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2 Thessalonians 3:13 – Don’t Get Discouraged

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Will

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.

Truth to Learn

Work hard for God and don’t get discouraged.

Behind the Words

Adelphos is the word translated “brother.” It literally refers to someone from the same womb, hence, “a brother or sister.” It is used throughout the New Testament as a term of endearment, referring to “a brother or sister in the Lord,” that is another Christian.

The words “grow weary” are from the Greek verb ekkakeō. This word is made up of ek, meaning “out of,” used here as an intensifier, and a form of kakos, meaning “evil or bad.” It means “to lose one’s courage.”

“Doing good” is translated from the verb kalopoieō, which is composed of kalos, meaning “something that is inherently good or beautiful” and poieō, meaning “to make or to do;” thus, kalopoieō means “to do something good or virtuous.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been writing about people in the church who are not busy doing constructive things but, instead, are depending on others for their daily needs and sticking their nose into other people’s business. As a result, he sternly told the Thessalonian Christians (and us) to work quietly and provide for their own needs.

A natural response from our sinful nature might be “Well, if I can’t depend on others to take care of my needs, then I’m not going to do anything for anyone else either.” Knowing that this is how the human mind tends to work, Paul now addresses this type of response head on. He starts out with, “But you, brethren …” Notice the term of endearment that he uses. He calls us brothers and sisters. Even the great Apostle Paul does not refer to us as being any less important than he is.

He goes on to say, “don’t become discouraged doing good.” In our translation here (NKJV) as well as many other translations, we see the words “grow weary” or “become tired,” but the word ekkakeō does not imply tiredness or fatigue; instead, it carries the idea of being discouraged. If Paul were intending to say, “don’t get tired,” he would have probably used the words ekluō (to relax, that is, to become tired or weary), or kamnō (to become tired or faint from working) instead. The point is that Paul is not saying it is wrong to get tired or fatigued from doing what is right. He is saying that we shouldn’t get discouraged from it. Nearly every Christian who gives his all to God and serves Him faithfully gets tired. It’s okay to get tired in the work, but we should never get tired of the work.

In Thessalonica, as in churches today, there was a core group of Christians who carried on the work of the ministry. There were also others who didn’t carry their fair share and who either complained or told those who are working how to do their jobs. This is discouraging to those who are working hard.

Application

Let’s all commit ourselves to doing the work that God has given us to do without complaint, even when we get tired. Let’s also encourage others to join us in the work. Remember, it’s all for Him and for His glory, not our own.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Thessalonians 3:6 – Judgment With Love

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Will

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

Truth to Learn

There are times when Christians are supposed to judge others.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “command” is parangellō, which we saw back in verse four. It refers to a command given by a superior officer which is passed on from one person to the next.

The word “name” is from onoma, which specifically means “name.” However in the common usage of the first century it usually referred to the title or authority or someone.

“Withdraw” is from a form of stellō, meaning “to set fast,” that is, “to repress or avoid.” In the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to withdraw oneself from.”

Adelphos is the word translated “brother.” It specifically refers to someone from the same womb, hence, “a brother or sister.” It is used throughout the New Testament to refer to “a brother or sister in the Lord,” that is, another Christian.

“Disorderly” is translated from ataktōs, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of tassō, meaning “to arrange in an orderly manner.” Thus, ataktōs refers to a person who is disorderly or neglectful of their responsibilities.

Meaning Explained

A couple of verses back, the Apostle Paul expressed his faith that the readers of this letter would continue obeying the commands that he was passing along. He now gives one of those commands, specifically stating that we are to withdraw ourselves from other Christians whose lives are not demonstrating obedience to God.

There are two things that we can learn from today’s verse. The first is that we are supposed to judge the behavior of other Christians. Even though Christ said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” In Matthew 7:1, he was referring to not having a judgmental attitude. There are several examples in the New Testament where we are told to make judgments about others and this is one of them. Paul does not tell us here that we are to condemn these disorderly and disobedient brothers and sisters, we simply are to withdraw ourselves from them. The reason for withdrawing from them is two-fold. It sends a message to the disobedient ones that their actions are inappropriate and it keeps us from being adversely affected by their behavior. It’s hard enough to walk the Christian walk without having others affecting our actions by their bad example.

The other thing we need to learn from today’s verse is that we should not carry this teaching to extremes. There are some churches which teach that if a brother or sister is not withdrawing himself or herself from another Christian who is disorderly, then we should break fellowship with them. Carried to an extreme, this isolates such churches from nearly all other Christians. Such churches become very legalistic and completely lose their effectiveness in ministering to others and witnessing to the lost.

Application

We need to make judgments concerning other Christians, but we need to do so in love, as our Lord would do. We also need to be willing to welcome them back into the fold when they repent. Let love and mercy guide your actions, not vengeance.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:25 – Humble Prayer Request

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Will

Brethren, pray for us.

Truth to Learn

We all need prayer so that we can bring glory to God.

Behind the Words

The word “brethren” is translated from adelphos, which is made up of a connective particle, a and a form of the noun delphus, meaning “the womb.” Thus, adelphos literally means “from the same womb.” In the New Testament this word is used to refer to people who are of the same family, including cousins and other more distant relatives. It is used frequently by Paul to refer to fellow Christians since we are all children of our Heavenly Father.

“Pray” is translated from the Greek verb proseuchomai. This word is made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and euchomai, which literally means “to speak out” or “to express a wish.” Therefore, proseuchomai means “to express a wish to someone” or “to speak out to someone.”

Meaning Explained

In the first century of the church, there is no one who did more for the growth of the church and the spread of the Gospel than the Apostle Paul. From the time of his conversion until the day of his death, he worked tirelessly to proclaim the good news and build up Christians throughout the known world. And yet, in all of his writings there is never even a hint of selfish pride in what he accomplished. Paul realized that it was God working through him who accomplished great things for the church. He realized he was a sinner; in fact, he thought of himself as the worst sinner of all. Here’s what he said:

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Because he knew that anything he might accomplish was the result of God working through him, Paul prayed a lot and asked others to pray for him. He was not afraid to ask for prayer, even from the very people to whom he was ministering. We see that in today’s verse as well as the following verses:

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified … (2 Thessalonians 3:1)

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ … (Colossians 4:2-3)

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, … and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:18-19)

Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, (Romans 15:30)

Application

Given all that Paul accomplished, it is amazing that he was so humble and so frequently asked others to pray for him. Notice that he did not make selfish prayer requests. The focus of his prayer requests was the glory of God. When you ask others to pray for you, is it for your benefit and glory, or God’s?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 3:7 – Focusing On Others

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Will

therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.

Truth to Learn

Paul was concerned about how his own persecution was affecting the faith of others.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is from the Greek words dia touto. The word dia denotes the channel of action, that is, “on account of” or “by means of.” Touto means “this.” Therefore, dia touto literally translates as “on account of this” or “because of this.”

“Brethren” is the translation of adelphos, which is made up of a, indicating unity and delphus, which refers to the womb. Therefore, literally this word means “someone having the same birth origin.” Since all Christians are “born of the Spirit,” we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The word “affliction” is translated from thlipsis, which we saw back in verse three. It means “pressure, stress, trouble, or affliction.”

The word translated “distress” is anagkē, which can refer to “necessity” or to “an oppositional compelling force.”

“We were comforted” is from the Greek verb parakaleō, which we saw back in verse two where it was translated as “encourage.” It is a picture of someone being called alongside to challenge and encourage. In this verse it could be translated as “comforted” or “encouraged.”

Pistis is the Greek word translated “faith.” It is based on the verb peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to win over by persuasive discussion.” Pistis refers to the state of having been firmly convinced of a truth.

