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Interpret This with Rev. Ed
Have you ever wondered how a specific Bible verse might be interpreted metaphysically (i.e., how it might be interpreted to apply to your life)? Our unique new feature, Interpret This, offers precisely that.
Click Here to request a Bible verse interpretation.
Please review the previous interpretations below to see if the one you are requesting is already complete. Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.
Click Here to request a Bible verse interpretation.
Please review the previous interpretations below to see if the one you are requesting is already complete. Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.
Nov
12
09:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
11
QUESTION: I am new to Unity. I am a student of A Course in Miracles yet still have difficulty with the "Jesus our Lord and Savior" verbiage. Coming from a Jewish background I find it difficult ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
11
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, 'May no fruit ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
10
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
QUESTION: I question how much meaning we've potentially ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
09
03:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
09
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught" (Proverbs 3:25-26).
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
05
01:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
03
03:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
03
11:00 AM
0 Comments
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QUESTION: My friend is a divinity student at Liberty Baptist Theology and he says Unity is a cult and quoted these verses plus a few more to me. How do I respond? He has told his father, whom I am seeing, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
02
04:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Jesus answered him, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.'" (John 3:3).
COMMENT: All that Jesus teaches and shares comes ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
02
01:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, “Look, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
02
QUESTION: I am studying The Quest with a group at my church. I would like to know the general interpretation of valley. I know that mountain means to rise in consciousness but I haven't found valley. Thank ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Nov
02
07:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
29
01:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters" ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
27
11:15 AM
0 Comments
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QUESTION: This looks like a reworked statement from the Gnostic tradition and better attributable to the postresurrectional milieu. A couple of semiparallel examples from the Gospel of Thomas:
(1) ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
27
09:15 AM
0 Comments
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PASSAGE: "He said, 'In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
26
QUESTION: "Keep on keeping on" is used as an urban saying and I just wondered if it is in the Bible.
COMMENT: Well, "keep on keeping on" is not a direct quote from the Bible ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
26
QUESTION: A women's small study group is studying the Psalms. (We are also discussing Kathleen Norris' book, Acedia and Me.) I have a book on the Psalms by Robert Alder which is helpful, but it does not ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
26
QUESTION: Can you offer some insight into this passage where God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but when he's just about to, the Lord stops him and more or less says, "... just kidding, don't do ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
22
04:45 PM
0 Comments
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PASSAGE: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).
QUESTION: I thought we are ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
22
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do not ordain anyone hastily, and do not participate in the sins of others; keep yourself pure" (1 Timothy 5:22).
COMMENT: Paul is writing to "my loyal child in the faith" ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
21
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
QUESTION: Your Web page says, "Unity honors the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
21
08:45 AM
0 Comments
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PASSAGE: "All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers" (Acts 1:14).
COMMENT: I must ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
20
04:00 PM
0 Comments
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PASSAGE: "O daughter Babylon, you devastator! Happy shall they be who pay you back what you have done to us! Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!" (Psalm ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
20
12:30 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' He answered them, 'What did Moses command you?' They said, 'Moses allowed a man to write a ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
20
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Another of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead'" (Matthew 8:21-22).
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
19
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
19
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: Job 42 ”Then Job answered the Lord:
2‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3“Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
19
11:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "The woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
19
08:45 AM
0 Comments
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QUESTION: I am a young missionary and I am going through a very rough time. On an assignment from Nashville, Tenn., I am in the enemy camp in Florida. And I want to know how to see my enemy.
PASSAGE: ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
14
01:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Jabez was honored more than his brothers; and his mother named him Jabez, saying ‘because I bore him in pain.’ Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that you would bless ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
14
What interpretation are you using? The NIV states clearly that
homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Do you guys have your
own Bible version that suits your needs?
I'm using the New Revised ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
14
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
13
05:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
13
02:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
13
10:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
13
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "'Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?' It pleased the Lord that Solomon ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
12
04:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16 NRSV).
QUESTION: New to Unity. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
12
QUESTION: Well, in Hosea’s prophecy he says when the animals, fish, birds are dying then it is the end times. But science tells us the earth has sloughed off all living things many times so it is ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
12
09:15 AM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
08
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "'Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.' The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Psalm 46:10-11 NRSV). ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
08
02:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ’Teacher, which commandment in the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
08
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
07
03:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
07
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: Misogyny or mystic?
PASSAGE: "Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
06
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then he said to them, 'The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28 NRSV).
COMMENT: The ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
06
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9 NRSV).
COMMENT: Joshua has ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
05
02:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Oct
05
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: My multidenominational Bible study group will be talking about these verses during out next meeting.
PASSAGE: "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
22
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses" (Mark 11:25 NRSV).
QUESTION: Curiosity ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
21
03:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE:
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
‘You are my Son;
today I have begotten you’?
Or again,
‘I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son’? ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
17
11:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
16
04:15 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
16
QUESTION: My family and are have been searching for years for "something" and through a friend discovered Unity. It is so in line with our beliefs, but we are not near a Unity Church. So my husband ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
15
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: This is my birthday Scripture. I was born on October 27. My daughter was born on January 9. Thank you.
Mark 10: 27—"For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
14
QUESTION: I would like to apply ancient wisdom to modern life. I would like to look at it metaphysically so that I could live a fuller life. My father was not a religious person, but always said we should ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
10
03:15 PM
2 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "A scoundrel and a villain goes around with crooked speech, winking the eyes, shuffling the feet, pointing the fingers, with perverted mind devising evil, continually sowing discord; ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
10
QUESTION: I found a note in my Dad's Bible, after he died, where he had written Numbers 11? He did not include the verse number, so in general, what are your thoughts about this chapter?
COMMENT: There's ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
10
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?' (Mark 15:34 NRSV).
QUESTION: This ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
09
04:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
09
01:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I am discerning a ministry in Christ. I feel that he is calling me toward something much bigger than me but I have been getting confusing messages. Some say "Be still." Others say, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
09
10:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I've been curious about this passage for years. It seems out of context with the rest of Genesis. Who are the Nephilim? Who are the sons of God? Thanks for clarifying!
PASSAGE: "When ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
09
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, 'As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
08
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "When someone delivers to a neighbor money or goods for safekeeping, and they are stolen from the neighbor's house, then the thief, if caught, shall pay double. If the thief is not caught, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
08
02:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: 25 “Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
08
10:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: My dear friend of over 40 years is an evangelical Christian, so we usually avoid discussing religion. However, we got onto the subject of gay marriage (her grandson, by the way, is gay and lives ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
08
QUESTION: I'm working with the youth at Unity of Livonia, and we are doing a project based on Noah's Ark and we are not sure how to explain to our youth that God chose to kill off everyone except Noah ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
08
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Another of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' But Jesus said to him, 'Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead'" (Matthew 8:21-22 NRSV). ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
Matthew 3:7-9 "But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptistm, he said to them..."
05:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "But when he (John the Baptist) saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
03:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6 NRSV).
QUESTION: I opened the Bible and there ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
12:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
PSALM 30 (NRSV):
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "But Moses said to God, 'If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them? God said ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
07
07:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
03
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
02
04:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
02
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; hearken to my cry of supplication. In the day of my trouble I call on thee, for thou dost answer me" (Psalm 86:6).
COMMENT: Psalm 86 is a prayer, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
01
02:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
01
01:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death" (John 8:51 NRSV).
COMMENT: Jesus is speaking here to the Jewish religious authorities who are following ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Sep
01
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16 NRSV).
COMMENT: This familiar statement is the last line of one of Jesus' most challenging parables: the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
31
02:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: Thank you for this opportunity to ask. I understand Psalms spoke about Jehovah being the most High over all the earth. Is His name just my interpretation?
Revelation 21 has been a favorite ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
31
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I had a situation occur in my life around 27 years ago where I had gone with insufficient amounts of sleep for a prolonged amount of time—as the disciples had in the Scripture cited—and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
26
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
25
11:45 AM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2-3 NRSV).
QUESTION: I can't ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
24
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Bath-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame and paralyzed. One man was there ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
24
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Valerie,
Sometimes a Bible passage pretty much means what it says, and I think that's the case with Exodus 3:11. Moses is standing before the bush that burns but is not consumed, called suddenly ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
20
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Rev. Ed: Though I can experience at times the peace of knowing God as a God “at hand,” His presence to me is hard to be conceived in space. If God is Spirit, and not a spirit, is he not ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
20
01:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
20
11:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: Psalm 51:10-12 and Psalm 42:1-2 have been my daily prayers for years, and I am new to Unity and metaphysical interpretations and am really wondering …
Psalm 51:10-12: ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
20
QUESTION: Any time that I hear others of other denominations speak of the Book of Revelation, their interpretations are always very frightening to me. However, when I hear Unity's interpretations of anything ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
19
PASSAGE: "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.' For he will deliver you ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
19
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
19
10:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?' He answered, 'Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
18
04:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
18
REQUEST: Matthew 6:9-13. So when I say the Lord's Prayer I will understand references to "hallowed be thy name,“ “our daily bread" and "Thine is the Kingdom."
COMMENT: ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
18
2 Corinthians 3:1-8 "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some..."
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: What is the metaphysical interpretation of 2 Corinthians 3:1-8?
PASSAGE: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
17
QUESTION: I am starting to study the Bible along with Unity principles and would like to know which you use the most for reading and metaphysical study. Thanks.
COMMENT: Congratulations on beginning ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
17
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
17
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
13
REQUEST: I am searching for birth and marriage entry numbers.
COMMENT: I don't understand the specific request, but I'm happy to address the three passages you listed.
MATTHEW 10:26—"So ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
12
09:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
11
Malachi 3:10-12 "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house..."
01:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: Malachi 3:10-12 "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
11
10:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: Daniel 3:19-26 “Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
11
REQUEST: I fail to get a sense of peace and love when reading this book – just an overview of Unity's interpretation would be greatly appreciated, and thank you for all your spiritual help through ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
10
04:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:6-7 NRSV). ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
10
PASSAGE REQUESTED: "All of them!"
QUESTION: I've never studied the Bible before, and I'm having some difficulty understanding the passages.
COMMENT: My first suggestion would ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
10
01:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
10
12:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac. Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
10
09:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
06
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
05
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
03
11:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: Growing up as a Roman Catholic, John 1:1 always confused me as I focused on the literal meaning of the word “word.” I now feel that word represents the essence of life, energy, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
03
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Aug
03
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
30
03:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: Well, on my spiritual Journey I occasionally just open the Bible to wherever and see what is being said. I have not been working for quite a few years and my wife has. I am basically at home cleaning. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
30
11:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: Hello Rev Ed.
I understand what you have previously written about Jesus and the Christ. That Jesus is the Shower of the Christ within. But all through the New Testament Jesus is referred to ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
30
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' So Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
29
04:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
29
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14).
COMMENT: Very little is known about the Letter to the Hebrews. Its author is ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
29
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I am going to use this Scripture to teach about Jesus' message to his followers and I would like to have the metaphysical interpretation and meaning of this particular chapter for my use (or ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
29
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said 'See, this is new'? It has already been ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
29
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
VERSE: "Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41 NRSV).
QUESTION: ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
28
03:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: “You can do as I have done” – Or something like that. Jesus said this but I don't know where in the Bible it’s located or if it’s even said in these words. No particular ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
28
11:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
COMMENT:
You have asked first about John 3:16; ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
28
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: "It is finished," the words of Jesus at crucifixion. Help me understand the last words of Jesus from a metaphysical orientation. I believe death and the truth are the same.
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
03:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: My grandson has become involved in a very fundamental church; he is 27 [and] still living at home. He told his parents he didn't have to do anything at home or do what they ask because they ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
Matthew 20:1-16 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning..."
02:00 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: This is bothersome, and I experience guilt in thinking it seems unfair when God is fair in all of his dealings.
PASSAGE: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
12:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect" ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
09:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: Psalm 37:4 "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
COMMENT: Psalm 37 is a ringing assurance that, no matter how 'the wicked' may seem to ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
RESPONSE: Scholars generally doubt that 1 Timothy is actually by Paul, but the passage you cite has nonetheless generated significant controversy through the years. But 1Timothy 2:15 ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
27
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: This statement has always intrigued me and I have tried to figure it out. I think children are innocent and unconditionally loving and maybe it means that we need to become as a child (unconditionally ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
22
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
21
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: How does Unity explain the I AM? I was taught in traditional Christianity that the I AM was God himself. Do you interpret it as ourselves? Do you teach we are God? Help!
PASSAGE: "But ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
21
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about verse 7 in the writing known as the Second Letter of John: "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
20
04:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Mt.5:5).
COMMENT: This is, of course, one of the Beatitudes – the powerful precepts with which Jesus begins his ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
20
11:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself" (Lk. 10:27).
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
20
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him' – these things God has revealed to us through ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
20
09:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I have never been clear on the metaphysical interpretation of Jacob wrestling with the angel. I am always struggling to understand many things. When I read the e-mail from Unity and saw there ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
16
11:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: “Where there are no oxen, there is no grain; abundant crops come by the strength of the ox” (Proverbs 14:4 NRSV).
COMMENT: It seems to me there are two possible implications ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
16
11:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I have noticed a pattern starting with Cain and Abel, then Ishmael and Isaac, then Esau and Jacob, then Leah and Rachel, then Mannasseh and Ephraim that God favored the second even though it ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
16
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE PASSAGE: “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
16
REQUEST: Exploring the concept of forgiveness as it relates to wholeness.
PASSAGE: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
15
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "From the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days" (Dan. 12:11 NRSV).
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
15
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I use this Psalm often as a source of strength and direction, and I want to make sure I understand it.
COMMENT: If you find in Psalm 37 “a source of strength and direction,” then ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
15
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
09
05:00 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
PASSAGE: "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you" (Mt. 7:6).
COMMENT: This sounds ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
09
04:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
The passage you are asking about is the final statement of a long thought which begins clearly and emphatically as follows: "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ" ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
09
Acts 12:10 "After they had passed teh first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate..."
12:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Acts 12:10 reads as follows: "After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
09
09:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: Exodus 20:8-11. I would like to know if this pertains to us today to keep this seventh day holy.
PASSAGE: "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
09
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about this passage from John 14:2-3: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
08
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
Your request is simply for "Peter 1:5-7." I'm going to assume you mean 2 Peter, since the corresponding verses in 1 Peter don't stand alone. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 we read: "For ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
07
Dear Friend,
The 21st chapter of the Revelation to John is, I think, one of the most sublime in the entire Bible. The fearsome and exhausting wars and conflicts are behind us. The terrifying illusions ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
07
1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree ... that we should live..."
02:30 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
THE QUESTION: There is so much that I am in agreement with in Unity teachings, Our Oneness with God, that we are the manifested Sons of God, and I'm sure many more. However, the one thing that keeps me ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
07
THE SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:12-15, John 3:16-18
THE QUESTION: These are the three sections in the Bible from Joyce Meyer's statement of faith describing her interpretation as follows: "The ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
05:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE QUESTION: PSALM 32:8 is one of my favorite quotes. I use it to help people realize He's here, every day, just listen. That way you'll remember your keys before you lock the door. I love listening to ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
PASSAGE: Jesus' story of the talents (Mt. 25:14-30). This story baffles me. It seems to encourage greed. Please help me interpret it metaphysically.
COMMENT: This familiar story tells of the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
01:30 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
REQUEST: John 14:1-7. Interested in an interpretation for possible help in a funeral of one who has been much influenced by Unity and has specifically requested a poem by James Freeman.
PASSAGE: ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
REQUEST: What does Ruth represent spiritually? Why was it included in the Bible? Thank you so much for your interpretation and thoughts.
RESPONSE: The Book of Ruth is one of the most powerful ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
THE REQUEST: I lead an informal Bible Study once a month for Unity Church of Las Vegas; we use the Scripture that will be used on the following day, that Sunday after we meet on Saturday. Most people attending ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jul
06
THE REQUEST: The Story of Queen Esther. Esther's courage in taking action to protect her people is one of the most inspiring of the Bible. She is a beautiful example of doing the right thing against many ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
30
05:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
QUESTION: I don't understand the need to kill the tree—especially if it wasn't fig season. Thank you for explaining that part to me.
PASSAGE: "In the morning, as he was ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
29
Dear Friend,
You are asking in general for a metaphysical understanding of the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit that is a basic teaching of traditional Christianity. There is very little ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
29
01:45 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about one particular sentence from the great final discourse (John 13-17) in which Jesus is speaking to his closest disciples in the time between the Last Supper and his ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
29
Dear Friend,
You are asking about a strong and harsh sentence that concludes Jesus' Parable of the Pounds in Luke 19. I've already written, in a previous “Interpret This” message, about ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
23
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
"Jesus was asked to heal a blind man, and he wrote something in the dust, spit on it, made clay and fitted it to the blind man's eyes. What did he write?"
Dear Friend,
You seem to ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
22
Dear Friend,
You have asked about this powerful passage from the Sermon on the Mount: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
22
Dear Friend,
You have asked about the well-known story of Sodom and Gomorrah, related in chapter 19 of the Book of Genesis.
In chapter 18 the Lord and two angels visit with Abraham, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
17
11:30 AM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
I believe the passage you are questioning is Matthew 7:21—from the Sermon on the Mount: "'Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
16
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about one sentence—"So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’"—which ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
15
Dear Friend,
The story of Jonah is traditionally seen as a warning against disobeying God. Jonah rebels against the directive of God, attempts to flee, is tossed overboard, consumed by the great ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
11
01:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about Ephesians 4:4-6, with the following comment:
"My father is very firm about not approving of any religious organization that does not clearly believe in the ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
11
10:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about Psalm 103, verses 1-5:
Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me;
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
10
01:15 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
I must admit, I'm a bit confused about the passage you're requesting, since it doesn't encompass Jesus' full thought. Let's put it in proper perspective before we turn to its deeper meaning. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
10
08:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You asked specifically about 1 Thessalonians 5:18; because it's part of a larger thought, let's back up a bit and look at verses 16-18.
"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
09
02:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about this sentence from 1 John 4:4: "Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
09
09:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about this controversial passage (13:18) from the Revelation to John: “Let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
08
11:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Is there a special reason you want this interpreted?
I am the only person in my household holding up the banner for Jesus Christ.
Dear Friend,
The passage you request is from the story of Paul and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
05
THE REQUEST
I’ve been attending Unity Church Naples, Florida, for over a year.
Religious upbringing = strict Boston Irish-Catholic including 12 years of Catholic school.
I like to pray. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
04
11:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about this sentence (9:24) from the Letter to the Hebrews: "For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
03
Dear Friend,
You are asking about the familiar and beloved story of David and Goliath described in I Samuel 17:31-49. (I'm not going to transcribe the full text here.)
The essence of a metaphysical ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
03
08:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about this statement of Jesus, from Matthew 10:34: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."
...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
02
11:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
The passage you are asking about occurs only in Matthew 16:17-19. Both Mark and Luke record Peter's recognition of Jesus as the Christ, which immediately precedes this passage; but they ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
02
10:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked for guidance in understanding this passage from the Second Letter of Peter, 1:1-11.
"Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
01
09:30 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about Romans 1:24-32; I'm not going to transcribe it here because it's quite long. It's also quite controversial, cited frequently these days in support of the belief that ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
Jun
01
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You have asked about John 3:16; for clarity, let's add the two subsequent verses as well.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
29
02:00 PM
1 Comment
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
Your confusion about Mark 10:25 is understandable: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
We are ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
29
11:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
The passage you are asking about—Matthew 5: 27-28—is a part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and one in a series of examples he uses to emphasize the new dimension of spiritual ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
28
10:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
It is, of course, very significant that in requesting direction concerning the possibility of becoming a minister, you are guided to Psalm 121.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
28
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You ask about "endeavoring to keep the Unity of spirit through the bond of peace," but you don't specify a particular Bible passage you'd like to have interpreted.
Certainly ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
27
11:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about Psalm 1 from the Hebrew Bible Book of Psalms (RSV):
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
27
08:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
You are asking about this familiar passage from Genesis (1:26): "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
26
Dear Friend,
You are asking about this particular statement of Jesus from his final discourse to his closest disciples in the Gospel of John (14:2): "In my Father’s house are many rooms; ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
26
09:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
As with your previous question, you are asking about a portion of Jesus' great final discourse in the Gospel of John, immediately after the Last supper, in which he seeks to reinforce his ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
26
08:15 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
I believe your question refers to Matthew 18:6, which is part of this particular teaching (Matthew 18:1-6): "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ’Who is the greater ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
25
Dear Friend,
The ritual of baptism traces back to John the Baptist, who used the waters of the Jordan River to symbolize the washing away of old, limited beliefs that would make room in consciousness ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
25
09:00 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
Genesis 3:22-24 is, I think, a very key passage in terms of understanding our relationship to the power of God and why as spiritual beings we are here in human form. "Then the LORD ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
22
02:00 PM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Dear Friend,
Luke 12:13-21 is certainly an appropriate focus for your Bible study group in this time of economic uncertainty: "One of the multitude said to him, ’Teacher, bid my brother divide ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
22
11:45 AM
0 Comments
standard.topics error:
Normal
0
false
false
false
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
22
Dear Friend,
You have asked about this statement from John 11:25: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." Jesus is speaking to his friend ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
21
01:15 PM
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Dear Friend,
You asked about the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which is a very long and complex chapter. I suspect you are particularly interested in the parable described in verses 12 through ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
21
11:15 AM
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Dear Friend,
You are asking about Revelation 5:12. I think your point is valid that understanding this passage can help us approach other parts of this and other apocalyptic writings. To approach it ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
21
08:30 AM
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Dear Friend,
Blessings on your new business! You’ve certainly named it from a Bible passage of great creative power—the very first verses of the Book of Genesis: "In the beginning God ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
20
Dear Friend,
Your question asks if the beautiful twenty-third Psalm is still relevant today. I can only speak for myself, but I find its comfort and reassurance very helpful as I move through the challenges ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
20
09:15 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
You are asking about Matthew 6:22: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light" (RSV).
The eye—singular—is ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
19
11:45 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
Thanks for asking about this passage from the Gospel of Luke (12:1-3): "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
19
08:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
I assume from your comment that you are asking about John 21:20-24, not John 20: "Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
18
10:15 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
I assume your reference is to John 4:23-24, in which Jesus is speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. She is concerned because she has been taught that the only place that God is present ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
18
09:30 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
Thank you for asking about Mark 9:38-40: "John said to him, ’Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.’ ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
15
09:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
You have requested an interpretation of Leviticus 26:9-12: "And I will have regard for you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and will confirm my covenant with you. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
15
08:30 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
I think of this beautiful passage from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi (4:8) as one of his clearest and most powerful descriptions of how one is to live in Christ awareness. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
15
12:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
Chapter 21 in the Revelation to John—the book that concludes the Bible—is packed with imagery; I can only touch on an overall theme in this brief response to your question. ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
13
10:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
The Book of Job is, in a sense, the first biblical drama—a play in which a number of characters observe and debate the character and fate of Job, an apparently "blameless and ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
13
08:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
I share your appreciation for Genesis 50:20: "As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
12
01:00 PM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
You are correct in thinking that the Bible is intended to be a rich source of spiritual support and understanding. It’s sad that so many people feel the need to use it as a kind of ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
12
Dear Friend,
John 3:8 is, indeed, an evocative but challenging image. "The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
12
08:00 AM
0 Comments
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Dear Friend,
You’re asking about a line from this passage, Exodus 3:13-14: "Then Moses said to God, ’If I come to the people of Israel and say to them ’The God of your fathers ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
07
11:15 AM
0 Comments
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Matthew 25:31-34, 41
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and will separate people ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
07
John 14:6
I am the way, the truth and the life.
The phrase you're asking about comes from John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me." ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
07
Ephesians 5:22
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as you are to the Lord.
It's important to realize that the eternal spiritual energy of the Bible
does not always lie on the surface, but has to be ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
07
12 Powers in the Old Testament
Metaphysically, the number twelve always represents a state of spiritual completion. This is as true for the Twelve Tribes of the Hebrew Bible as it is for the Twelve ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
06
Psalm 91
The 91st Psalm is perhaps best known for being quoted by the tempter during Jesus' wilderness ordeal in both Matthew and Luke. It is a wisdom psalm—not directed to or against any particular ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
06
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
This great promise from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is absolute and unconditional. "Ask ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
06
John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
06
2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness?
The passage in ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
05
Luke 11:35
Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness.
Luke 11:35 is from Luke's version of Jesus' teachings that Matthew presents as the Sermon on the Mount (see Mt. 6:22). Jesus ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
05
Matthew 6:33
But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33 evolves out of Matthew 6:25: "Therefore I tell you, ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
05
08:00 AM
0 Comments
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1 Thessalonians 4:13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others who have no hope.
While Paul clearly and consistently ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
May
04
08:00 AM
0 Comments
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Proverbs 23: 13, 14
Do not withhold discipline from your children; if you beat them with a rod, they will not die. If you beat them with the rod, you will save their lives from Sheol.
This passage ...
Posted By Rev. Ed Townley
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About the Blogger
Rev. Ed Townley was licensed and ordained as a Unity minister in 1991. He has served as senior minister in Beaverton OR , Chicago IL and Dallas TX. Author of The Secret According to Jesus, a metaphysical exploration of the Sermon on the Mount, he is also host of Bible Alive, a weekly program on www.Unity.FM.
Rev. Ed is known as one of the top Bible teachers in the Unity movement. On The Bible Alive he digs deeper into the Bible than ever before, exploring difficult scriptures we would like to avoid.
In 1992 he founded Spirit Expressing, a non church ministry dedicated to the creative process. The Spirit Expressing ministry sponsors Higher Ground, a weekly Dallas group that explores spiritual principles through the challenges and adventures of life. Weekly talks and other materials are at www.spiritexpressing.org.
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