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1 Thessalonians 4:4 – Sacred and Honorable

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Will

that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

Truth to Learn

Sex within a marriage is undefiled, sacred, and honorable.

Behind the Words

Eidō it the Greek word translated “know.” We have pointed out previously that this word literally means “to see with perception.” However, Paul may be using this word as a Hebrew expression meaning “to have regard for” or “to care for.” This is the apparent meaning in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 (know those who labor …), and is probably Paul’s intent here.

The Greek verb translated “possess” is ktaomai, which primarily means “to get for oneself, to acquire, or to purchase.” When expressed in the perfect tense (past completed action with an ongoing effect) it can also mean “to have acquired” or “to possess.” Although it is expressed here as a present tense infinitive, many Biblical scholars believe that Paul’s meaning here is “to possess” or “to take care of.”

“Vessel” is translated from skeuos, meaning “a container, utensil, or implement.”

Meaning Explained

This is probably one of the most difficult verses in this letter to the Thessalonians. The difficulty is due primarily to the three words we looked at above (eidō, ktaomai, and skeuos) along with the word porneia, which we saw in the previous verse.

Let’s start with porneia. This word originally referred to “prostitution.” If we look at the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) we can see the meaning of the Hebrew words that were translated with porneia. These various words mean, “lying down like a prostitute, harlotry, prostitution, or unfaithfulness.” Thus, it does not refer to just any sexual sin, but specifically to “sex with another person outside of marriage.” The best translation of this word is “fornication.”

Now let’s look at ktaomai. It literally means “to acquire.” Again, looking at the Septuagint, we see in Ruth 4:10 that ktaomai is used to translate a word that means “to acquire.”

… I have acquired as my wife … (Ruth 4:10)

Skeuos, as noted above, refers to “a container, utensil, or implement.” In 1 Peter 3:7, it refers specifically to the physical body of a man’s wife. But in 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 2 Timothy 2:21 it refers to a person’s own body, so it isn’t necessarily a reference to a wife, though it probably is here.

Therefore, a reasonable translation of this verse would be “each of you should know how to acquire his vessel in sanctification and honor.” But Paul is talking about abstaining from fornication. Why would the knowledge of acquiring a wife prevent fornication? It wouldn’t, but knowing how to possess a wife (to provide for her, to care for her, and to respect her) means knowing how to treat her as one with your own body (Matthew 19:5, 1 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 5:31.) That’s the key to avoiding fornication.

Application

Sexual gratification should never be the reason for getting married. Marriage is an intimate relationship between a man and a woman, and the pleasure of sexual intercourse is only a part of that relationship. Therefore, there is no justification for sex outside of marriage. Marriage (and sex within a marriage) is intended to be undefiled, sacred, and honorable before God.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 4:2 – God, our Father

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Will

for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Truth to Learn

Christians are God’s children, not just His subjects.

Behind the Words

“You know” is translated from the verb eido, which means “to see with perception.” As in English, this verb can refer to visibly seeing something and perceiving what it is, or it can mean “to see with the mind,” that is, “to know.”

The word “commandments” is from the Greek noun parangelia. This word is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” and a form of angellō, meaning “to deliver a message.” The picture is of a soldier passing on a message to the soldier beside him. In the strictest sense, parangelia refers to a command given by a superior to those under him.

The words “we gave” are from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give of one’s one accord.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating past, completed action.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, we noted that Paul has now switched from a message of comfort and encouragement to doctrinal teaching. Many Christians today bristle at the word “doctrine.” They see doctrine as cold, dogmatic, restrictive rules that are hard to follow and, quite honestly, are no fun at all. If we approach Christianity from a legalistic viewpoint, that’s what doctrine often becomes. Doctrine, however, simply means “teaching.” That which your church teaches you is its doctrine.

The problem with most legalistic doctrine is that it teaches us “rules” instead of principles. It teaches us that our relationship with God is strictly one of Master/slave. “Now that you are a Christian, you must follow these rules!” Don’t get me wrong, God is our Lord and Master, and a fulfilled Christian life must be based on our complete submission to His will. However, our relationship to God is much more than simply being His slave. He has adopted us into His family and calls us His children. This is a significant distinction between Christianity and religion. We are God’s children and He is our loving Father.

The Apostle Paul frequently uses the metaphor of “walking the pathway of life” in depicting our life as a Christian. He often pictures God as our guide or coach, advising us in which pathways to take and which to avoid. He sometimes pictures God as our rescuer who saves us when we take a wrong path and get mired in the muck of sin. He also pictures God as our Commander in Chief, who prepares us for those times when our enemy attacks. But more than anything, Paul pictures God as our Father, who is all of these things and so much more.

Our Heavenly Father knows us more deeply than we know ourselves and, in spite of what we see in ourselves, He loves us with an everlasting love. His love is so great that he sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we can have a Father/child relationship with Him. But God did not send his Son only to die for our sins, He also sent Jesus to teach us about the Father/child relationship He wants to have with us. Paul is about to teach us this doctrine from our Master/Teacher Jesus.

Application

As you walk the pathway of life, keep in mind that God wants you to walk with Him instead of wandering off on your own. And, He wants a relationship with you because He loves you!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 2:11 – Father Paul

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Will

as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,

Truth to Learn

We all need some comfort, encouragement, and challenge.

Behind the Words

“You know” is translated from the verb eidō, which means “to see with perception.” As in English, this verb can refer to visibly seeing something and perceiving what it is, or it can mean “to see with the mind,” that is, “to know.”

The word “exhorted” is from parakaleō. It is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” and kaleō, meaning “to call.” It is a picture of someone being “called alongside” for the purpose of coaching, encouraging, challenging, and comforting.

“Comforted” is translated from paramutheomai, which is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” and mutheomai, meaning “to make a speech” or “to tell a tale.” Paramutheomai means “to speak soothingly” or “to console.”

The word “charged” is from martureō, which literally means “to be a witness” or “to give a testimony.” As used here it probably means that Paul instructed and challenged them by using examples from his own life.

Meaning Explained

Back in verses six through eight, Paul used the metaphor of a mother caring for her infant children to show how tenderly he and his companions ministered to the Christians in Thessalonica. Now he changes his metaphor to that of a father. At the time this letter was written it was the mother’s responsibility to feed and care for the children. The father’s responsibility was to help the children mature, to challenge them, to encourage them, and to comfort them.

First of all, notice in the previous verse that Paul called the Thessalonians as witnesses of his behavior among them. Now he says that they know from observation how he raised them in the faith. These two facts further indicate the close relationship he had with the people who were under his spiritual care. He wasn’t some demagogue, preaching fire and brimstone from the pulpit while keeping his distance from his congregation. He was directly involved with them daily, on a personal level.

When the spiritual battles and hardships of life caused them to become discouraged, he encouraged them. When they experienced set-backs and failures, he comforted them. However, he didn’t let them wallow in their self-pity and he certainly didn’t coddle them. Instead, he challenged them to grow in their faith walk. He taught them the difficult aspects of walking closely with their God. He used examples from his own life to show them that we all have difficulties in this life, but we don’t give up. When our sin nature or life’s problems knock us down, we get back up and get back into the race. It’s this kind of discipline that makes us stronger. The writer of Hebrews said a similar thing about staying in the race:

… let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1b)

Application

Are you going through difficult times? Has life, or sin, knocked you down? If so, get back up, fix your eyes on God, get back in the race, and “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:21 – The Beloved Waiter

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Will

But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you;

Truth to Learn

God gives recognition to those who serve humbly.

Behind the Words

The words “that you may know” are translated from the verb eidō, which technically means “to see.” However, as in English, it is used in the sense of seeing with the mind, or knowing something. It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating the possibility or probability of knowing.

“My affairs” in translated from ta kat eme, which literally means “the things concerning me.”

The word “doing” is from prassō, which refers to “something done repeatedly or continually.” It is sometimes translated as “practice,” but here it refers to the general activities of daily living.

“Beloved” is translated from agapētos. This is based on the verb agape, which refers to “a self-sacrificing love.” It is a stronger expression than phileō, meaning “brotherly love.” Paul expressed it here with the definite article, so it could be translated as “the beloved.”

“Minister” is from the Greek word diakonos. This is derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run errands.” It is the word used to describe someone who serves others while they are eating, what we would call “a waiter.”

Meaning Explained

The Apostle Paul has finished his teaching in this letter to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. He now concludes with a very brief salutation. Paul has a singularity of purpose in his letters to the various churches, that of proclaiming the doctrines of the Christian faith. He spends almost no time at all telling about himself. Instead, he suggests that his dear friends talk to Tychicus about what is happening to him.

What do we know about Tychicus? He is first mentioned in Acts 20:4 where we learn two things about him. The first is that he was from Asia (modern day Turkey) of which Ephesus was the capitol city. The second thing we learn about him is that he was faithful to the Apostle, having accompanied him during part of his travels. It is possible that he became a Christian as a result of Paul’s two year ministry in Ephesus, although we are not told that anywhere.

Another thing that we learn about this man, based on today’s verse, is that he has spent much time with Paul in the Roman prison. Because of this, he is able to tell the brothers and sisters in Ephesus all about what has been happening with Paul. The Apostle refers to Tychicus as “the beloved brother.” This indicates that not only was he a very special friend to Paul, but he was well known among the Ephesians. Finally, we learn that this man was a faithful minister; in other words, he was not hung-up on how great he was. Rather, he was a humble servant, willing to do whatever the Apostle needed him to do.

Application

Most often, those who are called out as special are those who have accomplished some great feat. Not so with Tychicus. He was special because he was a humble servant. What would your pastor say about you? Does he even know who you are?

In God's service, for His glory,

Mark 14:44, 45; John 18:4-6 – Deception vs. Righteousness

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Will

⁴⁴Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely." ⁴⁵As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him … ⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" ⁵They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. ⁶Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

Truth to Learn

Those who are righteous are bold even in the face of danger.

Behind the Words

“Kiss” is translated from two different Greek words in this passage. In Mark 14:44 it is from phileō, meaning “to be fond of.” It is used here to indicate an act of fondness, in other words, a kiss. In verse forty-five, however, it is translated from kataphileō, which is a compound made up of kata, used as an intensifier and phileō. This represents “a fervent kiss.”

The word translated “knowing” in John 18:4 is a form of eidō, meaning “to know.” It is expressed here as a participle in the perfect tense. The participle indicates ongoing action and the perfect tense indicates action that occurred before the main verb (He went forward). In other words, previous to this event, Jesus already knew all that was going to happen to Him.

“Drew back” is from aperchomai, which means “to go away from.”

Meaning Explained

There is a very dramatic contrast in these verses between the manner in which the works of darkness and the works of righteousness are carried out. We see Judas, who selfishly betrayed Jesus, acting under false pretense with subtlety and deceit. He could simply have pointed to Jesus and told the others, “He’s the one.” If he had, however, the other disciples would immediately have known that he was a traitor.

Instead, Judas told the mob ahead of time that he would kiss Jesus as a sign that He was the one to take. This gave Judas “reasonable deniability” with the other disciples. Even though both actions would have accomplished the same purpose, in Judas’ mind the kiss would not appear to be a betrayal. Also notice that it was not the kind of kiss that would normally be expected from a disciple to his teacher, it was a fervent kiss which would indicate to the casual observer as if Judas greatly admired and respected Jesus. This was outright deception.

Jesus’ actions represent the polar opposite. Even though He already knew what was going to happen from the moment He surrendered Himself, to his death on the cross (and beyond), He boldly approached His captors. He asked who they were looking for and readily admitted that He was the one.

His response to the mob is interesting. He said “I am.” The word “He” does not appear in the Greek text. Notice that this is precisely the name that God gave to Moses when asked what His name was – “I am.” And the power of His name drove His captors flat onto their backs!

Application

Even in the face of serious consequences, being honest and forthright is the way the righteous behave. Do you have the courage to follow your Lord’s example?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:8 – Rewards, Temporal or Eternal?

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Will

knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Truth to Learn

Living for God will produce eternal rewards from God.

Behind the Words

“Knowing” is from the Greek verb eidō, which means “to have seen with perception.” Thus, it is often expressed in English as “to know.” Here it is expressed as a perfect participle, indicating past completed action (having seen) with an ongoing effect (therefore I know) where the emphasis is on the effect.

The phrase “whatever good anyone does” is really a third class conditional clause in Greek. A literal translation might be, “each one if he should do anything good.” The three conditional classes of Koinē Greek are: 1^st class (assumption that the “if” statement is true), 2^nd class (assumption that the “if” statement is false), and 3^rd class (a true conditional in which no assumption is made about the “if” clause).

“He will receive” is translated from the Greek verb komidzō, meaning “to obtain” or “to acquire.” When used as it is in this verse it means “to receive in return for something done.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has taught us that in our jobs we are to be obedient to our bosses, performing our duties with good thoughts. And, we are not to work just for show, but with a singular focus as if we were working directly for God. Now he tells us why we are to work this way: because we know that whatever good we do will come back to us from God.

On the surface this sounds like we are to be selfish, only working for what we can get for ourselves. However, this verse keenly demonstrates the difference between an earthly “now” focus and a heavenly “forever” focus. God made us with desires. When these desires are focused on what we want in the material world they can lead to sin:

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

However, if our desires are focused on what God wants us to do while on this earth, we are promised rewards in heaven:

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

God wants our entire life to be focused on Him. Whether it is in our paycheck-earning job, our ministry, our worship, our giving, or our interactions within our family and within the church, God wants us to do it all for Him. If we give our all to Him while on this earth, He will give us eternal rewards.

Application

We all have a choice in this life to live for ourselves or to live for God. Living for ourselves may produce fame and fortune, which will vanish one day. Living for God will result in eternal, heavenly rewards from Him. Which would you rather have? It’s all a matter of where your life focus is.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:29 – Blessing Crammed Full

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Will

Romans 15:29 – Blessing Crammed Full

But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Truth to Learn

We serve Christ with His full blessing.

Behind the Words

“I know” is translated from the Greek verb eidō. This particular verb has two meanings depending on the form used. One means “to see or perceive” and the other means “to know.” The form that Paul used here means “to know.” It is in the perfect tense implying past completed action with a continuing result, but with the emphasis on the result. So the best translation of this is probably, “I know” (because I have known for some time).

“Fullness” is from plērōma, derived from the verb plēroō, meaning “to fill completely” or “to cram full until there is no room to add anything more.” Thus, plērōma refers to the complete fullness (nothing left out).

“Blessing” is translated from eulogia, which is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of logos, meaning “word.” Thus eulogia (from which we get our English word eulogy) refers to “the good words of a commendation or blessing.”

Meaning Explained

It’s interesting to note that Paul had no doubt that he would be going to Spain and stopping by Rome on the way. He starts off this verse with, “But I know that when I come to you.” You will notice that Paul said, “when I come to you,” not “if I come to you.” He was sure that God was leading him to visit Rome. And, when going to Rome, Paul “knew” that he would come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Actually, the Greek words translated “of the Gospel” are missing in most of the major manuscripts. As a result, many textual scholars leave this out in the translation. Hence, this verse should probably say, “And I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” I like this better that the NKJV translation that we are using for these verses because here Paul is saying that he will come in the fullness of the blessing, not of the gospel of Christ, but of Christ Himself. There is a blessing that we get from the gospel, particularly because we believe it, and also as we share it. But there is a greater blessing that we get from Christ as our Master, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Advocate before the Father, our Lord, and as our future husband. He is “a friend that sticks closer than a brother,” as Proverbs 18:24 puts it.

As we mentioned in the previous verse, Paul was a driven person. He knew that his calling was to preach the Gospel message to those in the Gentile world who had never heard it. He was duty bound to fulfill his calling, and he would let nothing stop him from accomplishing his task, but he also knew that he was doing so with the full blessing of his Lord and Savior.

Application

We should never get tired of serving God in the area He has called us. We may get tired “in serving” but never “of serving.” When we get weary from performing the work He has called us to, we need to remember that we are doing so in the fullness of Christ’s blessing. Do you want the full blessings of Christ? Then serve Him with all your strength until you have completed the work He has called you to.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 14:14 – Personally Forbidden

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Will

Romans 14:14 – Personally Forbidden

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Truth to Learn

What God forbids for me He may not forbid for you.

Behind the Words

“Know” is from the Greek verb eidō, which primarily means “to see.” However, it does not mean to simply to have a visual experience (that would be the Greek verb blepō), but to see with perception. Thus, eidō refers to the visual perception as well as the mental perception (understanding) of some truth or fact.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which, in Greek, refers to completed action with a resulting state of being where the emphasis is on the resulting state of being.

The word translated “persuaded” is peithō, which means “to be persuaded or to be convinced.” This verb is also expressed in the perfect tense. So what Paul is saying is, “I have perceived and have been persuaded; therefore, I know and am convinced.”

“Unclean” is from the Greek adjective koinos, which means “that which is available to all” or “common.” Those things which were forbidden by the Law of Moses were available to the “common” people. Therefore, calling something “common” was the same as declaring it as “unclean” or “forbidden by the Law.”

The word “considers” is translated from logidzomai, which means “to reason, to impute, or to consider.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now gets back to the original topic with which he started off this chapter: whether we should abstain from certain foods or not. He begins this verse by making a strong statement of conviction. He says, “I know and am convinced.” So, what is Paul so convinced about? He is convinced that “there is nothing unclean of itself.” The law abiding Jews were forbidden from eating certain foods, which all the rest of mankind were allowed to eat. Since all the common (non-Jewish) people ate this forbidden food it was referred to as common food meaning unclean or forbidden food. But, Paul is now saying that he is convinced that nothing is unclean, or forbidden, in and of itself.

He begins the next phrase with the Greek words ei me, which mean “except, unless, or but.” His teaching, therefore, is that even though nothing is in and of itself unclean, if a brother or sister is convicted by God that a certain food or activity is unclean then to him or her it is indeed unclean.

When I was first saved I liked to play pool, a lot! In fact, I spent nearly every waking moment at the pool table. God convicted me about the fact that pool had become more important to me than a relationship with Him. For me, playing pool was unclean, and I had to completely abstain from it in order to learn to get my focus on God. Many years later, after my walk with God had matured, I found that it was no longer wrong for me to play pool. God used this in my life to demonstrate how important it is not to let anything get in the way of my close walk with Him.

Application

Is there something in your life today that is unclean? Something which has come between you and a close fellowship with God? What are you doing about it?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 7:18 – Surrender is the Key

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Will

Romans 7:18

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

Truth to Learn

We can’t work, or fight, our way to victory as a Christian.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “I know” is eidō, meaning “to see with perception.” By implication it means “to know” or “to be aware of.” This word is used here in the perfect tense, which indicates past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the ongoing effect. What Paul means is that he knows it and has known it for some time because he learned it sometime in the past. That is, it’s not new knowledge to him.

“Perform” is from the word katergadzomai, which we saw back in verse fifteen, meaning “to work fully, to finish, or to fully accomplish.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just told us that it is the sin dwelling in him (that is, his sin nature, his predisposition to sin) that causes him to do things that he has determined not to do. He now amplifies that a little bit. He says that he is aware that there is nothing dwelling in his flesh (that is, dwelling in the non-spirit part of him) that is any good. You will recall that back in chapter 3 verses 9 and 10, Paul quoted part of Psalms 14:1-3 which says:

The fool has said in his heart, “there is no God!” They acted corruptly; they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. Jehovah looked down from heaven on the sons of men, to see if there were any who understood and sought God. All have gone aside, together they are filthy; there is none who does good, no, not one.

The reason that there is no one who does good is because of this sin nature that dwells in each and every one of us. It is what drives us to do that which we don’t want to do and it is what keeps us from doing what we want to do.

Paul now restates the fact that he is determined to do what is good but he can’t. He says, “For to will is present with me, but how to fully accomplish what is good I do not find.” The determination (will) to do good is there, but how to accomplish it just isn’t. As much as Paul is determined to do right, his sin nature won’t let him do it.

That’s why we have said before that an unsaved person has no choice but to sin. There is no free will in those who are unsaved. Those of us who are saved, however, have the Holy Spirit living in us and we do have free will. We can choose to obey God by turning our will over to the Holy Spirit and letting Him have control of our lives. So you see, the only way we can have the free will to obey God is to surrender that will up to Him. Only then can we even hope to obey. And because we have a sin nature, we then take it back and exert our own will, leading us to sin.

Application

As we have said before, the way to victory in the Christian life is through surrender. We don’t stand up and fight to get the victory, we simply give in. It’s totally against everything we have ever learned. We have to surrender to win the battle. Let us all pray that we will continually surrender our will to Him who has declared us righteous. After all, we’re not righteous because we earned it, but because He declared it!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 6:9 – No Separation, Ever!

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:9

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ can never die again!

Behind the Words

“Knowing” is translated from the Greek word eidō, which can mean either “to see or perceive” or “to know” depending on its usage. Here is what The Complete Word Study Dictionary says about this word as it appears in Romans 3:9:

[It is] spoken of man’s knowledge as a result of and only in view of his relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. There are certain things that human beings simply cannot know intuitively unless they become the children of God.

The word is expressed here as a perfect participle. That is, we have known in the past and, as a result, we are continually knowing; we have continual knowledge.

The Greek word translated “has dominion” is kurieuō, the verb form of kurios, meaning “master, lord, or owner.” Thus, kurieuō refers to “lordship or ownership.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is a statement of fact regarding what we talked about in the previous verse. Paul starts off by saying “knowing that Christ … dies no more.” In other words, because we are saved, we have come to know and now are continually aware that Christ was raised from the dead. And, since He was raised from the dead, He will never die again because death no longer has lordship or ownership of Him. That is, death has no power or authority over Him.

Did you know that before the resurrection of Christ, the Devil, Satan himself, had the power to take life? It says so in the book of Hebrews:

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14, 15)

But now that Christ has been raised from the dead, He alone has the keys to death and Hades as it says in Revelation:

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Revelation 1:17, 18)

Back in verse two we said that death means separation. Physical death means separation from this body. Spiritual death means separation from God. Since we know Christ as our Lord and Savior, we also know that we have eternal life with Him. We will never be separated from Him. And Paul says that we don’t simply think that we have eternal life, we know it!

Application

As Christians we are united with Christ and can never be separated from Him, ever; not in this life and not in the after-life. We are secure in Him and eternally with Him.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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