pascho – Ministry of Grace Church

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1 Peter 4:1 – Suffering With Him

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Will

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

Truth to Learn

Suffering for righteousness produces a keen sense of Christ’s suffering and enables you to more fully live for Him.

Behind the Words

The word translated “suffered” is the from the Greek word pascho, which means to experience a sensation, usually painful (sometimes translated as “passion”). It is expressed in the Greek aorist tense, meaning that it was an action that took place at a point in time in the past, not continuous action in the past.

The word translated “ceased” is the Greek word pauō, which means “to stop, quit, or come to an end.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, implying a process that has come to completion in the past with a resulting state of being. The emphasis of this tense is on the resulting state.

Meaning Explained

According to Peter, he who has suffered in the flesh, “has ceased from sin.” Since Christ never did sin, this can‘t be referring to Christ. Some have argued that this implies that when we really and truly die to sin in our flesh we will have attained a state of holiness in which we sin no longer. I don’t believe that this is what Scripture teaches.

The Apostle Paul addresses this same issue in it the book of Romans:

For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that from now on we should not serve sin. For he who died has been justified from sin. (Romans 6:5-7)

In this passage it is pretty clear that Paul is talking about us putting our “old man,” a term which refers to our sin nature, to death, figuratively. He goes on to say:

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, He dies no more; death no longer has dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once; but in that He lives, He lives to God. In the same way count yourselves also to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:9-11)

It is clear that Paul is teaching that we haven’t really died, nor has our sin nature really died but that we should consider ourselves to be dead to sin and not let it control our lives.

Therefore, what Peter is telling us in today’s verse is that if we are suffering for righteousness, we can identify with the suffering that Christ went through. And, whereas His suffering culminated in his atoning death for us we can consider ourselves to have died with him (at least our sin nature) and we can live a fulfilled life, not controlled by our sin nature.

Application

If you are currently suffering and you have done nothing wrong, of if you are suffering because of your testimony for Christ, you can readily identify with His suffering which gave us everlasting life. As a result, you can now more readily live for Him instead of living to satisfy your own sin nature.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 2:20 – Patient Suffering

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Will

For what fame is it if sinning and being harshly treated, you endure it? But if doing good and suffering for it, you endure it, this finds favor with God.

Truth to Learn

When we patiently endure unjust punishment for having done good deeds, God is pleased.

Behind the Words

The word translated “fame” is kleos, which is derived from a shortened form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” Kleos refers to “calling out the goodness” of someone. Hence, it is often translated as “renown,” “glory,” “favor,” or “credit.”

The word “sinning” is translated from hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” It is often translated as “transgress” or “sin.” “Harshly treated” is translated from kolaphidzō, which means “to strike with the fist.” Both of these words are expressed as present participles indicating current ongoing activity.

The expression “you endure it” is translated from hupomenō, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and menō, meaning “to remain.” It literally means “to remain under.” It is a picture of a beast of burden remaining under a heavy load and is often translated as “persevere” or “endure.”

“Doing good” is from agathopoiōn, a word we looked at back in verse fourteen. It refers to doing good deeds.

The word “suffer” is from the Greek word paschō, which refers to an intense emotion, usually suffering.

Meaning Explained

Peter is making a very profound statement that should be taken to heart by all who call themselves Christian. If you do wrong, are punished for it, and take it with patience, there is no glory or recognition given to you except that you got what you deserved. If, on the other hand, you have done good deeds, are falsely punished for it, and you take it patiently, this is joyous, or well-pleasing, with God.

When we suffer wrongfully, our Heavenly Father is aware of it. If our attitude is right, He is pleased with us. Peter says nothing of God’s attitude toward our actions when we complain and raise a ruckus because we have been falsely accused or punished unjustly. But he says that God is pleased when we endure it patiently. Peter is clearly thinking back on the unjust beating and suffering endured by Jesus Christ when he paid for our sins. In the following verses Peter will refer to Christ’s wrongful suffering as a perfect example of how we should act. He was innocent and was supremely punished by men and accepted it patiently. We, on the other hand, are guilty before God and do not receive the just punishment for our offenses.

Application

All Christians have experienced situations where we did what was good and ended up suffering for it in one way or another. Can you remember such a time? How did you handle it? Did you endure it quietly and patiently, or did you fuss and complain to God about how unfair it was? How will you react the next time this happens to you? Quietly and patiently, I hope!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 2:14 – Family Suffering

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Will

from the Jews,

Truth to Learn

Many Christians suffer at the hands of friends and relatives.

Behind the Words

“Imitators” is from the word mimētēs, which we saw in the sixth verse of the previous chapter. It refers to “someone who mimics, imitates, or follows the example of someone else.”

The word “churches” is translated from the word ekklēsia, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” and a form of the verb kaleō, meaning “to call.” It literally refers to “the called out ones.” Originally, this word referred to an assembly of citizens who were called out by civil authorities. It is used throughout the New Testament, however, to refer to the church, either a local assembly or the world-wide church.

Paschō is the Greek word translated “suffered.” This word means “to undergo an experience,” “to be subjected to evil,” or “to suffer.”

The words “your own” are from idios which means “pertaining to yourself.”

“Countrymen” is translated from sumphuletēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “together with” and a form of phulē, which refers to “a family,” “a tribe,” or “a race of people.”

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse Paul said that he was thankful for the way the people of the church in Thessalonica received the Word of God. As a result of receiving and believing the gospel message they became Christians, members of the family of God.

Now he says something very interesting about these new believers. He says that they became imitators of the members of the Christian churches in Judea. It’s interesting that he refers to the Judean Christians as being members of the “churches of God … in Christ Jesus.” The reason for referring to them in this way is that the followers of Judaism in Judea referred to themselves as a “church” as well. Early in the life of the church, Christians were thought of as nothing more than a new sect of Judaism. Paul is making it very clear that he is not referring to the followers of Judaism who met in a synagogue every week, but to the followers of Jesus Christ.

We learn here that the manner in which the Thessalonians were imitating the churches in Judea was in their suffering. He’s not so much indicating that they suffered alike, but that they also suffered at the hands of their own countrymen. Paul was very familiar with the way the Judean Christians suffered because he, himself, was one of the Jews who persecuted Christians there (see Acts 8:1-3). The Thessalonian Christians also suffered at the hands of their own countrymen. This persecution may have originated with Jews, but it was later carried out by the Greek people of Macedonia as well.

Application

Do your friends and family members treat you differently because you are a Christian? If so, you’re in good company. Don’t hate them for it, continue to pray for them, that God would open their hearts to believe the Gospel message as well.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 2:14 – Family Suffering

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Will

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,

Truth to Learn

Many Christians suffer at the hands of friends and relatives.

Behind the Words

“Imitators” is from the word mimētēs, which we saw in the sixth verse of the previous chapter. It refers to “someone who mimics, imitates, or follows the example of someone else.”

Paschō is the Greek word translated “suffered.” This word means “to undergo an experience,” “to be subjected to evil,” or “to suffer.”

The words “your own” are from idios which means “pertaining to yourself.”

Meaning Explained

We learn here that the manner in which the Thessalonians were imitating the churches in Judea was in their suffering. He’s not so much indicating that they suffered alike, but that they suffered at the hands of their own countrymen. Paul was very familiar with the way the Judean Christians suffered because he, himself, was one of the Jews who persecuted Christians there (see Acts 8:1-3). The Thessalonian Christians also suffered at the hands of their own countrymen. This persecution may have originated with Jews, but it was later carried out by the Greek people of Macedonia.

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 7:5 – Fruit of Death

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Will

Romans 7:5

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

Truth to Learn

Trying to live by a set of laws or rules produces spiritual death, not life.

Behind the Words

The word translated “flesh” in this verse is sarx, which means “the flesh, or muscle, of a living animal.” This is a contrasting word to kreas, which refers to “the flesh of a dead animal,” also sometimes translated as “meat.” Paul is using the word “flesh” here as a metonym, that is, a word used to represent something else. An example of a metonym is the use of the word “Washington” to refer to the U.S. Government.

“Passions” is from pathēma, which is a form of paschō, meaning “to experience strong feelings.” It is often translated “suffer,” although it can refer to strong feelings no matter whether they are good or bad (or somewhere in between). The ending “ma” gives it the meaning “that which is felt strongly.”

The word “aroused” is energeō, from which we get our English word “energy.” It refers to “that which is active, effectual, or mighty.” We could easily translate the opening phrase of this verse as, “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were energized by the law …”

Meaning Explained

What does the Apostle Paul mean by the opening part of this verse, “For when we were in the flesh”? Aren’t we always in our flesh, at least until we die? Yes, but that’s not the kind of flesh Paul is talking about. In order to understand what he’s talking about we need to look at a verse in the next chapter of this letter where Paul says,

And those being in the flesh are not able to please God. But you are not in flesh, but in Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, this one is not His. (Romans 8:8-9)

In these verses Paul is contrasting being “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit.’ What he means is being controlled by the flesh, the sin nature, versus being controlled by the Spirit of God. Paul has already told us that before we were saved, we were in bondage to sin, or controlled by our sin nature. Now, in the current verse he is telling us that when we were controlled by our sin nature the passions, or overwhelming desires, of sin were not subdued but energized through the Law to bring forth fruit that resulted in death. I think Paul is talking about spiritual death or separation from fellowship with God, not physical death. And in the previous verse Paul told us that we should bring forth fruit to God by being married to Christ.

So, when we were controlled by our sin nature we produced fruit that resulted in spiritual death, but now that we have been saved and freed from the Law, we have become the bride of Christ, and the fruit that we produce should be fruit that is worthy of being brought to God.

Application

Now, the question is, what kind of fruit are you bringing to God? Are you allowing the desires of your flesh to control your actions? Or are you so tuned-in to God and walking so close to Him that your fleshly desires are easily resisted? The type of fruit that you produce will answer these questions for you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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