Tag: energeia

2 Thessalonians 2:11 – Hardened Hearts

Posted on by Will

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, so they will believe the lie,

Truth to Learn

Hardening one’s heart toward God is never a good idea.

 

Behind the Words

The expression “for this reason” is translated from the Greek words dia touto, which literally mean “through this.”

“Will send” is from pempō, meaning “to dispatch” or “to send.” It is expressed here in the present tense, indicating current action. However, this may be seen as a “prophetic present tense” in which the action is spoken of as current with regard to the future events (when the antichrist is revealed). For this reason, most translations express this as a future tense.

Energeia is the word translated “strong.” It is composed of en, meaning “in” and ergon, meaning “work.” Thus, energeia refers literally to something that is engaged in work. In other words it means “working” or “energizing.”

“Delusion” is from planē, which means “a wandering out of the right way” or “a straying from what is right.” Objectively, it refers to that which is a fraud, a deception, or a delusion.

The word translated “lie” is pseudos, of which we saw another form in verse nine. It refers to something that is not truthful. Some translations say “a lie” but the definite article is included in the text, so the proper translation is “the lie.”

 

Meaning Explained

Because this verse starts off with “for this reason,” we have to determine what it is referring to. It is a reference to “…because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” It is because the earth dwellers, living at the time when the lawless one is revealed, refuse to believe God’s truth that God will send them an “energized deception.”

This immediately brings to mind what happened to the Pharaoh of Egypt when Moses delivered God’s demand that he let the children of Israel leave Egypt. Reading Exodus chapters seven through ten we see a progression of “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard” (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:9, 32) to Pharaoh hardened his heart,” (Exodus 8:15; 9:12, 34, 35) to the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27). Initially it was Pharaoh’s own sinful nature that caused his heart to become hardened against God. Then Pharaoh consciously hardened his own heart against God. Finally, in an act of judgment against him, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Even today, many people have a hardened heart toward God and the gospel message. In the last days the earth dwellers will have consciously hardened their own hearts against God, “refusing to receive the love of the truth.” Finally, God will send such energized deception on the part of the antichrist that they will not be able to believe the truth but will believe the lie conveyed to them. Paul vividly describes this progression in his letter to the Christians in Rome (Romans 1:18-32).

So what is this lie? Perhaps it began with Satan’s message to Eve, “and you will be like God.” In today’s secular humanism it is believed that we are our own god. In the final days, there will be one who deceptively “proves” himself to be God.

 

Application

Refusing to listen to God’s truth can have terrible consequences. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean it can't happen to you. Remember what happened to Jonah?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:9 – Counterfeit Miracles

Posted on by Will

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Truth to Learn

Miracles do not prove that someone is “from God.”

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “coming” is parousia, the same word used in the previous verse in reference to Christ’s second coming.

“According” is translated from kata, which primarily means “down” or “down upon.” However, it is used metaphorically to express a relationship of one thing to another.” In other words, it means “in accordance with,” and in such a case is translated as “according to.”

“Working” is from the Greek noun energeia. It is made up of en, meaning “in” and ergon, meaning “work” or “power.” Therefore, energeia refers to the “operation” or “effective power” of something.

The word “Satan” is transliterated from the Hebrew word sātān, which means “an adversary.” As such, it has become the proper name or our adversary.

The words “signs” and “wonders” are from the Greek words sēmeion and teras. These two words both refer to miraculous events, but teras (wonders) refers to the extraordinary character of the event whereas sēmeion refers to the spiritual significance of the event.

“Lying” is translated from the Greek word pseudon, meaning “a lie” or “a falsehood,” that which is not based on the truth.

The words “of the lawless one” do not appear in the Greek text, but have been added for clarity. A literal translation of the Greek text for this verse begins, “whose coming is according to …” From the grammatical construction of this and the previous verse it is clear that this verse is talking about “the lawless one” mentioned in the previous verse.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul talked about the revealing of the “lawless one” and parenthetically commented on how he will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ. In typical Pauline fashion, he now contrasts the coming of our Lord and the coming (or appearing) of the antichrist. The antichrist will come on the scene accompanied by miraculous events. These events will display power, signs, and wonders. According to Jesus, these will prove to be a very powerful deception:

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)

According to Revelation 13:1-18, these miraculous signs and wonders (even calling fire down from heaven) will so convince the “earth dwellers” that the “lawless one” is a god, that these people will worship him as a god and even receive his mark on their hand or forehead.

It is important to note here that not all miracles are of God. The devil and his agents can, do, and will perform supernatural acts that will deceive many.

 

Application

Do not be deceived, my Christian friends, by people performing miraculous feats, even doing so in the name of God. If what these people proclaim is not in complete agreement with God’s Word, do not believe them! Read your Bible; search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:10).

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 3:7 – Humble Building Block

Posted on by Will

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me according to the working of His power.

Truth to Learn

God places each of us in the temple of God and gives us the gifts we need to perform the function He has placed us into.

 

Behind the Words

“Minister” is translated from the Greek noun diakonos, from which we get our English word “deacon.” The Greek word is probably derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run an errand.” Technically, diakonos refers to “an attendant,” “an errand boy,” “someone who waits on tables” or “someone who performs menial duties.” In the New Testament, deacons are seen as those who help or serve the elders and bishops.

The word “gift” is from dōrea, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, dōrea refers to “that which is gratuitously given” or “a gift.”

“Working” is translated from energeia. This is the word from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “the energetic work, active work, or effective work.”

“Power” is from dunamis, which refers to “ability or power.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse starts with “of which,” so we need to determine specifically what this is referring to. The previous verse ended with, “and fellow partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” Thus, we see that “of which” refers to the gospel, or good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this verse, Paul tells us that he became an errand boy of the gospel as a gift of grace from God. In our Christian churches today there is much confusion over the titles minister, preacher, pastor, elder, and bishop. Thus, these words are often used interchangeably. However, in the Greek language they are significantly different words. The Greek word most often translated preacher is a form of the word kērussō meaning “to proclaim.” And the word most often translated elder is presbuteros meaning “an older man,” while the word most often translated bishop is episkopos, meaning “an overseer.” In the New Testament these three words describe different functions of the senior pastor of a local church. It’s interesting that Paul did not use any of these three words to describe himself in today’s verse; instead, he calls himself “a minister;” that is, “an errand boy” of the gospel.

This is a characteristic which seems to be common in the apostolic writings. Even though these men were called to an extremely important office in the building of the church (remember, they’re part of the foundation of the building), they often refer to themselves as servants, slaves, or errand boys of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul recognizes that he didn’t put himself into the position he has in the temple of God. God is the one who places each stone. God is the one who places each one of us in the temple. And God gives us the gifts and abilities we need to perform that functions assigned to us in accordance with His will.

 

Application

In the temple of God, the body of Christ, there is no place for pride or arrogance. No matter what function we are performing within the body, we have no reason to consider ourselves any better than anyone else. In fact, we should not be comparing ourselves with each other. We should be comparing ourselves with Christ, and compared to Him, the best we can hope to be is a faithful servant or errand boy. What are you in the temple of God, and are you performing your assigned duties?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:20 – Power In Action

Posted on by Will

 

Behind the Words

“Worked” is translated from the same word as “working” in the previous verse. It is the word energeia. It refers to “active power” or “power in action.” Here it is expressed in the aorist tense indicating past action completed at a point in time (not a process, but a single action).

The word “raised” is from the Greek verb egeirō, meaning “to rise up” as one would rise from a sleeping position to a standing position. It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having raised Him.”

“From the dead” is translated from ek nekrōn. The preposition ek means “out of” or “out from.” The noun nekrōn is a plural form of nekros, meaning “someone who is dead.” So, ek nekrōn literally means “out from the dead ones.”

The word translated “seated” is kathidzō. This is made up of kata, meaning “down” and hidzō, meaning “to sit.” It too is expressed as an aorist participle, thus, it means “sat him down.”

“Right hand” is the translation of the word dexios, meaning “the right side” or “the right hand.” The latter meaning is used when it is expressed as a feminine adjective, as it is here.

“Heavenly places” is from epouranios, which is another compound word made up of epi, meaning “on, over, or in” and ouranos, meaning “heaven.” Therefore, epouranios means “in the heavenly places” or “in the heavenly realm.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul talked about the working of God’s incredibly great and mighty power. In today’s verse he tells a little more about that power. He says that this power was worked in Christ. Remember, the word “worked” refers to power in action. In physics there are two types of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy does not produce any results because it is inactive. It is like snow on a high mountain. It has the potential to produce energy, but it doesn’t. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is energy in action. It is like melted snow that forms a river. As it rushes downhill, it produces energy. That’s kinetic energy, energy in action.

Our God is like that too. He has tremendous potential power, but He also has power in action. It is this power in action that He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead. The same power that created human life in the first place also gave life back to the body of Jesus Christ. Now notice something very significant. After God the Father raised Christ from the dead, He seated him at His right hand in the heavenlies. If you read through the book of Revelation you will encounter several descriptions of the throne room of God in Heaven. The only ones who are depicted as sitting in God’s presence are God Himself and the twenty-four elders (representing all Christians). Only those with the righteousness of Christ are allowed to sit in God’s presence. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, not only was He seated, but He was seated in the most honorable position, at the right hand of the Father.

 

Application

God demonstrated His mighty power in raising Christ from the dead so that you, too, might be raised from the dead one day and be seated in the presence of God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:19 – Incredible Mighty Power!

Posted on by Will

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Truth to Learn

God has already demonstrated how valuable we are to Him.

 

Behind the Words

“Exceeding” is from the Greek verb huperballō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning “above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus huperballō literally means “to throw beyond;” that is, “to go beyond” or “to exceed.”

The word “greatness” is from megethos, which means “magnitude” or, as in this verse, “greatness.”

The word translated “power” is dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite). This word refers specifically to having the capability or authority to do something. So “power” is a good translation it as it is used here.

“Believe” is from pisteuō, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth” or “to believe.”

The word “working” is translated from energeia (from which we get our English word energy). It refers to “active power” or “power in action.”

“Mighty” is from kratos, which refers to “demonstrated power,” that is, “vigor or might.”

Finally, the word “power” is from ischus. This is made up of is, meaning “strength” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, ischus refers to someone “having strength.”

 

Meaning Explained

First of all, notice how many words Paul used in this one verse to express God’s strength and power. Each of these words can have a number of subtle nuances that produce very similar meanings. It is as if Paul is trying to use every word he can think of to describe the exceeding greatness and magnitude of God’s almighty power at work.

One of the difficulties in understanding the Apostle Paul is the fact that he writes such lengthy, complex sentences. This particular sentence takes up seven verses and it contains almost 140 words! He started out this thought in verse fifteen by expressing his thanks for the growing faith and demonstrated love of the Christians in the church in Ephesus. Then he expresses the content of his prayers for these believers and, by extension, for all Christians. He prayed that the Father would have the Holy Spirit impart wisdom and reveal truths to us. The first of these truths is that we might understand the hope and assurance we have in God’s inviting us to have eternal life. The second truth is the magnificence of the inheritance that Jesus will receive from the Father. We, the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, are that marvelous inheritance.

In the current verse Paul tells us about the third truth which he prays will be revealed to us. It is the incredible greatness of God’s active and demonstrated power, which is mighty in strength. The greatest part is that His powerful strength is displayed toward us, we who believe in Jesus Christ.

 

Application

Listen, God has demonstrated His incredible power for your sake because He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you. Yes, you! You are incredibly valuable to Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:11 – Hardened Hearts

Posted on by Will

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

Truth to Learn

Hardening one’s heart toward God is never a good idea.

Behind the Words

The expression “for this reason” is translated from the Greek words dia touto, which literally mean “through this.”

“Will send” is from pempō, meaning “to dispatch” or “to send.” It is expressed here in the present tense, indicating current action. However, this may be seen as a “prophetic present tense” in which the action is spoken of as current with regard to the future events (when the antichrist is revealed). For this reason, most translations express this as a future tense.

Energeia is the word translated “strong.” It is composed of en, meaning “in” and ergon, meaning “work.” Thus, energeia refers literally to something that is engaged in work. In other words it means “working” or “energizing.”

“Delusion” is from planē, which means “a wandering out of the right way” or “a straying from what is right.” Objectively, it refers to that which is a fraud, a deception, or a delusion.

The word translated “lie” is pseudos, of which we saw another form in verse nine. It refers to something that is not truthful. Some translations say “a lie” but the definite article is included in the text, so the proper translation is “the lie.”

Meaning Explained

Because this verse starts off with “for this reason,” we have to determine what it is referring to. It is a reference to “because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” It is because the earth dwellers, living at the time when the lawless one is revealed, refuse to believe God’s truth that God will send them an “energized deception.”

This immediately brings to mind what happened to the Pharaoh of Egypt when Moses delivered God’s demand that he let the children of Israel leave Egypt. Reading Exodus chapters seven through ten we see a progression of “Pharaoh’s heart grew hard” (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:9, 32) to Pharaoh hardened his heart,” (Exodus 8:15; 9:12, 34, 35) to the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27). Initially it was Pharaoh’s own sinful nature that caused his heart to become hardened against God. Then Pharaoh consciously hardened his own heart against God. Finally, in an act of judgment against him, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Even today, many people have a hardened heart toward God and the gospel message. In the last days the earth dwellers will have consciously hardened their own hearts against God, “refusing to receive the love of the truth.” Finally, God will send such energized deception on the part of the antichrist that they will not be able to believe the truth but will believe the lie conveyed to them. Paul vividly describes this progression in his letter to the Christians in Rome (Romans 1:18-32).

So what is this lie? Perhaps it began with Satan’s message to Eve, “and you will be like God.” In today’s secular humanism it is believed that we are our own god. In the final days, there will be one who deceptively “proves” himself to be God.

Application

Refusing to listen to God’s truth can have terrible consequences. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean it can't happen to you. Remember what happened to Jonah?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 3:7 – Humble Building Block

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 3:7  – Humble Building Block

of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Truth to Learn

God places each of us in the temple of God and gives us the gifts we need to perform the function He has placed us into.

Behind the Words

“Minister” is translated from the Greek noun diakonos, from which we get our English word “deacon.” The Greek word is probably derived from the verb diakō, meaning “to run an errand.” Technically, diakonos refers to “an attendant,” “an errand boy,” “someone who waits on tables” or “someone who performs menial duties.” In the New Testament, deacons are seen as those who help or serve the elders and bishops.

The word “gift” is from dōrea, which is derived from the verb didōmi, meaning “to give.” Thus, dōrea refers to “that which is gratuitously given” or “a gift.”

“Effective” is translated from energeia. This is the word from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “the energetic, active, or effective work.”

“Power” is from dunamis, which refers to “ability or power.”

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse, Paul tells us that he became an errand boy of the gospel as a gift of grace from God. In our Christian churches today there is much confusion over the titles minister, preacher, pastor, elder, and bishop. Thus, these words are often used interchangeably. However, in the Greek language they are significantly different words. The Greek word most often translated preacher is a form of the word kērussō meaning “to proclaim.” And the word most often translated elder is presbuteros meaning “an older man,” while the word most often translated bishop is episkopos, meaning “an overseer.” In the New Testament these three words describe different functions of the senior pastor of a local church. It’s interesting that Paul did not use any of these three words to describe himself in today’s verse; instead, he calls himself “a minister;” that is, “an errand boy” of the gospel.

This is a characteristic which seems to be common in the apostolic writings. Even though these men were called to an extremely important office in the building of the church (remember, they’re part of the foundation of the building), they often refer to themselves as servants, slaves, or errand boys of the Gospel of Christ.

Paul recognizes that he didn’t put himself into the position he has in the temple of God. God is the one who places each stone. God is the one who places each one of us in the temple. And God gives us the gifts and abilities we need to perform that function in accordance with His will.

Application

In the temple of God there is no place for pride or arrogance. No matter what function we are performing within the temple, we have no reason to consider ourselves any better than anyone else. In fact, we should not be comparing ourselves with each other. We should be comparing ourselves with Christ, and compared to Him, the best we can hope to be is a faithful servant or errand boy. What are you in the temple of God?

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:

Ephesians 1:20 – Power In Action

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:20  – Power In Action

which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Truth to Learn

God demonstrated His power to the world for your sake.

Behind the Words

“Worked” is translated from the same word as “working” in the previous verse. It is the word energeia. Here it is expressed in the aorist tense indicating past action completed at a point in time (not a process, but a single action).

The word “raised” is from the Greek verb egeirō, meaning “to rise up” as one would rise from a sleeping position to a standing position. It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having raised Him.”

“From the dead” is translated from ek nekrōn. The preposition ek means “out of” or “out from.” The noun nekrōn is a plural form of nekros, meaning “someone who is dead.” So, ek nekrōn literally means “out from the dead ones.”

The word translated “seated” is kathidzō. This is made up of kata, meaning “down” and hidzō, meaning “to sit.” Thus, kathidzō means “to cause to sit down.”

“Right hand” is the translation of the word dexios, meaning “the right side” or “the right hand.” The latter meaning is used when it is expressed as a feminine adjective, as it is here.

“Heavenly places” is from epouranios, which is another compound word made up of epi, meaning “on, over, or in” and ouranos, meaning “heaven.” Therefore, epouranios means “in the heavenly places” or “in the heavenly realm.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul talked about the working of God’s incredibly great and mighty power. In today’s verse he tells a little more about that power. He says that this power was worked in Christ. Remember, the word “worked” refers to power in action. In physics there are two types of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy does not produce any results because it is inactive. It is like snow on a high mountain. It has the potential to produce energy, but it doesn’t. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is energy in action. It is like melted snow that forms a river. As it rushes downhill, it produces energy. That’s kinetic energy, energy in action.

Our God is like that too. He has tremendous potential power, but He also has power in action. It is this power in action that He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead. The same power that created human life in the first place also gave life back to the body of Jesus Christ. Now notice something very significant. After God the Father raised Christ from the dead, He seated him at His right hand in the heavenlies. If you read through the book of Revelation you will encounter several descriptions of the throne room of God in Heaven. The only ones who are depicted as sitting in God’s presence are God Himself and the twenty-four elders (representing all Christians). Only those with the righteousness of Christ are allowed to sit in God’s presence. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, not only was He seated, but He was seated in the most honorable position, at the right hand of the Father.

Application

God demonstrated His mighty power in raising Christ from the dead so that you, too, might be raised from the dead one day and be seated in the presence of God!

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:

Ephesians 1:19 – Incredible Mighty Power!

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:19  – Incredible Mighty Power!

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Truth to Learn

God has already demonstrated how valuable we are to Him.

Behind the Words

“Exceeding” is from the Greek verb huperballō, which is made up of huper (hyper), meaning “above” or “beyond” and ballō, meaning “to throw.” Thus huperballō literally means “to throw beyond;” that is, “to go beyond” or “to exceed.”

The word “greatness” is from megethos, which means “magnitude” or, as in this verse, “greatness.”

The word translated “power” is dunamis (from which we get our English word dynamite). This word refers specifically to having the capability or authority to do something. So “power” is a good translation it as it is used here.

“Believe” is from pisteuō, which we saw back in verse thirteen. It means “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth” or “to believe.”

The word “working” is translated from energeia (from which we get our English word energy). It refers to “active power” or “power in action.”

“Mighty” is from kratos, which refers to “demonstrated power,” that is, “vigor or might.”

Finally, the word “power” is from ischus. This is made up of is, meaning “strength” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, ischus refers to someone “having strength.”

Meaning Explained

First of all, notice how many words Paul used in this one verse to express God’s strength and power. Each of these words can have a number of subtle nuances that produce very similar meanings. It is as if Paul is trying to use every word he can think of to describe the exceeding greatness and magnitude of God’s almighty power at work.

One of the difficulties in understanding the Apostle Paul is the fact that he writes such lengthy, complex sentences. This particular sentence takes up seven verses and it contains almost 140 words! He started out this thought in verse fifteen by expressing his thanks for the growing faith and demonstrated love of the Christians in the church in Ephesus. Then he expresses the content of his prayers for these believers and, by extension, for all Christians. He prayed that the Father would have the Holy Spirit impart wisdom and reveal truths to us. The first of these truths is that we might understand the hope and assurance we have in God’s inviting us to have eternal life. The second truth is the magnificence of the inheritance that Jesus will receive from the Father. We, the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, are that marvelous inheritance.

In the current verse Paul tells us about the third truth which he prays will be revealed to us. It is the incredible greatness of God’s active and demonstrated power, which is mighty in strength. The greatest part is that His powerful strength is displayed toward us, we who believe in Jesus Christ.

Application

Listen, God has demonstrated His incredible power for your sake because He loves you and wants to spend eternity with you. Yes, you! You are incredibly valuable to Him!

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: