Tag: katangello

Romans 1:8 – World Renowned Faith

Posted on by Will

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Truth to Learn

Living as a Christian in the midst of paganism takes faith.

 

Behind the Words

The word “first” is translated from the Greek prōton men. The word prōton is an adverbial form of a word that means “foremost in time, place, order, or importance.” So we might easily interpret this as “of primary importance.” However, the word following prōton is men, which is often translated as “on the one hand” and is usually followed by a secondary clause indicated by the Greek word de, meaning “on the other hand.” The use of men with the word proton indicates that Paul means to say “Before I say anything else, I thank God for your faith.”

The word translated “spoken of” is katangellō, which is composed of kata, used as an intensifier, and angellō, which means “to declare a message.” Put together the word means “to proclaim loudly or to announce with celebration.” It’s not something that is just casually mentioned, but proclaimed!

 

Meaning Explained

Having completed the salutary portion of this epistle to the Christians in Rome, Paul now says a prayer of thanksgiving for them. He is thankful to God, through Jesus Christ, that the faith of the Roman Christians is a world renowned faith. Imagine that, a group of people with such a strong faith that it has been celebrated through the known world. Now that’s a witness!

Notice that it is God (the Father) that Paul prays to through Jesus (the Son). Paul does not pray to Jesus, but through Jesus. The Greek text is very clear that Paul is thankful to God through Jesus Christ. In the book of Matthew, when Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray, he instructed them:

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

We know that God listens to the heart, not to the words. But when someone begins their prayer with “Dear Jesus,” I suspect their intentions are good, but they are misinformed or uninformed. We are to pray to the Father, not the Son. There is a distinct order set-up within the Godhead with the Son willingly submitting himself to the Father and the Spirit willing submitting Himself to both the Father and the Son. It serves as an example to us of how we are to submit to authorities both within the church and in civil government. Therefore, though the Father and Jesus are equal, God has set-up a specific order. We should be directing our prayers to God the Father in the name of Jesus (with His authority) or, as Paul says it, through Jesus.

The primary subject of Paul’s prayer here is the faith of the Roman Christians. What we often overlook is that the Christians in Rome were living in one of the most pagan, Christian-hating societies that ever existed. To live a life of Christian faith in the midst of that society took a lot of faith.

 

Application

The world we live in today is becoming more and more like first century Rome every day. Everywhere we look we see signs of pagan humanism and a bias against true Christianity. To live in a world like this, submitted to the one true God, takes faith and not just a little bit. How strong is your faith?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 2:1 – Not Eloquent Preaching

Posted on by Will

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

Truth to Learn

Paul did not depend on eloquence to get his message across.

Behind the Words

The words “when I came” are from the verb erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having come.”

“Excellence” is translated from the Greek word huperochē. This word is based on the verb huperechō, which is made up of huper, meaning “above” and echō, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Huperechō, therefore, means “to hold above,” “to make prominent,” or “to hold oneself as superior to others.”

Katangellō is the verb translated “declaring.” It is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and angellō, meaning “to deliver a message.” Thus, katangellō means “to declare a message openly and with authority.”

The word translated “testimony” is marturion, which refers to “a witness” or “a testimony.” However, the best Greek texts have the word musterion. It is based on the verb mueō, which means “to close” or “to initiate.” It is an allusion to the mystery religions of the day where secret knowledge was revealed only to those who have been initiated into the religion.

Meaning Explained

Having spent the better part of chapter one on the divisions within the Corinthian church, Paul now will contrast the mode and style of his preaching with those of worldly preachers. It appears that the Christians in Corinth were attracted to eloquent, philosophical preachers who tickled the ears of the congregation with well-turned phrases and rhetorical devices.

That had not been Paul’s purpose or method, however. His own method of preaching may have seemed base or lacking in style, but he stayed true to the content of his preaching. You may recall from the introductory notes on this letter, that Corinth was an exceedingly rich and wicked city. The members of the Corinthian church had grown up amidst such worldliness and had a difficult time letting go of their worldly ways. Because of this, they were attracted to the type of people and the style of teaching that was a hallmark of Greek society.

Please don’t misunderstand the message here. Paul is not condemning those who are gifted preachers. We even noted in our discussion of 1 Corinthians 1:27, that Paul used a well-constructed rhetorical argument to refute the supposed wisdom of the Greek orators and philosophers of that day. However, what he is declaring here is that the message is far more important than the methods of preaching. Paul’s method and message are to simply and plainly declare his testimony, or witness, concerning Jesus Christ.

Paul’s preaching and teaching were singularly focused on Jesus Christ and the implication for all mankind of His death and subsequent resurrection. He avoided philosophical arguments and, as we will learn in tomorrow’s verse, preached “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Application

What is it that you appreciate about the messages you hear at your church every week? Is it the humorous stories you hear, the captivating style of the preaching, or is it the messages centered on the truths of the Bible and Jesus Christ crucified?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved