Author: Will

Romans 15:19 – Submissive Service

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Romans 15:19 – Submissive Service

in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Truth to Learn

We need to submissively serve God wherever He leads us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “signs” is the Greek word semeion, which means “a wondrous public sign or token with a spiritual meaning and purpose.” It implies that the miracle has God’s finger prints all over it; that is, it is an amazing miracle which draws people’s attention to God.

“Wonders” is from the Greek noun teras. This is a derivative of the verb tereō, meaning “to watch, implying that, due to its extraordinary character, the thing observed causes amazement and wonder and is long remembered as a result.”

The Greek word translated “round about” is kuklō, which refers to “a ring or a circle.” Metaphorically, it refers to an entire region.

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses Paul confessed that he has reason to boast about what had been done in Christ Jesus through his own submission to God’s will and his own commitment to do whatever God directed him to do. His boasting, you will remember, was not in himself but in what God had done through him. He further clarified this idea by stating that he was not taking any credit for what others had done, only what had been done through him.

In the current verse Paul carries this even further by pointing out that what was done through him was not from his own efforts or his own brilliance. Rather, Paul cites the fact that it was through powerful miracles and wonders done in the power of the Spirit of God that his work was accomplished. The two words here translated as “miracles and wonders” are often associated together in the New Testament. They do not refer to two different kinds of miracles but to two different aspects of these miracles.

In the second half of this verse, Paul proclaims that he has preached the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum. What he means is that he has preached the gospel in all regions, from Jerusalem, the center and origin of the Christian faith, all the way to Illyricum. Illyricum is the area west of the Black Sea and north of Greece. If you follow Paul’s three missionary journeys you will see that he had, indeed, preached all around from Jerusalem to Illyricum.

I think Paul’s point is, as I said earlier, that he has been submissive and obedient to God’s call and has been faithful in preaching the gospel wherever God has called him, which included much of the known world of his time.

Application

Are you willing to go wherever God calls you, and are you prepared to witness the grace of God to those around you wherever that may be? Are you willing to leave your comfort zone, your family and friends and go somewhere unknown to serve Him? Are you willing to give your all to serve Him where you are? Or, are you too comfortable with what you’re doing right where you are? God doesn’t reward comfort, He rewards submissive sacrificial service that glorifies Him!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:18 – Give Him Credit

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Romans 15:18 – Give Him Credit

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

Truth to Learn

God gets all the credit for what is accomplished through us.

Behind the Words

The word “dare” is translated from talmaō, meaning “to have courage or boldness, to dare.”

“Obedient” is translated from the Greek noun hupakoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” So, literally this word means “to hear under,” that is, “someone who listens attentively to what is being taught and puts into practice what is heard.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just talked about the things that he can boast about in Christ Jesus. He does not dare, or presume, to speak of those things which Christ had done through the ministry of others. He only concerns himself with the way the Lord had used him to win the Gentiles to obedience, both through what he said and through what he did, by the messages he preached and by the miracles he performed (through the Holy Spirit).

Notice that Paul is not boasting about what he personally has done but what God has done through the ministry he has been called to. If he had anything to boast about personally it would be the fact that he responded to God’s call, made himself available to God, and worked long and hard at the tasks that God called him to do. But Paul does not brag about what he has done, simply about what God has done through him. Paul recognizes that he has done nothing; God has done it all.

We could all take a lesson from Paul on this point. We tend to get puffed up about the things that we have accomplished in our ministry, not recognizing that God is the one who deserves credit for it all. One day all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2Corinthians 5:10)

Our rewards will be in the form of crowns that we will receive for the good things we have done for God in this life. We will then have the opportunity to cast those crowns at His feet in recognition of the fact that He is the one deserving of the recognition, not us:

the twenty-four elders [representing all believers] fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:10-11)

Application

Since we will give all the credit to God someday, let’s get in the habit now of giving Him all the credit for what we have accomplished. Our Christian works of service are all about Him, not about us. After all, He is worthy!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:17 – All God’s Doing

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Romans 15:17 – All God’s Doing

Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.

Truth to Learn

We should take no credit for our abilities or for what we accomplish; we should give God all the credit.

Behind the Words

“Glory” is translated from the Greek word kauchēsis, which means, “boasting (properly the act; by implication the objective), in a good or a bad sense.”

The phrase “in the things which pertain to God” is a technical phrase in Jewish liturgical language that refers to the functions of worship performed by a priest.

Meaning Explained

Paul starts out this verse with, “Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus” or as some translations have it, “Therefore I have boasting in Christ Jesus.” The immediate reaction that many of us have to this is, “But I thought that boasting and bragging were wrong!” As we see from the Greek word kauchēsis above, the boasting can be in a good sense or a bad sense. So, let’s look at what the English word “boasting” means. According to The Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2006:

“boasting – to speak with pride. It usually refers to a particular ability, possession, etc., that may be one of such kind as to justify a good deal of pride.”

Now, if we are boasting about ourselves, it usually is called bragging, which is an act of personal pride that takes the focus off of God and puts it on to self. This kind of boasting is wrong. Paul’s boasting is not about himself, however. In fact, he says that his boasting is “in Christ Jesus,” and his boasting is about “the things which pertain to God.” Paul is boasting about what God is accomplishing through his ministry of bringing the glorious gospel message to the Gentiles. Paul was not claiming credit for what he was accomplishing; he was giving the credit to God in the person of Jesus Christ!

This might be a good time to ask ourselves, “Am I proud of what I am, or of what I have accomplished?” If so, instead of boasting about what we have accomplished or of what we have become, we need to recognize that everything we are and everything we have are a direct result of the gifts of God, as we see regarding the skills possessed by Bezalel and Aholiab:

And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; … And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen, and of the weaver—those who do every work and those who design artistic works. (Exodus 35:30, 34-35)

All Christians have spiritual gifts, skills, and abilities that are given to them by God. We can choose to be proud of what we have or we can choose to humbly use them for His glory.

Application

Taking personal credit for what God has done is selfish and sinful, but giving glory to (boasting in) God for what He has given us or for what He has accomplished through us is well pleasing to Him. Which do you choose to do?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:16 – Ministerial Calling

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Romans 15:16 – Ministerial Calling

that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

Christians are called to a ministry of proclaiming the gospel message to everyone.

Behind the Words

The word translated “minister” is not the word most often translated minister (diakonos); rather, it is the Greek word leitourgos, which is a compound word made up of leitos, meaning “of the people” and a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Thus, we see that this word refers to a public servant, one who works for the people.

“Ministering” is translated from yet a different word. It is the Greek word hierourgeō, which is also a compound word. It is made up of hieron, meaning “a temple” and a form of ergon, meaning “work.” Hence, it refers to sacred work. It is the word that is used of the service that a priest did in the temple in Jerusalem offering up sacrifices to God for the people.

The word translated “acceptable” is euprosdechtos, which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and a form of prosdechomai, meaning “to receive” or “to accept.” So, it refers to something that is especially well accepted.

“Sanctified” is from a form of hagiadzō, which means “to be taken from common usage and used for the service of God.” The basic meaning is “to be set apart.” It is usually translated as “sanctified” or as “holy.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is the continuation of what Paul was saying in the previous verse. You will recall that he is explaining why he was so bold in his comments to the Christians in Rome. Combining the last part of the previous verse and the first part of this verse, we see he is saying, “because of the grace given to me by God that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.”

Paul is well aware of the ministry to which he has been called by the grace of God, the ministry of apostleship to the Gentiles. But in Paul’s humble manner he does not claim to be the apostle to the Gentiles, instead he calls himself a minister, one who works for the common people, a public servant.

And, according to Paul, his responsibility in this position is “ministering the gospel of God;” that is, he was performing the sacred work of presenting the gospel of God in a clear and understandable manner for the Gentiles.

In other words, Paul is saying he is a public servant of Jesus Christ, doing the sacred work of the gospel of God. He is proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles so that their offerings will be particularly well acceptable to God through the purifying work of the Holy Spirit. Paul is not serving himself, he is serving God and he is serving the Gentiles to whom he is delivering the message of salvation through faith.

Application

And we, too, who are saved by the blood of Christ, are ministers of the gospel of God. It is our responsibility to carry the gospel to others, proclaiming this salvation that is available to all who will believe. It is a ministry to which God has called us all. Are you serving God and others? Are you fulfilling your ministry of proclaiming the gospel to those around you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:15 – Always Growing

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Romans 15:15 – Always Growing

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,

Truth to Learn

We should always be learning and becoming more Christ-like.

Behind the Words

“More boldly” is a translation of the Greek word tolmēroteron, which is based on tolmaō, meaning “to be confidently bold.” Tolmēroteron is the comparative form of the word so it means “more boldly, with more confidence.”

The word “reminding” is from epanamimnēskō. This is a double compound word made up of epi, meaning “upon” used here as an intensifier, ana, meaning “again,” and mimnēskō, which means “to recall to one’s mind” or “to remember.” Thus, epanamimnēskō means “to strongly remind yet again.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is here explaining to the Christians in Rome why he has been so forceful in his admonition of these brothers and sisters in Christ even though he has never personally met any of them. He starts off by saying that he has written these things to them “more boldly.” Here we have to ask ourselves, “More boldly than what?” Paul was in the habit of being very “up front” and bold whenever he preached and taught, but he doesn’t appear to be more bold with his teaching to these Roman Christians than he was with others. On the other hand, he is being more bold and “up front” with these Christians whom he has never met than he would normally be with strangers. Paul will explain in the next verse why he has taken such a bold step with these brothers and sisters in Rome.

He goes on to tell them that he is reminding them of things that they have already known. But why would he be going over doctrinal truths that they already knew? The answer to that is, because this is the Apostles’ teaching style. They did not simply teach a truth once and then leave it alone. They taught the important truths of Christian living over and over again. Peter made a similar claim regarding his teaching:

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, (2Peter 1:12-13)

Some people are capable of learning a lesson the very first time they are taught it. Most of us, however, need to be told over and over before it sinks in thoroughly. That’s why Paul and others repeated important truths, so that we all might get a firm grasp of these truths.

Next time you hear your pastor or priest proclaim a message that he has proclaimed previously, instead of complaining, thank him for reminding you of these blessed truths.

Application

There is a story of a newly hired preacher who proclaimed the same sermon week after week. When asked by those who hired him if he knew any other sermons, he responded, “Yes, of course, and as soon as you demonstrate that you have learned this lesson, I will preach the next one.” Are you learning the lessons that God is teaching to you and putting them into practice?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:14 – Christ-like Living

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Romans 15:14 – Christ-like Living

Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Truth to Learn

Mature Christians behave in a Christ-like manner.

Behind the Words

The word translated “concerning” is the Greek verb peithō, which means “to be persuaded or convinced.” It is in the perfect tense indicating a state of being that is the result of past completed action. The force of his statement is increased by the fact that in the Greek this is the first word of the sentence. It’s as if he were saying, “I have been persuaded and am convinced concerning you my brethren.”

“Admonish” is from noutheteō, which is made up of nous, meaning “the mind” and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to place.” Hence, it means “to place in the mind” or “to remind.”

Meaning Explained

At this point Paul is finished with his doctrinal teaching for the church at Rome, some of which has been very direct and forceful. He now proceeds to explain to them why he has written the epistle and to state the confidence that he has in them. He has opposed some of their strongest prejudices since the beginning of the fourteenth chapter and has prayed that they may have joy and peace. Now, in order to ensure their obedience to what he has taught them, he shows the deep interest that he has for their continuing welfare, though he had never met them.

He states in this verse why he has such confidence that they will take his teaching in the proper manner. He starts off with, “Now I myself am confident concerning you.”

And what is he convinced of? He’s convinced that the Christians in Rome are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish each other. He is convinced that their actions demonstrate, and that their reputation reveals, the fact that they are good people. Now, we know Paul teaches that there is none who is righteous apart from the grace of God, but these people when stacked up against the people around them are “good people.” He also tells them that he is convinced that they are full of knowledge. In other words, Paul knows that they are growing and learning Christians as opposed to others like those he pointed out to the Christians at Ephesus,

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (Ephesians 4:14)

Finally, Paul told the Christians at Rome that he is convinced that they are able to admonish one another. In other words, they are spiritually mature enough to recognize error in their midst and address it with one another in a firm but loving way. None of us likes to be told that we are wrong, but apparently the Christians in Rome were able to mix firmness and love in a way that builds-up the body rather than tearing it down.

Application

The Christians in Rome were, for the most part, behaving in a Christ-like manner. These people, living in the midst of one of the most pagan cultures ever, were letting the light of Christ shine through them. Do people around you recognize the light of Jesus Christ shining in you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:13 – Hopeful Expectation

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Romans 15:13 – Hopeful Expectation

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

Christians can have joy, peace, and hopeful expectation.

Behind the Words

The word translated “hope” in this verse is a form of the Greek word elpis, which means, “the desire of something good with full expectation of obtaining it.” It is different than the English word “hope,” which implies simply a desire for something but not knowing whether it will happen or not. Paul calls our God the God of hope because we know that His promises will definitely come true.

“Fill” is from the verb plēroō, which means “to fill.” Actually, it means more than just filling something; it means to cram it as full as possible. It is expressed here in the Optative mood, indicating a wish, or desire on the part of the Apostle Paul.

The word translated “all” is the Greek word pas, which means “all, the whole, completely, with nothing missing.”

“Joy” is translated from the Greek noun chara, meaning “cheerfulness” or “calm delight.”

The noun “peace” is from eirēnē, which means “peace or tranquility.” It is a state in which there is no perceived threat or cause for worry present.

The word translated “abound” is the Greek word perisseuō, which means “to be in excess in number or measure.”

Meaning Explained

Having finished his treatise on the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ, Paul closes this section with a benediction. He starts off invoking the benediction from the “God of hope.” In all that Paul has been teaching us since the first verse of chapter fourteen, it is hope which, among other things, unites us. It is to both the Jew and Gentile the hope of the return of the Messiah, and it is also to both the Jew and the Gentile the hope of the resurrection and salvation that He promised. Not just empty hope, but expectant hope.

In this benediction Paul asks that God will fill us “with all joy and peace” in our believing faith. That is, Paul is asking that God cram us completely full with all possible joy and peace. Not just a lot of it, but all of it, with nothing missing!

And, as a result of that joy and peace that we have in our saving faith, we can thus abound in hope. Because of the joy and peace that we have in our faith, we can be filled to overflowing with expectant hope.

Our salvation is not a salvation of worry or fear (worrying or being afraid that we might lose it), but a salvation of hope, with full expectation and assurance that God will deliver on His promises.

Application

If you have submitted yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ and have accepted the sacrificial offering of His blood as full payment for your sins, then God will save you according to His promises! This is the greatest truth ever proclaimed to man. Even though none of us is righteous, all of us are sinners, and even though God demands righteousness, we can avoid the penalty of our sinfulness through the blood of the Lamb of God who was sacrificed to pay the penalty of our sins! Praise God!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:12 – The Root of Life

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Romans 15:12 – The Root of Life

And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a Root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Truth to Learn

Every Christian’s hope is a result of the resurrection of Christ.

Behind the Words

“Root” is from the Greek noun rhiza (from which we get our English horticultural term rhizome), meaning “a root or an offshoot growing up from the root.” When a rhizome is planted in the ground, it produces new life in the form of the shoots that rise up from the life-giving rhizome.

The word “rise” is translated from anistēmi, which is a compound word made up of ana, meaning “again” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Hence, anistēmi literally means “to stand again.”

“Reign” is translated from archō, meaning “to be first in rank or political position.”

Meaning Explained

Paul uses yet another reference from the Old Testament to make his point about Gentile praises. This one is from the prophet Isaiah,

And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)

As mentioned above, rhiza can refer to a root or to its offspring. In this case it refers to the offspring of Jesse. If you read through I Samuel 16, you will see that Jesse was the father of King David. So the root of Jesse is a reference to the offspring of David. In the book of the Revelation the Lord Jesus Christ is twice referred to as “the root of David.”

But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:16)

So Paul’s quotation here of Isaiah 11:10 is a proclamation that Jesus Christ shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, and in Him shall the Gentiles hope and expect salvation.

One final point: notice that Isaiah said that the root of Jesse “will rise to reign.” Isaiah did not say “rise” by accident. If Christ had not risen from the dead, then He would not be able to reign over the nations. But because He did rise, He is become King of kings and Lord of lords. It is because of the resurrection that we have expectant hope, and it is because of the resurrection that we should continually be praising God.

Application

Jesus was “planted” in death and “rose again” with new life so that our sins might be forgiven and we might share in His new life. This is an incredible truth that we should proclaim daily to those around us who are still lost in their sins. When was the last time you shared this blessed truth with someone?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:11 – Loudly Praise Him

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Romans 15:11 – Loudly Praise Him

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

Truth to Learn

God deserves our praise, so let’s give it to Him!

