last – Ministry of Grace Church

who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

Truth to Learn

God is guarding our salvation and will not allow it to be lost.

Behind the Words

“Kept” is translated from the Greek word phroureō, which is a compound of pro, meaning “in front of or before” and horao, meaning “to stare at or to attend to.” Hence, this word means “to be a watcher in front of,” that is “to guard something” like a soldier keeps guard as a protector. This verb is expressed in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, which indicates current, ongoing action.

The word translated “power” is dunamis, from which we get our English word dynamite. It refers to “the ability to do something,” or “power.”

“Ready” is from the Greek word hetoimos, which refers to “a state of readiness or preparedness.”

Apokaluptō is the word translated “revealed.” It is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” Thus, apokaluptō, literally means “to remove a covering” or “to reveal what was hidden,”

The word “last” is translated from eschatos, meaning “the farthest, most remote, or final.” This is a reference to the end of time as we know it when eternity will be ushered in.

Meaning Explained

The first thing we have to do with this verse is determine who Peter is talking about. The “who” of this verse is a reference to the ones identified in verse three where he said:

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Thus, we see that the “who” refers to we who are saved and “begotten” of God. This verse is an extension of the previous verse and serves to corroborate and reinforce what was said there. What Peter is telling us is that through our faith, God guards us with the end result being our salvation which will be revealed at the end of time. Since there is no one stronger than God, he will not lose us. Even we are not able to escape his guardianship ourselves. We could not walk away even if we wanted to because He is guarding us (we cannot lose or give-up this salvation which He has given us and which He is guarding.)

Compare this with what is said in the following verses:

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! (2 Timothy 4:18)

So we see that the first 5 verses of 1 Peter are a strong treatise on the doctrines of election and eternal security. It seems amazing to me that there are so many Christians who refuse to believe the message God has clearly given us regarding these two doctrines. We want to believe in eternal security though we don’t feel like we deserve it because we’re so sinful; and we don’t want to believe in election because we feel like it isn’t fair! The truth of the matter is that it isn’t fair and we don’t deserve it. We deserve eternal punishment in Hell. But, as Paul teaches us in the book of Ephesians:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Application

Instead of getting hung-up about the doctrines of election and eternal security, we simply need to accept these teachings by faith and humbly praise God continually for His mercy and grace!

In God's service, for His glory,

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their rust will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

Truth to Learn

What we view as treasure indicates where our heart’s desire is.

Behind the Words

“Corroded” is translated from the Greek verb katioō, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” and the verb form of ios, meaning “rust” or “corrosion.” Hence, it means “to rust down” or “to rust away completely.” This verb is expressed in the perfect tense; therefore, its meaning is, “Your gold and silver have rusted away and are now completely corroded.”

“Witness” is from marturion, which is the noun form of the verb martureō, meaning “to give testimony” or “to be a witness.”

The words “heaped up” are translated from thēsauridzō, which is the verb form of thēsauros, meaning “treasure” and from which we get our English word Thesaurus, meaning a treasury of words. The word thēsauridzō, therefore, refers to the stockpiling or treasuring up of goods simply for the pleasure of having it.

The Greek word translated “last” is eschatos, which is a superlative meaning “final” or “extreme last.” The study of prophesy of future things and the last days of mankind is known as eschatology.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse James talked about the perishable items which rich people were storing up and how such hoarding is futile because these riches will rot and become moth eaten. Now he talks about two of the precious metals which are most often used for coinage. They are used for this purpose because, among other things, they resist corrosion. Gold, in its purest form in fact, does not corrode at all and silver only slightly.

Does God not understand chemistry? Is James mistaken? Since gold and silver don’t corrode, and even if they did they would not eat flesh like fire, this passage must be viewed metaphorically. James is saying that, in a spiritual sense, any gold and silver that is hoarded will waste away and produce a cancerous effect on those who rely on such “riches.”

And, based on the verses that will follow, it appears that James is alluding to the final judgment of mankind. At that Great White Throne, Jesus will condemn the rich people for the way they have obtained their wealth and for hoarding it to themselves rather than using it for the good of mankind and the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

Application

We can’t take our earthly wealth with us when we appear before our God, but we can lay up treasures in heaven by utilizing the wealth, talent, and time that God has given us on this earth for Godly purposes. What we do with our possessions is a direct indication of where our heart truly is. Christ Himself said it this way in Matthew 6:19-21:

Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But treasure up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not dig through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Where is your heart?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: last

1 Peter 1:5 – Guardian of Salvation

James 5:3 – Your Treasury Focus