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1 Peter 3:3 – Simple Adornment

Posted on January 7, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:3

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel

Truth to Learn

Our outward appearance reflects the attitude of our heart.

Behind the Words

The word translated “adornment” is the Greek word kosmos. This is the same word that in some places is translated “world” or “world system.” In its root meaning it refers to an orderly arrangement of things. From this word we get our English word “cosmetic.”

“Arranging” is from the Greek word emplokē, which is the noun form of the verb emplekō, meaning “to interweave, to braid-in, or to entangle.”

Meaning Explained

Note that Peter is not condemning adornment, or ornamentation. In fact, in the following verses he talks about the preferable type of adornment for women. The apostle Paul says a similar thing:

In the same way also, that women adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and sensibleness, not adorned with braiding, or gold, or pearls, or costly clothing, (1 Timothy 2:9)

Neither Peter nor Paul say that it is wrong to adorn. In fact, in the 1 Timothy passage just quoted, Paul says that women should adorn themselves in “decent” or “modest” clothing (depending on which translation you are reading). This word is from the Greek word kosmios, which has the same root as kosmos. Paul says that women should be adorned in “orderly” apparel.

What both of these writers say is that it is wrong to focus solely on the outward adornment. The things which Peter refers to in today’s verse as well as the things that Paul refers to in the passage in 1 Timothy all have to do with expensive adornment. In the first century, only the wealthy women could afford to have their hair put up in fancy braids. The Roman women of that day were known for ridiculous extravagance in the adornment of their hair. This included dying the hair, elaborate braiding or arranging with costly pins and nets of gold thread. It even included the use of false hair additions and blond wigs. It was common for these women to also braid flowers, jewelry, and other attention grabbing items into the hair.

Why do you suppose they did this? Here’s what it says in 1 Samuel 16:7:

For man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart.

These women wanted others to be attracted to them, to their outward appearance and to their wealth. God would rather have people notice our lifestyle, a reflection of what is in our heart.

Application

We Christians should all be careful to present a neat and orderly appearance since we are representatives of (and children of) the Great King and Lord of the universe. But we should represent Him, not ourselves. People who see us should not be wowed by our clothing or jewelry. Instead, they should notice our attitude and behavior, the outward manifestations of our faith in God.

Let us all remember this when we get dressed tomorrow.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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1 Peter 3:2 – Wondrous Pure Conduct

Posted on January 6, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:2

when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

Truth to Learn

The pure lifestyle of a God-fearing woman is a thing of wonder to behold.

Behind the Words

The phrase, “when they observe” comes from the Greek word epopteuō, which is a compound of epi, meaning “on” or “upon” and a form of optomai, which means “to gaze.” There are a number of words in the Greek that are used for different types of looking, words that mean to see, to look at, to look closely at, to stare, to be a spectator, and to spy on. These are all distinctly different than this word which means, according to Strong’s concordance, “to gaze upon (that is, with wide open eyes, as at something remarkable).” The word is expressed here as an aorist participle, implying continuous action which occurred before the main verb of this sentence (“they may be won” in the previous verse). So, we could translate this as, “they having observed…”

The word translated “chaste” is the Greek word hagnos. This comes from the same root as hagios, a word we’ve looked at before, meaning “holy” or “pure.” The word in today’s verse means “clean, innocent, modest, chaste, or pure.”

“Conduct” is translated from anastrophē, which is made up of ana, meaning “up,” and a form of strephō, meaning “to turn.” Hence, this word literally means “to turn up,” but by application it means “to go back and forth” and has come to mean “manner of living, lifestyle, behavior, or conduct.”

Meaning Explained

When a Christian woman is totally committed to God and living a submitted life (to God and to her husband), even an unsaved husband will look at her with wonder. The thing which causes such amazement in her husband, according to Peter, is her “chaste behavior.”

This pure lifestyle is the most effective witness to an unsaved husband. Unfortunately, some women married to unsaved men feel like they need to preach at their husbands or badger them into going to church on Sunday. Instead, Peter says that a woman in this situation is to live a life totally devoted to God and submitted to her husband. That doesn’t mean that the woman has to do whatever her husband wants if what he wants is contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Her top priorities have to be obedience to God and a pure lifestyle. But Peter does teach us (from the previous verse) that “they (unsaved husbands), without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives.” In the next couple of verses, Peter will give us more details about how this type of woman conducts herself.

Let me say that a pure lifestyle and a submissive spirit are exactly the qualities, coupled with a solid faith and reverential fear of the Lord, which caused me to first gaze at and admire the young woman who eventually became my wife more than thirty years ago. Qualities that I still find remarkable even today!

Application

Ladies, do you want your husband to gaze at you in wonder, as he looks at something remarkable? That, according to Peter, comes from your clean lifestyle and submission to your husband. Not as a patsy or a door-mat, but as a life partner who has a solid, abiding faith in God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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1 Peter 3:1 – Submission & Love

Posted on January 5, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:1

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,

Truth to Learn

Submission is one part of God’s plan for marriages.

Behind the Words

“Wives” is translated from gunē, meaning “a woman” or “a wife” (see Revelation 19:7).

The word “husbands” is from anēr, meaning “a man” or “a husband.”

The words “your own” are a translation of the Greek word idiois, meaning “that which is specifically one’s own.” Hence, wives are to be submitted to their own husband, not to any husband.

The word translated “submissive” is from hupotassō, which we have recently learned has the meaning “under rank.” It is expressed here not as a command, but as a passive participle. Hence, Peter is saying, “Wives being submitted to …”

Meaning Explained

In the middle of the previous chapter Peter began a theme of submission, “submit unto every ordinance of man” and “servants submit yourselves to your masters.” The same idea appears in James’ letter to the church where we are instructed to submit ourselves to God (James 4:7).

Submission is a key in our battle against our enemy, the Devil. In each case this word refers to an act of our will, allowing our own wishes and desires to be subordinated to those of the one to whom we are submitting. This is contrary to our sin nature which wants to promote self. And, seeing self as number one is encouraged today through the messages being proclaimed by the word system, such as, “Do your own thing”, or “After all, I’m worth it”, or “Be you; do what you want to do.”

For a woman married to a godly man who is himself submitted to God, it may be easier to submit, though not always easy. For a woman married to an unsaved man or to a saved man who is not in submission to Christ, it is certainly much more difficult. However, Peter does not make an exception in these cases. He simply says that the conduct of a submissive woman may be the thing that God uses to reach her unbelieving husband.

Lest men think that this makes them any more important than their wives, let me remind you men that we are to be the spiritual leaders, able to answer doctrinal questions from our wives (1 Corinthians 14:35). We are to treat our wives as having great value (1 Peter 3:7). Twice we are commanded to love our wives with a self-sacrificing love (Ephesians 5:25 and Colossians 3:19) even to the point of dying for them, just as Christ died for the church. Incidentally, wives are never commanded to love their husbands in this manner. Men, this means that when you and your wife have an argument, it is up to you to sacrifice your own will and apologize to her for your inappropriate behavior, expecting nothing in return from her.

Application

In God’s church, the body of Christ, men and women have different roles. Neither is better than the other. Neither is superior to the other. In a marriage, wives are to be submitted to their husbands who are to love their wives. Both of these actions are commanded and neither one depends on the other.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

1 Peter 2:25 – Soul Guardian

Posted on January 4, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 2:25

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Truth to Learn

Not only is God our Shepherd, He is the guardian of our soul.

Behind the Words

“Going astray” is translated from a form of planaō, meaning “to wander” or “to go astray.” This verb is expressed as a participle, implying continuous action. So, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “For you were like sheep continually wandering.”

The word translated “returned” is from the Greek, epistrephō, made up of epi, meaning “upon” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally, it means “to turn upon” or “to turn around.” Hence, it can be translated as “to return” in English. This verb is expressed in the aorist tense, implying a past action which occurred at a single point in time (you returned – not, you were returning.) That point in time is when you accepted Christ as savior and became a Christian.

The word “overseer” comes from the Greek word episkopos, meaning “one who oversees or takes care of others.” It is translated in some versions of the Bible as “bishop.” In explaining the meaning of this word, Albert Barnes said, “It is applied in the New Testament to those who are appointed to watch over the interests of the church, and especially to the officers of the church. Here it is applied to the Lord Jesus as the great Guardian and Superintendent…”

Meaning Explained

Continuing from the previous verse, Peter now extends his reference to Isaiah:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and Jehovah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

One of the characteristics of sheep is that without a shepherd they tend to wander aimlessly in an attempt to satisfy their most base desire (for food) with total disregard for their own present or future safety. Sometimes they will blindly follow the rest of the flock and sometimes they are oblivious even to them. What an apt description of our condition without our shepherd. We were lost and going astray, but when we got saved, we ceased straying and returned to our Shepherd.

To this metaphor of the sheep and the shepherd, Peter adds a subtle but significant descriptor. Not only is Christ our shepherd, but He is our overseer as well. In this verse, however, He is not just the overseer of the church, but of our very souls. With him now responsible for the safety of our souls, even to the prevention of our going astray, how could one possible believe that we who are now saved could ever lose that salvation and become lost. In order to believe that, we would have to believe that Christ is not a Good Shepherd nor is he overseeing our souls.

Application

Do you sometimes feel like you have committed such a terrible sin, or so many sins, that God could never forgive you? Do you feel like you have completely strayed from God? Peter tells us that not only has Christ paid for all our sins (past, present, and future), but he is constantly guarding our soul so that we can’t be lost ever again. Thank you, Lord, for guarding my soul!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

1 Peter 2:24 – Sin Bearer

Posted on January 1, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 2:24

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Truth to Learn

Christ took our sins to the cross to pay the price for them.

Behind the Words

The Greek word for “bore” is anapherō, which means “to take up” or “to offer up.”

Meaning Explained

When we consider that this letter was written by an uneducated fisherman, it becomes even more remarkable that he should quote and/or make allusion to the writings of the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah. The 53^rd chapter of Isaiah is an obvious reference to the coming Messiah who would suffer intensely. The Jews, who were looking for a coming conqueror, did not understand His suffering. Isaiah 53 starts out like this:

Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed? For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. (Isaiah 53:1-5)

The lesson Peter is teaching is that we should suffer patiently, even when we are punished for something of which we are innocent. Christ left us this example which we should follow. He was innocent. When He was attacked with words, He did not respond in kind, and when He suffered He did not threaten. Instead, he surrendered Himself to the Righteous Judge.

Since He was innocent, it logically follows that the Righteous Judge should declare Him innocent and acquit Him of all charges. Instead, He was declared innocent, then punished! Why? Because, Peter says, “He bore our sins.” This sinless Lamb of God took up with him on the cross all the sins of mankind from the beginning of time until the end of time.

Think about it! Not only was he innocent, and silent, but He voluntarily took upon Himself your sins and mine so that the punishment handed out to Him, though not deserved by Him, would be received by Him on our behalf.

By His death, Peter says, we have the ability to live, having been declared righteous. Peter then finishes off this verse with a quote from Isaiah 53:5, “by whose stripes you were healed.” The word “stripes,” both in the Old Testament Hebrew and in the New Testament Greek, means “bruises,” like those ugly swollen black and blue marks that result from a severe beating.

Application

The next time you suffer at the hands of others for something you did not do, turn your thoughts to God, the Righteous Judge, and thank Him for allowing you to “know Christ and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Then praise Him that through the sufferings of Christ you are righteous in His eyes.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

1 Peter 2:23 – Surrender to God

Posted on December 30, 2008 by admin

1 Peter 2:23

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Truth to Learn

Instead of attacking our accusers, we should surrender to God.

Behind the Words

What does it mean to be reviled? This English word means “to be assaulted with contemptuous or abusive language.” The Greek word it is translated from is loidoreō, which means “to reproach” or “to vilify.”

The Greek for “did not revile in return” is, ouk antiloidepei. Antiloidepei is a compound made up of anti, meaning “opposite” and a form of loidereō, which we just learned means “to vilify.” The Greek word ouk, which we learned previously, represents the absolute negative. From all this we see that Christ absolutely did not respond in kind.

The word translated “threaten” is the Greek word apeileō, which means “to menace or threaten.” It is also preceded by ouk, the absolute negative.

The word translated “committed” is paredidōmi, which means “to give up” or “to surrender.”

Meaning Explained

Before Christ’s crucifixion, His accusers used harsh words in assaulting and accusing Him. “Yes, but they’re only words,” you say. When was the last time you were assaulted with words? Did it cause you to strike back or at least want to? Did you have to think about it before you did?

For me it was only yesterday when someone used harsh words to attack me and my actions. And, I am ashamed to say, I did not hesitate in my parrying response, using just as much vitriolic language and emotion as my attacker.

When Christ was attacked with words of accusations which were untrue and undeserved, He “did not revile in return.” When Christ suffered, which was both physical and emotional, He did not threaten. Talk about power under control! Even as he was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he asked Peter:

Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)

One angel would probably have been enough to take care of the crowd that was there. Twelve would certainly have been enough to do it effortlessly. But twelve legions?! That would have been upwards of 60,000 angels!

Jesus had the power and opportunity to strike back at his accusers and those who caused Him to suffer. Instead of fighting back, though, He surrendered! Not to his attackers, but to the Righteous Judge, His Heavenly Father.

Application

The next time you are attacked, remember how Jesus responded. Had he not surrendered, He would not have been obedient unto death, even the death on the cross, and you and I would still be dead in our sins and without hope! Let’s all learn to surrender to God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

1 Peter 2:22 – Silent Suffering

Posted on December 29, 2008 by admin

1 Peter 2:22

“Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of patient suffering.

Behind the Words

The word translated “sin” is hamartia, which literally means “to miss the mark.” In our case the mark is God-like perfection. Hence, we see that to sin means to do something that is not God-like.

“Deceit” is translated from the Greek word dolos, which comes from an obsolete primary word dello, probably meaning “to decoy.” Some versions of the Bible translate this as “guile.”

Meaning Explained

Jesus Christ lived His entire life without sinning! He didn’t even “shade the truth,” as we sometimes do, so as to say one thing but make others think he was saying something else. He was completely open and honest without trickery of any kind.

And yet He was tortured unmercifully, treated like the commonest of criminals, condemned at three illegal Jewish trials without proper testimony against him, and declared innocent at two civil trials. In spite of being declared innocent, He was stripped of his dignity as well as his clothing; beaten with the dreaded scourge until his back was shredded and bleeding; kept overnight without sleep, food, or water; forced to carry the heavy instrument of his own torture; then hung in the hot sun under the agonizing torture of crucifixion. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the sins of all mankind were thrust upon him, and he was deserted by God the Father for three hours while he hung alone under the weight of our sins, having already prayed, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

At his trial under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor marveled at His lack of self defense:

And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. (Matthew 27:12-14)

He could have proclaimed His innocence, for He truly was. He could have struck out in fury with the very power of creation against those who were wrongfully torturing Him. He could have simply stepped down from the cross, proving the innocence that was His alone. Those who were present while Christ suffered for us even mocked Him, challenging Him to prove He is the Christ by coming down from the cross:

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39-40)

Instead, He suffered patiently, for you and for me.

Application

Think of this the next time you are wrongfully accused, and accept it, knowing that this is pleasing with God. Do not attempt to glorify yourself; instead, glorify God by being silently obedient.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11 – Kings at the Manger?

Posted on December 26, 2008 by admin

Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11

¹Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

⁹When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Behind the Words

The words “wise men” are translated from the Greek magos, which refers to a priest or wise man among the Medes, Persians and Babylonians. In Daniel 2:48 you will find that Daniel was made the leader of the magi. It is believed by some that these magi were following a prophesy of Daniel which predicted the birth of the king of the Jews.

The expression “rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” loses its effect in English, because we tend to read it as “they were glad.” However, it is much more than that. It is translated from the Greek echarēsan charan megalēn sphodra. Echarēsan is the verb form of charis, which means “delight or joy.” The verb form means to express that joy, hence, “rejoice.” The next word, charan is a form of charis. When Greek repeats a word in both verb and noun form it implies intensity. In English we would say, they joyfully rejoiced. The next word, megalēn is a form of megas, meaning “large” or “great.” Here it is describing charis, so it is saying “they joyfully rejoiced greatly.” Finally, the word sphodra, means “to a high degree.” Putting this all together we see that the text says, “they joyfully rejoiced exceedingly greatly.” It expresses the utmost in joyful exuberance!

Meaning Explained

Most nativity scenes show three kings offering gifts to the Christ child who is lying in a manger surrounded by the stable animals. However, a careful examination of the text along with Luke 2:21, 22 and Leviticus 12:1-8, reveals that Mary and Joseph remained in Bethlehem for at least 40 days after Jesus’ birth in order to fulfill the law. If Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with the Christ child immediately after the Magi departed, there wouldn’t have been time for the purification, if the Magi came to the stable.

Also, note that verse eleven says “when they (the Magi) had come into the house …” The word translated “house” is oikos, which refers to the family dwelling place and is never used in reference to a stable. Finally, the word translated young Child in verse eleven is not the word that means “new born infant,” it simply means “baby.”

Application

Many of the things we think we know about these magi are, in fact, either speculation or downright untrue. We don’t know if they were kings (they probably weren’t). We don’t know how many of them there were. We don’t know their names! And, they didn’t come to the stable! But we do know that they were seeking a prophetically foretold king of the Jews and that they got incredibly excited when they knew they were about to come into His presence.

Is this how you view the Child who came into this world to die for your sins? Is this how you view God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

Luke 2:12, 15-17, 20 – Impossible, Improbable, but True

Posted on December 23, 2008 by admin

Luke 2:12, 15-17, 20

¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

¹⁵So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

²⁰Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Seasonal Blessing

‘Tis the season to simply believe God and give Him the glory.

Behind the Words

The words “wrapped in swaddling cloths” are translated from a single verb, sparganoō, meaning “to swath” or “to swaddle.” Now, that wasn’t much help, was it? Sparganoō, is from the noun sparganon which refers to “a swath, or strip, of cloth.” Long strips of cloth were used in those days to snugly wrap a new born child to keep the infant warm and to provide security. So this part of the verse could have been translated, “You will find the infant swaddled, lying in a manger.”

The word translated “manger” is phatnē, from pateomai, meaning “to eat.” It refers to the crib, or manger that hay was placed in for animals to eat, thus keeping it clean and dry. Not the place we would think of putting a newborn baby, and certainly not the Son of God!

Meaning Explained

As mentioned in the explanation of the previous verses, the annunciation of the birth of the Messiah was made to shepherds, not to the rich, the religious leaders, or the civil rulers. It was made to shepherds. And, after receiving the message from the angels, the shepherds did not waste any time finding Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. One has to wonder how many stables they had to look in before they found one with people in it. There they found the One proclaimed by the angels to be the Messiah, the Savior, the King of the Jews.

To most Jews, who were expecting the arrival of their Messiah, the notion of Him being laid in a feeding trough would have convinced then that the angels didn’t know what they were talking about. That just wouldn’t have made sense. God doesn’t work that way. So, they probably would have reasoned away the angelic message because it didn’t fit their own image of God. The shepherds, on the other hand, simply took the message at face value and assumed that it must be true.

And once they had acted in faith and had searched to see whether these things were true, they found Him. Then they proclaimed the message widely; they told everyone who would listen, they praised God, and gave Him the glory.

Application

Some messages in the Bible seem impossible or at least improbable, yet we must accept them on faith. How can God possibly be one God, but be three persons? It’s impossible, but it’s what the Bible proclaims. How can salvation be all God’s doing and none of our own. That’s improbable, but it’s what the Word proclaims. Instead of questioning the truth, let’s praise God for it as the shepherds did, and give Him the glory. Someday we’ll understand!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog

Luke 2:8-14 – Promised Peace

Posted on December 22, 2008 by admin

Luke 2:8-14

⁸Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Seasonal Blessing

May God’s favor rest upon you and bring you peace through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Behind the Words

The words “stood before” in verse nine are translated from the Greek word epestē, from epi meaning “on, above, or over” and a form of histēmi meaning “to stand.” Hence, rather than standing before the shepherds, this angel stood above or over them. That is why the glory of the Lord shone around them – because the angel was in the air over them.

In verse thirteen the word “multitude” is the Greek word plēthos, which is from the noun plēthō meaning fullness. The implication is that the sky was full of them.

“Peace, goodwill toward men” is translated from, eirēnē en anthropois eudokias. Literally this says “peace to men of favor.” It can be interpreted as peace to men whom God favors.

Meaning Explained

It is amazing that the Creator of everything would become a man. And He emptied Himself of His glory, as Paul says in

Philippians 2:7 ⁷but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Almighty God incarnate as a little baby! But this was a necessary act on the part of God if He was going to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world.

It was not to the rulers, to the rich, to the learned, or to the mighty that this incarnation was announced. It was announced to shepherds, the lowest of all society.

Throughout the Bible we see angels appearing in two forms; either as normal looking people or as the glorious spiritual beings they are. The angel making the announcement to the shepherds was definitely the latter. When the angel first appeared over them, they were afraid. Well, duh! How would you feel if you were sitting in the middle of a field at night and a bright, glorious angelic being suddenly appeared above you?

And once the announcement was made, the night sky was suddenly filled with angels. But, contrary to popular belief these angels were not singing. They were saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, to men whom God favors!“

Application

Let us celebrate this event as the angels did that night so long ago. Let us praise God and proclaim His message of peace.

What greater gift could you give anyone than the plain, simple, gospel message of forgiveness of sins!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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All of our daily verse studies are available on the Ministry of Grace Church blog at http://www.ministryofgrace.org/blog