Tag: katakrino

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 8:3 – Righteous Through Him

Posted on by Will

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ perfectly kept the law, thus demonstrating His righteousness, and God grants us His righteousness through faith in His sacrificial death.

 

Behind the Words

The words “could not do” are translated from a single Greek word. It is adunatos, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “without” or “not” and dunatos, meaning “powerful, able, or capable.” Hence, adunatos means “without power” or “unable.”

“Weak” is from the verb astheneō, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “without” and sthenos, meaning “strength.” Thus, it means “to be without strength” or “to be weak.”

The Greek word homoiōma is translated here as “likeness.” This word is derived from homos, which means “one and the same.” Homoiōma means “having the same form.”

The word translated “condemned” is the Greek word katakrino, which is the verb form of a word we looked at just two verses back. It means “to proclaim a judgment of condemnation against someone or something.”

 

Meaning Explained

This is another potentially very confusing verse so let’s look at it one phrase at a time. “For what the Law could not do” is a reference to what Paul has said in the seventh chapter of this letter. The Law cannot produce righteousness in man. Why? “In that it was weak through the flesh” says that the reason the law could not produce righteousness is because man tried to produce righteousness through acts of the flesh. But the flesh is weak because of the sin nature and cannot satisfy the law; therefore, the law could not produce this righteousness.

But, what the Law could not do, Paul says God sent his son to do for us: “God did by having sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” In other words, even though Christ took on human flesh, he did not take on sinful human flesh. He had the appearance of sinful flesh (that form which every member of the human race has), but He was not sinful human flesh. For emphasis, let me restate that this passage says that Christ took on human flesh, but he did not take on sinful human flesh.

God the Father sent Jesus in the form of sinful human flesh, “on account of sin;” that is, Christ came to earth and took on human flesh in order to deal with sin. He dealt with sin by living a sinless life that was then freely offered for sinful lives. Because he perfectly fulfilled the Law and committed no sin, He “condemned sin in the flesh.” In other words, in human flesh Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law and therefore made a judgment of condemnation against sin.

 

Application

Paul has been teaching us that a person cannot be justified by trying to obey the law. We have a sin nature that causes us to sin, and with a single sin we lose the righteousness that perfectly keeping the law would have provided. As a result, God had to create a way for sinful man to receive His righteousness, which can only come by faith in the blood of Christ. Thank you, God, for giving me your righteousness through faith in the sacrifice of Your perfect Son.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 2:1 – Judgmental Revelation

Posted on by Will

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, everyone who judges, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who are judging practice the same things.

Truth to Learn

Don’t be judgmental of others. It reveals your own sins.

 

Behind the Words

The expression, “without excuse” is from the Greek anapologētos, which is a compound word made up of a meaning “not or without” and a form of apologēomai, which means “to apologize or to excuse.” Anapologētos means “without excuse or inexcusable.”

“Judges” is translated from the Greek word krinō, meaning “to judge between good and evil.” It can refer equally to a judgment of innocence or of guilt.

The word “condemn” is from katakrinō, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and krinō, which we just looked at. This word means to judge against, that is, to judge as guilty.

 

Meaning Explained

Because of all that has been said up to this point, Paul says, “you are without excuse” The one who is inexcusable is the person who is judging another.

But why would Paul say that anyone who critically judges another (for that’s what kind of judgment he’s talking about) is inexcusable? Here’s why according to Paul; when we criticize others for certain sinful practices, we are condemning ourselves because we do the same thing. Paul is exposing a fact of human nature of which we are all guilty. The things that we are the harshest in condemning others about are the very things that we are guilty of doing ourselves.

He has just rattled off a whole long list of sins that come from our sin nature. At this point he says, “Now, don’t be too critical of others who do one or two of these things because they are the very things that you are guilty of.” It’s sort of like that expression, “When you point a finger at someone else, there are three others pointing back at you.”

Paul is specifically talking to the (predominantly) Jewish people in Rome who have become Christians. The Jews were particularly adept at pointing out the problems with the Gentiles and the fact that the Gentiles were not of the promised seed as the Israelites were. In the previous verses the Jews of the day would have clearly recognized the Gentiles and their rejection of God. In the following two chapters of this letter, Paul will systematically explain to these Jewish Christians that being a physical descendent of Abraham means nothing, but faith means everything.

But let us not get so caught up in condemning the Jews of the first century that we fail to recognize that we, every single one of us, are also guilty of Paul’s accusation in this verse.

 

Application

The next time you hear a brother or sister being judgmental of someone else, stop and realize that you are learning something about that brother or sister.

Even more importantly, the next time you are judgmental of someone else, stop and realize that you are telling someone else about yourself.

Ouch! That hurts, doesn’t it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 2:6 – Lulled Into Sin

Posted on by Will

And if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, incinerating them as an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Truth to Learn

It’s easy to ignore sin when everyone around is doing it.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “condemned” is katakrinō, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and krinō, meaning “to judge.” Hence, it means “to judge against.”

“Incinerating” is from the Greek word trephroō, which is derived from the noun trephra, meaning “ashes.” Hence, trephroō means “to turn into ashes” or “to incinerate.”

 

Meaning Explained

Remember what Peter has been talking about? He has been talking about the false prophets of the past and the false teachers of his time and ours. Through their smooth words they deliver a message that is designed to line their own pockets rather than to edify the body of Christ. Though they seem to be doing so with impunity, Peter said in verse 3 that their long standing judgment is not idle and their punishment is not sleeping. It is coming and they will not escape.

By way of example, Peter then talked about the angels who sinned and are now incarcerated in Tartarus as well as the wicked people of Noah’s time who perished in the flood. Today he gives a third example, that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

You can read the account of the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. There you will see that the people of Sodom had become so wicked in their sexual lusts that they had abandoned all semblance of civility, seeking to violate even strangers that wandered into their town. Spiritually, this is no different than the false teachers whom Peter has been talking about. The people of Sodom were content with their lifestyle. They saw nothing wrong with it. They even accused Lot of being a self-righteous prude because he confronted them concerning their sinful practices..

And, reading the account of Sodom and Gomorrah carefully you will see how even righteous Lot (that’s what Peter calls him in the next verse) had become calloused and even tainted by their wicked ways. Though Lot acted to protect the visitors, he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter to the lusts of the townspeople. Even his perspective had become distorted; his spiritual sensitivity had been obliterated.

Even though it appears that the townspeople were about to prevail, God’s judgment first blinded them and then destroyed them because they refused to hear the message of “repent and be saved.” They would not listen to sound teaching.

 

Application

Where are you today? Content with how easy it is to be a Christian? Have you been lulled to sleep by good sounding, easy to digest messages from the pulpit? Or are you committed to doing what is right in God’s eyes no matter what everyone around you is doing?

It’s time to wake up!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

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:

Romans 8:3 – Righteous Through Him

Posted on by Will

Romans 8:3

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ perfectly kept the law, thus demonstrating His righteousness, and God grants us His righteousness through faith in His sacrificial death.

Behind the Words

The words “could not do” are translated from a single Greek word. It is adunatos, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “without” or “not” and dunatos, meaning “powerful, able, or capable.” Hence, adunatos means “without power” or “unable.”

“Weak” is from the verb astheneō, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “without” and sthenos, meaning “strength.” Thus, it means “without strength” or “weak.”

The Greek word homoiōma is translated here as “likeness.” This word is derived from homos, which means “one and the same.” Homoiōma means “having the same form.”

The word translated “condemned” is the Greek word katakrino, which is the verb form of a word we looked at just two verses back. It means “to proclaim a judgment of condemnation against someone or something.”

Meaning Explained

This is another potentially very confusing verse so let’s look at it one phrase at a time. “For what the Law could not do” is a reference to what Paul has said in the seventh chapter of this letter. The Law cannot produce righteousness in man. Why? “In that it was weak through the flesh” says that the reason the law could not produce righteousness is because man tried to produce righteousness through acts of the flesh. But the flesh is weak because of the sin nature and cannot satisfy the law; therefore, the law could not produce this righteousness.

But, what the Law could not do, Paul says God sent his son to do for us: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” In other words, even though Christ took on human flesh, he did not take on sinful human flesh. He had the appearance of sinful flesh (that form which every member of the human race has), but He was not sinful human flesh. For emphasis, let me restate that this passage says that Christ took on human flesh, but he did not take on sinful human flesh.

God the Father sent Jesus in the form of sinful human flesh, “on account of sin;” that is, Christ came to earth and took on human flesh in order to deal with sin. He dealt with sin by living a sinless life that was then freely offered for sinful lives. Because he perfectly fulfilled the Law and committed no sin, He “condemned sin in the flesh.” In other words, in human flesh Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law and therefore made a judgment of condemnation against sin.

Application

Paul has been teaching us that a person cannot be justified by trying to obey the law. We have a sin nature that causes us to sin, and with a single sin we lose the righteousness that perfectly keeping the law would have provided. As a result, God had to create a way for sinful man to receive His righteousness, which can only come by faith in the blood of Christ. Thank you, God, for giving me your righteousness through faith in the sacrifice of Your perfect Son.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Copyright © 2010 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:e-mail address