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Ephesians 3:4 – Uncovering the Mystery

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 3:4 – Uncovering the Mystery

by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

Truth to Learn

Mysteries are revealed in the Bible.

Behind the Words

“When you read” is translated from anaginōskō. This word is made up of ana, used as an intensifier and ginōskō, which means “to know.” Initially this word meant “to perceive accurately.” Later it came to mean “to recognize” and in some cases “to read.” In the New Testament it is always used in reference to reading. It is expressed here as a present participle.

“May” is the translation of the word dunamai, which means “to be able” or “to have power.”

The Greek word translated “understand” is noieō. This word means “to exercise the mind,” that is “to comprehend” or “to understand.”

Sunesis is the Greek word translated “knowledge.” This word is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of the verb heimi, meaning “to send” or “to put.” This sunesis literally means “that which is put together;” that is to say, “perception” or “knowledge.”

Putting this all together we see that a more literal translation of this verse would be: “by the reading of which you are able to understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),”

Meaning Explained

This is one of those verses which has very little meaning without the verses surrounding it. You may recall that in the previous verse Paul talked about the fact that a mystery had been revealed to him. He also alluded to the fact that he had previously written to the Ephesians about this mystery. That previous writing is probably a reference to what he said in Ephesians 1:9-12.

He goes on to explain that this mystery is the gathering together in one place (heaven) of all created things which belong to Christ (both those things in heaven and those things on earth). This mystery also includes the fact that Gentiles, who had previously been alienated from God’s chosen people (the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), are now part of the same family, the family of God. We also learned recently that this mystery was not revealed to Paul by a human teacher, but by God, Himself. Now, because of what Paul has already written concerning this mystery, the readers of this letter are able to understand the mystery also.

Application

Today it is in vogue to declare that all people are part of God’s family. And, there are some churches which teach that we will all go to heaven. After all, a loving God wouldn’t really send some people to Hell where they would suffer eternally with no possibility of being rescued from it, would He? The answer is a resounding Yes!

All of us have sinned and deserve eternal hell because we don’t measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. But He has provided a way for us to obtain His righteousness. All we have to do is believe that the blood of Jesus Christ is the payment for our sins. Those who believe that Jesus died to pay for their sins will be gathered to Heaven someday. Those who reject His blood sacrifice will die in their sins and will be condemned by God to spend eternity in Hell. Have you accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your sins?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 10:2 – Zeal for God

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Will

Romans 10:2 – Zeal for God

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Truth to Learn

Zeal and devotion are good if they are not misplaced.

Behind the Words

Paul starts off this verse with “For I bear them witness.” This is translated from the Greek words marturō gar. The Greek word gar is a primary particle which assigns a reason. Hence it is usually translated as “for.” This particular word is always post positive; that is, it always appears after the word to which it applies. The Greek word marturō is the word from which we get our English word martyr. It means “to be a witness.”

“Zeal” is from the Greek word dzēlos, which literally refers to “heat.” Figuratively, it is a reference to the heat of a person’s passion. Thus it is often translated as “zeal.”

The word translated “knowledge” is epiginōskō, which is made up of epi, meaning “on or upon” and ginōskō, which means “to know, to perceive, or to be aware of.” Hence epiginōskō literally means “to know upon.” That is, to perceive and understand based on the facts.

Meaning Explained

Paul is now declaring the reason why he is desirous of seeing all of Israel saved, while at the same time declaring the reason why they aren’t all saved. He tells us, “For I am a witness of the fact that they (his fellow Jews) have a zeal for God.” His witness is driven by the fact that not only was he that way himself, but he has personally known many devout Jews who were earnestly seeking after God and His righteousness.

The problem, according to Paul, is that they have been seeking after the righteousness of God in the wrong way. It hasn’t been “according to knowledge,” he says; that is to say, they haven’t recognized or understood the proper way to attain God’s righteousness because they didn’t understand the proper way.

As part of his calling from God, Paul is declaring the facts of salvation through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He wants them to have knowledge of their Savior so that they might accept the truth and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knows that many of his fellow Jews are ignorant of the truth. Because of that ignorance, even though they are very passionate about God and His righteousness, they are going about it all wrong.

Application

There are many who call themselves Christian today who are very passionate about God. But instead of seeking God through faith, they are trying to earn His favor. Some would call them devout, but their devotion is to their church or to living up to some set of standards. Some of them even believe that they can reach a point of sanctification in which they no longer sin. That, however, is a works oriented religion; it is not walking by faith.

Being zealous is a good thing. Being devoted to a good cause or to a church is wonderful. But it’s not the way of salvation. Salvation only comes through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Only through living by faith can we please the One who is our Heavenly Father. And we can only live by faith if we have knowledge of the truth. That’s why it is so important that we study the Bible!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 2:20 – Giving Truth Away

Posted on September 30, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:20

an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.

Truth to Learn

We have the truth and we are to freely give it away.

Behind the Words

The word translated “instructor” is the Greek word paideutēs, which is the verb form of paidagogos, from which we get our English word “pedagogue” meaning “an instructor.”

“Foolish” is translated from the Greek word aphronos, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “without” and a form of phrēn, which metaphorically refers to “the mind” or “intellect.” Hence, aphronos means “someone without intelligence.”

The word translated “babes” is the Greek word nēpios, which literally means, “someone without words” or “someone who can’t speak.” In Biblical Greek it refers to “a baby.”

“Form” is a translation of morphōsis, which means “an appearance or an impression.” Today, when we see a computer simulation of an image changing gradually into another we say that one image has been “morphed” into the other. The appearance of the first has been changed into the appearance of the other.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been describing the arrogance of the Jewish Christians who believed themselves to be justified in that arrogance since they were Jews, descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; since they had the Law, the Holy Scriptures; and since they could know the will of God and could distinguish the good from the bad through the instruction they had from the Law. Because of all these things, they believed themselves to be spiritual guides to the blind Gentiles, and they believed themselves to have the light of the truth for the world.

In today’s verse Paul is saying that the Jewish Christians in Rome also believed themselves to be instructors and teachers of the unintelligent and the immature. Several verses back Paul said that the Jewish Christians in Rome were arrogant, and he implied that he was going to deal with that pride. Paul is now setting them up for a rude awakening. You see, any devout Jew or Jewish Christian would be nodding in agreement with Paul in these verses because they knew what Paul has been saying is the truth.

Paul now starts to turn the tables on them. In the last part of today’s verse he says that they “have the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law.” It would be clear to Paul’s readers that he was not saying that they possessed knowledge and truth from the Law but that they simply appeared to have them, while in reality they didn’t have them at all.

In the next verse Paul will begin to do a little toe stompin’ as he points out the problem with this Jewish arrogance.

Application

As we have said before, there is no place for arrogance among Christians. We are servants of His Majesty, the King of Kings. Our responsibility is to humbly proclaim His truth to the world. He has entrusted His truth to us, and we are not to hoard it but to freely give it away.

How much of His truth have you given away lately?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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2 Peter 3:18 – Eternal Praise

Posted on July 7, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Truth to Learn

We are to grow spiritually and give God all the glory.

Behind the Words

The word translated “grow” is auxanō, meaning “to grow.” This growth, however, implies the result either of some outside agent or the element of life within. It is the word used of a seed which grows into a plant, simply because it has the element of life in it. There is a different Greek word, prokoptō, which also refers to growth. This, however, refers to growth as a result of human achievement. So we see that even though Peter gives this to us as a command, our growth in grace (there is no definite article “the” in the Greek text) and knowledge of Christ is not a result of our active conscious effort, but a result of the spiritual life within us.

The word translated “glory” is the Greek word doxa. The root of this word, dokeo, means “favorable thought or opinion.” Hence, it is often translated as “glory, praise, or honor.”

“Forever” is translated from the Greek expression hēmeran aiōnos. The word hēmera refers to a “day.” It can refer to a specific twenty-four hour period of time, or it can refer to an indefinite period or point in time such as “the day of the Lord.” The word aiōnos refers to an “age of time.” It is most often used to refer to an indefinitely long period of time and, therefore, is often translated as eternity. These two words, therefore, refer to “the day of eternity,” that is, the time after the creation of the new heavens and the new earth when time will no longer have any meaning.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter told us to beware of the false teachers and scoffers, and we learned that we can only protect ourselves from false doctrine by studying correct doctrine. He now gives us another command. He says to “grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter tells us that we are to grow both in grace and in knowledge. Like a tree which continues to grow because it has life fed from the roots sunk deep in the earth, we are to grow because we are being fed from our roots in Christ through the Word of God. The only way to have continual growth is to be fed regularly from the book of life, the Bible. Only through regular constant reading and fellowshipping with the God of the Bible will we receive regular nourishment.

Peter then closes his letter with a word of praise for the one to whom we owe everything. He says, “to Him be the glory …” God, and God alone, is to be given recognition for who He is and what He has done. Peter proclaims that this praise and honor is His both now and into (or unto) the day of eternity.

Application

As we complete this study of 2Peter, let’s take a few minutes in prayer to give Him the worship and praise that He is due. And let’s submit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him and commit ourselves to doing His will…

… from now until the day of eternity!

May God richly bless you as you do these things.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

2 Peter 1:5 – Diligent Growth

Posted on March 31, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:5

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

Truth to Learn

No matter where we are in our Christian experience today, we need to be growing and maturing in our relationship to God.

Behind the Words

“Every” is translated from pas which means “all” or “every,” but it includes the idea of oneness, a totality or the whole. Hence Peter is telling us to use all of our effort. Today we might say “every ounce of effort.”

The word “effort” is from the Greek word spoudē, which refers to “speed, earnestness, diligence, or zeal.”

The word translated “add” is from the Greek word epichorēgeō, which means “to abundantly furnish.” It is not a mere adding a little more of what you already have, rather it is an intensive and abundant addition. It is expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command, not a suggestion.

“Goodness” is a translation of the word aretē, which means “manliness” or “valor.” It denotes that which is good or worthy in a moral sense.

Meaning Explained

“For this very reason” is a connective phrase so we need to see what it is referring to. In this case, the reference is to the preceding two verses. Because He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, because of His exceedingly great and precious promises, because one day we will be partakers of His divine nature … we need to do the following:

We need to be using all of our effort to grow in goodness and knowledge. In other words, don’t take these promises and the saving faith that you have for granted, and don’t just meander through life knowing you now have your “ticket” into heaven. Rather, apply yourself with earnestness and diligence to add some things to your faith.

Peter uses words of force here to communicate to the Christians of his day, and to us today, the need to work long and hard at growing as a Christian. Simply being a committed Christian by itself is a difficult assignment for anyone, but Peter is saying that we need to work hard at developing our Christianity. We need to be growing!

He says that there are several areas where we need to apply that effort. The first is improving our faith and developing goodness. In other words, Peter is telling us in addition to growing our faith, we need to grow in our morality (something that is rapidly slipping away in the world today). And along with this, Peter tells us that we need to be diligent in growing our knowledge of God and His promises. That doesn’t simply mean listening to a sermon once a week. We need to be doing a lot more! We need to be reading the Bible regularly, attending Bible studies or studying on our own, and applying the things we learn to our relationship with God.

Application

I heard a preacher once say that in out Christian life we are never standing still, we’re either charging ahead or we’re sliding back. Which direction is your Christian life going today?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

2 Peter 1:3 – God-given Godliness

Posted on March 29, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Truth to Learn

All that we need for life and godliness comes from God.

Behind the Words

“Divine” is translated from theios, which is derived from theos, meaning “God.” It refers to that which is uniquely God’s and proceeds directly from Him.

The verb “has given” is translated from dōreomai, which means “to give a gift” (one that is undeserved). It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

“Knowledge” is the same word, epignōsis that we looked at in the previous verse, meaning complete, in-depth knowledge.

The word translated “goodness” is the Greek word arêtes, which means “moral excellence” or “superiority.”

Meaning Explained

In this verse Peter continues his benediction by saying that it is through His Godly power that Jesus Christ has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Some have supposed that this means all things that pertain to spiritual life and godliness, but I am of the persuasion that he means all aspects of life, both earthly and eternal. As born-again Christians we have everything we need to live a peaceful life and to expect eternal life in the grace of God, not because we have done anything, but because He has given it to us through His divine power.

As we noted above, the act of giving was accomplished in the past, but it has current ongoing consequences. The point when the giving actually took place can be interpreted either as the point in time when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior or the point in eternity past when He chose us:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (Ephesians 1:4)

Peter seems to imply that we receive everything we need for life and godliness by developing the in-depth, personal knowledge of God in Jesus Christ that we talked about in the last verse. He is the one who called us, and He is the one who empowers us:

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)

What I want you to see from these two verses is that God shows His grace to us and gives us peace as we recognize and accept who He is and what He has done. And because of His divinity and power, He has called us to Himself and He has given us everything we need for life and for living in a godly manner. But we only get this through understanding and thoroughly knowing who He is, how glorious He is, and how powerful He is.

Application

We must recognize that we are what we are and we have the salvation that we have solely because of who He is, not because of what we have done.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

2 Peter 1:2 – Abundant Peace

Posted on March 25, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:2

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Truth to Learn

Peace with God comes from complete knowledge of Him.

Behind the Words

The word translated “be … in abundance” is plēthunō, which is derived from plēthō, meaning “to fill.” Plēthunō means “to be filled up” or “to increase fully.” It is expressed here is in the optative mood, indicating a sincere desire on Peter’s part.

In our translation here (New International Version) the middle part of the verse, “through the knowledge of God,” is a little misleading. The normal word in Greek for “through” is dia, but that is not the word used here. The Greek word used here is en, which means “in,” that is, “in the sphere of.” This part of the current verse should be translated as, “in the knowledge of God.” It’s a fairly minor point but it is this: grace and peace do not come as a process (through the doing of something), they are found in something (in a full knowledge of Him, and in an intimate relationship with Him).

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignōsis, which is made up of epi, meaning “over or above” and ginōskō, meaning “to know, in an absolute sense.” Therefore, it is much more than simply knowing about God. It means having an intimate relationship with Him based on thorough knowledge. It’s not the knowledge that we get by simply being exposed to Him, but the complete knowledge we get by spending time with Him, studying Him carefully and thoughtfully.

Meaning Explained

Peter now offers a significant benediction to his intended readers. He proclaims that grace and peace should increase to the readers of this letter. Literally, he says, “Grace to you and peace to be filled-up.” That is, grace in the form of forgiveness of our sins by a righteous God through the sacrifice of His son, and peace, that elusive characteristic and quality that only comes to one who is firmly fixed within the body of Christ. Peter is not wishing for a little peace, but that his readers be filled with it.

If you search the New Testament carefully, you will see that God never promises Christians pleasure or comfort. Instead, He promises us peace. The Apostle Paul says that righteousness, peace, and joy are what the kingdom of God is all about:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17)

Also, notice that Paul told the Christians in Rome that it is not just peace in general, but peace with God:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)

Now we see that Peter tells us the blessings of grace and peace come as a result of having a thorough knowledge of God, which only comes by careful study and consistent fellowship.

Application

Do you have peace with God? The more you learn about Him and the more you submit to His lordship over you, the more peace you will have no matter what may be happening around you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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