Tag: huios

Romans 9:26 – Everywhere His Children

Posted on by Will

And it will be in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, there they shall be called sons of the living God.

Truth to Learn

God chooses people from around the world to be His children.

 

Behind the Words

“People” is translated from laos, which we looked at before. This implies that those who are spoken of in this verse had not been part of God’s family until He chose them.

The word “sons” is from huios. Strictly speaking, this refers to a male child. However, it is often used in the New Testament as a reference to a child without reference to gender.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been demonstrating to his readers that God is clearly sovereign in His choice of whom He will bless and who will be cast into hellfire. He has made it very clear that it is God’s choice regarding who will receive righteousness and who will receive condemnation. In the previous verse he quoted Hosea 2:23 in which God proclaims that He will call them His people who were previously not His people. That is, Hosea was prophesying that non-Jews would be proclaimed as God’s people. He now quotes another passage from Hosea. This time he is quoting Hosea 1:10 which says,

Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which is not measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, you are not My people, there it shall be said to them, you are the sons of the living God.

One of the really significant things about Paul’s quoting these passages is the fact that Hosea was a prophet to whom God gave direction to marry a prostitute and to raise his children as if they were illegitimate children. This was done as a sign to the Jews that God was displeased with their following after other gods (which God considers harlotry). Here’s what God tells us in Hosea 1:2:

The beginning of Jehovah speaking by Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take to yourself a wife of adultery and children of adultery. For the land has utterly gone lusting away from Jehovah.

Because of this warning from God, the Children of Israel were told that God would one day call those who were not His people (Gentiles) as the sons of the Living God. Paul is now demonstrating to the Jewish Christians in Rome that this prophecy is being fulfilled in the choosing of the Gentiles as well as Jews in the church age. In Hosea’s time the Jews were required to worship at the temple in Jerusalem on given occasions at prescribed times of the year. But now, because Hosea’s prophecy is fulfilled, we can worship God anywhere and do so through faith rather than deeds of legalism.

Paul will further show in the coming verses that this calling of the Gentiles will not be through the works of the Law or church rituals but by the justification through faith that he has talked about in the earlier chapters of this letter.

 

Application

The Jews were required to worship in Jerusalem and follow a prescribed set of rituals. Those who are chosen of God today must worship in spirit and truth, but they can do so anywhere. As those who are called the children of the living God, we are spread throughout the world to proclaim the gospel truth.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:5 – Spiritual Enlightenment

Posted on by Will

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of night nor of darkness.

Truth to Learn

Christians have spiritual understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit.

 

Behind the Words

“You” is from humeis, the second person plural personal pronoun. Greek is different from English in that all verbs indicate not only what the action is, but also who performs the action. The verb in this case is “are,” which is the Greek verb eimi (the verb of being). The form of the verb in this verse is second person plural (you, plural). Therefore, the personal pronoun humeis (you, plural) is not needed to accurately portray what Paul is saying. That fact that he included it indicates emphasis on who are the sons of light.

The word translated “sons” is huios, which means “a male descendant.” However, it is often used in the New Testament to refer to a child, male or female.

Pas is the root word translated here as “all.” It carries the idea of “oneness” or “the totality of something.” Therefore, pas refers to “all of something without anything being left out.”

“Light” is from the Greek word phōs (or phōtos), which is derived from the verb phaō, meaning “to shine” or “to make visible.” This, phōs refers to “that which shines” or “that which makes visible.” In other words, it refers to light. It is used both of physical light and spiritual light (enlightenment).

The word “day” is from the Greek word hēmera, which can refer to a complete twenty-four hour period or to that portion of the day in which the sun is shining (daytime).

 

Meaning Explained

In order to completely understand Paul’s teaching here we need to understand that Paul was brought up as a Hebrew. The Hebrew language, like most other languages, has idiomatic expressions that don’t always translate easily into other languages. For instance, the Hebrew expression “with four eyes,” as in “the two men met with four eyes,” means that the two men met face to face without anyone else present. Paul often uses such Hebrew idioms (called Hebraisms) in his writing, even though he is writing in Greek.

The expression in the previous verse, “you are not in darkness” is a Hebraism meaning “you are not ignorant, unaware, or unenlightened.” Likewise, the expression “sons of light” is a Hebraism meaning “children of God, the heavenly Father, who is light and in whom is no darkness at all.” Throughout the Bible, the metaphor of light (with respect to God) is a reference to His holiness, righteousness, and sinlessness. As His adopted children, we have been given the righteousness of Christ. In Genesis 15:6 we read that Abraham was credited with righteousness because of his faith. Similarly, a Christian, one who has faith in the saving blood of Christ, is seen by God as completely righteous. In God’s record book we are sinless, righteous, and holy. Hence, we are children of light.

And – because we are righteous children of light, our minds are illuminated by the Spirit of God so that we can understand spiritual things like God’s coming judgment on the world of sinners. “We are not of night nor of darkness” is another Hebraism meaning that we are not ignorant sinners marching mindlessly towards God’s judgment and destruction.

Finally, note that Paul starts off this verse with “you,” speaking directly to those to whom he is teaching, but then says “we,” indicating that all Christians are in the same category.

 

Application

Unsaved people cannot understand the Bible because they are not spiritually enlightened like we are (see 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11). We, on the other hand, are taught by the Holy Spirit, and we can know future things as taught to us in Scripture.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:5 – Spiritual Enlightenment

Posted on by Will

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Truth to Learn

Christians have spiritual understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Behind the Words

“You” is from humeis, the second person plural pronoun.

The word translated “sons” is huios, which means “a male descendant.” However, it is often used in the New Testament to refer to a child, male or female.

Pas is the root word translated here as “all.” It carries the idea of “oneness” or “the totality of something.” Therefore, pas refers to “all of something without anything being left out.”

“Light” is from the Greek word phōs (or phōtos), which is derived from the verb phaō, meaning “to shine” or “to make visible.” This, phōs refers to “that which shines” or “that which makes visible.” In other words, it refers to light. It is used both of physical light or spiritual light (enlightenment).

The word “day” is from the Greek word hēmera, which can refer to a complete twenty-four hour period or to that portion of the day in which the sun is shining (daytime).

Meaning Explained

In order to completely understand Paul’s teaching here we need to understand that Paul was brought up as a Hebrew. The Hebrew language, like most other languages, has idiomatic expressions that don’t always translate easily into other languages. For instance, the Hebrew expression “with four eyes,” as in “the two men met with four eyes,” means that the two men met face to face without anyone else present. Paul often uses such Hebrew idioms (called Hebraisms) in his writing, even though he is writing in Greek.

The expression in the previous verse, “you are not in darkness” is a Hebraism meaning “you are not ignorant, unaware, or unenlightened.” Likewise, the expression “sons of light” is a Hebraism meaning “children of God, the heavenly Father, who is light and in whom is no darkness at all.” Throughout the Bible, the metaphor of light (with respect to God) is a reference to His holiness, righteousness, and sinlessness. As His adopted children, we have been given the righteousness of Christ. In Genesis 15:6 we read that Abraham was credited with righteousness because of his faith. Similarly, a Christian, one who has faith in the saving blood of Christ, is seen by God as completely righteous. In God’s record book we are sinless, righteous, and holy. Hence, we are children of light.

And – because we are righteous children of light, our minds are illuminated by the Spirit of God so that we can understand spiritual things like God’s coming judgment of the world of sinners. “We are not of the night nor of darkness” is another Hebraism meaning that we are not ignorant sinners marching mindlessly towards God’s judgment and destruction.

Finally, note that Paul starts off this verse with “you,” speaking directly to those to whom he is teaching, but then says “we,” indicating that all Christians are in the same category.

Application

Unsaved people cannot understand the Bible because they are not spiritually enlightened like we are (see 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11). We, on the other hand, are taught by the Holy Spirit, and we can know future things as taught to us in Scripture.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:26 – Everywhere His Children

Posted on by Will

Romans 9:26– Everywhere His Children

“And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Truth to Learn

God chooses people from around the world to be His children.

Behind the Words

“People” is translated from laos, which we looked at before. This implies that those who are spoken of in this verse had not been part of God’s family until He chose them.

The word “sons” is from huios. Strictly speaking, this refers to a male child. However, it is often used in the New Testament as a reference to a child without reference to gender.

Meaning Explained

Paul has been demonstrating to his readers that God is clearly sovereign in His choice of whom He will bless and who will be cast into hellfire. He has made it very clear that it is God’s choice regarding who will receive righteousness and who will receive condemnation. In the previous verse he quoted Hosea 2:23 in which God proclaims that He will call them His people who were previously not His people. That is, Hosea was prophesying that non-Jews would be proclaimed as God’s people. He now quotes another passage from Hosea. This time he is quoting Hosea 1:10 which says,

Yet the number of the sons of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God.

One of the really significant things about Paul’s quoting these passages is the fact that Hosea was a prophet to whom God gave direction to marry a prostitute and to raise his children as if they were illegitimate children. This was done as a sign to the Jews that God was displeased with their following after other gods (which God considers harlotry). Here’s what God tells us in Hosea 1:2:

The beginning of Jehovah speaking by Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take to yourself a wife of adultery and children of adultery. For the land has utterly gone lusting away from Jehovah.

Because of this warning from God, the Children of Israel were told that God would one day call those who were not His people (Gentiles) as the sons of the Living God. Paul is now demonstrating to the Jewish Christians in Rome that this prophecy is being fulfilled in the choosing of the Gentiles as well as Jews in the church age. In Hosea’s time the Jews were required to worship at the temple in Jerusalem on given occasions at prescribed times of the year. But now, because Hosea’s prophecy is fulfilled, we can worship God anywhere and do so through faith, not deeds of legalism.

Paul will further show in the coming verses that this calling of the Gentiles will not be through the works of the Law or church rituals but by the justification through faith that he has talked about in the earlier chapters of this letter.

Application

The Jews were required to worship in Jerusalem and follow a prescribed set of rituals. Those who are chosen of God today must worship in spirit and truth, but they can do so anywhere. As those who are called the children of the living God, we are spread throughout the world to proclaim the gospel truth.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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