Tag: phthano

Romans 9:31 – Faith, not Obedience

Posted on by Will

but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to a law of righteousness.

Truth to Learn

God does not reward obedience, he rewards faith.

 

Behind the Words

The word “pursuing” is diōkō, the same root word as was translated pursue in the previous verse.

“Attain” is phthano, which we talked about in the previous verse. It means “to come suddenly upon something” or “to arrive at a goal.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul made the point that the Gentiles who do not vigorously pursue righteousness have, nonetheless, seized upon it with eagerness. He now tells us that the Israelites did vigorously pursue righteousness but they have not arrived at the goal.

So, why couldn’t the Israelites reach the goal (righteousness) they were working so hard to obtain and why did the Gentiles seize the righteousness which they weren’t pursuing? The difference is works verses faith. The Israelites tried to please God and obtain His righteousness by doing works of obedience. They tried to work their way to righteousness. However, God does not reward obedience, He rewards faith. Let me say that again, God does not reward obedience, He rewards faith.

Let’s look at an example from the Old Testament. After God led the Israelites through the wilderness and gave them the Law through Moses’ leadership, he led them into the Promised Land where they began to eliminate all the inhabitants of the land. Under Joshua’s leadership they were successful at driving the people out of the land. After Joshua’s death, however, the new generation failed to drive the remainder of the people out of the land.

On the surface, this looks like a failure of obedience. After all, God told them to do it, but they didn’t. However, if we look at it closely we will see that it was not a lack of obedience, it was a lack of faith. Here’s how it is expressed in the book of Judges:

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they pursued other gods, the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. (Judges 2:11,12)

God considered His relationship with the Israelites like a marriage relationship just as He considers the relationship between the church and Christ a marriage relationship. But the Israelites were unfaithful to their husband-God. God’s anger against the Israelites was because of unfaithfulness, not disobedience. That’s the point that Paul is making in today’s verse. Righteousness is not obtained by works, but by faith. Likewise, God’s favor is not obtained by obedience, but by faith.

 

Application

Are you still trying to please God by your good works? Or do you perform your good works out of gratitude because you believe God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. Let me say it one last time, God does not reward obedience, He rewards faith!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:30 – Not Attained by Pursuing

Posted on by Will

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, not pursuing righteousness, have taken on a righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes as a result of faith, not works.

 

Behind the Words

“Pursuing” is from the Greek verb diōkō, meaning “to actively and intentionally go after something.”

The Greek word translated “have taken on” is katelaben, which is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and a form of lambanō, meaning “to take.” So in its root form this word means “to take aggressively” or “to seize with eagerness.” There is another Greek word that is translated “take on.” It is phthanō, meaning “to come suddenly upon something” or “to arrive at a goal.” Thus, we see that Paul is referring to the Gentiles having taken possession of a prize rather than having reached a goal that they were pursuing.

The word “righteousness” is from dikaiosune, which is derived from the noun dikaios meaning “one who does what is right or just.” The ending sune, makes it an abstraction, so it refers to “the character or quality of being righteous or of having obtained righteousness.”

“Of” is from the Greek word ek, meaning “out of” or “as the result of.” The righteousness that is recorded in God’s book is not the result of any action on our part. It is the result of faith, believing God’s promise to us.

 

Meaning Explained

“What shall we say then?” With this rhetorical question, Paul begins his summation of this entire chapter. Even though he spent a great deal of time and energy making the case for God’s sovereign choosing (election), that has only been a supporting point of his argument. The main point is that the Gentiles have received the prize of justification (righteousness) without constantly pursuing after it, and the Jews, who constantly pursued righteousness, have not received it.

You see, the Jews had vigorously pursued righteousness by seeking rigorous adherence to the Law, but they did not obtain it. They believed they had to do something. They believed so strongly that righteousness came by obedience that they consumed their entire lives in being obedient to God’s commandments. The Gentiles, on the other hand, did not pursue righteousness but have now been declared righteous by God through faith. They did not pursue righteousness by doing works or by following all the rules; they simply believed the gospel message. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and that He died on the cross to pay for their sins are declared as righteous in God’s record book and only they will be permitted in God’s presence without condemnation.

 

Application

When God chooses those who will be saved, He does not give them a magic formula of things to say or do. He gives them faith to believe His promise of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. This only serves to strengthen Paul’s argument that God chooses whom He will save and He does so through the gift of faith. (see Ephesians 2:8)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – Any Day Now

Posted on by Will

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

Truth to Learn

The rapture could happen any day now!

 

Behind the Words

The word “alive” is from the verb dzaō, which means “to be alive” or “to have life.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the living.”

“Remain” is translated from perileipō. This word is made up of peri, meaning “around” and leipō, meaning “to leave” or “to have a lack of something.” Hence, perileipō means “to leave around” or “to leave behind.” This verb is also expressed as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the ones left behind” (when the others died).

Parousia is the Greek word translated “coming.” This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” It can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

“By no means” is the translation of the two Greek words ou mē. Ou represents the absolute negative and mē represents the relative negative. When the two words are used together it indicates the strongest form of a negative, meaning “absolutely not” or “no way.”

The word translated “precede” is phthanō, which means “to be beforehand” or “to precede.” When the King James Version of the Bible was by far the most frequently read translation, many people became confused about this verse. The reason is that the word phthanō was translated as “prevent.” At the time the KJV was translated, the word “prevent” meant “to come before,” not “to keep from happening” as it does today. Nearly all modern translations use the word “precede,” meaning “to happen before something else.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul is currently teaching about the rapture, indicating in verse thirteen that it is a future hope that belongs to all Christians. In yesterday’s verse we learned that when Jesus Christ comes back at the rapture, He will bring with him everyone who has died having a saving faith in his work on the cross.

He now makes a statement about why we should believe what he is telling us. He says, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” In other words, this is not just some hair brained idea that Paul came up with. This is teaching directly from the mouth of God, His Word.

Some Christians believe that this is a description of the “second coming of our Lord” which takes place at the end of the tribulation as described in Revelation 19:11-14. However, in that passage (verse 14) those who come with Him are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This is an indication that those who come with Him have already been presented before the Father, which must occur after the Bema Seat Judgment, which happens after the Rapture. Therefore, this must be a description of the Rapture and not the Second Coming.

Paul’s message here is that Christians who are alive at the time of the rapture will not receive their heavenly bodies before those who are asleep in Jesus (Christians who have died). Finally, notice that Paul said “we who remain.” He fully expected the rapture to occur within his lifetime!

 

Application

The rapture hasn’t happened yet, but we (like Paul) believe it could occur any day now. Christians should be serving God faithfully now, looking forward to Christ’s return when “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:16 – Proclaim It Fearlessly

Posted on by Will

hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has suddenly come upon them to the uttermost.

Truth to Learn

Christians are to share the Gospel, in spite of persecution.

 

Behind the Words

“Hindering” is translated from the Greek verb kōluō, which is related to the noun kolos, which refers to “a dwarf.” The verb kōluō means “to weaken” or “to cut off.” In its common usage, it means “to hinder, restrain, or prevent.”

Laleō is the verb translated “speaking.” It refers to verbal conversation in general, as opposed to the content of the conversation, which would be the word legō.

The word “Gentiles” is from the Greek noun ethnos. This word literally refers to “a group of people belonging and living together.” In Greek secular writing, it primarily refers to “a race of people” or “a nation.” The Jews used this word to refer to anyone who was not a Jew, that is, a Gentile.

“Saved” is translated from sodzō, which means “to rescue from danger or destruction.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of it happening.

“Always” is translated from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then.” Therefore, pantote means “all the time.”

The words “fill up” are from anaplēroō. This is composed of ana, meaning “up,” used as an intensifier, and plēroō, meaning “to fill.” Thus, anaplēroō means “to fill up completely.

The words “has suddenly come upon” are from the verb phthanō, meaning “to come suddenly and unexpectedly.”

“Uttermost” is from telos, meaning “the termination,” “the completion,” or “the end.”

 

Meaning Explained

The Thessalonian Christians were just told that they are suffering in the same way as the Christians in Judea, at the hands of their own countrymen. Paul now describes the motivation behind such persecution. He says that their countrymen were hindering them from having conversations with the people around them so that these people might not hear and believe the gospel message, thus getting saved.

This sounds very contemporary, doesn’t it? Even in our own country, which was originally based on religious freedom and the freedom of speech, our countrymen are trying to prevent us from spreading the good news. Prayer has been taken out of our schools and teachers are forbidden from sharing the Gospel message. Discussions about sin and salvation are hindered in the workplace and many government offices have forbidden the display of Christian materials.

But Paul tells us that the consequences of such hindering of the Gospel will be far worse for those who are hindering our witness than they will be for us. Their actions will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and they will experience the wrath of God, while we will only know the peace of God.

 

Application

Don’t be discouraged from sharing the Gospel message with people around you. Keep in mind that it is “… the power of God unto salvation …” (Romans 1:16) that causes people to believe, not your own persuasiveness.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – Any Day Now

Posted on by Will

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

Truth to Learn

The rapture could happen any day now!

Behind the Words

The word “alive” is from the verb dzaō, which means “to be alive” or “to have life.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the living.”

“Remain” is translated from perileipō. This word is made up of peri, meaning “around” and leipō, meaning “to leave” or “to have a lack of something.” Hence, perileipō means “to leave around” or “to leave behind.” This verb is also expressed as a present participle, so it could be translated as “the ones left behind” (when the others died).

Parousia is the Greek word translated “coming.” This word is derived from pareimi, meaning “to be present.” It can refer either to the presence of something or it can refer to the coming of someone into our presence.

“By no means” is the translation of the two Greek words ou mē. Ou represents the absolute negative and mē represents the relative negative. When the two words are used together it indicates the strongest form of a negative, meaning “absolutely not” or “no way.”

The word translated “precede” is phthanō, which means “to be beforehand” or “to precede.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is currently teaching about the rapture, indicating in verse thirteen that it is a future hope that belongs to all Christians. In yesterday’s verse we learned that when Jesus Christ comes back at the rapture, He will bring with him everyone who has died having a saving faith in his work on the cross.

He now makes a statement about why we should believe what he is telling us. He says, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.” In other words, this is not just some hair brained idea that Paul came up with. This is teaching directly from the mouth of God, His Word.

When the King James Version of the Bible was by far the most frequently read translation, many people became confused about this verse. The reason is that the word phthanō was translated as “prevent.” At the time the KJV was translated, the word “prevent” meant “to come before,” not “to keep from happening” as it does today. Nearly all modern translations use the word “precede,” meaning “to happen before something else.”

Paul’s message here is that Christians who are alive at the time of the rapture will not receive their heavenly bodies before those who are asleep in Jesus (Christians who have died). Finally, notice that Paul said “we who remain.” He fully expected the rapture to occur within his lifetime!

Application

The rapture hasn’t happened yet, but we (like Paul) believe it could occur any day now. Christians should be serving God faithfully now, looking forward to Christ’s return when “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:16 – Proclaim It Fearlessly

Posted on by Will

forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Truth to Learn

Christians are to share the Gospel, in spite of persecution.

Behind the Words

“Forbidding” is translated from the Greek verb kōluō, which is related to the noun kolos, which refers to “a dwarf.” The verb kōluō means “to weaken” or “to cut off.” In its common usage, it means “to hinder, restrain, or prevent.”

Laleō is the verb translated “to speak.” It refers to verbal conversation in general, as opposed to the content of the conversation, which would be the word legō.

The word “Gentiles” is from the Greek noun ethnos. This word literally refers to “a group of people belonging and living together.” In Greek secular writing, it primarily refers to “a race of people” or “a nation.” The Jews used this word to refer to anyone who was not a Jew, that is, a Gentile.

“Saved” is translated from sodzō, which means “to rescue from danger or destruction.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of it happening.

“Always” is translated from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then.” Therefore, pantote means “all the time.”

The words “fill up” are from anaplēroō. This is composed of ana, meaning “up,” used as an intensifier, and plēroō, meaning “to fill.” Thus, anaplēroō means “to fill up completely.

The words “has come upon” are from the verb phthanō, meaning “to come suddenly and unexpectedly.”

“Uttermost” is from telos, meaning “the termination,” “the completion,” or “the end.”

Meaning Explained

The Thessalonian Christians were just told that they are suffering in the same way as the Christians in Judea, at the hands of their own countrymen. Paul now describes the motivation behind such persecution. He says that their countrymen tried to prevent them from having conversations with the people around them so that these people might not hear and believe the gospel message, thus getting saved.

This sounds very contemporary, doesn’t it? Even in our own country, which was originally based on religious freedom and the freedom of speech, our countrymen are trying to prevent us from spreading the good news. Prayer has been taken out of our schools and teachers are forbidden from sharing the Gospel message. Discussions about sin and salvation are hindered in the workplace and many government offices have forbidden the display of Christian materials.

But Paul tells us that the consequences of such hindering of the Gospel will be far worse for those who are hindering our witness than they will be for us. Their actions will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment and they will experience the wrath of God, while we will only know the peace of God.

Application

Don’t be discouraged from sharing the Gospel message with people around you. Keep in mind that it is “… the power of God unto salvation …” (Romans 1:16) that causes people to believe, not your own persuasiveness.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:31 – Faith, not Obedient

Posted on by Will

Romans 9:31 – Faith, not Obedience

but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.

Truth to Learn

God does not reward obedience, he rewards faith.

Behind the Words

The word “pursuing” is diōkō, the same root word as was translated pursue in the previous verse.

“Attained” is phthano, which we talked about in the previous verse also. It means “to come suddenly upon something” or “to arrive at a goal.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul made the point that the Gentiles who do not vigorously pursue righteousness have, nonetheless, seized upon it with eagerness. He now tells us that the Israelites did vigorously pursue righteousness but they have not arrived at the goal.

So, why couldn’t the Israelites reach the goal (righteousness) they were working so hard to obtain and why did the Gentiles seize the righteousness which they weren’t pursuing? The difference is works verses faith. The Israelites tried to please God and obtain His righteousness by doing works of obedience. They tried to work their way to righteousness. However, God does not reward obedience, He rewards faith. Let me say that again, God does not reward obedience, He rewards faith.

Let’s look at an example from the Old Testament. After God led the Israelites through the wilderness and gave them the Law through Moses’ leadership, he led them into the Promised Land where they began to eliminate all the inhabitants of the land. Under Joshua’s leadership they were successful at driving the people out of the land. After Joshua’s death, however, the new generation failed to drive the remainder of the people out of the land.

On the surface, this looks like a failure of obedience. After all, God told them to do it, but they didn’t. However, if we look at it closely we will see that it was not a lack of obedience, it was a lack of faith. Here’s how it is expressed in the book of Judges:

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger. (Judges 2:11,12)

God considered His relationship with the Israelites like a marriage relationship just as He considers the relationship between the church and Christ a marriage relationship. But the Israelites were unfaithful to their husband-God. God’s anger against the Israelites was because of unfaithfulness, not disobedience. That’s the point that Paul is making. Righteousness is not obtained by works, but by faith.

Application

Are you still trying to please God by your good works? Or do you perform your good works out of gratitude because you believe God’s promise of salvation through the blood of Christ. God does not reward obedience, he rewards faith!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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