Tag: sungenes

Romans 16:21 – Faithful Helpers

Posted on by Will

Timothy, my fellow worker greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen.

Truth to Learn

Every ministry needs faithful helpers.

Behind the Words

“Fellow worker” is from sunergon, which we have seen a couple of times in this chapter. It refers to someone who works together with someone else.

The word “countrymen,” which we also have seen a couple of times in this chapter, is translated from sungenēs. This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots. In this case it probably means that Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater were fellow Jews with Paul.

Meaning Explained

A few verses back we went through a series of greetings that Paul extended to various people at the church in Rome. Now, before he closes this letter with an extended benediction, Paul allows several of the people currently working with him to send their greetings to the Christians at Rome as well. As with the earlier greetings, we know very little for sure about any of these people; however, we can make some educated guesses based on other scriptures.

The first one to offer greetings is Timothy. It is very reasonable to assume that this is the same Timothy to whom Paul later wrote two letters (1 Timothy and 2 Timothy). In his second letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul includes Timothy as a fellow writer (2 Corinthians 1:1). And he told the Christians at Philippi that he was going to send Timothy to help them out until Paul could get there himself. Paul spoke so highly of Timothy to the Philippians that he appears to have been one of Paul’s strongest helpers (Philippians 2:19-24). Paul refers to Timothy as his “son in the Lord” in his first letter to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17) and in 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy refers to him as “a true son in the faith,” “son Timothy,” and “a beloved son.” Clearly, there was a close bond between the apostle and Timothy.

About the other three mentioned here we have fewer facts to go on. We do know that all three of them were fellow Jews. Some scholars believe that they were also of the tribe of Benjamin and perhaps even close relatives to Paul. All three of these names are listed among the seventy disciples sent out by Christ and later became church Bishops (senior pastors).

The first of the three is Lucius. There are some who believe that he is one and the same with Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke. That is unlikely, however, since the full Greek form of his name is Lucanus, not Lucius. It is more likely that this is the prophet mentioned in Acts 13:1 as Lucius of Cyrene.

Jason is most likely the one mentioned in Acts 17:1-9 who protected Paul and Silas from the hostile Jews. Rather than reveal where they were, Jason suffered a beating from the mob and was even willing to pay a security deposit for their protection. Sosipater is likely the same as Sopater of Berea, mentioned in Acts 20:4 as one of Paul’s traveling companions.

Application

We are finding out just how many people assisted the Apostle Paul in his ministry. Though he is the one we most often hear about and talk about, he couldn’t have done his work for God without many faithful helpers. This is true of every church ministry. God uses a few leaders and a lot of faithful helpers.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation

Posted on by Will

Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians put their lives in danger when they get saved.

Behind the Words

The word “countryman,” which we saw in verse seven, is translated from sungenēs, meaning “same offspring, same family, or same nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“In the Lord” is an expression used almost exclusively by the Apostle Paul. Luke uses it once in Acts 14:3 and John uses it once in Revelation 14:13. The other forty or so uses of this expression are all by Paul. In this case it refers to people who are Christians, in the body of Christ our Lord.

Meaning Explained

In the past ten verses the Apostle Paul has been sending greetings to people in Rome who are connected with the church there. He now sends greetings to Herodian who, although having a distinctly Greek name, is referred to as one of Paul’s countrymen. In verse seven we met Andronicus and Junia, whom we speculated were relatives of Paul’s. In the case of Herodian, he may simply be a fellow Jew, perhaps a slave of the family of Aristobulus (see verse ten). It is possible that he was of the tribe of Benjamin as Paul was. What we do know is that there was a man by this name who, like Apelles, was among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord (Luke 10:1). This Herodian became the bishop of the church in Tarsus.

Next, Paul greets those who are of Narcissus. In the previous verse we talked about the fact that the word “household” does not appear in the Greek text; but, being members of his household seems to be the real sense of Paul’s comments. Unlike the previous verse, however, Paul refers to these as “in the Lord.” This is a Pauline expression indicating that these people are Christians. Since all the people to whom Paul is sending greetings are Christians there must be a reason why he specifically refers to this group of people thus. It is likely that Narcissus was not a Christian, so Paul is specifically sending greetings to those of his family, servants, and slaves who are Christians.

From other historical documents we do know that there was a man by the name of Narcissus who was the secretary to Claudius Caesar and was highly favored of him. This man became very wealthy and powerful in the service of Caesar, even though he had a reputation for being an exceedingly wicked man. He was eventually put to death by Claudius’ wife Agrippina. If this is the same Narcissus, it is a testament to the fact that even in the household of politically powerful people who exhibit extremely anti-Christian behavior, there can be those who willingly submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, thus putting their very lives in peril.

Application

In most Western countries it is not a hazard to life and liberty when someone proclaims himself or herself to be a Christian; however, there are places in the world even today where becoming a Christian puts life and safety in jeopardy. These people must be completely committed to their Lord. For the rest of us, salvation is sometimes seen as convenient, and we may not have as acute a sense of how precious our salvation really is. How precious is your salvation to you?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair

Posted on by Will

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are well thought of among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians are well known for their service in the church.

Behind the Words

The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“Fellow prisoners” is from the Greek noun sunaichmalōtos, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” eichmē, meaning “a spear,” and a form of halōtos, meaning “to be conquered or taken captive.” Sunaichmalōtos refers to anyone who has been imprisoned with someone else.

The words “well thought of” come from the Greek word episēmos, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and sēma, meaning “a mark or a sign.” So, literally this means someone who has “a mark upon them.” In a good sense this word implies being “well thought of or distinguished.” In a bad sense this word refers to someone who is “notorious.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now extends a greeting to Andronicus and Junia. Although Junia is a name that can be given to a man or a woman, it is most likely that these two were both men. Though this translation refers to them as countrymen (fellow Jews) it is likely that they were more closely related to Paul than just descendants of Israel. A number of the people to whom Paul sends greetings have Jewish names, yet only these two are referred to as sungenēs. Therefore, it is likely that Andronicus and Junia were family relatives of Paul.

He tells us that they were imprisoned with him, although he doesn’t say when or where. Given that Paul was frequently imprisoned, it is difficult to speculate on which occasion they were imprisoned with him. What is of note is that Paul only refers to two other “fellow prisoners” in all his writing:

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, (Philemon 1:23)

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you … (Colossians 4:10a)

Paul tells us that Andronicus and Junia were well thought of among the apostles. He is not saying that these two were apostles, but that they were well thought of by those who were true apostles of Jesus Christ.

Finally, we are told that these two were believers in Jesus Christ as the Messiah before Paul was. It is likely that they were among the earliest converts among the Jews and became known to the apostles in Jerusalem before the martyrdom of Stephen and the ensuing dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem.

Application

Andronicus and Junia were well known among the leaders of the early church, probably because of their testimonies and their service in the church. What do the leaders of your church say about you? If asked, would they say that you are “well thought of” within your church, or do they even know who you are?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 9:3 – Faith, not Flesh

Posted on by Will

For I almost wish that I was accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kindred according to the flesh,

Truth to Learn

We need to pray for the unsaved and witness to them for God’s sake, not our own.

 

Behind the Words

Some translations have the opening phrase of this verse as “For I was wishing” whereas others have translated it as, “For I could wish.” The reason for the difference is in the form of the verb euchomai, which means “to express a wish, a vow, or a prayer.” It is expressed here in the imperfect tense which normally implies continuous past action (I was wishing) or the commencement of past action (I began to wish). However, this is seen by most Greek scholars as an “idiomatic imperfect,” which would be roughly translated as “I was at the point of wishing.” This is one of those examples where a literal translation that makes complete sense in English is probably not possible. I think the closest to it would be our idiomatic expression “I almost wish that …” It expresses a situation that can’t happen, but if it could then I might wish it to be so.

“Accursed” is translated from the Greek word anathema. It is made up of ana, meaning “up” or “again” but is used here as an intensifier, and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to place.” It refers to an offering that has been wholly given over to God even to the point that it is no longer any possible use to man. An example is a drink offering which is poured out in dedication to God and is no longer useful as a drink for man. Hence, anathema is often used to express something that is given over to destruction.

The word “kindred” is from the Greek word sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “with” or “together” and a form of genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” Hence, this word refers to a family relative.

 

Meaning Explained

There is some disagreement among theologians regarding this verse, but by carefully looking at the Greek, I think we can get a better sense of what Paul was trying to say. You see, he did not actually wish himself to be accursed (given over to destruction); rather, he was implying that he was at a point where he was almost willing to endure being accursed for the sake of his lost brothers. However, he has just spent the last few chapters of this letter explaining that only the elect are saved, and knowing that he was one of the elect he knew he could not unsave himself even if he wanted to.

Paul is making some very strong statements in the opening of this chapter to indicate to his fellow Israelites that not only has he not turned against them, but he has a very strong desire to see them saved. Since he grew up as a very devout Jew (he even studied under Gamaliel, one of the most respected teachers of his time), he knows how trapped they are in trying to keep the law as a means of salvation. Since his conversion, however, Paul has learned that salvation cannot be attained through obedience. It can only be attained through faith.

He will show later in this chapter that neither the Law nor the Jewish lineage have any effect when it comes to righteousness.

 

Application

Let’s all quit trying to earn God’s favor through obedience and simply trust Him and obey Him because we love Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 16:21 – Faithful Helpers

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:21 – Faithful Helpers

Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

Truth to Learn

Every ministry needs faithful helpers.

