katanoeo – Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 4:19 – Faith, Long and Strong

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Will

And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

Truth to Learn

Abraham’s faith was strong, even after having waited 20 years.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “weak” is astheneō, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and sthenos, which refers to “bodily vigor or bodily strength.” Hence, this word means “without bodily strength.”

“Consider” is translated from the verb katanoeō. This is also a compound word which is made up of kata, used as an intensifier, and noeō, meaning “to think.” This word refers to more than just a passing thought. It means “to observe, to contemplate, or to have regard to.” We could paraphrase this part of the verse as “he didn’t give thought to the fact that he was no longer able to father children.”

Meaning Explained

There is a subtlety in this verse that you may not have seen before. In the previous verse we talked about Abraham’s absolute certainty that God would fulfill His promise to him. He was about 80 years old when God promised him that he would have as many descendants as the stars in the sky. This is talked about in Genesis 15:5,6.

The current verse says that Abraham was not weak in his faith, which was proved by the fact that Abraham didn’t even consider the fact that his own body was already dead. Now, this doesn’t mean that Abraham was dead; it means that his body was past the point of fathering children. This verse (along with Genesis 21:5) says that he was about 100 years old when Isaac was born.

But wait a minute! Didn’t we just say that Abraham was about 80 when the promise was made? That means Abraham’s faith was strong even after having waited for about 20 years. Think about it! Abraham was 80 when the promise was made, and he was probably already past child producing years, yet 20 years later he still believed that God would give him a son. That’s faith that doesn’t give up!

Paul uses a bit of a play on words in this verse as well. He could have said, “And having a strong faith …” Instead, he says that Abraham was not “weak in faith.” The word translated “weak” is normally used to describe a physical condition, but Paul applies it to Abraham’s faith. In other words, he is saying, “Abraham may have had a body that was weak with regard to fathering children, but his faith was not weak like his body.”

What is even more amazing is what was pointed out in yesterday’s verse. Abraham was about 100 when Isaac was born (Sarah was about 90). Sarah died when she was 127 years old, which would make Abraham about 137 years old (Genesis 23:1,2). After Sarah died, Abraham married a woman named Keturah (Genesis 25:1,2), and he fathered at least six more children with her! Abraham didn’t consider the fact that he was too old to father children; neither did God!

Application

Have you been waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you? Are you willing to wait for 20 years? Are you willing to wait for the rest of your life?

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:24 – Absentminded Professor

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Will

for he studied himself, has gone away, and immediately forgot what kind of person he was.

Truth to Learn

Hearing or reading God’s Word will have no effect on our lives unless we put it into practice.

Behind the Words

In the previous verse we looked at the word for face. But the translation of that verse said, “natural face.” The word translated “natural” is the Greek word genesis. This is derived from the verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” Hence, James is talking about our “beginning face,” or our “birth face.” Hence, it means our “natural face.”

The word “studied” is translated from the verb katanoeō. This same word was used in the previous verse. The difference is that the tense of this verb here is aorist, meaning an action that took place at a point in time in the past. That is, “he studied.”

“Has gone away” is from the Greek word aperchomai, which means “to go away” or “to depart.” The significance here is that this word appears in the perfect tense implying past completed action with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the effect. He is now in a place away from the mirror.

The word translated “forgot” is epilanthanō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and lanthano, meaning “to lie hidden or concealed.” The significance here, again, is that this verb is in the aorist tense implying past action; that is to say he forgot.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse James talked about the one who hears the word but does not practice it. James said he is like a person studying his face in a mirror. In this verse he finishes the simile by saying, “For he studied himself, went away, and immediately forgot what kind of person he was.”

It is good for us to read and study the Bible and to listen to preaching and teaching taken directly from God’s Word. But, if we don’t apply the word (put into practice what we read and hear), we forget what it said to us and it does us no good.

Christ himself, in the parable of the sower and the seed, said:

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:14-19)

Application

Don’t let the busyness of this life, the cares of the world, or “stuff” rob us of the joy that comes from putting into practice the things we are taught in God’s Word!

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:23 – Studious Reflection

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Will

Because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror;

Truth to Learn

We can learn a lot about God and about ourselves by looking intently into the Word of God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “studying” is a form of the Greek word katanoeō, which is a compound word made up of kata, which means “down” but is used here as an intensifier and noeō, which means “to perceive with thought.” So, this word means “to intensely observe” or “to visually study.”

“Face” is translated from the Greek word prosōpon. This word is made up of pros, which means “toward” or “in the vicinity of” and a form of ops which literally refers to the “eyes.” Hence, this word refers to that which is in the vicinity of the eyes. It is the Greek word generally used to refer to the face.

The word translated “mirror” is a form of esoptron, made up of eis, meaning “into or unto” and a form of optomai, which means “to look” or “to perceive.” So, quite literally it is “a look-into thing.” Early English translations of the Bible translated this as “looking glass” which we refer to today as “a mirror.”

Meaning Explained

James has just instructed us to be doers (performers) of the word, not just hearers and he is now going to explain by way of example in the form of a simile. He says that if you hear the word and do not put it into practice, you are like a person who is studying himself (or herself) in a mirror. Do you ever do that? No, I don’t mean simply looking at yourself, but studying yourself. You know, checking out the blemishes, trying to decide what color your eyes really are, surveying the new laugh-lines that seem to have recently appeared, or perhaps counting the gray hairs.

The person who is not a hearer of the word doesn’t do that. They see someone else in the mirror. Instead of thinking, “Wow, God’s talking about me in that passage, I better listen up,” he or she thinks, “I wish so-and-so could hear this, they really need to hear what the Bible says about them.”

How many times have you walked out of church not remembering a thing about what the preacher just said? We’re all guilty of that at times. But how many times have you walked out of church thinking what a great message you just heard, that God was speaking directly to you? Hopefully, that happens to you on a regular basis. If so, then you are a hearer of the Word. If not, before you start church hopping in search of a better preacher, you might want to spend more time in prayer asking God to make you a better listener.

But, just because you regularly hear good preaching based solidly on what the Bible teaches, doesn’t mean that you put it into action. James is talking about a “put it into action” person.

Application

The Bible is like a mirror, indeed. It lets us see ourselves more clearly the way God sees us. And, fortunately, He is a God of grace and mercy. But the Bible also reveals to us what God wants us to be. When was the last time you saw yourself in the mirror of the Word? Do you remember what you looked like? How does that compare with what God wants you to look like?

In God's service, for His glory,