Tag: wrath

Romans 13:4 – Authority of Vengeance

Posted on by Will

For he is God's minister for your good. but if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to bring wrath on him who practices evil.

Truth to Learn

We are to submit to those in authority and give God the glory.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “minister” is diakonos, which means “one who waits on tables.” It is the word from which we get our English word “deacon.” It specifically means one who serves the needs and desires of someone else, and it is most often used in reference to a spiritual hierarchy. It is sometimes translated as “servant.”

The word translated “avenger” is ekdikos, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “from” and dike, meaning “justice.” Thus, we see that this refers to someone who carries out justice, that is, a punisher or an executioner.

“Wrath” is from orgē, which we have looked at before. It refers to “excitement of the mind.” This word can be interpreted as “strong desire,” but it can also be interpreted as “violent passion, anger, or wrath.”

 

Meaning Explained

The first thing that we need to ascertain in this verse is who “he” is. “He” is a reference to “the authority” spoken of in the previous verse, and it refers both to the position and to the person in that position. Those who are in authority are placed there as ministers or servants in God’s hierarchy and they are there for the purpose of doing good.

In the previous verse Paul told us that the way to not fear those in authority is to do good. In this verse he addresses the other side of that coin. “But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain.” The use of the word sword here is a reference to the ability of those in authority to execute justice on those who disobey. It may, in fact, be a reference to the ability of civil government to execute capital punishment. Paul even supports this in his next phrase, “for he is God's minister, an avenger to bring wrath on him who practices evil.”

Clearly, Paul is telling us that the power and authorization of those who are in authority over us comes directly from God for the purpose of keeping peace and punishing evildoers. But what about those in authority who are themselves evil; should we resist them? Let’s look at David as our example here. In 1Samuel 24 he was being pursued by Saul, the King, even though David has done nothing to warrant this persecution. David and his men, hidden in a cave, have the opportunity to kill Saul when he comes into the same cave to take a nap. David refuses to kill Saul because he is God’s anointed.

And he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD." (1Samuel 24:6)

If David refused to strike Saul because he was God’s anointed ruler, then we should also refuse to act against one who God has ordained to be over us.

 

Application

We Christians must respect those in authority over us though they have power to do evil to us. We may not like them and they may not like us, but we are to submit ourselves to them because of their position. Such submission pleases God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 12:19 – Who’s The Judge?

Posted on by Will

not avenging yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

Truth to Learn

There is only one Judge and we need to let Him do His job.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “avenging” in the first part of this verse and “Vengeance” in the second part is ekdikeō. This is made up of ek, meaning “out of” or “from” and a form of dike, which means “justice,” “judgment,” or “that which is right.” Hence, ekdikeō means “to hand out your own justice.” In other words, it means to take punitive action against someone whom you have judged to be guilty of causing you harm.

“Wrath” is translated from the Greek word orgē, which refers to “excitement of the mind.” This word can be interpreted as “strong desire,” but it can also be interpreted as “violent passion” or “anger.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now caps off what he has been saying in the past two verses. Not only has he told us that we should be proactive about doing good things to others and peacefully coexisting with them, he now cautions us, “not avenging yourselves.” Why not? Because when we take matters into our own hands we sinful humans are notorious for making incorrect judgments based on our biased perception of the facts. God, on the other hand, is a perfect judge and always judges rightly based on the real truth.

A similar admonition was given to the Jews:

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.  (Leviticus 19:18)

The second phrase in today’s verse, “but rather give place to wrath” is a literal translation, but it has been the subject of much discussion among Greek scholars as to what it really means. In the Greek text there is a definite article before “wrath” so it reads “the wrath,” which is likely a reference to God’s wrath. Based on all the evidence I would paraphrase the first part of today’s verse as, “instead of stepping in and taking on the responsibility of executing judgment for yourself, back-off and let God decide who’s guilty.” Paul follows this phrase with a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35,

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution; in due time their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.

God promises that He will take retribution on those who oppose Him and cause harm to His children. But He will do so in a righteous manner, pouring out His wrath on those who deserve it based on truth.

 

Application

Instead of executing revenge on those whom we think have wronged us, let us humble ourselves before Almighty God and trust that He understands the situation correctly and trust that as our Holy Father, He will do what is right and just.

God, grant us the ability to resist the temptation to retaliate. Give us the love of Christ that we might be forgiving even of those who truly wrong us, and give us the faith to understand that You always judge rightly.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 5:9 – Saved from Wrath

Posted on by Will

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, through Him we shall be saved from the wrath.

Truth to Learn

Christians will not experience the effect of God’s wrath.

 

Behind the Words

The words “we shall be saved” are translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, make whole, or preserve safe from danger.” It is written here in the future tense and passive voice, indicating something that will be done to us some time in the future.

“Wrath” is from the Greek word orgē, which refers to “wrath or anger as a state of mind.” Aristotle said that orgē, is strong desire with grief. Another word sometimes translated as “wrath” is thumos, which refers to “indignation, the outburst of angry actions stemming from wrath.” Thus we see that orgē refers to the angry feeling, not the action that stems from it.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul showed us the greatness of God’s love for us. Though we are sinners and not good or righteous people, Christ died for us. Paul continues with, “Much more then …” In other words, the statement to follow is of even greater significance.

He then says, “having now been justified by His blood.” At first appearance this may seem contradictory to what Paul has just taught us in the previous chapter, that we are justified by grace, through faith. Actually, these are fully in agreement with each other because the shedding of blood is what fulfills God’s law of justice making it possible for Him to mark us as righteous in His record book. As it says in Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sins)”

Even though God is all powerful, He can only do what is consistent with His own righteousness and law of justice. That law requires that sin must be paid for with the shedding of blood. Therefore, it is the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross, the giving of His perfect life as substitutionary payment for our sins, that permits God to declare us righteous.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. The “Much more then” comment doesn’t refer to the shedding of Christ’s blood but to the fact that, “through Him we shall be saved from wrath.” Remember, while we are still sinners Christ died for us. But much greater than the fact that He died for us while we are still sinners is the fact that because of His blood we will be saved!

Once again this appears a little confusing since we refer to ourselves as having already been saved. You see, there are two aspects of our salvation. As a past and completed action we have already been marked in God’s book as righteous, and legally we have already been saved from the penalty of our sins. And, as a result, in the future we will be saved from the wrath of the Almighty Judge who will judge all men. That is to say, we will appear at the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ where we will be rewarded for the things we have done for Him, not at the Great White Throne Judgment where unsaved sinners will suffer the result of the wrath of God in the lake of fire.

 

Application

For a Christian, being saved doesn’t mean being saved from sin, it means being saved from the consequence of sin. It means that we will not experience God’s indignation. What a blessed truth!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 4:15 – Legal Wrath

Posted on by Will

for the law brings about wrath; but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Truth to Learn

Trying to keep the law causes God’s wrath to come against us.

 

Behind the Words

The words “brings about” are from the verb katergadzomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and ergadzomai, meaning “to work.” Hence, this word means “to completely bring about” or “to carry out a task until it is finished.”

“Wrath” is translated from the Greek word orgē, which is based on the verb orgēomai, meaning “reaching forth with the mind or excitement of the mind.” Hence, orgē expresses a violent passion either for or against something. However, it is most often used to express extreme anger or wrath.

The word translated “transgression” is the Greek word parabasis, which is a made up of para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and a form of baino, which means “to go.” So this word means “to go beyond, to cross over, or to overstep.” It is most often used to indicate an overstepping of a legal limit. Hence, it usually means “to violate a law or regulation.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been talking about the fact that God credited righteousness to Abraham based on his faith, not on his keeping the Law. He even pointed out that Abraham’s righteousness came well before the Law of Moses (more than three hundred years before) and about fifteen years before he was circumcised. So, it is very clear that his righteousness had nothing to do with obedience to the Law. Now he makes another observation about trying to obtain righteousness by obeying a set of rules or laws. He says that the Law brings about the wrath of God because the Law actually produces transgression (the overstepping of a rule or a law).

Paul even goes on to say that where there is no law there can be no transgressing of the law. Adam and Eve are the perfect example. Before they were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were free to eat of it, and doing so would not have caused them any consequence. But, as soon as God commanded them not to eat of it, not only was it now wrong for them to do so, but it became something that they suddenly wanted to do.

As a result of transgression (violating or overstepping the boundaries of the law) God’s wrath is produced because He cannot stand sin. Sin, and therefore anyone possessing sin, cannot remain in God’s presence because as a Holy God He must judge sin.

That’s what Paul is saying in this verse; that without law there is no transgression and therefore, none of God’s wrath. It’s actually the Law that produces God’s wrath.

But why would God give something to mankind (the Law) that would cause His wrath against mankind? That doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Paul will answer this difficult question later in this letter.

 

Application

It should be getting very clear by now that we cannot be right in God’s eyes by obeying a set of rules. In fact, the mere attempt to do so creates sin in our lives, which brings about God’s wrath. We can only stand in God’s presence as his righteous children through faith.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 3:5 – Righteous Wrath

Posted on by Will

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

Truth to Learn

God is righteous and must judge unrighteousness.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “demonstrates” is sunistēmi, a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” Hence, it literally means “to stand together.” Usually, when this word is used with inanimate things it means “to prove, or establish.” When used of a person, however, this word means “to introduce or to present to one's acquaintance for favorable notice.” Therefore, in this context it means “to establish or to demonstrate.”

“Inflicts” is from the Greek word epipherō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and pherō, which means “to bring” or “to carry.” Therefore, epipherō literally means “to bring against.”

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which is based on a word that means “excitement of the mind” or “violent passion.” Orgē is nearly always translated as “wrath.” It is a word that shows the action which results from anger. In God’s case it is always righteous anger and, therefore, righteous wrath.

 

Meaning Explained

This can be very confusing so follow me carefully. Paul has just stated two rhetorical questions that would be objections by Jews to his current discourse. The Jewish Christians in Rome would be following his logic to this point. They might well concede that some (even many) Jews had not believed. They would also concede that God was true to his promises and His character, thereby judging sin. As a result of this, the character of God, as a just being, would shine out illustriously.

A careful follower of this reasoning might then argue that Paul was saying that God is glorified by man’s sin. In anticipation of this argument, Paul asks another rhetorical question which we could paraphrase as:

 But if our unrighteousness shows the worthiness of God’s righteousness, what can we say against Him? Is God unrighteous who brings forth His wrath against unrighteousness?

Obviously, we can’t condemn God for displaying His righteous wrath against sin. That is the very character of God. He is holy and just. He abhors sin and must judge it because He is a righteous God (He always does what is right).

But Paul is not through with his reasoning against the pride of the Jewish Christians in Rome. In the following verses he will continue his stern discourse.

These past few verses and the ones to follow comprise a difficult passage of scripture to understand. However, if we hang in there I’m sure we will all get a much better understanding of what Paul is teaching us.

 

Application

When we realize that we are sinners and that God is a righteous God who must judge sin, we recognize that we are deserving of God’s judgment and wrath. But because of the shed blood of Christ, when we confess our sin God cleanses us of all unrighteousness (see 1John 1:9). Praise God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 1:18 – Truth Bullies

Posted on by Will

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Truth to Learn

Sinfulness suppresses and hides God’s truth. Our job is to reveal that truth to the sinful world around us.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “wrath” is the Greek word orgē, meaning “anger.” However, there is another Greek word often translated as anger. This word is thumos, meaning “indignation” or “wrath.” According to Aristotle, “ogrē, anger, is desire with grief”, so we can say, it is anger directed at those with whom God does not desire to be angry, namely mankind.

“Ungodliness” is from asebia, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of sebomai, meaning “to hold in reverence” or “to worship.” Therefore, we could easily translate this word as “irreverence.” It does not imply non-religious actions, but the practice of actions which are different than what God demands.

The word “unrighteous” is translated from adikia, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of dikē which refers to “that which is right.” In other words, this word refers to those actions which are not right in God’s sight.

“Suppress” is from the Greek word katechō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and echō, meaning “to have or to hold.” Hence, it literally means “to hold down.” It is the picture of a bully holding down a weaker child just because he can and he wants to.

 

Meaning Explained

Paul just talked about how the righteousness of God is revealed to man through the gospel message. He now looks at the other side of the equation, the wrath, or anger, of God. We Christians are often quick to grasp hold of God’s truth and God’s love, claiming it as the reason God has revealed his Son to us. But, we are just as quick to shun the notion that God gets angry.

This grievous anger of God is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” This is the very opposite of the godliness and righteousness of God Himself. These are people who don’t give God the reverence He deserves, though they may claim to be Christians. And, Paul says, they aren’t doing the things which God wants them to be doing. Instead, they are holding down, or suppressing, the truth about God by their irreverent and unrighteous ways, and that makes God angry!

Now, before we get too condemning of others, let’s remember that before we were saved we were just like them. We didn’t give God the reverence He deserves, nor did we act in a way that was right in His eyes. And, even now that we have been saved, it’s not our own righteousness that God sees (for we are all unrighteous), but the righteousness of Christ, which He has credited to our account.

 

Application

Our job as unrighteous sinners, who have been granted the righteousness of Christ, is to shine like beacons to the world around us, displaying the truth about God, not hiding it. But the light we are to project has nothing to do with our own actions or obedience. It has everything to do with the work that God has done through His Son on the cross. And that beacon has nothing to do with what we are doing for Him. It has everything to do with what He is doing through us.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:9 – Why We Fight!

Posted on by Will

Because God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

We need to realize what God has given us and fight for Him.

 

Behind the Words

“Because” is from hoti, meaning “that” or “because.” It serves to introduce something that is the reason for what was just said.

The Greek word translated “appoint” is tithēmi, which means “to set” or “to put in place.” Here it means that God did not place us in a position in which we would receive His wrath.

“Wrath” is from orgē, which properly means “strong desire” or “excitement of the mind,” that is “strong passion.” By implication it means “punishment,” but it is most often translated as “wrath.”

Peripoiēsis is the Greek word translated “obtain.” It is made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” Thus, peripoiesis carries the meaning of surrounding yourself with things. It is most often translated with the English words “acquire” or “obtain.”

“Salvation” is translated from sōtēria, which refers to “safety, deliverance, or preservation from danger or destruction.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul exhorted us to put on the breastplate of faith and love as well as the helmet of salvation. This is to be followed by being of a sober mind, thinking logically and rationally with a mind that is not under the influence of extreme thought patterns. You may know Christians who are so worried about losing their salvation that they have a difficult time moving forward in their Christian walk. Others are caught up in experiencing miraculous demonstrations of God’s Spirit and become distracted when they aren’t seeing such signs in their own lives. Still others are so bound by legalism that they spend all their effort trying not to break the rules their church has bound them with. All of these types of Christians are wearing so much spiritual fluff and have their minds so filled with distractions that they can’t effectively engage the enemy. As a result, they are easily defeated when they face spiritual battles.

Instead, Paul wants us to be dressed for battle and mentally prepared. The source of that mental preparation is knowledge of what the Bible actually teaches. The only way we can do this is to engage in regular, consistent reading and studying of God’s Word.

So, why should we always be prepared for spiritual battle? Why shouldn’t we live like the world, like those who have no clue regarding what the future holds? Because God did not put us here to receive His wrath; we will not experience the Day of the Lord. Instead we will be resurrected from the earth and granted complete salvation, that salvation which only comes from faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, out of a heart of true thanksgiving and gratitude, we should take up sides, put on the battle gear, and get ready to do battle for Him!

 

Application

Consider what God has done for us through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son. Consider what He has promised us, both now and eternally. Given what He has already done, how can we possible just drift through life? We need to get in the race! We need to engage in battle! We need to give our all to serving Him who gave us the most precious gift we could possible get!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – He’s Coming!

Posted on by Will

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus the one delivering us from the coming wrath.

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is coming back very soon.

 

Behind the Words

“Wait” is translated from the Greek verb anamenō, which is made up of ana, used as an emphatic and menō, meaning “to remain.” Thus, anamenō means “to wait for expectantly with patience and confidence.” It is expressed as a present tense infinitive, indicating continuous action. We could translate this as “keep on waiting.”

The verb ”raised” is egeirō, which means “to awaken from sleep” or “to raise up from a bed.” It is used metaphorically to mean “to raise up from the dead.”

The words “the dead” are translated from ek nekrōn. The word ek means “out” or “out of” and nekrōn means “of the dead ones” or “from the dead ones.” Hence, this says that Jesus was not simply brought back to life, but that He was raised up from among the dead ones.

“Delivering” is translated from rhuomai which literally means “to draw to one’s self;” that is, to rescue. The picture is that of drawing someone out of a rushing river. It is expressed as a participle so it could be translated as “rescuing us” or “delivering us.”

The second occurrence of the word “from” is translated from the Greek preposition ek, meaning “from” or “out of.” It is significant that he will deliver us “out of” the wrath, not simply protecting us in the midst of the wrath. This implies that we will not be present when the wrath occurs. This is evidence that the rapture will occur before God pours out His wrath.

The words “coming” are from erchomai, which means “to come” or “to go.” As used here it refers to “the wrath that is currently coming” or “the wrath that is on its way.”

Orgē is the Greek word translated “wrath.” It is a reference to the outpouring of action as a result of violent passion or of a vengeful mind.

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse we learned that Paul refers to the Thessalonian Christians as having turned to God from idols. As we mentioned, the church there was probably made up principally of converted Greek pagans rather than converted Jews. Not only did they turn away from their idols, they turned toward God and actively served Him with devotion.

In today’s verse we learn something else about these converted pagans: they were awaiting the return of our Lord. The implication is that they were expecting Him to return at any moment. Obviously, Paul had preached to them that not only had Jesus Christ been resurrected from the dead, but he was going to return to our physical world in physical form. In fact, the return of the Lord is a major theme that runs throughout this entire letter.

Another thing we learn here is that the Thessalonian Christians had been taught that God is going to pour out His wrath on sinful mankind. They also knew that God’s wrath would not be poured out on them because of their faith in the Savior. Salvation through Jesus Christ means more than simply a free ticket into heaven, it also means that we will avoid the vengeful judgment that God has reserved for those who reject Him.

 

Application

Are you living your life for God? Are you looking forward with eager expectation to the return of Jesus Christ? That eager expectation should be one of the things driving us to serve Him with complete devotion. Remember, He’s coming soon. It could even be today!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:6 – Don’t Be Deceived

Posted on by Will

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Truth to Learn

Don’t believe everything you hear being taught about the Bible.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “deceive” is apataō, which means “to deceive” or “to seduce into error.” This word and a compound of it (exapataō) are used in the description of the trickery that Satan used on Adam and Eve in 1Timothy 2:14 and 2Corinthians 11:3. The word is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command. Again, note that the word “let” does not refer to permitting something to happen, it is a command of what not to do.

“Empty” is from kenos, meaning “empty” or “hollow.” Metaphorically, it refers to that in which there is no truth.

“Wrath” is from the word orgē, which we saw back in Ephesians 4:26, where it was translated “angry.” The Greek word refers to “excitement of the mind” and generally refers to the inner emotion, although it is also sometimes used of the outward display of that emotion as in Revelation 19:15.

Apeitheia is the Greek word translated “disobedience.” It is a compound word made up of the negative particle a and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade” or “to convince.” This word here refers to those people who have not been persuaded or convinced of the truth of the Gospel, they do not believe. Because of their lack of belief, they do not obey (or even recognize) God’s authority over them. Therefore, they are called “sons of disobedience.” This could just as well be translated as “sons of disbelief.”

 

Meaning Explained

During the early years of the church, just as today, Satan was actively at work trying to deceive true believers. In Paul’s day there were those in the church who taught that since we are saved by grace and our salvation is secured by the seal of the Holy Spirit, we can sin all we want. In fact, they said, by indulging in sinful pleasures we make God’s grace even greater. Paul was responding to this philosophy when he wrote,

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it not be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

These philosophers were not outside the church, openly attacking the flock, they were false teachers within the church in positions of authority, delivering great sounding messages cleverly designed to deceive. As I’ve said before, don’t blindly believe everything you hear from a preacher. Whether he’s in the pulpit of your own church, on television, on the radio, on the internet, or on the street corner, check what is being proclaimed against what the Bible actually says. If something doesn’t sound quite right, it probably isn’t. Check it out, do your own study, and dig for the truth like gold.

We all like to think of our Heavenly Father as a God of love, which He is, but He is also described as a God of wrath. Here we see one such example. It is true that He is not willing (desirous) that any should perish (2Peter 3:9), but those people who reject His offer of salvation will experience His wrath firsthand. For those of us who are saved, God has forgiven all of our sins (past, present and future), but each one we commit adds just a little more torture to Jesus’ experience on the cross.

 

Application

If you are truly saved then you will want to resist sinning and you will be sorry when you do sin. So – if you can sin without guilt, then you had better check, because you may not have God’s seal of ownership. Are you truly sealed?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 4:31 – Grieving Actions

Posted on by Will

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice.

Truth to Learn

These are things which make God sad. Let’s not do them!

 

Behind the Words

The word “Bitterness” is the translation of pikria, from pikros which means “that which is unpleasantly sharp or extremely distasteful.”

“Wrath” is from thumos, which is from the verb thuō, meaning “to move violently, like a strong wind.” The word thumos refers to “a violent passion of the mind.” This describes the outward violent expression of the anger that is within.

The word “anger” is from orgē, which we saw back in verse twenty-six. Orgē refers to “excitement of the mind.” It is the inward feeling that sometimes is expressed outwardly as wrath.

“Clamor” is translated from the noun kraugē. This is from the verb kradzō, which is onomatopoeia (a word that mimics the sound of its meaning, such as “meow”) for the loud, coarse cry of a raven. Kraugē, which can be used in a good or bad way, is used to describe the clamorous outcry of the crowd demanding Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:23), the fearful cry of the disciples who saw Jesus walking on the water thinking Him to be a ghost (Matthew 14:26), and to Stephen’s loud declaration of forgiveness for those who were stoning him (Acts 7:60).

The words “evil speaking” are from blasphēmia, which refers to “slanderous verbal abuse, attacking someone’s reputation.”

“Malice” is translated from kakia, derived from kakos which refers to “that which has no worth” or “that which is bad.” It refers to the internal quality as opposed to the outward expression or effect (which would be the word ponēros).

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse the Apostle Paul commanded us to stop grieving the Holy Spirit of God. Allow me to point out here that you can’t grieve a “thing.” You can only grieve a person who possesses emotions. This is evidence to us that the Holy Spirit is one of the three that makes up the Trinity or the Godhead. He is one God but three persons. Why does Paul talk about grieving the Holy Spirit rather than the Father or the Son? Because, as Paul told us in the previous verse, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a seal and guarantee of our salvation. He somehow lives within us and is a constant witness to our thoughts and actions.

In today’s verse Paul expands on some of the things that grieve the Holy Spirit. Because He can’t be taken away from us, the Holy Spirit is ever present when we exhibit characteristics of our sin nature. When we act bitter, saying things that are sharply unpleasant to others, it grieves Him. When we get angry for the wrong reason and let it explode into an outburst of wrath, it grieves Him. When we are loud and clamorous, stirring up hate and resentment in others, it grieves Him. When we verbally attack others, impugning their reputation, it grieves Him. In fact, when we do anything “bad,” The Holy Spirit of God is grieved.

 

Application

None of us wants to cause sorrow for those we love and who love us. Since we possess the Holy Spirit of God at all times, let’s put on the “new man” and not grieve the One who has sealed us, who preserves us until our redemption is completed. Our reason for obedience is not to preserve our salvation, it is to please Him who saved us and who loves us!

In God's service, for His glory,

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