Behind the Words

The Greek verb translated “Praise” is aineō, which means “to sing praises.” In the New Testament it is only used for giving praise to God. The Hebrew equivalent in Psalms 117:1 is halal, meaning “to shine or to give praise.”

“Laud” is translated from epaineō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon,” used here as an intensifier and aineō, which means “to sing praises.” The Hebrew equivalent in Psalms 117:1 is shawbakh, meaning “to praise with a loud voice.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is a direct quotation from one of the shortest psalms in the Bible,

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 117)

Paul is providing additional Old Testament evidence that God has always intended that He would gather His own out of both Jews and Gentiles and that the result of His action in their lives is, has been, and will continue to be praise, freely offered up to Him.

What is really sad is the treatment that is being given to God today by those who claim to be His children, professedly Christian churches expending their energies in arguing about the color of the carpet, the proper way to observe traditions, or what is the proper type of music for a church service. I think that this and the previous chapter of Romans could have been written to the churches today. Instead of starting with,

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. (Romans 14:1)

He might have started it with,

Quit arguing among yourselves about unimportant things and join together with other true believers in praising God for His mercy and His grace!

We give so much effort and attention to the temporal things and so little effort and attention to eternal things and to giving God the praise and obedience that He deserves. I suspect that if God were to give a performance review to our churches today He might say, as He did to the church in Laodicea,

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)

Application

Stop for a minute and consider the fact that you are a sinner who has fallen short of God’s righteousness and you deserve eternal Hell. Then consider what God in Jesus Christ did for you so that you might have eternal bliss in God’s holy presence. It’s not fair, is it? We aren’t going to get what we deserve and we should loudly proclaim His praises for it. Let us all recommit to humbling ourselves before our Almighty, Holy God and praising Him for what He has done instead of focusing on ourselves and our petty issues!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:10 – Gentile Rejoicing

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Romans 15:10 – Gentile Rejoicing

And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

Truth to Learn

Christians of all nationalities have reason to rejoice.

Behind the Words

“Rejoice” is translated from euphrainō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and a form of phren, meaning “the mind.” Thus, we can see the root meaning is to have a good state of mind. It means “to rejoice, make joy, or be glad.”

Meaning Explained

Paul’s instruction on this topic began back in Romans 14:1 with an admonition to accept into the church those who are weak in the faith but not for the purpose of arguing about minor spiritual issues. Most recently Paul has instructed us that we should be like-minded toward one another and we should not be picking petty faults; rather we should defer to others. In the end, he says that this will allow us, converted Jew and converted Gentile alike, to unite our hearts and voices in praise to our Heavenly Father.

After all, God the Father sent His only Son to demonstrate to the Jews that His promises are true, and to the Gentiles that He is a merciful God. And for this Jews and Gentiles alike should rejoice and praise God. In the previous verse Paul quoted from the Psalms to show that the Jews are to praise God among the Gentiles. The current verse is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:43 showing that the Gentiles are to praise God along with the Jews. If you read through this 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy you will see that God is speaking about taking vengeance on His enemies and because of that he proclaims:

Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people. (Deuteronomy 32:43)

Obviously God is taking vengeance on the enemies of both Israel and the church. This specific verse is a reference to the tribulation when God will rain down vengeance on those who reject His offer of mercy and salvation.

Incidentally, for those of you who think that our God is only a God of love, reading through the book of Revelation will show you that He is also a God of vengeance and wrath upon those who reject His offer of merciful love.

Also, note: some translations are very good about showing words that are not in the original text, which have been inserted by the translators (notice the gray italicized words in the Deuteronomy passage above). Usually the inclusion of these words enhances the meaning. Sometimes, however, it completely changes the message of the text. In the passage quoted above the word “with” is not in the original Hebrew text (though it is in Paul’s quotation of the Greek version of the Old Testament). Thus, it reads: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, His people.” We see from this that in the Old Testament there are places where, in addition to the Jews, Gentiles are declared to be God’s people.

Application

All Christians, no matter what our religious upbringing or national origin, should rejoice because of what God has done for us and because of the promises He gives us concerning our eternal destiny. Let us all rejoice and praise Him together!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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