Tag: christos

1 Thessalonians 5:28 – Our Lord and Master

Posted on by Will

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is our gracious Lord and Master. He owns us.

Behind the Words

“Grace” is translated from the Greek noun charis, which is from the verb chairō, meaning “to rejoice.” Therefore, we see that charis is “that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, or acceptance as a result of a kindness granted.” It is often translated as grace, thanks, or gratitude.

The word “Lord” is from kurios, which is based on kuros, meaning “might, power, or control.” Kurios refers to someone who has supreme authority or control over someone else.

Christos is the word transliterated “Christ,” which is based on the verb chriō, meaning “to anoint.” Thus, christos literally means “the anointed one.” It is equivalent to the Hebrew word mashiach, or Messiah.

The word “amen” is transliterated from the Hebrew word ‘āmēn, meaning “to be trustworthy, steady, or firm.” It is often translated as “truth,” “verily,” or “it is so.” It is usually appended to the end of a prayer or a hymn.

Meaning Explained

Paul closes this letter with his typical salutation of grace. Probably more than any other characteristic of God, Paul is ever mindful of God’s grace toward us. Every single letter of Paul’s ends with a reminder of God’s grace (Romans 16:24; 1 Corinthians 16:23; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23; Colossians 4:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:18; 1 Timothy 6:21; 2 Timothy 4:22; Titus 3:15; Philemon 1:25). In fact, the only other writings of the New Testament that end with a mention of God’s grace are Hebrews (which some people believe was written by Paul), 2 Peter, and Revelation.

God’s grace, as shown in our salvation and the many blessings that result from it, should serve as a constant reminder to us that without it we are dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1) and destined to receive the wrath of God. It is only by God’s grace that we who deserve eternity in hell, separated from the love of God, should receive His merciful and priceless salvation, fellowship with Him while on this earth, and the promise of eternity in His presence, bathed in His love. A thorough understanding of God’s grace should cause every Christian to humbly fall before our Lord with gratitude and thanksgiving.

But, Paul tells us something else here about God’s grace. It is “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This could also be translated as “the grace from our Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace comes, not simply from the godhead (all three persons), but specifically from the second person of the godhead, our Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul tells us that Jesus Christ is not just our God, but our Lord. Jesus Christ has purchased us with his blood (Revelation 5:9). We do not own ourselves, we were bought by, and now are owned by, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). He is our owner, our Lord, and our Master.

Application

By the grace of God, we will not get what we deserve (eternity in hell); instead, we will get what we don’t deserve (eternal salvation). Let us all fall on our faces with humble thanksgiving and gratitude, and let us strive to do the will of Him who owns us – our Lord Jesus Christ.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Mark 14:55, 56, 61b-64 – Christ the Messiah

Posted on by Will

55Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree. …  61bAgain the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" 62Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? 64You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Truth to Learn

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “Christ” is the Greek word christos, meaning “the anointed one.” It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew meshiach, or Messiah. The Jews believed the Messiah to be the Son of God (making Him equal with God) and that He would come as a ruling king.

The word “blasphemy” is transliterated from the Greek word blasphēmia, meaning “verbal abuse of the most slanderous kind, particularly anyone claiming equality with God.” By claiming Himself to be the Christ, Jesus was saying that He is God and the anointed one for whom the Jews had long been waiting.

Meaning Explained

The night that He was arrested, Jesus underwent trials before the Jewish political rulers. Annas had been appointed High Priest more than twenty five years earlier. This was a position which the Jews believed was retained for the remainder of the High Priest’s life. The Romans, however, chose to change High Priests more frequently. After Annas questioned Jesus, He was sent to Caiaphas who was the High Priest then recognized by the Roman government. He gathered the Sanhedrin, the religious rulers of the Jews, to judge Jesus’ case.

By Jewish law a person could not be convicted of a capital offense unless two separate witnesses could independently corroborate the charge. When Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin could not find two such witnesses (because they were all lying) and Jesus made no defense against the charges brought against Him, he asked Jesus directly, “Are you the Christ?” When Jesus admitted being the Christ, He was claiming that He was God in the flesh. This claim of being God was recognized by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin whereby they accused Jesus of blasphemy, which was a capital offense for the Jews.

The most interesting part of this exchange is the fact that the Messiah was standing before the religious rulers of the day claiming to be who He really is. And, they condemned Him to die for it.

Application

Who is Jesus to you? Is He simply a historical figure, a good man who did great things and was executed on a cross? Or is He the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the Lamb of God who gave up His life to pay the penalty for your sins and mine?

Your answer to this question is the most important one you will ever give, and it has eternal consequences!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:23 – God Honoring Submission

Posted on by Will

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body

Truth to Learn

Submission is part of God’s plan and it honors Him.

Behind the Words

“Head” is translated from kephalē, which means “the uppermost part of something” or “the head.” Thus, it is used both literally and figuratively to refer to the head of something.

The word “Christ” is from the Greek word christos, which is derived from chriō, meaning “to anoint.” In the Old Testament, a prophet or high priest anointed a person with oil as a symbol that the person was chosen by God for a specific purpose. The Jews believe that the anointed one (Hebrew Mashiach or Messiah) is God’s chosen redeemer who will come to rescue the Jews. Christos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew title Mashiach.

The word translated “church” is ekklesia, which is a compound word made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” Thus, this term refers to “the called-out ones.” Originally, this term was applied to any group of people called out to a public assembly. The Jewish equivalent of ekklesia is sunagogē (those who are gathered together). Since the church was often considered a sect of Judaism, a church body was initially referred to as an episunagogē. However, wanting to distinguish themselves from the members of the Jewish faith, early Christians referred to their assembly as ekklesia.

Meaning Explained

Yesterday’s verse introduced a topic that many Christian women today find troubling. They think that it is demeaning to expect a woman to submit to her husband. There are two important things to remember in this discussion, however. The first is that Christianity was directly responsible for raising up the position of women from that of a man’s possession to that of a man’s partner. The second thing to remember is that God expects more from a man because he is head of the family unit. “But, it’s not fair that it is always the woman who has to submit to the man,” you might say. However, it is no more unfair than that Jesus Christ, who is completely God, always has to submit to the will of the Father and that the Holy Spirit always has to submit to the will of the Father and the Son. It is the way that God determined it to be.

In today’s verse Paul tells us that the reason that a wife is to voluntarily submit to her husband is because God designed the marriage relationship with the man as the head. It is God’s plan that a man be the head of the family just as it is His plan that Christ is head of the church. The church, also called “the body of Christ,” is elsewhere referred to as “the bride of the Lamb”:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7)

So the picture of the church submitting to Christ is the same as the wife submitting to her husband.

Application

Ladies, your act of submission to your husband is not demeaning, it is God honoring! Submitting to your husband is an act of obedience to God and He will bless you for it.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 1:12 – Hopeful Expectation

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:12  – Hopeful Expectation

that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Truth to Learn

The hope of all Christians is Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.

Behind the Words

“Christ” is transliterated from the Greek word christos, which is based on the verb chriō, meaning “to anoint.” So, christos refers to “an anointed one.” It is written here with the definite article (the), so it could be translated as “the Christ.” This word is the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiach, or Messiah.

The words “first trusted” are translated from the Greek verb proelpidzō. This is made up of pro, meaning “before in time or position” and elpidzō which means “to hope.” This hope, however, is not simply wishful desire. It carries the meaning of hoping for something with full expectation of having it come to pass. A better translation of the opening part of this verse would be “that we who hoped in Christ before.”

As we saw back in verse six, “the praise of His glory” is a Hebrew expression that, in this case, focuses on the magnificence of His glory. “Glory” is the word doxa, which refers to “recognition, honor, or splendor.”

Meaning Explained

Throughout the centuries there has been much debate about what Paul means by “we who first trusted in Christ.” Some claim that Paul is referring to Jewish believers in Christ (including the apostles) who believed before the gospel message was delivered to the Gentiles. If we accept the translation “first trusted” or “first hoped” then this might make sense.

Others claim that this is a reference to the Jewish people who had placed their hope in the coming Messiah. It is this sense of the phrase that Paul claimed when he stated his case before King Agrippa:

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. (Acts 26:6-7)

From the time God told Abraham that the Messiah would be one of his descendants, the Jews have looked forward with hope to the day that their Redeemer would come.

Another reason for believing this to be Paul’s meaning is that he later talks about Christ uniting Jews and Gentiles:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (Ephesians 2:13-15)

Thus, it appears that Paul’s reference to “we who first hoped in the Christ” is a reference to the Jewish people.

Application

Where is your hope today? Is it in the things of this world, or is it in the blood of the spotless Lamb of God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

Romans 16:24 – Precious, Sacred, and True

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:24– Precious, Sacred, and True

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Truth to Learn

We have the genuine Word of God.

Behind the Words

“Grace” is translated from charis. This is the noun form of the verb chairō, meaning “to be full of cheer” or “to rejoice.” The noun form, charis, means “joy, pleasure, or gratification as a result of an undeserved kindness granted.” In other words, it refers to “an undeserved or unmerited favor done without expectation of anything done in return.” It is sometimes described as “unmerited favor.”

The word “Lord” is from the Greek noun kurios, which is derived from the noun kuron, meaning “might” or “power.” Thus, kurios refers to the one possessing might or power; that is, it refers to “a master or owner.”

“Jesus” is transliterated (spelling a word of one language with the letters of another language) from the Greek Iēsous, which is in turn transliterated from the Hebrew Yēshū’a, or Joshua, meaning “Jehovah is help” or “Jehovah saves.”

“Christ” is the transliteration of the Greek word christos, which is derived from the verb chriō, meaning “to anoint.” Therefore, christos means “anointed one.” This is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Māshīach, or Messiah.

The word “amen” is transliterated from the Greek word amēn, which in turn is transliterated from the Hebrew ‘āmēn. It literally means “to be firm, steady, or trustworthy.” The Greek word is sometimes translated as “verily” or “truly.” Because we almost always end a prayer with amen, we tend to think of it as meaning “the end” but this is not the proper meaning of the word. At the end of a prayer, it is more appropriately equated to “it is truth” or “it is so.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is almost exactly the same as the second half of verse twenty, except that the word “all” has been inserted. Some of the major Greek manuscripts do not include this verse, so it is omitted in some translations. However, it is included in this translation so let’s look at it briefly.

According to his second letter to the Thessalonians, this is an expression that Paul uses to mark the genuineness of his letter:

The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (2Thssalonians 3:17-18)

In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul alludes to a forged letter from him (2Thessalonians 2:2), so he may have used this valediction to assure them that it was truly from him. Thus, we see this expression in various forms in 1Corinthians 16:23, 2Corinthians 8:9, Galatians 6:18, Philippians 4:23, 1Thessalonians 5:28, 2Thessalonians 3:18, 1Timothy 1:14, and Philemon 1:25.

As to why it is included in both verses twenty and twenty-four we can only speculate. Perhaps the first was written by his penman and this one was written by Paul himself.

Application

We are so privileged to have God’s truth presented to us in a single book, a book that we know to be genuine. We should treat it as precious, honor it as sacred, and follow it as God’s Holy Word. Amen.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: