chortos – Ministry of Grace Church

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1 Peter 1:24 – Withered Blossom

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Will

because "All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,

Truth to Learn

Like flowers, our physical body will wither and die some day.

Behind the Words

The word “flesh” is translated from sarx, which specifically refers to “the flesh of a living animal.” This word is often used as an expression for our earthly body, as opposed to the spiritual body which we will receive at the resurrection.

The Greek word translated “grass” is chortos, which literally means “a courtyard” or “a garden,” but the common usage is in reference to any vegetation, particularly a meadow or field.

“Flower” is translated from anthos, which refers to “the blossom of a flowering plant.”

The verb “withers” is from zērainō, which means “to dry up.”

The word translated “falls away” is ekpiptō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and piptō, meaning “to fall.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter taught us that our new birth, that is our spiritual birth, is not by conception from corruptible seed but through the word of God. He now goes on to explain a little more about the corruptible seed. His simile equates the corruptible seed (humanity) with a field full of vegetation. This is the same simile that James used in teaching that riches and rich people are fleeting and temporary.

because like a flower of the garden he will pass away. For the sun rose with a burning heat and the garden withered; its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance completely perished. (James 1:10b, 11a)

The reference in both of these verses is to Isaiah 40:6-8:

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field: The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God stands forever.

This fleshly life that we live is temporary and passing. It is often referred to as our time of wandering or “sojourning” and it will come to an end. The spiritual life that we get from the new birth, however, is eternal. If we have truly been born again, we have everlasting life with our heavenly father, and it does not begin when we get to heaven; it has already begun!

Using this same analogy regarding physical birth and spiritual birth, let me ask you, “Can we become unborn in our physical life, and did we have any part in making it happen?” Then how can we think that we have some part in our spiritual birth, and how can we believe that we could become spiritually unborn?

Application

Like a flower, we all must die physically some day, but we don’t have to die the second death (spiritually). God has given us eternal spiritual life through His Word. Let’s take a fresh, new look at this new birth which we have and recognize how truly priceless it is! Thank you, Heavenly Father!

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:10 – Humble Wealth

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Will

but the rich one in his humbling, because like a flower of the garden he will pass away.

Truth to Learn

Riches cause pride and harm our relationship with God. Some day we will pass away and have to give an accounting to God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “rich one” is the Greek word plousios, which means “one who has great possessions.” This is someone who we would say is rich, or wealthy.

The Greek word translated “humbling” is tapeinosis, which is from the same root as “lowly” in the previous verse. It means to be humbled or brought low.

“Garden” is from a form of the word chortos which originally meant “court or garden.” In later usage it also came to mean “a pasture or grassy field”

The word translated “pass away” is a form of parerchomai, which is a compound word made up of para, meaning “near” and a form of erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” So, literally it means to come near or to go close to something. Metaphorically, however, here it means “to pass away, to perish, or to cease to exist.”

Meaning Explained

Since this is a continuation of the sentence started in the previous verse, we need to look and see what the verb is in relation to, “but the rich one in his humbling.” The verb in the previous verse, which applies to “the rich one” in this verse is the one which is translated “let … glory.” So we could interpret the first of this verse as, “but let the rich man glory in his being humbled.”

It’s pretty easy for us to see why the poor people are to glory in being raised-up by Christ and put on an equal footing with all others in the church. But why would someone with great possessions glory in being humbled? When we are humbled before God we realize that we owe everything we have to God, because it has all come from Him. After all, we are not on this earth to gain possessions; rather we are here to glorify God.

Worldly riches have a way of causing us to feel proud and self-sufficient. But this does not draw us closer to God; instead, it leads us away from Him. When we are in need, we get on our knees and seek God’s face. When we have wealth, we have no reason to seek God’s assistance. Those who have riches should recognize that such riches ultimately come from God and belong to Him. Therefore, God should receive glory and praise for them, but this only comes from a heart filled with humility.

One day, like the beautiful flowers in the garden, we will pass away. In the final analysis, what we have done for God is all that will matter. Riches that we have amassed to ourselves make us proud. Riches that are used for God’s glory, on the other hand, will produce eternal reward.

Application

Look at the poor widow in Luke 21:1-4. She gave a mere two small coins to the temple treasury. That’s equal to about 2/5 of a cent today. Jesus said that she gave more than all the others combined, because she gave all that she had. They gave out of their riches because they didn’t need it all. She needed all that she had and yet she gave it all to God.

What are you giving to God?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 3:12 – Church Building Materials

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Will

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

Truth to Learn

We all need to be mindful of how we build the church.

Behind the Words

“Builds” is from apoikomeō, which we saw back in verse ten, meaning “to build a structure.”

The word “gold” is from the Greek word chrusos, which refers to gold or anything made of gold.

Arguros is the word translated “silver.” It is derived from argos, meaning “white, shining, bright, or glistening.” It refers to silver or anything made of silver.

“Precious” is from timios, meaning “that which is valuable, respected, or honored.”

“Stone” is from lithos, which refers to “a small stone.”

The word “wood” is from xulon, which refers to wood or anything made of wood.

Chortos is the word translated “hay.” In general it refers to grass or plant life, typically that which is grown as a crop.

The word “straw” is from kalamē, which refers to a corn stalk or straw, as the left-over part of a crop that is discarded.

Meaning Explained

In verse nine, the Apostle Paul told us that he, as the master builder, laid the foundation of the church, which is Jesus Christ. He also told us that we each need to be mindful of how we build on that foundation. In today’s verse and the next one he explains why it’s important to pay attention to how we build on that foundation. In writing this letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul may be specifically referring to past, present, and future pastors of the church at Corinth, or to teachers within the church in general. However, based on the context of this verse, it is clear that he is referring to all Christians, not just those in leadership positions.

Paul mentions two types of building materials in today’s verse. One is “gold, silver, precious stones,” and the other is “wood, hay, straw.” At the time that Paul wrote this letter, temples and other great buildings were built of marble or other large cut stone and were adorned with gold, silver, and precious stones. All of these things were materials that were more or less permanent, beautiful, valuable, and hard to obtain. It took a lot of hard work to build with these materials. Household dwellings, however, were often made of wood, mud, or sod and frequently had roofs made of thatched straw laid over wooden supports. These materials did not last, were ordinary, and were not beautiful. They were cheap and easy to obtain. Although it took effort to build with these things, compared to the building of a permanent temple, there was little effort required.

The building of God’s temple (the church) deserves only the best building materials and selfless dedication on the part of the builders. In the next few verses Paul will explain the difference between building with these different materials.

Application

Every Christian is called to build up the church. Are you involved in the building process? If so, what kind of materials are you building with?

In God's service, for His glory,