Tag: sperma

Romans 11:1 – We Preach, He Enlightens

Posted on by Will

I say then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Truth to Learn

We are to preach the gospel to everyone, whether they will believe or not.

 

Behind the Words

You will notice in this translation the word “not” doesn’t appear in the first sentence, whereas in other translations it does. The word actually is in the Greek text but it should not necessarily be written in the translation. Let me explain why. The Greek word in question is me, which is a negative particle and should in most cases be translated as “not.” There is another Greek word that is translated as “not,” however, which is ou. The difference is that ou has an absolute negative interpretation whereas me has a relative negative interpretation. In fact, me is often used, as is the case in the current verse, to express a question that anticipates a negative answer.

The words “Certainly not!” are translated from me genoito, which is often translated as “May it not be.” In today’s vernacular we would say “No way!”

“Seed” is translated from sperma, meaning “that which is sown, containing the germ of life which will produce new fruit.” It is an indication that Paul is a direct descendant of Abraham.

The word “tribe” is from phulē, which is based on the verb phuō, meaning “to generate or produce.” In the common usage of this word, phulē, refers to “a tribe or a clan.”

 

Meaning Explained

To a Christian Jew living in Rome reading through this letter (or listening to someone read it to him or her), it may have appeared that Paul was teaching that God had rejected the Jews. This would seem preposterous to them since God had chosen them as a covenant people. So in order to clarify what he means, Paul anticipated the objection and states it as a rhetorical question, “did God cast away His people?”

As we pointed out above, this question is asked in such a manner that it requires a negative answer. This would make it immediately clear to the reader (or hearer) that Paul does not even entertain the notion that God would totally reject all Jews. So, he is asking the rhetorical question in such a way that the reader would not immediately reject his statement and would continue on.

He follows-up the question with his familiar me genoito, “No way!” As proof that God has not rejected all Jews, Paul demonstrates that he, himself, is an Israelite and not an adopted one but a natural born Israelite, a direct descendent of Abraham. The Israelites took great pride (and still do today) in knowing the tribe and sometimes even the family of Israel of which they descended. Paul states at the end of this verse that he is of the tribe of Benjamin. He will continue this thought in the following verse.

 

Application

In verse seven of this chapter, Paul will explain that many of the Jews have been blinded so that they can’t see the truth. However, that does not excuse us from preaching the gospel even to those who cannot see the truth. It is not our responsibility to determine who will believe. It is simply our responsibility to preach the gospel truth. The rest is up to God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:29 – General God the Merciful

Posted on by Will

And as Isaiah said before: "Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have become like Gomorrah."

Truth to Learn

The leader of Heaven’s army chooses to save only a few.

 

Behind the Words

The words “said before” are from the Greek verb proereō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or position” and ereō, meaning “to say or proclaim.” Thus we see that proereō means “to speak in advance” or “to foretell.”

The word “Lord” is from the Greek word kurios, meaning “master or ruler.”

“Sabaoth” is not a Greek word, but a transliteration of the Hebrew word tseva’ah, which means “armies or military hosts organized for war.” It is a reference to the armies of heaven, the angelic hosts.

The word “seed” is translated from the Greek word sperma, meaning “that which is sown, containing the germ of life which will produce new fruit.” In Isaiah’s passage it is the Hebrew word sariyd, meaning “a survivor, or one who remains after a battle.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now quotes another of Isaiah’s prophesies from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament.

Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

He makes reference to the Lord of the hosts of Heaven, the great and powerful leader of the mightiest of all armies. As the leader of the most powerful army ever, He will do as He determines and none can stop Him.

Isaiah’s point is that unless the mighty God had chosen to preserve a small number of survivors of Israel, they would have been completely destroyed just as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for lack of 10 righteous people. This is a reference to the fact that Abraham negotiated with God for saving Sodom if only 10 righteous people were found in the city. As it turned out there were only Lot, his wife, and his two daughters. You can read all about these events in Genesis chapters 18 and 19.

Now, Paul’s point is the same as the previous verse, namely that God might cast off the entire nation because they have followed after other gods, saving only a few as His chosen ones. Thus, Paul demonstrates that God is ultimately the one who chooses who is destroyed and who is preserved. This is especially poignant given what Paul has already told us way back in Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

The net effect of all this is that the Jewish Christians in Rome (and all of us who are God’s chosen ones) should fall to their knees and thank the Lord of hosts that he has not cut them off as they deserve, but has chosen to impute to them His righteousness and allow them into His eternal presence.

 

Application

Instead of complaining that it isn’t fair for God to destroy most of humanity and preserve only a few by His choice, let’s be eternally grateful that He opened our eyes to the truth of the gospel. He chose to save us even though we don’t deserve it.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:7 – Isaac, God’s Choice

Posted on by Will

nor because they are the Abraham’s seed are they all children; but, "in Isaac your seed shall be called."

Truth to Learn

God chose Isaac as the promised seed of Abraham.

 

Behind the Words

The word “children” is translated from the Greek word teknon, which is the noun form of the verb tiktō, meaning “to give birth to offspring.” Hence, teknon refers to a child. This word does not imply gender as does the word huios (son).

“Seed” is from sperma, meaning “something sown, that is a seed.” Metaphorically, it refers to the offspring that is produced by the seed.

The word “called” is kaleō, which properly means “to call aloud to someone,” but it is also used in the sense of naming someone or something.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now continues his explanation of why ancestry is no guarantee of righteousness. He just said that not all the people of Israel are spiritual descendants of their father Israel. He started with Israel because he is the one from whom the nation got its name. Now he will cover the other two of the three main patriarchs.

Since the calling and the promises for the nation started with the calling of Abraham, Paul now addresses this part of their lineage. Just because they are descendants of their father Abraham doesn’t mean that they are considered children of the promise. Remember that the first child of Abraham was Ishmael, not Isaac. By the laws of primogeniture (oldest son inheriting the prime blessing and a double portion or all of the estate of the father), Ishmael should be the one through whom the lineage of Abram is recognized. However, God chose Isaac, the son of promise, to be the blessed one. Note also that Ishmael is the father of the Arabs. The Arabs to this day dislike the Jews partially because of this transferring of the blessing from Ishmael to Isaac.

Isaac is the son that God promised to Abraham and for whom Abraham had to wait 25 years. When Isaac was born, Ishmael was a teenager, and the jealousy of Ishmael and his mother Hagar (the personal maid servant of Abraham’s wife Sarah) caused them to be cast out from the clan. As Abraham wrestled with sending his first son away, God told him;

Do not let it be wrong in your eyes because of the boy or because of your handmaid. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. (Genesis 21:12)

It was not Abraham’s choice to place Isaac above Ishmael, it was God’s choice. Isaac was the promised son, not Ishmael. Isaac was God’s chosen one and Ishmael was not! As a result, the seed of Isaac (through Jacob) became God’s chosen people. It may not seem fair to us that God chose Isaac above Ishmael, but He did! God chose Isaac; Isaac did not choose God.

 

Application

We all have a hard time accepting the fact that God chooses some to be saved and not others. That’s why Paul is going through this thorough discourse on God’s choosing.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:1 – We Preach, He Enlightens

Posted on by Will

Romans 11:1 – We Preach, He Enlightens

I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Truth to Learn

We are to preach the gospel to everyone, whether they will believe or not.

Behind the Words

You will notice in this translation the word “not” doesn’t appear in the first sentence, whereas in other translations it does. The word actually is in the Greek text but it should not necessarily be written in the translation. Let me explain why. The Greek word in question is me, which is a negative particle and should in most cases be translated as “not.” There is another Greek word that is translated as “not,” however, which is ou. The difference is that ou has an absolute negative interpretation whereas me has a relative negative interpretation. In fact, me is often used, as is the case in the current verse, to express a question that anticipates a negative answer.

The words “Certainly not!” are translated from me genoito, which is often translated as “May it not be.” In today’s vernacular we would say “No way!”

“Seed” is translated from sperma, meaning “that which is sown, containing the germ of life which will produce new fruit.” It is an indication that Paul is a direct descendant of Abraham.

The word “tribe” is from phulē, which is based on the verb phuō, meaning “to generate or produce.” In the common usage of this word, phulē, refers to “a tribe or a clan.”

Meaning Explained

To a Christian Jew living in Rome reading through this letter (or listening to someone read it to him or her), it may have appeared that Paul was teaching that God had rejected the Jews. This would seem preposterous to them since God had chosen them as a covenant people. So in order to clarify what he means, Paul anticipated the objection and states it as a rhetorical question, “has God cast away His people?”

As we pointed out above, this question is asked in such a manner that it requires a negative answer. This would make it immediately clear to the reader (or hearer) that Paul does not even entertain the notion that God would totally reject all Jews. So, he is asking the rhetorical question in such a way that the reader would not immediately reject his statement and would continue on.

He follows-up the question with his familiar me genoito, “No way!” As proof that God has not rejected all Jews, Paul demonstrates that he, himself, is an Israelite and not an adopted one but a natural born Israelite, a direct descendent of Abraham. The Israelites took great pride (and still do today) in knowing the tribe and sometimes even the family of Israel of which they descended. Paul states at the end of this verse that he is of the tribe of Benjamin. He will continue this thought in the following verse.

Application

In verse seven of this chapter, Paul will explain that many of the Jews have been blinded from seeing the truth. However, that does not excuse us from preaching the gospel even to those who cannot see the truth. It is not our responsibility to determine who will believe. It is simply our responsibility to preach the gospel truth. The rest is up to God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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

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Romans 9:7 – Isaac, God’s Choice

Posted on by Will

Romans 9:7 – Isaac, God’s Choice

nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “in Isaac your seed shall be called.”

Truth to Learn

God chose Isaac as the promised seed of Abraham.

Behind the Words

The word “children” is translated from the Greek word teknon, which is the noun form of the verb tiktō, meaning “to give birth to offspring.” Hence, teknon refers to a child. This word does not imply gender as does the word huios (son).

“Seed” is from sperma, meaning “something sown, that is a seed.” Metaphorically, it refers to the offspring that is produced by the seed.

The word “called” is kaleō, which properly means “to call aloud to someone,” but it is also used in the sense of naming someone or something.

Meaning Explained

Paul now continues his explanation of why ancestry is no guarantee of righteousness. He just said that not all the people of Israel are spiritual descendants of their father Israel. He started with Israel because he is the one from whom the nation got its name. Now he will cover the other two of the three main patriarchs.

Since the calling and the promises for the nation started with the calling of Abraham, Paul now addresses this part of their lineage. Just because they are descendants of their father Abraham doesn’t mean that they are considered children of the promise. Remember that the first child of Abraham was Ishmael not Isaac. By the laws of primogeniture (oldest son inheriting the prime blessing and a double portion or all of the estate of the father), Ishmael should be the one through whom the lineage of Abram is recognized. However, God chose Isaac, the son of promise, to be the blessed one. Note also that Ishmael is the father of the Arabs. The Arabs to this day dislike the Jews partially because of this transferring of the blessing from Ishmael to Isaac.

Isaac is the son that God promised to Abraham and for whom Abraham had to wait 25 years. When Isaac was born, Ishmael was a teenager, and the jealousy of Ishmael and his mother Hagar (the personal maid servant of Abraham’s wife Sarah) caused them to be cast out from the clan. As Abraham wrestled with sending his first son away, God told him;

Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. (Genesis 21:12)

It was not Abraham’s choice to place Isaac above Ishmael, it was God’s choice. Isaac was the promised son, not Ishmael. Isaac was God’s chosen one and Ishmael was not! As a result, the seed of Isaac (through Jacob) became God’s chosen people. It may not seem fair to us that God chose Isaac above Ishmael, but He did! God chose Isaac; Isaac did not choose God.

Application

We all have a hard time accepting the fact that God chooses some to be saved and not others. That’s why Paul is going through this thorough discourse on God’s choosing.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: