Tag: ei

Romans 11:21 – The Almighty Gardner

Posted on by Will

For if God did not spare the natural branches, Neither will He spare you.

Truth to Learn

God rejected the Jewish people because they refused to believe that Jesus was their Messiah. Since He was willing to do this, He is just as willing to reject Gentiles in the future and deal exclusively with the Jews once again.

 

Behind the Words

“If” is translated from the conditional particle ei. When used as it is in this verse, it indicates a conditional statement of the first class. In the New Testament there are three classes of conditional statements. The first class condition assumes that the “if clause” is true, the second class condition assumes that the “if clause” is false, and the third class condition makes no assumption about the “if clause.” Therefore, in a first class conditional statement some translators use the word “since,” although it is not required.

The word translated “spare” is pheidomai, which means “to abstain or to treat leniently.”

The second half of this verse starts off with mēpōs in the Greek text. This word is made up of mē, a conditional negative particle and pōs, meaning “somehow, anyhow, in any way, or in some way or other.” Mēpōs is often translated as “lest by any means” or “lest perhaps.” Here it is immediately followed by the Greek word oude, meaning “also not” or “neither.”

The second occurrence of “spare” is again the word pheidomai. In some Greek manuscripts it is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating what might possibly or will probably happen. However, the best Greek texts express it in the future tense, indicating action that will happen.

 

Meaning Explained

The point that Paul is making is that if God did not spare the natural branches, the Jews, but rejected them as a people, thus turning to the Gentiles and grafting them in, then we should not be arrogant about this. Instead, we should consider our position as God’s chosen ones with reverential fear knowing that God is just as able to reject the Gentiles and turn back to the Jews.

In fact, I believe that this is exactly what God is going to do. If you study Daniel 9:25-29 you will learn about the 70 weeks of years that God has decreed for the Jews. The first 69 weeks cover the time from the decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem up to the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. Between the 69th and 70th weeks, however, there is a pause, which is where God turns to the Gentiles. This is the church age that we are living in right now. Just before the 70th week begins, God will rapture the church, removing them from the earth, and will once again deal with the Jews. This ushers in Daniel’s 70th week, the seven year period called The Tribulation.

During this seven year period, God’s focus will once again be on the Jews, not the Gentiles. In other words, during the tribulation God will reject the Gentile world. That is, He will break them off as branches. At the same time, he will deal directly with the Jewish nation once more, a remnant of them will believe, and He will graft them back into the holy root stock.

Take special note of the fact that this series of verses is not talking about rejecting believers (causing them to lose their salvation). He is talking about rejecting the unbelievers.

 

Application

God does as He pleases, not as we want Him to do. We need to be humble and in awe of Him. He is Almighty God and we are but His chosen children. Give Him thanks and praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:14 – It May be a Way

Posted on by Will

if somehow I may provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy and might save some of them.

Truth to Learn

Preaching the Gospel message may evoke an emotional response in others, and it also might provoke them to salvation.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “if” is the Greek word ei, which is a conditional conjunction. That is, it ties two thoughts together (conjunction) with a relationship that is not definite but conditional. It is most often translated as “if,” but in cases like this it can be translated idiomatically.

“Somehow” is from a single Greek word, pōs. This is an interrogative adverb. As such, it usually forms a question, like “how?” “in what manner?” “by what means?” or “is there a way?” Context and usage, however, sometimes indicate that this is not being used to form a question, but a statement.

The context here does not indicate that Paul is asking a question. Therefore, we could combine the conceptual ideas of these two words, ei and pōs, and paraphrase this verse as, “because it may be a way for me to provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy …”

Meaning Explained

This is one of those verses which sounds so awkward in English that it is difficult to understand exactly what Paul is saying. In order to understand this better we can temporarily take out the parenthetical expression from the previous verse and then put these two verses together, paraphrasing the first part of the current verse. Then we would have,

For I speak to you Gentiles because it may be a way that I might provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and perhaps save some of them.

Paul has said that he considers his calling to be the Apostle to the Gentiles as an honor and a great responsibility. One of the reasons that he is so determined to carry it out to the fullest is because it might also provoke some of his fellow Jews to jealousy and they might, through this jealousy, seek the truth of Christ and become saved themselves.

Paul had been accused by his fellow Jews of deserting his brothers in the flesh and of defecting to “the other side.” In defense of his actions, Paul started out chapter ten of this letter with:

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation. (Romans 10:1)

He then opened up the current chapter proclaiming that God has not completely turned away from the Jews. And in defense of that, he reminds everyone that he is a Jew himself.

I say then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1)

He is now showing that God has not deserted the Jewish people, and he believes that he may be a channel of God’s salvation even to the Jewish people by preaching the gospel message to us Gentiles.

Application

You may not have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but that doesn’t release you from the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel message. Oh, that we all cared as much as Paul about proclaiming the message of salvation to the unsaved!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 2:3 – Tasting God’s Provision

Posted on by Will

if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Truth to Learn

Our Heavenly Father treats us very well.

 

Behind the Words

“If indeed” is translated from eiper, which is a compound word made up of ei, meaning “if” and per, meaning “perhaps” or “indeed.” The best manuscripts, however, use the word ei, meaning “if.” For this reason, we have included the word “indeed” in itallics.

In the New Testament there are three types of conditional phrases (in secular Greek literature there is a fourth). The first class conditional phrase implies reality and can be interpreted as, “if, and it is assumed so…” Hence, it is sometimes interpreted as “since,” rather than ‘if’. The second class condition is the condition of irrealis, or unreality and can be interpreted as, “if, and it is assumed not so…” The third class condition carries with it no assumption as to the reality of the condition. The differences between the various conditional clauses in Greek are distinguished by the grammatical construction of the text.

The conditional clause in the current verse is a first class condition and, therefore, could be translated as:

 If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and I assume you have.

The word translated “tasted” is the word geuomai, which means “to taste,” but figuratively it means “to experience something.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense, showing action that was completed at a point in time in the past.

The word “gracious” is translated from the Greek word chrēstos, which is from the verb chraomai, meaning “to make use of,” “to make the most of,” or “to treat well.” This noun form means, “one who provides what is needed.”

 

Meaning Explained

First, let’s see what Peter is NOT saying here. He is not saying that there is a question about the readers’ salvation. He made that very clear in the previous chapter:

[you who are] chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father … who according to His great mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …who are kept by the power of God through faith … (selections from 1 Peter 1:2-5)

Neither is Peter questioning whether his readers have already experienced the Lord’s provision for their needs in the past. In fact, we see from the grammatical construction of this sentence that Peter is assuming that his readers indeed have experienced that gracious provision.

Because we have experienced God’s watch care over us, we should be willing, even eager, to lay aside our bad habits and we should have a craving for the sincere milk of the Word of God. We should be so delighted and amazed that the God of all creation cares for each one of us individually, that we should desire to act and be as He wants us to. And, we should have an uncontrollable desire to read His Word so that we can know Him better and so we can be more like Him.

 

Application

Have you experienced the wonder of salvation? If so, do you have a burning desire to be obedient to your Heavenly Father and to learn more about Him through His Word?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 3:2 – Administrator of Grace

Posted on by Will

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

Truth to Learn

All Christians are commissioned to preach the Gospel.

 

Behind the Words

The word “if” is translated from ei. This is a conditional particle which introduces a conditional clause. In New Testament Greek (Koinē Greek) there are four types of conditional clauses, although only three of them appear in the Bible. The first class condition assumes the “if” clause to be true. The second class condition assumes the “if” clause to be false and the third class condition makes no assumption. In today’s verse we see a first class condition, so Paul assumes that his readers have heard of the dispensation.

“Indeed” is from ge, which is a particle of emphasis or qualification. It serves to strengthen or render more emphatic the word to which it is appended (if). It can be variously translated as “besides, doubtless, indeed, at least, or yet.”

The word translated “dispensation” is oikonomia, which is made up of oikos, meaning “house” and a form of nemō, meaning “to distribute or apportion.” In the first century, it was not uncommon for a land owner to have one slave who was steward (in charge) of his household. The word oikonomia refers to this position of household administrator, the work done by an administrator, or the process of administration. In today’s verse it refers to the “administration” or “stewardship” of the grace of God.

The word “for” is from the Greek word eis, which literally means “into” or “toward.” In this verse it refers to a direction of the mind. In other words, this information was given to Paul to relay it to us. In this sense, it was given to him “for” us.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul, like every believer in Jesus Christ, has been the recipient of God’s grace as he described it in the previous chapter:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

However, that’s not what he is specifically referring to in today’s verse. Here he is talking about “the dispensation of the grace of God” or the administration of the grace of God. God chose the Apostle Paul to be the administrator of His grace for the Gentiles. What he means by this is that God has entrusted him with the message of salvation by grace, through faith, and it is his responsibility to deliver it to the Gentiles. In Acts chapter twenty-six Paul described to King Agrippa how he received this responsibility directly from the Lord, who said:

But rise up and stand on your feet; for it is for this reason I appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things which you saw and of the things which I will yet reveal to you, delivering you from the Jewish people, and the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, (Acts 26:16, 17)

In fact, he told the believers in Corinth that he now has no choice but to preach the Gospel message:

For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Paul recognized his responsibility to administer the grace of God by proclaiming the Good News to people throughout the known world, and he performed that task until the day he died.

 

Application

We, too, have been given a commission to preach the Gospel message. Are you carrying out that commission? Are you sharing the Good News with those around you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 3:2 – Administrator of Grace

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 3:2  – Administrator of Grace

if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

Truth to Learn

All Christians are commissioned to preach the Gospel.

Behind the Words

The word “if” is translated from ei. This is a conditional particle which introduces a conditional clause. In New Testament Greek (Koinē Greek) there are four types of conditional clauses, although only three of them appear in the Bible. The first class condition assumes the “if” clause to be true. The second class condition assumes the “if” clause to be false and the third class condition makes no assumption. In today’s verse we see a first class condition, so Paul assumes that his readers have heard of the dispensation.

“Indeed” is from ge, which is a particle of emphasis or qualification. It can be variously translated as “besides, doubtless, indeed, at least, or yet.”

The word translated “dispensation” is oikonomia, which is made up of oikos, meaning “house” and a form of nemō, meaning “to distribute or apportion.” Oikonomia can refer to the position of administrator, the work done by an administrator, or of the process of administration. In today’s verse it refers to the “administration” or “stewardship” of the grace of God.

Meaning Explained

Paul, like every believer in Jesus Christ, has been the recipient of God’s grace as he described it in the previous chapter:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

However, that’s not what he is specifically referring to in today’s verse. Here he is talking about “the dispensation of the grace of God” or the administration of the grace of God. God chose the Apostle Paul to be the administrator of His grace for the Gentiles. What he means by that is that God has entrusted him with the message of salvation by grace, through faith, and it is his responsibility to deliver it to the Gentiles. In Acts chapter twenty-six Paul described to King Agrippa how he received this responsibility directly from the Lord, who said:

But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, (Acts 26:16, 17)

In fact, he told the believers in Corinth that he now has no choice but to preach the Gospel message:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Paul recognized his responsibility to administer the grace of God by preaching the Good News to people throughout the known world, and he performed that task until the day he died.

Application

We, too, have been given a commission to preach the Gospel message. Are you carrying out that commission? Are you sharing the Good News with those around you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

Romans 11:21 – The Almighty Gardner

Posted on by Will

Romans 11:21 – The Almighty Gardner

For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

Truth to Learn

God rejected the Jewish people because they refused to believe that Jesus was their Messiah. Since He was willing to do this, He is just as willing to reject Gentiles in the future and deal exclusively with the Jews once again.

Behind the Words

“If” is translated from the conditional particle ei. When used as it is in this verse, it indicates a conditional statement of the first class. In the New Testament there are three classes of conditional statements. The first class condition assumes that the if clause is true, the second class condition assumes that the if clause is false, and the third class condition makes no assumption about the if clause. Therefore, in a first class conditional statement some translators use the word “since,” although it is not required.

The word translated “spare” is pheidomai, which means “to abstain or to treat leniently.”

The second half of this verse starts off with mēpōs in the Greek text. This word is made up of mē, a conditional negative particle and pōs, meaning “somehow, anyhow, in any way, or in some way or other.” Mēpōs is often translated as “lest by any means” or “lest perhaps.” Here it is immediately followed by the Greek word oude, meaning “also not” or “neither.”

The second occurrence of “spare” is again the word pheidomai. It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating what might possibly or will probably happen.

Meaning Explained

The point that Paul is making is that if God did not spare the natural branches, the Jews, but rejected them as a people, thus turning to the Gentiles and grafting them in, then we should not be arrogant about this. Instead, we should consider our position as God’s chosen ones with reverential fear knowing that God is just as able to reject the Gentiles and turn back to the Jews.

In fact, I believe that this is exactly what God is going to do. If you study Daniel 9:25-29 you will learn about the 70 weeks of years that God has decreed for the Jews. The first 69 weeks cover the time from the decree to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem up to the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. Between the 69th and 70th weeks, however, there is a pause, which is where God turns to the Gentiles. This is the church age that we are living in right now. Just before the 70th week begins, God will rapture the church, removing them from the earth, and will once again deal with the Jews. This ushers in Daniel’s 70th week, the seven year period called The Tribulation.

During this seven year period, God’s focus will once again be on the Jews, not the Gentiles. In other words, during the tribulation God will reject the Gentile world. That is, He will break them off as branches. At the same time, he will deal directly with the Jewish nation once more, a remnant of them will believe, and He will graft them back into the holy root stock.

Application

God does as He pleases, not as we want Him to do. We need to be humble and in awe of Him. He is Almighty God and we are but His chosen children. Give Him thanks and praise!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

Romans 11:14 – It May be a Way

Posted on by Will

Romans 11:14 – It May be a Way

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

Truth to Learn

Preaching the Gospel message may evoke an emotional response in others, but it also might provoke them to salvation.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “if” is the Greek word ei, which is a conditional conjunction. That is, it ties two thoughts together (conjunction) with a relationship that is not definite but conditional. It is most often translated as “if,” but in cases like this it can be translated idiomatically.

“By any means” is from a single Greek word, pōs. This is an interrogative adverb. As such, it usually forms a question, like “how?” “in what manner?” “by what means?” or “is there a way?” Context and usage, however, sometimes indicate that this is not being used to form a question, but a statement.

The context here does not indicate that Paul is asking a question. Therefore, we could combine the conceptual ideas of these two words, ei and pōs, and paraphrase this verse as, “because it may be a way for me to provoke those who are my flesh to jealousy.”

Meaning Explained

This is one of those verses which sounds so awkward in English that it is difficult to understand exactly what Paul is saying. In order to understand this better we can temporarily take out the parenthetical expression from the previous verse and then put these two verses together, paraphrasing the first part of the current verse. Then we would have,

For I speak to you because it may be a way that I might provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.

Paul has said that he considers his calling to be the Apostle to the Gentiles as an honor and a great responsibility. One of the reasons that he is so determined to carry it out to the fullest is because it might also provoke some of his fellow Jews to jealousy and they might, through this jealousy, seek the truth of Christ and become saved themselves.

Paul had been accused by his fellow Jews of deserting his brothers in the flesh and of defecting to “the other side.” In defense of his actions, Paul started out chapter ten of this letter with:

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)

He then opened up the current chapter proclaiming that God has not completely turned away from the Jews. And in defense of that, he reminds everyone that he is a Jew himself.

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1)

He is now showing that God has not deserted the Jewish people, and he believes that he may be a channel of God’s salvation even to the Jewish people by preaching the gospel message to us Gentiles.

Application

You may not have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but that doesn’t release you from the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel message. Oh, that we all cared as much as Paul about proclaiming the message of salvation to the unsaved!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: