by Bonnie Calhoun

This is a new series that I contemplated starting!
"Let's have Famous Words and Phrases for ten, Alex!" Sheesh...you'd think I watched Jeopardy a lot!

"Raising Cain" means to act with abandonment or wildly. As a phrase, it is most likely descended from the Genesis character Cain who killed his brother, Abel, and was forever marked as a violent man.

"Jezebel" or "Delilah" is the name often given to a woman of cunning and deceit. Both bible characters were beautiful, though calculating in nature. Delilah was a seductress; Jezebel was a queen.

"A "Judas" can only refer to one personality trait: betrayal. Judas Iscariot betrayed his relationship to the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

"Doubting Thomas" didn't believe Jesus had truly risen from the dead. He insisted on touching the nail marks in the Lord's hands and side before he would believe. Today we call a person with doubts a doubting Thomas.

"Jonah" is considered an unlucky name. The prophet Jonah tried unsuccessfully to run from God's calling. He took refuge on a boat and brought nothing but trouble to the other passengers, because God would not forget Jonah. Someone who brings bad luck or misfortune is considered a Jonah

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"The salt of the earth" Many of the words we use in our culture come from the Lord Jesus. In describing his disciples with these words in Matthew 5:13. Christ was saying that they were valuable--salt being the preferred method of payment in those days. The phrase is still used to describe people we find valuable or important

"Seek and ye shall find" These oft-quoted words of Jesus come from his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:7. It is still generally used as advice or encouragement to those who need to be seeking...
"A wolf in sheep's clothing" Jesus created this phrase in Matthew 7:15 to describe religious leaders who appear righteous on the outside but are actually evil on the inside. We still use it to describe hypocrites or those who portray goodness while intending evil.

"The faith to move mountains" Although not currently used quite as often as it was in the twentieth century, the phrase refers to the power of belief. The words were first said by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 17:20 when He was talking to His disciples about healing the sick and the demon possessed.

"The blind leading the blind" Jesus coined this phrase in Matthew 15:14 when describing false teachers who insist they know the truth but do not, therefore leading innocent people astray. In our culture we generally use it as a negative descriptor for the self-important ans self-deluded.

Well folks, this is the first ten in the series. Let me know what you think!