Tag: kauchaomai

Romans 5:11 – Bragging Rights

Posted on by Will

And not only that, but we also are rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Truth to Learn

We have the right to rejoice and brag about God our Father.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “rejoicing” is the Greek word kauchaomai. This word is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which vain people are apt to carry in a proud manner. Hence, the meaning has come to be recognized as “prideful or boastful either in a good or a bad sense.” As a result, some interpret this word as meaning to rejoice in a celebratory manner.

The word translated “we have now received” is lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.” It is expressed in the aorist indicative tense indicating something that was completed at a point in time in the past.

“Reconciliation” is from the Greek word katallagē, which is based on the verb katallassō, meaning “to exchange or to restore to a former state.” Hence, katallagē refers to “a restoration or a reconciliation.”

 

Meaning Explained

Not only have we been justified by the death of Jesus and we will be saved from the wrath of God by the life of Jesus, but we now are rejoicing in God because of it, according to Paul.

My friends, Christians should be the most joy-filled and rejoicing people on the face of the earth! Why? Because we have been justified (declared righteous) by God and have been promised that we will not suffer His wrath in the future. This justification allows us to fellowship with Almighty God right now, and the promise allows us to patiently endure the trials of this life knowing that we will not see His wrath.

But, I believe the root meaning of the word kauchaomai (to boast or to brag) is what Paul is trying to show us. There isn’t a child alive who, because he or she loves his or her father, won’t brag about him to his or her friends. It’s a natural thing to do. Christians, because we no longer have to fear the wrath of God (our Father), will naturally boast or brag about the greatness, the power, the infinite wisdom, the grace, the love … (I could go on for quite a while) of our Father. And we do so through the person of Jesus Christ who is the visible manifestation of the Father, for Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Finally, Paul says that it is through Jesus Christ that we have received the reconciliation. Don’t miss this, now! The Greek verb lambanō, translated “received,” is in the aorist tense. In Greek that means action that was completed at a point in time in the past. Paul says that now, at the present time, we have already received the reconciliation (completed at a point in time in the past). That’s why we can boast about Him, because we are now, and always will be, reconciled with, and at peace with, our Heavenly Father. And since we are reconciled with Him and will never have to know His wrath, we brag about Him as the greatest there ever was or ever could be!

 

Application

The next time you sing a song of praise to God, remember that we have eternal bragging rights. We can brag about our Father and rejoice because we have been completely reconciled to Him, forever and ever!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 2:23 – Walk the Walk!

Posted on by Will

You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

Truth to Learn

Christianity is faith in action, not just good sounding words.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “boast” is kauchaomai. Some Greek Lexicons indicate that this is derived from auchen, meaning “a neck,” which boastful people hold in a proud manner. The verb kauchaomai means “to boast” used both in a good or bad sense.

“Dishonor” is from atimadzō, which is a compound word made up of the privative a, implying negation or “without” and a form of timē, which means “honor.” Hence, the verb atimadzō means “to dishonor” or “to cause a loss of dignity.”

The word “breaking” is translated from parabasis. This is another compound word which is made up of para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and a form of bainō, meaning “to go.” Hence, parabasis literally means “to go beyond” or “to transgress.” It expresses the sense of going beyond a limit that has been established by the law. This is different from the word hamartia, typically translated “sin,” which means “to miss the mark.” The difference is that a person can sin without being under an express command or law, but he or she can only transgress (or break) a specific law or set of commands.

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is very clear and very simple. The Jewish Christians in Rome believed strongly in the Law and even boasted about having received it from God and of knowing it through God’s revelation. This was God honoring … in word! At the same time, by their disobedience of the Law they caused dishonor to God … in deed.

Even today it’s fairly easy to learn the language of the Christian faith and to talk the talk. I’m sure we have all met people who know all the right things to say at all the appropriate times. They can quote Scripture with ease and recite Biblical stories in excruciating detail. They are quick to demonstrate their knowledge with relevant facts and figures. In some cases they may even be teaching a Sunday school class, helping others learn the facts. The problem comes when these people do not demonstrate their knowledge by their actions. They don’t walk the walk. As a result, instead of being a shining example of Christianity in action, they are an embarrassment to those of us who know and love the Savior, and they dishonor the God they claim to serve.

The Apostle John, in teaching what true love is all about, warned us to love in deed, not just in word:

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.  (1John 3:18)

It’s important to know what the Bible teaches, and it’s particularly refreshing when we meet someone who can make Biblical truths easily understandable. It’s even more important to be a living example of Christianity.

 

Application

We who have been washed clean by the blood of Christ and who have the entire Bible at our disposal, give worship, praise, and honor to God … in word!

But, do we at the same time by our sinfulness, selfishness, and lack of faith dishonor the God we love … in deed?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:9 – Unearned and Secure

Posted on by Will

not of works, that no one may boast.

Truth to Learn

We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.

 

Behind the Words

“Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely.

The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”

“That” is from the Greek conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.”

 “No one” is translated from two Greek words, mē, which indicates a conditional negation and tis, which is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or “anything.” It is variously translated as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.” The combination of these two words can be translated as “not anyone” or “no one.”

The words “may boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is not happening but has the possibility or probability of happening.

 

Meaning Explained

In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace. Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God. We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he completes that thought.

Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to receiving it as a gift:

Now to him who is working, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who is not working but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)

This is a clear statement of the doctrine of election which goes hand-in-hand with the doctrine of eternal security. If we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.

 

Application

The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it once we have it – ever!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:16 – Stealing Credit from God

Posted on by Will

But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Truth to Learn

Claiming credit for your own success is vicious thievery.

Behind the Words

The words “boast” and “boasting” are both translated from forms of kauchaomai, which means “to glory” or “to celebrate.” It implies making great, joyous exclamations about someone or something. As such, it is sometimes translated as “rejoice.”

“Arrogance” is translated from the Greek word alodzonia, which refers to boasting or bragging about something that one does not possess. It is derived from the word alē, which means a “wandering or roaming,” which is applied to a vagabond or quack who wanders around making empty claims about cures or miracles which he cannot perform. Hence, alodzonia refers specifically to baseless, arrogant boasting or bragging, taking credit for that which God has caused to occur.

The word “evil” is from ponēros, referring to evil actions. This word is different from kakos, meaning intrinsically or inherently worthless or evil. Ponēros refers to the evil effect or evil influence of an action. Hence, it carries the idea of “malicious” or “vicious.”

Meaning Explained

In this chapter of James’ letter, he is focusing on interpersonal issues, showing us what the sources of such problems really are. He talked about the fact that fighting and battling is caused by selfish desires to have “stuff.” He told us that the reason we don’t have is because we don’t ask God, and when we do ask God for things we don’t get them because we ask selfishly, trying to satisfy our own desires. Instead, James told us that we need to humble ourselves before Almighty God, recognizing Him as our supreme authority and source of all good things.

Then, James told us not to talk evil about each other (within the body of Christ) because in doing so we take on the role of judge regarding things of which only God is a righteous judge. When we focus on the missteps of others, we lose sight of the fact that we have just as many missteps ourselves and are, therefore, unworthy to judge others. It is the denial of our own unrighteousness that causes us to accuse our brothers and sisters of unrighteousness.

Finally, James has talked about the arrogance of those who believe that they are themselves responsible for the degree of success that they have attained in this world. They selfishly plan for future success giving no heed to the fact that it is God, and God alone, who is responsible for their success. He says here that when we celebrate our own success and brag about what we have accomplished, we are maliciously taking the rightful credit away from God.

As you can see, all these interpersonal issues are the result of us focusing on ourselves, believing that we are responsible and in control. The only way to eliminate these problems is to humble ourselves before God and recognize that He is the source of all that we have and all that we are.

Application

Do you get it yet? Do you see that the reason you are having relationship problems, or you are not being successful in life, is not because God doesn’t care? God does care! But He wants you to humble yourself and give Him the reins of your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 1:9 – Humble Exaltation

Posted on by Will

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,

Truth to Learn

Being poor and unimportant is humbling. As a Christian, you have been elevated to the position of a child of God. God’s children are neither unimportant or poor.

Behind the Words

The word translated “humble” is the word tapeinos which means “not rising far off the ground” and metaphorically means one who is “depressed, humbled, or lowly.” In this verse it is expressed as “the brother, the lowly one.” This word order emphasizes the fact that he is a brother, not of physical relation but of spiritual relation as a child of God, and only secondarily that he is lowly.

“Glory” is translated from kauchaomai which can mean “to boast” or “to glory,” either in a good sense or a bad sense. In this verse it is used in a good sense. Once again, we see James using the imperative mood of the verb indicating a command of encouragement, therefore, the translation “glory” is most appropriate.

The word translated “exaltation” is hupsos which is from the root huper or hyper meaning “over or above.” It refers to a position of elevation or dignity, so it could be translated as being “elevated” or “lifted up.”

Meaning Explained

This verse seems to introduce a new topic for James, and yet it should be tied in to the previous section, particularly with:

My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, (James 1:2)

Although there is some disagreement as to what James meant by “lowly,” it seems most natural that he is making a reference to a Christian brother who does not have riches or who has a lowly station in life. This is based primarily on the fact that in the next verse James speaks to the one who has much of the world’s goods, that is, a rich person. The thesis of this entire section of James’ letter is that we should find delight in trials and among the most difficult trials are being in poverty and/or lacking health.

Being poor can be humbling and at times it can even be humiliating. James commands those of us who are in a humble station in life to glory in it. His reason for glorying is that the lowly person is actually elevated, or lifted up, by God when he becomes a Christian. In Christ we are all on the same level and God receives the glory.

If you read the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) you will see that while on this earth the rich man had all this world had to offer, while Lazarus had nothing, not even health. After death, because of his faith, Lazarus was elevated to an exalted position by the side of Abraham, while the rich man, due to his lack of faith, was reduced to the torment of hell fire.

Application

If you are lacking in the things that this world has to offer, then you know how humbling it can be. Instead of complaining about it, however, you should give God the glory for raising you up in Christ Jesus and making you His child.

One day when this life is over, you will assuredly give glory to God for His having made you His child! Why not do it now!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 3:21 – Focus on Him

Posted on by Will

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:

Truth to Learn

We need to keep our focus on God and humbly serve Him.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word hōste. This word is made up of hōs, meaning “as” and the particle te, meaning “and” which serves to connect the following clause more closely to the previous one. As a result, this word means “therefore, accordingly, and so, or thus.”

The word “boast” is from kauchaomai, which means “to boast, to glory, or to exult,” either in a good manner or bad. In this verse, it is used in a bad sense, meaning “to brag without reason.”

The word translated “all things” is translated from the Greek word pas, meaning “all” or “every.” It is expressed here in the neuter plural, so it means “all things” or “everything.”

“Are” is from the verb of being, eimi. It is expressed in the second person singular, so the last part of this verse could be translated, “For everything is yours.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous three verses, Paul was speaking to the teachers in the church in Corinth, warning them not to depend on worldly techniques in their teaching. In this and the following two verses, he is speaking to all of us. Paul’s entire letter up to this point has been centered on the fact that there were divisions in the church because people placed the importance of one teacher over another. They had been bragging about who the real leader was and identifying themselves with him. Back in 1 Corinthians 1:12, Paul said:

Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."

When we put too much importance on the messenger instead of the message, we take the credit away from God and give it to men. In his second letter to this church, quoting Proverbs 27:2, Paul says:

But "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (2 Corinthians 10:17)

And, in his letter to the Christians in Galatia, Paul says:

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ … (Galatians 6:14a)

The Corinthian Christians were focused on people and things of this world instead of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul now tells them (and us) that boasting in men is wrong because all believers share equally in the grace of God and the gifts He has given us for building up the church. Some people in the church have a more prominent position, while others work behind the scenes. It doesn’t matter whether we are up front preaching to thousands of people or sweeping floors and emptying trash. Our focus needs to be on God, we need to be focused on Him and serve Him with all our heart.

Application

Don’t place too much importance on other people within the church or the gifts that God has given them. Instead, humbly serve God in the task He has assigned you and gifted you for.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 1:31 – Where’s Your Focus

Posted on by Will

that, as it is written, "he who glories, let him glory in the Lord."

Truth to Learn

The focus of our life needs to be on God, not the things of man.

Behind the Words

The words “it is written” are translated from the Greek verb graphō , which literally means “to grave,” that is, to carve. It is the most ancient form of writing. In first century common usage, it refers to any kind of writing. It is written here in the perfect tense, so it means “it was written in the past and, therefore, it is written (as a confirmed statement of fact).”

The words “glories” and “glory” are both from the verb kauchaomai. A couple of verses back we learned that this word means “to boast, brag, or have pride.”

The word “Lord” is from kurios, which is based on kuros, meaning “might, power, or control.” Kurios refers to someone who has supreme authority or control over someone else.

Meaning Explained

The divisions within the church in Corinth sprang-up primarily from people bragging about who their leader was:

For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:11-12)

This greatly troubled Paul. He was not troubled because some of them claimed to follow someone else rather than him. That would have indicated selfishness on his part. Paul was troubled because it showed that the Corinthians were more focused on things of man than things of God. It also meant that they were following after men of wisdom, power, and eloquence, which is not what Paul wanted nor is it what God wants.

Paul may have seen in the Corinthian Christians what God saw in the Israelites. After all the miracles that God had performed for them and after all the blessings that He bestowed on them, they turned their backs on God and began following after the false gods and idols of the people in the land into which God had led them. They had utterly turned from the one true God and placed more importance on wisdom, power, and riches than in God. As a result, before God judged the Israelites and had them carried off into Babylon, he sent them a warning through the Prophet Jeremiah, who said:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

This is the passage that Paul is quoting to the Corinthians and it is a stern warning to them, and to us.

Application

What is the central object of your life? Is it to gain wealth, power, or wisdom? Or, is your life singularly focused on serving God to demonstrate how grateful you are for all that He has done for you? That’s a question that we all have to answer!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 1:29 – God Deserves the Glory

Posted on by Will

that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Truth to Learn

God deserves the praise for who we are and what we have.

Behind the Words

“That” is translated from the Greek word hopōs, which is an adverb of manner. The basic meaning of this word is, “in what manner, how, or so that.”

The Greek word translated “flesh” is sarx. This word specifically refers to the “flesh of a living being,” as opposed to the word kreas, which refers to “the flesh of a dead animal” or “meat.” Metaphorically, sarx refers to the physical being of a man as opposed to the immaterial soul or spirit.

Kauchaomai is the verb translated “glory.” Some sources claim that it is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which some self-righteous people hold in a proud manner. Kauchaomai means “to boast, brag, or have pride.” In the New Testament, it is used both in a good sense and in a bad sense.

The words “in … presence” are from enōpion. It is made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of ōps, which refers to “the eyes.” Whereas this word literally means “in the eyes of,” it is most often translated as “in the presence of.”

Meaning Explained

In this first chapter of his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul is specifically addressing the problem of divisions within the church, which he first introduced in verse ten:

Now I plead with you, brethren … that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together …

The divisions within the church were caused by people claiming to follow certain gifted and respected leaders within the church. The Corinthians even boasted about who they followed. As a result, Paul spent most of the previous nineteen verses showing that worldly wisdom, education, and social rank have no influence with God. He then went on to show that not only does God not show any special favor to the rich, powerful, and famous, He actually focuses his grace primarily on those of us who are nobodies in the eyes of the world.

People who have made a name for themselves through hard work, education, political maneuvering, or social standing, all have one thing in common: they take pride in their attainment. They believe that they have risen to their position of importance because of who they are or what they have done. This self-pride, in return, takes the credit away from God. However, the Prophet Jeremiah said this:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

What we have to recognize is that everything that we are and everything that we have comes from God. Therefore, He deserves to get the credit for it all.

Application

Let us give humble thanks to God for everything that we are and everything that we have. He doesn’t make mistakes, so no matter what our position in life, God deserves all the credit for who we are and what we have accomplished.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

Ephesians 2:9 – Unearned and Secure

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 2:9  – Unearned and Secure

not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Truth to Learn

We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.

Behind the Words

“Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely.

The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”

“Lest” is from two Greek words. The first is the conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.” The second Greek word is mē, which indicates a conditional negation.

“Anyone” is translated from tis, which is an indefinite pronoun. It is variously translated as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.”

The words “should boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is not happening but might have the possibility of happening.

Meaning Explained

In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace. Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God. We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he completes that thought.

Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to receiving it as a gift:

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)

Now, if we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.

Application

The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it once we have it – ever!

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: