Tag: oudeis

1 Corinthians 4:4 – The Final Judge

Posted on by Will

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Serve God with diligence and with a humble spirit. Don’t worry about what others say.

Behind the Words

“I know” is translated from the Greek verb suneidō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and eidō, meaning “to know.” Together they mean “to be consciously aware of.” It is expressed in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word “nothing” is from oudeis, which is made up of ou, meaning “not” and heis, meaning “one” or “one thing.” So, oudeis literally means “not one thing.”

Dikaioō is the word translated “justified.” It means “to bring out the fact that a person is righteous or without fault.” It is also expressed here in the perfect tense.

The word “judges” is translated from anakrinō, which we saw in yesterday’s verse meaning, “to discern, to decide, or to judge.” It is expressed as a present tense participle, indicating continuous ongoing action. We could paraphrase the end of this verse as “He who is continuously examining me is the Lord.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul boldly proclaimed that it is a very little thing to him if he is judged by the Corinthians or even a court of law (remember, this literally reads “man’s day”). He went on to say that he does not even make judgment against himself. In today’s verse he clarifies this last statement. He says that he is not consciously aware of anything against himself. In classical Greek literature, the expression he used means “I am not conscious regarding myself of any guilt or neglect of duty.” He is not claiming to have reached a state of sinlessness (which some refer to as “complete sanctification”), rather he is saying that regarding his ministry in Corinth, he is not aware of any malpractice or negligence of duty. He did what God called him to do and he did it wholeheartedly for God, not for himself.

He quickly follows this up with, “yet I am not justified by this.” In other words, just because he is not consciously aware of any faults in his ministry, it does not mean that he is claiming himself guiltless. He leaves here the possibility that he may have committed some act of neglect or malpractice in his ministry to the Corinthians. If so, he simply states that he is not aware of such an act.

In a final statement on the subject, Paul proclaims what should be obvious to any Christian: God is the Judge and final authority on all thoughts and actions of all Christians. If Paul had committed any neglect or malpractice while ministering to the Corinthians, he knows that God will judge such actions. That’s why it is such a small concern to him regarding what people in Corinth say.

Application

Each one of us has responsibilities that God has given us in spreading the gospel message and in building up His church. We are to perform such duties in complete subservience to God, not concerning ourselves with what others say about it. If we are doing our part as a totally committed servant, giving Him all the glory, then we needn’t be concerned about what others say. Give all you have and keep your eyes on Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 2:15 – The Spiritual Christian

Posted on by Will

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

Truth to Learn

A spiritual Christian is one who is under God’s control.

Behind the Words

The words “he who is spiritual” are translated from the Greek adjective pneumatikos. This word is derived from pneuma, which itself is derived from the verb pneuō, meaning “to breathe.” Pneuma refers to “air in motion,” that is “a breath,” “a breeze,” or “wind.” In Genesis 2:7, God breathed into Adam the “breath of life.” In the New Testament, pneuma is used as an expression of the rational spirit of man, the intellectual portion of man which distinguishes him from the lower animals. It is also used to describe the essence of beings who exist in the spiritual realm, separate from the physical realm. In this sense, it describes beings who communicate with the God of creation and other spirit beings. Therefore, pneumatikos describes those who have a spiritual relationship with God.

“No one” is translated from oudeis, which is composed of ou, the absolute negative particle and heis, the number “one.” Thus, oudeis literally means “not even one” or “no one.”

Meaning Explained

As we said in yesterday’s verse study, Paul is contrasting “a natural man” with “a spiritual man.” A natural man is someone who lives in the sphere of the soul, the physical and emotional world of nature. This person is controlled by physical appetites, physical pleasure, human intellect, and emotion. In contrast, a spiritual man is someone who lives in the sphere of the spirit of God. This person is controlled by a relationship with God through His Holy Spirit. As we learned in yesterday’s verse, a natural man can’t understand the things of God’s spirit (they are foolishness to him), because such things can only be examined or discerned by the Spirit of God.

Paul’s expression, “he who is spiritual” is a reference to someone who communicates with and is controlled by the Spirit of God. It is not simply a reference to someone who is saved, however. Christians, those who have God’s Spirit within, have a choice that unsaved people don’t have. They can choose to live under the control of the Holy Spirit or under the control of their lower, physical and emotional nature. In the next few verses, Paul will describe those who obey their lower nature as carnal:

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ … For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1, 3)

In today’s verse, Paul tells us that the Christians who communicate with and are under the control of the Holy Spirit are able to judge (examine and discern) all things. These people have spiritual insight that a natural man or a carnal man doesn’t have. Paul also tells us that mature Christians (those who are spiritual rather than carnal) are judged by no one. In other words, no one can rightly discern the thinking, attitudes, and motives of someone who is controlled by the Spirit of God.

Application

If you are a Christian, then you are different than someone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. However, you have a choice to be controlled by your own emotions and desires or by the Spirit of God. Who is in control of your life?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 2:11 – Revealer Of Secrets

Posted on by Will

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

Truth to Learn

The Holy Spirit reveals God to Christians.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “what” is tis. This is an interrogative pronoun that introduces an interrogative phrase (a phrase asking a question). It can be translated as “who,” “which,” or “what.”

In each case, the words translated “man” are from anthropos, which refers to a human being or to mankind as a whole. The first occurrence of this word in today’s verse, unlike the others, is written in the plural.

“Knows” is from the Greek verb eidō, which means “to see with perception.” Used metaphorically, as it is here, it refers to mental perception and can be translated as “to know,” “to be aware of,” or “to understand.”

The phrase “the spirit of the man which is in him” can be literally translated as “the spirit of the man, the one in him.”

“No one” is translated from oudeis, which we saw back in verse eight. It means “no one” or “not a single one.” In this case, it can refer to “no human” or “no being of any kind.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse the Apostle Paul made a very bold statement. He said that the Spirit of God has now revealed the secret of God’s wisdom in His plan of salvation. He now explains why it was necessary for the Spirit to reveal this secret to us.

The opening phrase of this verse actually reads a little differently from what our translation (NKJV) gives. It literally reads, “for who of men …” The NIV and NASB have a better rendering of this phrase: “For who among men …” This may seem a little picky here, but the distinction is important. Paul is not saying, “what man knows his own inner thoughts and motives, except his own spirit.” Rather, he is saying “what man knows the inner thoughts and motives of another person except the inner spirit of that person.”

Paul’s point is that none of us knows the inner workings (the thoughts, the plans, the wisdom) of anyone else, and certainly none of us knows the thoughts, plans, or wisdom of God except as they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The leaders of this age, the philosophers, the sophists, the “holy” men of the world think they can learn about God through their own efforts. But, Paul very clearly tells us here that the only way to really know God is for Him to reveal Himself to us by His Holy Spirit.

It’s sort of like an animal trying to understand the thought processes and motives of a man. By itself, it doesn’t have the ability to understand us. However, we can teach animals to understand us if we so desire. The Holy Spirit of God is just as important to our salvation as the Father and the Son. The Father chose us, the Son gave His life for us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us and teaches us.

Application

Do you want to know God more intimately? If so, you have to let His Spirit talk to you through prayer and through the reading and studying of your Bible.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 2:8 – Acts of Ignorance

Posted on by Will

which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Truth to Learn

Christians should not be ignorant of God’s wise plan.

Behind the Words

“None” is translated from oudeis. This Greek word is made up of ou, which is the word of absolute negation, and heis, meaning the number one. Hence, oudeis literally means “not a single one.”

Archon is the word translated “rulers.” Back in verse six we saw that this word means “one who is first in rank or power,” that is, a ruler. There are two possible interpretations to this expression, which we will talk about later in today’s verse.

The word translated “knew” is from the Greek verb ginōskō. This word means “to know” either in a beginning sense of in a completed sense. It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect. Thus we can think of this as “they did not come to know in the past and as a result, they are ignorant of the fact even now.”

“Crucified” is from the verb stauroō, which means “to impale on a stick or to hang on a cross.”

Meaning Explained

In the past couple of verses, Paul has been talking about the wisdom of God in His plan of salvation. In yesterday’s verse he talked about it as a mystery, one that has been hidden in the past, but that is now revealed. He contrasted it with the secrets of the mystery religions that were only revealed to those who had been fully initiated into those religions. The central truth of the gospel, that Jesus is the Messiah come to save the world by offering up His sinless life, was hidden in the past.

The Jews of the first century were waiting for their Messiah and they expected that He could come at any time. However, they were looking for a powerful conquering King who would save them from the oppression of the Romans. Instead, He came as a humble servant, wholly committed to doing the will of His Father. This included His paying the penalty for the sins of all of mankind by offering up His own innocent blood. Instead of welcoming their Messiah King, the Jews and their religious leaders crucified Him because He claimed equality with God. They did not know the truth. They were ignorant of God’s wise plan as they crucified Him:

Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:17)

If they had known, Paul tells us in today’s verse, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

The expression “rulers of this age” in today’s verse may have a dual meaning. On the surface, it refers to the political and religious leaders who condemned Christ to the cross. However, Paul may also have been referring to the rulers of the spiritual darkness of this age, Satan and his demons. In a very real sense, they exert a strong influence on what is happening in the world system today. Had they known that killing the Messiah was part of God’s wise plan, they might not have done it.

Application

Are you ignorant of God’s wisdom? Or do you understand God’s plan and proclaim the truth to those around you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Corinthians 1:14 – Unity, Not Division

Posted on by Will

I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

Truth to Learn

Baptism should promote unity in the church, not division.

Behind the Words

The words “I thank” are translated from the Greek verb eucharisteō, which is composed of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of charidzomai, meaning “to grant” or “to give.” Thus, eucharisteo means “to express gratitude” or “to give thanks.”

“Baptized” is transliterated (a word from one language brought directly over into another language) from the Greek verb baptidzō. It literally means “to dip, to submerge, or to saturate.”

Oudeis is the word translated “none.” It is made up of the particle of absolute negation, ou, and heis, which is the number one. Therefore, oudeis literally means “not one” or “not even one.”

“Except” is translated from the words ei mē. Ei is a conditional particle (usually translated as “if” or “whether”) and mē is the particle of conditional negation. Therefore, when combined together they literally express the condition “if not.” The common English translation of these two words is “except.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is in the midst of addressing a serious problem within the church at Corinth: the divisions and in-fighting that had developed in the church because people were devoting themselves to various leaders instead of to Christ. At the end of yesterday’s verse, Paul asked the question, “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Now he answers his own question.

There may be two reasons why Paul thanks God that he only baptized a few people in Corinth. The first is that God’s calling on his life was not to baptize but to preach the Gospel (see verse seventeen). The second is that by having baptized so few in the church it does not present a reason for the divisions within the church.

He did baptize Crispus and Gaius, however. Crispus was the ruler of the synagogue in Corinth (see Acts 18:8). Gaius was Paul’s host in Corinth when he wrote his letter to the Christians in Rome, and he apparently hosted the church meetings in his home (see Romans 16:23a). This is very likely the same person to whom the Apostle John wrote his third letter, where John praises Gaius for his faithfulness toward the brethren and strangers alike.

Paul did not want people to be “followers of Paul,” but followers of Christ. And, he is clearly saying that we are not to have special allegiance to the person who baptized us. It is also clear that Paul did not consider baptism to be a necessary part of salvation. If he had, he would have baptized all the converts under his ministry, for he called himself the spiritual “father” of all those in Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 4:15).

Application

Baptism is an outward declaration of the inward change that occurs when we are saved. Like communion, baptism is an ordinance of the church. Neither is necessary for salvation; both are testimonies of what has already taken place in the believer’s heart. They are both to be a source of unity within the church, not a cause for division.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved