Tag: partakers

2 Peter 1:4 – Eternally Divine

Posted on by Will

Through these he has given us the very great and precious promises, that through them you may be partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world caused by lusts.

Truth to Learn

In eternity, we will share in God’s divine nature.

 

Behind the Words

The expression “very great” comes from the Greek “megista,” which is the superlative form of “mega” (big or great), so the text tells us that He has given us the greatest promises which are of great value.

“May be partakers” seems to imply that there is a chance that we might not as well. This is not what the Greek says. It is from the Greek hina ginesthe koinonoi. The construction denotes the “telic subjunctive” mood of the verb, which means it is an act of purpose. That is to say, “it is certain that we will be partakers of the divine nature.”

 

Meaning Explained

Peter starts out this verse with “Through these,” which is one of those connective phrases that we need to look at more carefully. This phrase is translated from the Greek words di hōn, which literally mean “through which things.” Well, what “things” is he talking about? It could be “glory and virtue,” it could be the “grace and peace” referred to in verse 2, it could be all of these, or it could refer to “His divine power” and “the knowledge of him.” Why? Because Greek is very particular in that a relative pronoun (these) must agree with the noun(s) it is referring to in both gender and number. All of these things are feminine nouns and the Greek pronoun translated “these” is a feminine, plural, relative pronoun, so it can’t refer to only one of these things alone, and may refer to them all. However, as I read it, Peter seems to be referring specifically to His divine power and our in-depth knowledge of Him from verse three.

Through these things, Peter tells us, God has given us the greatest of precious promises. And what are these promises? They are promises of salvation by grace through faith, of a Savior who will never leave us nor forsake us, of eternal blessing in the presence of our divine creator, and of peace and protection in times of suffering, plus many more.

He then tells us that through these things we will “be partakers of the divine nature.” This verse is not telling us that we will be gods some day as some false religions erroneously teach. It tells us that we will experience the godliness of God in a very special way, which is reserved only for those who are saved. Peter tells us that we will experience it “… having escaped the corruption (literally “decay’) that is in the world through caused by lusts.” In other words, we will experience this sharing in the divine nature after we die and are glorified with Christ.

As if the mere thought of being in Heaven and being in His presence eternally wasn’t enough, we will also, somehow, experience the godliness of God in a unique and special way. This, alone, should make the fear of death disappear for any born-again believer!

 

Application

This participation in the divine nature is a privilege that is reserved only for those who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And, if we will share in God’s divine nature some day, shouldn’t our current behavior reflect that fact?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:7 – Saved? Really?

Posted on by Will

Therefore do not become partakers with them.

Truth to Learn

You can’t be a child of God and still live like the Devil.

 

Behind the Words

The word “become” is translated from the Greek verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to become.”

“Partakers” is from summetochos, which is a double compound word. It is composed of sun, meaning “together” (which we see in English as the prefix “syn”), meta, meaning “with,” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, summetochos literally means “having together with,” that is, sharing or partaking of something together with others.

 

Meaning Explained

It is interesting to note that Paul does not say “Quit being fellow partakers with them.” Instead he says, “Don’t begin to be fellow partakers with them.” Don’t even start down that road! Paul has been talking about those who are teaching that it’s okay for Christians to indulge in sinful sexual practices. These false teachers believed that since all of our sins have been forgiven, we can indulge ourselves in our sinful desires and God’s grace will cover it all. In effect, they saw salvation as a “get out of Hell free” card. They decided they wanted the best of both worlds – the indulgence of all pleasurable things, no matter what God might think of them, along with eternity in the presence of the God who saved them.

Now, many of us can think of people we’ve known who lived a life of committed Christian service for years and then turned away from God. They left the church and are now living a life of sinful indulgence. “What about them?” you might ask. “Are they still saved?” To that question I have two scripture passages to quote. The first is:

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1Corinthians 11:30)

Paul said this in reference to communion. Basically, he said that any Christian who partakes of communion while he or she is living in blatant sin is subject to God’s judgment of sickness or even death. The other verse that comes to mind is,

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and and its lust; but he who is doing the will of God abides forever. … They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they left that it might be revealed, that none of them were of us. (1John 2:16, 17, 19)

There are people who have professed the name of Christ, who have learned how to act like a Christian, knowing all the right things to say, who never really got saved. They never really submitted themselves to God, and they have since left the church because they are not one of God’s children. They may have even been teachers in the church, perhaps even claiming that you can be a Christian and still live in sin. They may even still think themselves to be saved, but they will be horribly surprised when they appear before their God, their Judge!

 

Application

Instead of worrying about whether or not a former church member is saved (or whether that person “lost” their salvation), let’s focus on our own relationship with God. Does it bother you when you sin against God? If so, that’s good. Or can you sin without it bothering you? Are you sure?!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:7 – Saved? Really?

Posted on by Will

Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Truth to Learn

You can’t be a child of God and still live like the Devil.

Behind the Words

The word “be” is translated from the Greek verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to become.”

“Partakers” is from summetochos, which is a double compound word. It is composed of sun, meaning “together” (which we see in English as the prefix “syn”), meta, meaning “with,” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, summetochos literally means “having together with,” that is, sharing or partaking of something together with others.

Meaning Explained

It is interesting to note that Paul does not say “Quit being fellow partakers with them.” Instead he says, “Don’t begin to be fellow partakers with them.” Don’t even start down that road! Paul has been talking about those who are teaching that it’s okay for Christians to indulge in sinful sexual practices. These false teachers believed that since all of our sins have been forgiven, we can indulge ourselves in our sinful desires and God’s grace will cover it all. In effect, they saw salvation as a “get out of Hell free” card. They decided they wanted the best of both worlds – the indulgence of all pleasurable things, no matter what God might think of them, along with eternity in the presence of the God who saved them.

Now, many of us can think of people we’ve known who lived a life of committed Christian service for years and then turned away from God. They left the church and are now living a life of sinful indulgence. “What about them?” you might ask. “Are they still saved?” To that question I have two scripture passages to quote. The first is:

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1Corinthians 11:30)

Paul said this in reference to communion. Basically, he said that any Christian who partakes of communion while he or she is living in blatant sin is subject to God’s judgment of sickness or even death. The other verse that comes to mind is,

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. … They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. (1John 2:16, 17, 19)

There are people who have professed the name of Christ, who have learned how to act like a Christian, knowing all the right things to say, who never really got saved. They never really submitted themselves to God, and they have since left the church because they are not one of God’s children. They may have even been teachers in the church, perhaps even claiming that you can be a Christian and still live in sin. They may even still think themselves to be saved, but they will be horribly surprised when they appear before their God, their Judge!

Application

Instead of worrying about whether or not a former church member is saved, let’s focus on our own relationship with God. Does it bother you when you sin against God? If so, that’s good. Or can you sin without it bothering you? Are you sure?!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.