Tag: lego

Romans 9:17 – A Hardened Heart

Posted on by Will

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

Truth to Learn

God chooses to do what He does to bring glory to Himself.

 

Behind the Words

“Says” is from the Greek verb legō, which means “to lay forth, declare, or proclaim.” It is expressed here in the present tense not the past tense (the Scripture said to the Pharaoh …), thus underscoring the eternal nature of God’s word.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has demonstrated that it is God who directs the destiny of mankind. All of us deserve eternity in Hell because we are sinners; we are not righteous. God on the other hand cannot sin and cannot allow sinfulness to be in his presence. Therefore, the only way for God to have any fellowship with mankind is to choose to declare some of us righteous even though we don’t deserve it and can’t do anything to earn it.

But God’s sovereignty goes even further than choosing whom He will show His mercy to, whom He loves, and whom He hates. In order to demonstrate his sovereignty and power, God allows some to fully demonstrate their sinfulness.

God instructed Moses to go into Pharaoh’s presence and demand that he allow the Israelites to go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to God. However, Pharaoh wouldn’t allow them to go. Moses then told Pharaoh that God would visit various plagues upon Egypt. But he still would not let the Israelites go because his heart was hard. In chapters seven through fourteen, we repeatedly see the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart:

Exodus 7:14 Pharaoh's heart is hard.

Exodus 7:22 Pharaoh's heart grew hard.

Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw … he hardened his heart.

Exodus 8:32 Pharaoh hardened his heart.

Exodus 9:12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

Exodus 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw … he hardened his heart.

Exodus 10:1 the LORD said … I have hardened his heart.

Exodus 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Exodus 10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Exodus 11:10 and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart.

Exodus 14:8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.

We can see from these verses that God did not make Pharaoh evil; that was Pharaoh’s own doing (his sin nature). God simply chose not to change Pharaoh’s heart; instead, He hardened it further. It was not out of spite or malice on God’s part, it was done so that He would be glorified. That’s what Paul is referring to in the current verse when he says,

For this very purpose I raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Compare this to Isaiah 65:1 where God says,

I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' To a nation that did not call on My name.

 

Application

God can harden the heart of whomever He wants. But He can also open the spiritual eyes of a lost sinner, allowing him or her to see and believe that Christ died on the cross to pay for his or her sins. And He gets all the glory!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Luke 2:13, 14 – Singing Angels?

Posted on by Will

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace on men with whom He is pleased."

Truth to Learn

We need to believe what the Bible says, not what tradition has taught us, no matter how good it might make the story.

 

Behind the Words

“Suddenly” is translated from the Greek word exaiphnēs, which means, ”without warning” or “suddenly.”

The word “multitude” is from the Greek noun plēthos, which refers to “fullness” or “an extremely large amount.”

“Army” is translated from stratias, derived from stratos, meaning “an army.” Stratias refers to God’s army of angels.

“Praising” is from aineō, which means “to declare the praises of and to give glory to someone or something.”

The word “saying” is the Greek verb legō, which literally means “to lay forth,” that is “to verbally deliver a message.” It is not a word that means “to sing.” There are three Greek words translated “sing.” They are adō (generic word for singing), humneō (to sing hymns), and psallō (to play music on an instrument or with the voice.)

The words, “among men with whom He is pleased” are translated from the words en anthropois eudokias. The first word, en, means “in” or “on.” The word anthropois is a plural form of the word for “a man.” The word eudokias is from the verb eudokeo, which means “to please” or “to favor.” The noun form here is in the genitive case, meaning “of favor” or “of pleasure.” Now, we have to ask ourselves, “Of whose favor?” and the only logical answer is, “Of His favor.” Therefore, it is best understood to mean “of His favor” or “of His pleasure.” Thus, our translation of “with whom He is pleased.”

 

Meaning Explained

Every time I sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Latin for “Glory to God in the highest”), I imagine a sky full of angels singing in multi-point harmony with a few lowly shepherds and their flocks as the only audience. What a magnificent sound that must have been, coming from the voices of thousands of angels! There’s only one problem with that. The angels didn’t sing to the shepherds …    Say what!?

Before we get into that, let’s step back a little bit. On this particular night there were few shepherds camping out with their sheep. These shepherds were banned from entering the Temple in Jerusalem, the very Temple where the sheep under their care would someday be sacrificed. In spite of that, they were faithfully doing their job when they were surprised by the sudden appearance of a magnificent angel hovering over them, casting his glorious radiance all around. This angel announced to them that the Messiah had just been born. Then, as if telling the shepherds that they must go find this Messianic Baby, the angel informed the shepherds that they would find the child wrapped in strips of cloths, lying in an animal’s feeding trough.

But before the shepherds could even process all this information, the sky was suddenly and unexpectedly filled with thousands of angels, giving praise to Jehovah God and they were saying, not singing, “Glory to God in the highest!”

“So what’s the big deal?” you ask. I agree that singing angels makes a better story, but I believe what the Bible says, not what I want it to say. I believe that we are all sinners, deserving of Hell. I believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was shed to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe Christ died physically and rose from the dead physically. I believe these things, not because they’re reasonable and make perfect sense, because they don’t. I believe them because the Bible says so. Singing angels makes for a great Hollywood scene, but imagine what a wondrous sound it must have been when thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of angels proclaimed in unison, “Glory to God in the highest!”

 

Application

We may not understand why God tells us what He tells us in the Bible, but we need to believe what it says. Spiritual maturity comes from careful study, believing what the Bible actually reveals, not what tradition has taught us.

Laying all that aside, let’s remember what this passage of Scripture is here to tell us. The God of all creation, the Almighty, the All Knowing, the Everywhere and Everytime Present Supreme Lord of the universe, humbled himself and took on the form of a poor carpenter’s son. His first bed was an animal’s feeding trough. He lived His life with little or no material possessions. He wasn’t forced to do this anymore than he was forced to die on the cross. He humbled himself for our sakes. Christmas is one of the greatest examples of God’s humbling Himself as an expression of His supreme love for His loved ones (you and me). And all that He asks in return is for us to humble ourselves as an expression of our gratitude to Him.

Let’s focus ourselves this Christmas on humbling ourselves before our Savior, the little baby lying in a manger.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:5 – Learn God’s Truth!

Posted on by Will

Do you not remember that while I was still with you I was telling you these things?

Truth to Learn

Your faith depends on a good understanding of God’s truth.

 

Behind the Words

“Remember” is translated from the Greek verb mnēmoneuō, meaning “to exercise memory” or “to remember.” The English word mnemonic (a device to assist in memorizing something) is based on this word.

The word “still” is from the adverb eti. This word is a reference to things in the past. It is most often translated “yet” or “still.”

The words “I was telling” are translated from the Greek verb legō, which literally means “to lay forth.” Figuratively, it means “to relate in words” or “to tell.” It is expressed here in the imperfect tense indicating past, continuous action.

Houtos is the Greek word translated “these things.” In the singular it means “this.” In the current verse it is expressed as a neuter plural, so it means “these” with “things” being implied.

 

Meaning Explained

Shortly after starting the church in Thessalonica, Paul was forced to make a sudden departure. Having stayed for a while in Berea and then Athens, Paul moved on to Corinth from where he wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians. The purpose of that first letter was to comfort and encourage the Christians in Thessalonica in the face of the persecution they were suffering. As part of that letter, Paul also related to them some further teaching to clear up a misunderstanding they had regarding the Day of Christ (the Rapture) and the Day of the Lord (the Tribulation).

Sometime after that first letter was written, the Thessalonian church had received some false teaching (supposedly from Paul) indicating that the Day of the Lord had already begun. As a result, Paul wrote this second letter, to give them further encouragement and to clarify what he had already taught them. The primary theme of this second letter is to let them know some of the things that must first take place before the Day of the Lord will begin. He said that two events had to take place first: the apostasia (referring either to the Rapture or to a large-scale departure from the basic tenets of the Christian faith), and the revealing of the “man of sin,” also known to us as the antichrist.

Now that Paul has given them instruction regarding these two events, he asks them, “Do you not remember that while I was still with you I was telling you these things?” This makes it very evident that when he first started the church there, Paul gave them specific instruction regarding the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord.

Do you see how easily false teaching can creep into the church? Every true Christian is eager to learn more about his or her faith and can get easily led astray without constantly reading the Bible and listening to good fundamental preaching. It’s no wonder that there are so many divisions within the church.

 

Application

Read the Bible and listen to good preaching, but always check what you hear against what is written in the Bible! Your faith will only be as strong as your understanding of God’s truth.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Thessalonians 2:4 – The Man of Lawlessness

Posted on by Will

who opposes and exalts himself above all who are called God or object of worship, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Truth to Learn

The “man of sin” will be revealed before the Day of the Lord.

 

Behind the Words

The verb translated “opposes” is antikeimai. This word is made up of anti, meaning “opposite” or “against” and keimai, meaning “to lie outstretched.” Thus, it literally means “to lie against.” Antikeimai means “to be an opposer or an adversary.”

“Exalts himself” is translated from the verb huperairomai, which is composed of huper (or hyper), meaning “above” or “over” and a form of airō, meaning “to lift up.” Hence, it means “to lift above” or “to exalt.” It is expressed as a present passive participle, so it could literally be translated as “the one exalting himself.”

The word translated “called” is legō, which originally meant “to lay something down.” Later, however, it came to mean “to utter definite words,” that is, to speak or to say something. This word has a number of nuances of meaning as it is used in New Testament Greek. Thus it can mean “to verbally lay before, that is, to put forth an idea, to say or speak, or to call something by name,”

Sebasma is the word translated “object of worship.” This word means “something that is venerated or worshipped.”

“Displaying” is from the verb apodeiknumi, which means “to show off” or “to exhibit something.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has just written about the two events that will precede the Day of the Lord, which begins with the Tribulation. The Tribulation is identified in Daniel 9:24-27 as the seventieth week (of years). In Daniel 9:27 he talks about how “the prince who is to come” will establish a seven year covenant (with Israel). In the middle of that week (after three and one-half years), this prince will perform an abominable act which causes desolation. In Matthew chapter twenty-four, Jesus Christ also describes this act as “the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet.”

In today’s verse Paul gives us more information regarding this abominable act. This person, who Paul calls “the man of lawlessness,” is the person referred to by Daniel as “the prince who is to come.” He is also referred to by the Apostle John as “the antichrist” (1 John 2:18, 22; 1 John 4:3; 2 John 1:7). According to Paul, this person will proclaim himself to be God, and he will demonstrate his deity by sitting in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, exhibiting himself as God.

This man of sin, whom Paul also calls “the lawless one” in verse eight, is described in Revelation chapter thirteen as “the beast out of the sea.” He will be controlled by Satan (the dragon) and will be worshipped as a god by the people on earth during the second half of Daniel’s seventieth week:

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. (Revelation 13:4-5)

This “man of lawlessness” may very well be alive today, but he has not yet been revealed. Neither has the apostasia occurred yet, so (as Paul has been teaching) the Day of the Lord has not yet come upon us.

 

Application

World events are rapidly shaping up that point to the fact that the Day of the Lord is close at hand. But it has not yet arrived and we still have time to proclaim the gospel message. It is up to all Christians to proclaim the good news of salvation through the blood of Christ. Are you proclaiming it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:3 – Peace and Destruction

Posted on by Will

For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, like labor pains of childbirth. And they shall not escape.

Truth to Learn

The Day of the Lord will begin with a period of peace.

 

Behind the Words

Hotan is the Greek word translated “when.” It is composed of hote, meaning “when” and the preposition an, indicating uncertainty or possibility.

The words “they say” are from legō, meaning “to relate in words” or “to say.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of action.

“Safety” is translated from asphaleia, composed of a, meaning “without” or “not” and sphallō, meaning “to throw down” or “to fail.” Thus, asphaleia refers to “security” or “safety.”

The word “sudden” is from aiphnidios. This word is composed of the negative particle a, meaning “not” and a form of phainō, meaning “to shine” or “to make apparent.” Therefore, aiphnidios means “not apparent,” “unexpected,” or “suddenly.”

“Destruction” is translated from olethros. This is from ollumi, meaning “to destroy.” Olethros refers to “destruction” or by implication, “death.”

The words “labor pains of childbirth” are from the Greek words ōdin en gastri, which literally translates to “pain in the stomach” or “pain in the womb,” that is, “birth pain.”

The word “not” is from ou mē, a double negative indicating “absolutely not” or “no way!”

“Escape” is from ekpheugō, made up of ek, meaning “out of” and pheugō, meaning “to flee.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is now teaching about the Day of the Lord, called the Tribulation or Daniel’s seventieth week (see Daniel 9:24-27). It is a time period in which God will both judge the world (the earth dwellers) and accomplish the final salvation of the “remnant” of Israel (see Zephaniah 3:13 and Romans 9:27).

Keep in mind that Paul is writing this letter to the Christians in Thessalonica and all Christians in general. Back in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 Paul repeatedly used the personal pronouns “you” and “we” referring to Christians and the rapture. Now in today’s verse, observe that he is using the personal pronouns “they” and “them.” Paul is not talking about Christians, he is talking about those who will be on this earth when the Day of the Lord arrives. Notice that “they shall not [no way] escape.” This is further evidence that the rapture and the Day of the Lord are separate events. It is also evidence that Christians will not be on earth when the Day of the Lord arrives. This is because, as we have already learned, the rapture will occur before the Tribulation (the Day of the Lord).

Now we learn a little bit about the conditions on earth when the Day of the Lord arrives. This time of God’s judgment will begin with a period of peace (perhaps world-wide, but at least for Israel.) Then, suddenly, that peace will evaporate and the world will be consumed by destruction (see the first two of the four horses of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6:1-4).

 

Application

Once again, we have an opportunity to give thanks to God for His loving care of His children (Christians). Is it time to pray?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:32 – Are You Faithfully Married?

Posted on by Will

This is a great mystery, but I speak in regard to Christ and the church.

Truth to Learn

The relationship between Christ and Christians is precisely like a marriage relationship.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “mystery” is musterion, which is derived from the verb muō, meaning “to shut the mouth.” In the first century a musterion involved a silence that was imposed on someone as part of an initiation. In the New Testament, musterion identifies something which was hidden in the past, but which is now being revealed to the church.

“Speak” is from the Greek verb legō, which literally means “to lay forth.” In other words, it means “to relate some truth in a systematic or logical manner.”

 

Meaning Explained

What is this great mystery that Paul is now revealing? Is it the fact that a man is to leave his father and mother and be glued to his wife? That can’t be it, because Moses declared this fact thousands of years ago. According to what Paul declares in this verse, it is the mystery concerning Christ and the church. Paul has been teaching about how a husband and wife are to relate to each other within a marriage relationship. The wife is to submit herself to the authority of her husband. At the same time, the husband is to love his wife with a self-sacrificing love just as Christ has demonstrated for the church.

The great mystery now being revealed to us is that the relationship between a husband and wife is precisely like that of the Lord Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The Israelites knew about the sanctity of marriage, and Moses taught them that when a man and a woman married they became as one. They believed that their Messiah was coming to save them and they worked hard to make themselves holy and righteous enough for Him when He finally comes. The devout Jews loved the Lord their God with all their heart and they submitted to His authority. What they didn’t know is that the relationship between the Messiah and His people (true believers) was to be precisely like that of a marriage.

The Old Testament prophets warned the Israelites about their idolatry and even likened idol worship to the sexual unfaithfulness of a married person. At Mt. Sinai, as He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, God declared:

You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exodus 20:3)

When we let anything in our lives become more important or more desired than a close walk with our Savior, we are acting unfaithful to Him. And, in Exodus 20:5 God made this point very clear:

“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.”

When we recognize the fact that we, as born-again Christians, are in an intimate marriage relationship with God, we see why He treasures our faithfulness more than our works. When we submit to His authority, remaining faithful and focused on Him and Him alone, we see His acts of love more clearly. And, God has declared that He will never leave us nor forsake us, even when we act unfaithfully toward Him, because He loves us.

 

Application

How is your relationship with your Savior, your spiritual Husband? Are you submitted to Him and completely faithful to Him? If not, maybe it’s time to return and humbly submit to Him. Remember, He loves you with a perfect agapē love!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:14 – Rise and Shine!

Posted on by Will

Therefore He says: "Awake, you who are sleeping, Arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."

Truth to Learn

We need to wake up and shine the light of Christ.

 

Behind the Words

The words “He says” are from the verb legō, which we learned a couple of verses back means “to relate something verbally,” that is “to put forth in words.” It is expressed here in the third person singular, so it could be translated as “He says” (referring to God) or “it says” (referring to Scripture).

“Arise” is translated from egeirō, meaning “to awaken.” It is used in the Bible to indicate awakening from sleep or from death.

“Sleep” is from kathuedō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and heudō, meaning “to sleep.” Katheudō refers to the act of lying down asleep (also used as a metaphor for death).

The word “dead” is from nekros, which apparently is based on nekus, meaning “a corpse.” Nekros is expressed here in the plural, so it could be translated “the dead ones.”

“Shine on you” is translated from the verb epiphauskō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and phauō, meaning “to shine.” Epiphauskō means “to shine on” or “to illuminate.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse seems to be a loose quotation from, or at least a reference to, Isaiah:

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For look, the darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the people; But the LORD will rise on you, And His glory will be seen on you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)

Earlier in this fifth chapter of Ephesians, Paul told us to walk in love and not to be fellow partakers with those who habitually commit unclean actions. His reasoning is that we were once darkness ourselves, but now we are children of light. He also told us that the works of darkness are unfruitful, but we are to show the fruit of our actions as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Instead of hanging around with those who commit the unfruitful works of darkness, we are to expose their deeds by allowing God’s light to shine on us, thereby shining God’s light on them. It is to this end that Paul now quotes Isaiah.

The word arise (egeirō), when used in the command form as it is here, is intended as a proclamation to arouse someone from sleep. Paul’s point is that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, living like the rest of the world. Now, however, we are children of light, so we should wake-up to see all the evil around us and shine the light of God on those around us. He is also reminding us that the light is not our light, it is the light of God’s holiness which Christ has given us. We’ve been awakened by the light of God’s truth and mercy; now we are to allow that same light to reflect off us and shine on the spiritually dead people around us.

 

Application

When we are joined in close fellowship with children of darkness, God’s light is not shining in us. It doesn’t matter whether we are committing the same sinful acts or simply being quiet while they do them. If we are not letting the light of God’s word expose their deeds for what they really are, then we are not walking in the light. When we are not walking in His light, God says, “Wake up, and let My light shine!”

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:12 – No Sordid Details

Posted on by Will

For it is shameful to even speak of those things being done by them in secret.

Truth to Learn

God knows the sordid details; we don’t have to talk about them to Him or to others.

 

Behind the Words

“Shameful” is from the Greek adjective aischros, which refers to “that which is indecent, dishonorable, inappropriate, filthy, shameful, or disgraceful.”

The words “to … speak of” are translated from the verb legō, which originally meant, “to lay something down” or “to lay forth.” Later it came to mean “to relate something verbally,” that is “to put forth in words.”

“In secret” is translated from the adverb kruphē, which is based on the verb kruptō, meaning “to hide or keep secret.”

If we preserve the word order in the Greek, this verse becomes “for the things secretly being done by them, it is shameful even to mention.” In Greek, word order indicates emphasis. The fact that secrecy is mentioned first, indicates it is Paul’s emphasis.

