Tag: reconcile

Romans 5:10 – Living Salvation

Posted on by Will

For if while being enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Truth to Learn

Our debt was paid by Jesus’ death, but it is his resurrection to life that secures our salvation.

 

Behind the Words

“Enemies” is from echthros, which means “hatred, enmity, hostility, or antagonism.” In Greek, this word is expressed in the nominative, plural. Therefore, a literal translation is “hated ones” or “enemies.”

The word translated “reconciled” is the Greek word katallassō, which is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and allasso, meaning “to change the form or nature of something.” In the New Testament this word is used to indicate the change that God makes in man through conversion so that he may be reconciled to our holy God.

The words “much more” are pollō mallon in the Greek. Mallon is a comparative indicating “more in quality or quantity” and pollō means “much in quantity or amount.” The word pollō has its own comparative form, indicating more of one thing than another. The fact that both words are used together indicates an emphasis in the comparison, that is, “a whole lot more!”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse represents one of the pinnacles of great theological truth found in the book of Romans. In the previous verse we learned that we were justified by the shedding of His (God the Son’s) blood and, as a result, we will be saved from His (God, the Father’s) wrath at the judgment. Now we see that it was through the death of Jesus Christ that this reconciliation took place. And now that we have been reconciled, of even greater importance is the fact that we shall be saved (from the wrath to come) by His life.

There is a subtle statement here that we don’t want to read past without recognizing. Yes, we will be saved from the wrath of God (from the Great White Throne Judgment and the lake of fire) which we discussed in the previous verse, and this is a particular point that Paul wants us to understand. The previous verse said that we will be saved from the wrath through Him. However, this verse amplifies that statement by saying that we will be saved through “His life.” Do you see that? It is the blood that satisfies God’s justice but it is Jesus’ resurrected life, the fact that he lives to intercede for us, that guarantees we will be saved and live eternally. That is the essence of the gospel which we must believe to be saved; Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and He was raised from the dead (given life) that we might be saved from the Wrath of God. His eternal life is the guarantee that we, too, will be given eternal life. We must believe both in the death and the resurrection, for according to Paul, it is this resurrection and the life that He now possesses by which we will be saved.

Jesus gave His life to pay the penalty of our sins, and God the Father gave that life back to Him so that we might be saved from the wrath of our sins, if we believe in it.

 

Application

Do you believe it? If so, you will be saved from the wrath that you deserve. However, if you don’t believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you will suffer the wrath that God says we so justly deserve.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:16 – Deadly Reconciliation

Posted on by Will

and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Truth to Learn

We are reconciled to God because of Jesus Christ’s death.

 

Behind the Words

“He might reconcile” is translated from the Greek verb apokatalassō. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from,” kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.” The word katalassō (without apo added) implies the setting up of a relationship of peace that did not exist before. Apokatalassō, however, implies a restoration of a relationship which comes from a dramatic change. In other words, it refers to restoring harmony or fellowship (which existed previously) between two parties as a result of a dramatic change on the part of one of them.

Amphoteros is the Greek word that is translated “both.” It refers to “both of two,” that is, “both the one and the other.”

The word “body” is soma, which refers to “a body, either literally or figuratively.” In this case it refers to the physical body of Jesus Christ.

“Cross” is from the Greek noun stauros, which is derived from the base of the verb histēmi, meaning “to stand.” It refers to “a tree,” “a stake,” or “a cross” (something set upright) to which criminals were tied or nailed as a form of execution.

The expression “putting to death” comes from the verb apokteinō, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and the verb kteinō, meaning “to slay.” Thus, apokteinō means “to kill” or “to put to death.”

 

Meaning Explained

This verse really focuses on the Greek word apokatalassō, the reconciliation of mankind to God. In other words, God has restored harmony and fellowship between us and Him as a result of a change in our status. That change is from a condition of us being a condemned sinner to the condition of us having the righteousness of Christ. But Paul makes a special point of declaring that both Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to God. Jews needed reconciliation because they failed to keep the whole law. And Gentiles needed reconciliation as well because we were estranged from God and His blessing.

This reconciliation took place in the physical body of Jesus Christ. As the second person of the Godhead, Jesus is completely God. But, because He took on human form, that is, a physical human body just like you and I have, subject to pain, suffering, and death, He is also completely human. Because He became completely human and lived a life without sin, he was able to offer up His human life in that body, through the pain and suffering of the cross, as the payment for our sins.

At this point Paul employs one of his “play on words” for which he is noted. He tells us that because of the death of His body, Jesus put to death the enmity, the hatred and hostility between Jews and Gentiles. By His death, He reconciled both Jew and Gentile with God and put to death the hostility between us.

 

Application

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said:

For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So also you count yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:10-11)

If we are dead to sin then it cannot have mastery over us, and we can live our lives to God as a result of the bodily death of Jesus Christ. So, now the question we all have to ask ourselves is, “Do we consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God?” Think about that for a few minutes.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:16 – Deadly Reconciliation

Posted on by Will

Ephesians 2:16  – Deadly Reconciliation

and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Truth to Learn

We are reconciled to God because of Jesus Christ’s death.

Behind the Words

“He might reconcile” is translated from the Greek verb apokatalassō. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from,” kata, used as an intensifier, and allassō, meaning “to change.” This word implies a reconciliation which comes from a dramatic change. In other words, it refers to restoring harmony or fellowship between two parties as a result of a dramatic change on the part of one of them.

The word “body” is soma, which refers to “a body, either literally or figuratively.” In this case it refers to the physical body of Jesus Christ.

“Cross” is from the Greek noun stauros, which is derived from the base of the verb histēmi, meaning “to stand.” It refers to “a stake” or “a cross” (something set upright) to which criminals were tied or nailed as a form of execution.

The expression “putting to death” comes from the verb apokteinō, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and the verb kteinō, meaning “to slay.” Thus, apokteinō means “to kill” or “to put to death.”

Meaning Explained

This verse really focuses on the Greek word apokatalassō, the reconciliation of mankind to God. In other words, God has restored harmony and fellowship between us and Him as a result of a change in our status. That change is from being a condemned sinner to having the righteousness of Christ. But Paul makes a special point of declaring that both Jews and Gentiles have been reconciled to God. Jews needed reconciliation because they failed to keep the whole law. And Gentiles needed reconciliation as well because we were estranged from God and His blessing.

This reconciliation took place in the physical body of Jesus Christ. As the second person of the Godhead, Jesus is completely God. But, because He took on human form, that is, a physical human body just like you and I have, subject to pain, suffering, and death, He is also completely human. Because He became completely human and lived a life without sin, he was able to offer up His life in that body, through the pain and suffering of the cross, as the payment for our sins.

At this point Paul employs one of his “play on words” for which he is noted. He tells us that because of the death of His body, Jesus put to death the enmity, the hatred and hostility between Jews and Gentiles. By His death, He reconciled both Jew and Gentile with God and put to death the hostility between us.

Application

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said:

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:10-11)

If we are dead to sin then it cannot have mastery over us, and we can live our lives to God as a result of the bodily death of Jesus Christ. Do you consider yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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