pathema – Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 8:18 – Suffering for Glory

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Will

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us.

Truth to Learn

Our future glory is far greater than our current suffering.

Behind the Words

The expression “I consider” is from the Greek word logidzomai, meaning “to count, to impute, to estimate, or to reckon.”

“Sufferings” is translated from pathēma, a noun form of the verb paschō, meaning “to feel strong emotion or sensation, to suffer, or to experience.” It is most often used to refer to painful suffering either physically or emotionally.

The words “not worthy” are translated from ouk axia. As we have discussed before, ouk refers to the absolute negative. The word axia is a form of axios which is a reference to two items placed on a balance scales which are of comparable weight, causing the scales to balance perfectly. This perfect balance indicates the relative worth of one of the items on the scales. Hence, the word has come to refer to the comparable worth of an item.

The word “revealed” is from apokaluptō. This is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover” or “to conceal.” Thus, we see that apokaluptō means “to uncover” or “to reveal.” This is the word that is translated “Revelation” as the name of the last book in the New Testament.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that since we are joint heirs with Christ, as members of God’s family, we can also expect to suffer with Him. Whenever we suffer because of being Christians, we are suffering with Christ. We are sharing in the pain of rejection, misunderstanding, betrayal, false accusation, persecution, and physical torture that Christ knew before and during his crucifixion.

But Paul now gives us a glimmer of hope that we can hang on to whenever we are going through those times of suffering. He starts off with the expression, “For I consider.” It is Paul’s belief that whatever sufferings we might have to go through in this life, they are of little value or consequence when compared with the incredible glory that we will receive in Heaven.

In verse seventeen Paul said that if we suffer with Christ, we may also be glorified with Him. Well, now Paul says that the present suffering that we are going through for Christ’s sake is in no way comparable to that glory that we are going to share with and from Christ. This is something that we should all hold dear to our hearts.

Application

The next time you feel like you are being persecuted, mistreated, or attacked because you are a witness for Christ, remember that you are suffering for His sake, and some day you will be glorified with Him and for His sake. No matter how much physical pain or mental anguish you may have to endure now, it is temporary and insignificant compared to the glory He will give to you for eternity.

It just makes the suffering a little more bearable now, doesn’t it?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 7:5 – Fruit of Death

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Will

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions 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. Paul uses “flesh” as a metonym for our sin nature.

“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 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 the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have 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,

1 Peter 5:9 – Brotherhood of Suffering

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Will

Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that your brotherhood in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

Truth to Learn

You are not alone in your suffering for Christ.

Behind the Words

“Resist” is translated from the Greek word anthistēmi, which is a compound word made up of anti, meaning “against” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Hence, it literally means “to stand against.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command. It is also expressed as a plural verb, indicating that it is to church members collectively, not individually.

The word “firmly” is from stereos, meaning “firm” or “solid.” Figuratively, it means “strong” or “immovable.” It also carries the idea of compactness. This is an adverb, modifying the verb anthistēmi. Since the verb is expressed in the plural, this implies that Christians are to “close ranks,” put on a solid front of resistance, and stand firm against the Devil.

The expression “are undergoing” is from epiteleō, which is a compound of epi, used as an intensifier and teleō, meaning “to complete.” It is expressed as a present infinitive, implying that the suffering is continually being accomplished throughout the body of Christ.

“Sufferings” is translated from the Greek word pathēma, which means “suffering.” The –ma ending means that this is referring to that which is suffered. In other words, it refers to the feelings you experience as you suffer.

Meaning Explained

Beyond simply being alert and vigilant regarding our opponent the Devil, as we saw in yesterday’s verse, we are to work together with other Christians to resist him firmly.

Joining this part of today’s verse with the previous three, we see that we are to … allow ourselves to be humbled under God’s mighty hand, without worrying, being alert and vigilant regarding our enemy, and when we do encounter our enemy we are to stand firmly against him in the faith. And what happens when we do this?

Therefore be submitted to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

When we try to stand against the Devil in our own strength, we are certain to fail, but if we stand in the belief that God is with us, and we are humbled under His mighty hand, Satan doesn’t want anything to do with us because he knows that he is certain to fail. Peter then finishes off this verse with a word of encouragement,

knowing that your brotherhood in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

We always seem to be able to withstand hardships a little easier if we know that we are not being singled out for the pain. Not only does God know what we’re going through (in fact it may be part of His plan), but we are not alone. There are other Christians who are undergoing the same suffering we are now.

Application

Are you feeling the pain and anguish of faithful suffering right now? As a Christian, you know that God is aware of your pain and there are other Christians who are feeling the same pain and anguish as you. Why not take a minute to pray for them!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 4:13 – Joyful Suffering

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Will

but rejoice to the extent that you share Christ's sufferings, so that you may rejoice at the revelation of His glory, exulting.

Truth to Learn

We should be happy when we suffer as followers of Christ.

Behind the Words

“Rejoice” is from chairō, meaning “to have joy” or “to be well.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command for us to be joyful.

The word “share” is translated from koinōneō, meaning “to have things in common with” or “to participate in.”

“Sufferings” is from the Greek word pathēma, meaning “that which is suffered.”

Meaning Explained

Peter just told us not to be surprised at the fiery trial (the adversity) that is currently happening to us and that we are not to think that such adversities are strange. Here’s what Paul said:

all who determine to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)

Therefore, we shouldn’t think it unusual if we are being persecuted for trying to live godly lives. Instead of thinking it strange, we should rejoice in the midst of our persecution and suffering. Say what?! Are we supposed to be some kind of masochist and get really excited when we encounter pain and suffering? No, that’s not what Peter is saying. He is saying that we should rejoice because we are sharing in Christ’s suffering. Paul said to the Philippians:

to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10)

And we should be willing, yes even desirous, of being identified as one of His, even in our suffering. James also said:

My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials, (James 1:2)

James even taught us that we will grow from these trials. And keep in mind what our Lord, Himself, told us:

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, for your reward in Heaven is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11,12)

Any personal relationship is strengthened when both parties in the relationship share common experiences, especially if they are difficult or painful experiences. God wants us to develop a closer relationship with Him, and one of the ways we can do this is by sharing in the suffering of Christ.

Application

If we are suffering because of our godly witness and our testimony as followers of Christ, then we are, in fact, suffering with Him. As a result, we will be glad with exceeding joy when Christ comes back in His glory. We will be glad because He with whom we have suffered, with whom we now have a closer personal relationship, is returning as the conquering King who will receive all the glory He is due! Give Him praise!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 1:11 – Investigative Effort

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Will

searching what person, or what time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

Truth to Learn

We need to search and study to know God’s truths.

Behind the Words

The word translated “searching” is ereunaō, a less intensive form of the word translated “searched carefully” in the previous verse. It means “to investigate or explore.”

The initial “what” comes from the Greek expression eis tina, which literally translates to, “unto what,” and may mean either “what time,” or “what person.” The latter seems to be the correct interpretation.

“What time” comes from the Greek poion kairon, which refers not to what exact time these things would occur, but to the time frame, that is the character or condition of the age when these things would take place.

“Testified beforehand” is translated from promarturomai, which is a compound word made up of pro, meaning “before, in place or time” and marturomai, meaning “to witness, testify, or declare.” Hence, this word means “to declare something before it occurs or before it appears.”

The word translated “sufferings” is the Greek word pathēma, which is derived from pathos, meaning “to experience strong emotion, or suffering.” The ending –ma indicates that it refers to that which is suffered.

Meaning Explained

We have already talked about how the prophets looked into their own messages and each others’ prophecies to better understand this thing called salvation. The current verse gives us particular insight into another thing they looked closely at, namely the Savior Himself. These prophets were inquiring about the person, who He would be, what would be His character, and what would be the nature of the work that He would perform. They were also trying to understand when He would come. That is, they wanted to know what would characterize the time of His coming, in the same way that we want to understand the nature of the time when Christ will return again.

The thing that they were most curious about, however, seems to have been the fact that the Messiah would suffer. That the prophesies taught that the Messiah would suffer was clear, but it was difficult to reconcile the sufferings with the descriptions of His glory and triumphs which would follow.

The most significant thing about these verses is not so much that the prophets believed their messages, but that they constantly studied the scriptures to learn more about the God they served!

Application

Do you realize how much information God has made available to us in His Word? There is information about who our God really is, what kind of a relationship He has provided for us (and wants with us), what kind of a future He has prepared for us, and how we can know without a doubt that we are His.

Knowing how much God has made available to us in the Holy Bible, how much time and effort do you put into learning it? No matter how much time we currently spend in God’s word, let’s all commit to spending more time searching the Scriptures.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 8:18 – Suffering for Glory

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:18 – Suffering for Glory

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Truth to Learn

Our future glory is far greater than our current suffering.

Behind the Words

The expression “I consider” is from the Greek word logidzomai, meaning “to count, to impute, to estimate, or to reckon.

Meaning Explained

Application

Makes the suffering a little more bearable, doesn’t it?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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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

“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.”

Meaning Explained

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)

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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