Tag: consider

Romans 14:14 – Personally Forbidden

Posted on by Will

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 unclean in and of itself, 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 going to do about it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 8:18 – Suffering for Glory

Posted on by Will

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us.

Truth to Learn

Our future glory is far greater than our current suffering.

 

Behind the Words

The expression “I consider” is from the Greek word logidzomai, meaning “to count, to impute, to estimate, or to reckon.”

“Sufferings” is translated from pathēma, a noun form of the verb paschō, meaning “to feel strong emotion or sensation, to suffer, or to experience.” It is most often used to refer to painful suffering either physically or emotionally.

The words “not worthy” are translated from ouk axia. As we have discussed before, ouk refers to the absolute negative. The word axia is a form of axios which is a reference to two items placed on a balance scales which are of comparable weight, causing the scales to balance perfectly. This perfect balance indicates the relative worth of one of the items on the scales. Hence, the word has come to refer to the comparable worth of an item.

The word “revealed” is from apokaluptō. This is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover” or “to conceal.” Thus, we see that apokaluptō means “to uncover” or “to reveal.” This is the word that is translated “Revelation” as the name of the last book in the New Testament.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that since we are joint heirs with Christ, as members of God’s family, we can also expect to suffer with Him. Whenever we suffer because of being Christians, we are suffering with Christ. We are sharing in the pain of rejection, misunderstanding, betrayal, false accusation, persecution, and physical torture that Christ knew before and during his crucifixion.

But Paul now gives us a glimmer of hope that we can hang on to whenever we are going through those times of suffering. He starts off with the expression, “For I consider.” It is Paul’s belief that whatever sufferings we might have to go through in this life, they are of little value or consequence when compared with the incredible glory that we will receive in Heaven.

In verse seventeen Paul said that if we suffer with Christ, we may also be glorified with Him. Well, now Paul says that the present suffering that we are going through for Christ’s sake is in no way comparable to that glory that we are going to share with and from Christ. This is something that we should all hold dear to our hearts.

 

Application

The next time you feel like you are being persecuted, mistreated, or attacked because you are a witness for Christ, remember that you are suffering for His sake, and some day you will be glorified with Him and for His sake. No matter how much physical pain or mental anguish you may have to endure now, it is temporary and insignificant compared to the glory He will give to you for eternity.

It just makes the suffering a little more bearable now, doesn’t it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 4:19 – Faith, Long and Strong

Posted on by Will

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s faith was strong, even after having waited 20 years.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “weak” is astheneō, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and sthenos, which refers to “bodily vigor or bodily strength.” Hence, this word means “without bodily strength.”

“Consider” is translated from the verb katanoeō. This is also a compound word which is made up of kata, used as an intensifier, and noeō, meaning “to think.” This word refers to more than just a passing thought. It means “to observe, to contemplate, or to have regard to.” We could paraphrase this part of the verse as “he didn’t give thought to the fact that he was no longer able to father children.”

 

Meaning Explained

There is a subtlety in this verse that you may not have seen before. In the previous verse we talked about Abraham’s absolute certainty that God would fulfill His promise to him. He was about 80 years old when God promised him that he would have as many descendants as the stars in the sky. This is talked about in Genesis 15:5,6.

The current verse says that Abraham was not weak in his faith, which was proved by the fact that Abraham didn’t even consider the fact that his own body was already dead. Now, this doesn’t mean that Abraham was dead; it means that his body was past the point of fathering children. This verse (along with Genesis 21:5) says that he was about 100 years old when Isaac was born.

But wait a minute! Didn’t we just say that Abraham was about 80 when the promise was made? That means Abraham’s faith was strong even after having waited for about 20 years. Think about it! Abraham was 80 when the promise was made, and he was probably already past child producing years, yet 20 years later he still believed that God would give him a son. That’s faith that doesn’t give up!

Paul uses a bit of a play on words in this verse as well. He could have said, “And having a strong faith …” Instead, he says that Abraham was not “weak in faith.” The word translated “weak” is normally used to describe a physical condition, but Paul applies it to Abraham’s faith. In other words, he is saying, “Abraham may have had a body that was weak with regard to fathering children, but his faith was not weak like his body.”

What is even more amazing is what was pointed out in yesterday’s verse. Abraham was about 100 when Isaac was born (Sarah was about 90). Sarah died when she was 127 years old, which would make Abraham about 137 years old (Genesis 23:1,2). After Sarah died, Abraham married a woman named Keturah (Genesis 25:1,2), and he fathered at least six more children with her! Abraham didn’t consider the fact that he was too old to father children; neither did God!

 

Application

Have you been waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you? Are you willing to wait for 20 years? Are you willing to wait for the rest of your life?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 3:15 – Patiently Restraining

Posted on by Will

And consider our Lord's patience as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given to him;

Truth to Learn

God is holding back His wrath so that salvation can come to as many as possible.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “consider” is hegeisthe, which technically means “lead the way.” Metaphorically, however, it means “lead out before the mind,” that is, “consider it” or “think of it as.” The word is expressed here in the imperative voice indicating a command.

 

Meaning Explained

Peter says, “Don’t think of the longsuffering of God as weakness or as His inability to fulfill his promises. Instead, think of His longsuffering as His way of making sure that salvation comes to everyone possible.” The Apostle Paul said a similar thing regarding God’s longsuffering in Romans 2:4:

Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Both the Apostles, Peter and Paul, indicate that God’s longsuffering (his patience, according to Peter) is His way of holding back judgment until the last possible moment so that salvation can come to as many as possible.

Romans 2:4 may be the verse that Peter is referring to in the second half of this verse. The startling thing is not that Peter refers to the teaching of Paul, but that he refers to him as a dear brother. If you recall, Paul was not one of the original 12 disciples nor was he the one selected to replace Judas (see Acts 1:15-26.) Paul is the only apostle of Christ who was saved after the resurrection. The other apostles were primarily sent to witness to Jews, but Paul was commissioned by the Lord Himself to a ministry among the Gentiles.

Scripture also records the fact that Peter and Paul had several strong confrontations regarding how Christianity was differentiated from Judaism (see Galatians 2:11 and surrounding verses), so for Peter to now refer to Paul as a “beloved brother” shows a remarkable demonstration of humility and acceptance on Peter’s part.

This is as much the message of today’s verse as anything else. We need to accept the fact that none of us has all the answers. In spite of everything that we have been taught through years of sermons, Sunday school lessons, Bible studies, or even seminaries, we all have much to learn from each other. And, as long as the teaching is based on what the Bible actually says (as opposed to hearsay or private interpretation), we need to be willing to be taught by the Holy Spirit regarding these truths.

Let us guard ourselves against heresy and the corruption of false teachers. However, we need to be open to the teaching from the Spirit of God so that we can all be effective witnesses for Christ.

 

Application

While God is patiently waiting, holding back His judgment, we need to be witnessing to everyone we can. God’s wrath will not be restrained forever, and each soul saved is one fewer who will experience that wrath. Proclaim the gospel message and ignore what the scoffers say about you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 1:13 – Late Life Refresher

Posted on by Will

I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly tent to stir you up with a reminder.

Truth to Learn

We need to keep encouraging each other to stay the course because we haven’t much time left.

 

Behind the Words

“I consider” is translated from hēgeomai, which is a form of ago, meaning “to lead.” Metaphorically, this word refers to “leading out with the mind.” Therefore, it is interpreted as, “to esteem, consider, regard, or reckon.”

The word “right” comes from the Greek word dikaion, which refers to that which is “proper, right, or appropriate”

The word translated “stir … up” is diegeirō, which means “to arouse, to wake up fully, or to stir up.”

 

Meaning Explained

Peter is aware that he is being rather forceful in his admonition to us all regarding the necessity of Christian growth and maturity. He has used very strong words to urge us on in this regard, but he is not apologetic regarding his words. He says that it is right for him to do this. He believes that he has a responsibility to be constantly reminding us all that we need to be continually working on becoming more mature in our Christian experience.

Specifically, Peter feels that he is obliged to stir up our memory. We all have a tendency to get lazy and careless regarding our walk with the Lord, and Peter feels compelled, as we all should, to grab us by the shoulder and wake us up. He does so by reminding us of those things that we already know. Anyone who has ever studied a foreign language knows how critical it is to constantly review the basic principles until they become second nature. Only after we know the basics without thinking about them can we continue on to the next level with confidence.

Peter also knows that his time on this earth is coming to an end, and he feels a necessity to do as much as he can in the time he has left. When we were young, we had our whole lives ahead of us, and there was not much of a sense of urgency to do what we knew we should be doing. As we got older, we realized that time is passing us by, and time that has passed cannot be made up. As we recognize God’s calling on our life and realize how much He has done for us, we feel more compelled to work hard for Him in the things He expects from us. As the end of life approaches, we become acutely aware that this life is transient, and only what is done for God has any real lasting value.

That’s where Peter is right now. He wants to make the most of his remaining days by constantly reminding us to work hard for the One who has given His life for us.

 

Application

Let our ears not be deaf!

Let our minds not be cloudy!

Let us not be caught asleep on the watch!

Rather, let us purpose in our hearts to wake up and work diligently, for the time is fleeting, our life is short, and He is coming soon!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 5:12 – Standing Firm

Posted on by Will

By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

Truth to Learn

It is only by God’s grace that we can firmly stand in Christ.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word for the name “Silvanus” is Silounou, which is an alternate spelling of Silon or “Silas.” It is most reasonable to assume that this person is none other than Silas, the one who accompanied Paul on much of his missionary travels. He is mentioned numerous times through chapters 15, 16, 17, and 18 of the book of Acts.

The expression “as I consider him” is the Greek word logidzomai, which means “to reckon” or “to put to someone’s account.” This is the same word that appears in James 2:23 where it is translated as “counted to him,”

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called friend of God.

Peter is not speculating about Silvanus’ faithfulness, he is absolutely confirming it.

“Exhorting” is translated from the Greek word parakaleō. This is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” or “alongside” and kaleō, meaning “to call.” Thus parakaleō literally means “to call alongside” as a coach would an athlete in order to encourage or challenge him or her.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse and the two that follow are the closing salutation of this letter. Peter indicates that he believes this is a fairly short letter; “I have written to you briefly…” He tells us at the beginning of this verse that this letter is by Silvanus. As mentioned earlier, this is Silas who is commonly accepted to be the same Silas who accompanied the Apostle Paul during much of his missionary travels. But what does Peter mean, “by Silvanus.” Some believe that Silvanus (Silas) was the scribe who wrote the words which Peter dictated to him. Others believe that he was the messenger who carried this letter to the believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (see 1 Peter 1:1). Either one or both of these may be true, though we don’t really know for sure. It certainly would make sense for Peter to send this letter to these churches by Silas, since he travelled with the Apostle Paul through much of this area (current day Turkey), and these Christians knew Silas.

Peter then tells his readers that he, himself, is exhorting and testifying that which is contained in this letter is a representation of the true grace of God. That is, Christianity is the one true religion, not Judaism, nor paganism, nor humanism, nor any other “ism.” It is this true belief in Jesus Christ by the grace of God in which we Christians stand.

Some translations have this last phrase as a command, “Stand firm in it!” This is because there is a variant reading regarding the tense of the final word of this verse. One Greek version has this as a command and another expresses this in the perfect tense implying completed action with a resultant state of being. The important thing is not the tense of this verb, but the fact that it is only by God’s grace that we can stand firm in Christ.

 

Application

Is that where you are today, firmly standing by the grace of God? Do you recognize that you cannot earn your salvation? The only way we can be righteous in God’s eyes is by His gracious gift of salvation. And, God’s grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ, is greater than our sins.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 4:1 – God’s Assistants

Posted on by Will

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Truth to Learn

A teacher’s words reveal his image of himself, under Christ.

Behind the Words

The words “let … consider” are translated from the Greek verb logidzomai. This word is based on logos, meaning “something said” or more accurately, “the thought behind something said.” Thus, logidzomai means “to think about” or “to consider.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood indicating a command.

“So” is from the Greek adverb houtō, meaning “in this manner” or “so.”

“Servants” is from hupēretēs, which is composed of huper, meaning “under” or “beneath” and eretēs, meaning “a rower.” It refers to someone who is acting under the direction of a superior. In classical Greek it refers to a common sailor as distinct from nautēs, a seasoned sailor. This word is used to refer to a personal assistant like the person in a synagogue who handed the scroll to the rabbi and returned it to its place.

Oikonomos is the Greek word translated “stewards.” It is made up of oikos, meaning “a house” and nemō, meaning “to distribute” or “to hand out.” This word refers to a person who manages the affairs of a household or a business which rightfully belongs to someone else.

Meaning Explained

Having criticized the Corinthian Christians for their slavish devotion to specific leaders within the church, Paul now goes into a description of how Christian leaders should be viewed by those receiving their instruction. Instead of seeing the teachers and preachers of the church as masters, he says that such men should be considered as “under oarsmen” or “personal assistants” to Jesus Christ, Himself. Moreover, he goes on to say that those who proclaim the gospel message are no more than stewards whose job it is to distribute the goods of a household (the mysteries of God) to others under their care.

Several years ago we moved from the central part of the USA to the Pacific Northwest. We spent considerable time looking for a church where we could grow in our faith and serve God. Some churches had impressive buildings and wonderful services with uplifting times of worship and praise. Unfortunately, most of these had little sound Biblical teaching. Instead, the preachers laid forth messages of social challenge, with only cursory references to Holy Scripture. As a result, the people attending these churches seemed to be indifferent to strangers and showed little evidence of the fruit of the Spirit.

Eventually, God led us to a large congregation that meets in an industrial warehouse. We quickly learned that unless we arrived a half hour early, we would be relegated to the farthest recesses of the room or to the video room where the speaker was displayed on a large screen. In spite of the appearance of the building and its awkward layout, we quickly discovered that the people were warm, friendly, and genuinely excited about learning God’s Word. Why? Because the men delivering the message are not there for personal glory, but they consider themselves stewards of the mysteries of God.

Application

What do you look for in a church? The building, the worship time, the fellowship, or the faithful servants who proclaim God’s message to you directly from His Word?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved