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The Seven Deadly Sins The Seven Deadly Sins, having come under recent scrutiny at the hands of the 1995 film, Se7en are: Gluttony Greed Sloth Lust Vanity Envy Wrath They are, though certainly sins that Scripture condemns, not to be found in Scripture in any such...

Wedding Vows Wedding vows are not actually anything ever presented in Scripture, but the vows typical to Christian weddings are derived from the roles and responsibilities that Scripture places upon the husband and his wife. Typically, the man’s vows will reflect his...

The Sinner’s Prayer Though not quite a saying in itself, we hear tell of the Sinner’s Prayer enough that it’s easy to see why some may have come to believe it of canonical origin—and why they want to know the exact wording as found in Scripture for the lauded prayer....

The Three Wisemen During the advent season it is quite common to hear people tell the story of the three wise men, who, following the Star of Bethlehem, traveled from Babylonia on camels to present gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Jesus. This story,...

Pride comes before the fall It is uncertain when or why Proverbs 16:18 was altered for popular consumption, but the original rendition states that pride ends in destruction. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Sayings Not...

The lion shall lay down with the lamb This is a popularly misquoted passage from Scripture. From filtering into pop culture to influencing Christian kitsch, the image of a lamb sweetly nestled into the side of a powerful lion is one that resonates. We are often asked...

The eye is the window to the soul The Bible does not speak of the eye being a window to the soul, yet it does represent the eye as being a lamp of the body. Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of...

God works in mysterious ways Though uncertain in origin and certainly not found in Scripture (the phrase may originate from William Cowper’s hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”), that God does work in ways curious and beyond the measure of our limited experience and...

This too shall pass Trials and difficult circumstances are difficult to bear and one comfort that many have come to share with friends assailed by trouble is the saying: “This too shall pass.” Though the possible origins of this saying are too many and varied to...

Cleanliness is next to godliness The book of Leviticus frequently deals with the issue of cleanliness and impurity so that the Children of Israel would be clean as a sign of separation from the surrounding nations. Yet in the New Testament, cleanliness finds mention...

Money is the root of all evil This expression stems from the biblical phrase that says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10). There is a big difference between the two statements. Money is neutral and can be used either for the good...

God helps those who help themselves The saying “God helps those who help themselves” comes to us by various roots and across millennia. One of its earliest known expressions is from the Aesopian fable, “Hercules and the Wagoneer.” Here is the text of that brief fable:...

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you The biblical parallel to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is found in the following verse: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them (Matthew 7:12; cf....

To thine ownself be true When prompting people to follow their conscience on matters, the oft-touted “To thine own self be true” is occasionally cited as a Biblical recommendation. In truth, this saying originates in the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet. Polonius, the...

Spare the rod, spoil the child Despite popular opinion, the famous saying, “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” cannot be found anywhere in the Bible. The saying, however, should not be considered invalid as there are verses that promote a similar concept. Proverbs 13:24...

Better to cast your seed… A commonly referenced proverb to highlight the evils of masturbation frequently mistaken as a biblical admonition is typically phrased as, “It is better to cast your seed in the belly of a whore than to spill it on the ground.” The fact is,...

Once saved, always saved First of all, slogans like “Once Saved, Always Saved” are always regrettable because they polarize an issue, causing them to be touted or denounced vehemently not on the basis of truth as truth is, but only as it is represented in the stark...