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Romans 11:16 – Set-apart by Him

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Will

For if the first-fruit is holy, the dough is also; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Truth to Learn

Like the believing Jews, we are set-apart by God for His use.

Behind the Words

The word “first-fruit” is from the Greek word aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to that part of something that is taken from the beginning or the first part.

The word translated “dough” is the Greek word phurama, which is the noun form of the verb phuraō, meaning “to break,” or “to dissolve,” or “to knead.” In this case it refers to a mass of dough that has been kneaded in preparation for baking.

“Holy” is from the word hagios, which means “set apart as something special.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been telling us that it was because of His rejection of the unbelieving Jews that God turned to the Gentiles. He is now going to show us that although the Jews as a nation were rejected, it was a few believing Jews who were the beginning of the church.

In the Old Testament, the “first-fruit” was the part of the crop that ripened first and was to be offered to God before partaking of the remainder of the crop. It was a way for the Jews to signify that the entire crop came from God. Even though man planted it, God alone caused the seed to germinate, God alone provided the rain and caused the plant to grow, and God alone caused the fruit to form and ripen. This current verse seems to be a reference to Numbers 15:20, 21 which says:

You shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up. Of the first of your dough you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.

I believe that Paul’s reference in the current verse is to the fact that it was a few Jews who were the first to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. And it was first to the Jews that the glorious message of His resurrection was announced. These Jewish believers were holy. That is, they were “set apart,” set apart from the world of unbelievers and set-apart to God for His use and for His glorification.

If these first few Jews were set-apart by God, so also will the remainder of the church be set-apart. Likewise, Paul refers to the root of an olive tree as being holy which causes the remainder of the tree, the branches, to be holy (set-apart). Paul will now use this metaphor of the olive tree to show us why we are totally dependent on God for His blessing and favor.

Application

Remember what Paul has been teaching us, that we are not the ones responsible for our salvation and the blessings that come from it. God, as we are told in Hebrews 12:2, “is the author and finisher of our faith.” He is the one who caused us to believe; hence, we are not the authors of our faith, He is. We do not cause the plants to grow and produce seed, God does. We are totally dependent on God for all of life and especially for spiritual (eternal) life. This should not make us proud; instead, it should humble us in the presence of Almighty God who chose us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 7:12 – The Holy Law

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Will

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

Truth to Learn

The Law and its commandments are holy, but we are sinful.

Behind the Words

“Law” is translated from the Greek word nomos, which we saw in the last chapter is the noun form of the verb nemō, meaning “to divide among” or “to parcel out.” Therefore nomos refers to that which has been parceled out, which someone has in his or her possession. It is also used to refer to a body of regulations that have been delivered or parceled out, such as the Law of Moses.

This word translated “holy” is hagios. Its fundamental meaning is “set apart from common use to the service of Deity” or “sharing in God's purity and abstaining from earth's defilement.” That which is separated unto God is free from any tainting of sin. It is pure and it is spotless. It is holy!

“Commandment” is from entolē, which comes from the verb entellomai, meaning “to give a charge or a command.” Therefore we see that entolē means “a charge, a precept, or commandment.”

The word translated “just” is dikaios, which means “that which is righteous” or “that which is just.”

“Good” is from the Greek word agathos, which means “good and benevolent, profitable, or useful.”

Meaning Explained

Back in verse seven Paul asked the rhetorical question, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin?” Since that verse he has been showing us why the law is not the culprit; rather it is our sin nature that is the cause of our sinfulness. The law simply causes our sin nature to be empowered. Paul now tells us very clearly that the Law is good but it was not provided to purify the heart of fallen man. Its tendency is to increase guilt, shame, and despair. In other words, man cannot obtain righteousness by obeying the law because the law, by exciting our fallen nature, actually increases our sinfulness.

The Law, says Paul, is holy. It is pure and it is spotless. Paul also says that the commandment is holy. So, what’s the difference between the law and the commandment? The easiest way to distinguish them is to recognize that the law is made up of many commandments. Paul’s point here is that not only is the law as a whole holy and good, but even down to the individual commandments it is holy and just and good.

We cannot blame the law or any one of the commandments for our sins, but the very presence of the law causes our sinfulness to be exceedingly sinful. In fact, we cannot blame anyone else for our sinfulness. We are guilty of our own sins and the Law does not remove that guilt, it increases it.

Application

Do you feel weighed down by guilt over the sins that you have committed? Do you feel guilty because you don’t keep the Law or obey God all the time, or act out of selfish motives? Remember, only the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, can take away the guilt! Confess your sins and lay them at the foot of the cross.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:5 – Our Priestly Sacrifices

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Will

you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

All true Christians are priests and we are to offer sacrifices.

Behind the Words

The expression “are being built up” is translated from oikodomeō, meaning “to build a house.” It is expressed here as a present passive participle, indicating current continuous action that is being done to the subject. Hence, it could be paraphrased as “you are currently and continuously being built.”

“Priesthood” is translated from hierateuma, which refers to a group of priests.

The word “holy,” which describes “priesthood,” is from the Greek word hagios, meaning “set apart for God’s use.”

“Acceptable” is translated from the Greek word euprosdektos, which is a compound of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of prosdekomai, meaning “to receive” or “to accept.” Hence, it refers to something that is “well received.”

Meaning Explained

Peter is about to embark on a treatise regarding the temple and the priesthood and he is doing so for a good reason. Up until the time of the writing of this epistle (somewhere between AD 55 and AD 65), the focus of worship and sacrifice unto Jehovah God had been in Jerusalem. Unbeknownst to Peter, however, is the fact that the Roman army under the Emperor Titus (son of Vespasian) was about to destroy the temple (in AD 70). In the church age the only temple of God is the body of believers themselves. There is no need for a separate priesthood to offer sacrifices because our high priest, Jesus, has already offered the ultimate sacrifice to the saving of our souls.

Peter started this treatise in the previous verse when he referred to Christ as a living stone. He now tells us that we, also, are living stones by which a spiritual house is built. He also tells us that we are a holy priesthood, we have been set-apart for God’s use, and our purpose is to offer up spiritual sacrifices. These sacrifices are not to atone for sins (as was done by Old Testament priests), and they are not to pay for our salvation, for that has already been done. We, as priests, are not to offer up physical sacrifices, rather sacrifices of a spiritual nature, which are to be acceptable, or approved, or well-pleasing to God. The reason they are well pleasing is because they are offered up from us by our High Priest, Jesus Christ himself.

A sacrifice is defined as the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something or someone else. We, as part of God’s holy priesthood, are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God. The first sacrifice we need to offer is ourselves:

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a holy, living sacrificely, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Application

Are you fulfilling your priestly duty to God? Are you offering up spiritual sacrifices? Have you placed yourself on the altar? Have you relinquished control of your life and your future to God? … Is it time for prayer?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 1:15 – Shedding Grave Clothes

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Will

but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct,

Truth to Learn

We are commanded to become set-apart from sin and the world system.

Behind the Words

The word “holy” is translated from hagios. The root of this word refers to that which is pure and without blemish. This word also carries the notion of being set-apart. God is set-apart in that He is without sin, and He is the creator while all others are created beings. People and things which are set-apart for God’s use or in worshipping Him are also considered holy.

“Conduct” is translated from anastrophē, which literally means “to turn up” or “to turn again.” By implication, however, it means “to move around.” It’s a reference to the way we behave as we move back and forth through this life on earth.

Meaning Explained

In the last verse Peter told us to be obedient children of our Heavenly Father and not to be conformed to our former manner of life which we lived in ignorance. Now that we are no longer ignorant of spiritual things, along with a change of heart we need to have a change of life. When I was a very new Christian, my pastor said to me that I needed to shed the grave clothes of my old way of life. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, so he explained it.

When Jesus raised up Lazarus from the dead, he was bound with grave clothes, and as Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus commanded that he be unbound and set free (see John 11:43,44). In the same way we, as we are born again spiritually, come forth wearing the same habits and lifestyles that we had before we were saved. And just like Lazarus, we are bound by them and cannot know the fullness of the freedom that is ours until we rid ourselves of our past behavior.

God realizes that as we take off one type of covering we need to put on another. When commanding us to change something about our lives, He frequently tells us to stop doing something. And, if you look carefully, you will find that either specifically, or contextually, we will also be given a command of what we are to do instead.

In today’s verse, we are told what to do instead of being conformed to our former lusts; we are to be holy in our behavior. So what does it mean to be holy? We just learned that it means to be pure and set-apart from our former way of life. But we can’t do these things ourselves while we still have our sin nature controlling us. But as we let our powerful, Holy God control us, He is able to produce purity and moral blamelessness in us, and legally we are already set-apart.

It takes a lot of effort on our part (effort to submit and commit), but as we do so, He performs in us what He desires. As the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:13:

For it is God who is at work in you both to determine and to work for His good pleasure.

Application

Instead of patterning our lives after our former lustful ways, obeying our own desires, we need to become progressively more like God, separated from the world and its sinfulness. Take your eyes off yourself and others and focus them exclusively on God.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:27 – Read God’s Letters

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Will

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brothers.

Truth to Learn

Reading God’s Word is essential for all Christians.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “charge” is horkidzō, which is based on horkos, meaning “a solemn oath.” The verb horkidzō means “to put someone to an oath” or “to ask someone to swear an oath.” In a more common English expression we might say, “Promise me that you will …”

“Epistle” is transliterated (a word of one language brought directly into another) from epistolē, which simply means “a written correspondence” or “a letter.”

The verb “read” is from anaginōskō, which is made up of ana, meaning “again” and ginōskō, meaning “to know.” The word anaginōskō originally meant “to know again” or “to perceive accurately.” Later, it came to mean “to recognize” and then “to read.” By the time of the New Testament anaginōskō always meant “to gain knowledge by reading” or simply “to read.”

Hagios is the word translated “holy.” It is based on hagos, meaning “that which inspires awe.” The meaning of hagios is “that which is set apart from common use to be used in the service of God.” All Christians have been set-apart from the world and set-apart to God. Therefore, all Christians are holy.

Meaning Explained

During the first century of the Christian church, the only Scripture (written teaching for mankind from God) that existed was what we today call the Old Testament. Originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic, it was translated into Greek a little more than 200 years before the birth of Jesus. When the Messiah (Jesus) came, He brought new teaching, emphasizing the intent of the law rather than the letter of the law. This new way of living (by faith, not by sight) was taught by His apostles to those who believed that Jesus is the Son of God and that He gave His life on the cross to pay for their sins.

As we know, word of mouth teaching can get easily perverted, either intentionally or unintentionally; therefore, the apostles wrote letters to the established churches explaining the teachings of Christ, applying these teachings to problems that had begun to spring up in the churches. Many of these letters were addressed to a specific church, but they contained doctrinal teaching that applied to all Christians. For this reason, these letters were copied and carried to other churches so that all Christians could benefit from the teaching.

This practice of copying apostolic letters may have originated from today’s verse. Since 1 Thessalonians was one of the first of these letters written (the letter written by James was probably the first), this practice of reading the letter to all Christians became a common practice.

Since the invention of the printing press, the contents of the entire Bible have been made available to all people, and this admonition of the Apostle Paul applies equally to all Christians. But, it applies to the entire Bible, not just this letter.

Application

How often do you read your Bible? Is it a daily practice that has become an important part of your life? If not, it should be. Reading God’s Word is essential for all Christians. How can God speak to you if you aren’t reading His letters to you?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 3:17 – Destruction Equals Destruction

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Will

If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Truth to Learn

Destroying a church has dire consequences.

Behind the Words

“Anyone” is translated from the indefinite pronoun tis, which means “someone,” “a certain one,” or “anyone.”

The words “defiles” and “destroy” are both translated from the same Greek verb. It is phtheirō, which means “to corrupt, spoil, or destroy, in a moral or spiritual sense.” In classical Greek it nearly always means “to destroy.”

“Temple” is again translated from naon, which refers to the most sacred part of the temple, where God dwells.

Hagios is the word translated “holy.” It is based on hagos, meaning “that which inspires awe.” The basic meaning of hagios is “that which is set apart from common use to be used in the service of God.” Therefore, hagios is sometimes translated “holy” or “sanctified.” All Christians have been set-apart from the world and set-apart to God.

The word “which” is from the Greek indefinite, relative pronoun hostis. It is made up of hos, meaning “he” or “who” and tis, meaning “anyone” or “someone” Thus, hostis means “someone who.” Grammatically, it refers to “holy,” not “temple.”

“You” is from humeis, meaning “you (plural).” And the verb “are” is from the second person plural form of eimi, meaning “you (plural) are.”

Meaning Explained

In order to get the correct meaning from this verse we have to keep in mind that Paul is talking to the Christians in Corinth about the divisions that had been caused in the church there. Groups of people (cliques) had formed to follow different teachers within the church. Paul has been using the metaphor of constructing a building in reference to the building up of the body of Christ. Back in verse ten of this chapter, he cautioned us that we need to be mindful of the way we build on the foundation (the person and work of Jesus Christ). When people are working at odds with each other, instead of working together for a common goal, the building is weakened and may be destroyed.

Here Paul warns us that anyone who destroys the temple (the body of Christ, the local church in this case), God will destroy him or her. This does not mean that a Christian will lose his or her salvation as a result of destroying the church, because Paul teaches elsewhere that there is nothing that we can do to lose our salvation (see study on Romans 4:24). Therefore, the destruction that he is talking about is either a reference to physical death or it is a reference to unsaved people who destroy the church.

Paul further emphasizes the seriousness of destroying the temple (the local body of Christ), by declaring that we who make up the temple are holy. We have been set apart “from the world” and set apart “to God for His use.”

Application

Be careful how you work on building up the body of Christ. Good work will result in a reward, poor work will go up in smoke, and destructive work will result in your own destruction. Let’s all focus on good construction work.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:27 – Read God’s Letters

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Will

I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren.

Truth to Learn

Reading God’s Word is essential for all Christians.

Behind the Words

“Epistle” is transliterated (a word of one language brought directly into another) from epistolē, which simply means “a written correspondence” or “a letter.”

Meaning Explained

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 11:16 – Set-apart by Him

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Will

Romans 11:16 – Set-apart by Him

For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Truth to Learn

Like the believing Jews, we are set-apart by God for His use.

Behind the Words

The word “firstfruit” is from the Greek word aparchē, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” and a form of archomai, meaning “to begin.” This word refers to that part of something that is taken from the beginning or the first part.

The word translated “lump” is the Greek word phurama, which is the noun form of the verb phuraō, meaning “to break,” or “to dissolve,” or “to knead.” In this case it refers to a mass of dough that has been kneaded in preparation for baking.

“Holy” is from the word hagios, which means “to be set apart.”

Meaning Explained

In the Old Testament, the “firstfruit” was the part of the crop that ripened first and was to be offered to God before partaking of the remainder of the crop. It was a way for the Jews to signify that the entire crop came from God. Even though man planted it, God alone caused the seed to germinate, God alone provided the rain and caused the plant to grow, and God alone caused the fruit to form and ripen. This current verse seems to be a reference to Numbers 15:20, 21 which says:

You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground meal as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up. Of the first of your ground meal you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 8:16 – The Holy Witness

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:16 – The Holy Witness

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Truth to Learn

The Holy Spirit is the true witness of our salvation.

Behind the Words

The words “bears witness” is from summartureō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” or “with” and martureō, which means “to testify” or “to give witness.” Hence summartureō means “to testify jointly” or “to give witness together.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we were told that we who are saved have the Spirit of adoption and because of this adoption we can call God our Father our “Daddy.” In the secular world today it is often said that we are all brothers and sisters or we are all God’s children. According to the Bible this is not true. Also, there are many supposed Christians who claim that God is their father when He is not. This was also true in Jesus’ day. As He taught in the temple, this is what He had to say to those who claimed to be believing Jews:

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. (John 8:42-44a)

So, if there were so many deceived ones then, and many today who think that God is their Father, how can we tell for sure that we are saved and God is our Father? The current verse tells us how. We know that we are saved, that we have been adopted by God the Father, because He has given the Holy Spirit exclusively to His children. The Spirit is not only our seal and the guarantee of our inheritance; He is also the only true witness of our salvation and adoption by God. That’s what the current verse says.

So exactly how does the Holy Spirit “bear witness with our spirit?” The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit in those still, quiet moments, when we sense the peace that only He can give. A peace that passes all understanding, a peace that exists in the midst of trials and tribulation. It is that calm assurance that we have submitted to the Father and we have committed to do His will above our own. We have accepted His grace in the form of the blood of Christ because we believe that Jesus died to pay for our sins, and He rose again from the grave. It’s that assurance that we are saved! It’s the Spirit’s witness.

Application

Do you know for sure that you are saved? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your spirit?

If so, you are a genuine, guaranteed child of God. If not, then perhaps it’s time to fall on your knees before the God of all creation, confessing your sinfulness, and asking Him for salvation, submitting yourself to your Lord and Savior:

Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.(Romans 10:9, 10)

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 7:12 – The Holy Law

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Will

Romans 7:12

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Truth to Learn

The Law and its commandments are holy, but we are sinful.

Behind the Words

This word translated “holy” is hagios. Its fundamental meaning is “set apart from common use to the service of Deity” or “sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement.” That which is separated unto God is free from any tainting of sin. It is pure and it is spotless. It is holy!

The word translated “just” is dikaios, which means “that which is righteous” or “that which is just.”

“Good” is from the Greek word agathos, which means “good and benevolent, profitable, or useful.”

Meaning Explained

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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