Tag: engidzo

Romans 13:12 – Prepare for Battle!

Posted on by Will

The night is nearly over, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light.

Truth to Learn

Wake up! Prepare for battle! Our Lord is coming soon!

 

Behind the Words

The words “is nearly over” are from the verb prokoptō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before” or “forward” and koptō, which means “to cut, strike, or impel.” Thus, the root meaning of prokoptō is “to drive forward.” Figuratively, with regard to time, it means that it is “advanced, nearly used up, or well along.”

“Is at hand” is translated from the verb engidzō, based on the noun engus (which we saw in the previous verse), meaning “near.” Hence, engidzō means “to come near” or “to approach.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, which in Greek implies a completed past action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect. So, Paul is saying that the day has already drawn near and now is very near.

“Lay aside” is from the Greek verb apotithēmi, made up of apo, meaning “away” and tithēmi, meaning “to lay something down.” Thus, apotithēmi means “to lay something aside.”

The word translated “darkness” is skotos, which is based on the word skia, meaning “a shadow” or “shade.” Skotos literally means something shady or something dark.

The Greek word translated “put on” is enduō, which means “to sink into” or “to put ourselves into.” It is expressed in the middle voice which means that it is something that we must do to ourselves; it is not something that someone else can do for us.

The word “weapons” is hoplon, which refers to “instruments, or tools, or weapons of warfare.”

 

Meaning Explained

At nighttime we all sleep. While we are asleep, we are unaware of what is going on around us. We are in a dream world where nothing is real. But when we wake up, we see reality and we have to face up to it. Many of us get up before it is daylight. We do so because we know that the daylight is coming. If we were to wait for the daylight before rousing ourselves, we would be late. If we lay in bed when it is time to get up, we often fall back asleep.

This is precisely the picture that Paul is painting for us in the previous verse and the current one. The time of the return of Christ is close at hand. It is almost morning. We need to wake up and get to work. Paul tells us that we are to lay aside all of our works that are shady or those which spring from darkness, (a metonym for sinful).

Instead of doing those things that are wrong, instead of doing things that are even a little bit shady, Paul tells us to “lay them aside and put on the weapons of light.” Some translations have this as “the armour of light.” On the surface, this may sound like a defensive posture, but as we saw in “Behind the Words,” this refers to our tools of warfare against the powers of darkness. We are in a constant spiritual battle with our adversary and we need to be on the offensive, spreading the word of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be witnessing and we need to be building up and encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

Application

In case you don’t realize it, these verses represent God’s alarm clock and it just went off! It’s time to leave our dream world and prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, let’s get up, let’s arm ourselves for the spiritual battle ahead, and let’s get to work! Our Lord is coming soon!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 4:7 – End-Time Actions

Posted on by Will

But the end of all things is near; therefore be clear minded and self-controlled unto prayers.

Truth to Learn

The end is very near, so be serious about what you do and how you pray.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “end” is telos, which is derived from the verb tellō, meaning “to set out for the goal or target.” Hence, telos refers to “the goal, the end, or the completion.”

“Is near” is from the Greek verb engidzō, which means “to approach or to make near.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, but the emphasis is on the effect. Hence, it means that the end has approached and, therefore, is now close at hand.

 

Meaning Explained

There is some disagreement as to what Peter means by “the end is very near.” There are three predominant views. The first is that Peter is referring to the end of the Jewish temple worship in Jerusalem. In Peter’s mind, as in the minds of many early church believers, Christianity was simply an extension of the Jewish belief system. At the time of the writing of this epistle (around 65 AD), the Roman government was increasingly displeased with the Jewish resistance to Roman rule. As it turns out, not many years after the publication of this letter, the Jewish temple along with much of the city of Jerusalem was, in fact, destroyed by the Romans.

The second interpretation of this phrase is that it refers to the coming of the Messiah to judge the nations. It was the belief of the early church that the return of Christ was not a distant future event, rather something that could occur at any time.

The third interpretation is that Peter simply means the end of earthly life for the suffering believers to whom he is writing. This interpretation seems to lend itself to the subject matter that Peter has been talking about in the previous verses; although, any of the interpretations could be valid.

However you interpret the opening phrase of this verse, the message from Peter is that since time is running short we need to take some specific action. There is something sobering about believing the end is near that causes us to take stock of our lives, knowing how quickly life can end.

Peter is telling us to take stock now, since time is short. Be sober minded and let our sober attitude result in prayers. We Christians have a hope that the world doesn’t understand. We know that existence doesn’t end when we die. In fact, for a Christian, that is when it really begins. What we have here on this earth is simply the preliminary part of our lives when we will determine how the eternal part is spent.

Life on this earth is short; it can end quickly, and Jesus Christ could return at any moment. All the prophetic events that precede His return have occurred with the exception of the rapture of His church. Let us not waste our last remaining days on this earth with frivolous activities. Instead, let us be sober minded and spend our time in watchful prayer, especially for those who have not yet received the gift of salvation.

 

Application

The end is near! Therefore, let us watch… and pray… and witness, with our lives as well as our mouths!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 5:8 – Patiently Waiting

Posted on by Will

You also be patient. Set your hearts firmly, for the coming of the Lord has drawn near.

Truth to Learn

Patience, firmly rooted in faith, will serve us well as we anticipate the soon return of our Lord.

 

Behind the Words

The word “patient” is from makrothumeō, which, as we saw previously, means “to exercise understanding and patience towards other persons, especially those who are oppressive.”

“Set … firmly” is translated from stēridzō, which means “to firmly set in place.” The reference to our heart is a reference to our conviction, or faith. A faint hearted person has little faith or conviction to rely on, but one who has a heart that is firmly set in place is someone who has a strengthened, resolute conviction and he or she rests on this firm faith.

The phrase “has drawn near” is from engidzō, meaning “to draw near.” This verb is expressed in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect. Hence, James is saying that the coming of the Lord has already drawn near and is, therefore, near at hand now.

 

Meaning Explained

Just as the farmer has learned to be long suffering (to persevere patiently) we need to persevere patiently when God places us in situations where we need to wait on Him. In those times when we are tempted to say, “God, why are you letting these things happen to me?” we need to be patient and realize that He is in control. We need to strengthen our conviction that God really does love us and wants the best for us.

How often do we consider being dependent on others as a weakness! We seem to think that being independent and self-sufficient is the answer to all of life’s problems. That’s why we work so hard at our jobs, saving up enough to carry us through into retirement. We hoard up goods toward the last days. Yet, the successful Christian (one who is full of peace and joy) is one who has learned to be totally dependent on God and to wait patiently for His timing on all things. It is when we do our own thing and stray from the path that God has lain out before us that we get ourselves into sin and separate ourselves from the fellowship of the Almighty Creator.

James now reminds us that the Lord is coming very soon. When Christ was asked by his disciples what would be the sign of His coming and when it would happen, He gave them a detailed description of the events of the Great Tribulation. At the end of this description, our Lord described His return thus:

Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory, and these things beginning to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. (Luke 21:27, 28)

When we get discouraged, we tend to look down and feel sorry for ourselves. Instead, we should be looking up, anticipating His return at any moment.

 

Application

Let us remember, once again, that the key to success as a Christian is not to work harder and trust in our own abilities, but to submit to God and commit to His ways! Work hard at serving Him when and where He calls you. God will take care of everything else!

Lift up your eyes, because the coming of the Lord is very near. It could even be today!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:8 – A Heavenly Hug

Posted on by Will

Come near to God and He will come near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded ones.

Truth to Learn

We need to work on becoming closer to, and more intimate with, God.

Behind the Words

The verb translated “come near” is engidzō, which means “to approach” or “to come near.” It is derived from the word engus, which has as its root the primary verb agchō, meaning “to squeeze.” The sense of this expression is that we are to draw near to God as if to give Him a hug. It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command.

“Cleanse” is from the verb katharidzō, which means “to cleanse” or “to get rid of filth.” It is the hands we are to cleanse, because they are the outward instruments of action. This verb is also in the imperative mood.

The word “purify” is translated from hagnidzō, which is related to hagios, meaning “holy” or “pure.” Hence, hagnidzō means “to make something pure and without defilement.” It is the heart we are to purify, because our heart is the inward source of our impurity. Once again, this verb is expressed in the imperative mood.

The word dipsuchos, is a compound word made up of dis, meaning “twice” and psuchē, meaning “soul” or “mind.” Thus, dipsuchos means “having two souls” or “having two minds.” It is translated here as “double-minded,” which implies a mind which is divided in its loyalty between two things. In this verse it refers to someone whose thoughts and desires are divided between God and the world system.

Meaning Explained

Not only do we need to submit to God, as we saw in the previous verse, but we need to draw near. It certainly goes along with Proverbs 3:6 which says:

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

The word “acknowledge” here is the same as the word “knew” in Genesis 4:1 where it says:

And Adam knew Eve his wife …

This is from the Hebrew word yaw-dah. One of the primary uses of this word means “to know relationally and experientially.” In this sense, we could define this word as, “to become intimately familiar with.” So, we draw near to God by becoming intimately familiar with him, by learning more about him, by knowing him better. As we become more intimate with God, He will, in turn, become more intimate with us.

The second half of this verse tells us that we need to clean up our act! James tells us to cleanse our hands. In other words, stop doing those things which defile us. And, he tells us to purify our hearts. We need to clean-up our thoughts and desires.

We need to turn from our inclination to sin, confessing it to God and setting our hearts on Him alone. We need to stop trying to balance God and the world. We can’t have one foot in each realm. We can’t be really committed to God if we are holding on tightly to the world system. In fact, we can’t be fully committed to God if we are holding on to the world system at all! Instead, we need to let go of the enticements of this world and focus our attention and our efforts on God.

Application

This would be an excellent time for prayer. Take a few minutes right now to draw near to God. Confess your worldliness and desire for stuff, asking Him to help you cleanse your hands and purify your heart. Then, thank Him for His mercy, His grace, and His love! And – when you see the results that God promises, give Him all the praise and glory.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 13:12 – Prepare for Battle!

Posted on by Will

Romans 13:12 – Prepare for Battle!

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Truth to Learn

Wake up! Prepare for battle! Our Lord is coming soon!

Behind the Words

The words “is far spent” are from the verb prokoptō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before” or “forward” and koptō, which means “to cut, strike, or impel.” Thus, the root meaning of prokoptō is “to drive forward.” Figuratively, with regard to time, it means that it is “advanced, nearly used up, or well along.”

“Is at hand” is translated from the verb engidzō, based on the noun engus (which we saw in the previous verse), meaning “near.” Hence, engidzō means “to come near” or “to approach.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, which in Greek implies a completed past action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect. So, Paul is saying that the day has already drawn near and now is very near.

“Cast off” is from the Greek verb apotithēmi, made up of apo, meaning “away” and tithēmi, meaning “to lay something down.” Thus, apotithēmi means “to lay something aside.”

The word translated “darkness” is skotos, which is based on the word skia, meaning “a shadow” or “shade.” Skotos literally means something shady or something dark.

The word “armor” is hoplon, which refers to “instruments, or tools, or weapons of warfare.”

Meaning Explained

At nighttime we all sleep. While we are asleep, we are unaware of what is going on around us. We are in a dream world where nothing is real. But when we wake up, we see reality and we have to face up to it. Many of us get up before it is daylight. We do so because we know that the daylight is coming. If we were to wait for the daylight before rousing ourselves, we would be late. If we lay in bed when it is time to get up, we often fall back asleep.

This is precisely the picture that Paul is painting for us in the previous verse and the current one. The time of the return of Christ is close at hand. It is almost morning. We need to wake up and get to work. Paul tells us that we are to lay aside all of our works that are shady or those which spring from darkness, (a metonym for sinful).

Instead of doing those things that are wrong, instead of doing things that are even a little bit shady, Paul tells us to “lay them aside and put on the armor of light.” On the surface, this may sound like a defensive posture, but as we saw in “Behind the Words,” this refers to our tools of warfare against the powers of darkness. We are in a constant spiritual battle with our adversary and we need to be on the offensive, spreading the word of truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to be witnessing and we need to be building up and encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Application

In case you don’t realize it, these verses represent God’s alarm clock and it just went off! It’s time to leave our dream world and prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, let’s get up, let’s arm ourselves for the spiritual battle ahead, and let’s get to work! Our Lord is coming soon!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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