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Author: Will

Romans 15:6 – The Praising Body

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Will

that with one mind and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

God is worthy of praise from the entire body of Christ.

Behind the Words

The expression “like-minded” in verse five is from the Greek phrase to auto phronein. The word phronein is a form of phroneō, which we have seen before meaning “mindedness.” It refers to a state of being (action) as well as a state of mind (thought). Literally we could translate this as “to mind the same thing” or “to have the same thoughts.” So, literally Paul was praying that God would grant that all Christians would have the same thoughts toward one another.

The word translated “one mind” in this verse is homothumadon. This is a compound word made up of homo (from which we get our word homogenized), meaning “all the same” and a form of thumos, meaning “temperament” or “mind.” So we could translate this word as, “unanimous agreement of thought and attitude.”

“Glorify” is from the Greek verb doxadzō, which means “to render glorious.” That is, it means “give someone esteem or honor by putting him into an honorable position or by proclaiming the honor due to his position.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul prayed for the Christians at the church in Rome, and by application for all Christians, that they (we) might be like minded toward one another. This is precisely the type of attitude and action that Paul has been exhorting us to have toward one another.

Now, in the current verse he explains why he is requesting God to give us the ability to have the same thoughts toward one another: “that with one mind and one mouth you may glorify … God.” Paul knows that the church in which members are all minding the same thing with regard to each other (they are all considering the good of others more than self) will be able to glorify God with unanimous agreement. This type of praise is very pleasing to God.

There are four occurrences of the word “mouth” in the book of Romans. The first was in Romans 3:14 (whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness) referring to the mouth of sinful man which cannot praise God because it is controlled by the unrestrained sin nature. The second was in Romans 3:19 (that every mouth may be stopped) indicating the condemning effect of the Law. Realization that one is guilty before God causes even the most sin-hardened mouth to be silent. The third was in Romans 10:9 (that if you confess with your mouth), which indicates that salvation only comes from confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ in a believer’s life. And, here, where the mouth is used for corporate praise and glory. The progression is startlingly dramatic as it metaphorically shows the change of a sinner from a self-serving individual into a God serving saint as an integrated member of the body of Christ.

Application

Even more than our individual praise, God is pleased with the corporate praise of a body of believers. Whereas, in the past our mouths brought forth only cursing and bitterness, now they are capable of glorious praise. Let’s give Him the kind of unanimous praise and glory He deserves!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:5 – Brotherly Patience

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Will

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

Christians need to be patiently forbearing of each other.

Behind the Words

The word “grant” (actually, “may … grant”) is translated from the verb didomi, meaning “to give.” It is expressed here in the rare optative mood. To put it simplistically, the “mood” of a Greek verb can be seen as representing the distance from reality. The indicative mood indicates action that actually takes place, the subjunctive mood indicates action that could possibly take place, the optative mood indicates action that is probably not taking place, but is wished for or hoped for, and the imperative mood (typically a command) indicates action that is most likely not taking place, but which needs to be. Thus, we see from the optative mood of this verb that Paul is expressing hope that God will give to believers the quality of Christ-likeness in our attitudes toward each other.

Meaning Explained

Remember how this current topic of discussion started? It started back in Romans 14:1 where Paul said:

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over opinions

Paul’s argument has been that we need to accept brothers and sisters in the faith who are not necessarily as spiritually mature as we are. However, our purpose in admitting them should not be to argue with them about spiritual matters of small importance. Paul went on to tell us that some Christians are convicted about strictly following the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament while others feel the freedom in Christ to eat all kinds of foods.

And, rather than brow-beat each other to conform to the same spiritual convictions that we have, we should be tolerant of others and we should not flaunt our freedom in front of them. Instead, we should be forbearing and understanding. We should patiently wait until God convicts them about these minor spiritual truths.

Let me step aside for a moment and caution us that Paul is not talking about matters of central doctrine like the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, the physical reality of the resurrection, or the gift of salvation by grace through faith. These are spiritual truths on which we need to stand firm without accepting any compromise. But, regarding issues of minor spiritual importance, like whether or not we should abstain from certain foods as a matter of religious obedience, or whether we should treat Sundays differently from other days of the week, we need to be patient and forbearing of one another.

As a result, Paul now prays that the very God who is the epitome of patience and forbearance might grant to each of us that same patience when it comes to our dealing with our Christian brothers and sisters. After all, if God through Jesus Christ has been patiently bearing with our spiritual immaturity and stubbornness, then we should exhibit the same thoughts and actions towards other Christians.

Application

We are behaving more Christ-like when we are patient and forgiving of our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when they have different convictions than we do. Is that how you behave toward your Christian brothers and sisters?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:4 – Heavenly Hope

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Will

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament holds many teachings that instruct Christians in how to patiently endure with hope.

Behind the Words

The words “were written before” are translated from prographō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before in time or position” and graphō, meaning “to engrave,” which is an ancient form of writing. Thus, prographō means “to write beforehand.”

“Learning” is from the Greek noun didaskalia, which is derived from the verb didaskō, meaning “to instruct” or “to teach.” So, didaskalia refers to “that which has been taught” or “that which has been learned.”

“Patience” is from hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of menō, meaning “to remain.” Hupomonē literally means “to remain under.” It is a picture of a beast of burden that remains under a heavy burden. Thus, it means “to patiently endure difficult situations.”

The word “comfort” comes from paraklēsis, which is derived from parakaleō meaning “to call alongside.” It is to word used to describe the Holy Spirit as our “comforter” who is called to our side when we need comfort and strengthening.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul quoted from Psalms 69:9, which is clearly a Messianic passage referring to the reproachful suffering that Christ endured on our behalf. Apparently, as Paul reflected on this and other Old Testament passages, he recognized that all the Old Testament was written in a manner that expresses Christian principles.

He is not saying that the Old Testament was only, or even primarily, written for Christians. He is saying that all of it is there for our learning. Even though we are no longer under the Law, there is still a wealth of great instruction and exhortation to New Testament believers contained in those writings.

Paul’s key point in this verse is that through the Old Testament, we have hope as we see the patience that was demonstrated by, and comfort that was afforded to, Old Testament saints. And since we know that God does not change, if He provided miraculously for faithful Old Testament saints, then He will also provide for New Testament saints in like manner. As we look at Abraham, Job, David, Moses, Elijah and others, we see that God had a personal, ongoing relationship with them and went to great lengths to nurture their relationships with Him. As their patience in trials grew, so did their reliance on Him, as well as their hope in Him.

Application

Next time you are feeling defeated and spiritually weak, read about what David went through after he defeated Goliath and after Samuel told him that he would be King of Israel. See how he was persecuted by Saul and treated with contempt even when he himself had shown no malice to Saul. David had hope for the future, both earthly and heavenly. Do you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:3 – Humility Personified

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Will

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me."

Truth to Learn

Christ is our supreme example of humility for the sake of others.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “reproaches” is oneidismos, which is based on the verb oieididzō, meaning “to defame, deride, disparage, or reproach.” In other words, it means to attack with abusive words.

“Fell” is from epipiptō, which is made up of epi, meaning “over or upon” and piptō, meaning “to fall.” Thus, epipiptō, means “to fall upon” or “to land upon.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been showing us that we ought to consider the wellbeing of others as more important than our own wellbeing. Even as we read through this passage, all of us are at one time or another going to say, or at least think, “But what about me? Don’t I have to take care of myself? I can’t expend all of my energy taking care of others; I need to take care of good old number one!”

I suspect that Paul’s response to that would be that good old number one should always be good old number last! If we take care to always do good and be well pleasing to others, then God will take care of us. (Clearly, we need to ensure that we are taking good physical care of ourselves so we can meet the needs of others.) Paul now gives the supreme example of selfless love and the considering of the welfare of others more than self; that is Jesus Christ Himself. His quote here is from the Psalms.

Because zeal for Your house has consumed, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. (Psalms 69:9)

This entire Psalm is a Messianic psalm. When Christ hung on the cross, in fact before he hung on the cross, while he was going through the illegal mock trials the night before and the morning of his crucifixion, He suffered many reproaches for our sakes. He was beaten in the face with both open hands and closed fists and was spat upon (Matthew 26:67). He had the hairs of his beard plucked out (Isaiah 50:6). He was beaten with the scourge (John 19:1) until his flesh was like bloody hamburger meat! He was mocked and ridiculed (Psalms 22:7, 8; Matthew 27:31; Matthew 27:41-43). And yet, He did not strike out at them nor retaliate in any way. In fact, He remained silent when falsely accused (Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 15:4, 5). Instead of striking back, He took the reproaches which we should have received. God in the flesh took on the reproaches of men so that we sinful men could avoid the reproaches of a righteous God. Truly Christ was more concerned about us than He was about pleasing Himself.

If He was willing to take such abuse for our sakes, then surely we should be willing to subjugate our own desires and pleasures for the sake of our neighbor, shouldn’t we?

Application

Paul has spent a lot of time and effort teaching us how important it is for us to humble ourselves before God and before our fellow Christians. Do you suppose that it might be a good idea for us to learn how to do that?

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 2:11 – God Meets Our Needs

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Will

And having come into the house, they saw the young child with His mother Mary, and falling down, they worshiped Him. And opening their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Truth to Learn

Read your Bible carefully and watch God provide for you.

Behind the Words

The word translated “house” is oikos, which refers to the family dwelling place and is never used in reference to a stable.

The word “young child” is translated from paidion, which we also saw back in verse nine. It is the diminutive of the word pais, meaning “a child.” Thus, paidion literally means “a little child.” It can refer to anything from an infant to a young boy or girl. However, the word brephos, used in Luke 2:16 refers to “an unborn child or a new born child.”

The word translated “treasures” is thēsauros, which refers to “something of great value.” As used here, it probably refers to the receptacle or box that the valuable things were carried in.

Chrusos is the word translated “gold.” It can refer to anything made out of gold, or it can refer figuratively to anything of great value.

“Frankincense” is from libanos, which refers to a tree or the highly valued transparent and fragrant incense that is produced from its sap. It has been discovered that frankincense was a valuable healing agent as well.

“Myrrh” is translated from smyrna, a bitter tasting but fragrant substance from the sap of the small, thorny smyrna bush. Like frankincense, myrrh has been found to be a valuable healing agent.

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 the Magi had come to the stable, since Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with Jesus immediately after the Magi departed, there wouldn’t have been time for the purification. Also note that verse eleven says “having come into the house …” And notice that Luke refers to Jesus in the manger as a newborn child, whereas Matthew here calls Him a young child. Based on these facts, it is obvious that the magi did not come to the stable where Jesus was born, but to the house in which Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were staying.

Have you ever wondered why God would have these magi present such valuable gifts to the young King of the Jews? Consider this: immediately after the magi left, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream that he, Mary, and the baby should flee to Egypt. In Egypt they would be foreigners, and as a carpenter Joseph would not likely be able to sustain the family through his profession. The precious gifts would provide for this young family while they were in Egypt.

Application

There are two things of particular note in this passage of Scripture. The first is that we are sometimes misled by traditions that have been handed down to us. Nearly all nativity scenes show the three magi offering gifts to Jesus in the manger. Traditions can be misleading.

The other thing is that God knows what we need before we do. A number of times in my life I received unexpected “extra” money only to have a need show up right afterward. I used to complain about these unexpected needs, feeling that it wasn’t fair that I had to use the recently received “riches” to pay for these newly acquired “necessities.” Now, instead of complaining, I realize that God is providing me with what I need, just as I need it and I thank Him for His loving provision.

On this Christmas day, let’s thank God for the Christmas gift of a precious little baby, who was given to us, not because we asked for it, but because He knew what we needed it and He gave it to us at just the right time!