 

Meaning Explained

You will recall that in yesterday’s verse Paul told us, not only do we need to avoid partnering with the unfruitful works of darkness, we need to expose them for what they really are and stand against them. But today’s verse seems to contradict what we are supposed to do. How can we expose those things if it is disgraceful to even speak about them? The answer to this enigma is given to us in tomorrow’s verse. So, without getting ahead of ourselves, let’s see what we can learn from this verse.

First of all, talking about the things which are done by people who perform these barren, fruitless activities is itself disgusting. It is not the type of conversation that strengthens our brothers and sisters. Remember what Paul told us in the previous chapter of this letter?

Let no rotten word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for needed edification, that it may give grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

Talking about the specifics of crude and disgusting things does not build up others, it only drags their thoughts down into the gutter. That’s not good and it’s not necessary. And don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that you have to talk about these things in order to inform others what is wrong with them.

One of the questions we have to ask ourselves is, “Why are these works of darkness always done in secret?” Here’s what Jesus said about that:

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the light, for their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)

It is sufficient to know that whatever things that a man (or woman) does in secret, that which he or she tries to hide from others, is not God- honoring and does not produce goodness, righteousness, and truth. If man tries to hide it, it is probably evil!

 

Application

Too often I have heard blatant gossip and disgusting descriptions shared in the name of “prayer requests.” Remember that it is inappropriate to talk about such things. Instead of sharing the sordid details in a prayer request, simply ask others to pray with you for the needs of someone else, and when asked for details, simply say “God knows the details.”

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Luke 2:13, 14 – Singing Angels?

Posted on by Will

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace on men with whom He is pleased."

Truth to Learn

We need to believe what the Bible says, not what tradition has taught us, no matter how good it might make the story.

 

Behind the Words

“Suddenly” is translated from the Greek word exaiphnēs, which means, ”without warning” or “suddenly.”

The word “multitude” is from the Greek noun plēthos, which refers to “fullness” or “an extremely large amount.”

“Host” is translated from stratias, derived from stratos, meaning “an army.” Stratias refers to God’s army of angels.

“Praising” is from aineō, which means “to declare the praises of and to give glory to someone or something.”

The word “saying” is the Greek verb legō, which literally means “to lay forth,” that is “to verbally deliver a message.” It is not a word that means “to sing.” There are three Greek words translated “sing.” They are adō (generic word for singing), humneō (to sing hymns), and psallō (to play music on an instrument or with the voice.)

The words, “among men with whom He is pleased” are translated from the words en anrhropois eudokias. The first word, en, means “in” or “on.” The word anthropois is a plural form of the word for “a man.” The word eudokias is from the verb eudokeo, which means “to please” or “to favor.” The noun form here is in the genitive case, meaning “of favor” or “of pleasure.” Now, we have to ask ourselves, “Of whose favor?” and the only logical answer is, “Of His favor.” Therefore, it is best understood to mean “of His favor” or “of His pleasure.” Thus, our translation of “with whom He is pleased.”

 

Meaning Explained

Every time I sing Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Latin for “Glory to God in the highest”), I imagine a sky full of angels singing in multi-point harmony with a few lowly shepherds and their flocks as the only audience. What a magnificent sound that must have been, coming from the voices of thousands of angels! There’s only one problem with that. The angels didn’t sing to the shepherds …    Say what!?

Before we get into that, let’s step back a little bit. On this particular night there were few shepherds camping out with their sheep. These shepherds were banned from entering the Temple in Jerusalem, the very Temple where the sheep under their care would someday be sacrificed. In spite of that, they were faithfully doing their job when they were surprised by the sudden appearance of a magnificent angel hovering over them, casting his glorious radiance all around. This angel announced to them that the Messiah had just been born. Then, as if telling the shepherds that they must go find this Messianic Baby, the angel informed the shepherds that they would find the child wrapped in strips of cloths, lying in an animal’s feeding trough.

But before the shepherds could even process all this information, the sky was suddenly and unexpectedly filled with thousands of angels, giving praise to Jehovah God and they were saying, not singing, “Glory to God in the highest!”

“So what’s the big deal?” you ask. I agree that singing angels makes a better story, but I believe what the Bible says, not what I want it to say. I believe that we are all sinners, deserving of Hell. I believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was shed to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe Christ died physically and rose from the dead physically. I believe these things, not because they’re reasonable and make perfect sense, because they don’t. I believe them because the Bible says so. Singing angels makes for a great Hollywood scene, but imagine what a wondrous sound it must have been when thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of angels proclaimed in unison, “Glory to God in the highest!”

 

Application

We may not understand why God tells us what He tells us in the Bible, but we need to believe what it says. Spiritual maturity comes from careful study, believing what the Bible actually reveals, not what tradition has taught us.

Laying all that aside, let’s remember what this passage of Scripture is here to tell us. The God of all creation, the Almighty, the All Knowing, the Everywhere Present Supreme Lord of the universe, humbled himself and took on the form of a poor carpenter’s son. His first bed was an animal’s feeding trough. He lived His life with little or no material possessions. He wasn’t forced to do this anymore than he was forced to die on the cross. He humbled himself for our sakes. Christmas is one of the greatest examples of God’s humbling Himself as an expression of His supreme love for His loved ones (you and me). And all that He asks in return is for us to humble ourselves as an expression of our gratitude to Him.

Let’s focus ourselves this Christmas on humbling ourselves before our Savior, the little baby lying in a manger.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 4:8 – Moving Day

Posted on by Will

Therefore He says: "Having ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men."

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ moved Paradise and gave all Christians gifts.

 

Behind the Words

The word “says” is from the Greek verb legō, which literally means “to lay forth,” that is, “to express something in words.” There is no subject given in the Greek text, so scholars are split between “He [God] says” and “it [Scripture] says.”

“Having ascended” is translated from anabaino, which means “to go up.” It is expressed as an aorist participle, so it could be translated “having gone up.”

“On high” is from eis hupsos. A literal translation of these two words would be “into elevation,” or “into the heights.”

The words “he led … captive” are translated from the verb aichmalōteuō, which is based on aichmalōtos, meaning “a captive of war.” The verb form, aichmalōteuō literally means “to captivate” or “to lead away captive.”

“Captivity” is from the noun aichmalōsia, which is also based on aichmalōtos. This form of the word refers to “the condition, or state, of being a captive.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about all of us fulfilling our calling with special attention to maintaining the unity of the church. He is now going to talk about some of the gifts that God gives to us which enable us to perform our function within the body of Christ. In today’s verse Paul tells us when those gifts were bestowed by God.

In order to fully understand, however, we need to do a quick mini-lesson about Hell. In the Old Testament it is most often referred to as sheol, the place of the departed dead. In the New Testament it is referred to as hades. From Numbers 16:33 we learn that sheol is in the center of the earth. And, from Luke 16:22, 23 we learn that there are two different areas of hades, the place of torment (where the rich man was) and a place of rest (where Lazarus was). In the Old Testament, the unrighteous people went to the place of torments and the righteous (like Abraham and Lazarus) went to the place of rest.

Hang-in with me now. On the cross, Jesus told one of the thieves crucified beside Him that on that very day they would both be in Paradise, that is, the place of rest where Abraham was. However, in 2Corinthians 12:4 Paul tells us that he was caught up into Paradise. In fact, a close reading will show us that in this verse Paradise is up at the third heaven (God’s throne room). So, at some point in time Paradise moved.

That movement of Paradise is what Paul is describing in today’s verse. When Christ died, he went down to sheol (hades). However, when He rose from the dead he “led captivity captive.” In other words, Christ took Paradise out of sheol (hades) and took it and all the righteous dead “up to” the third heaven (2Corinthians 2:2).

At that same time, Paul tells us here, Christ gave gifts to men.

 

Application

You and I have special gifts (spiritual gifts or abilities) given to us by Jesus Christ. These gifts are what enable us to serve Him effectively in the local church.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved