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
