Tag Archives: Acts 15:28

Romans, Part 75

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Live in harmony (φρονοῦντες, a form of φρονέω) with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.  Do not be conceited.[1]  I can’t find live or harmony in the Greek here, τὸ αὐτὸ εἰς ἀλλήλους φρονοῦντες.  The phrase translated do not be haughty is μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονοῦντες (literally, “no lofty thought” or “no high-mindedness”).  I would translate the first sentence, “Think of one another” or “Consider one another, not generalities, but specifics,” the down and dirty, nitty-gritty of another’s life and outlook.  For by the grace given to me, Paul already wrote, I say to every one of you not to think more highly (ὑπερφρονεῖν, a form of ὑπερφρονεώ) of yourself than you ought to think (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) but to think (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) with sober discernment (σωφρονεῖν, a form of σωφρονέω), as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.[2]

Paul prayed, and I assume believed, that God would give his readers this thinking (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) of one another, translated unity below:  For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance (ὑπομονῆς, a form of ὑπομονή) and through encouragement (παρακλήσεως, a form of παράκλησις) of the scriptures we may have hope.  Now may the God of endurance (ὑπομονῆς, a form of ὑπομονή) and comfort (παρακλήσεως, a form of παράκλησις) give you unity with one another (τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις) in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.[3]

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord!  This must not happen to you!”  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind (φρονεῖς, another form of φρονέω) on God’s interests, but on man’s.”[4]  Mark’s Gospel informs that Jesus spoke this way to Peter after turning and looking at his disciples.[5]

Then Jesus said to his disciples, Matthew’s Gospel continued, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”[6] This his disciples were already doing in the most literal way imaginable, but in their thinking they walked according to the flesh.  The Holy Spirit had not yet been given.  As Paul wrote the Romans, those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped (φρονοῦσιν, another form of φρονέω) by the things of the flesh…[7]

The Holy Spirit transforms our thinking: but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit,[8] Paul continued.  Keep thinking (φρονεῖτε, another form of φρονέω) about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.[9]  I thank my God every time I remember you, Paul wrote believers in Philippi.  I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  For it is right for me to think (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me.[10]

Paul expounded on this Holy Spirit thinking in his letter to the Philippians (2:1-13; 3:18-21 NET):

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind (φρονῆτε, another form of φρονέω), by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose (φρονοῦντες, a form of φρονέω).  Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.  Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.  You should have the same attitude (φρονεῖτε, another form of φρονέω) toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.  He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!  As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [e.g., yehôvâh] to the glory of God the Father.   So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed (ὑπηκούσατε, a form of ὑπακούω), not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,  for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.

For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think (φρονοῦντες, a form of φρονέω) about earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

Paul stressed that this thinking is not something we accomplish in the flesh.  He trusted God to accomplish it through his Spirit (Philippians 3:4b-15 NET):

If someone thinks (δοκεῖ, a form of δοκέω) he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials (σαρκί, a form of σάρξ), I have more: I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews.  I lived according to the law as a Pharisee.  In my zeal for God I persecuted the church.  According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.  But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.  More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.  My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this.  Instead I am single-minded [ἓν δέ; “but one” or “one moreover”]: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind (σκοπὸν, a form of σκοπός), I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view (φρονῶμεν, another form of φρονέω).  If you think (φρονεῖτε, another form of φρονέω) otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.

In Galatians Paul was concerned specifically about Gentile believers accepting circumcision as necessary or beneficial, but I think we can hear his words in this context as well, if we were to turn this thinking from the Holy Spirit into a human program to “live in harmony” (Galatians 5:4-10a NET Table):

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!  For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.  You were running well; who prevented you from obeying (πείθεσθαι, a form of πείθω) the truth?  This persuasion (πεισμονὴ) does not come from the one who calls you!  A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise!  I am confident (πέποιθα, another form of πείθω) in the Lord that you will accept (φρονήσετε, another form of φρονέω) no other view.[11]

Thinking of one another implies a mutual concern: I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) for me. (Now I know you were concerned [ἐφρονεῖτε, another form of φρονέω] before but had no opportunity to do anything.)[12]  And it implies some tolerance for one another’s quirks: One person regards (κρίνει, a form of κρίνω) one day holier than other days, and another regards (κρίνει, a form of κρίνω) them all alike.  Each must be fully convinced (πληροφορείσθω, a form of πληροφορέω) in his own mind.  The one who observes (φρονῶν, another form of φρονέω) the day does (φρονεῖ, another form of φρονέω) it for the Lord.[13]

While I don’t doubt that this thinking from the Holy Spirit will result in something like harmony or unity or agreement eventually, I’m not entirely comfortable when forms of φρονέω are translated agree: I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree (φρονεῖν, another form of φρονέω) in the Lord;[14] and, Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree (φρονεῖτε, another form of φρονέω) with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.[15]  I don’t believe that the Holy Spirit meant some form of group-think or committee work.

The Jerusalem council agreed unanimously to send a letter to the Gentiles which read: For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden (βάρος) on you than these necessary rules.[16]  James’ abbreviated version of the law followed.  It took individual believers not some corporate entity to set this error aright: For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments.  And his commandments do not weigh (βαρεῖαι, a form of βαρύς) us down, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.[17]

I would like to think that μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρ᾿ ἑαυτοῖς (literally, “not become wise from himself, herself or themselves”) meant to become wise through the Holy Spirit.  But Paul used φρόνιμοι (a form of φρόνιμος) facetiously three other times (Romans 11:25, 1 Corinthians 4:10 and 2 Corinthians 11:19 NET).  Do not be conceited may be an adequate translation.  Only Jesus used φρόνιμοι seriously (Mathew 10:16-20 NET):

I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise (φρόνιμοι , a form of φρόνιμος) as serpents and innocent as doves.  Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.  And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.  Whenever they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, for what you should say will be given to you at that time [Table].  For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Romans, Part 76

Back to Romans, Part 80

Back to Romans, Part 83

[1] Romans 12:16 (NET)

[2] Romans 12:3 (NET)

[3] Romans 15:4-6 (NET)

[4] Matthew 16:21-23 (NET)

[5] Mark 8:33 (NET)

[6] Matthew 16:24 (NET)

[7] Romans 8:5a (NET)

[8] Romans 8:5b (NET)

[9] Colossians 3:2, 3 (NET)

[10] Philippians 1:3-7 (NET)

[11] NET note 11: “Grk ‘that you will think nothing otherwise.’”

[12] Philippians 4:10 (NET)

[13] Romans 14:5, 6a (NET)

[14] Philippians 4:2 (NET)

[15] 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NET)

[16] Acts 15:28 (NET) Table

[17] 1 John 5:3, 4 (NET)

Throwing Their Weight Around

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While studying the gift of contributing I came across something in 1 Thessalonians that troubled me.  I had to look into it further.  The translation—although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you[1]—seemed oddly religious to me.  It implied that ordinarily the apostles of Christ threw their weight around, but Paul and his associates behaved out of the ordinary in Thessalonica by becoming little children.  Truly, then as now, religious leaders throw their weight around at times.  But if Paul thought that δυνάμενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι (having power [or, able] in weight [or, burden] we are as Christ’s apostles) meant that he was empowered by Christ to throw his weight around, he was clearly wrong.

Jesus warned us to be wary of such people (Mark 12:38, 39 NET).

Watch out for the experts in the law.  They like walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

And again (Luke 20:46 NET):

Beware of the experts in the law.  They like walking around in long robes, and they love (φιλούντων, a form of φιλέω)[2] elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.

Paul seemed aware of this when he characterized the behavior of the false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ:[3]  For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, he wrote, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face. (To my disgrace, he wrote facetiously, I must say that we were too weak [ἠσθενήκαμεν, a form of ἀσθενέω][4] for that!)[5]  Paul’s facetious use of ἠσθενήκαμεν here referred back to what some in Corinth were saying about him: His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak (ἀσθενὴς)[6] and his speech is of no account.[7]  Apparently they mistook love, patience and kindness for weakness.

Apostles were empowered however by the word of Christ to receive their necessary provisions, presumably from God through the gift of contributing to one or more of the people to whom they ministered; the worker deserves his provisions, the Lord said (Matthew 10:8-11 NET):

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.  Freely you received, freely give.  Do not take gold, silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for the journey, or an extra tunic, or sandals or staff, for the worker deserves his provisions.  Whenever you enter a town or village, find out who is worthy there and stay with them until you leave.

The word translated weight in although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ is βάρει, a form of βάρος.[8]  βάρει was only used once.  βάρος, and another form βάρη, and their translations in the NET are listed below.

These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship (βάρος) and burning heat of the day.

Matthew 20:12 (NET)
For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden (βάρος) on you than these necessary rules…

Acts 15:28 (NET) Table
For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight (βάρος) of glory far beyond all comparison…

2 Corinthians 4:17 (NET)
Carry one another’s burdens (βάρη, another form of βάρος), and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 (NET)
But to the rest of you in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called “deep secrets of Satan”), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden (βάρος) on you.

Revelation 2:24 (NET)

Had the word been translated hardship or burden it would have hearkened back to Paul’s more sarcastic and facetious remarks to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:13-15a NET):

For how were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden (κατενάρκησα, a form of καταναρκάω)[9] to you?  Forgive me this injustice!  Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden (καταναρκήσω, another form of καταναρκάω) to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you.  For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.  Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives!

Though the words are different, the concepts are quite similar.  To the Corinthians Paul and his associates were parents who save up and spend for their children (τέκνοις, a form of τέκνον).[10]  To the Thessalonians they were like a nursing mother caring for her own children (τέκνα, another form of τέκνον), with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.[11]  They treated the Thessalonians as a father treats his own children (τέκνα, another form of τέκνον).[12]

I have not burdened (κατεβάρησα, a form of καταβαρέω)[13] you, Paul continued to address the Corinthians in his second letter.  Yet because I was a crafty person, he wrote facetiously, I took you in by deceit!  I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you, have I? he invited them to contradict him.  I urged Titus to visit you and I sent our brother along with him.  Titus did not take advantage of you, did he?  Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit?  Did we not behave in the same way?[14]

For you recall, brothers and sisters, Paul continued to address the Thessalonians in his first letter, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden (ἐπιβαρῆσαι, a form of ἐπιβαρέω)[15] on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.  You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.[16]

Earlier Paul had written the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 9:4, 7-12 NET)

Do we not have the right to financial support?…Who ever serves in the army at his own expense?  Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit?  Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk?  Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense, or does the law not say this as well?  For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”  God is not concerned here about oxen, is he?  Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit?  It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest.  If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you?  If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving?  But we have not made use of this right.  Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

The translators of the NET probably know all of this as well, if not better, than I do.  The problem comes, I think, from translating the conjunction ἀλλὰ as instead in this instance, contrasting the two clauses:  although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead (ἀλλὰ)[17] we became little children among you.  What possible contrast could we became little children among you provide to being a burden financially?

Such a contrast makes little sense whether the disputed word νήπιοι (a form of νήπιος)[18] (little children, infants) or ἤπιοι (a form of ἤπιος;[19] gentle) is selected.  I do think the NET translators were right to prefer νήπιοι.[20]  And the mere possibility that one might tease the apostles throwing their weight around out of the Greek here sounds like double entendre.  It alerts my ear to Paul’s facetiousness and hyperbole.  So I consider ἀλλὰ to be magnifying or amplifying the prior clause (yea, moreover) rather than setting up a contrast.

In 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET), for instance, the Net translators either left ἀλλὰ out of this kind of amplification or translated it what: For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, (ἀλλὰ) what defense of yourselves, (ἀλλὰ) what indignation, (ἀλλὰ) what alarm, (ἀλλὰ) what longing, (ἀλλὰ) what deep concern, (ἀλλὰ) what punishment!  If I apply something similar to 1 Thessalonians 2:7 I get a translation like, “Empowered to be burdensome as Christ’s apostles, yea, we became infants[21] in your midst!”

The actual contrast came next, not unlike the rebuttal of 2 Corinthians 12:16b—Yet (ἀλλὰ) because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit!—in verse 17—I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you….  Paul and his associates did not become infants suckling at the breast of the Thessalonian church; they were the nursing mother suckling the church, not because believers in Thessalonica were a burden, but because with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.[22]

Understood this way, the ordinary situation of the apostles of Christ is that the worker deserves his provisions, as Jesus put it, or to be a burden (κατενάρκησα, a form of καταβαρέω) on the church financially, as Paul implied.[23]  The extraordinary circumstance by contrast was to preach the gospel free of charge (1 Corinthians 9:13-18 NET)

Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings?  In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.  But I have not used any of these rights.  And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me.  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!  For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this.  Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward (μισθὸν, a form of μισθός)[24].  But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility.  What then is my reward (μισθός)?  That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel.

Another consequence of viewing it this way, however, is that Paul might have taken another little gibe at Peter and James (implying that they were like suckling infants) similar to the gibe he took in his first letter to the Corinthians (though not so whiny):  Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?  Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work?[25]

Back to Fear – Numbers, Part 1

[1] 1 Thessalonians 2:7a (NET)

[3] 2 Corinthians 11:13 (NET)

[5] 2 Corinthians 11:20, 21a (NET)

[7] 2 Corinthians 10:10 (NET)

[11] 1 Thessalonians 2:7b, 8 (NET)

[12] 1 Thessalonians 2:11b (NET)

[14] 2 Corinthians 12:16-18 (NET)

[16] 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 10 (NET)

[19] And the Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind (ἤπιον, another form of ἤπιος) toward all, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. (2 Timothy 2:24, 25a NET)

[20] Note from NET: “The variant ἤπιοι (hpioi, ‘gentle’) has fair support (א2 A C2 D2 Ψc 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï), but νήπιοι (nhpioi, ‘little children’) has significantly stronger backing (Ì65 א* B C* D* F G I Ψ* pc it bo). It is not insignificant that the earliest Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support of ἤπιοι are actually not Alexandrian or Western; they are the second correctors of Alexandrian and Western mss. Such correctors generally follow a Byzantine Vorlage. The reading νήπιοι is thus superior externally. Further, νήπιοι is much harder in this context, for Paul mixes his metaphors (“we became little children in your midst…Like a nursing mother…”). Thus, the scribes would naturally alter this reading to the softer ἤπιοι (‘we became gentle…’). Paul is not known for his consistency of figures, however (cf., e.g., Gal 4:19); hence, the intrinsic evidence points to νήπιοι as original. On the other hand, it is possible that νήπιοι was caused by dittography with the preceding -μεν (-men). It is even possible that νήπιοι was caused by an error of hearing right from the beginning: The amanuensis could have heard the apostle incorrectly. But such a supposition cuts both ways; further, Paul would no doubt have corrected the reading in the ms before it was sent out. If so, one would surely have expected both earlier witnesses on the side of ἤπιοι and perhaps a few first correctors to have this reading. The reading ‘little children’ thus stands as most probably original. (For an extended discussion of this problem, see J. A. D. Weima, ‘“But We Became Infants Among You”: The Case for NHPIOI in 1 Thess 2.7,’ NTS 46 [2000]: 547-64; T. B. Sailors, ‘Wedding Textual and Rhetorical Criticism to Understand the Text of 1 Thessalonians 2.7,’ JSNT 80 [2000]: 81-98.)”

[21] νήπιοι, the same word as, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh,  as infants (νηπίοις) in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1 NET).

[22] 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NET)

[23] 2 Corinthians 12:13 (NET)

[25] 1 Corinthians 9:5, 6 (NET)