Tag: that

Romans 11:11 – Share the Treasure!

Posted on by Will

I say then, did they stumble that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, salvation came to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

Truth to Learn

The Jews lost their “most favored” position so we could receive it. We need to share it so that we don’t lose it.

 

Behind the Words

“Stumbled” is translated from the Greek word ptaio, which means “to stumble” or “to fall.” It is often used figuratively to indicate falling into sin.

“That” is from hina, meaning “in order that.” One interpretation of this word would be “merely that.” Thus, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “have they stumbled merely that they should fall?”

The words “should fall” is from the verb piptō, meaning “to fall from a higher position to a lower position.”

The second occurrence of the word “fall” in this verse is from paraptōma, the noun form of parapiptō. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” or “to the side” and piptō, which we just looked at. Paraptōma, then, refers to “falling to the side” or “falling by the wayside.”

 

Meaning Explained

The first part of this verse is almost a restatement of Romans 11:1. Paul again is using the relative negative article mē in his question to indicate an anticipated negative answer.

I like the New American Standard Bible translation of this verse. It says:

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Paul’s point in asking the question is to show that even though the Jews have stumbled on the rock (Jesus Christ), it is not a permanent condition for all Jews. A remnant of the Jews will be restored at some time in the future.

He is saying, “The Jews have not permanently fallen from grace, but they have stumbled, and by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles.” Had the Jews not stumbled, that is, if the Jews had welcomed their Messiah when he came the first time, then salvation would not have come to the Gentiles. But because they did reject Jesus, the message has now gone out to the Gentiles so that we might be saved.

And one of God’s purposes in giving salvation to the Gentiles is to provoke the Jews to jealousy. That which they had exclusive access to, a relationship with the God of all creation, is now being enjoyed by the Gentiles, while the Jews have lost their “most favored” position.

Later on in this chapter, though, Paul will show that God can turn from the Gentiles, as a people, just as He turned from the Jews as a nation.

 

Application

We need to guard this precious faith and the message of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ like a treasure from God. But, we need to openly share this treasure and the message with those around us. It is not something to be hoarded; rather, it is something to be given away!

Have you shared this treasure with anyone lately?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:7 – Genuine Refined Faith

Posted on by Will

that the worthiness of your faith, being much more valuable than gold that is perishing, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

Difficult times in our lives strengthen our faith which results in praise, glory, and honor to God.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “that” is hina which could be translated as “with the intent that …” It is referring to “various trials.” In other words, the intent of these trials is that our faith may result in praise, glory, and honor to God.

The word translated “worthiness” is dokimion, which is an expression of worth and is thus translated “genuineness” or “worthiness.” It is related to the verb translated here as “tested.” This verb is dokimadzō, which means “to assay” or “to test for the purpose of finding value.” This testing is not intended to find fault but to determine something’s value.

“More precious” is the translation of the Greek word timiōteron, the comparative form of timeos, which means “valuable, costly, or honored.” Hence, the comparative means “more valuable” or “more honored.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse can be confusing if not analyzed carefully. Let’s look at it phrase by phrase:

“That the worthiness of your faith” – The intent of the various trials that we undergo is to assay, or evaluate our faith. It is an evaluation whose purpose is to determine the goodness, or value of our faith, not the badness or weakness of our faith.

“being much more valuable than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire”  – Peter is not saying that your faith is much more precious than gold (though that may well be true), rather he is saying that the value of your faith is more precious. Peter is saying that God values a stronger, more genuine faith over a weak, ineffective faith.

But, why does Peter refer to Gold as perishing? Isn’t gold a metal that doesn’t corrode? Isn’t it enduring? We have all heard the explanation of the golden ring in a wedding ceremony as a symbol of the eternal love that exists between Christ and His bride, the church. It is a “symbol” of this eternal love, it is not eternal itself. In fact, gold is a soft metal that wears away easily and which will disappear with the rest of creation at the end of time. The trial of our faith will produce eternal results and the genuineness of our faith can only be ascertained through trial.

“be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” – The reason for our rejoicing and the reason for the proving of our faith is that it might result in praise and glory and honor, not to us, but to the author and finisher of our faith when he comes back to claim us as His own.

 

Application

Compare this with what James said about this very subject in James 1:2, “My brothers, count it all joy when you encounter various trials.” We can count it all joy because we know that through these trials our faith is being purified, made stronger and more valuable. And, these trials will ultimately result in praise to God! After all, isn’t that what we all want?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 4:12 – Lacking In Nothing

Posted on by Will

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may have need of nothing.

Truth to Learn

There is a key to receiving everything that we need in life.

 

Behind the Words

The word “that” is from the Greek conjunction hina, which means “so that” or “in order that.”

“You may walk” is translated from the verb peripateō. This word is composed of peri, meaning “around” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” Paul uses this word frequently to express “the manner in which we live our lives.” It is expressed here in the present tense, subjunctive mood indicating the possibility of such action as an ongoing event.

The word “properly” is from the Greek adverb euschēmonōs. This word is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of schema, which refers to “the external form or appearance of something.” Thus, euschēmonōs means “in good form” or “in the proper manner.”

Exō is the word translated “outside.” It is derived from the preposition ek, meaning “out” or “out of.” It is a reference here to those who are outside the church, that is, non-Christians.

The words “have need of” are translated from the Greek word chreian, which specifically refers to “a debt.” As used here, it refers to a lack of something or to have need of something.

“Nothing” is from the Greek word mēdeis. This is a double compound word made up of mē, meaning “not,” de, meaning “and, but, or even,” and eis, meaning “one.” When we put these all together we find that mēdeis means “not even one (thing)” or “nothing.”

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse begins with a conjunction (hina) meaning “so that.” Whenever a verse begins with a conjunction, we have to look back to see what it is joining the current verse to. In this case, we have to look back to the end of verse ten, “But we urge you, brothers, that you increase more and more;” and, in order to know what it is that has to be increased, we have to look back at verse nine. It says, “…concerning brotherly love …” In other words, one of the reasons that we have to greatly increase our love for others more and more is “so that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”

In yesterday’s verse we learned the first reason that we need to increase our brotherly love. It is so that we can keep from crossing the line to meddling and instead lead a quiet life, mind our own business, and work hard at whatever task we have been given to do. Now Paul teaches us that another reason for increasing our love more and more is so that it will guide our footsteps in life. If we continue to focus on being more loving, showing genuine brotherly love to others, it will continue to instill a habit in us regarding the proper way to live. Notice that this is not just to our brothers and sisters in Christ; by developing the habit of brotherly love, we will act the way God wants us to toward those who are outside the church as well.

Paul also tells us that if we develop the habit of showing genuine brotherly love to all people, we will have all our needs met; we will be lacking in not even one thing.

 

Application

God never promises us that we will have everything we want, but He does promise us that we will have everything we need if we learn to show genuine brotherly love to all people.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:12 – Walking Worthy

Posted on by Will

and testifying that you walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Truth to Learn

Encouragement and instruction help us to become more godly.

 

Behind the Words

“Testifying” is from the Greek verb marturomai. This word is derived from martus, meaning “a witness.” This is the word from which we get our English word martyr, meaning someone who gives their life as a witness, or testimony, of their faith.

The word “that” is translated from a form of idiom that Paul uses frequently. It consists of eis to and the infinitive of the following verb. A literal translation would be “unto this thing.” The effect of this idiom is to tie what was just said to what is about to be said. In effect, Paul is saying, “the reason I encouraged and comforted every one of you is so that you might …”

“Walk” is from the Greek verb peripateō. This is made up of peri, meaning “around” or “about” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” So you can see that this verb literally means “to walk around” or “to walk about.” Figuratively, it refers to the manner in which a person lives his or her life.

The word “worthy” is from axiōs, which is derived from agō, meaning “to weigh.” It is a picture of an item being put on a scale to determine its worth or worthiness.

“Calls” is translated from the verb kaleō, which means “to call or to hail someone.” In its primary sense this verb refers to calling someone so that he or she might come or go somewhere.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think” or “to recognize.” Doxa refers to favorable thought or opinion. In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, glory, or splendor.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul says that he performed the functions of a father figure to the Thessalonians so that their lives might measure up to what one would expect from a child of God. In performing the fatherly function, he sometimes had to do the difficult things. Things like scolding and correcting wrong actions and attitudes have to be done if a child is to learn proper behavior. Back in verse eight he informed the Thessalonian believers that they had become dear to him. We noted that the word translated “dear” in that verse is agapētos, indicating a strong motherly or fatherly love for the people. So, like a loving father, Paul did what was necessary to raise them up spiritually.

We find out now that Paul’s motives were not selfish. He was not seeking his own glory. He fathered the Thessalonian church so that these Christians would be able to live their lives in a manner that is worthy of a child of God. We also learn something here regarding how God is treating all of his dear children. There are numerous verses in the New Testament indicating the fact that we have been called to salvation and service by God. Here we learn that he is continually calling us. This is like a father at a soccer game giving a son or daughter instructions and encouragement from the sidelines. Why does God do this? Because He wants us in His kingdom, and He wants us to experience His glory.

 

Application

Do you have an earthly “father in the Lord,” someone who teaches you, comforts you, and challenges you? When was the last time you thanked him for being a godly example to you? Why not send him a note. It might just be the encouragement he needs today.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 2:9 – Unearned and Secure

Posted on by Will

not of works, that no one may boast.

Truth to Learn

We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation.

 

Behind the Words

“Not” is translated from the Greek particle ou, meaning “no or not.” It expresses direct and full negation, independently and absolutely.

The word translated “works” is ergon, from which we get our English word ergonomics. Ergon refers to “any work, deed, act, or action;” that is, it refers to “something done.” It is expressed here in the genitive case, which implies “of” or “from.” But here it is coupled with ou by means of the preposition ek, which means “out of” or “from.” Thus we could translate the first part of this verse as “not as a result of something you do.”

“That” is from the Greek conjunction hina, meaning “to the end that” or “in order that.”

 “No one” is translated from two Greek words, mē, which indicates a conditional negation and tis, which is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something” or “anything.” It is variously translated as “anyone, someone, or a certain one.” The combination of these two words can be translated as “not anyone” or “no one.”

The words “may boast” are from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to boast, glory, or exalt, either in a good or a bad sense.” It is expressed in the subjunctive mood, indicating something that is not happening but has the possibility or probability of happening.

 

Meaning Explained

In order to get the full meaning of today’s verse, let’s look at it along with yesterday’s verse.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the preceding verses Paul has been talking about the incredible value of God’s grace. We saw in verse seven that God’s purpose in salvation is to shine the spotlight on His marvelous grace. Paul went on to point out in yesterday’s verse that our salvation is the result of this grace of God. We also learned that His grace and our faith unto salvation are a gift to us from God. Now he completes that thought.

Paul tells us that salvation is not the result of any action or actions taken on our part. If we did something to gain this salvation, then it is not a gift; instead, it would be something that we earned. Here’s what Paul says in the book of Romans about earning something as opposed to receiving it as a gift:

Now to him who is working, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who is not working but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5)

This is a clear statement of the doctrine of election which goes hand-in-hand with the doctrine of eternal security. If we did not do anything to earn this salvation which we count so precious, then we cannot “un-earn” it. That is to say that if we didn’t do anything to earn it, we can’t do anything to lose it, and God does not take away the gift of salvation.

 

Application

The precious truth which we see in this verse is that we didn’t earn salvation, so we can’t lose it once we have it – ever!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 1:7 – Paternal Gifts

Posted on by Will

For do not let that man suppose he will receive anything from the Lord;

Truth to Learn

God loves us more than any earthly father and wants to give us good things. Answers to our prayers are gifts from our Heavenly Father but they must be sought with complete faith.

Behind the Words

The word “let” is an often misunderstood word in the Bible. In most of its uses, as in this case, it has nothing to do with permission or allowing something to happen. Instead, it is used in the command form of a verb, in this case the command form of “suppose.”

This word translated “suppose” is oiomai, which means “to suppose, to be of an opinion or to think.” As indicated by the word “let,” James wrote this in the imperative mood indicating that it is a command. Hence, this verse could be expressed this way: “That particular man must not be of the opinion that he shall receive anything from the Lord.”

The expression “that man” is from the Greek ho anthrōpos ekeinos. The words ho anthrōpos mean “the man.” The word ekeinos means “that one.” The particular word order here is what is known as the emphatic use of ekeinos. In other words it means “especially that particular man,” the one who doubts regarding his prayers.

Meaning Explained

James will tell us later in this chapter that:

Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights. (James 1:17)

Answered prayer is a gift from God, but one of the keys to answered prayers is faith. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus taught His disciples:

Or what man is there of you, if his son should ask for bread, will give him a stone? And if he should ask for a fish, will he give him a snake? Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:9-11)

But James is very clear that if we come to God without faith or with an unsteady faith then we should not expect God to answer, even though He wants to give us good things. The writer of Hebrews put it this way:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for it is necessary that he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Notice here that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, not those who diligently seek an answer. Our focus needs to be on Him and His glory. If we pray selfishly or if we really don’t believe that God will answer our prayer, then He won’t.

Application

Let us go to our Heavenly Father seeking praise for Him and the best for His kingdom, believing that He will reward those who diligently seek him! But let us not waver in our belief that He will answer. After all, He wants to give us the gift of an answered prayer.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Corinthians 1:29 – God Deserves the Glory

Posted on by Will

that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Truth to Learn

God deserves the praise for who we are and what we have.

Behind the Words

“That” is translated from the Greek word hopōs, which is an adverb of manner. The basic meaning of this word is, “in what manner, how, or so that.”

The Greek word translated “flesh” is sarx. This word specifically refers to the “flesh of a living being,” as opposed to the word kreas, which refers to “the flesh of a dead animal” or “meat.” Metaphorically, sarx refers to the physical being of a man as opposed to the immaterial soul or spirit.

Kauchaomai is the verb translated “glory.” Some sources claim that it is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which some self-righteous people hold in a proud manner. Kauchaomai means “to boast, brag, or have pride.” In the New Testament, it is used both in a good sense and in a bad sense.

The words “in … presence” are from enōpion. It is made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of ōps, which refers to “the eyes.” Whereas this word literally means “in the eyes of,” it is most often translated as “in the presence of.”

Meaning Explained

In this first chapter of his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul is specifically addressing the problem of divisions within the church, which he first introduced in verse ten:

Now I plead with you, brethren … that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together …

The divisions within the church were caused by people claiming to follow certain gifted and respected leaders within the church. The Corinthians even boasted about who they followed. As a result, Paul spent most of the previous nineteen verses showing that worldly wisdom, education, and social rank have no influence with God. He then went on to show that not only does God not show any special favor to the rich, powerful, and famous, He actually focuses his grace primarily on those of us who are nobodies in the eyes of the world.

People who have made a name for themselves through hard work, education, political maneuvering, or social standing, all have one thing in common: they take pride in their attainment. They believe that they have risen to their position of importance because of who they are or what they have done. This self-pride, in return, takes the credit away from God. However, the Prophet Jeremiah said this:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

What we have to recognize is that everything that we are and everything that we have comes from God. Therefore, He deserves to get the credit for it all.

Application

Let us give humble thanks to God for everything that we are and everything that we have. He doesn’t make mistakes, so no matter what our position in life, God deserves all the credit for who we are and what we have accomplished.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2013 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Thessalonians 4:12 – Lacking In Nothing

Posted on by Will

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Truth to Learn

There is a key to receiving everything that we need in life.

Behind the Words

The word “that” is from the Greek conjunction hina, which means “so that” or “in order that.”

“You may walk” is translated from the verb peripateō. This word is composed of peri, meaning “around” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” Paul uses this word frequently to express “the manner in which we live our lives.” It is expressed here in the present tense, subjunctive mood indicating the possibility of such action as an ongoing event.

The word “properly” is from the Greek adverb euschēmonōs. This word is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of schema, which refers to “the external form or appearance of something.” Thus, euschēmonōs means “in good form” or “in the proper manner.”

Exō is the word translated “outside.” It is derived from the preposition ek, meaning “out” or “out of.” It is a reference here to those who are outside the church, that is, non-Christians.

“Nothing” is from the Greek word mēdeis. This is a double compound word made up of mē, meaning “not,” de, meaning “and, but, or even,” and eis, meaning “one.” When we put these all together we find that mēdeis means “not even one (thing)” or “nothing.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse begins with a conjunction (hina) meaning “so that.” Whenever a verse begins with a conjunction, we have to look back to see what it is joining the current verse to. In this case, we have to look back to the end of verse ten, “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;” and, in order to know what it is that has to be increased, we have to look back at verse nine. It says, “…concerning brotherly love …” In other words, one of the reasons that we have to greatly increase our love for others more and more is “so that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”

In yesterday’s verse we learned the first reason that we need to increase our brotherly love. It is so that we can keep from crossing the line to meddling and instead lead a quiet life, mind our own business, and work hard at whatever task we have been given to do. Now Paul teaches us that another reason for increasing our love more and more is so that it will guide our footsteps in life. If we continue to focus on being more loving, showing genuine brotherly love to others, it will continue to instill a habit in us regarding the proper way to live. Notice that this is not just to our brothers and sisters in Christ; by developing the habit of brotherly love, we will act the way God wants us to toward those who are outside the church as well.

Paul also tells us that if we develop the habit of showing genuine brotherly love to all people, we will have all our needs met; we will be lacking in not even one thing.

Application

God never promises us that we will have everything we want, but He does promise us that we will have everything we need if we learn to show genuine brotherly love to all people.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 2:12 – Walking Worthy

Posted on by Will

that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Truth to Learn

Encouragement and instruction help us to become more godly.

Behind the Words

The word “that” is translated from a form of idiom that Paul uses frequently. It consists of eis to and the infinitive of the following verb. A literal translation would be “unto this thing.” The effect of this idiom is to tie what was just said to what is about to be said. In effect, Paul is saying, “the reason I exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you is so that you might …”

“Walk” is from the Greek verb peripateō. This is made up of peri, meaning “around” or “about” and pateō, meaning “to walk.” So you can see that this verb literally means “to walk around” or “to walk about.” Figuratively, it refers to the manner in which a person lives his or her life.

The word “worthy” is from axiōs, which is derived from agō, meaning “to weigh.” It is a picture of an item being put on a scale to determine its worth or worthiness.

“Calls” is translated from the verb kaleō, which means “to call or to hail someone.” In its primary sense this verb refers to calling someone so that he or she might come or go somewhere. It is expressed here as a present participle, indicating current continuous action.

“Glory” is translated from doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think” or “to recognize.” Doxa refers to favorable thought or opinion. In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, glory, or splendor.”

Meaning Explained

Paul says that he performed the functions of a father figure to the Thessalonians so that their lives might measure up to what one would expect from a child of God. In performing the fatherly function, he sometimes had to do the difficult things. Things like scolding and correcting wrong actions and attitudes have to be done if a child is to learn proper behavior. Back in verse eight he informed the Thessalonian believers that they had become dear to him. We noted that the word translated “dear” in that verse is agapētos, indicating a strong motherly or fatherly love for the people. So, like a loving father, Paul did what was necessary to raise them up spiritually.

We find out now that Paul’s motives were not selfish. He was not seeking his own glory. He fathered the Thessalonian church so that these Christians would be able to live their lives in a manner that is worthy of a child of God. We also learn something here regarding how God is treating all of his dear children. There are numerous verses in the New Testament indicating the fact that we have been called to salvation and service by God. Here we learn that he is continually calling us. This is like a father at a soccer game giving a son or daughter instructions and encouragement from the sidelines. Why does God do this? Because He wants us in His kingdom, and He wants us to experience His glory.

Application

Do you have a “father in the Lord,” someone who teaches you, comforts you, and challenges you? When was the last time you thanked him for being a godly example to you? Why not send him a note. It might just be the encouragement he needs today.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 11:11 – Share the Treasure!

Posted on by Will

Romans 11:11 – Share the Treasure!

I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

Truth to Learn

The Jews lost their “most favored” position so we could receive it. We need to share it so that we don’t lose it.

Behind the Words

“Stumbled” is translated from the Greek word ptaio, which means “to stumble” or “to fall.” It is often used figuratively to indicate falling into sin.

The words “should fall” is from the verb piptō, meaning “to fall from a higher position to a lower position.”

“That” is from hina, meaning “in order that.” One interpretation of this word would be “merely that.” Thus, we could translate the first part of this verse as, “have they stumbled merely that they should fall?”

The second occurrence of the word “fall” in this verse is from paraptōma, the noun form of parapiptō. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” or “to the side” and piptō, which we just looked at. Paraptōma, then, refers to “falling to the side” or “falling by the wayside.”

Meaning Explained

The first part of this verse is almost a restatement of Romans 11:1. Paul again is using the relative negative article mē in his question to indicate an anticipated negative answer.

I like the New American Standard Bible translation of this verse. It says:

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

Paul’s point in asking the question is to show that even though the Jews have stumbled on the rock (Jesus Christ), it is not a permanent condition for all Jews. A remnant of the Jews will be restored at some time in the future.

He is saying, “The Jews have not permanently fallen from grace, but they have stumbled, and by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles.” Had the Jews not stumbled, that is, if the Jews had welcomed their Messiah when he came the first time, then salvation would not have come to the Gentiles. But because they did reject Jesus, the message has now gone out to the Gentiles so that we might be saved.

And one of God’s purposes in giving salvation to the Gentiles is to provoke the Jews to jealousy. That which they had exclusive access to, a relationship with the God of all creation, is now being enjoyed by the Gentiles, while the Jews have lost their “most favored” position.

Later on in this chapter, though, Paul will show that God can turn from the Gentiles, as a people, just as He turned from the Jews as a nation.

Application

We need to guard this precious faith and the message of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ like a treasure from God. But, we need to openly share this treasure and the message with those around us. It is not something to be hoarded; rather, it is something to be given away!

Have you shared this treasure with anyone lately?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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