Tag: adialeiptos

Romans 1:9 – Unceasing Prayer

Posted on by Will

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers,

Truth to Learn

Paul was a prayer warrior and prayed for others constantly.

 

Behind the Words

The word “witness” is translated from the Greek word martus from which we get our English word “martyr.” The Greek word means “one who has information or knowledge of something, and therefore, one who can give information, bring to light, or confirm something.”

“Serve” is the translation of latreuō, the basic meaning of which is “to minister.” Hence, Paul’s service is really a ministry performed for God.

The word “in” is a translation from en, which is a preposition which denotes position and, by implication, instrumentality. Therefore, the most natural translation would be “in.” Paul is saying that he serves God in his spirit; in other words, he is claiming that this is a spiritual service over and above a physical service.

“Without ceasing” is from adialeiptos, which means “continually or without omission.”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse tells us that Paul prayed constantly for the Roman believers. He starts out by saying, “For God is my witness.” Paul is making a very strong appeal that the following statement is, indeed, true. He calls on the witness of Him who has knowledge of all things, God himself. Obviously the readers of this letter can’t check out the facts of his statement by asking God, but that’s not the point. The point is that Paul does not swear, since the Lord Jesus himself taught that swearing is wrong (see Matthew 5:33-37); rather, he appeals to a reliable witness.

Paul then states that he serves God in his spirit. He is saying that his service to God is not just on the surface but is with the very essence of his being, his spirit. Paul then explains that his service is in the gospel of Jesus Christ whom he describes as God’s Son.

Finally, he tells the Roman Christians that he prays for them constantly. Paul was known for being a prayer warrior. He prayed a lot and a lot of his prayers were for churches, both those which he helped start and those he had never visited (like the Roman church). Evidence of Paul’s prayer life is also found in Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:3-4; and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

 

Application

How does your prayer life stack-up against Paul’s? If you’re like me, you feel woefully inadequate compared to him. Paul apparently had a daily routine that included considerable time in prayer, and it wasn’t because he had nothing else to do. With everything we pack into our days, it seems silly that we can’t even find 15 minutes each day to pray for ourselves and for others.

Why don’t we do something about that?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray Unceasingly

Posted on by Will

pray without ceasing,

Truth to Learn

Our prayer life is to be a continual part of our walk with God.

 

Behind the Words

“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.” In virtually every occurrence of this verb in the New Testament, the person being spoken to is God. The verb is expressed here in the imperative mood, expressing a command.

The words “without ceasing” are from the Greek adverb adialeiptōs, which is made up of a, meaning “without” and a form of the verb dialeipō, meaning “to interrupt” or “to leave a gap.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without interruption.” In common usage, however, it means “constantly recurring” not “continuously occurring.” This word was used by Greeks to describe a cough that would not go away. They were not referring to a constant cough, but a persistent one.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has switched his teaching from that of how we are to interact with others in the church to how we are to conduct our own personal Christian life. Verses sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen deal primarily with attitudes, while verses nineteen through twenty-two deal primarily with actions. In yesterday’s verse we learned that we are to have an attitude of rejoicing within our spirit at all times. Today, Paul focuses on our attitude of prayer.

As in yesterday’s verse, today’s verse is a command given to us by God. We are to pray unceasingly. There are two ways of interpreting this command. The first is a literal interpretation, in which we are to pray without interruption. This could be called our attitude of prayer. In other words, from the moment we wake in the morning until we fall asleep at night, we are to have an awareness of and communion with God. The other interpretation could be called our persistence in prayer. In other words, we are to be repeatedly communicating with God throughout each day.

Let’s look at Jesus as our example. As the second person of the Godhead, He was constantly aware of God the Father and God the Spirit. However, we find that there were times when He stopped praying. For instance, in Luke 11:1 it says of Jesus, “And it happened, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him …” Jesus stopped praying long enough to teach His disciples how to pray. Another aspect of praying persistently is given to us in Luke 18:1-5. In these verses Jesus is teaching the importance of repeatedly making our requests known to God, without giving up.

As a final note on prayer, keep in mind the advice a wise Christian gave me when I was a new believer. He said, “It is better to pray short in public and long in private.” Think about that!

 

Application

Prayer – talking with God – is a foundation stone of our walk with Him through our life on earth. We are to have a constant attitude of prayer and we are to be continually talking to Him. And, we need to listen while we are talking.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – God’s Effective Work

Posted on by Will

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe.

Truth to Learn

Any success we might have is because of God, not us.

 

Behind the Words

The words “we … thank” are translated from the verb eucharisteō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of charidzomai, meaning “to grant” or “to give.” The basic meanings of this word include “to show oneself to be pleased or grateful” or “to give thanks.”

Adialeiptōs is the Greek word translated “without ceasing.” It is a double compound word made up of a, meaning “without,” dia, meaning “through” or “between,” and a form of the verb leipō, meaning “to leave.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without leaving space between.” In other words, it means doing something without pausing or stopping.

“You received” is from the Greek verb paralambanō. This word is made up of para, meaning “from” and lambanō, meaning “to take” or “to receive.” This word means “to receive from someone else” or “to receive to oneself.”

“You accepted” is translated from dechomai, which means “to accept something deliberately and readily.”

The word “works” is from the verb energeō. This word is based on energēs, meaning “operative, active, or working.” Thus, energeō means “to be at work” or “to be effective.”

 

Meaning Explained

One of the hallmarks of the Apostle Paul’s ministry is his repeated thankfulness to God. He realized, without a doubt, that his ministry, its effectiveness, and its result were all due to God’s working in him, not his own efforts. He also realized that his message was not something that he made up or delivered in his own personal eloquent style. He knew that he was not the originator of the message, simply the messenger. As a result, he reminded the Christians in Thessalonica that the message they heard from him is not of human origin, but God’s word.

You may recall from the first chapter of this letter that these believers were undergoing persecution (a point which he will reiterate in the upcoming verses). Under similar persecution, Christians of all ages have found comfort and encouragement in the words of Holy Scripture. Paul also reminds his readers here that God’s word is truth. Notice that in His closing prayer at the last supper, Jesus declared plainly that it is the truth which sets us apart from the rest of the world (John 17:17). In similar fashion, throughout the apostolic teaching in the New Testament, the writers give testimony that God’s word is truth (2 Corinthians 4:2, 6:7; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; 1 John 3:18).

 

Application

Let us all remember that we are here to serve God, not ourselves. In whatever ministry we find ourselves, our responsibility is to represent our King and it is His message we deliver. Therefore, any success which we might have is the result of His working, not ours. Give Him thanks and praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 1:3 – Hang In There!

Posted on by Will

Constantly remembering your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

Truth to Learn

The Christian life requires hard work and patience.

 

Behind the Words

“Constantly” is translated from adialeiptōs, made up of a, meaning “without,” dia, meaning “through” or “between,” and a form of the verb leipō, meaning “to leave.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without leaving space between.” In other words, it means doing something without pausing or stopping, that is, constantly.

Ergon is the Greek word translated “work.” It refers to “toil, labor, or work.” It doesn’t necessarily refer to “hard work,” but any kind of work, any act, or any deed performed.

The word “labor” is from the Greek word kopos, which is derived from the verb koptō, meaning “to cut” or “to beat on one’s chest in grief.” Kopos refers to the pain of toil or hard work. By analogy it refers to wearisome labor.

“Patience” is from the word hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay in place.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load instead of shaking it off. Therefore, it carries the meaning of being steadfast or patient.

“Hope” is from elpidos, which means more than just a wish. It implies a desire for some good thing with the full expectation that it will come to pass.

 

Meaning Explained

Yesterday we learned that Paul and his partners were persistent in praying for the people to whom they had been ministering. They cared so much for the Thessalonians that they prayed for them regularly. Here we learn that the prayers weren’t for God to help the Thessalonians; Paul and his companions gave praise to God for the way they lived-out their faith.

In their prayers they remembered and praised the work of faith that the Christians in Thessalonica were engaged in. Being a committed Christian is not easy. It involves persistence because our work of spreading the gospel and building up our fellow Christians is constantly under attack from those who oppose us. The members of the church in Thessalonica apparently were undaunted in their efforts. Paul referred to it as both a work of faith and labor of love. Note the distinction between work of faith (our works will follow us into heaven where we will get rewards for them) and the labor of love (in heaven we will have rest from our hard labor).

Paul also praised the Thessalonians for their patience. The Greek word hupomonē is a very descriptive word. Remaining steadfast in our faith is difficult at times because we can’t see God, we can’t feel His hand of comfort, and we can’t hear His words of encouragement except by faith. But in spite of that, we have a hope (a firm expectation) that we will be eternally in His presence one day, and that helps us remain under the load.

 

Application

Be steadfast and patient in your good deeds and hard labor for God. He sees all that you do, and He will reward you for everything you do to bring Him glory. Hang in there! You will receive the rewards of your labor one day.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray Unceasingly

Posted on by Will

pray without ceasing,

Truth to Learn

Our prayer life is to be a continual part of our walk with God.

Behind the Words

“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.” In virtually every occurrence of this verb in the New Testament, the person being spoken to is God. The verb is expressed here in the imperative mood, expressing a command.

The words “without ceasing” are from the Greek adverb adialeiptōs, which is made up of a, meaning “without” and a form of the verb dialeipō, meaning “to interrupt” or “to leave a gap.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without interruption.” In common usage, however, it means “constantly recurring” not “continuously occurring.” This word was used by Greeks to describe a cough that would not go away. They were not referring to a constant cough, but a persistent one.

Meaning Explained

Paul has switched his teaching from that of how we are to interact with others in the church to how we are to conduct our own personal Christian life. Verses sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen deal primarily with attitudes, while verses nineteen through twenty-two deal primarily with actions. In yesterday’s verse we learned that we are to have an attitude of rejoicing within our spirit at all times. Today, Paul focuses on our attitude of prayer.

As in yesterday’s verse, today’s verse is a command given to us by God. We are to pray unceasingly. There are two ways of interpreting this command. The first is a literal interpretation, in which we are to pray without interruption. This could be called our attitude of prayer. In other words, from the moment we wake in the morning until we fall asleep at night, we are to have an awareness of and communion with God. The other interpretation could be called our persistence in prayer. In other words, we are to be repeatedly communicating with God throughout each day.

Let’s look at Jesus as our example. As the second person of the Godhead, He was constantly aware of God the Father and God the Spirit. However, we find that there were times when He stopped praying. For instance, in Luke 11:1 it says of Jesus, “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him …” Jesus stopped praying long enough to teach His disciples how to pray. Another aspect of praying persistently is given to us in Luke 18:1-5. In these verses Jesus is teaching the importance of repeatedly making our requests known to God, without giving up.

As a final note on prayer, keep in mind the advice a wise Christian gave me when I was a new believer. He said, “It is better to pray short in public and long in private.”

Application

Prayer – talking with God – is a foundation stone of our walk with Him through our life on earth. We are to have a constant attitude of prayer and we are to be continually talking to Him. And, we need to listen while we are talking.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – God’s Effective Work

Posted on by Will

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Truth to Learn

Any success we might have is because of God, not us.

Behind the Words

The words “we … thank” are translated from the verb eucharisteō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of charidzomai, meaning “to grant” or “to give.” The basic meanings of this word include “to show oneself to be pleased or grateful” or “to give thanks.”

Adialeiptōs is the Greek word translated “without ceasing.” It is a double compound word made up of a, meaning “without,” dia, meaning “through” or “between,” and a form of the verb leipō, meaning “to leave.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without leaving space between.” In other words, it means doing something without pausing or stopping.

“You received” is from the Greek verb paralambanō. This word is made up of para, meaning “from” and lambanō, meaning “to take” or “to receive.” This word means “to receive from someone else” or “to receive to oneself.”

“You welcomed” is translated from dechomai, which means “to accept something deliberately and readily.”

The words “effectively works” are from the verb energeō. This word is based on energēs, meaning “operative, active, or working.” Thus, energeō means “to be at work” or “to be effective.”

Meaning Explained

One of the hallmarks of the Apostle Paul’s ministry is his repeated thankfulness to God. He realized, without a doubt, that his ministry, its effectiveness, and its result were all the result of God’s working in him, not his own efforts. He also realized that his message was not something that he made up or delivered in his own personal eloquent style. He knew that he was not the originator of the message, simply the messenger. As a result, he reminded the Christians in Thessalonica that the message they heard from him is not of human origin, but God’s word.

You may recall from the first chapter of this letter that these believers were undergoing persecution (a point which he will reiterate in the upcoming verses). Under similar persecution, Christians of all ages have found comfort and encouragement in the words of Holy Scripture. Paul also reminds his readers here that God’s word is truth. Notice that in His closing prayer at the last supper, Jesus declared plainly that it is the truth which sets us apart from the rest of the world (John 17:17). In similar fashion, throughout the apostolic teaching in the New Testament, the writers give testimony that God’s word is truth (2 Corinthians 4:2, 6:7; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; 1 John 3:18).

Application

Let us all remember that we are here to serve God, not ourselves. In whatever ministry we find ourselves, our responsibility is to represent our King and it is His message we deliver. Therefore, any success which we might have is the result of His working, not ours. Give Him thanks and praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 1:3 – Hang In There!

Posted on by Will

remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

Truth to Learn

The Christian life requires hard work and patience.

Behind the Words

“Without ceasing” is translated from adialeiptōs, made up of a, meaning “without,” dia, meaning “through” or “between,” and a form of the verb leipō, meaning “to leave.” Thus, adialeiptōs literally means “without leaving space between.” In other words, it means doing something without pausing or stopping.

Ergon is the Greek word translated “work.” It refers to “toil labor, or work.” It doesn’t necessarily refer to “hard work,” but any kind of work, any act, or any deed performed.

The word “labor” is from the Greek word kopos, which is derived from the verb koptō, meaning “to cut” or “to beat on one’s chest in grief.” Kopos refers to the pain of toil or hard work. By analogy it refers to wearisome labor.

“Patience” is from the word hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay in place.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load instead of shaking it off. Therefore, it carries the meaning of being steadfast or patient.

“Hope” is from elpidos, which means more than just a wish. It implies a desire for some good thing with the full expectation that it will come to pass.

Meaning Explained

Yesterday we learned that Paul and his partners were persistent in praying for the people to whom they had been ministering. They cared so much for the Thessalonians that they prayed for them regularly. Here we learn that the prayers weren’t for God to help the Thessalonians; Paul and his companions gave praise to God for the way they lived-out their faith.

In their prayers they remembered and praised the work of faith that the Christians in Thessalonica were engaged in. Being a committed Christian is not easy. It involves persistence because our work of spreading the gospel and building up our fellow Christians is constantly under attack from those who oppose us. The members of the church in Thessalonica apparently were undaunted in their efforts. Paul referred to it as both a work of faith and labor of love. Note the distinction between work of faith (our works will follow us into heaven where we will get rewards for them) and the labor of love (in heaven we will have rest from our hard labor).

Paul also praised the Thessalonians for their patience. The Greek word hupomonē is a very descriptive word. Remaining steadfast in our faith is difficult at times because we can’t see God, we can’t feel His hand of comfort, and we can't hear His words of encouragement except by faith. But in spite of that we have a hope (a firm expectation) that we will be eternally in His presence one day, and that helps us remain under the load.

Application

Be steadfast and patient in your good deeds and hard labor for God. He sees all that you do, and He will reward you for everything you do to bring Him glory. Hang in there! You will receive the rewards of your labor one day.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved