1 Thessalonians 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
4 ἀλλὰ καθὼς δεδοκιμάσμεθα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, οὕτως λαλοῦμεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκοντες ἀλλὰ θεῷ τῷ δοκιμάζοντι τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν.
I don't really have a ton of deep exegetical insight about this. This is just a verse that struck me today. I do think that the word πιστευθῆναι is translated "to be entrusted with." This word is πιστεύω, which typically means something like "to believe" or "to have faith in." I don't want to make too big of a deal about it as this would preach really well and I'm not sure it is valid, but you could almost say that God had faith in Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. But isn't that what "entrusted" is all about? God trusted them. Why could He do that? He is the one who gave them new hearts so that they would be worth trusting. It's not about their inherent character and it's not something that they can manufacture. I fear that would how this could be preached and I would hate to do that.
What is their response? They speak so as to please God rather than man. They are not so concerned about making man happy as they are about making God happy. If you read the rest of this chapter you will see that this is not a license to bring out the big gilded pew bible and use it as a sledgehammer. However, it is a clear call to faithfulness in gospel ministry.
Frankly, that is the call that we all have. Want to make God happy? Preach the gospel. It seems that we look for hoops to jump through. God is not happy with you simply because you dress a certain way, avoid certain movies, and don't drink beer. In this case, Paul emphasizes that his preaching the gospel makes God happy.
Let's focus on that, amen?
Showing posts with label aorist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aorist. Show all posts
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Righteousness of God
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
21 τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.
This is one of those verses that just about everyone has heard at some point. It makes for a great song too. But what does it mean? Paul uses the aorist subjunctive γενώμεθα for this. The subjunctive can be thought of as the mood of possibility. In other words, what Paul is saying is that Christ's death made it possible for us to become the righteousness of God.
Why is this necessary? We are sinners and God is holy. Because He is perfectly holy He cannot stand sin. Sin has no place in His presence; therefore, there must be righteousness instead. The witness of Exodus and Leviticus is that there must be blood as a payment for sin because God's justice must be satisfied. The problem is that even unblemished lambs do not permanently remove the stain of sin.
There had to be a perfect sacrifice for sin that worked once for all time. The most wooden translation of this verse is that "The one who did not know sin on behalf of us was made sin." Obviously the ESV is a lot prettier. The point is that Christ actually became sin for us on the cross.
Let that sink in a bit. There has only ever been one man who lived without sin and that one man had to take on the sin of the world. Imagine if you were to find out that some large debt you have was canceled. If you're a homeowner your mortgage is a great example. Then imagine that you find out that some close friend had actually sold all of his possessions so that he could pay off your debt. That would be unbelievable, right? It would be a gift so incredible that most of us would have a hard time accepting it. Imagine the gratitude we would feel toward that person afterwards.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what Christ endured on the cross. He suffered unbelievable physical and spiritual anguish. If you are in Christ, take a little time to consider this today. I know that I have been blessed by this.
21 τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ.
This is one of those verses that just about everyone has heard at some point. It makes for a great song too. But what does it mean? Paul uses the aorist subjunctive γενώμεθα for this. The subjunctive can be thought of as the mood of possibility. In other words, what Paul is saying is that Christ's death made it possible for us to become the righteousness of God.
Why is this necessary? We are sinners and God is holy. Because He is perfectly holy He cannot stand sin. Sin has no place in His presence; therefore, there must be righteousness instead. The witness of Exodus and Leviticus is that there must be blood as a payment for sin because God's justice must be satisfied. The problem is that even unblemished lambs do not permanently remove the stain of sin.
There had to be a perfect sacrifice for sin that worked once for all time. The most wooden translation of this verse is that "The one who did not know sin on behalf of us was made sin." Obviously the ESV is a lot prettier. The point is that Christ actually became sin for us on the cross.
Let that sink in a bit. There has only ever been one man who lived without sin and that one man had to take on the sin of the world. Imagine if you were to find out that some large debt you have was canceled. If you're a homeowner your mortgage is a great example. Then imagine that you find out that some close friend had actually sold all of his possessions so that he could pay off your debt. That would be unbelievable, right? It would be a gift so incredible that most of us would have a hard time accepting it. Imagine the gratitude we would feel toward that person afterwards.
That only begins to scratch the surface of what Christ endured on the cross. He suffered unbelievable physical and spiritual anguish. If you are in Christ, take a little time to consider this today. I know that I have been blessed by this.
Friday, July 08, 2011
"Our" Ministry
2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
1 Διὰ τοῦτο, ἔχοντες τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην καθὼς ἠλεήθημεν, οὐκ ἐγκακοῦμεν
This verse picks up where we left off in the previous post. The verb in the first clause is ἠλεήθημεν, which is in the aorist passive. This means that Paul is telling them that God gave them ministry at some point in the past. It doesn't tell us how it happened, but it does tell us that it was given to them. Also, the verse does not expressly state that it comes from the mercy of God, but it does say that it came by mercy. It's pretty safe to infer that God is the one who granted them mercy.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
As someone who is in the middle of planting a church, I find this to be an encouragement. I think it is safe to extrapolate this verse to describe ministry in general. Really the word is τὴν διακονίαν, which is the word from which we get "deacon." It refers to ministry or service. What I get out of this is that any ministry or service we get to do for God's people comes from the mercy of God. This verse starts with the phrase Διὰ τοῦτο, which literally means "therefore this." This explains the phrase at the end. Why don't we give up hope? We don't give up hope because we received ministry from the mercy of God.
This gives me hope because that I trust God to do His will. I enjoy the blessing of being an instrument in His hands, but really it is His ministry. If we assemble a fellowship it will be because God in His mercy brought a fellowship to us. My concern is my personal holiness. Although God can use anyone at anytime to do His will, I also know that it will be a lot easier for me if I am walking closely with Him. I've often heard it said that if you want to know God's will you need to think the way He thinks. How do you do that? You walk in close fellowship with Him through prayer, time in the Word, fellowship, worship, etc.
The point of all this is that I find great encouragement knowing that this is God's ministry and that it is enabled by His mercy. That takes the pressure off of me to make it succeed. I certainly must do my part as well as God has gifted me to do it, but I don't need to think that it is all about me. As with all of life, it is all about Him.
Friday, May 27, 2011
How We Must Live
Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
22 νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ ἔχετε τὸν καρπὸν ὑμῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν, τὸ δὲ τέλος ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
This is the chapter that begins with the rhetorical question as to whether we should go on sinning so that grace may abound. Paul responds with the emphatic μὴ γένοιτο, which is translated "by no means" in the ESV. I think a stronger translation is something like, "may it never happen!" or "let it never be so!" though of course neither of those flow as nicely in English.
The point is that Paul uses this chapter to explain what it means to be a child of God. The key phrase here is νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ. The words ἐλευθερωθέντες and δουλωθέντες are both aorist passive participles. They get a verbal sense to them with the pronoun νυνὶ. What he is saying is just what the text says in the ESV. He is saying that two things happened when we were saved. First, we were set free from sin. Second, we became slaves of God.
The reason I want to emphasize this is because Americans in particular tend to minimize the idea of slavery in the New Testament. We might go on and on about what slavery meant in that culture as we try to explain Colossians 3:22 or Ephesians 6:5. No matter how we slice it, a slave was bound to his master. Therefore, he had to do his master's will.
If we are truly saved then we are slaves of God. Now of course slaves disobey from time to time. We will deal with that tomorrow. The point is that we need to be in the mindset of total devotion to the Lord. To think less is to minimize what happened on the cross.
Where are you? Are you a slave of God or of sin? It's going to be one or the other.
The point is that Paul uses this chapter to explain what it means to be a child of God. The key phrase here is νυνὶ δὲ ἐλευθερωθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλωθέντες δὲ τῷ θεῷ. The words ἐλευθερωθέντες and δουλωθέντες are both aorist passive participles. They get a verbal sense to them with the pronoun νυνὶ. What he is saying is just what the text says in the ESV. He is saying that two things happened when we were saved. First, we were set free from sin. Second, we became slaves of God.
The reason I want to emphasize this is because Americans in particular tend to minimize the idea of slavery in the New Testament. We might go on and on about what slavery meant in that culture as we try to explain Colossians 3:22 or Ephesians 6:5. No matter how we slice it, a slave was bound to his master. Therefore, he had to do his master's will.
If we are truly saved then we are slaves of God. Now of course slaves disobey from time to time. We will deal with that tomorrow. The point is that we need to be in the mindset of total devotion to the Lord. To think less is to minimize what happened on the cross.
Where are you? Are you a slave of God or of sin? It's going to be one or the other.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Once More
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
9 καὶ ἐβλήθη ὁ δράκων ὁ μέγας, ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὁ καλούμενος Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς, ὁ πλανῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐβλήθησαν.
As I noted in my previous post, we see cycles happening in the book of Revelation. Here we see the great dragon ἐβλήθη. This is an aorist to show that at some indefinite time he saw the dragon thrown down. It's not necessarily puncticular as some older theologians may say, but it did happen sometime. It's certainly not a continuous action.
My reason for bringing this up is to emphasize that Revelation probably should not be read as one continuous story. That is how I'm learning to read it in seminary, but I don't think that is right. One way I've heard it described is cameras at a football game. Think about when there is a close play on the sideline where you're not sure if the receiver got both feet in with control of the ball. You first see the play at full speed with one angle. Then you might see a reverse angle. Then you might see a view from across the sideline at 90 degrees from the play. Then you might see another view from straight above. Then there is the view down the sideline.
I think that's a good metaphor for how the story unfolds in the book of Revelation. Try reading it in that light and see what you find.
My reason for bringing this up is to emphasize that Revelation probably should not be read as one continuous story. That is how I'm learning to read it in seminary, but I don't think that is right. One way I've heard it described is cameras at a football game. Think about when there is a close play on the sideline where you're not sure if the receiver got both feet in with control of the ball. You first see the play at full speed with one angle. Then you might see a reverse angle. Then you might see a view from across the sideline at 90 degrees from the play. Then you might see another view from straight above. Then there is the view down the sideline.
I think that's a good metaphor for how the story unfolds in the book of Revelation. Try reading it in that light and see what you find.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Why Do We Love?
1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
19 ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.
This is such a rich chapter that it is almost impossible to know what to write about. This is such a simple, but powerful verse. The chapter is about love and how love is the manifestation of Christ in us. In other words, if we don't love other people then we lie when we say that we know Christ. It is impossible for us not to love if we know Christ. But why is that?
This verse tells us why. We love because He first loved us. There is nothing magic in the Greek. The first person plural is in the present active indicative. This refers to the present act of loving. It is what we do. The other verb is a third person aorist. That means that in some unidentified time in the past God loved us first.
What this verse tells us is the means of how we love - we love because God first loved us. But it also tells us something about the timing. God loved us first. He loved us before we ever loved Him. Other passages shed more light into this truth. We cannot love Him unless He loves us first because we are dead in our sins. Dead people don't make decisions and they certainly cannot love.
When I consider this verse I am moved by God's immense love for an incredible sinner such as I. I think of all the times when I have sinned and cannot believe that He would extend His grace to me. Yet He does. If you know Christ this must move you too. If you're not, then I urge you to repent and believe.
This verse tells us why. We love because He first loved us. There is nothing magic in the Greek. The first person plural is in the present active indicative. This refers to the present act of loving. It is what we do. The other verb is a third person aorist. That means that in some unidentified time in the past God loved us first.
What this verse tells us is the means of how we love - we love because God first loved us. But it also tells us something about the timing. God loved us first. He loved us before we ever loved Him. Other passages shed more light into this truth. We cannot love Him unless He loves us first because we are dead in our sins. Dead people don't make decisions and they certainly cannot love.
When I consider this verse I am moved by God's immense love for an incredible sinner such as I. I think of all the times when I have sinned and cannot believe that He would extend His grace to me. Yet He does. If you know Christ this must move you too. If you're not, then I urge you to repent and believe.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
True Authority
Revelation 13:7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
7 καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος. 8 καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὗ οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγμένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
It's tempting to get sidetracked with interpretive questions here. Who is the beast? Is it the President? I don't think so for a lot of reasons. Some thought it was Kennedy. Others thought it was Hitler. Pope John Paul II was another candidate. We can speculate forever about this and in fact there are many folks who love to do just that. I do not want to venture any guess about that.
But what I do know for sure is that any evil only exists through authority given by the Lord. The phrase ἐδόθη αὐτῷ (literally translated "it was given") is an aorist passive. In other words, all of these abominations could not happen apart from God's will. He does not necessarily will each specific evil act, but He does give authority to this beast.
We've seen this before in Scripture. The same thing happens in Job, which makes some skeptics see the whole book as little more than a bar bet between God and Satan. But where we see this most significantly is at the cross. There are references throughout Scripture that it was God's will for Jesus to die on the cross. Therefore, in a sense God willed the most heinous act ever committed.
Does this mean we should throw in the towel when it comes to God? By no means! Instead, it should comfort us that nothing happens beyond His control. I can't speak for you, but I always like to have a sense of what is going on. I can handle a certain degree of chaos if I know that the important things are taken care of. Knowing that God is ultimately in charge gives me great comfort. All sorts of terrible things happen to Christians every day. Yet God is in control and has a plan to make it all work out for His glory. Therefore, if we focus on the Lord and the glory of His name as our greatest good then we can weather anything that comes our way.
7 καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος. 8 καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὗ οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγμένου ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
It's tempting to get sidetracked with interpretive questions here. Who is the beast? Is it the President? I don't think so for a lot of reasons. Some thought it was Kennedy. Others thought it was Hitler. Pope John Paul II was another candidate. We can speculate forever about this and in fact there are many folks who love to do just that. I do not want to venture any guess about that.
But what I do know for sure is that any evil only exists through authority given by the Lord. The phrase ἐδόθη αὐτῷ (literally translated "it was given") is an aorist passive. In other words, all of these abominations could not happen apart from God's will. He does not necessarily will each specific evil act, but He does give authority to this beast.
We've seen this before in Scripture. The same thing happens in Job, which makes some skeptics see the whole book as little more than a bar bet between God and Satan. But where we see this most significantly is at the cross. There are references throughout Scripture that it was God's will for Jesus to die on the cross. Therefore, in a sense God willed the most heinous act ever committed.
Does this mean we should throw in the towel when it comes to God? By no means! Instead, it should comfort us that nothing happens beyond His control. I can't speak for you, but I always like to have a sense of what is going on. I can handle a certain degree of chaos if I know that the important things are taken care of. Knowing that God is ultimately in charge gives me great comfort. All sorts of terrible things happen to Christians every day. Yet God is in control and has a plan to make it all work out for His glory. Therefore, if we focus on the Lord and the glory of His name as our greatest good then we can weather anything that comes our way.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
The Humanity of Christ
Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
8 καίπερ ὢν υἱός, ἔμαθεν ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔπαθεν τὴν ὑπακοήν, 9 καὶ τελειωθεὶς ἐγένετο πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου, 10 προσαγορευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ.
This is an interesting passage to wrap the old noodle around, isn't it? Here is looks like Jesus had a time when He was not obedient, but had to learn it throughout the course of His life. Did He start out imperfect and then become perfect over time?
The grammar doesn't necessarily help us here. The word τελειωθεὶς is an aorist passive particple. Being in the aorist means that it is simply undefined. It could mean that His life was a time of sanctification in which He was slowly perfected until the cross. All we know from this snapshot is that He was made perfect. What's interesting is that ἐγένετο is also in the aorist. It means that from the perspective of the author of Hebews there was a time when Jesus was made perfect.
But when? This doesn't tell us for sure either way, but I would maintain that Jesus became perfect when He was born. In other words, when the man Jesus was conceived He was conceived as a perfect man. This makes this passage consistent with the rest of Christology that we get from clearer passages of Scripture. This shows us that we cannot rely too heavily on rules of Greek grammar to tell us everything. Sometimes it is just ambiguous. Other times it is crystal-clear.
One thing the book of Hebrews does is that it shows me that Jesus is someone who can relate to me at some level. He experienced humanity and knows what it was like. This is something that is a great comfort to me as I continually try to learn more obedience.
8 καίπερ ὢν υἱός, ἔμαθεν ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔπαθεν τὴν ὑπακοήν, 9 καὶ τελειωθεὶς ἐγένετο πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου, 10 προσαγορευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισέδεκ.
This is an interesting passage to wrap the old noodle around, isn't it? Here is looks like Jesus had a time when He was not obedient, but had to learn it throughout the course of His life. Did He start out imperfect and then become perfect over time?
The grammar doesn't necessarily help us here. The word τελειωθεὶς is an aorist passive particple. Being in the aorist means that it is simply undefined. It could mean that His life was a time of sanctification in which He was slowly perfected until the cross. All we know from this snapshot is that He was made perfect. What's interesting is that ἐγένετο is also in the aorist. It means that from the perspective of the author of Hebews there was a time when Jesus was made perfect.
But when? This doesn't tell us for sure either way, but I would maintain that Jesus became perfect when He was born. In other words, when the man Jesus was conceived He was conceived as a perfect man. This makes this passage consistent with the rest of Christology that we get from clearer passages of Scripture. This shows us that we cannot rely too heavily on rules of Greek grammar to tell us everything. Sometimes it is just ambiguous. Other times it is crystal-clear.
One thing the book of Hebrews does is that it shows me that Jesus is someone who can relate to me at some level. He experienced humanity and knows what it was like. This is something that is a great comfort to me as I continually try to learn more obedience.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Turn or Burn
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
9 αὐτοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ὁποίαν εἴσοδον ἔσχομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πῶς ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ
I've always wanted to say that, but I haven't been in a church setting quite country enough for it. Yet that is basically what Paul is getting at here. He's still greeting the Thessalonians and his greetings are usually pretty upbeat. Here he tells of how the Thessalonians became Christians. They ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων. The word ἐπεστρέψατε is 2nd person plural aorist active indicative. I don't want to make too big of a deal about the aorist tense, but basically it means that there was some time in the past where they were serving idols, but they turned from them δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ.
We can find a myriad of applications to this and I write from experience. I can remember my idolatry to sexual sin when I was enslaved to pornography and self-gratification. I remember my idolatry to food and ease when I was mired in gluttony and laziness. There were dead idols.
This is not to imply that I have no idols. I am continually reminded of how I can make an idol out of my schoolwork. I still have leanings toward making sex into an idol. The heart is a factory for idols.
The good news is that there is a living and true God out there. Serving Him is always better than serving idols. Before we can do that we need to turn from our idols. Another word for that is to repent. It has to be a 180 degree turn. You can't turn 179 degrees. Basically, there are 359 degrees of idolatry and 1 degree that points to God. Any sailor can tell you that a minor course deviation makes a huge difference over a long voyage.
I pray that we all run straight to God. Why serve idols when we can serve the living and true God?
9 αὐτοὶ γὰρ περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ὁποίαν εἴσοδον ἔσχομεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πῶς ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ
I've always wanted to say that, but I haven't been in a church setting quite country enough for it. Yet that is basically what Paul is getting at here. He's still greeting the Thessalonians and his greetings are usually pretty upbeat. Here he tells of how the Thessalonians became Christians. They ἐπεστρέψατε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων. The word ἐπεστρέψατε is 2nd person plural aorist active indicative. I don't want to make too big of a deal about the aorist tense, but basically it means that there was some time in the past where they were serving idols, but they turned from them δουλεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι καὶ ἀληθινῷ.
We can find a myriad of applications to this and I write from experience. I can remember my idolatry to sexual sin when I was enslaved to pornography and self-gratification. I remember my idolatry to food and ease when I was mired in gluttony and laziness. There were dead idols.
This is not to imply that I have no idols. I am continually reminded of how I can make an idol out of my schoolwork. I still have leanings toward making sex into an idol. The heart is a factory for idols.
The good news is that there is a living and true God out there. Serving Him is always better than serving idols. Before we can do that we need to turn from our idols. Another word for that is to repent. It has to be a 180 degree turn. You can't turn 179 degrees. Basically, there are 359 degrees of idolatry and 1 degree that points to God. Any sailor can tell you that a minor course deviation makes a huge difference over a long voyage.
I pray that we all run straight to God. Why serve idols when we can serve the living and true God?
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Great Inheritance
Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ 12 εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ.
Ephesians is one of those books where it is hard for me to pick just a single short passage and write about it. This book has been transformational in my thinking about God. Any idea of a God who doesn't know the future goes right out the window. Any idea of a God who is beholden to man's "free will" is also destroyed by this book.
First of all, we see ἐκληρώθημεν, which is an aorist passive first person plural verb. The fact that it is passive shows that the inheritance is something we receive rather than obtain. There is a big difference there. Man is not the actor, but has the action done to him. We have obtained this incredible inheritance of eternal life through Christ. Many stories have been written where a long-lost uncle or aunt dies and leaves some ridiculous inheritance. (This is one of my favorites.) We have something even better. We have the God of the universe telling us that we have an inheritance in Him.
Unlike hapless Brewster, we have assurance that this will work out. Why? We know it is true because τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. He works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, anything that happens is according to the counsel of His will. Katrina? That cannot happen apart from the counsel of His will. The 9/11 attacks? He certainly could have prevented them, but He didn't. I don't want to get into the arguments about theodicy here, but the text certainly seems to say that everything has a reason behind it. We just don't know what that reason is.
Finally, we see why God would bother with sinners like us. He does this for the praise of His glory. It's all about His glory. If God were on earth and subject to psychologists He would be called narcissistic. But the thing is that He is God. Therefore, He alone deserves to have that kind of praise and glory heaped upon Him. And in fact we are most satisfied when we feed that by focusing our attention on bringing Him glory.
This whole book is just amazing. It shows us that God is really big, we are really small, and that this infinite God is also incredibly loving and merciful. I hope that you enjoy contemplating the greatness and glory of this God, whether things are going well for you or poorly. It's a reminder I definitely need.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Whom He Has Chosen
John 13:18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.'
18 Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω· ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ· ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ.
This statement comes after Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, including Judas'. Could you imagine knowing that you were performing such a menial task for one who would betray you to your death in a few hours? I don't know if I could do it. In fact, I'm sure that I couldn't apart from the Holy Spirit.
But what really impresses me with this is the statement that Jesus makes about how ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην. The word ἐξελεξάμην is an aorist middle first person indicative. It is from εκλεγω, which means to choose. The translation is just fine. I take this to mean that Jesus specifically chose His disciples. He still does this today. We may think that we are in control of this, but it was done from before time began.
Nevertheless, I do not know who He chose. Therefore, I keep issuing the call to salvation. Repent and believe in Christ and you will be saved. My prayer is that those who read this would either take heart in their salvation or else be saved for the first time as they read this.
18 Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω· ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ· ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ.
This statement comes after Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, including Judas'. Could you imagine knowing that you were performing such a menial task for one who would betray you to your death in a few hours? I don't know if I could do it. In fact, I'm sure that I couldn't apart from the Holy Spirit.
But what really impresses me with this is the statement that Jesus makes about how ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην. The word ἐξελεξάμην is an aorist middle first person indicative. It is from εκλεγω, which means to choose. The translation is just fine. I take this to mean that Jesus specifically chose His disciples. He still does this today. We may think that we are in control of this, but it was done from before time began.
Nevertheless, I do not know who He chose. Therefore, I keep issuing the call to salvation. Repent and believe in Christ and you will be saved. My prayer is that those who read this would either take heart in their salvation or else be saved for the first time as they read this.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Enjoy Your Ham
Acts 10:15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
15 καὶ φωνὴ πάλιν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν· ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐκαθάρισεν, σὺ μὴ κοίνου. 16 τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τρίς καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνελήμφθη τὸ σκεῦος εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.
This passage comes at the end of a vision that really shocked Peter. He saw a sheet descend from heaven with all kinds of animals on it. A voice told him to go, kill, and eat. This astounded Peter because he was a devout Jew. He would not even think of eating ham, for example. The Law strictly forbade it and that was enough for him. Yet here we see that God made all foods clean. I might even translate ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐκαθάρισεν very literally as "what God cleansed." The verb ἐκαθάρισεν is a third-person aorist indicative. That means that there was some undefined time that God cleansed all things, but that it certainly did happen.
On one hand, this passage is great because it gives us the liberty to enjoy ham this Easter. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that one of the reasons why ham is such a traditional Easter food is because it shows us the liberty we have in Christ. On the other hand, I was able to find a site that says it has pagan roots. Either way, it is a very tasty food and we can enjoy it with full liberty because we are not under the Law.
I think that this passage goes beyond salted meats though. The chapter goes on to describe Peter's encounter with Cornelius, a gentile centurion. The Lord also appeared to Cornelius in a vision and that brought the two together. He sent Cornelius to the house where Peter was staying and this vision from the Lord prepared Peter to have an encounter with an unclean gentile. Thus began the gospel ministry to the gentiles.
As a gentile I rejoice in this fact. Christ's death made me clean. I can enjoy fellowship with God because of Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection. Think about this on Sunday as you sit down to enjoy food that Moses declared to be unclean.
15 καὶ φωνὴ πάλιν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν· ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐκαθάρισεν, σὺ μὴ κοίνου. 16 τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τρίς καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνελήμφθη τὸ σκεῦος εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.
This passage comes at the end of a vision that really shocked Peter. He saw a sheet descend from heaven with all kinds of animals on it. A voice told him to go, kill, and eat. This astounded Peter because he was a devout Jew. He would not even think of eating ham, for example. The Law strictly forbade it and that was enough for him. Yet here we see that God made all foods clean. I might even translate ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἐκαθάρισεν very literally as "what God cleansed." The verb ἐκαθάρισεν is a third-person aorist indicative. That means that there was some undefined time that God cleansed all things, but that it certainly did happen.
On one hand, this passage is great because it gives us the liberty to enjoy ham this Easter. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that one of the reasons why ham is such a traditional Easter food is because it shows us the liberty we have in Christ. On the other hand, I was able to find a site that says it has pagan roots. Either way, it is a very tasty food and we can enjoy it with full liberty because we are not under the Law.
I think that this passage goes beyond salted meats though. The chapter goes on to describe Peter's encounter with Cornelius, a gentile centurion. The Lord also appeared to Cornelius in a vision and that brought the two together. He sent Cornelius to the house where Peter was staying and this vision from the Lord prepared Peter to have an encounter with an unclean gentile. Thus began the gospel ministry to the gentiles.
As a gentile I rejoice in this fact. Christ's death made me clean. I can enjoy fellowship with God because of Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection. Think about this on Sunday as you sit down to enjoy food that Moses declared to be unclean.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Connecting the Dots
Acts 1:15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."
15 Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν· ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι· 16 ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ περὶ Ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, 17 ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης.
Note: You may wonder how we got from Luke to Acts. What happened to John? Since Luke-Acts is one big narrative I decided to go for continuity. We'll get back to John.
This little discourse happens as Peter addresses the gathered saints after Jesus' ascension. What I find interesting is his declaration that ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν which very woodenly is, "it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled." The word πληρωθῆναι is an aorist passive infinitive. This means that it refers to an undefined time in the passive voice. I don't want to overstate the importance of the aorist.
My point is just that Peter was connecting the dots. Hardcore Old Testament guys will say that you only need the Old Testament. That is true to a degree, but we can't unring the bell either, so to speak. What I mean is that we have the New Testament. We understand what all the references to the coming seed of Abraham mean. We understand the true fulfillment of the Davidic dynasty. It all points to Jesus.
Peter didn't get it at first, but he sure understood by this point. It became his mission to tell his people about it. "You know the one we've been looking for? You know how our firstborn males of Judah are named Ιησους? Well, this Ιησους was Messiah."
It's important for us not to miss this. It's easy for us to look down on the Jews for their ignorance. However, we tend to functionally live the same way. We may have this idea that Jesus is indeed Messiah, but do we have other functional saviors? I don't want to springboard too much off of this verse, but my point is that we need to look to Christ alone for our salvation. The world offers so many attractive things. So many other things compete for our worship and affection. Let's focus on Christ alone. He is the one about whom the Scriptures attest. Let's focus on Him.
15 Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν· ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι· 16 ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ περὶ Ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, 17 ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης.
Note: You may wonder how we got from Luke to Acts. What happened to John? Since Luke-Acts is one big narrative I decided to go for continuity. We'll get back to John.
This little discourse happens as Peter addresses the gathered saints after Jesus' ascension. What I find interesting is his declaration that ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν which very woodenly is, "it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled." The word πληρωθῆναι is an aorist passive infinitive. This means that it refers to an undefined time in the passive voice. I don't want to overstate the importance of the aorist.
My point is just that Peter was connecting the dots. Hardcore Old Testament guys will say that you only need the Old Testament. That is true to a degree, but we can't unring the bell either, so to speak. What I mean is that we have the New Testament. We understand what all the references to the coming seed of Abraham mean. We understand the true fulfillment of the Davidic dynasty. It all points to Jesus.
Peter didn't get it at first, but he sure understood by this point. It became his mission to tell his people about it. "You know the one we've been looking for? You know how our firstborn males of Judah are named Ιησους? Well, this Ιησους was Messiah."
It's important for us not to miss this. It's easy for us to look down on the Jews for their ignorance. However, we tend to functionally live the same way. We may have this idea that Jesus is indeed Messiah, but do we have other functional saviors? I don't want to springboard too much off of this verse, but my point is that we need to look to Christ alone for our salvation. The world offers so many attractive things. So many other things compete for our worship and affection. Let's focus on Christ alone. He is the one about whom the Scriptures attest. Let's focus on Him.
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