Pay Attention to the Adjectives

By Edd Sterchi       It’s been a long time since I have been in English class. I sure do wish I had paid better attention then – I honestly believe that it would have greatly improved my Bible reading and study today. One aspect of grammar I do not remember studying much is the adjective (I must have slept through that whole semester!). An adjective is “a word used to describe or modify a noun,” such as “white” in the phrase “a white house.”     Now that our English primer is over, let’s go to the Bible. I wonder sometimes if we pay too much attention to the nouns and too little to the adjectives when we read the Word of God. Contemplating the adjectives can bring the message of the Scriptures into full flavor.     Take for example 1 Peter 2, where we read that each Christian is a stone (v.5), house (v.5), generation (v.9), priest (v.9), nation (v.9), and person (v.9) of God. While these should hold great meaning for us, please don’t skip over the adjectives. Pay attention to what they add to the text. Christians are living stones, spiritual houses, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people.     Through the sacrifice of Christ, God is the one who can make us alive, immortal, elect, important, blameless, and exceptional. Because of this, it shouldn’t be hard to remind ourselves of another adjective in 1 Peter 2 – that of concerning His “marvelous light” (i.e. salvation), and that should give us reason to “proclaim the praises of Him.” (v.9).

- Edd Sterchi preaches for the Broadway Church of Christ in Campbellsville, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.broadwaychurchofchrist.net/