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Romans 7:14 – Flesh Versus Spirit

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Will

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold by sin.

Truth to Learn

There is a constant battle between our flesh and our spirit.

Behind the Words

The word translated “spiritual” is the Greek word pneumatikos, which means “that which pertains to the nature of spirits and the spirit world.”

“Fleshly” is translated from the Greek word sarkikos, which means, “that which pertains to our body, our human flesh.”

The word translated “sold” is pipraskō. It is based on the verb peraō, meaning “to traffic” or “to travel, especially overseas.” It is a reference to those who travel overseas to obtain merchandise which is then sold for profit. Hence, pipraskō refers to something that is sold.

Meaning Explained

The remainder of the chapter, starting with this verse, has been the subject of much debate for at least the past several centuries. The discussion is over whether this description of Paul’s is in reference to a time before his conversion or subsequent to his conversion. I believe that there is sufficient evidence to understand that Paul is making statements about his condition after conversion. First of all, it is the most obvious explanation of what Paul is teaching. Secondly, Paul has already shown that the Law doesn’t produce righteousness; rather, it makes sin more sinful and the sinner guilty. He doesn’t have to prove that again. Thirdly, the expressions that are used are not those that an unrepentant sinner would use. Instead, they express the same frustration that all Christians feel regarding their continued propensity to sin. And fourthly, there is a change made here from past tense to present tense, so Paul is expressing what is currently happening in his life as a born-again Christian who is still struggling with his sin nature.

He starts off this section restating what he already said in verse twelve; the Law is spiritual. That is, the Law is a spiritual entity, it was developed in the realm of spirituality and it was developed to show mankind what spirituality looks like. It is holy, that is, without sin itself, and it is basically good.

Mankind, of whom Paul uses himself as a representative, is not inherently spiritual. Rather, we are fleshly according to Paul. The sentence structure is one that contrasts spirituality (that which pertains to and is controlled by the spirit world) with fleshiness or carnality (that which pertains to and is controlled by the non spiritual part of man, called the flesh).

It is this dichotomy and conflict between the realms of spirituality and carnality that Paul will spend the remainder of this chapter on. Though we were created with both a body and a spirit, it is the sin nature (which is part of our body) that controls much of what we do, rather than our spirit.

Application

If you have ever been frustrated by the fact that you sin at times and in a manner in which you don’t want to, stay with us because we are going to find out that Paul had this same battle. The Apostle Paul, one of the foundation stones of the Church of Jesus Christ and one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the early church, battled with his sin nature. And so do we!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:12 – Spiritual Wrestling Match

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Will

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world system, against spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places.

Truth to Learn

We are in a spiritual battle against powerful wickedness (but we are on the winning side.)

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wrestling” is palē. This is derived from the verb pallō, meaning “to shake” or “to vibrate.” Palē refers to “struggling,” “wrestling,” or “hand-to-hand combat.” It is specifically a reference to a struggle between individual opponents rather than entire military forces.

“Authorities” is from archē, which literally means “a beginning.” However, this word can also refer to persons, indicating their priority or preeminence. It can also refer to a position of authority, indicating the first position in power or dominion. This is how the word is used in today’s verse.

Exousia is the Greek word translated “powers.” It refers to “permission, authority, or power to do something.” When used as it is here it indicates someone with power or authority.

The word “rulers … of this world system” is from kosmokrator, which is made up of kosmos, meaning “world system” and a form of krateō, meaning “to have control by virtue of strength.”

“Spiritual” is from pneumatikos, based on pneuma meaning “a spirit.” It refers to “spirit beings” or “angelic beings.”

The word “evil” is translated from ponēria, which refers to “badness,” “wickedness,” or “malicious evil.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells us why it is so important for us to put on our battle armor. The opening part of this verse literally reads, “because to us the wrestle is not against …” Word order is very important in Greek, with the most important idea presented first in a sentence. Paul wants our focus in this lesson to be on us and our preparedness, not on the enemy. At the same time, however, he wants us to know what kind of enemy we are battling with.

The descriptive words translated “authorities … powers … rulers of this world system … spiritual powers” indicate an organization of wicked angelic beings, who exist in the spirit world but who have great power and influence in our physical world as well. In his apocalyptic writing, the Apostle John described a vision of Satan (the dragon) gathering one third of all the angels to his side in his battle against God and His people:

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4a)

It is these “fallen angels,” organized by Satan into positions of power and authority, which are bringing the battle to us. It is a spiritual battle and we can either roll over and “play dead” or we can engage the enemy and stand firm with all the power and ability that our God has given us.

Application

Every Christian who has ever committed himself or herself to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has experienced spiritual battles. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but we must never give up. Remember, we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory! Our leader, our Savior, our God has already overcome the enemy. He is the Victor and we are on His side, the winning side!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 5:19 – Sing to God!

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Will

speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord,

Truth to Learn

Singing God’s praise is a sign of being filled with the Spirit.

Behind the Words

“Speaking” is from the Greek word laleō, meaning “to utter words,” that is, “to talk” or “to speak.”

The word “psalms” is transliterated from psalmos, derived from the verb psallō, meaning “to sing.” The words “making music” later in this verse are translated from psallō. Originally, psallō referred to the touching or plucking of a stringed instrument. Later it referred to the singing of a song accompanied by a musical instrument. A psalm tells a story of man’s deliverance or tells of God’s mercy to us.

The word “hymns” is transliterated from the Greek word humnos (hymnos), which is a declaration of praise regarding God’s greatness. According to the church father Augustine, a hymn had three characteristics: it was sung, it was praise, it was to God.

The words “spiritual songs” are translated from two words, pneumatikos and odē. Pneumatikos, derived from pneuma, meaning a spirit, refers to that which pertains to the spiritual world. Odē is the Greek word translated “songs.” Derived from the verb adō, it is a general term for a song.

“Singing” is from the Greek word adō. Throughout the Bible this word refers specifically to singing praises to God.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul commanded us not to be drunk with wine, allowing it to control our thoughts and actions. Instead he said, be filled with the Spirit of God, allowing Him to control our thoughts and actions.

Now you may ask, “How do I know when I am filled with the Spirit?” The Apostle answers that question with three different forms of evidence. The first is in today’s verse and the others are described in the following two verses. The first evidence of being Spirit filled is “singing and making music in your heart to the Lord.” When a person is filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, he or she cannot help himself or herself. The Spirit within us will break out in song. This singing will usually be accompanied by musical instruments, and it will be songs of praise to God for who He is and for what He has done. These songs will be “spiritual songs” because they are the result of the Spirit of God bursting out through our voices.

What you may not realize is that the only singing that many early Christians heard before coming to Christ was singing that accompanied drunkenness and idolatry, but that’s not the type of singing we’re commanded to do. It’s interesting to note that Paul says that these songs are a form of “speaking to yourselves.” These are messages of praise and encouragement that church members sing to themselves and to other church members. Some people in church just sing the songs because they know they’re supposed to. Others sing these songs simply because they like to sing. And others sing the same songs as a form of worship. Paul, however, says that we should also be singing these songs to each other. I believe Paul intends this to be a form of encouragement and fellowship.

Application

When we realize what God has done for us, we are filled with joy. That joy is often expressed in the form of singing. How wonderful it is to join together with our brothers and sisters each week, lifting our voices up in song. So, be filled with the Spirit and lift up your heart with songs of praise to God and encouragement to others.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:3 – Spiritual Blessings

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Will

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Truth to Learn

God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing.

Behind the Words

There are two Greek words translated “blessed” in the New Testament. The first is makarios, meaning “fortunate, well off, or happy.” The other one is eulogētos, from which we get our English word eulogy. It is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of logos, meaning “a word.” Hence, eulogētos means “good words” or “well-spoken of.” When used as God blessing a person, eulogētos means “to look on with favor, to act in a person’s life and accomplish His purposes instead of allowing the person to have his or her own way.” In the current verse, both words translated “blessed” and the word translated “blessing” are forms of eulogētos.

“Spiritual” is translated from pneumatikos, which is derived from pneuma, meaning “spirit.” Thus, pneumatikos means “that which pertains to the spiritual realm as opposed to the earthly or physical realm.”

The words “heavenly places” are translated from epouranios, which is made up of epi, meaning “above, over, or on” and a form of ouranos which refers “heaven.” Epouranios means “that which pertains to heaven” or “the heavenly realm.”

Meaning Explained

Paul starts out this verse by giving praise to God the Father. He states very clearly here that, although Jesus Christ is God and part of the trinity, He is subservient to the Father since he refers to Him as “the God and Father” of Jesus Christ. Since all Christians are “in Christ” (Romans 12:3, 2Corinthians 5:17), He is also our God and Father.

There is some discussion among Biblical scholars as to the exact meaning of Paul’s expression “spiritual blessing.” Some claim that he is referring to “every blessing of the Holy Spirit,” especially since that would make mention of all three persons of the Godhead in this verse. Others (with whom I would agree) see this as an expression of spiritual blessing as opposed to worldly or material blessing. This makes more sense since the realm of the blessing is “in the heavenlies.” Notice that in the Old Testament, from Abraham onward, God’s promise of blessing was focused on material, earthly things. Not so, in the New Testament. The blessings He promises us are not fame and fortune; they are spiritual riches like eternal life, adoption as sons by God, and reigning with Him. Keep in mind that our citizenship is in heaven, not this world (Philippians 3:20).

Finally, Paul tells us that these spiritual blessings, which we have already been blessed with, are in Christ. Our blessings are not in religion, good works, or obedience; they are in Christ Jesus our Lord and they are acquired by faith.

Application

We live in a physical world and we are surrounded by the world system, characterized by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. But we are commanded not to love the things of this world (1John 2:15). Instead, Paul will describe a number of spiritual blessings because he wants us to focus on our spiritual blessings, not the material ones.

Where are you looking for your blessings, my Christian friend? In the things of this world? Or in the things of God?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 3:1 – Eternal Babies

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Will

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians don’t grow in their relationship with Christ.

Behind the Words

The word “could” is translated from a form of dunamis, meaning “to be able” or “to have power or authority.”

“Speak” is from laleō, which refers to the use of words in speech or writing. It is a reference to the ability to communicate rather than the quality of it.

“Spiritual” is translated from pneumatikos. It describes those who exist in the spiritual realm, as opposed to the physical realm. It refers to those who communicate with the God of creation. Therefore, pneumatikos describes those who have a spiritual relationship with God.

Sarkinos is the Greek word translated “carnal.” It is based on the word sarx, which refers to the flesh of a living creature. Thus, sarkinos refers to those who live in the realm of the flesh as opposed to those who live in the realm of the spirit.

The word “babes” is from the Greek nēpios, which is made up of nē, meaning “not” and a form of epō, meaning “to speak.” Hence, nēpios literally means “non-speaking.” It is equivalent to the Latin infans (an infant). So, we see that nēpios refers to someone who is like an infant who hasn’t yet learned to speak.

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapter, the Apostle Paul compared the “natural man” to “the spiritual man.” The natural man is one who does not have God’s Spirit (a non-Christian). As a result, he (or she) lives under the influence of the sin nature, rather than the influence of the Spirit of God.

In today’s verse Paul introduces a third type of person, “the carnal man.” This person is barely distinguishable from the natural man because both the natural man and the carnal man are controlled by the flesh (human nature). A carnal Christian is in a most unhappy condition. He or she has been given the Holy Spirit of God as a guide, but does not communicate with the Spirit or, at best, ignores what the Spirit says.

A carnal Christian is further described by Paul as an infant in Christ. Let me point out that there is nothing wrong with being an infant in Christ – if you have recently been “born again.” Every Christian starts out as an infant in Christ. Here Paul is referring to Christians who haven’t grown in their Christian life. For whatever reason, they have decided to remain a baby and not grow in their relationship with God.

Unfortunately, we see this kind of Christians all around us. These “Sunday morning Christians” come to church wearing their Sunday-morning-go-to-church clothes, they sing the songs, they sit patiently (sometimes) while the preacher gives his message, then they walk out and live like the devil the rest of the week. Christianity is easy for them. They don’t have to put any work into it and they typically don’t suffer from spiritual attacks. Our enemy doesn’t have to attack them because they are infants who don’t pose any threats.

Application

Christianity may seem easy to the carnal Christian, but he or she is missing out on the rich blessings of a close personal relationship with the God of creation. Where are you today, my friend? Are you still a baby Christian, or are you growing?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 2:15 – The Spiritual Christian

Posted on June 4, 2013 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,

1 Corinthians 2:14 – The Truth Revealed

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Will

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Truth to Learn

Christians understand the Bible because of the Holy Spirit.

Behind the Words

The word translated “natural” is psuchikos, which is based on psuchō, meaning “to breathe” or “to blow.” In this sense, psuchikos is very similar to pneumatikos (like a blast of air or a breeze). The distinction is between a natural breath and a spiritual breath. In Greek writings, man is distinguished from animals in that he has a psuchē (often translated as “soul”), the ability to reason and communicate. In the New Testament, especially here, psuchē (soul) is distinguished from pneuma (spirit), in that the latter implies the ability to reason and communicate in the realm of the divine.

“Receive” is from dechomai, which means “to take to oneself that which is offered by someone else.” The closest English words to translate dechomai are “accept” or “receive.”

Dunamai is the Greek word translated “can.” It refers to the ability or power to do something.

The word “know” is from ginōskō, which can mean “to come to know” or “to understand.” The expression “nor can he know” in today’s verse could be translated as “he does not have the ability to understand.”

“Discerned” is from anakrinō. This word fundamentally means “to examine” or “to scrutinize.” In a judicial sense, it is used of examining a witness in order to determine the facts.

Meaning Explained

In this chapter, Paul is defending his style of preaching and teaching, showing the distinction between his style and the style of the leaders and orators of the world system. In verse two he says, “my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

Then, in yesterday’s verse, he said that his own words were not words of man’s wisdom, but those which the Holy Spirit of God teaches. Now he explains why the preaching of the truth from God’s word is looked on by the world around us as foolishness. In this verse and the next, he declares that there are two types of people in this world: “the natural man” (literally “a natural man”) and “he who is spiritual.” A natural man is someone who does not believe that Jesus Christ is God or that His death on the cross paid for our sins (he’s not a Christian).

Because he does not believe in this truth, a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. Instead, the things taught by the Holy Spirit are foolishness to him. Notice that Paul does not say that they seem like foolishness, but that they are foolishness. He also teaches us why such things are foolishness to unsaved people. A natural man does not have the ability to know (or understand) spiritual truths because such truths can only be examined and ascertained by the Spirit who lives within us (the Holy Spirit of God).

Application

Have you ever been reading your Bible not understanding what it was saying? Did you pray to God to reveal the spiritual truths being taught there? When was the last time you thanked God for revealing the truth to you?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 2:13 – Inspired Word of God

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Will

These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Truth to Learn

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. Believe it!

Behind the Words

“Speak” is translated from the verb laleō. This word refers to the use of words in speech or writing. It is a reference to the ability to communicate rather than the quality of it.

“Words” is from the Greek noun logos, which refers to a word itself or an expression of intelligent thought.

Sugkrinō is the verb translated “comparing.” It is made up of sun, meaning “together” and krinō, which means “to judge, distinguish, or separate.” Sugkrinō originally meant “to combine,” then later it meant “to separate” or “to distinguish,” and then “to compare” or “to explain.”

The words “spiritual things” and “spiritual” are both from the Greek adjective pneumatikos. The first usage of the word here is structured as a neuter direct object (the object of the verb “comparing”). As a result, it refers to “spiritual things.” The other use of pneumatikos here is structured as an indirect object which is normally translated with the added prepositions “in,” “to,” “by,” or “with.” Here it has the form of either a neuter indirect object (spiritual things) or a masculine indirect object, since they both have the same form. The gender of the indirect object indicates what it is referring to. If neuter, it has to refer to a neuter noun. If masculine, however, it has to refer to a masculine noun.

Meaning Explained

The first part of this verse is fairly clear. You will recall that Paul has compared the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God and in doing so has compared his own preaching style with the obscure style of the philosophers, sophists, and rabbis. He clearly states that in conveying these formerly secret truths to us, the apostles did not use words of their own choosing or words dictated by man's wisdom. Rather, they used the very words which the Holy Spirit taught them to use. This is a clear statement that not only the subject matter of Biblical teaching is inspired, but that even the very words used by the writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is why we take so much time and care in these studies to look at the very words used.

The second half of this verse is difficult to translate into English because of the words sugkrinō and pneumatikos, as explained above. As a result, there are numerous differing translations. The two translations that seem to make the most sense, given what Paul has been talking about, are: “Explaining spiritual things to spiritual men” and “comparing spiritual things with spiritual things (or words).” In the first and second century the church leaders believed that Paul’s meaning was, “comparing the things which were written by the Spirit of the Old Testament with what is now revealed to us by the same Spirit, and confirming doctrine by them.” Given what Paul has been talking about, this seems to make good sense.

Application

Even though the Bible was penned by human writers, it is the Word of God. As such, it is inspired and without error in the original documents. Therefore, we can believe what it teaches us and we can base our earthly lives and eternal future on what it teaches. God’s Word is truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

To see all of our verse studies, visit http://www.ministryofgrace.org

Ephesians 6:12 – Spiritual Wrestling Match

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Will

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Truth to Learn

We are in a spiritual battle and we are on the winning side.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wrestle” is palē. This is derived from the verb pallō, meaning “to shake” or “to vibrate.” Palē refers to “struggling,” “wrestling,” or “hand-to-hand combat.” It is specifically a reference to a struggle between individual opponents rather than entire military forces.

“Principalities” is from archē, which literally means “a beginning.” However, this word can also refer to persons, indicating their priority or preeminence. It can also refer to a position of authority, indicating the first position in power or dominion. This is how the word is used in today’s verse.

Exousia is the Greek word translated “powers.” It refers to "permission, authority, or power to do something." When used as it is here it indicates someone with power or authority.

The word “rulers” is from kosmokrator, which is made up of kosmos, meaning “world system” and a form of krateō, meaning “to have control by virtue of strength.”

“Spiritual” is from pneumatikos, based on pneuma meaning “a spirit.” It refers to “spirit beings” or “angelic beings.”

The word “wickedness” is translated from ponēria, which refers to “badness” or “wickedness.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells us why it is so important for us to put on our battle armor. The opening part of this verse literally reads, “because to us the wrestle is not against …” He wants our focus in this lesson to be on us and our preparedness, not on the enemy. At the same time, however, Paul wants us to know what kind of enemy we are battling with.

The descriptive words translated “principalities … powers … rulers of darkness … spiritual hosts” indicate an organization of wicked angelic beings, who exist in the spirit world but who have great power and influence in our physical world as well. In his apocalyptic writing, the Apostle John described a vision of Satan (the dragon) gathering one third of all angels to his side in his battle against God and His people:

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 5:19 – Sing to God!

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Will

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Truth to Learn

Singing God’s praise is a sign of being filled with the Spirit.

Behind the Words

“Speaking” is from the Greek word laleō, meaning “to utter words,” that is, “to talk” or “to speak.”

The word “psalms” is transliterated from psalmos, derived from the verb psallō, meaning “to sing.” The words “making melody” later in this verse are translated from psallō. Originally, psallō referred to the touching or plucking of a stringed instrument. Later it referred to the singing of a song accompanied by a musical instrument. A psalm tells a story of man’s deliverance or tells of God’s mercy to us.

“Singing” is from the Greek word adō. Throughout the Bible this word refers specifically to singing praises to God.

Meaning Explained

Now you may ask, “How do I know when I am filled with the Spirit?” The Apostle answers that question with three different forms of evidence. The first is in today’s verse and the others are described in the following two verses. The first evidence of being Spirit filled is “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” When a person is filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, he or she cannot help himself or herself. The Spirit within us will break out in song. This singing will usually be accompanied by musical instruments, and it will be songs of praise to God for who He is and for what He has done. These songs will be “spiritual songs” because they are the result of the Spirit of God bursting out through our voices.

What you may not realize is that the only singing that many early Christians heard before coming to Christ was singing that accompanied drunkenness and idolatry. It’s interesting to note that Paul says that these songs were a form of “speaking to one another.” The Greek actually says “speaking to yourselves.” These were messages of praise and encouragement that church members sang to church members.

Application

In God's service, for His glory,