Tag: bebaioo

Romans 15:8 – Breaking Old Habits

Posted on by Will

For I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

Truth to Learn

The bondage of manmade rules and tradition is hard to break.

 

Behind the Words

“Has become” is translated from the verb ginomai (from which we get our English word generate), meaning “to begin to be, to come into existence, or to become.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which, in Greek, implies past completed action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word translated “servant” is from the Greek word diakonos which means “one who waits on tables” or “one who serves the needs of others.” This word is often translated as “minister.”

“Confirm” is from the Greek verb bebaioō, meaning “to strengthen, make true, or fulfill.”

 

Meaning Explained

In this and the following verse Paul will demonstrate to the Christians at Rome why the work of Christ is different, though equally vital, for the Jews and the Gentiles. His purpose, I believe, is to show the Gentile converts in Rome that the Jews have a good reason for wanting to continue to follow the ordinances laid out by the Mosaic Law, and at the same time to show the Jewish converts that the Gentiles have a good reason for not wanting to be bound by those same ordinances.

The first half of this reasoning is contained in the current verse. He says that “Jesus Christ has become a servant of the circumcision.” As mentioned above, the verb “has become” is in the perfect tense, so what Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ became and continues to be one who serves the needs of the Jews with respect to God’s truth.

The way that Jesus has done and continues to do this is by having confirmed, or fulfilled, the promises made to the Jewish fathers. What promises, you say? The promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others concerning the Messiah's coming and His being the seed of the woman, and of Abraham, and of David. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all that was promised to the Jewish fathers and, therefore, confirms the truth of God’s promise. In so doing, Jesus demonstrates to the Jewish converts that all that has been written in the Old Testament is truth. This gives the Jewish converts reason to believe in Christ and in all that is said of him in the Old Testament. However, it also gives them reason to want to continue conforming to the requirements of the Law.

Paul has taught that righteousness cannot be obtained by obedience to the Law and the Jewish members of the church at Rome were learning that they couldn’t perfectly keep the requirements of the Law anyway. Nonetheless, it is difficult for anyone who has lived his or her life by a strict set of rules to suddenly stop doing those things to which they have been bound for so long.

 

Application

Every church has rules or traditions which are not based on what the Word of God teaches. As we learn where the truth of the Bible contradicts these rules and traditions, we will want to change how we act, but it is difficult. Recognizing which of these rules and traditions are contrary to truth is the first step in being set free from them. Are you still in bondage or have you been set free in Christ?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:8 – Preserved Blameless

Posted on by Will

who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

Christians are now, and will always be, blameless according to Jesus Christ’s judicial action on our behalf.

Behind the Words

The verb “confirm” is from the word bebaioō, which we looked at a couple of verses back. It means “to be made certain or secure.” In verse six it was expressed in the aorist tense, indicating action completed at a point in time in the past. In today’s verse, however, it is expressed in the future tense, indicating action that will take place in the future.

Heōs is the Greek word translated “until.” As it is used here it means “all the way until.”

“The end” is translated from telos, which refers to “the end point or the completion.” Here it refers to “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The word “blameless” is from the Greek anegklētos, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and egkaleō, which means “to accuse in court.” Anegklētos literally means “unaccused” or “free from any legal charge.”

Meaning Explained

This is an excellent verse for those who believe that if we sin intentionally, commit a particularly heinous sin, or insult God too many times, we will lose our salvation. Remember that salvation is an act of God, in which by His grace He records us as sinless because Jesus Christ has paid for all our sins (past, present, and future). Paul tells the Corinthians (and us) that just as our salvation was confirmed in us by the gifts we received (see verse six), He will also confirm us (make us certain and secure) to the end. If you are a genuine born-again Christian, there is nothing you can do to “undo” your salvation because God has confirmed it and will confirm it until the end. Therefore, unless you are stronger than God, once you are saved, you are saved forever!

Now, look carefully at what specifically is confirmed about us when we get saved. Paul says, “who will also confirm you to the end blameless …” Once we have been saved and cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ, we cannot be blamed for anything in God’s courtroom. “But,” you might ask, “what about Revelation 12:10, where it says that Satan accuses us day and night?” We needn’t be worried about Satan’s accusations for two reasons. The first is that we have a defense attorney in heaven according to the Apostle John:

… And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

The second reason is in today’s verse: God will preserve us blameless to the end. Satan may accuse us, but our defense attorney will testify on our behalf and, through His shed blood, have the case thrown out of court because we are blameless.

Application

Every person who ever lived (except Jesus Christ) and who will ever live is a sinner because we have a sin nature that causes us to sin. Christians, however, have had the penalty for those sins paid for by the blood of Christ. Does that mean that we no longer sin? No, but it means that the debt has already been paid, and we are innocent of any charge brought before our God and Judge!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 1:6 – Testimonial Gifts

Posted on by Will

even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,

Truth to Learn

Spiritual gifts are an indication of true salvation, but only when they are used in the proper manner.

Behind the Words

The words “even as” are translated from the Greek word kathōs, This word is made up of kata, meaning “down” but used metaphorically to express a relationship between two things (“according as”) and hōs, meaning “how.” Thus kathōs expresses a similarity in manner between two things. It is often translated as “even as, like as, or like how.”

Marturion is the word translated “testimony.” It is from the noun martureō, meaning “to give a witness” or “to give a testimony.” Therefore, marturion refers to “a testimony, evidence, or a proof.”

“Confirmed” is from the word bebaioō, which is indirectly based on the verb bainō, meaning “to go.” Bebaioō literally means “to have gone to a fixed location.” In other words, it means “to be made certain or secure.”

Meaning Explained

As we mentioned a couple of verses back, Paul is about to give the Christians in Corinth some very stern teaching regarding several issues that existed in the church. One of the issues was that there were divisions forming in the church and they were behaving like children rather than mature Christians. In fact, in chapter three Paul says this of the Corinthian Christians:

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

Before delivering his “tough love” message, however, Paul is pointing out to them the incredible gifts that God has given them. He reminded them of the gracious gift of salvation that they received in spite of the fact that they (and we) didn’t deserve it. Then, in yesterday’s verse, Paul reminded them of the wealth they have in the ability to understand the deep truths about God in Jesus Christ and the ability to proclaim these truths, even in miraculous ways.

These miraculous ways of proclaiming the gospel through the gifts of the spirit were evidence that they truly were saved and that God’s grace had been bestowed on them. This is the manner in which “the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.” In other words, it is the presence of, and proper use of, the spiritual gifts that serves as a testimony (a witness) of genuine salvation. Now, can these signs be faked? Yes, of course. We read in Exodus 7:11 that the magicians of Pharaoh produced the same signs that Moses and Aaron demonstrated. Even so, in the New Testament church there are counterfeits. The difference is that the true sign gifts are used for the glory of God and the counterfeits are used for the glory of man, producing confusion rather than order as Paul will point out in 1 Corinthians 14:40.

Application

We were all given spiritual gifts when we were saved. We are to use these gifts for the building up of the body of Christ to bring attention to God, not to ourselves.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 15:8 – Breaking Old Habits

Posted on by Will

Romans 15:8 – Breaking Old Habits

Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

Truth to Learn

The bondage of manmade rules and tradition is hard to break.

Behind the Words

“Has become” is translated from the verb ginomai (from which we get our English word generate), meaning “to begin to be, to come into existence, or to become.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which, in Greek, implies past completed action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word translated “servant” is from the Greek word diakonos which means “one who waits on tables” or “one who serves the needs of others.” This word is often translated as “minister.”

“Confirm” is from the Greek verb bebaioō, meaning “to strengthen, make true, or fulfill.”

Meaning Explained

In this and the following verse Paul will demonstrate to the Christians at Rome why the work of Christ is different, though equally vital, for the Jews and the Gentiles. His purpose, I believe, is to show the Gentile converts in Rome that the Jews have a good reason for wanting to continue to follow the ordinances laid out by the Mosaic Law, and at the same time to show the Jewish converts that the Gentiles have a good reason for not wanting to be bound by those same ordinances.

The first half of this reasoning is contained in the current verse. He says that “Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision.” As mentioned above, the verb “has become” is in the perfect tense, so what Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ became and continues to be one who serves the needs of the Jews with respect to God’s truth.

The way that Jesus has done and continues to do this is by having confirmed, or fulfilled, the promises made to the Jewish fathers. What promises, you say? The promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others concerning the Messiah’s coming and His being the seed of the woman, and of Abraham, and of David. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all that was promised to the Jewish fathers and, therefore, confirms the truth of God’s promise. In so doing, Jesus demonstrates to the Jewish converts that all that has been written in the Old Testament is truth. This gives the Jewish converts reason to believe in Christ and in all that is said of him in the Old Testament. However, it also gives them reason to want to continue conforming to the requirements of the Law.

Paul has taught that righteousness cannot be obtained by obedience to the Law and the Jewish members of the church at Rome were learning that they couldn’t perfectly keep the requirements of the Law anyway. Nonetheless, it is difficult for anyone who has lived his or her life by a strict set of rules to suddenly stop doing those things to which they have been bound for so long.

Application

Every church has rules or traditions which are not based on what the Word of God teaches. As we learn where the truth of the Bible contradicts these rules and traditions, we will want to change how we act, but it is difficult. Recognizing which of these rules and traditions are contrary to truth is the first step in being set free from them. Are you still in bondage or have you been set free in Christ?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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