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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...

Moderation in all things The phrase, “Moderation in all things,” is common extrapolation of Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean (as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics). His ethic works around finding the mean, or middle ground, between excess and deficiency. An example...

Sayings Not Found in Scripture We often get questions by people asking us to locate various sayings in the Bible which do not exist. Many sayings have developed throughout the years by a variety of means. Scripture supports the purposes of some of the sayings while...