sphragidzo – Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 15:28 – The Finisher

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Will

Therefore, when I have accomplished this and have sealed this fruit to them, I will go by way of you to Spain.

Truth to Learn

Christians should not just be starters, they should be finishers.

Behind the Words

The word translated “accomplished” is the Greek verb epiteleō, which is a compound word made up of epi, used as an intensifier, and teleō, meaning “to finish” or “to complete.” Hence, Paul is saying “when I have absolutely completed this … I shall go by way of you to Spain.”

The word translated “sealed” is a form of sphragidzō, which means “to seal as one would seal a letter with a signet ring.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells the Christians in Rome that he must complete his current task before coming through Rome on the way to Spain. After he delivers the gift from the churches in Greece to the Christians in Jerusalem, he will then move on to the next task God calls him to.

Not only was Paul a driven person (driven by his own desire to serve God and driven by the Spirit of God), but he was also so focused on what he had been called to do that he would not cease until he had completed each task to which God had called him. He would not consider undertaking his journey into Spain until he had made sure that the gift was delivered to the saints in Jerusalem.

Paul now makes a curious remark. He says, “and have sealed this fruit to them.” It is possible that this refers to his having sealed the container or pouch in which the money was carried, thus indicating that he delivered every bit of the contribution, not having removed any of it for any other purpose. Whatever the sealing refers to, it is clear that Paul believed that the gift was fruit. Perhaps he meant that it was the fruit of his own ministry to the Gentile churches. Or perhaps he was referring to the gift as a fruit of the Spirit, freely and joyously given by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. I suspect, rather, that he was referring to it as the fruit produced from the generous actions of the Greek churches. He used this same metaphor earlier in Romans when he talked about their actions being either fruit unto God or fruit unto death.

So, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, so that we might bear fruit to God. 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. (Romans 7:4-5)

Once he had delivered this sealed fruit, however, Paul was clearly intending on traveling to Rome to share in the ministry of the church there before continuing on to Spain.

Application

Surely we can all take a lesson from Paul in performing whatever God has called us to do. Whatever He asks us to do, let us do it with undivided attention and determination until it is complete and He calls us to a different task.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:30 – Signed, Sealed, and Deliverable

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Will

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed unto the day of redemption.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

Behind the Words

“Grieve” is translated from the Greek verb lupeō, which is derived from the noun lupē, meaning “sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” Thus, lupeō means “to cause sorrow, heaviness, sadness, or grief.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood (a command) with the negative particle mē. It is also in the present tense and active voice, so it could be translated as “stop grieving!”

The words “you were sealed” are from the verb sphragidzō, which means “to stamp or seal with a signet or private mark.” The purpose of the seal was to show ownership and to prevent any unauthorized access or change to the contents. The word is expressed here in the aorist tense, indicating action completed in the past as a single event (not a process).

“Redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Apolutrōsis refers to “the payment of a ransom to obtain a release from captivity.”

Meaning Explained

Paul continues his teaching about what it means to “put on the new man.” He tells us here that one of the characteristics of putting on the new man is to “stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” The obvious question is, “What kinds of things grieve the Holy Spirit?” Based on the grammatical construction of these few verses, it appears that the following verse (verse thirty-one) elaborates on what Paul means. It includes bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor, evil speaking, and badness. We’ll cover these more as we talk about tomorrow’s verse.

Paul now tells us something about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. He tells us that we (Christians) were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In the Greek text is actually says that we were “sealed in the Holy Spirit.” Do you recall what Paul said earlier in this letter to the Ephesians?

in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

At the moment we believed God’s truth about Jesus Christ paying for our sins on the cross, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. And, according to verse fourteen above, the Holy Spirit is our guarantee. When we got saved, God the Father sealed us by giving us the Holy Spirit. Not only is He God’s seal of ownership on us, but as our guarantee He can’t be taken away. And, today’s verse says we were sealed for (actually, the Greek says unto) the day of redemption. That day of redemption is the day in the future when Christ will present us to the Father as His spotless bride, paid for (redeemed) with His own blood. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit until that event takes place and nobody can remove or break God’s seal.

Application

There are many Christians today who believe that they can somehow “lose” their salvation. Paul tells us differently. God is the one who sealed us with His Holy Spirit and nobody can break or remove that seal, not even you! If you are saved, you are signed and sealed – and one day you will be delivered.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:13 – Seal of Ownership

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Will

In Him you also hoped, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Truth to Learn

God has branded us as His property and His children.

Behind the Words

The word “hoped” does not actually appear here in the Greek text. It is borrowed from the previous verse as a parallel expression.

“Having heard” is from akouō, which refers to hearing in general. It is also used to refer to listening with attention.

The word “truth” is translated from the Greek word alētheia, which refers to that which is truth or reality.

The word “salvation” is translated from soteria, which is derived from the noun soter, meaning “one who rescues or saves.” Thus, soteria refers to “salvation or deliverance from danger or destruction.”

“Having believed” is from the Greek verb pisteuō, meaning “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth,” or “to believe.”

The word “sealed” is translated from sphragidzō, which means “to stamp or to set a seal or mark upon something as a token of its authenticity or of ownership.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul talked about how the Jews had previously had their hope in the Messiah, the Christ, as the one who was to come and redeem them from their bondage. Notice that Paul used the pronoun “we” in the previous verse, since he also was a Jew who had previously had his hope in the Messiah.

In the current verse he uses the pronoun “you” to refer to the readers of his letter. In other words, Paul is now talking about Christians. He is telling us that we also hope in the same Redeemer, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Also remember that the word hope refers to more than just a fanciful desire; it refers to something that we fully expect to come to pass. Paul tells us that we have this hope because we listened attentively to the gospel message (good news) about salvation. But, Paul says that we did more than just listen attentively to the gospel, we believed it as the word of truth. That’s the thing which makes us Christians. We’re not Christians because we live in a Christian country. We’re not Christians because we belong to a Christian church. We’re not Christians because we obey God’s commandments. We’re Christians because we believe the good news that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins.

Like Abraham in Genesis 15:6, the moment we believed the gospel message, God declared us to be as righteous as Christ. But, that’s not the best part of what Paul is telling us now. Once we believed and were declared righteous, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit. This seal is very much like a brand on a head of cattle. It identifies who the owner is. In our case, the seal of the Holy Spirit identifies us as belonging to God; we now belong to Him because He has purchased us with sacrificial blood.

Application

We don’t know how God sealed us with the Holy Spirit, but we do know that He indelibly and undeniably identifies us as His property. Not only do we belong to God, He has adopted us as His children! He’s our God, our owner, and our Father!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:30 – Signed, Sealed, and Deliverable

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Will

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Truth to Learn

All Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God.

Behind the Words

“Redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Therefore, apolutrōsis refers to “the payment of a ransom to obtain a release from captivity.”

Meaning Explained

Paul continues his teaching about what it means to “put on the new man.” He tells us here that one of the characteristics of putting on the new man is to “stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God.” The obvious question is, “What kinds of things grieve the Holy Spirit?” Based on the grammatical construction of these few verses, it appears that the following verse (verse thirty-one) elaborates on what Paul means. It includes bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and badness. We’ll cover these more as we talk about tomorrow’s verse.

in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13b-14)

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:13 – Seal of Approval

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 1:13 – Seal of Approval

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Truth to Learn

God has branded us as His property and His children.

Behind the Words

The word “trusted” does not actually appear here in the Greek text. It is borrowed from the previous verse as a parallel expression.

“Heard” is from akouō, which refers to hearing in general. It is also used to refer to listening with attention. It is expressed as a participle, so it could be expressed as “having heard.”

The word “truth” is translated from the Greek word alētheia, which refers to that which is truth or reality.

The word “salvation” is translated from soteria, which is derived from the noun soter, meaning “one who rescues or saves.” Thus, soteria refers to “deliverance from danger or destruction.”

“Having believed” is from the Greek verb pisteuō, meaning “to be firmly persuaded regarding some truth” or “to believe.”

The word “sealed” is translated from sphragidzō, which means “to stamp or to set a seal or mark upon something as a token of its authenticity or of ownership.”

Meaning Explained

In the current verse he uses the pronoun “you” to refer to the readers of his letter. In other words, Paul is now talking about Christians. He is telling us that we also hope in the same Redeemer, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Also remember that the word hope refers to more than just a fanciful desire; it refers to something that we fully expect to come to pass. Paul tells us that we have this hope because we listened attentively to the gospel (good news) about salvation. But, Paul says that we did more than just listen attentively to the gospel, we believed it as the word of truth. That’s the thing which makes us Christians. We’re not Christians because we live in a Christian country. We’re not Christians because we belong to a Christian church. We’re not Christians because we obey God’s commandments. We’re Christians because we believed the good news that Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 15:28 – The Finisher

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Will

Romans 15:28 – The Finisher

Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.

Truth to Learn

Christians should not just be starters, they should be finishers.

Behind the Words

The word translated “performed” is the Greek verb epiteleō, which is a compound word made up of epi, used as an intensifier, and teleō, meaning “to finish” or “to complete.” Hence, Paul is saying “when I have absolutely completed this … I shall go by way of you to Spain.”

The word translated “sealed” is a form of sphragidzō, which means “to seal as one would seal a letter with a signet ring.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now makes a curious remark. He says, “and have sealed to them this fruit.” It is possible that this refers to his having sealed the container or pouch in which the money was carried, thus indicating that he delivered every bit of the contribution, not having removed any of it for any other purpose. Whatever the sealing refers to, it is clear that Paul believed that the gift was fruit. Perhaps he meant that it was the fruit of his own ministry to the Gentile churches. Or perhaps he was referring to the gift as a fruit of the Spirit, freely and joyously given by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. I suspect, rather, that he was referring to it as the fruit produced from the generous actions of the Greek churches. He used this same metaphor earlier in Romans when he talked about their actions being either fruit unto God or fruit unto death.

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 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. (Romans 7:4-5)

Once he had delivered this sealed fruit, however, Paul was clearly intending on traveling to Rome to share in the ministry of the church there before continuing on to Spain.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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: