Tag: hamartia

Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith

Posted on by Will

But whoever doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Truth to Learn

Listening to the Holy Spirit means walking by faith.

 

Behind the Words

“Doubts” is translated from the verb diakrinō, made up of dia, denoting separation and krinō, meaning “to judge, distinguish, or decide.” Diakrinō means “to make a distinction between two things.” When expressed in the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to contend with oneself.” That is, “to waver between two points of view” or “to doubt.”

The word “condemned” is from katakrinō, which means “to judge down” or “to judge as guilty.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating action which was completed in the past but with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the ongoing effect.

“Sin” is translated from the Greek noun hamartia. The verb form of this word, hamartanō, means “to miss the mark.” Thus, a sin is something in which God instructs us to do one thing and we do something else (we miss the mark He has set for us).

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about decisions that we make regarding the things we have convictions about. In the previous verse he told us that we will be blessed if we allow ourselves to do those things which we are convinced are okay. Now he looks at the other side of the coin. He addresses what happens if we are convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do something but we do it anyway.

He goes back to the example of eating and says, “But whoever doubts is condemned if he eats.” If the Holy Spirit and our conscience tell us that it is okay to do something, then it is okay to do it. But, if our conscience is nagging us about something, or if the Holy Spirit will not let us have peace about a potential decision and we go ahead and do it anyway, then our actions will result in sin. The reason, according to Paul, is “because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” In other words, if we can’t feel complete spiritual peace about something, then we shouldn’t do it. That’s where faith comes into this picture. If it’s what God wants us to do, then we WILL have peace about it. That’s not to say that there won’t be some uncertainty about the future. What we can be sure of, however, is that if we have peace about our decision after we have prayed about it and have earnestly sought God’s direction, then it’s time to move ahead and follow our decision.

If, on the other hand, after we have prayed about the decision, seeking God’s guidance, we still have doubts in our mind as to whether we should do it, then we shouldn’t! In this case the doubts are a product of Holy Spirit conviction.

The key to all this is that we must be submitted to God and we must be committed to doing His will. If this is true and we have earnestly sought God’s guidance, then the lack of doubt is a sign of God’s approval.

 

Application

This type of behavior requires a level of spiritual maturity that some Christians never achieve because it requires exercising their faith. This is an example of walking by faith, not by sight. It requires the ability to discern between what we want to do and what God wants us to do. Are you willing to submit your will to that of your Heavenly Father and walk by faith?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 4:7 – Thrown-away and Covered

Posted on by Will

Sorry this e-mail is late. I just noticed that it didn't get sent out last week.

Will

 

 

"Blessed are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;

Truth to Learn

God has separated our sins us from and has covered them with the blood of Christ.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated, “lawless acts” is the Greek word, anomia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and a form of nomos, which means “law.” So literally, it means “not legal.” By interpretation, then, it means “those things which are not legal” or “those things which are in violation of the Law.”

 “Have been forgiven” is from the Greek word aphiēmi. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Hence, this literally means “to send away.” The verb is expressed here in the aorist tense and passive voice. The aorist tense indicates action that was performed at a point in time in the past and the passive voice indicates action done to the subject (lawless acts). So Paul is saying that the lawless deeds were sent away at some point in the past.

“Sins” is from hamartia, which is from the verb hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” Hamartia, therefore, describes a situation where we have not met God’s expectation of us.

The word translated “have been covered” is epikaluptō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” This is also expressed as an aorist passive, indicating that the sins were covered over at some point in the past.

 

Meaning Explained

Remember that Paul is quoting King David here, from Psalms 32:1. David is describing a condition of blessedness, when God demonstrates His favor toward us. This blessedness is the result of God forgiving, or “sending away,” our illegal actions, which is also what it says in Psalms 103:12:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

God actually separates us from our sins (our acts of lawlessness) when they are forgiven. Otherwise, He would not be able to fellowship with us because sin cannot remain in His presence. Therefore, when God forgives our sins, he sends them away (as far from us as the east is from the west!)

This verse also says blessed is the man whose sins are covered over by God. In the previous chapter of Romans we learned that Christ is our mercy seat. The mercy seat was a covering of the Ark of the Covenant on which the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled, covering sins so God can “pass them by.”

Hence, in this verse David is saying that the man whose acts of lawlessness and sins are sent away and covered over possesses the fullness of God’s favor. And, as we have just learned, this blessedness does not come because we earned it in any way. We are blessed because God has chosen to bless us.

 

Application

My Christian brother or sister, do you realize just how blessed you are? You and I can have fellowship with our Holy God because He has removed our sins from us and covered them with the blood of Christ. Why not take a few minutes to get on your knees and thank Him for everything He has done for you!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 2:22 – Silent Suffering

Posted on by Will

Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth;

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of patient suffering.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “sin” is hamartia, which literally means “to miss the mark.” In our case the mark is God-like perfection. Hence, we see that to sin means to do something that is not God-like.

“Deceit” is translated from the Greek word dolos, which comes from an obsolete primary word dello, probably meaning “to decoy.” Some versions of the Bible translate this as “guile.”

 

Meaning Explained

Jesus Christ lived His entire life without sinning! He didn’t even “shade the truth,” as we sometimes do, so as to say one thing but make others think he was saying something else. He was completely open and honest without trickery of any kind.

And yet He was tortured unmercifully, treated like the commonest of criminals, condemned at three illegal Jewish trials without proper testimony against him, and declared innocent at two civil trials. In spite of being declared innocent, He was stripped of his dignity as well as his clothing; beaten with the dreaded scourge until his back was shredded and bleeding; kept overnight without sleep, food, or water; forced to carry the heavy instrument of his own torture; then hung in the hot sun under the agonizing torture of crucifixion. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the sins of all mankind were thrust upon him, and he was deserted by God the Father for three hours while he hung alone under the weight of our sins, having already prayed, “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

At his trial under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor marveled at His lack of self defense:

And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" But He did not answer him not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. (Matthew 27:12-14)

He could have proclaimed His innocence, for He truly was. He could have struck out in fury with the very power of creation against those who were wrongfully torturing Him. He could have simply stepped down from the cross, proving the innocence that was His alone. Those who were present while Christ suffered for us even mocked Him, challenging Him to prove He is the Christ by coming down from the cross:

And those passing by were speaking evil of Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:39-40)

But He did not come down from the cross. Instead, He remained there and suffered patiently, for you and for me.

 

Application

Think of this the next time you are wrongfully accused, and accept it, knowing that this is pleasing with God. Do not attempt to glorify yourself; instead, glorify God by being silently obedient.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on by Will

And you He made alive, being dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

 

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted in the translation in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Being” is from the Greek verb eimi, which is the verb of existence (to be). In some translations, it is written as “who were,” but it is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to not get a share of the prize,” that is, “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

 

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual. Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the book of Romans:

for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book we are already made alive, resurrected by His power.

 

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever in His glorious presence.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 5:16 – Energetic, Healing Prayer

Posted on by Will

Therefore, confess the faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. An effectual petition of a righteous man has great force.

Truth to Learn

In the body of Christ we all need to support each other with prayer.

 

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from exomologeō, which is a double compound word made up of ex, meaning “out” or “out of,” homou, meaning “together with” or “all the same” (as in homogenized), and legō, meaning “to say.” Homologeō means “to agree with,” being translated as “confess” in 1 John 1:9. With the “ex” added, it means “to confess out” or “to admit.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, commanding us to admit our faults to one another.

The word translated “faults” is different depending on which translation you are reading from. Some translations have the Greek word hamartia, which means “sins,” whereas others have the Greek word paraptoma, which means “trespasses” or “offenses” (literally side-slips). Either way, when you take this in context with the preceding verses, it is clear that James is still talking about the person who is sick, which he indicates in this verse with the phrase, “that you may be healed.”

“Effectual petition” is translated from deēsis energoumenē  Deēsis refers to a prayer or a petition regarding a particular need for oneself or someone else, and energoumenē  refers to something that is effective or that is working.

The words “great force” are from the Greek words polu ischuei. Polu means “many” or “much” and ischuei refers to “strength, ability, or power.”

 

Meaning Explained

What we can deduce from this and the preceding two verses is that unconfessed sin can be the cause of sickness, and even death. The apostle Paul refers to this in I Corinthians 11:30 where he is talking about those who partake of communion with unconfessed sins:

For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many die.

This passage in James is one from which Roman Catholics base their doctrine of “auricular confession,” or verbal confession made to a priest who supposedly can then absolve (forgive) you of your sin. Notice a few things, however:

  • The confession talked about in the current verse is not made by just any person, but by a sick person.
  • This confession is to be made to an elder, not a priest (see verse 14).
  • Mutual confession is commanded here. If this pertained to auricular confession, then the priest would be as bound to confess to the people as the people are to the priest.
  • There is no mention here of “absolution,” only healing.

The last half of this verse talks about the “effectual petition …” The word rendered “effectual” is a form of energeō, which could also be rendered as “energetic,” as it refers to that which has power or energy. We have all uttered prayers that aren’t really from our heart, such as, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” What James is talking about are those prayers that we labor over, that are filled with intensity and emotion, like someone having a heart-to-heart discussion with his or her Father. James says that this type of prayer has great force.

 

Application

The body of Christ (the church) is made up of many members. And, just as the various parts of a body support and nurture the whole, we are to support and nurture each other. Admitting our faults to one another and praying for each other is essential for the health of the Church. Who are you praying for today?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:17 – No More Excuses

Posted on by Will

Therefore, to him knowing what good thing to do and not doing it, it is sin to him.

Truth to Learn

Now that we know how to behave, we have no excuse if we do not completely follow James’ teaching.

Behind the Words

The word translated “knowing” is a form of idō, which means “to see, either literally or figuratively.” By implication, however, it refers to seeing something with the mind, that is, to know or understand something because we have mentally recognized it. This particular word is expressed here as a perfect participle. The participle indicates ongoing action, and the perfect tense implies a past completed action with an ongoing effect with the emphasis being on the effect. Putting this all together we see that James is speaking to one who has gained knowledge by recognition and continually has possession of such knowledge. Here’s how this word might be used in a sentence in English:

Knowing the alphabet, we can write words.

We gained our knowledge years ago, but we continually possess that knowledge. Before we learned the alphabet we couldn’t write words, but now that we have that knowledge, we are able to do so.

The words “to do” and “doing it” are from the verb poieō, which means “to make” or “to do,” either as an ongoing action or a completed action.

“Sin” is translated from the Greek word hamartia, which is derived from the verb hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” Hence, hamartia refers to an act of doing wrong, having missed the expectation that God has for us.

Meaning Explained

As we read through the fourth chapter of James’ letter, on first glance it appears that this verse is simply tacked-on, not having any real relevance to the rest of the chapter. Upon deeper inspection, however, we can see that it is very relevant. James has just covered some very difficult interpersonal issues and has instructed us how to resolve, or completely avoid, these issues within the church. Here’s what he told us to do:

  • Get over our selfish desire for “stuff.” Instead of focusing on getting more, we should clean-up our thoughts and actions and humble ourselves in God’s presence, seeking His will for our lives
  • Quit talking evil about and backbiting others in the Church. Instead of comparing ourselves to others in the body of Christ, we need to compare ourselves to Christ Himself. This will produce awareness in us that we are just as guilty as those who we are talking evil about.
  • Don’t make selfish plans for our personal success. We have no control over the future, so we should continually seek God’s will for our lives and give Him all the credit for whatever success we might seem to achieve.

Now that we know what to do, James tells us, it is sinful for us not to do as instructed. We can no longer claim that we didn’t know any better!

Application

The specific subject matter of this verse is sometimes referred to as “sins of omission.” We must do as our Heavenly Father instructs us or face the consequence of not pleasing Him. The real question is, what are you going to do differently, now that you know how you ought to act?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 2:1  – His Promised Resurrection

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted by the translators in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Who were” is from the Greek verb eimi. It is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to miss the mark;” that is, “to not get a share of the prize.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual. Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the book of Romans:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book we are already resurrected by His power.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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

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Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith

Posted on by Will

Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Truth to Learn

Listening to the Holy Spirit means walking by faith.

Behind the Words

“Doubts” is translated from the verb diakrinō, made up of dia, denoting separation and krinō, meaning “to judge, distinguish, or decide.” Diakrinō means “to make a distinction between two things.” When expressed in the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to contend with oneself.” That is, “to waver between two points of view” or “to doubt.”

The word “condemned” is from katakrinō, which means “to judge down” or “to judge as guilty.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating action which was completed in the past but with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the ongoing effect.

“Sin” is translated from the Greek noun hamartia. The verb form of this word, hamartanō, means “to miss the mark.” Thus, a sin is something in which God instructs us to do one thing and we do something else (we miss the mark He has set for us).

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about decisions that we make regarding the things we have convictions about. In the previous verse he told us that we will be blessed if we allow ourselves to do those things which we are convinced are okay. Now he looks at the other side of the coin. He addresses what happens if we are convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do something but we do it anyway.

He goes back to the example of eating and says, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats.” If the Holy Spirit and our conscience tell us that it is okay to do something, then it is okay to do it. But, if our conscience is nagging us about something, or if the Holy Spirit will not let us have peace about a potential decision and we go ahead and do it anyway, then our actions will result in sin. The reason, according to Paul, is “because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” In other words, if we can’t feel complete spiritual peace about something, then we shouldn’t do it. That’s where faith comes into this picture. If it’s what God wants us to do, then we WILL have peace about it. That’s not to say that there won’t be some uncertainty about the future. What we can be sure of, however, is that if we have peace about our decision after we have prayed about it and have earnestly sought God’s direction, then it’s time to move ahead and follow our decision.

If, on the other hand, after we have prayed about the decision, seeking God’s guidance, we still have doubts in our mind as to whether we should do it, then we shouldn’t! In this case the doubts are a product of Holy Spirit conviction.

The key to all this is that we must be submitted to God and we must be committed to doing His will. If this is true and we have earnestly sought God’s guidance, then the lack of doubt is a sign of God’s approval.

Application

This type of behavior requires a level of spiritual maturity that some Christians never achieve because it requires exercising their faith. This is an example of walking by faith, not by sight. It requires the ability to discern between what we want to do and what God wants us to do. Are you willing to submit your will to that of your Heavenly Father and walk by faith?

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: