though she committed

adultery. “This will illustrate that the L

ORD

still loves Israel,

even though the people have turned to other gods and love

to worship them.”

God’s love for us challenges us to love him and love others.

Christ said that the two greatest commandments are to love

God and to love others. If we love rightly, we will have kept

God’s standards and morals (Matthew 22:36-40). To live out

and demonstrate God’s love, though, we must overcome incor-

rect understandings of what love is. We must truly understand

God’s love for this world and for us.

There are elements in our cultures that make it difﬁcult for

us to understand biblical love. Traditional African religion offered

sacriﬁces to appease ancestors or spirits in order to receive a

blessing or maintain peace. This system can distort our view of

love. God’s love is given freely. Although God is pleased with our

worship and good works, we cannot appease him or earn his

love by our actions (Romans 5:5-10; 8:35-39; James 1:17).

Tribal deities also distort our understanding of love. Each

tribe claims its own deity. It was believed that a tribe’s gods

ﬁght for, provide for, and bless only that tribe. In fact, these

gods may try to curse people from a different tribe. The idea

that the God of the Bible loves us seems normal. However,

to those who have been reared with tribal gods, it may seem

strange to think that God’s love also crosses tribal borders.

Can God love me and love the tribe of my enemy? The answer

is that God loves all tribes and nations. “God loved the world

so much that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16). His

love does not discriminate. He loves “us,” and he loves “them.”

We also easily misunderstand God’s love because of the

difﬁculties that arise in our relationships with authorities—gov-

ernment ofﬁcials, chiefs, pastors, teachers, and our fathers. We

sometimes see leaders who manipulate, lie, steal, cheat, abuse,

and require bribes in exchange for helping others. Fathers

are often absent or take family resources to gratify their own

desires instead of helping the family. It has been said that

Chief Rumanyika of western Tanzania would spear the foot of

a villager whenever he addressed his people. People who see

examples such as these ﬁnd it difﬁcult to believe in the love of

God our Father. Yet God does love us. And his love compels him

to serve rather than mistreat, abuse, or manipulate us (Mark

10:46). God has the power and authority to take, but instead

he gives and serves. This is amazing!

Living out God’s love in our own lives means that we love

unconditionally. We must love other people no matter what

they do. People made in God’s image are his special creations

and should not need to earn our love. We must freely give love

without an ulterior motive or expecting anything in return, as

God does.

Love must cross boundaries. We need to love those people

who are difﬁcult for us to love. Jesus told Jews that they should

love Samaritans—their enemies (Luke 6:27-29, 32-35). We

must love the tribe next door that always ﬁghts against us. This

requires a commitment to choose to love. Our love will grow if

we make a daily decision to focus on the Bible’s teaching about

love and to live it out. God the Father loved us so much that

he chose to send his Son, and the Son chose to love us and

live among us in order to save us from our rebellion against

God. This is how God loved the world: “He gave his one and

only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish

but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul shares this concept of love that

even the greatest acts of sacriﬁce are empty without love. This

chapter also describes the true characteristics and nature

of love. We are commanded to have love in our hearts for

God and others. If we do not have this heartfelt love, we can

encourage our love to grow by understanding and caring for

the needs, hurts, and struggles of another person made in

God’s image. We can also pray that God will help us see the

other person as God does.

We may think the church’s job is to defend and prove our

faith through our words, but the Bible is clear that we prove

our faith by how we love others. As 1 John clearly teaches

us, this is especially true for those inside God’s family. People

are drawn to the people of God when they see how well we

love one another. One of the greatest ways to evangelise our

community is for people to be able to look at Christians and

think to themselves, “They treat one another as family. They

must really know the love of God. I want to be a part of that.”

Note that Christian love is sacriﬁcial. God’s love for us has

always been self-giving (Galatians 1:4). Let us love people so

much that we give of our time, our resources, and our skills

to help them.

L

L

56HOSEA 2:22

2:22

Jer 31:27-28

Joel 2:19

2:23

Hos 1:6, 9

*Rom 9:25

*1Pet 2:10

3:2

Ruth 4:10

3:4

Judg 17:6

3:5

Jer 50:4-5

Ezek 34:24

4:1

Isa 59:4

Jer 7:28

Hos 12:2

Mic 6:2

4:2

Hos 6:8-9; 7:1-

4; 10:4

4:3

Isa 24:4; 33:9

Zeph 1:3

4:4

Deut 17:12

Ezek 3:26

Amos 5:10, 13

4:5

Ezek 14:3, 7

Hos 5:5

4:6

Hos 4:14

Zech 11:8-9,

15-17

Mal 2:7-8

to Da vid’s descendant, their king.* In the last

days, they will tremble in awe of the L

and of his goodness.

The L’s Case against Israel

Hear the word of the L, Opeople

of Israel!

The L has brought charges against

you, saying:

“There is no faithfulness, no kindness,

no knowledge of God in your land.

You make vows and break them;

you kill and steal and commit

adultery.

There is violence everywhere—

one murder after another.

That is why your land is in mourning,

and everyone is wasting away.

Even the wild animals, the birds of the

sky,

and the fish of the sea are

disappearing.

“Don’t point your finger at someone else

and try to pass the blame!

My complaint, you priests,

is with you.*

So you will stumble in broad daylight,

and your false prophets will fall with

you in the night.

And I will destroy Israel, your mother.

My people are being destroyed

because they don’t know me.

Then the earth will answer the thirsty

cries

of the grain, the grapevines, and the

olive trees.

And they in turn will answer,

‘Jezreel’—‘God plants!’

At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites

and raise them for myself.

I will show love

to those I called ‘Not loved.’*

And to those I called ‘Not my people,’*

I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’

And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’ ”

Hosea’s Wife Is Redeemed

Then the L said to me, “Go and love

your wife again, even though she* com-

mits adultery with another lover. This will

illustrate that the L still loves Is ra el, even

though the people have turned to other gods

and love to worship them.*”



So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of

silver* and 220litres of barley and a measure of

wine.*



Then I said to her, “You must live in my

house for many days and stop your prostitu-

tion. During this time, you will not have sexual

relations with anyone, not even with me.*”



This shows that Is ra el will go a long time

without a king or prince, and without sacri-

fices, sa cred pillars, priests,* or even idols!



But afterwards the people will return and

devote themselves to the L their God and

2:23aHebrew Lo-ruhamah; see 1:6. 2:23bHebrew Lo-ammi; see 1:9. 3:1aOr Go and love a woman who. 3:1bHebrew love

their raisin cakes. 3:2aHebrew 15[shekels] of silver, about 171grams or 6ounces in weight. 3:2bAs in Greek version, which

reads a homer of barley and a wineskin full of wine; Hebrew reads a homer [220litres or 5bushels] of barley and a lethek [110litres

or 2.5bushels] of barley. 3:3Or and I will live with you. 3:4Hebrew ephod, the vest worn by the priest. 3:5Hebrew to David their

king. 4:4Hebrew Your people are like those with a complaint against the priests.

When the leaders of God’s people lack the knowledge of God,

when they fail to advise the people to obey God’s law, or when

they themselves disobey God’s law, God’s people fall into sin.

The people lack knowledge and an example to follow, and

they disobey him.

Like the priests in Hosea’s time, some pastors and leaders

of God’s people reject the truth and teach what is popular.

Because of this, God will reject them. If sin continues to be

evident in a church, it is because pastors have failed in their

responsibilities. God promises even greater judgement and

punishment for leaders who cause people to sin than on those

who are led astray.

Leaders should preach and teach the authentic Word of

God. They should show the people how to obey, and they

should set a good example through their own actions. Then

the people will live holier lives!

D C  J •

Hosea 4

A

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are being destroyed because they

don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse

to recognise you as my priests.” God scolded his people for

living in error, ignorance, and without love. He told them they

no longer knew him, and that they, in fact, refused to know

him. People need to know and to be enlightened by God to

have direction and be able to make good choices.

During family gatherings, when two Mossi people from

Burkina Faso realise they are related, they may say,

Naaf tabda

a biig likẽ n ka mi t yaa a biig ye

, meaning, “The cow crushes her

calf in the darkness without knowing that it is hers.” They use

this to show their regret for an unfortunate event that may

have happened between them when they did not know they

were related. We must ask God to shed light on all of life’s

circumstances so we can understand them correctly.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me,

you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the

light that leads to life” (John 8:12). There must be light for the

cow to avoid “crushing her little one.” The world is complex and

problems can be difﬁcult to solve. We need to know God and

his wisdom to follow the truth correctly in each situation. Ask

God for this spiritual insight and wisdom. (Ephesians 1:17-18).

“T D N K M”

P  S

57 HOSEA 5:1

4:7

Hos 10:1; 13:6

Hab 2:16

Rom 1:23

4:9

Isa 24:2

Jer 5:31

4:11

Isa 5:12; 28:7

4:12

Isa 44:19

Jer 2:27

4:13

Jer 2:20; 3:6

Ezek 6:13

Hos 2:13; 11:2

4:14

Deut 23:17

Rom 1:31

4:16

Isa 5:17; 7:25

4:17

Ps 81:12

4:19

Hos 12:1; 13:15

Israel is stubborn,

like a stubborn heifer.

So should the L feed her

like a lamb in a lush pasture?

Leave Israel* alone,

because she is married to idolatry.

When the rulers of Israel finish their

drinking,

off they go to find some prostitutes.

They love shame more than honour.*

So a mighty wind will sweep them

away.

Their sacrifices to idols will bring

them shame.

The Failure of Israel’s Leaders

“Hear this, you priests.

Pay attention, you leaders of Israel.

Listen, you members of the royal family.

Judgement has been handed down

against you.

Since you priests refuse to know me,

I refuse to recognise you as my priests.

Since you have forgotten the laws of

your God,

I will forget to bless your children.

The more priests there are,

the more they sin against me.

They have exchanged the glory of God

for the shame of idols.*

“When the people bring their sin

offerings, the priests get fed.

So the priests are glad when the

people sin!

‘And what the priests do, the people also

d o.’

So now I will punish both priests and

people

for their wicked deeds.

They will eat and still be hungry.

They will play the prostitute and gain

nothing from it,

for they have deserted the L

to worship other gods.

“Wine has robbed my people

of their understanding.

They ask a piece of wood for advice!

They think a stick can tell them the

future!

Longing after idols

has made them foolish.

They have played the prostitute,

serving other gods and deserting their

God.

They offer sacrifices to idols on the

mountain tops.

They go up into the hills to burn

incense

in the pleasant shade of oaks, poplars,

and terebinth trees.

“That is why your daughters turn to

prostitution,

and your daughters-in-law commit

adultery.

But why should I punish them

for their prostitution and adultery?

For your men are doing the same thing,

sinning with whores and shrine

prostitutes.

Ofoolish people! You refuse to

understand,

so you will be destroyed.

“Though you, Israel, are a prostitute,

may Judah not be guilty of such

things.

Do not join the false worship at Gilgal or

Beth-aven,*

and do not take oaths there in the

L’s name.

4:7As in Syriac version and an ancient Hebrew tradition; Masoretic Text reads I will turn their glory into shame. 4:15Beth-aven

means “house of wickedness”; it is being used as another name for Bethel, which means “house of God.” 4:17Hebrew Ephraim,

referring to the northern kingdom of Israel. 4:18As in Greek version; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

In southwestern Côte d’Ivoire, there is a small moun-

tain named Guékouzaliè. A village of hunters and

farmers stretches out from its hillsides. Its inhabitants

used to worship this mountain unashamedly because

they believed the mountain was the sanctuary of their

guardian spirit.

Like these people, many other traditional African

communities worshipped material things like lakes,

rivers, woods, or forests. In Hosea’s day the people of

Israel also worshipped such things. God condemned

them for worshipping idols, saying that they asked

a piece of wood for advice and thought that a stick

could tell the future (Hosea 4:12).

God looks upon idolatry as a form of spiritual

prostitution. The children of Israel worshipped natural

elements, but idolatry is not limited to these things.

Today we can have attitudes and behaviours that

creep in and are forms of idolatry. Perhaps a good

football match causes some of us to forget about

our time of prayer and meditation on God’s Word.

Sometimes business opportunities lead people to

give up their Christian principles. For other people,

their affection for titles or money competes with their

affection for God.

We must stop to consider: Have some of our

activities taken precedence over God? The children

of Israel gave up the worship of God for a piece of

wood. We are not immune. It is important to ask

ourselves if our favourite paper is found in the pages

of our Bibles or the bills in our wallets.

We should not give anyone or anything priority over

God. He is the only one worthy of worship (Exodus

20:3).

A T P

I I

S P

58HOSEA 5:2

5:3

Amos 5:12

5:4

Hos 4:6, 14

5:5

2Kgs 17:19-20

Ezek 23:31-35

5:6

Isa 1:15

Ezek 8:6

Mic 6:6-7

5:7

Hos 2:4

5:9

Isa 28:1-4; 37:3

Hos 9:11-17

5:10

Deut 27:17

Pss 32:6; 93:3-4

Ezek 7:8

5:12

Ps 39:11

Isa 51:8

5:13

Jer 30:12

5:14

Pss 7:2; 50:22

Hos 13:7

5:15

Isa 64:7-9

Jer 2:27

6:1

2 Chr 7:14

Isa 30:26

Jer 50:4

Hos 14:4

Zeph 2:1-3

6:2

Ps 30:5

6:3

Isa 2:3

Joel 2:23

Mic 4:2

6:4

Ps 78:34-37

Hos 13:3

So I will pour my anger on them like a

waterfall.

The people of Israel will be crushed and

broken by my judgement

because they are determined to

worship idols.*

I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes

wool.

I will make Judah as weak as rotten

wood.

“When Israel and Judah saw how sick

they were,

Israel turned to Assyria—

to the great king there—

but he could neither help nor cure

them.

I will be like a lion to Israel,

like a strong young lion to Judah.

I will tear them to pieces!

I will carry them off,

and no one will be left to rescue them.

Then I will return to my place

until they admit their guilt and turn

to me.

For as soon as trouble comes,

they will earnestly search for me.”

A Call to Repentance

“Come, let us return to the L.

He has torn us to pieces;

now he will heal us.

He has injured us;

now he will bandage our wounds.

In just a short time he will restore us,

so that we may live in his presence.

Oh, that we might know the L!

Let us press on to know him.

He will respond to us as surely as the

arrival of dawn

or the coming of rains in early spring.”

“OIsrael* and Judah,

what should I do with you?” asks the

L.

For you have led the people into a snare

by worshipping the idols at Mizpah

and Tabor.

You have dug a deep pit to trap them at

Acacia Grove.*

But I will settle with you for what you

have done.

I know what you are like, OEphraim.

You cannot hide yourself from me,

OIsrael.

You have left me as a prostitute leaves

her husband;

you are utterly defiled.

Your deeds won’t let you return to your

God.

You are a prostitute through and

through,

and you do not know the L.

“The arrogance of Israel testifies against

her;

Israel and Ephraim will stumble

under their load of guilt.

Judah, too, will fall with them.

When they come with their flocks and

herds

to offer sacrifices to the L,

they will not find him,

because he has withdrawn from them.

They have betrayed the honour of the

L,

bearing children that are not his.

Now their false religion will devour them

along with their wealth.*

“Sound the alarm in Gibeah!

Blow the trumpet in Ramah!

Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven*!

Lead on into battle, Owarriors of

Benjamin!

One thing is certain, Israel*:

On your day of punishment,

you will become a heap of rubble.

“The leaders of Judah have become like

thieves.*

5:2Hebrew at Shittim. The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain. 5:7The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

5:8Beth-aven means “house of wickedness”; it is being used as another name for Bethel, which means “house of God.” 5:9Hebrew

Ephraim, referring to the northern kingdom of Israel; also in 5:11, 12, 13, 14. 5:10Hebrew like those who move a boundary marker.

5:11Or determined to follow human commands. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. 6:4Hebrew Ephraim, referring to the

northern kingdom of Israel.

The priests and the leaders of Israel strayed from God into

idolatry and led the people into a snare by their folly (Hosea

5:1). God was angry at the attitudes of the priests, leaders,

and people. The entire nation betrayed him. God felt like a

husband who had been left by his wife. He complained, “You

have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband” (Hosea 5:3).

Hosea prophesied that God would judge Israel and Judah

so harshly that they would turn to the king of Assyria for help.

But he would not be of any help to them until they recognised

how sick they were and returned to God.

The situation in Hosea’s time can be compared to many

of our nations. Social, political, and military crises are so

devastating that the nations turn to the United Nations for

help. Extremism is developing, and diseases like Ebola are

killing many. Although the United Nations and World Health

Organisation send international military forces and medical

help, they cannot solve the deeper problem.

The leaders in areas of crisis need to be take action by

turning to God for guidance. Is God not strong enough to help

us ﬁx our own problems? Leaders of Africa, turn to God, not

outsiders, for help. This can begin a process of healing.

A N I  R  I L •

Hosea 5

A

THE BOOK OF

JAMES

Author: James, a half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:6-29). He

wrote the letter to the Jewish Christians in the diaspora—those living in other countries.

Date: Probably in the mid or late  40s, prior to the Jerusalem council of  49 or 50.

James may have been the rst book in the New Testament to be written.

Purpose: To show, through many practical examples, that the faith of a Christian

should result in a change of behaviour. True faith, guided by godly wisdom, is

evidenced in godly living.

Overview and Story: e church in Africa, like the church in other parts of the world, is

torn between emphasizing evangelism and social action. It tries to balance faith declared

in words with faith declared in action. James says, however, that there should not be a

choice between the two. Instead, genuine faith will be demonstrated in action. e real

contrast is between just saying “I believe” and not letting it make a dierence in how one

lives compared with a genuine saving faith that results in doing good works.

James is not like other New Testament letters that follow a logical train of thought from

the beginning to the end. Instead, it is more like Proverbs or other wisdom literature that

uses one short idea after another to make a point. is is a more Semitic form of writing.

For instance, James is concerned about the way believers speak. He tells us to be slow

to anger (James 1:19), control our tongues (James 1:26), avoid speaking evil against one

another (James 4:11), and not be boastful (James 4:13-17). Other themes in James are

wisdom, the relationship between faith and deeds, the trials of faith, favouritism, and the

dangers of wealth.

In chapter 1, James urged his readers to put their faith into action through their words and

activities. In chapters 2 and 3, he established the relationship between faith and works.

He asserted that one may claim to have faith but that failing to “love your neighbour as

yourself” makes one a transgressor of all the other laws. e evidence of faith is seen in

action and speech. In chapters 4 and 5, James answered the question of who is a wise

person and told the readers to be humble before God and resist the devil (James 4:7).

He warned his readers against the evils of pride, discrimination, greed, lust, hypocrisy,

worldliness, and slander. He explained the value of winning a “wandering believer.

What James Teaches Us

• Believers are to take care of one another instead of following the world’s principle of

“every man for himself and God for us all.” As Christians, our faith must bear fruit by

causing us to take care of those in trouble—the oppressed and those who are disregard-

ed (James 1:27). is message is of particular importance to the African church in the

diaspora and the African church in persecution.

• Believers must understand that integrity and uprightness in all aspects of life should be

the natural result of a living faith. is living faith results in a godly life guided by godly

wisdom.

• Like the readers of the letter of James, African Christians need to re-evaluate our soci-

eties’ structures and work to bring them in line with biblical values. Traditional African

societies made provision for care of the underprivileged and disenfranchised through

the strength of the community. Today, however, our societies are being more inu-

enced by the individualism that is often found in the Western world, which means we

have less motivation to care for the underprivileged and those without power. James

calls us to return to our roots and be more concerned about the needy.

• Running like a thread though this letter is the need for wisdom from God. e key verse

is James 2:26, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without

good works.” James is concerned that believers live out the Christian faith within the

community of believers in a way that is consistent with true faith in Christ. e book

of James urges the many African Christians in the diaspora not to put away their faith

or allow it to conform to the Christianity of a host country, as the diaspora Jews were

doing. Rather, even in diaspora, the Christianity of Africans must remain authentic and

faithful to the Bible.

O  R

e true life of faith (1:1-18)

Enduring trials and overcoming temptations (1:1-11)

God blesses those who patiently endure trials and overcome temptation (1:12-18)

Faith informed by godly wisdom is faith in action (1:19–3:12)

Faith helps us control anger (1:19-26)

Faith helps us control prejudice (2:1-13)

Faith helps us control inaction (2:14-26)

Faith helps us control our tongues (3:1-12)

Faith informed by godly wisdom shapes our worldview (4:1–5:20)

Peaceful and humble living (4:1-17)

Use of wealth and riches (5:1-6)

Patience and endurance (5:7-12)

Prayer (5:13-18)

Accountability (5:19-20)

75 JAMES 1:25



So don’t be misled, my dear brothers

and sisters.



Whatever is good and perfect

is a gift coming down to us from God our

Father, who created all the lights in the heav-

ens.* He never changes or casts a shifting

shadow.*



He chose to give birth to us by

giving us his true word. And we, out of all

creation, became his prized possession.*

Listening and Doing



Understand this, my dear brothers and

sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow

to speak, and slow to get angry.



Human

anger* does not produce the righteousness*

God desires.



So get rid of all the filth and

evil in your lives, and humbly accept the

word God has planted in your hearts, for it

has the power to save your souls.



But don’t just listen to God’s word. You

must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only

fooling yourselves.



For if you listen to the

word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at

your face in a mirror.



You see yourself, walk

away, and forget what you look like.



But if

you look carefully into the perfect law that

sets you free, and if you do what it says and

don’t forget what you heard, then God will

bless you for doing it.

Greetings from James

This letter is from James, a slave of God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jew ish

believers scattered abroad.

Greetings!

Faith and Endurance



Dear brothers and sisters,* when troubles

of any kind come your way, consider it an

opportunity for great joy.



For you know that

when your faith is tested, your endurance

has a chance to grow.



So let it grow, for when

your endurance is fully developed, you will

be perfect and complete, needing nothing.



If you need wisdom, ask our generous

God, and he will give it to you. He will not

rebuke you for asking.



But when you ask

him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.

Do not waver, for a person with divided loy-

alty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is

blown and tossed by the wind.



Such people

should not expect to receive anything from

the Lord.



Their loyalty is divided between

God and the world, and they are unstable in

every thing they do.



Believers who are* poor have something

to boast about, for God has honoured them.



And those who are rich should boast that

God has humbled them. They will fade away

like a little flower in the field.



The hot sun

rises and the grass withers; the little flower

droops and falls, and its beauty fades away.

In the same way, the rich will fade away with

all of their achievements.



God blesses those who patiently en-

dure testing and temptation. Afterwards

they will receive the crown of life that God

has promised to those who love him.



And

remember, when you are being tempted, do

not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never

tempted to do wrong,* and he never tempts

anyone else.



Temptation comes from our

own desires, which entice us and drag us

away.



These desires give birth to sinful

actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it

gives birth to death.

1:1

1Pet 1:1

1:2

1Pet 1:6

1:3

1Pet 1:7

1:5

Prov 2:3-6

Matt 7:7

1:6

Matt 21:22

Mark 11:24

1:10-11

Ps 102:4, 11

Isa 40:6-7

1Pet 1:24

1:12

1Cor 9:25

2Tim 4:8

Jas 5:11

Rev 2:10; 3:11

1:14

Prov 19:3

1:16

1Cor 6:9