Tag: eleutheros

Romans 8:21 – Curse Begone

Posted on by Will

Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption unto the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Truth to Learn

The curse on God’s creation will be lifted when we are glorified as the children of God.

 

Behind the Words

“Delivered” is translated from eleutheroō, which is the verb form of the noun eleutheros, meaning “free to move about, unrestrained, or independent.”

The word “corruption” is from phthora, which refers to “decay” or “spoiling.”

“Into” is from the Greek word eis. This preposition is most often translated “into” but it can have a lot of nuance translations as well. When this word is used in relation to time, it can be translated as “unto” or as “in expectation of.” This is very likely the use of the word in today’s verse.

 

Meaning Explained

We recently learned that the whole of creation was placed in a state or condition where it is not fully useful; it is perishable, and it is decaying. We also learned that God subjected creation in hope. This hope is explained in today’s verse.

Paul tells us that the reason creation was subjected “in hope” is because creation will be set free from this bondage of decay at the glorious freedom of the children of God. In other words, when God completes the final judgment and we who are saved are all given our eternal bodies, all of creation will also be freed from the bondage of corruption and it will be re-created. Here’s how the Apostle John described it in the book of Revelation:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." (Revelation 21:1-5a)

I am eagerly looking forward to that day when all sin and all sinners will have been judged and the current heavens and earth are no more, when the new heavens and the new earth have been created and we will spend eternity in peace and joy (in Matthew 25:21, 23 it’s called the joy of the Lord). There, in God’s new creation which will have been freed from the bondage of decay, we will be serving and praising God eternally, for He is worthy!

 

Application

When you see corruption and decay all around, don’t despair. Some day in the not too distant future God will give His children glorified bodies, and He will recreate the heavens and earth as a perfect place for us to serve Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 6:20 – Our Old Master

Posted on by Will

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we could not pursue righteousness.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “free” is the Greek word eleutheros. We looked at the verb form of this word in verse 18. In the current verse it is the noun form, which means “one who is capable of movement;” in other words, one who is independent or unrestrained.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse is short and is a restatement of what Paul has been saying repeatedly in different ways for most of this chapter. Before we were saved, we were in slavery to our sin nature. We had no choice but to sin because our sin nature owned us; therefore, we had no choice but to obey our sinful impulses.

One of the things Paul has been pointing out is that there is no gray area when it comes to who our master is. It is either sin or righteousness. We can’t be part way in between. While we were the slaves of sin, we were free ones with regard to righteousness, not under its control. That is, righteousness could not influence us because we were owned by sin.

The argument that Paul has been making all along is that since we are no longer slaves to sin, that is, sin does not own us nor control us, we should be in subjection to our new master, righteousness. Unfortunately for us, though, is the fact that we have a choice as to whom we submit and old habits are hard to break. Now that we are freed from sin, we should gladly obey our new master, righteousness. But we seem to fight our new master far more than we did our former master. It’s easier to be lazy and submit to our sin nature than to put the effort into obeying righteousness.

But, and this is Paul’s point, we have no right to continue in our lazy obedience to sin because we have a new master who wants us to turn from our old ways and commit ourselves to Him. We have a responsibility to obey righteousness, not just because it would be polite, but because that’s what our Master wants us to do, and we are under obligation to obey Him.

Did you ever wonder why the world seems to be getting more sinful and wicked with each passing year? It’s because those who are of the world are slaves to sin and are constrained to obey their master. As a result, sin continues unchecked, growing stronger and more pervasive with each passing day.

But consider this, in heaven we will not have a sin nature and we will obey righteousness perfectly. We will not have to fight our tendency to sin. That’s part of what will make heaven so rewarding. We will always do what is right and our actions will always be pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

But we’re not there yet. We still have our sin nature. So, to boil it down to the essence of what Paul is teaching here, we are to submit to our new Master and commit to doing His will. Instead, we constantly try to break free from righteousness so we can “do our own thing,” which is called sin.

 

Application

The laziest thing for a Christian to do is to just sit back and skate through life. But, now that we have the ability to obey righteousness, we also have the obligation to obey righteousness. Let’s commit right now to resisting our old master and submitting ourselves to our new Master.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 2:16 – Free to Submit

Posted on by Will

as free, yet not having freedom as a cloak of evil, but as bondservants of God.

Truth to Learn

We are free from the penalty of sin, but we are God’s servants.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “free” is eleutheros, meaning “unrestrained” or “able to move about freely.” It is used primarily in reference to a person who is not a slave (not owned by anyone) but free to go where he pleases. It is expressed here in the nominative case, which ties it back to the word translated “submit” is verse 13.

“Having” is translated from a form of echō, meaning “to possess” or “to hold.”

The word “cloak” is translated from epikaluma, which is made up of epi, meaning “on” or “over” and a form of kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” Hence, it means “that which covers over.”

“Evil” is translated from kakia, which means “badness” or “that which is evil.”

The word “bondservants” is translated from doulos, which refers to “a slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another.”

 

Meaning Explained

Peter now touches briefly on a subject that was the root of one of the earliest heresies of the church and which is still misunderstood today. That heresy was called antinomianism, which literally means “no law-ism.” Some in the early church believed that since we have been set free from the penalty of sin, we can live however we want, since all of our sins have been forgiven. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we are free from the law of commandments contained in ordinances and free from sin, this is true. Being free from sin does not mean that we are free from all laws (as Peter just pointed out) nor does it mean that we are free to sin.

To be a free man and not a slave (or servant) in the first century was a very privileged position. It meant, as the word eleotheros implies, that one was free to come and go as one pleased. Peter’s use of this word, however, is in reference to the bondage of the Law of Moses. Many of the early converts to Christianity were former Jews who were bound heavily by the Law and who have now been set free from that as well. Peter is warning that this freedom is not to be used as an excuse to do evil things.

According to Greek grammar, the word “free” (literally, free ones) is tied back to the word “submit” in verse thirteen. So, what Peter is telling his readers is that Christians are to voluntarily submit to the civil authorities even though we have freedom in Christ. We are not to use that freedom to resist authority or to do evil deeds. Instead, we are to do good deeds in submission to the authorities over us, because our freedom from the penalty of sin also means that we are permanent slaves of God.

 

Application

Our Christian lives are not to be characterized by “being free to live like the Devil,” rather they are to be characterized by voluntarily subjecting (submitting) ourselves and our will to the one who purchased this freedom for us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 6:20 – Our Old Master

Posted on by Will

Romans 6:20

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we could not pursue righteousness.

Behind the Words

The word translated “free” is the Greek word eleutheros. We looked at the verb form of this word in verse 18. In the current verse it is the noun form, which means “one who is capable of movement;” in other words, one who is independent or unrestrained.

Meaning Explained

This verse is short and is a restatement of what Paul has been saying repeatedly in different ways for most of this chapter. Before we were saved, we were in slavery to our sin nature. We had no choice but to sin because our sin nature owned us; therefore, we had no choice but to obey our sinful impulses.

One of the things Paul has been pointing out is that there is no gray area when it comes to who our master is. It is either sin or righteousness. We can’t be part way in between. While we were the slaves of sin, we were free ones with regard to righteousness, not under its control. That is, righteousness could not influence us because we were owned by sin.

The argument that Paul has been making all along is that since we are no longer slaves to sin, that is, sin does not own us nor control us, we should be in subjection to our new master, righteousness. Unfortunately for us, though, is the fact that we have a choice as to whom we submit and old habits are hard to break. Now that we are freed from sin, we should gladly obey our new master, righteousness. But we seem to fight our new master far more than we did our former master. It’s easier to be lazy and submit to our sin nature than to put the effort into obeying righteousness.

But, and this is Paul’s point, we have no right to continue in our lazy obedience to sin because we have a new master who wants us to turn from our old ways and commit ourselves to Him. We have a responsibility to obey righteousness, not just because it would be polite, but because that’s what our Master wants us to do, and we are under obligation to obey Him.

Did you ever wonder why the world seems to be getting more sinful and wicked with each passing year? It’s because those who are of the world are slaves to sin and are constrained to obey their master. As a result, sin continues unchecked, growing stronger and more pervasive with each passing day.

But consider this, in heaven we will not have a sin nature and we will obey righteousness perfectly. We will not have to fight our tendency to sin. That’s part of what will make heaven so rewarding. We will always do what is right and our actions will always be pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

But we’re not there yet. We still have our sin nature. So, to boil it down to the essence of what Paul is teaching here, we are to submit to our new Master and commit to doing His will. Instead, we constantly try to break free from righteousness so we can “do our own thing,” which is called sin.

Application

The laziest thing for a Christian to do is to just sit back and skate through life. But, now that we have the ability to obey righteousness, we also have the obligation to obey righteousness. Let’s commit right now to resisting our old master and submitting ourselves to our new Master.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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