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 2:10 – Strong Faith?

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Will

Having seen the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Truth to Learn

Faith in anything other than Jesus Christ is futile.

Behind the Words

“Having seen” is translated from the verb horaō, which means “to see” or “to stare at.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it is properly translated as “having seen.” The implication is that they had not seen the star for a while, but now having observed the guiding star once again, they rejoiced.

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 also 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.” The word sphodra, means “to a high degree.” Putting this all together we get, “they joyfully rejoiced exceedingly greatly.” It expresses the utmost in joyful exuberance!

Meaning Explained

The fact that the magi rejoiced with exceedingly great joy indicates that they probably had not seen the star recently. It is even possible that they had not seen the star for a long time. Perhaps it was because it was not as brilliantly evident as it had been previously. Perhaps it had been cloudy for a while. Or, perhaps the event that they beheld while in the east had not been visible while they were traveling and after they left Herod, the event in the stars took place again. Whatever the reason, after leaving Herod, they once again were able to see the star and it gave them exceedingly great joy.

Also, notice that these magi were believers. They were probably not believers in the sense that they believed all of God’s promises. But, they had a strong belief in the fact that there was a new-born King of the Jews. In fact, their belief was so strong that they set off on a long and dangerous journey just to see the King. The gifts that they brought indicated that they expected to see a king.

Herod was a believer too. Not in the sense that he believed in the coming Messiah, but He believed the report that there was a new king of the Jews recently born. This is evident by the fact that when the magi returned home without reporting back to him, Herod proceeded to have all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and younger killed.

Then seeing that he was mocked by the wise men, Herod was exceedingly angry; and having sent, he killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had specifically asked from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

Application

Many people have strong beliefs. Some people even have a strong belief that there is a God. However, those who believe anything other than that Jesus Christ is God and that He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sins has a misplaced faith. Their faith will not do them any good when they stand before Jesus Christ as their Judge.

for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

The magi were extremely excited to have an encounter with the King of the Jews. Have you ever experienced that kind of joyous joy regarding Jesus?

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 2:9 – Diligently Seek Him

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Will

And having heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they saw in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was.

Truth to Learn

Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. (1Chronicles 16:10)

Behind the Words

The words “having heard” are from akouō, which literally means “to hear” or “to listen to.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it literally means “having heard.”

“Departed” is from the verb poreuomai, which means “to go from one place to another.”

Idou is the Greek word translated “behold.” It is an imperative (command) form of horaō, which means “to stare at.” In today’s English, we might say, “Look!”

The words “went before” are from proagō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before” or “forth” and agō, meaning “to lead” or “to go.” Thus proagō means “to lead forth” or “to go before.” It is expressed here in the imperfect tense, indicating continuous action in the past. It could be translated as “it began leading them” or “it was going before them.”

The words “stood over” are translated from the Greek words estathē epanō. Estathē is a form of the verb histēmi, which means “to stand” and epanō means “above” or “over.”

“Child” is translated from the Greek noun paidion, which is derived from pais, meaning “a child.” It denotes a baby, but it is different from the word used in Luke 2:16, where he referred to a brephos, meaning “a new born child.”

Meaning Explained

In this quest for the true King, we find three types of people in this narrative who represent unsaved people even today. If you read verses four through nine, you find Herod, who was opposed to the new born King, the chief priests and the scribes (the “religious” people) who ignored the new born King, and the magi who were zealously seeking the new born King in order to worship Him.

Once the magi knew where to find the King, they immediately set out to find Him. They had left the comforts of their homes and set out on a quest for the true King. God had already spoken to them through scripture (prophesy) and the diligence of their own profession about how to find the King. Upon leaving Herod, they were once again guided by the star, which implies that it was evening or even night when they left Herod.

There has been a lot of speculation as to the nature of the star the magi followed. Some claim it was a comet, while others claim that it was a supernova (a star exploding) or even a conjunction of several planets lining up in the sky. However, none of these fully explain how they could have been guided to a specific spot within the town of Bethlehem. We don’t need a full scientific explanation of what occurred that night. We simply need to believe what the Bible tells us (and not worry about what it doesn’t tell us). What we do know is that God somehow provided just the guidance these seekers needed in order to find the true King.

The same applies today for those who are whole-heartedly searching for the truth. For unsaved people who are searching for truth, God will miraculously guide them to just the right place or person that they need in order to meet our Savior. And — for Christians who are honestly seeking a closer walk with God, He is ever faithful and always available.

Application

Many Christians who have been saved for years have forgotten how exciting it is to have a personal relationship with God. Others are hungry for that close fellowship and walk with God on a daily basis and are diligently seeking Him. So, let me ask you, my friend; Are you like Herod, trying to disprove the truth and destroy faith that others have in Christ, or – are you like the chief priests and scribes, simply ignoring the messages that God is sending you, or – are you like the Magi, diligently seeking Him, eager for a closer walk with your Savior, your God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 2:2 – Worship The True King

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Will

saying, "Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the East and came to worship Him."

Truth to Learn

On this Christmas Day, let’s truly worship the true King.

Behind the Words

“Was born” is translated from the verb tiktō, meaning “to bring forth a child.” It is expressed here as an aorist passive participle. In Greek, participles are among the trickiest verb forms to translate. Literally, the word here means “having been born.” However, it could also be translated as “was born” or “has been born.”

The word translated “King” is basileus, which is probably from basis, meaning “a base or foundation.” Therefore, basileus most likely refers to a “foundation of power.” It is most often translated as “king” or “monarch.”

“Star” is from the Greek word astera (from which we get our English word asteroid), which refers to any shining heavenly body.

The word “East” is translated from anatolē, which is from the verb anatellō, meaning “to rise.” Therefore, anatolē refers to “the rising,” or the direction from which the sun rises.

“Worship” is translated from the Greek verb proskuneō. This is a compound word made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and kuneō, meaning “to adore” or “to kiss,” like a dog licking its master’s hand. This is different from the normal word for kiss, which is phileō. Thus, proskuneō carries the notion of kneeling or bowing down before someone as an act of homage, adoration, or worship.

Meaning Explained

As we mentioned in the previous verse, the magi had come to Jerusalem seeking the one who had been born King of the Jews. They had come, probably because of a prophecy that had been handed down from Daniel the Jewish prophet (who was raised in Babylon and had become the chief among the wise men of that time). They were also astrologers who studied the stars and based their belief of the new born king on the unusual character of the star they observed. It appears that they had come to the city of Jerusalem and started inquiring among the people there, expecting that all the people would have known about the birth of this king.

When Herod heard about these inquisitive magi and the questions they were asking, he gathered all the religious leaders together and asked them where the Christ (the Messiah) was prophesied to be born. Upon learning that Bethlehem was the location foretold by Micah, he secretly called the magi to him and asked them about when they first saw the star. Then Herod informed them of the place and asked them to come back and tell him so that he could go worship the baby also. In reality, however, Herod had no intention of worshipping the Christ-child. He only wanted to know where He was so that he could kill this newest rival of his.

One thing to notice in today’s verse is that the star did not appear in the eastern sky. Rather, the magi said that the star appeared to them while they were themselves in the East. The kingdom (or kingdoms) from which they had come was east of Jerusalem. One belief is that the star appeared to them in the western part of the sky and they followed it to the land of Judea.

The Constellations Virgo and Coma

This section of today’s study is long and complex. For those of you interested in delving deeper into the stars that were studied by the Magi, read on. For those of you who aren’t really interested in such detail, skip down to “Application.” Much of what follows is taken from a manuscript entitled “Is There a Gospel in the Stars?” by Dr. Barry Setterfield.

The constellation Virgo (the virgin) is made up of nine stars, which are referred to as “the alpha star, the beta star, the gamma star, the delta star, etc.” as a listing of the stars from the brightest one to the dimmest one. Note the names of some of these stars:

The alpha star is Spica (Roman name), but in Hebrew it is referred to as Zerah, meaning “seed.” This is the very word used to describe Messiah to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15.
The beta star (Beta Virginis in most modern astronomy books), in Hebrew is referred to as Tsebiyahweh. This is an interesting name, because Tsebi means “beautiful” and Yahweh is the Hebrew word for “LORD.” Thus, the name of this star is “Beautiful LORD.”
The gamma star (Gamma Virginis in most modern astronomy books) has the Roman name Porrima, the Roman goddess of childbirth. However, in some very ancient star maps, this star is named Al Tzemech. In Hebrew, Tzemech means “branch.” Tzemech is the word used to describe the Messiah in Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 23:5,6 & 33:15, and Zechariah 3:8 & 6:12.
The epsilon star (Epsilon Virginis) is commonly called Vindemiatrix, which means “grape gatherer.” However, ancient Arabic star maps called this star Al Muridin (The One Sent Forth.) In Chinese star maps, this star was called Tsze Tseang, meaning The Second General (believed to be a reference to the second person of the Trinity).

Thus, part of the story indicated by the constellation Virgo is that Messiah, the Beautiful Branch of the LORD, the Second Person, the Sent One, was to come as the Seed of the Virgin from the nation of Israel. That is the beginning of the Gospel story.

Many of the constellations we know today have lesser constellations associated with and very close to them. These constellations are called Decans. The first Decan of Virgo is called Coma. The original Hebrew name for this Decan was Kamah or Comah, meaning “the Desired One, or Longed for One.” In the Egyptian temple of Denderah there is a Zodiac depicted. It contains a figure of a woman and child representing Virgo and Coma. The Egyptian name for Coma was Shes-nu, meaning “the Desired Son.”

Albumazar (or Abu Masher, who lived from 787 AD to 885 AD), an Arabian astronomer to the Caliphs of Grenada, said:

There arises in the first Decan [of Virgo], as the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians … teach, a young woman, whose Persian name denotes a pure virgin sitting on a throne, nourishing an infant boy (the boy, I say) having a Hebrew name, by some nations called IHESU, with the signification IEZA, which in Greek is called CHRISTOS.”

This is all the more interesting given that Albumazar was a Muslim.

Some scholars today believe that what the Magi saw while they were in the East is an event that took place in the constellation Coma, which they knew to be a representation of the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Although some of this is speculation, I still find it very interesting, indeed!

Application

As we approach yet another Christmas Day, may we be as focused on the King of Kings as the magi were. They probably travelled for months, through foreign countries, for a single opportunity to worship at the feet of Jesus. For most of us it’s just a ten minute drive on Sunday morning, and even then we often have “more important” things on our mind than to bow at the feet of our Savior. That’s something to think about, isn’t it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 2:1 – Learn the Truth

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Will

And Jesus having been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

Truth to Learn

We need to believe what the Bible says, not what tradition has taught us, no matter how interesting they might make the story.

Behind the Words

“Bethlehem” is a transliteration of the Hebrew Bēth Lechem, which literally means “house of bread.” It previously was called Ephrath, where Jacob’s wife Rachel was buried.

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 we find that Daniel was made the leader of the magi (plural form of magos). It is believed by some that these magi were following a prophecy of Daniel that predicted the birth of the King of the Jews.

The word translated “East” is anatolē, which is from the verb anatellō, made up of ana, meaning “up” and tellō, meaning “to set out for a goal.” Anatolē literally refers to “the rising [of the sun.]” Thus, it is a reference to the direction from which the sun rises each day, that is, the East.

Meaning Explained

Matthew’s gospel account portrays Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, King of the Jews. In the first chapter of his gospel, Matthew traces the lineage of Jesus back to King David, the greatest of the earthly kings of the Jewish people.

At the time that Jesus was born, Herod the Great was the king over the country of the Jews. Initially, he was made governor (tetrarch) of Galilee and his brother, Phasael, was made governor of Jerusalem. Later, Herod was proclaimed “King of the Jews” by the Roman senate and became the ruler of all of Judea. He was the son of an Idumean man named Antigonus and his mother was Arabian. The Idumeans were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (God renamed Jacob as Israel). Even though Herod practiced the Jewish religion, he was never accepted by the religious leaders as a Jew. Because of his many massive building projects, including the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem, he became known as “Herod the Great.” He had at least nine sons by five wives and five of his sons were named Herod (Herod Phillip I, Herod Antipas, Herod Archelaus, Prince Herod, and Herod Phillip II).

About 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem:

And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being least among the thousands of Judah, out of you He shall come forth to Me to become the one ruling in Israel, and His goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity. (Micah 5:2)

However, Herod was a highly jealous man who maintained his power by killing off anyone who might become a rival of his. Therefore, when the magi came seeking the new born King of the Jews, Herod was determined to eliminate this new king any way he could.

Application

Because of traditions started centuries ago, many of the things we think we know about the Christmas story are not necessarily true. For instance, we don’t know if these magi were kings (they probably weren’t). Also, we don’t know how many of them there were. It is assumed that there were three because of the three different gifts that were offered to the Christ child (Matthew 2:11). 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. As Christians, we all need to study our Bibles to learn the truth about the birth of our Savior. And, we too should be excited about coming into the presence of the King of King, the Lord of Lords, and our Savior.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:2 – Build-up, Not Tear-down

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Will

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Truth to Learn

We are to focus on the good of others and on ways to build them up, not on ways to tear them down.

Behind the Words

The word translated “please” is a form of the Greek verb areskō, which means “to make one inclined to or to soften one's heart towards another.” This particular form of the verb is in the present tense and imperative mood. The imperative mood means that Paul is not simply suggesting that this might be a good idea, rather he is commanding us to do this. Also, according to the Complete Word Study Dictionary, “the present tense denotes intentional, deliberate, and continuous conduct; yet the word involves a relationship prior to behavior. It is actually satisfying or behaving properly toward one with whom one is related.”

“Neighbor” is from the Greek noun plēsion, which is based on the word pelas, meaning “near” or “close to.” Hence, plēsion refers to someone who is physically close to you, that is, your neighbor. Metaphorically, it refers to anyone whom you encounter in your walk through this life.

“Build … up” is from oikodomē, which we looked at back in Romans 14:19. It is made up of oikos, meaning “a family dwelling place” and a form of demo, meaning “to build.” Literally, oikodomē means “to build a house.” By application it means “to build-up, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.”

Meaning Explained

We have just been taught that those of us who are strong in our faith need to bear with the weaknesses of those who are less mature in their Christian faith. And, we just saw that the word translated “to bear” means “to lift up” or “to provide support.” Now the Apostle Paul teaches us that we are to please our neighbor for his good, not for our own. This is nearly a restatement of what we were told back in Romans 14:19;

Therefore we should pursue the things of peace and the things by which we build up one another.

In that verse Paul emphasized us pursuing the things which produce peace and the things which build-up someone else. In the current verse Paul’s exhortation again includes building up someone else, but it focuses on pleasing our neighbor.

In other words, we are to behave in a particular way to those around us, those whom we encounter in life. We are to treat them in such a way as to make them feel good and warm hearted. If you have ever had a dispute with a next door neighbor or someone with whom you work, then you know how difficult this can be. Paul’s point, however, is that we should constantly be acting in such a way toward those around us that they will be impressed with the way Christians behave.

Application

Yet again, we see that the proper attitude of a follower of Christ is to be focused on the good of others rather than his or her own good. That’s what Jesus’ life was all about. He humbled himself and offered His perfect life on the cross for our sake, not His own. We need to emulate His life. Remember, you may be the only Bible that your neighbor will ever read! Do your neighbors see Jesus Christ in you?

In God's service, for His glory,