Meaning Explained

As we have mentioned before, word order is very important in Greek. The thought or idea expressed first is the most important. In today’s verse, the Greek word order says, “therefore, we were comforted, brothers, over you …” You may recall from verses one and five that Paul wanted to know about how the Thessalonians were doing, but he had not heard any word from them. He knew that he and his co-workers had only spent a brief time with these young Christians and he was concerned that the persecution that they were facing might have weakened their faith. So, Paul had sent Timothy to Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage them and to see how strong their faith was.

But it was not just the persecution of the Thessalonians that Paul was uncomfortable about. Paul was concerned that the persecution and affliction that he and his companions were suffering might be affecting the faith of his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. This may be only a subtle distinction, but it demonstrates something significant about the Apostle. He was not focusing on himself and his own circumstances, but on how his circumstances might be affecting others.

Application

Part of human nature is to look-out for ourselves, to do all we can to ensure that we are safe and comfortable. Pure and undefiled faith in God, however, means trusting God and being concerned about the safety and wellbeing of others. What are you putting your trust in and whose wellbeing are you most concerned about?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 16:15 – Family of Saints

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Will

Romans 16:15 – Family of Saints

Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are saints and are God’s children.

Behind the Words

The name “Philologus” means “one who loves to learn.”

“Nereus,” by some sources is said to be derived from Nereo or Neriene. It is a name that signifies “strength” and is the word from which Emperor Nero’s name is derived.

“Sister” is from the Greek noun adelphē. This is the feminine form of the word adelphos, which means “brother.” Hence, adelphē means “sister.”

The word “saints” is translated from the Greek noun hagios, meaning “holy” or “set-apart.” It refers to things which have been set-apart from common usage and dedicated to use for God’s service. Throughout the New Testament, it is a term used of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who are, therefore, sanctified or set-apart from the commonness of mankind and dedicated to God for His use and His glory.

Meaning Explained

Philologus, like a number of others in Paul’s greeting list, was named among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord referenced in Luke 10:1. A man by this name (perhaps this same person) later became Bishop at Sinope (a city in present day Turkey). Julia (also sometimes written as Junia) is believed to have been his wife.

Nereus and his sister are the next ones greeted by Paul. We know nothing of this man or his sister. It is interesting to note in this lengthy list of people to whom Paul sends greetings by name that he does not greet Nereus’ sister by name. This would seem to indicate that either Paul forgot her name (unlikely, given his demonstrated ability to remember names) or he never knew her name.

The final person greeted by name in this verse is Olympas (or Olympius) who, like many others in this list, was listed among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord. Olympius is also identified in writings outside the Bible as one of the Christian martyrs in Rome.

As in the previous verse, it appears that this group of five people may have been the core of a church group meeting together for worship and/or fellowship. The fact that Paul refers to the “saints” who are with this group indicates that it is more than just a group of friends, that it is a gathering of Christian believers.

By the way: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Apostle Peter was designated as the first Bishop of the Roman Church or “Pope” as he is called today. If this were true, one would expect Paul to have sent him greetings as part of this extensive list of personal salutations.

Application

If you are a born again Christian, the Bible declares you to be a saint. That means, as we have said previously, that you have been specifically set-apart by God for His use. You are not a commoner; you are a holy child of the King of Kings!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 16:1 – Phoebe the Deaconess

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Will

Romans 16:1 – Phoebe the Deaconess

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,

Truth to Learn

Women who serve in formal positions in a church perform an important service to God and His church.

Behind the Words

“Commend” is translated from the Greek verb sunistēmi, a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together with” and histēmi, meaning “to stand or to set in place.” Thus, the literal interpretation of this word is “to stand together.” When used of persons it generally means “to introduce or present to one’s acquaintance for favorable notice.” Thus, it means to commend or present as worthy. This is the word which was commonly used in letters of commendation.

The word translated “sister” is adelphē. This is the feminine form of adelphos, which is made up of a, implying togetherness or unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” Thus, adelphē means a female who has come out of the same womb. Both adelphos and adelphē are frequently used metaphorically to refer to a brother or sister in Christ.

“Servant” is from the Greek word diakonos, meaning “a minister, a servant, or a deacon.” In this verse it most likely refers to the formal position of deaconess within the church.

“Cenchrea” was a port city just nine miles east of the city of Corinth. Some believe that this was where the church of Corinth actually met, though there is some dispute on this matter.

Meaning Explained

Having finished his doctrinal teaching, Paul now closes the letter with a series of salutations. In doing so he demonstrates his intimate knowledge of members of the church in Rome even though he had not yet been to Rome. This is a sign of a good minister of the Gospel, knowing personal details about the people to whom and with whom he ministers.

He starts off this verse with a formal commendation of a woman named Phoebe, who was probably the messenger carrying this letter from Corinth (where Paul was when it was written) to Rome. Phoebe is referred to as a deaconess. Though this could be interpreted as simply “a minister” or “a servant,” the fact that Paul refers to her as a diakonos “of the church in Cenchrea” indicates that it probably was her formal position in the church. In the first century of the Christian church, it was not uncommon to have deaconesses whose primary responsibilities were to minister to and care for other women in the church. Elsewhere in the New Testament, references are made to a class of females whose duty it was to teach other females and to take the general superintendence of that part of the church. Also, various letters of ecclesiastical history (not included in the Bible) give evidence to this class of females within the church. The strict separation of the sexes in the early church made the services of deaconesses necessary for baptism, visiting the women, and teaching women’s study groups.

Application

Though there is sound Biblical evidence that the position of pastoring a church is to be strictly limited to men, that doesn’t mean that women are to be excluded from serving in formal positions. Women are needed to perform much needed duties in the church and are commended by God for doing so.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 10:1 – Hate Sin, Love Sinners

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Will

Romans 10:1 – Hate Sin, Love Sinners

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Truth to Learn

Paul loved his lost brothers and prayed for them while he proclaimed the Gospel message to them.

Behind the Words

The word translated “brethren” is adelphos, which is made up of the connective a, implying unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” Hence, adelphos refers to those who have the same mother. It is frequently used metaphorically referring to those who are of the same lineage, as Paul does here.

“Desire” is translated from the Greek word eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus we see that this word literally means “to have good thoughts.” Eudokia is often translated as “desire, delight, kindness, or wish.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter the Apostle Paul expressed his great concern for his brothers in the flesh, the nation of Israel. He was troubled by the fact that so many of them were out of the way of salvation. Here’s how he expressed it in the opening verses of that chapter:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (Romans 9:1-3)

He loved his fellow Jews and was deeply grieved by the fact that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the One for whom they had been waiting for centuries. He went on to show that God has chosen some of them for salvation but not others. He also showed that God has also called some of the Gentiles to salvation over his Jewish kinsmen.

But, you may ask, if Paul truly believed that God is the one who chooses who will be saved, why was Paul so intent on evangelizing the Jews, calling on them to accept Jesus as the Messiah? The answer is in the Great Commission. All Christians are commanded to preach the gospel. We don’t know whom God will choose, but they must believe God’s promise through His grace in order to be saved.

In the first half of the current chapter, Paul will show that the reason why so many Jews were lost is because they tried to earn their way into righteousness by keeping the Law instead of receiving the gift of salvation through faith.

Paul had been accused by some of his countrymen of deserting his Jewish brothers in favor of this new Way called Christianity. He starts off the current chapter with a declaration that not only has he not deserted them, but that he has a strong desire for them to be saved. And, he will show that salvation is to be received through faith, not through works.

Application

We are told to hate sin but to love sinners. We are told to proclaim the good news of God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. We do not save sinners, only God can do that. We are to pray for sinners and proclaim the gospel. And we are to be a witness for God by the way we live our lives.

Are you fulfilling the Great Commission?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 8:12 – Indebted to Whom?

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:12

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

Truth to Learn

We owe a debt, but not to our sin nature.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the two Greek words, ara oun. The word ara in an inferential conjunction which indicates that the following phrase is an inference, a conclusion, drawn from the preceding thoughts. It is most often translated “therefore.” The other Greek word, oun, is also an inferential conjunction, but it is also used as a transitional conjunction, indicating that a new train of thought is on the way. It is sometimes translated as “then” or “now.” We could translate these two words as “So now” or “Therefore then.” The effect is to introduce a strong conclusion that the writer is emphasizing.

The word translated “brethren” is the plural form of adelphos. This is made up of a, indicating unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” So, this word indicates someone who has come from the same mother. The word is used metaphorically throughout the New Testament to indicate those who have the same Heavenly Father. Paul uses this term in reference to Christians and Jews alike.

“Debtors” is from opheiletēs, which comes from the verb opheilō, meaning “to owe something to someone else.” Hence, opheiletēs refers to someone who owes something to someone else, that is a debtor.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we talked how God promises those of us who are truly saved that He will give us the same kind of immortal body that Jesus Christ has right now. That’s part of eternal life, having an eternal body. It will be a body that will not know pain and will not grow old; a body far superior to the one that we now possess.

Now, he makes a very strong conclusion: since we will receive an immortal body, we have no reason to live as debtors to this mortal body. In other words, we should not treat this body as if we owe it anything. We should not satisfy the desires and cravings of this body because not only does it not own us, but it will be replaced by a much better body some day.

We should not live kata sarka or “according to the flesh.” You will remember that we talked a number of verses back about the fact that kata, means “according to” or “with respect to.” We should not conduct our lives in such a manner as to cater to our fleshly desires. We should, in fact, act as if we were dead when it comes to satisfying the desires of our flesh. That’s what Paul will tell us in the next verse.

Application

The next time one of those sinful fleshly desires begins to get you into trouble, remember that you are not required to obey it; you don’t owe it anything! In fact, we are debtors to someone else. We owe God a great debt, our lives. We owed Him the penalty for our sins (death), but Jesus Christ paid that debt for us so we now have eternal life. Therefore, we owe Him a debt of gratitude for rescuing us. We owe Him our life!

How are you paying off that debt?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 7:1 – Our Savior, Our Husband

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Will

Romans 7:1

Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

Truth to Learn

Christians are in a marriage relationship with Jesus Christ.

Behind the Words

The word translated “brethren” is adelphos, which is made up of a, denoting unity and delphus, meaning “a womb.” Literally it means those who have come from the same womb. In the New Testament it is used metaphorically of all Christians.

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter, Paul told us that sin should not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law but under Grace (Romans 6:14). When we got saved, we died to sin and now we live to God as our new ruler. In this chapter he will tell us why we are still affected by the Law even though we are not under obligation to it.

The metaphor that he used in the previous chapter was that of the master-slave relationship. In actuality, it is more than a metaphor because God is the Master of all creation and all things are in subjection to Him. In this chapter he uses a different metaphor, the marriage relationship. And once again, it is more than a metaphor, because those of us who are saved are declared to be the Bride of Christ.

Paul now shows how this new relationship is related (or not, as the case may be) to the Law. He starts out this section of his letter with another rhetorical question. He uses the question as an attention grabber. He says that he is speaking to those who know the Law. This certainly would apply to any Roman Christian who had been converted from the Jewish religion. All Jews know the Law. So when he asks, “Are you ignorant, brothers, that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?” the answer is clearly, “No!” He will talk more about the marriage relationship in the next few verses.

We moved from a master-slave relationship with God to a marriage relationship when we were saved. Marriage is a picture of the intimate relationship that God wants to have with each one of us. One of my favorite proofs of this comes from the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 3:5,6 we are told:

trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

The word translated “acknowledge” is the Hebrew word yawdah, which means ‘to know someone relationally and intimately.” It is the same word translated as “knew” in Genesis 4:1:

And Adam knew Eve his wife. And she conceived and bore Cain”

Therefore, we could translate Proverbs 3:6 as, “In all your ways become intimately familiar with God, and He shall direct your paths.” That’s what God wants from each and every one of us who is a born again Christian; He wants an intimate relationship with us!

Application

Do you want God to direct your paths? If so, then you need to have an intimate personal relationship with Him? That requires a lot of effort on your part.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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