Tag: ean

Romans 14:8 – Still On The Altar?

Posted on by Will

For if we should live, we live to the Lord; and if we should die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we might live or die, we are the Lord's.

Truth to Learn

Living to the Lord is submission to His will.

 

Behind the Words

The subtlety of this verse is in the mood of the verbs in the translated phrases, “if we should live” and “if we should die.” Greek verbs can be expressed in four different moods. In the indicative mood the action is conceived of as fact. The subjunctive mood expresses action that is possible or probable (one step away from actually happening). The optative mood expresses action that is wished for or questioned (two steps away from actually happening). Finally, the imperative mood expresses a command, indicating action that is not a fact but that needs to be.

The word translated “if” is the Greek word ean, which is a conditional particle, and the words translated “we should live” and “we should die” are in the subjunctive mood. As explained above, the subjunctive mood in Greek expresses the notion of possibility. Therefore, in this verse Paul is stating that it is possible that we will continue to live, but it is also possible that we will die; however, we don’t know which will happen to us.

 

Meaning Explained

What Paul is saying is, “If we should continue to live, it is our Lord’s doing; therefore, we live in relation to Him, at His discretion. If we should die, it is our Lord’s doing; therefore, we will die at His discretion. Either way it is the Lord who controls when we will die. We are not in control, He is!

Now, tie this in with what Paul has been talking about: whether or not to eat certain foods and whether or not to hold a particular day of the week more sacred than the rest. It doesn’t really matter whether we believe some foods are forbidden or not, and it doesn’t matter whether we hold one day more sacred than the others, as long as we hold these beliefs because God has convicted us about them. Notice I said, because God has convicted us about them. We do not have the freedom to behave however we please. Our convictions have to be based on what God’s Word teaches us. These convictions must be based on a continual study of the Bible and a close daily walk with Almighty God. An immature Christian who doesn’t yet have a firm understanding of God or a close intimate relationship with God will not necessarily have the same convictions that a mature Christian might have.

Therefore, since this is a matter of conviction and not of doctrine, we should not judge our brother or sister in Christ for acting differently than we do. If we live to the Lord, we will follow what He wants for us and not be concerned about what a brother or sister is eating or how they treat a certain day of the week. Only when we are completely submitted to Him can we be completely living, or dying, for Him.

 

Application

The important matter is whether or not we are submitted to God’s lordship over us and committed to doing His will, not what kind of food we eat or how we treat days of the week. If we have our gaze fixed on our fellow Christians and are judging what they do or don’t do, then we don’t have our gaze where it should be: fixed on our Lord and Master. If we are a living sacrifice, we are living for Him and we are submitted to His will.

Are you still on the altar or have you climbed off?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 2:17 – Works of Evidence

Posted on by Will

So also faith, if it should not have works, is dead by itself.

Truth to Learn

A living, breathing faith in Christ is always accompanied by good works, for these works are the evidence that it is a living faith.

Behind the Words

“So also” is translated from houtōs kai, which means “in this manner also.” These words directly tie what has just been said with what is about to be said. The two are tied together, not as a comparison or a contrast, but directly, saying one is just like the other.

The word translated “faith” is pistis. This noun is derived from the verb peithō, meaning “to win over” or “to persuade.” Hence, pistis refers to a moral conviction. It is used throughout the New Testament in reference to our faith in Christ.

Once again, “if” is from the word ean, which introduces a third class conditional clause (indicating that the clause is not currently true but there is a possibility of it becoming true).

The word translated “have” is echō, which means “to have in one’s possession.” The word itself implies that the possessing is a continual state of affairs.

“By itself” is from the Greek kath heautēs, meaning “according to itself.” That is, it refers to faith being by itself, without any additional properties or characteristics.

Meaning Explained

This entire section of the book of James is a very strong treatise on the proof of genuine faith through action. In the current verse he gets right to the point. If you claim to have faith and yet your actions don’t demonstrate godliness or Christ-likeness, then you don’t really have faith.

“But,” you may argue, “James doesn’t say the faith doesn’t exist, simply that it’s dead. So, I don’t have to do good works as long as I have genuine faith.” To that let me ask, if you have a pet that dies, is it still your pet? No. It was your pet, but now it is dead. It has ceased to be a pet.

Whereas there are some Christians who believe that you have to do deeds as penance for bad things you have done in the past, that’s not what James is talking about. He is not talking about deeds of contrition. He is saying that doing good deeds is the proof of your salvation, not the penalty for your sins.

Let me repeat what I have said before: James is not claiming that you are saved by works or that works are necessary to make up for sins you have committed. He is teaching that your good works are a result of your faith, that they are, in fact, the evidence of your faith.

Application

Each one of us needs to take a good look at ourselves (on the inside) and ask, “Do I do good works?” If the answer is yes, then we need to see if these good works are the result of our appreciation to God for having given us salvation, or an attempt to win His favor. If the answer is no, then we need to seriously investigate whether or not we’re really saved!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 2:15 – The Invisible Poor

Posted on by Will

If a brother or sister is naked and should be lacking daily food,

Truth to Learn

We often don’t even notice those members of our church having the greatest needs.

Behind the Words

“If” is translated from the Greek word ean, which is used here (along with the subjunctive mood of the verb) to denote a third class conditional clause. As we saw in the previous verse, this indicates the possibility of something being true but not assumed to be one way or the other.

Previously we looked at the word adelphos, meaning “brother.” Here we now have the feminine form of this word, adelphe, meaning “sister.” James is talking about a man or a woman who is a fellow Christian.

The word translated “naked” is gumnos, which can refer to someone who is absolutely naked or someone who has very little or shabby clothing.

“Should be” is not translated from the normal verb of being, but from huparchō. This is a word made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under” and archō, which means “to begin.” It refers to a condition of being and could be translated as “exists.” Hence, James is referring to a brother or sister who exists in a condition of having insufficient food.

Leipō is the word translated “lacking.” This word means “to leave” or “to forsake.” Used, as it is here in the passive voice, it means someone who is left without something.

The word “daily” is translated from ephēmeros. This is made up of epi, meaning “upon or over” and hēmera, meaning a day. It refers to that which lasts for only a single day. It is the word from which we get our English word ephemeral, meaning something that is fleeting or that lasts for only a short time.

Meaning Explained

James is using a grammatical device called hyperbole (which, in Greek, means “to throw over” or “to overstate”). He is stating an extreme case as if it were the general rule. Teenagers are masters of the use of hyperbole, saying such things as “I’m starving” or “You never let me do that.”

This verse, like several we have looked at previously, cannot stand on its own. It needs the following verses to make sense. James is using an exaggerated example to make a point about the difference between a faith in words and a faith in action. This verse could be interpreted as:

If one of our fellow Christians should be regularly dressed is shabby or inadequate clothing and does not even have enough food to feed himself, or herself, on a daily basis …

This is an example of James’ very practical writing style. He doesn’t talk about theological concepts in an abstract manner but in a down-to-earth, put-it-on-and-wear-it manner. That’s what makes this book so practical. It’s Christianity in action!

Application

In keeping with what James has been teaching us about the way we discriminate against the poor and lonely of our churches while favoring the rich and famous, let me give you a challenge. Next Sunday, look around your church and specifically note those who are poor and needy. It’s quite likely that you will see people who you have never even noticed before. They are the ones who need your mercy. What are you going to do about it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Romans 14:8 – Still On The Altar?

Posted on by Will

Romans 14:8 – Still On The Altar?

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

Truth to Learn

Living to the Lord is submission to His will.

Behind the Words

The subtlety of this verse is in the mood of the verbs in the translated phrases, “if we live” and “if we die.” Greek verbs can be expressed in four different moods. In the indicative mood the action is conceived of as fact. The subjunctive mood expresses action that is possible or probable (one step away from actually happening). The optative mood expresses action that is wished for or questioned (two steps away from actually happening). Finally, the imperative mood expresses a command, indicating action that is not a fact but that needs to be.

The word translated “if” is the Greek word ean, which is a conditional particle, and the words translated “we live” and “we die” are in the subjunctive mood. As explained above, the subjunctive mood in Greek expresses the notion of possibility. Therefore, in this verse Paul is stating that it is possible that we will continue to live, but it is also possible that we will die; however, we don’t know which will happen to us.

Meaning Explained

What Paul is saying is, “If we should continue to live, it is our Lord’s doing; therefore, we live in relation to Him, at His discretion. If we should die, it is our Lord’s doing; therefore, we will die at His discretion. Either way it is the Lord who controls when we will die. We are not in control, He is!

Now, tie this in with what Paul has been talking about: whether or not to eat certain foods and whether or not to hold a particular day of the week more sacred than the rest. It doesn’t really matter whether we believe some foods are forbidden or not, and it doesn’t matter whether we hold one day more sacred than the others, as long as we hold these beliefs because God has convicted us about them. Notice I said, because God has convicted us about them. We do not have the freedom to behave however we please. Our convictions have to be based on what God’s Word teaches us. These convictions must be based on a continual study of the Bible and a close daily walk with Almighty God. An immature Christian who doesn’t yet have a firm understanding of God or a close intimate relationship with God will not have the same convictions that a mature Christian has.

Therefore, since this is a matter of conviction and not of doctrine, we should not judge our brother or sister in Christ for acting differently than we do. If we live to the Lord, we will follow what He wants for us and not be concerned about what a brother or sister is eating or how they treat a certain day of the week. Only when we are completely submitted to Him can we be completely living, or dying, for Him.

Application

The important matter is whether or not we are submitted to God’s lordship over us and committed to doing His will, not what kind of food we eat or how we treat days of the week. If we have our gaze fixed on our fellow Christians and are judging what they do or don’t do, then we don’t have our gaze where it should be: fixed on our Lord and Master. If we are a living sacrifice, we are living for Him and we are submitted to His will. Are you still on the altar or have you climbed off?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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