Behind the Words

“Fellow worker” is from sunergon, which we have seen a couple of times in this chapter. It refers to someone who works together with someone else.

The word “countrymen,” which we also have seen a couple of times in this chapter, is translated from sungenēs. This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots. In this case it probably means that Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater were fellow Jews with Paul.

Meaning Explained

A few verses back we went through a series of greetings that Paul extended to various people at the church in Rome. Now, before he closes this letter with an extended benediction, Paul allows several of the people currently working with him to send their greetings to the Christians at Rome as well. As with the earlier greetings, we know very little for sure about any of these people; however, we can make some educated guesses based on other scriptures.

The first one to offer greetings is Timothy. It is very reasonable to assume that this is the same Timothy to whom Paul later wrote two letters (1Timothy and 2Timothy). In his second letter to the Christians at Corinth, Paul includes Timothy as a fellow writer (2Corinthians 1:1). And he told the Christians at Philippi that he was going to send Timothy to help them out until Paul could get there himself. Paul spoke so highly of Timothy to the Philippians that he appears to have been one of Paul’s strongest helpers (Philippians 2:19-24). Paul refers to Timothy as his “son in the Lord” in his first letter to the church at Corinth (1Corinthians 4:17) and in 1Timothy and 2Timothy refers to him as “a true son in the faith,” “son Timothy,” “and a beloved son.” Clearly, there was a close bond between the apostle and Timothy.

About the other three mentioned here we have fewer facts to go on. We do know that all three of them were fellow Jews. Some scholars believe that they were also of the tribe of Benjamin and perhaps even close relatives to Paul. All three of these names are listed among the seventy disciples sent out by Christ and later became church Bishops (senior pastors).

The first of the three is Lucius. There are some who believe that he is one and the same with Luke, the writer of the Gospel of Luke. That is unlikely, however, since the full Greek form of his name is Lucanus, not Lucius. It is more likely that this is the prophet mentioned in Acts 13:1 as Lucius of Cyrene.

Jason is most likely the one mentioned in Acts 17:1-9 who protected Paul and Silas from the hostile Jews. Rather than reveal where they were, Jason suffered a beating from the mob and was even willing to pay a security deposit for their protection. Sosipater is likely the same as Sopater of Berea, mentioned in Acts 20:4 as one of Paul’s traveling companions.

Application

We are finding out just how many people assisted the Apostle Paul in his ministry. Though he is the one we most often hear about and talk about, he couldn’t have done his work for God without many faithful helpers. This is true of every church ministry. God uses a few leaders and a lot of faithful helpers.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 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:

Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation

Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians put their lives in danger when they get saved.

Behind the Words

The word “countryman,” which we saw in verse seven, is translated from sungenēs, meaning “same offspring, same family, or same nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“In the Lord” is an expression used almost exclusively by the Apostle Paul. Luke uses it once in Acts 14:3 and John uses it once in Revelation 14:13. The other forty or so uses of this expression are all by Paul. In this case it refers to people who are Christians, in the body of Christ our Lord.

Meaning Explained

In the past ten verses the Apostle Paul has been sending greetings to people in Rome who are connected with the church there. He now sends greetings to Herodian who, although having a distinctly Greek name, is referred to as one of Paul’s countrymen. In verse seven we met Andronicus and Junia, whom we speculated were relatives of Paul’s. In the case of Herodian, he may simply be a fellow Jew, perhaps a slave of the family of Aristobulus (see verse ten). It is possible that he was of the tribe of Benjamin as Paul was. What we do know is that there was a man by this name who, like Apelles, was among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord (Luke 10:1). This Herodian became the bishop of the church in Tarsus.

Next, Paul greets those who are of Narcissus. In the previous verse we talked about the fact that the word “household” does not appear in the Greek text; but, being members of his household seems to be the real sense of Paul’s comments. Unlike the previous verse, however, Paul refers to these as “in the Lord.” This is a Pauline expression indicating that these people are Christians. Since all the people to whom Paul is sending greetings are Christians there must be a reason why he specifically refers to this group of people thus. It is likely that Narcissus was not a Christian, so Paul is specifically sending greetings to those of his family, servants, and slaves who are Christians.

From other historical documents we do know that there was a man by the name of Narcissus who was the secretary to Claudius Caesar and was highly favored of him. This man became very wealthy and powerful in the service of Caesar, even though he had a reputation for being an exceedingly wicked man. He was eventually put to death by Claudius’ wife Agrippina. If this is the same Narcissus, it is a testament to the fact that even in the household of politically powerful people who exhibit extremely anti-Christian behavior, there can be those who willingly submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, thus putting their very lives in peril.

Application

In most Western countries it is not a hazard to life and liberty when someone proclaims themself to be a Christian; however, there are places in the world even today where becoming a Christian puts life and safety in jeopardy. These people must be completely committed to their Lord. For the rest of us, salvation is sometimes seen as convenient, and we may not have as acute a sense of how precious our salvation really is. How precious is your salvation to you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 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:

Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Truth to Learn

Some Christians are well known for their service in the church.

Behind the Words

The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” This word can be used to imply a family member (a relative) or someone with the same ethnic roots.

“Fellow prisoners” is from the Greek noun sunaichmalōtos, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” eichmē, meaning “a spear,” and a form of halōtos, meaning “to be conquered or taken captive.” Sunaichmalōtos refers to anyone who has been imprisoned with someone else.

The words “of note” come from the Greek word episēmos, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and sēma, meaning “a mark or a sign.” So, literally this means someone who has “a mark upon them.” In a good sense this word implies being “well thought of or distinguished.” In a bad sense this word refers to someone who is “notorious.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now extends a greeting to Andronicus and Junia. Although Junia is a name that can be given to a man or a woman, it is most likely that these two were both men. Though this translation refers to them as countrymen (fellow Jews) it is likely that they were more closely related to Paul than just descendants of Israel. A number of the people to whom Paul sends greetings have Jewish names, yet only these two are referred to as sungenēs. Therefore, it is likely that Andronicus and Junia were family relatives of Paul.

He tells us that they were imprisoned with him, although he doesn’t say when or where. Given that Paul was frequently imprisoned, it is difficult to speculate on which occasion they were imprisoned with him. What is of note is that Paul only refers to two other “fellow prisoners” in all his writing:

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, (Philemon 1:23)

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you … (Colossians 4:10a)

Paul tells us that Andronicus and Junia were well thought of among the apostles. He is not saying that these two were apostles, but that they were well thought of by those who were true apostles of Jesus Christ.

Finally, we are told that these two were believers in Jesus Christ as the Messiah before Paul was. It is likely that they were among the earliest converts among the Jews and became known to the apostles in Jerusalem before the martyrdom of Stephen and the ensuing dispersion of Christians from Jerusalem.

Application

Andronicus and Junia were well known among the leaders of the early church, probably because of their testimonies and their service in the church. What do the leaders of your church say about you? If asked, would they say that you are “of note” within your church, or do they even know who you are?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 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:

Romans 9:3 – Faith, not Flesh

Posted on by Will

Romans 9:3 – Faith, not Flesh

For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,

Truth to Learn

We need to pray for the unsaved and witness to them for God’s sake, not our own.

Behind the Words

Some translations have the opening phrase of this verse as “For I was wishing” whereas others have translated it as, “For I could wish.” The reason for the difference is in the form of the verb euchomai, which means “to express a wish, a vow, or a prayer.” It is expressed here in the imperfect tense which normally implies continuous past action (I was wishing) or the commencement of past action (I began to wish). However, this is seen by most Greek scholars as an “idiomatic imperfect,” which would be roughly translated as “I was at the point of wishing.” This is one of those examples where a literal translation that makes complete sense in English is probably not possible. I think the closest to it would be our idiomatic expression “I almost wish that …” It expresses a situation that can’t happen, but if it could then I might wish it to be so.

“Accursed” is translated from the Greek word anathema. It is made up of ana, meaning “up” or “again” but is used here as an intensifier, and a form of tithēmi, meaning “to place.” It refers to an offering that has been wholly given over to God even to the point that it is no longer any possible use to man. An example is a drink offering which is poured out in dedication to God and is no longer useful as a drink for man. Hence, anathema is often used to express something that is given over to destruction.

The word “countrymen” is from the Greek word sungenēs, which is made up of sun, meaning “with” or “together” and a form of genos, meaning “offspring, family, or nation.” Hence, this word refers to a family relative.

Meaning Explained

There is some disagreement among theologians regarding this verse, but by carefully looking at the Greek, I think we can get a better sense of what Paul was trying to say. You see, he did not actually wish himself to be accursed (given over to destruction); rather, he was implying that he was at a point where he was almost willing to endure being accursed for the sake of his lost brethren. However, he has just spent the last few chapters of this letter explaining that only the elect are saved, and knowing that he was one of the elect he knew he could not unsave himself even if he wanted to.

Paul is making some very strong statements in the opening of this chapter to indicate to his fellow Israelites that not only has he not turned against them, but he has a very strong desire to see them saved. Since he grew up as a very devout Jew (he even studied under Gamaliel, one of the most respected teachers of his time), he knows how trapped they are in trying to keep the law as a means of salvation. Since his conversion, however, Paul has learned that salvation cannot be attained through obedience. It can only be attained through faith.

He will show later in this chapter that neither the Law nor the Jewish lineage have any effect when it comes to righteousness.

Application

Let’s all quit trying to earn God’s favor through obedience and simply trust Him and obey Him because we love Him.

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: