Tag: abstain

1 Peter 2:11 – Holy Pilgrims

Posted on by Will

Beloved, I encourage you as strangers and foreigners, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

Truth to Learn

We are to live like citizens of heaven, not like earth dwellers.

 

Behind the Words

The word “encourage” is an interesting one. It is the Greek word, parakaleō which is the verb form of a name given to the Holy Spirit, paraclete (translated “comforter”). It is a compound of para, meaning “alongside or near” and kaleō, which means “to call.” Hence, the Holy Spirit is the One who is “called alongside” with the idea of being the One who walks alongside us on a journey to keep us company and to counsel us. In the verb form, as used in today’s verse, it carries the idea of a coach calling an athlete to him in order to give words of encouragement and support.

Peter then uses two similar words for “strangers” and “foreigners.” These words are paroikos and parepidēmos. They are also compound words that start with the word for “near or alongside” (para, shortened to par). The first of these words, paroikos, means “one who has a home in a place nearby, but not here in this place.” The second word, parepidēmos, means a “foreigner” or an “alien (not of the local race of people) who has temporarily settled locally.”

The word translated “abstain” is apechomai, a compound word of apo (shortened to ap), meaning “from” or “away from” and echo, meaning “to have.” Hence, it means “to have away from” or “to keep away from.” It is expressed here in the middle voice, indicating action that is done by the subject to the subject. Therefore it means, “keep yourself away from.”

 

Meaning Explained

One of the metaphors used throughout the Bible is that of being on a journey, walking through life. Peter is picking up on that metaphor here as he coaches us as people who don’t live here (on this earth) and who are not local residents (we are heavenly residents who are temporarily wandering through this land). The coach’s message is to abstain from, that is to actively resist and keep oneself away from, the lusts of the flesh that make war against our soul.

You may remember from a previous verse that the world system is made up of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These things are not of God but of the world, and since we are not of this world (but strangers and foreigners here) we need to resist the local customs and keep ourselves pure like our Father.

There is a fine line between the desires that are a necessary part of us as human beings, and lusts, or overly strong desires, that control us if we do not control them. Peter is coaching us to resist these lusts even as we are daily bombarded by the customs (advertisements) and attitudes of the local residents.

 

Application

Let us stand fast and resist, keeping ourselves holy because our Heavenly Father is holy and we want to reflect the family image. Let us be lights in the midst of darkness. Let us be witnesses, not by using condemning words, but by showing our kindness to others and by demonstrating our abstinence from the lusts of the flesh.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Avoid All Evil

Posted on by Will

Abstain from every form of evil.

Truth to Learn

Live life in God’s presence and in obedience to Him.

 

Behind the Words

“Abstain” is translated from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echō, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, this word literally means “to hold away from.” It is expressed in the middle voice (action done by the subject, to the subject), so it means “to hold oneself away from.” It is most often translated as “abstain from” or “refrain from.” In the current verse, this word is emphasized by the addition of the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” So, the sense is “keep yourselves far away from any form of evil.”

The word “form” is from a variation of the Greek word eidos, meaning “to see.” It specifically refers to “that which is seen” or “the appearance of something.” In most of the Greek writing of Paul’s time, however, this word is not used to mean “appearance as opposed to reality,” but to “any kind” or “any form” of something. This seems to be Paul’s intent here.

“Evil” is from ponēros, which specifically refers to “that which is inherently evil in a moral or spiritual sense.”

 

Meaning Explained

Grammatically, this verse is connected to the previous verse. These two verses should be translated as three commands separated by commas: “Test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

There are two different interpretations of this verse among Biblical scholars. The first is that we are to keep ourselves from the appearance of evil. The problem with this interpretation is that it forces us to be more focused on what other people think about our actions than what God thinks about our actions. Yes, we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are not to do anything that would cause a brother of sister to stumble. But, if we go through life worrying about what others think of what we are doing, then we are denying God’s lordship over us. For instance, if Abraham was concerned with the appearance of his actions, then he would never have offered Isaac on the altar. He was more focused on being obedient to God than on what others might think about his actions.

The other interpretation of this verse is that we are to keep ourselves from every kind of evil, or every form of evil. Doing this causes our focus to be on God and what He thinks about the things that we allow ourselves to do. Living in this manner is even more restrictive than being concerned about what others think of our actions. After all, in our sin-sick minds, we could conceive of things to do that don’t appear to others to be evil, but because of our motives they may, in fact, be evil. This is a form of evil. Let’s take Cain as our example here. He brought an offering to God from what he harvested from the ground, but God apparently had instructed both him and his brother, Able, to offer an animal sacrifice. Cain’s offering doesn’t appear to be evil, but because of his motives it was.

 

Application

As we walk our life-path, let this be our guiding principle: “Do what pleases God and don’t worry what others might think.” If we love God and are submitted and obedient to Him, we will be a testimony of His love for others.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – It’s Very Clear!

Posted on by Will

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Truth to Learn

Christians are to avoid all sexual impurity.

 

Behind the Words

“Will” is translated from the Greek noun thelēma, which is one of two Greek words translated “will.” The other word is boulēma. Both words indicate a desire or intent to do something, but thelēma also implies combining the desire with action. Thus, we often refer to thelēma as God’s determined will and to boulēma as God’s desirous will.

The word translated “sanctification” is hagiasmos, which is based on the verb hagiadzō, meaning “to sanctify.” To sanctify something means to set it apart from common usage to usage devoted to God. Thus, sanctification carries the meaning of being set apart or separated. Sanctification and holiness are often used interchangeably, both indicating separation from sin and dedication to God.

The word “abstain” is from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echo, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, apechomai means “to hold off from.” It is expressed here in the middle voice indicating an action done by the subject (you) to the subject (yourself). Thus, this word means for you to hold yourself back from something.

“Sexual immorality” is translated from porneia (from which we get our English word pornography). This word is based on the verb porneuō meaning “to commit any sexual sin” or “sexual immorality.”

 

Meaning Explained

“What is God’s will for my life?” This is a question that many Christians ask early in their walk with God. While attending a Christian college years ago, I encountered many students asking that same question. I remember one student, not knowing which direction to turn, stating that he was going to just sit and “wait on the Lord,” not making any decision until he knew for sure what God wanted him to do. Fortunately, a wise professor said to him, “It is much easier to turn a ship that is moving than one that is sitting still.” In other words, “Step out on faith and God will guide you by His spirit.”

Sometimes our Father-Guide makes His will very clear, while at other times we have to seek His face in prayer, not knowing if we are going the right direction, but trusting that He will tell us if we are going the wrong way. In today’s verse we are told that God’s determined will is that we be sanctified (set-apart). God has determined that we will be set apart from sin and from the world system. Ultimately He will accomplish that determination when we are glorified in His presence. Until then, however, we are told that there are certain things He desires us to do as we walk the pathway of Christian life. We have a responsibility to be obedient and take the right path.

One of those paths is made very clear in today’s verse. We are to hold ourselves back (separate ourselves) from sexual impurity. The Christian walk is composed of many choices. When we choose, we have to decide whether we will follow our own desires, or take the path He desires for us.

 

Application

God is very clear on this one. If you are unmarried, stay away from all sexual activity. If you are married, enjoy it, but only with your husband or wife. No ifs, ands, or buts!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Avoid All Evil

Posted on by Will

Abstain from every form of evil.

Truth to Learn

Live life in God’s presence and in obedience to Him.

Behind the Words

“Abstain” is translated from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echō, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, this word literally means “to hold away from.” It is expressed in the middle voice (action done by the subject, to the subject), so it means “to hold oneself away from.” It is most often translated as “abstain from” or “refrain from.” In the current verse, this word is emphasized by the addition of the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” So, the sense is “keep yourselves far away from any form of evil.”

The word “form” is from a variation of the Greek word eidos, meaning “to see.” It specifically refers to “that which is seen” or “the appearance of something.” In most of the Greek writing of Paul’s time, however, this word is not used to mean “appearance as opposed to reality,” but to “any kind” or “any form” of something. This seems to be Paul’s intent here.

“Evil” is from ponēros, which specifically refers to “that which is evil in a moral or spiritual sense.”

Meaning Explained

Grammatically, this verse is connected to the previous verse. These two verses should be translated as three commands separated by commas: “Test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

There are two different interpretations of this verse among Biblical scholars. The first is that we are to keep ourselves from the appearance of evil. The problem with this interpretation is that it forces us to be more focused on what other people think about our actions than what God thinks about our actions. Yes, we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are not to do anything that would cause a brother of sister to stumble. But, if we go through life worrying about what others think of what we are doing, then we are denying God’s lordship over us. For instance, if Abraham was concerned with the appearance of his actions, then he would never have offered Isaac on the altar. He was more focused on being obedient to God than on what others might think about his actions.

The other interpretation of this verse is that we are to keep ourselves from every kind of evil, or every form of evil. Doing this causes our focus to be on God and what He thinks about the things that we allow ourselves to do. Living in this manner is even more restrictive than being concerned about what others think of our actions. After all, in our sin-sick minds, we could conceive of things to do that don’t appear to others to be evil, but because of our motives they may, in fact, be evil. This is a form of evil. Let’s take Cain as our example here. He brought an offering to God from what he harvested from the ground, but God apparently had instructed both him and his brother, Able, to offer an animal sacrifice. Cain’s offering doesn’t appear to be evil, but because of his motives it was.

Application

As we walk our life-path, let this be our guiding principle: “Do what pleases God and don’t worry what others might think.” If we love God and are submitted and obedient to Him, we will be a testimony of His love for others.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – It’s Very Clear

Posted on by Will

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

Truth to Learn

Christians are to avoid all sexual impurity.

Behind the Words

“Will” is translated from the Greek noun thelēma, which is one of two Greek words translated “will.” The other word is boulēma. Both words indicate a desire or intent to do something, but thelēma also implies combining the desire with action. Thus, we often refer to thelēma as God’s determined will and to boulēma as God’s desirous will.

The word translated “sanctification” is hagiasmos, which is based on the verb hagiadzō, meaning “to sanctify.” To sanctify something means to set it apart from common usage to usage devoted to God. Thus, sanctification carries the meaning of being set apart or separated. Sanctification and holiness are often used interchangeably, both indicating separation from sin and dedication to God.

The words “should abstain” are from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echo, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, apechomai means “to hold off from” or “to hold oneself back from.”

“Sexual immorality” is translated from porneia (from which we get our English word pornography). This word is based on the verb porneuō meaning “to commit any sexual sin” or “sexual immorality.”

Meaning Explained

“What is God’s will for my life?” This is a question that many Christians ask early in their walk with God. While attending a Christian college years ago, I encountered many students asking that same question. I remember one student, not knowing which direction to turn, stating that he was going to just sit and “wait on the Lord,” not making any decision until he knew for sure what God wanted him to do. Fortunately, a wise professor said to him, “It is much easier to turn a ship that is moving than one that is sitting still.” In other words, “Step out on faith and God will guide you by His spirit.”

Sometimes our Father-Guide makes His will very clear, while at other times we have to seek His face in prayer, not knowing if we are going the right direction, but trusting that He will tell us if we are going the wrong way. In today’s verse we are told that God’s determined will is that we be sanctified (set-apart). God has determined that we will be set apart from sin and from the world system. Ultimately He will accomplish that determination when we are glorified in His presence. Until then, however, we are told that there are certain things He desires us to do as we walk the pathway of Christian life. We have a responsibility to be obedient and take the right path.

One of those paths is made very clear in today’s verse. We are to hold ourselves back (separate ourselves) from sexual impurity. The Christian walk is composed of many choices. When we choose, we have to decide whether we will follow our own desires, or take the path He desires for us.

Application

God is very clear on this one. If you are unmarried, stay away from all sexual activity. If you are married, enjoy it, but only with your husband or wife. No if’s, and’s, or but’s!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved