The Bible often takes words that don’t go together, and puts them together to grab our attention and help us see the point more clearly. For example, Paul writes “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live” in Galatians 2:20. The Gospels tell of the “Virgin birth” and Jesus says that “the first shall be last.” All of these phrases, even when brought into English, catch our ear and make us stop and examine them more closely to see just what is being claimed.
There are some words or phrases that just don’t go together. “Jumbo Shrimp,” “New Antiques,” “kind of pregnant,” or “sort of married” are some that come to my mind. Other phrases can become part of our standard English, like “virtual reality” or “Icy Hot.” In the English language, we call them “oxymorons,” a funny sounding word in and of itself. That word has a Greek origin, and could be translated as “pointedly foolish” and refers to a statement that makes a self-contradiction.
We all slip up in our speech at times, but the Bible often uses these pointed phrases to drive home a point. The Bible often takes words that don’t go together, and puts them together to grab our attention and help us see the point more clearly. For example, Paul writes “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live” in Galatians 2:20. The Gospels tell of the “Virgin birth” and Jesus says that “the first shall be last.” All of these phrases, even when brought into English, catch our ear and make us stop and examine them more closely to see just what is being claimed.
Another of these phrases can be found in the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 9, a synagogue official comes to Jesus because his daughter has passed away. This man’s life has been interrupted in the worst possible way. Somehow, he heard of this man Jesus who was teaching, healing, and performing all sorts of miracles. In desperation, he comes to him and pours out his heart.
“While He was saying these things to them, a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.'” (Matthew 9:18)
