Tag: katakauchaomai

Romans 11:18 – No Proud Branches

Posted on by Will

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, notice that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Truth to Learn

We should not boast about ourselves or our position, because it is God who is responsible for who and what we are.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “boast” is the Greek word katakauchaomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “against” and a form of kouchaomai which means “to boast.” Hence, this word means “to boast against.” Webster defines the word “boast” as “To brag, or vaunt one's self; to make an ostentatious display, in speech, of one's own worth, property, or actions.” Katakauchaomai is expressed here in the middle person (indicating action done to oneself), and the imperative mood (indicating a command). It is preceded by the word mē, a conditional negative particle. As we have pointed out previously, word order in Greek is used for emphases. The fact that mē precedes katakauchaomai indicates emphasis on mē. Therefore, we could translate this as “Stop boasting about yourself!” We could paraphrase it as, “Get out of the habit of boasting about yourself against the branches!”

“Support” is from the Greek word bastadzō, which is derived from basis, meaning “foot.” Bastadzō refers to “lifting something up and placing it on a solid footing.” As it is used here, it refers to something that is providing both support and sustenance.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking metaphorically about an olive tree; a tree which gets its holiness from the root. In the previous verse he talked about the natural branches being broken off and the Gentiles being grafted in. Obviously, the tree represents God’s family. It began with the Jews (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and from this tree came the Messiah, Himself.

Paul will declare in verse twenty that the branches that were broken off were broken off because of unbelief. That is, the Jews were rejected because they did not believe the Messiah when He came. And because of their unbelief, the gospel was subsequently proclaimed to the Gentiles (by the Apostles, who were Jews).

Paul now warns us Gentile believers not to boast against the Jews. What he is saying is, in effect, “Don’t consider yourselves more worthy than the Jews, who were rejected.” The reason he tells us not to boast is because we are not the ones who sustain the root (God), but it is the root that sustains and supports us. You see, we didn’t graft ourselves into the tree, God engrafted us. We were not of the original family of blessing (the Jews), and we have done nothing to make ourselves worthy of being included in their blessings.

Remember that it is God who is the author and finisher of our faith. He chose us, we did not choose Him. He is the one who declared us righteous; we did not earn our righteousness. Without God’s action we are nothing and we are destined for Hell because of our lack of righteousness. We have absolutely nothing to boast about.

 

Application

Let me ask you, “Have you ever met a proud Christian?” That’s a contradiction of terms, isn’t it?

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up in due time, (I Peter 5:6)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 2:13 – Merciless Judgment

Posted on by Will

For judgment will be without mercy to the one not having shown mercy. Mercy rejoices over judgment.

Truth to Learn

Our merciful actions in this life will have eternal results.

Behind the Words

The word “judgment” is translated from krisis, which literally refers to a separation, hence a dividing between two things, or a judgment.

“Without mercy” is translated from anileōs, which is made up of the negative particle a, meaning “not” or “without” and hileōs, meaning “merciful.” Hence, it means “not merciful.”

The word translated “mercy” in the last two instances of this verse is translated from eleos, meaning “compassion.” There is a subtle difference between hileōs identified above and this word. Whereas hileōs (mercy) refers to the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, eleos (compassion) refers to a feeling of deep sympathy for the unfortunate condition of another and to be kind and forgiving as a result.

Katakauchaomai is the Greek word translated “rejoices.” It is composed of kata, meaning “against” and kauchaomai, meaning “to boast” of “to rejoice.” It literally means “to speak loudly against, to boast against, or to rejoice against.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, James talked about those who will be judged by the law of liberty (Christians). He pointed out that we should act in a righteous way because we are free to do so. In this verse he says that compassion is one form of that righteous action and it will defend us when our works are judged.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said a similar thing to what James is saying here:

“Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

James is talking about those of us who are under the law of liberty, that is, Christians. All unsaved people will appear before the Great White Throne judgment (Revelations 20:11-15) where their sins will be judged. They will be condemned to the Lake of Fire because they are sinful, not righteous. Christians, on the other hand, will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ where our works will be judged. Our sins will not be judged there, because they were all judged at the cross. The works that we do in the name of Christ, including being compassionate to the poor and oppressed of this world, will result in rewards for the believer. All other works will be burned up without mercy.

So, what James is saying is that if you are truly saved, you are no longer a slave to sin and you should be practicing righteousness, mercy, and love. If you are not saved, you cannot practice these because you are a slave to sin.

Application

When was the last time you had an opportunity to show mercy to someone else? No, I’m not referring to putting some spare change in the kettle at Christmas time. I’m talking about not taking action against someone who wronged you, even though you have the right and the opportunity to do so. Let’s all look for opportunities to be compassionate and merciful.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:18 – No Proud Branches

Posted on by Will

Romans 11:18 – No Proud Branches

do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Truth to Learn

We should not boast about ourselves or our position, because it is God who is responsible for who and what we are.

Behind the Words

The word translated “boast” is the Greek word katakauchaomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “against” and a form of kouchaomai which means “to boast.” Hence, this word means “to boast against.” Webster defines the word “boast” as “To brag, or vaunt one’s self; to make an ostentatious display, in speech, of one’s own worth, property, or actions.” Katakauchaomai is expressed here in the middle person (indicating action done to oneself), and the imperative mood (indicating a command). It is preceded by the word mē, a conditional negative particle. As we have pointed out previously, word order in Greek is used for emphases. The fact that mē precedes katakauchaomai indicates emphasis on mē. Therefore, we could translate this as “Stop boasting about yourself!” We could paraphrase it as, “Get out of the habit of boasting about yourself against the branches!”

“Support” is from the Greek word bastadzō, which is derived from basis, meaning “foot.” Bastadzō refers to “lifting something up and placing it on a solid footing.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking metaphorically about an olive tree; a tree which gets its holiness from the root. In the previous verse he talked about the natural branches being broken off and the Gentiles being grafted in. Obviously, the tree represents God’s family. It began with the Jews (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and from this tree came the Messiah, Himself.

Paul will declare in verse twenty that the branches that were broken off were broken off because of unbelief. That is, the Jews were rejected because they did not believe the Messiah when He came. And because of their unbelief, the gospel was subsequently proclaimed to the Gentiles (by the Apostles, who were Jews).

Paul now warns us Gentile believers not to boast against the Jews. What he is saying is, in effect, “Don’t consider yourselves more worthy than the Jews, who were rejected.” The reason he tells us not to boast is because we are not the ones who sustain the root (God), but it is the root that sustains and supports us. You see, we didn’t graft ourselves into the tree, God engrafted us. We were not of the original family of blessing (the Jews), and we have done nothing to make ourselves worthy of being included in their blessings.

Remember that it is God who is the author and finisher of our faith. He chose us, we did not choose Him. He is the one who declared us righteous; we did not earn our righteousness. Without God’s action we are nothing and we are destined for Hell because of our lack of righteousness. We have absolutely nothing to boast about.

Application

Let me ask you, “Have you ever met a proud Christian?” That’s a contradiction of terms, isn’t it?

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (I Peter 5:6)

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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