Tag: eudokia

Romans 10:1 – Hate Sin, Love Sinners

Posted on by Will

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.

Truth to Learn

Paul loved his lost brothers and prayed for them while he proclaimed the Gospel message to them.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “brothers” is adelphos, which is made up of the connective a, implying unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” Hence, adelphos refers to those who have the same mother. It is frequently used metaphorically referring to those who are of the same lineage, as Paul does here.

“Desire” is translated from the Greek word eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus we see that this word literally means “to have good thoughts.” Eudokia is often translated as “desire, delight, kindness, or wish.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter the Apostle Paul expressed his great concern for his brothers in the flesh, the nation of Israel. He was troubled by the fact that so many of them were out of the way of salvation. Here’s how he expressed it in the opening verses of that chapter:

I speak the truth in Christ, not a lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, that my sorrow is great and I have continual grief in my heart. For I almost wish that I was accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kindred according to the flesh (Romans 9:1-3)

He loved his fellow Jews and was deeply grieved by the fact that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the One for whom they had been waiting for centuries. He went on to show that God has chosen some of them for salvation but not others. He also showed that God has also called some of the Gentiles to salvation over his Jewish kinsmen.

But, you may ask, if Paul truly believed that God is the one who chooses who will be saved, why was Paul so intent on evangelizing the Jews, calling on them to accept Jesus as the Messiah? The answer is in the Great Commission. All Christians are commanded to preach the gospel. We don’t know whom God will choose, but they must believe God’s promise through His grace in order to be saved.

In the first half of the current chapter, Paul will show that the reason why so many Jews were lost is because they tried to earn their way into righteousness by keeping the Law instead of receiving the gift of salvation through faith.

Paul had been accused by some of his countrymen of deserting his Jewish brothers in favor of this new Way called Christianity. He starts off the current chapter with a declaration that not only has he not deserted them, but that he has a strong desire for them to be saved. And, he will show that salvation is to be received through faith, not through works.

 

Application

We are told to hate sin but to love sinners. We are told to proclaim the good news of God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. We do not save sinners, only God can do that. We are to pray for sinners and proclaim the gospel. And we are to be a witness for God by the way we live our lives.

Are you fulfilling the Great Commission?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 1:11 – Don’t Complain, Give Thanks!

Posted on by Will

To this end we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good intent of His goodness and the work of faith with power,

Truth to Learn

Trials are good for Christians. Don’t complain – thank God.

 

Behind the Words

“To this end” is translated from the Greek words eis ho. Eis means “to, into, or unto” and ho is a relative pronoun meaning “who or which.” So, we see that these two words literally mean “to which.”

The words “would count … worthy” are from the verb axioō, which is based on the noun axios, meaning “value or worth.” Therefore, axioō means “to determine the value or worth of something.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating possibility or probability.

Klēsis is the Greek word translated “calling.” It is based on the verb kaleō, meaning “a call or invitation to people, inviting them to come or to go somewhere.”

The word “fulfill” is from plēroō, meaning “to fill-up or to make completely full.”

“Good intent” is translated from eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus eudokia, means “good thoughts” or “good intent.”

 

Meaning Explained

The apostle Paul would probably not get good grades in a Greek writing class because his sentences are often long and run-on. A good example is shown here in 2 Thessalonians. The sentence immediately preceding the current verse began back in verse three and doesn’t end until verse 10. As a result, it takes deep inspection to determine what he means by “to this end” at the beginning of today’s verse.

The crux of what Paul has been talking about is “we thank God because your patience and faith are growing as a result of your persecution and suffering. And, this growth is evidence of God’s righteous good judgment toward you and His severe judgment against unbelievers.” Basically, he prayed that God would show them His goodness at His return and in the future kingdom.

Now, Paul expresses another prayer. Instead of future blessing, however, he prays for their present blessing. He first prays that we might be found to be worthy of our calling to be a Christian. Trials do not make a person; they simply reveal what a person is really made of. A faithful, committed Christian will demonstrate his or her worth in the middle of trials. Weak or wishy-washy Christians in the midst of trials will only moan and complain, showing how little value their faith has. God knows our hearts even before we encounter trials, but we only recognize how strong our faith is when we are in the heat of battle.

Right now, God wants you to know how much He desires to bless you. That’s one of the reasons He allows persecution and suffering of His children. Trials are not a bad thing for Christians, they are good for us!

 

Application

When you encounter trials in your Christian walk or when you suffer for being a Christian, don’t complain to God; instead, thank Him for showing His love to you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 1:5 – Holy Adoption

Posted on by Will

having predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Truth to Learn

Not only has God chosen us, He also has adopted us.

 

Behind the Words

“Having predestined” is the translation of the verb prooridzō. The first half of this compound word is pro, meaning “before in time or place.” The second half is horidzō (from which we get our English word horizon), meaning “to mark out or create a boundary,” that is, “to establish or determine.” Therefore, we see that prooridzō means “to establish or determine something beforehand.”

The phrase “adoption as sons” is from huiothesia, which is made up of huios, meaning “son” and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to set in place.” Huiothesia, therefore, refers to the action of establishing a person as a son, not by natural birth but by legal action.

“Good pleasure” is from eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of the verb dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus, eudokia refers to “good thoughts.” It stresses the freedom of an intention regarding what is good. Thus, it could be translated as “good intent” or “kindness.”

The word translated “will” is thelēma, indicating a determination. It is one of two nouns translated “will.” The other is boulēma which implies a desire. Therefore, we can translate the end of this verse as “… according to the good intent of His determination.”

 

Meaning Explained

The expression “having predestined us” is grammatically tied to “He chose us” in the previous verse. Thus we see that in eternity past, when God chose us (to be holy and without blemish), He also predestined us. That is, before time began God also established ahead of time (pun intended) that we would be legally adopted as His children. One exciting thing about this is what Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans:

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs, truly heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, (Romans 8:15-17a)

Because God chose us, He also adopted us, making us legally his children and heirs to all that He has. This adoption has two aspects. Presently, we Christians are God’s children, having access to our Father and the spiritual riches He has bestowed upon us. The future aspect is alluded to in Romans 8:23:

And not only so, but also we ourselves having the firstfruit of the Spirit, also we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly expecting the adoption, the redemption of our body.

As adopted children, God will one day provide for us a perfect, heavenly body.

Finally, we are told that He has done this according to His own determination, which He is pleased with. It is not legally required of Him, even by His own righteousness. He did it simply because He wanted to do it.

 

Application

Thank you, God, for choosing me and for adopting me into your heavenly family. In gratitude I offer all that I am and all that I have to be used to bring glory to your name!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 1:11 – Don’t Complain, Give Thanks!

Posted on by Will

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,

Truth to Learn

Trials are good for Christians. Don’t complain – thank God.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek words eis ho. Eis means “to, into, or unto” and ho is a relative pronoun meaning “who or which.” So, we see that these two words literally mean “to which.”

The words “would count … worthy” are from the verb axioō, which is based on the noun axios, meaning “value or worth.” Therefore, axioō means “to determine the value or worth of something.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood indicating possibility or probability.

Klēsis is the Greek word translated “calling.” It is based on the verb kaleō, meaning “a call or invitation to people, inviting them to come or to go somewhere.”

The word “fulfill” is from plēroō, meaning “to fill-up or to make completely full.”

“Good pleasure” is translated from eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good or well” and dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus eudokia, means “good thoughts” or “good intent.”

Meaning Explained

The apostle Paul would probably not get good grades in a Greek writing class because his sentences are often long and run-on. A good example is shown here in 2 Thessalonians. The sentence immediately preceding the current verse began back in verse three and doesn’t end until verse 10. As a result, it takes deep inspection to determine what he means by “therefore” at the beginning of today’s verse.

The crux of what Paul has been talking about is “we thank God because your patience and faith are growing as a result of your persecution and suffering. And, this growth is evidence of God’s righteous good judgment toward you and His severe judgment against unbelievers.” Basically, he prayed that God would show them His goodness at His return and in the future kingdom.

Now, Paul expresses another prayer. Instead of future blessing, however, he prays for their present blessing. He first prays that we might be found to be worthy of our calling to be a Christian. Trials do not make a person; they simply reveal what a person is really made of. A faithful, committed Christian will demonstrate his or her worth in the middle of trials. Weak or wishy-washy Christians in the midst of trials will only moan and complain, showing how little value their faith has. God knows our hearts even before we encounter trials, but we only recognize how strong our faith is when we are in the heat of battle.

Right now, God wants you to know how much He desires to bless you. That’s one of the reasons He allows persecution and suffering of His children. Trials are not a bad thing for Christians, they are good for us!

Application

When you encounter trials in your Christian walk or when you suffer for being a Christian, don’t complain to God; instead, thank Him for showing His love to you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 1:5 – Holy Adoption

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 1:5 – Holy Adoption

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Truth to Learn

Not only has God chosen us, He also has adopted us.

Behind the Words

“Having predestined” is the translation of the verb prooridzō. The first half of this compound word is pro, meaning “before in time or place.” The second half is horidzō (from which we get our English word horizon), meaning “to mark out or create a boundary,” that is, “to establish or determine.” Therefore, we see that prooridzō means “to establish or determine something beforehand.”

The phrase “adoption as sons” is from huiothesia, which is made up of huios, meaning “son” and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to set in place.” Huiothesia, therefore, refers to the action of establishing a person as a son, not by natural birth but by legal action.

“Good pleasure” is from eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of the verb dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus, eudokia refers to “good thoughts.” It stresses the freedom of an intention regarding what is good.

The word translated “will” is thelēma, indicating a determination. It is one of two nouns translated “will.” The other is boulēma which implies a desire or a purpose.

Meaning Explained

The expression “having predestined us” is grammatically tied to “He chose us.” Thus we see that in eternity past, when God chose us (to be holy and without blemish), He also predestined us. That is, before time began God also established ahead of time (pun intended) that we would also be legally adopted as His children. One exciting thing about this is what Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans:

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, (Romans 8:15-17a)

Because God chose us, He also adopted us, making us legally his children and heirs to all that He has. This adoption has two aspects. Presently, we Christians are God’s children, having access to our Father and the spiritual riches He has bestowed upon us. The future aspect is alluded to in Romans 8:23:

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

As adopted children, God will one day provide for us a perfect, heavenly body.

Finally, we are told that He has done this according to His own determination, which He is pleased with. It is not legally required of Him, even by His own righteousness. He did it simply because He wanted to do it.

Application

Thank you, God, for choosing me and for adopting me into your heavenly family. In gratitude I offer all that I am and all that I have to be used to bring glory to your name!

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 10:1 – Hate Sin, Love Sinners

Posted on by Will

Romans 10:1 – Hate Sin, Love Sinners

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Truth to Learn

Paul loved his lost brothers and prayed for them while he proclaimed the Gospel message to them.

Behind the Words

The word translated “brethren” is adelphos, which is made up of the connective a, implying unity and delphus, meaning “the womb.” Hence, adelphos refers to those who have the same mother. It is frequently used metaphorically referring to those who are of the same lineage, as Paul does here.

“Desire” is translated from the Greek word eudokia, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of dokeō, meaning “to think.” Thus we see that this word literally means “to have good thoughts.” Eudokia is often translated as “desire, delight, kindness, or wish.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter the Apostle Paul expressed his great concern for his brothers in the flesh, the nation of Israel. He was troubled by the fact that so many of them were out of the way of salvation. Here’s how he expressed it in the opening verses of that chapter:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (Romans 9:1-3)

He loved his fellow Jews and was deeply grieved by the fact that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the One for whom they had been waiting for centuries. He went on to show that God has chosen some of them for salvation but not others. He also showed that God has also called some of the Gentiles to salvation over his Jewish kinsmen.

But, you may ask, if Paul truly believed that God is the one who chooses who will be saved, why was Paul so intent on evangelizing the Jews, calling on them to accept Jesus as the Messiah? The answer is in the Great Commission. All Christians are commanded to preach the gospel. We don’t know whom God will choose, but they must believe God’s promise through His grace in order to be saved.

In the first half of the current chapter, Paul will show that the reason why so many Jews were lost is because they tried to earn their way into righteousness by keeping the Law instead of receiving the gift of salvation through faith.

Paul had been accused by some of his countrymen of deserting his Jewish brothers in favor of this new Way called Christianity. He starts off the current chapter with a declaration that not only has he not deserted them, but that he has a strong desire for them to be saved. And, he will show that salvation is to be received through faith, not through works.

Application

We are told to hate sin but to love sinners. We are told to proclaim the good news of God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. We do not save sinners, only God can do that. We are to pray for sinners and proclaim the gospel. And we are to be a witness for God by the way we live our lives.

Are you fulfilling the Great Commission?

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: