if indeed – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: if indeed

Romans 8:17 – Suffering Heirs

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Will

and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Truth to Learn

We are God’s heirs and we will suffer for it.

Behind the Words

The word translated “heirs” is the Greek word klēronomos, which means “one who is receiving an inheritance.”

“if indeed” is translated from the Greek word eiper, which carries with it the notion of “if it is so, and it probably is.” By implication it means “since.” So, Paul is saying “since we suffer together …”

The word translated “glorified together” is sundoxadzō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and doxadzō, meaning “to give honor” or “to make glorious.” It is expressed in the passive voice indicating that it will be done to us.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we saw that it is the Spirit of God who gives witness to our spirit that we are the children of God (if we have been saved). Now Paul goes on to say that if we are children of God (as confirmed by the Holy Spirit of God living in us), then we are heirs.

Note here that only legitimate children can be heirs, and under the Jewish laws of the times adopted children were legitimate children. In fact, an adopted child could not be disowned or dis-inherited the way a natural born child could be. So the fact that we are adopted children means that our inheritance is guaranteed!

So what are we inheriting? Some say we are inheriting heaven, but that’s not all we will inherit. This verse says we are heirs (inheritors) of God himself. That is not to say that we will become gods as some religions believe. It simply means that we are heirs of the eternality of God. Just as Jesus (the man) received an eternal body and shares in eternal fellowship with God the Father, we also will receive an eternal body as God’s heirs and will share eternal fellowship with Him.

Paul now throws a bit of a wrinkle in here. He says “since we suffer together with Him, we also may be glorified together (with him).” This should be both a challenge and an encouragement to us all. It says that we will suffer as Christians! But it also says that Jesus Christ suffers with us when we suffer. Here is another verse from Paul’s second letter to Timothy that talks about that suffering:

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2Timothy 3:12)

We should be prepared to suffer because we will if we are His children and we are pursuing a godly life. But when we do, He is right there with us. He knows the most intimate details of the trials that we’re going through because He is suffering with us.

Application

If you are a Christian then you have been legally adopted into God’s family, and you are an heir to all that God has to offer. Because you are in His family, however, his enemies will hate you like they hate Him and you will suffer for it. Are you ready for that? Consider this: He suffered to pay for your sins. Are you willing to suffer for Him?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:21 – Living The Truth

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Will

if indeed you heard Him and you were taught by Him, as truth is in Jesus:

Truth to Learn

Christians know the truth and should live as such.

Behind the Words

“If indeed” is the translation of the Greek word eige, which is made up of ei, meaning “if” and ge, meaning “indeed.”

The Greek verb akouō, meaning “to hear” is translated here as “you heard.” It is expressed in the aorist tense and the indicative mood, indicating real action which occurred at a point in time in the past. Some translations have this as “you have heard,” but a more accurate translation of this word is “you heard.”

“You were taught” is from the verb didaskō, meaning “to teach.” It is expressed in the aorist tense, passive voice, and indicative mood, indicating past completed action done to the subject (you). Thus, the proper translation is “you were taught.”

“Truth” is from the Greek word alētheia which means “that which is real and true.” In the New Testament it is translated as “truth” or “reality.”

Meaning Explained

In the opening part of this verse, it may appear that Paul is questioning whether or not the Christians in Ephesus are really saved. The expression “if indeed you heard Him” seems to imply that they may not have. However, if we look at the Greek grammar of this expression, we learn something entirely different. In Greek there are four types of conditional clauses; however, only three of them appear in the New Testament. They are referred to as first class conditional, second class conditional, and third class conditional clauses. In the first class conditional clause there is an underlying assumption that the “if statement” is true. An example might be, “If you want to live, you have to keep breathing.” The assumption is that you want to live. In the second class conditional clause there is an underlying assumption that it is false. An example of this might be, “If I were you I wouldn’t do that.” The assumption is that I am not you. The third class conditional makes no assumption about the truth of the “if statement.”

Based on the grammatical structure of the “if statement” in this verse (ei used with a verb in the indicative mood), it is a first class conditional clause. In English a close approximation of the first class conditional clause would be to replace “if” with “since.” If we apply this and the translation suggestions mentioned above, this verse would read, “Since indeed you heard Him and you were taught by Him, for the truth is in Jesus.”

We who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have heard the truth, and we have believed the truth. Therefore, as Paul said in verse seventeen, we should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. We are not in the dark, and we are not blinded by Satan; therefore, we should live our lives in accordance with what God desires from us.

Application

When I was a young Christian, I heard a question that really made me think about how I live my life. It is this: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” How about you, would you be found guilty?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:21 – Living The Truth

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Will

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Truth to Learn

Christians know the truth and should live as such.

Behind the Words

“If indeed” is the translation of the Greek word eige, which is made up of ei, meaning “if” and ge, meaning “indeed.”

The Greek verb akouō, meaning “to hear” is translated here as “you have heard.” It is expressed in the aorist tense and the indicative mood, indicating real action which occurred at a point in time in the past. A more accurate translation of this word would be “you heard.”

“Have been taught” is from the verb didaskō, meaning “to teach.” It is expressed in the aorist tense, passive voice, and indicative mood, indicating past completed action done to the subject (you). Thus, a more accurate translation would be “you were taught.”

“Truth” is from the Greek word alētheia which means “that which is real and true.” In the New Testament it is translated as “truth” or “reality.”

Meaning Explained

In the opening part of this verse, it may appear that Paul is questioning whether or not the Christians in Ephesus are really saved. The expression “if indeed you have heard Him” seems to imply that they may not have. However, if we look at the Greek grammar of this expression, we learn something entirely different. In Greek there are four types of conditional clauses; however, only three of them appear in the New Testament. They are referred to as first class conditional, second class conditional, and third class conditional clauses. In the first class conditional clause there is an underlying assumption that the “if statement” is true. An example might be, “If you want to live, you have to keep breathing.” The assumption is that you want to live. In the second class conditional clause there is an underlying assumption that it is false. An example of this might be, “If I were you I wouldn’t do that.” The assumption is that I am not you. The third class conditional makes no assumption about the truth of the “if statement.”

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,