Tag: disobedience

Ephesians 5:6 – Don’t Be Deceived

Posted on by Will

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Truth to Learn

Don’t believe everything you hear being taught about the Bible.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “deceive” is apataō, which means “to deceive” or “to seduce into error.” This word and a compound of it (exapataō) are used in the description of the trickery that Satan used on Adam and Eve in 1Timothy 2:14 and 2Corinthians 11:3. The word is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command. Again, note that the word “let” does not refer to permitting something to happen, it is a command of what not to do.

“Empty” is from kenos, meaning “empty” or “hollow.” Metaphorically, it refers to that in which there is no truth.

“Wrath” is from the word orgē, which we saw back in Ephesians 4:26, where it was translated “angry.” The Greek word refers to “excitement of the mind” and generally refers to the inner emotion, although it is also sometimes used of the outward display of that emotion as in Revelation 19:15.

Apeitheia is the Greek word translated “disobedience.” It is a compound word made up of the negative particle a and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to convince.” This word here refers to those people who have not been persuaded or convinced of the truth of the Gospel, they do not believe. Because of their lack of belief, they do not obey (or even recognize) God’s authority over them. Therefore, they are called “sons of disobedience.” This could just as well be translated as “sons of disbelief.”

 

Meaning Explained

During the early years of the church, just as today, Satan was actively at work trying to deceive true believers. In Paul’s day there were those in the church who taught that since we are saved by grace and our salvation is secured by the seal of the Holy Spirit, we can sin all we want. In fact, they said, by indulging in sinful pleasures we make God’s grace even greater. Paul was responding to this philosophy when he wrote,

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it not be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

These philosophers were not outside the church, openly attacking the flock, they were false teachers within the church in positions of authority, delivering great sounding messages cleverly designed to deceive. As I’ve said before, don’t blindly believe everything you hear from a preacher. Whether he’s in the pulpit of your own church, on television, on the radio, on the internet, or on the street corner, check what is being proclaimed against what the Bible actually says. If something doesn’t sound quite right, it probably isn’t. Check it out, do your own study, and dig for the truth like gold.

We all like to think of our Heavenly Father as a God of love, which He is, but He is also described as a God of wrath. Here we see one such example. It is true that He is not willing (desirous) that any should perish (2Peter 3:9), but those people who reject His offer of salvation will experience His wrath firsthand. For those of us who are saved, God has forgiven all of our sins (past, present and future), but each one we commit adds just a little more torture to Jesus’ experience on the cross.

 

Application

If you are truly saved then you will want to resist sinning and you will be sorry when you do sin. So – if you can sin without guilt, then you had better check, because you may not have God’s seal of ownership. Are you truly sealed?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:2 – Who’s Your Master?

Posted on by Will

in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience,

Truth to Learn

Christians are no longer under Satan’s authority. We are now in God’s family and under God’s authority.

 

Behind the Words

“Walked” is translated from the Greek verb peripateō. This is composed of peri, meaning “around” and pateō (based on patos, meaning “a path”), which means “to walk.” Thus, peripateō literally means “to walk around.” Metaphorically it refers to “how one lives one’s life.”

Aion is the Greek word translated “course.” Generally, this word refers to a timeframe, a period of time, or an “age.” Here, however, it is used as a metonym referring to the people and customs of the “world system.” [A metonym is a word or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated. For example, Washington is a metonym for the federal government of the United States of America.]

The word “world” is from the Greek noun kosmos, which is indirectly based on the word kolumbos, meaning “to tend or to take care of.” Kosmos refers to “an orderly arrangement” or “a system of order.” It is the word from which we get our English word “cosmetics.” As it is used here, kosmos refers to “the orderly arrangement or ‘system’ of this world.”

“Ruler” is translated from archon, which refers to someone who is “first in authority or power.”

The word “air” is aēr, which refers to “the lower atmosphere” or “the air surrounding the earth.”

The word “disobedience” is translated from the Greek word apeitheia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and peithō, meaning “to convince or persuade.” Thus, apeitheia refers to “those who are not convinced” or “those who are not willing to be persuaded,” which by extension means “those who do not obey God.”

 

Meaning Explained

The first two words of this verse, “in which,” are a reference to “trespasses and sins,” mentioned in the previous verse. So, Paul is saying that we Christians used to live our lives in a manner characterized by trespasses and sins. He goes on further to say that we used to live our lives in accordance with the ruler of the power (authority) of the atmosphere. This is a reference to Satan, who Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (see John 16:11).

But, Paul doesn’t stop there with his description of Satan. He tells us that he is a spirit being who is currently at work in the unsaved people of this world (the sons of disbelief or the sons of disobedience). As a spirit being, Satan is not only the ruler of the world system in which we live, he also has access to the throne room of God in heaven. We know this from the book of Job, where Satan is characterized as appearing before God:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." (Job 1:6-7)

Satan will continue to have access to Heaven until he is cast out during the seven year tribulation, as described in Revelation chapter twelve.

 

Application

You were once controlled by your sins and by Satan, but that is no longer true. When you were saved, you were placed into (baptized into) the body of Christ, where Jesus is now your Lord and Master; therefore, you are no longer under Satan’s power and authority. Praise be to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:6 – Don’t Be Deceived

Posted on by Will

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Truth to Learn

Don’t believe everything you hear taught about the Bible.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “deceive” is apataō, which means “to deceive” or “to seduce into error.” This word and a compound of it (exapataō) are used in the description of the trickery that Satan used on Adam and Eve in 1Timothy 2:14 and 2Corinthians 11:3.

“Empty” is from kenos, meaning “empty” or “hollow.” Metaphorically, it refers to that in which there is no truth.

“Wrath” is from the word orgē, which we saw back in Ephesians 4:26, where it was translated “angry.” The Greek word refers to “excitement of the mind” and generally refers to the inner emotion, although it is also sometimes used of the outward display of that emotion as in Revelation 19:15.

Apeitheia is the Greek word translated “disobedience.” It is a compound word made up of the negative particle a and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to convince.” This word here refers to those people who have not been persuaded or convinced of the truth of the Gospel. Because of their lack of belief, they do not obey (or even recognize) God’s authority over them. Therefore, they are called “sons of disobedience.”

Meaning Explained

During the early years of the church, just as today, Satan was actively at work trying to deceive true believers. In Paul’s day there were those in the church who taught that since we are save by grace and our salvation is secured by the seal of the Holy Spirit, we can sin all we want. In fact, they said, by indulging in sinful pleasures we make God’s grace even greater. Paul was responding to this philosophy when he wrote,

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

These philosophers were not outside the church, openly attacking the flock, they were false teachers within the church in positions of authority, delivering great sounding messages cleverly designed to deceive. As I’ve said before, don’t blindly believe everything you hear from a preacher. Whether he’s in the pulpit of your own church, on television, on the radio, on the internet, or on the street corner, check what is being proclaimed against what the Bible actually says. If something doesn’t sound quite right, it probably isn’t. Check it out, do your own study, and dig for the truth like gold.

We all like to think of our Heavenly Father as a God of love, which He is, but He is also described as a God of wrath. Here we see one such example. It is true that He is not willing (desirous) that any should perish (2Peter 3:9), but those people who reject His offer of salvation will experience His wrath firsthand. For those of us who are saved, God has forgiven all of our sins (past, present and future), but each one we commit adds just a little more torture to Jesus’ experience on the cross.

Application

If you are truly saved then you will want to resist sinning and you will be sorry when you do sin. So – if you can sin without guilt, then you had better check because you may not have God’s seal of ownership. Are you truly sealed?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

Ephesians 2:2 – Who’s Your Master?

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 2:2  – Who’s Your Master?

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Truth to Learn

Christians are no longer under Satan’s authority. We are now in God’s family and under God’s authority.

Behind the Words

“Walked” is translated from the Greek verb peripateō. This is composed of peri, meaning “around” and pateō (based on patos, meaning “a path”), which means “to walk.” Thus, peripateō literally means “to walk around.” Metaphorically it refers to “how one lives one’s life.”

The word “world” is from the Greek noun kosmos, which is indirectly based on the word kolumbos, meaning “to tend or to take care of.” Kosmos refers to “an orderly arrangement” or “a system of order.” As it is used here, kosmos refers to “the system of this world.”

“Prince” is translated from archon, which refers to someone who is “first in authority or power.”

The word “air” is aēr, which refers to “the lower atmosphere” or “the air surrounding the earth.”

The word “disobedience” is translated from the Greek word apeitheia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and peithō, meaning “to convince or persuade.” Thus, apeitheia refers to those who are not convinced. In other words, it refers to “those who do not believe.”

Meaning Explained

The first two words of this verse, “in which,” are a reference to “trespasses and sins,” mentioned in the previous verse. So, Paul is saying that we Christians used to live our lives in a manner characterized by trespasses and sins. He goes on further to say that we used to live our lives in accordance with the ruler of the power (authority) of the atmosphere. This is a reference to Satan, whom Jesus referred to as “the ruler of this world” (see John 16:11).

But, Paul doesn’t stop there with his description of Satan. He tells us that he is a spirit being who is currently at work in the unsaved people of this world (the sons of disbelief or the sons of disobedience). As a spirit being, Satan is not only the ruler of the world system in which we live, he also has access to the throne room of God in heaven. We know this from the book of Job, where Satan is characterized as appearing before God:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6-7)

Satan will continue to have access to Heaven until he is cast out during the seven year tribulation, as described in Revelation chapter twelve.

Application

You were once controlled by your sins and by Satan, but that is no longer true. When you were saved, you were placed into (baptized into) the body of Christ, where Jesus is now your Lord and Master; therefore, you are no longer under Satan’s power and authority. Praise be to God!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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