Tag: kenoo

Romans 4:14 – Precious Promise

Posted on by Will

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been made of no effect and the promise been made useless,

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes either by faith or by works, not both.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “of no effect” is kenoō, which means “to make empty, to neutralize, or to make false.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to faith.

“Made useless” is translated from the Greek word katargeō. This is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and argeō, meaning “to be idle.” Hence it means “to render totally inactive, to be completely idle, or to become absolutely useless.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to the promise.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now argues the other side of the fence. Having shown that it is through faith that God reckons righteousness, he now makes a counter statement regarding righteousness through obedience.

He says that if righteousness, being an heir of the world (which was promised to Abraham), is achieved by obedience (obeying the law or any other set of rules), then nothing is accomplished by faith, and God’s promise is useless. After all, what value is there in a promised gift to someone if someone else can attain the same thing by working for it?

Do you understand? What value is there in a promise regarding any unearned future gift if that same thing can be earned? Paul says it makes faith “of no effect.” That is, faith would become void of any meaning, hollow, and empty if righteousness can be earned by works. Not only that, but Paul says that the promise that God made to Abraham would be “made useless.” It would become absolutely useless and serve no purpose at all.

What Paul is demonstrating is how righteousness by faith and righteousness by obedience are complete opposites. You can’t have both and you can’t have a combination of the two, it has to be one or the other. Either a person is made righteous by obedience or he is made righteous by faith. This is particularly significant when you consider what Paul told us previously:

As it is written: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one seeking God. They all turned away; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)

Faith is a matter of believing, while obedience to the law is a matter of doing. Since none of us is righteous based on our doing (works), our only hope for righteousness (and salvation) is through faith. This renders that righteousness very precious because it can’t be earned; it can only be given to us:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

Let’s thank God for this precious righteousness by faith!

 

Application

If you believe that Christ’s death on the cross paid for your sins, then God has declared you to be righteous; you are saved from your sins. How precious does that salvation feel now?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:17 – Preach The Good News

Posted on by Will

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Truth to Learn

All Christians need to share the gospel message to others.

Behind the Words

“Send” is translated from the Greek word apostellō. This word is composed of apo, meaning “off” or “away from” and the verb stellō, which means “to set,” “to send,” or “to appoint to a position.” The word apostellō means “to appoint to a position and send away on a specific mission.”

The words “preach the gospel” are from euangelidzō. This word is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and angellō, meaning “to tell” or “to proclaim.” Thus, euangelidzō means “to proclaim goodness” or “to proclaim the good news.”

Sophia is the word translated “wisdom.” In classical Greek, this word refers to the knowledge and experience of respected philosophers and truly learned men. In the New Testament, however, it nearly always denotes “a genuine fear of God and an understanding of His ways.” In today’s verse it is used with more of a classical meaning, referring to human learning and experience rather than godly wisdom.

“Should be made of no effect” is translated from mē followed by a form of kenoō. Mē means “no” or “not” and kenoō means “to make empty or void.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now explains why he didn’t do very much baptizing while he was ministering in Corinth. Basically, he says that it’s not what he was called to do. He is not declaring that baptism is not important, just that it wasn’t part of his initial calling, which he received from Christ:

But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. (Acts 26:16)

In fact, Paul considers his central mission of evangelizing the unsaved to be so important to him that he felt obligated to do it:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

He also declares an important aspect of preaching the gospel message. He says that sharing the good news of salvation through faith in Christ does not require “wisdom of words.” That is to say, preaching the gospel is not something that requires eloquence or fancy sermons laced with humorous examples or clever application. The preaching of the gospel message is a matter of simply and clearly declaring that we all are sinners condemned to death, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, and whoever believes shall be saved from that death sentence.

Application

We have not all experienced a miraculous appearance of Christ telling us to preach the gospel like Paul did on the road to Damascus, but we have all been commissioned to declare the good news and to make disciples. We have not all been given the spiritual gift of evangelism, but we have all been commissioned to share the gospel. When was the last time you shared the truth of salvation? It is the greatest gift we can offer to anyone, whether they accept it or not. Share the good news!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved