Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

Posted on June 11, 2024 by admin

In another essay I began to consider the genders of Greek pronouns in Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV):

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [Table], not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I was taught that faith, πίστεως, was excluded from the clause this is not your own doing because this, τοῦτο, is neuter and πίστεως is feminine. If that were true, however, it would exclude grace as well: Τῇ…χάριτι is also feminine. “In other words, both grace and faith would be your own doing…”¹

My reasons for including grace in the clause this is not your own doing have nothing to do with the genders of Τῇ…χάριτι and τοῦτο, but with many other passages of Scripture and a not insignificant amount of personal experience.²

I began a New Testament survey of πίστεως to see if I could find other Scriptures that persuade “me that faith is of my own doing.” I’ll begin with the first occurrence of πίστεως I skipped accidentally in the previous essay (Acts 6:1-5 ESV):

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said,³ “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore,⁴ brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit⁵ and of wisdom, whom we will appoint⁶ to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full⁷ of faith (πίστεως) and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

Here, men of good repute (μαρτυρουμένους, a passive form of μαρτυρέω) were further characterized as full of the Spirit (πλήρεις πνεύματος) and of wisdom (καὶ σοφίας).⁸ If any of you lacks wisdom (σοφίας, a form of σοφία), James wrote, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without⁹ reproach, and it will be given him.¹⁰ I have no way to gain wisdom from the Lord apart from the near continuous internal dialogue with his indwelling Spirit and his word. In fact, it is easiest to distinguish his Spirit from the clutter inside me when we are directly engaged with the Bible.

Stephen was full of faith (|πλήρης| πίστεως) and of the Holy Spirit (καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου).¹¹ Here, full of faith precedes and of the Holy Spirit. This is probably more to the point. Once the Lord’s wisdom began to penetrate the thickness of my disbelief (or my self-belief and self-reliance), once I began to see that it was kind of stupid to rely on my faith when his was available to me through his indwelling Spirit, there was no more question that faith is not [my] own doing; it is the gift of God.¹²

To persist in relying on my own faith once I have learned from Him (Matthew 11:28-30) would indicate a chafing at his yoke, a refusal to be led by his Spirit (Galatians 5:13-18). I would be relying still on my own love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, trying still to manufacture my own joy and peace. I would be striving still to have a righteousness of my own derived from the law, rather than relying on the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.¹³ It would indicate an arrogant refusal to enter his rest (Hebrews 4:7-13), once I have received his Holy Spirit and learned from Him.

But what about before? Was the faith that received his Holy Spirit initially mine in the sense that it originated with me? Or was it mine in the sense that it was given to me? Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4, 5 ESV):

And while staying with them [Jesus] ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father (τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρὸς), which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Not only was He God’s promise but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit was a statement of fact according to Jesus. The Greek word translated you will be baptized was βαπτισθήσεσθε, a passive form of βαπτίζω in the indicative mood. The only requirements stated were not to depart from Jerusalem (ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι) and to wait (περιμένειν, an infinitive form of περιμένω). Granted, He spoke to the apostles whom he had chosen (Acts 1:1, 2 ESV).

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up,¹⁴ after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Given the apostles’ obedience to Jesus’ commands, it seems reasonable to assume some kind of faith here, but whose? [H]e had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles seems like an odd construction: ἐντειλάμενος, translated he had given commands (ESV), is a participle of ἐντέλλω in the middle voice:

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as “the performer of the action actually acting upon himself” (reflexive action).

For example: “I am washing myself.” “I” is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet “I” am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be in the “Middle Voice”. Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious and cannot be translated this literally.

Every form of ἐντέλλω that occurs in the New Testament is in the middle voice (see table below). None are in the active voice. In other words, such commands were meant to be obeyed with the authority and power of the one making them rather than that of those receiving them: τοῖς ἀποστόλοις is the indirect object, to the apostles, and finally, διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου, through (or “by” or “in the midst of”) the Holy Spirit. It is a fairly expressive description of what it means to be in Christ.

So, I have the Holy Spirit of God acting on behalf of the apostles (dare I say, in the apostles?) to carry out Jesus’ commands even before He indwells the apostles. I want to consider another example of a form of ἐντέλλω for comparison (Acts 13:44-48 ESV).

The next Sabbath almost the whole city [of Pisidian Antioch] gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him [Table]. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles [Table]. For so the Lord has commanded us (ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν), saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed [Table].

Paul and Barnabas quoted from Isaiah 49:6 (see table below).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 49:6 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 49:6 (NET)	Isaiah 49:6 (NETS)	Isaiah 49:6 (English Elpenor)
And he said, It is a light thing (נָקֵ֨ל) that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.	he says, “Is it too insignificant a task (qālal, נקל) for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”	And he said to me, “It is a great thing (μέγα) for you to be called my servant so that you may set up the tribes of Iakob and turn back the dispersion of Israel. See, I have made you a light of nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.”	And he said to me, [It is] a great thing (μέγα) for thee to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth.

The part of this quotation Paul and Barnabas excluded, which was also excluded apparently from the Masoretic text and the NETS translation of the Septuagint, is quite telling: εἰς διαθήκην γένους, for the covenant of a race (English Elpenor), is only true of Jesus. Still, they were willing to quote the rest, which is also true of Jesus, under the heading: οὕτως γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος, For so the Lord has commanded us (ESV). In other words, Paul and Barnabas recognized that the words of an ancient prophecy granted God’s authority and power to them to bring (or, be for) salvation to the ends of the earth.

The Lord said something similar to Ananias about Saul (aka Paul) (Acts 9:10-19a ESV).

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem [Table]. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel [Table]. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus¹⁵ who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like¹⁶ scales fell from¹⁷ his eyes, and he regained his sight.¹⁸ Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened [Table].

Ananias, unaware as yet that the Lord had already arrested Saul (Acts 9:3-9), was concerned about the authority (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) Saul had received (Acts 9:1, 2) from the chief priests to bind all who call on [Jesus’] name.¹⁹ But the Lord informed him of the good works, which God prepared beforehand, that [Saul, aka Paul] should walk in them:²⁰ he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.²¹

Now there were²² in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch,²³ and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” [Table]. Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus [Table]. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole²⁴ island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain²⁵ magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.²⁶

Now Paul²⁷ and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia.²⁸

Here again, the Holy Spirit was instrumental in bringing Jesus’ words to Ananias to pass. There are two more issues I want to consider before concluding this essay.

First, if I intend to take the middle voice of forms of ἐντέλλω seriously, I’m compelled to understand παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς in Acts 1:4, he ordered them (ESV), differently. The Greek word παρήγγειλεν is a form of παραγγέλλω: “to pass on a message, transmit a message, tell, communicate; to give orders, give a command, issue an order; to charge, command; to instruct, direct, order, advise; to summon (to appear), summon (to one’s help).” That Jesus “communicated to the apostles” what He was doing in and through them by his Holy Spirit honors both the middle voice of ἐντειλάμενος in Acts 1:2, he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen (ESV), and Jesus’ saying: No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.²⁹

Finally, I want to spend a few moments considering and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed:³⁰ καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

Since ἐπίστευσαν is a 3^rd person singular form of πιστεύω, a more accurate translation might be: and [he] believed, as many as were appointed to eternal life. In other words, an individual’s faith was credited to being among those who enjoyed the continuing effect³¹ of having been appointed to eternal life. The Greek word translated appointed was τεταγμένοι, a participle of the verb τάσσω in the perfect tense and middle and passive voices: “to appoint; to give orders to; to indicate by way of instruction; to ordain; to prescribe; to indicate as binding, indicate as a standard or rule” (middle meaning); “to be set in array; to be well ordered; to be appointed” (passive meaning). This corresponds quite accurately to Jesus’ saying: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.³²

But what of those who were not appointed to eternal life, were not drawn by the Father and did not believe? If I believe that they are eternally condemned I might be persuaded that their unbelief was their own choice. It’s a small step from there to believing that my faith was my own choice, perhaps even my own doing: Isn’t that the reason that I am saved and they are condemned?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes (ὁ πιστεύων) in him (εἰς αὐτὸν) should not perish but have eternal life [Table]…Whoever believes in him is not condemned,³³ but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.³⁴

If, on the other hand, I take Jesus at his word—And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself³⁵—I begin to hear the temporal nature of the passive meaning of τεταγμένοι: “to be set in array; to be well ordered; to be appointed.” Not all appointments are scheduled for the same moment in time. God’s sequencing, God’s timing for his own purposes, may go a long way to helping me understand my question: “Why did He give me his own Holy Spirit then [as a twenty-something atheist stoner] and not when I was five?”³⁶

I’ll pick this up in another essay. According to a note (180) in the NET, Paul and Barnabas alluded to Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6. Tables comparing the Greek of their allusion to that of the Septuagint follow.

Acts 13:47b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 42:6b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 42:6b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τέθεικα σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν	ἔδωκά σε…εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν	ἔδωκά σε…εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν
Acts 13:47b (NET)	Isaiah 42:6b (NETS)	Isaiah 42:6b (English Elpenor)
I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles	I have given you…as a light to nations	I have given thee…for a light of the Gentiles

What follows from Isaiah 49:6 seems more like a partial quotation than an allusion:

Acts 13:47b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 49:6b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 49:6b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τέθεικα σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναι σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς	τέθεικά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς	δέδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς
Acts 13:47b (NET)	Isaiah 49:6b (NETS)	Isaiah 49:6b (English Elpenor)
I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.	I have made you a light of nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.	I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth.

The table mentioned above follows. I have added “[to]” before pronouns to remind myself that they are indirect objects in the dative case.

Forms of ἐντέλλω in the New Testament
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
Matthew 28:20	πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν	all that I have commanded [to] you
Matthew 17:9	ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς	Jesus commanded [to] them
Matthew 19:7	ὑμῖν Μωϋσῆς ἐνετείλατο	Moses command [to] one
Mark 10:3	ὑμῖν ἐνετείλατο Μωϋσῆς	Moses command [to] you
Mark 13:34	τῷ θυρωρῷ ἐνετείλατο	he…commands [to] the doorkeeper
John 8:5	\|ἡμῖν\| Μωϋσῆς ἐνετείλατο	Moses commanded [to] us
John 14:31	\|ἐνετείλατο\| μοι ὁ πατήρ	the Father has commanded [to] me
Hebrews 9:20	ἐνετείλατο πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ θεός	God commanded for you
Hebrews 11:22	ἐνετείλατο	gave directions
Acts 1:2	ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις	he had given commands…to the apostles
Matthew 4:6	τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται	He will command [to] his angels
Luke 4:10	τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται	He will command [to] his angels
John 15:14	ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν	I command [to] you
John 15:17	ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν	I command [to] you
Acts 13:47	ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος	the Lord has commanded [to] us

Tables comparing Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Acts 6:2, 3; 6:5; James 1:5; Acts 1:2; 9:17, 18; 13:1 and 13:6 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 42:6 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 42:6 (KJV)	Isaiah 42:6 (NET)
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;	I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;	“I, the Lord, officially commission you; I take hold of your hand. I protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people and a light to the nations,

Isaiah 42:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 42:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν	ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν
Isaiah 42:6 (NETS)	Isaiah 42:6 (English Elpenor)
I, the Lord God, have called you in righteousness, and I will take hold of your hand and strengthen you; I have given you as a covenant to a race, as a light to nations,	I the Lord God have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will strengthen thee: and I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles:

Isaiah 49:6 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 49:6 (KJV)	Isaiah 49:6 (NET)
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.	And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.	he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

Isaiah 49:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 49:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπέν μοι μέγα σοί ἐστιν τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς Ιακωβ καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐπιστρέψαι ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς	καὶ εἶπέ μοι· μέγα σοί ἐστι τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου τοῦ στῆσαι τὰς φυλὰς ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπιστρέψαι· ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς
Isaiah 49:6 (NETS)	Isaiah 49:6 (English Elpenor)
And he said to me, “It is a great thing for you to be called my servant so that you may set up the tribes of Iakob and turn back the dispersion of Israel. See, I have made you a light of nations, that you may be for salvation to the end of the earth.”	And he said to me, [It is] a great thing for thee to be called my servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob, and to recover the dispersion of Israel: behold, I have given thee for the covenant of a race, for a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation to the end of the earth.

Acts 6:2, 3 (NET)	Acts 6:2, 3 (KJV)
So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.	Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Acts 6:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 6:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 6:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν εἶπαν· οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ διακονεῖν τραπέζαις	προσκαλεσαμενοι δε οι δωδεκα το πληθος των μαθητων ειπον ουκ αρεστον εστιν ημας καταλειψαντας τον λογον του θεου διακονειν τραπεζαις	προσκαλεσαμενοι δε οι δωδεκα το πληθος των μαθητων ειπον ουκ αρεστον εστιν ημας καταλειψαντας τον λογον του θεου διακονειν τραπεζαις

But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Acts 6:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 6:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 6:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐπισκέψασθε δέ, ἀδελφοί, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά, πλήρεις πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσομεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης	επισκεψασθε ουν αδελφοι ανδρας εξ υμων μαρτυρουμενους επτα πληρεις πνευματος αγιου και σοφιας ους καταστησομεν επι της χρειας ταυτης	επισκεψασθε ουν αδελφοι ανδρας εξ υμων μαρτυρουμενους επτα πληρεις πνευματος αγιου και σοφιας ους καταστησωμεν επι της χρειας ταυτης

Acts 6:5 (NET)	Acts 6:5 (KJV)
The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.	And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

Acts 6:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 6:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 6:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα \|πλήρης\| πίστεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Τίμωνα καὶ Παρμενᾶν καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα	και ηρεσεν ο λογος ενωπιον παντος του πληθους και εξελεξαντο στεφανον ανδρα πληρη πιστεως και πνευματος αγιου και φιλιππον και προχορον και νικανορα και τιμωνα και παρμεναν και νικολαον προσηλυτον αντιοχεα	και ηρεσεν ο λογος ενωπιον παντος του πληθους και εξελεξαντο στεφανον ανδρα πληρης πιστεως και πνευματος αγιου και φιλιππον και προχορον και νικανορα και τιμωνα και παρμεναν και νικολαον προσηλυτον αντιοχεα

James 1:5 (NET)	James 1:5 (KJV)
But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.	If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	James 1:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	James 1:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται σοφίας, αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ	ει δε τις υμων λειπεται σοφιας αιτειτω παρα του διδοντος θεου πασιν απλως και μη ονειδιζοντος και δοθησεται αυτω	ει δε τις υμων λειπεται σοφιας αιτειτω παρα του διδοντος θεου πασιν απλως και ουκ ονειδιζοντος και δοθησεται αυτω

Acts 1:2 (NET)	Acts 1:2 (KJV)
until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.	Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Acts 1:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 1:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 1:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἀνελήμφθη	αχρι ης ημερας εντειλαμενος τοις αποστολοις δια πνευματος αγιου ους εξελεξατο ανεληφθη	αχρι ης ημερας εντειλαμενος τοις αποστολοις δια πνευματος αγιου ους εξελεξατο ανεληφθη

Acts 9:17, 18 (NET)	Acts 9:17, 18 (KJV)
So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”	And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 9:17 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 9:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)<	Acts 9:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίας καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ ἐπιθεὶς ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας εἶπεν· Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ, ὁ κύριος ἀπέσταλκεν με, Ἰησοῦς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἤρχου, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃς καὶ πλησθῇς πνεύματος ἁγίου	απηλθεν δε ανανιας και εισηλθεν εις την οικιαν και επιθεις επ αυτον τας χειρας ειπεν σαουλ αδελφε ο κυριος απεσταλκεν με ιησους ο οφθεις σοι εν τη οδω η ηρχου οπως αναβλεψης και πλησθης πνευματος αγιου	απηλθεν δε ανανιας και εισηλθεν εις την οικιαν και επιθεις επ αυτον τας χειρας ειπεν σαουλ αδελφε ο κυριος απεσταλκεν με ο οφθεις σοι εν τη οδω η ηρχου οπως αναβλεψης και πλησθης πνευματος αγιου

Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Acts 9:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 9:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 9:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέπεσαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὡς λεπίδες, ἀνέβλεψεν τε καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐβαπτίσθη	και ευθεως απεπεσον απο των οφθαλμων αυτου ωσει λεπιδες ανεβλεψεν τε παραχρημα και αναστας εβαπτισθη	και ευθεως απεπεσον απο των οφθαλμων αυτου ωσει λεπιδες ανεβλεψεν τε παραχρημα και αναστας εβαπτισθη

Acts 13:1 (NET)	Acts 13:1 (KJV)
Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul.	Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Acts 13:1 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 13:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 13:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
῏Ησαν δὲ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ κατὰ τὴν οὖσαν ἐκκλησίαν προφῆται καὶ διδάσκαλοι ὅ τε Βαρναβᾶς καὶ Συμεὼν ὁ καλούμενος Νίγερ καὶ Λούκιος ὁ Κυρηναῖος, Μαναήν (τε Ἡρῴδου τοῦ τετραάρχου σύντροφος) καὶ Σαῦλος	ησαν δε τινες εν αντιοχεια κατα την ουσαν εκκλησιαν προφηται και διδασκαλοι ο τε βαρναβας και συμεων ο καλουμενος νιγερ και λουκιος ο κυρηναιος μαναην τε ηρωδου του τετραρχου συντροφος και σαυλος	ησαν δε τινες εν αντιοχεια κατα την ουσαν εκκλησιαν προφηται και διδασκαλοι ο τε βαρναβας και συμεων ο καλουμενος νιγερ και λουκιος ο κυρηναιος μαναην τε ηρωδου του τετραρχου συντροφος και σαυλος

Acts 13:6 (NET)	Acts 13:6 (KJV)
When they had crossed over the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,	And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Acts 13:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 13:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 13:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Διελθόντες δὲ ὅλην τὴν νῆσον ἄχρι Πάφου εὗρον ἄνδρα τινὰ μάγον ψευδοπροφήτην Ἰουδαῖον ᾧ ὄνομα \|Βαριησοῦ\|	διελθοντες δε την νησον αχρι παφου ευρον τινα μαγον ψευδοπροφητην ιουδαιον ω ονομα βαριησους	διελθοντες δε την νησον αχρι παφου ευρον τινα μαγον ψευδοπροφητην ιουδαιον ω ονομα βαριησους

Back to Matthew 8:23-34

¹ Keep Yourelves From Idols, Part 2

² Ibid.

³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον.

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δέ (NET: But) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Wherefore).

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αγιου following Spirit (KJV: Holy Ghost). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had καταστήσομεν in the future tense and indicative mood here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had καταστησωμεν in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood (“we may appoint”).

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had πλήρης, a masculine or feminine singular adjective in the nominative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had πληρη, a neuter plural adjective in the nominative or accusative case, or a masculine or feminine singular adjective in the accusative case. Faith (πίστεως) is feminine and Spirit (πνεύματος) is neuter.

⁸ Acts 6:3 (ESV)

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had μὴ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had ουκ.

¹⁰ James 1:5 (ESV)

¹¹ Acts 6:5b (ESV)

¹² Ephesians 2:8b (ESV) Table

¹³ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

¹⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀνελήμφθη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ανεληφθη. These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had Ἰησοῦς here. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ωσει.

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπέπεσαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απεπεσον. These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

¹⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραχρημα (KJV: forthwith) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁹ Acts 9:14 (ESV)

²⁰ Ephesians 2:10b (ESV)

²¹ Acts 9:15b (ESV) Table

²² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τινες (KJV: certain) near the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τετραάρχου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τετραρχου. These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅλην here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἄνδρα preceding a certain (NET: a magician). The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁶ Acts 13:1-6 (ESV) The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Βαριησοῦ in the genitive case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had βαριησους in the nominative case.

²⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τον preceding Paul. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁸ Acts 13:13, 14a (ESV) Table

²⁹ John 15:15 (ESV)

³⁰ Acts 13:48b (ESV) Table

³¹ “The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence.” From “Verb Tenses: Perfect Tense,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

³² John 6:44a (ESV) Table

³³ Son of God – John, Part 1; Son of God – John, Part 2; Son of God – John, Part 3; Son of God – John, Part 4; Son of God – John, Part 5; A Door of Hope, Part 1; Westworld, Part 3

³⁴ John 3:16, 18 (ESV)

³⁵ John 12:32 (ESV)

³⁶ Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Posted on May 28, 2024 by admin

I mentioned in another essay how difficult it is for me to recognize when I’m worshiping an idol. This essay will be somewhat exploratory because I suspect that there is an idol in here somewhere. I’m just not entirely sure where as I begin.

In a Bible study on the book of James my Pastor quoted from Ephesians (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV):

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [Table], not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Sometime later, as we shared a meal, I said that it was nice to hear those verses without the customary caveat. He didn’t know what I was talking about. I explained that this and faith were different genders in Greek, and so faith was excluded from the phrase not your own doing. He had never heard such a thing and pulled up the verses on his phone. I admitted I didn’t really believe it any more in any practical way but that I had heard it all my life, and that it still came to mind whenever I considered Ephesians 2:8.

He said it didn’t make any sense: yes, τοῦτο, translated this (ESV), is neuter and πίστεως, translated faith (ESV), is feminine, but so is χάριτι, translated grace (ESV). I said I should probably look more deeply into it. So, here I go.

First, χάριτι in the text was actually Τῇ…χάριτι, translated by grace (ESV) because both words are in the dative case. The example cited in GREEK NOUNS (Shorter Definitions) was, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.¹ Here τῇ προσευχῇ and τῇ δεήσει were translated by prayer and [by] supplication respectively because all are in the dative case.

The Greek words translated faith were πίστεως in the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸, and της πιστεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.² My Pastor was right: If πίστεως is excluded from this (τοῦτο) is not your own doing,³ because πίστεως is feminine and τοῦτο is neuter, then Τῇ…χάριτι should be excluded for the same reason. In other words, both grace and faith would be your own doing (ἐξ ὑμῶν); literally, “out from you.”

In another essay I wrote: “I’m not qualified to engage that argument,” thinking, I suppose, that it was too esoteric for my current knowledge of Koine Greek. But now it appears that I was just too lazy to engage the text. My reasons for including grace in the clause this is not your own doing have nothing to do with the genders of Τῇ…χάριτι and τοῦτο, but with many other passages of Scripture and a not insignificant amount of personal experience. I cannot exclude faith solely on the basis of the gender of πίστεως and της.

Are there other Scriptures that persuade me that faith is of my own doing? I’ll begin with a New Testament survey of πίστεως ⁴ (Acts 11:19-24 ESV).

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen (Acts 8:1-3) traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord [Table]. The report of this came to the ears of the church in⁵ Jerusalem,⁶ and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose [Table], for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

The Greek words translated who believed in—and a great number who believed turned to the Lord⁷—were ὁ πιστεύσας in the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸, and simply πιστευσας in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text (KJV: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord). Adding ὁ to πιστεύσας (a participle of the verb πιστεύω) leaves the possibility open that some who believed had not yet turned (ἐπέστρεψεν, a form of ἐπιστρέφω) to the Lord (Matthew 13:18-23; Luke 8:11-15).

What interests me more in this context is: And the hand of the Lord was with them:⁸ καὶ ἦν χεὶρ κυρίου μετ᾿ αὐτῶν. The pronoun αὐτῶν is masculine, feminine and neuter, and most likely⁹ refers back to the Hellenists (τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὰς) and forward to a great number who believed: πολύς τε ἀριθμὸς ὁ πιστεύσας. In other words, the hand of the Lord is cited preceding the faith of a great number of the Hellenists. Was Luke simply being polite to the Lord when the actual situation was that the faith of a great number of the Hellenists was of their own doing?

When [Barnabas] came and saw the grace (τὴν χάριν) of God, he was glad.¹⁰ What was the grace of God that Barnabas saw (ἰδὼν, a form of εἴδω)? he exhorted [the great number of the Hellenists who believed] to remain faithful (προσμένειν, an infinitive form of προσμένω) to the Lord with steadfast purpose.¹¹ It sounds as if Luke attributed their faith to the grace of God. Was he puffing God up with false praise when the actual situation was that the faith of a great number of the Hellenists was of their own doing?

The text continued: for [Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.¹² The Greek word translated faith here was πίστεως, a form of the noun πίστις. Being full of the Holy Spirit (πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου) precedes being full of faith. This makes sense since πίστις, translated faithfulness (ESV), is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law¹³…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law [Table].¹⁴

Since I am making so much of the word order, should I assume that Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith because he was a good man (ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς)? I’ve made that assumption before. It’s not false unless I’m thinking causatively: goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη) is another aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. So I assume now that Luke and the Holy Spirit used full of the Holy Spirit and of faith to clarify their intended meaning: for he was a good man.¹⁵ And a great many people were added to the Lord.¹⁶

This is not my experience. I don’t see a great many people…added to the Lord in my immediate vicinity. I won’t blame the hand of the Lord. That leaves: I am not a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. I’ll own that and continue to Do [my] best to present [myself] to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.¹⁷ But If I rejected that diagnosis, would I blame those who are dead in…trespasses and sins for their lack of faith in Christ?

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [Table] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind [Table].¹⁸

So, blaming them would depend, I suppose, on who I credit for making me alive together with Christ.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace (τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ) in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [Table].¹⁹

Approached in this way it becomes quite telling that my faith and my works are absent here: This is about God’s mercy, God’s great love, God made us alive together with Christ (συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ) by God’s grace, God raised us up with him (συνήγειρεν, a form of συνεγείρω) and seated us with him (συνεκάθισεν, a form of συγκαθίζω) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Why? For his own purpose: so that in the coming ages he might show (ἐνδείξηται, a form of ἐνδείκνυμι) the immeasurable riches of his grace.

There is nothing uncertain about so that…he might show: ἐνδείξηται is a subjunctive form of ἐνδείκνυμι in a purpose clause: “the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.”²⁰ The only uncertainty here is why English translators persist in their refusal to translate Greek verbs in the subjunctive mood in purpose or result clauses into English. But when does/did all of this happen?

The verbs συνεζωοποίησεν, συνήγειρεν, συνεκάθισεν and even ἐνδείξηται are in the aorist tense and συνεζωοποίησεν, συνήγειρεν and συνεκάθισεν are in the indicative mood:

The aorist is said to be “simple occurrence” or “summary occurrence”, without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. This tense is also often referred to as the ‘punctiliar’ tense. ‘Punctiliar’ in this sense means ‘viewed as a single, collective whole,’ a “one-point-in-time” action, although it may actually take place over a period of time. In the indicative mood the aorist tense denotes action that occurred in the past time, often translated like the English simple past tense.

For example: “God…made us alive together with Christ.” Eph 2:5

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6²¹

When I begin to perceive any of this as true corresponds to when I received the Holy Spirit. When I as a five-year-old child prayed a sinner’s prayer to Jesus to escape from burning in hell for all eternity, nothing happened except that I believed I didn’t need to fear hell.²² When I as a twenty-something atheist stoner prayed, “If you’re really out there, I really want to know you,”²³ the Holy Spirit invaded my ψυχή: “soul, life, creature, living being, physical life, life-force; corpse, dead person; an individual person.”

I didn’t think much of the Gospel then. Been there, done that, I thought. The Gospel just didn’t work out for me. This time I was going to do it right. The objective truth of the Bible was irrelevant to me. Its truth was like that of a contract. There were things for me to do and things God would do in exchange. He knew what the contract I held in my hand said, and so could I.²⁴

In no objective sense did I as a twenty-something atheist stoner turn in faith to Jesus Christ. I was more like a bibliolater standing before the Bible as Israel stood before Mount Sinai, saying, All that the LORD has spoken [I] will do.²⁵ I didn’t keep my promise. He certainly knew I couldn’t keep my promise. Why did He give me his own Holy Spirit then and not when I was five?

I want to pause here to compile a brief dossier on Barnabas (Acts 4:33-37; 9:26-31; 11:22, 25, 26 ESV):

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet [Table].

And when [Paul, aka Saul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple [Table]. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him [Table]. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied [Table].

The report of this (Acts 11:19-21) came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul [aka Paul], and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians [Table].

The people who tried to lead the five-year-old me to the Lord, led me to atheism instead. It was certainly not their intent, just a fact. The twenty-something bibliolater me went back to the same church of the very same people, believing they were right and I was wrong. The difference? I was about twenty years older, but more to the point, I had been given the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. When I heard teaching or preaching the Holy Spirit brought other Scriptures to my mind. Sometimes those Scriptures agreed with what was taught or preached. That was a good day. Sometimes they did not. But I was studying the Bible on my own with the Holy Spirit, the Father and his Son. Eventually, Paul’s writings, writings that may never have been written (Acts 13:1-3) if Barnabas had not gone to Tarsus to look for Saul and brought him to Antioch, led me to Jesus. It is impossible for me to credit all of this to my faith or my effort, though I cannot imagine it transpiring apart from both.

The solution I return to over and over is:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed (ὑπηκούσατε , a form of ὑπακούω) so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation (τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε) with fear and trembling, for it is God who works (ὁ ἐνεργῶν) in you, both to will (τὸ θέλειν) and to work (τὸ ἐνεργεῖν) for his good pleasure (τῆς εὐδοκίας) [Table].²⁶

I’ll pick this up in another essay. A table comparing Acts 11:22 in the NET and KJV follows.

Acts 11:22 (NET)	Acts 11:22 (KJV)
A report about them came to the attention of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.	Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

Acts 11:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 11:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 11:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἠκούσθη δὲ ὁ λόγος εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς οὔσης ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν Βαρναβᾶν ἕως Ἀντιοχείας	ηκουσθη δε ο λογος εις τα ωτα της εκκλησιας της εν ιεροσολυμοις περι αυτων και εξαπεστειλαν βαρναβαν διελθειν εως αντιοχειας	ηκουσθη δε ο λογος εις τα ωτα της εκκλησιας της εν ιεροσολυμοις περι αυτων και εξαπεστειλαν βαρναβαν διελθειν εως αντιοχειας

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

¹ Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

² For a brief discussion of these textural differences see αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 2 .

³ Ephesians 2:8b (ESV) Table

⁴ I’ll return to consider Acts 6:5 in another essay.

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῆς οὔσης ἐν (“that was in”) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had της εν.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Ἰερουσαλὴμ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιεροσολυμοις in the dative case.

⁷ Acts 11:21b (ESV) Table

⁸ Acts 11:21a (ESV) Table

⁹ Perhaps I should say, “is in closest proximity to.” I can’t eliminate the possibility that αὐτῶν also refers to some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke…preaching the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20 ESV), but then the hand of the Lord seems more laissez faire, not opposed to them, rather than the cause of what transpired.

¹⁰ Acts 11:23a (ESV) Table

¹¹ Acts 11:23b (ESV) Table

¹² Acts 11:24 (ESV)

¹³ Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

¹⁴ Galatians 5:22, 23 (ESV)

¹⁵ Acts 11:24a (ESV)

¹⁶ Acts 11:24b (ESV)

¹⁷ 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

¹⁸ Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)

¹⁹ Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)

²⁰ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²¹ From “Verb Tenses: Aorist Tense,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²² You Must Be Gentle, Part 3

²³ αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 1

²⁴ Who Am I? Part 3

²⁵ Exodus 19:8b (ESV) Table

²⁶ Philippians 2:12, 13 (ESV)

Father, Forgive Them – Part 6

Posted on February 17, 2020 by admin

Three things stand out to me (Luke 23:32-34a Table; John 12:32, 33; Matthew 22:41-46):

Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with [Jesus]. So when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,” they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”]

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw^[1] all people to myself.” (Now [Jesus] said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)

While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”^[2] He said to them, “How then does David^[3] by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’ [Table]? If David^[4] then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one was able to answer him a word,^[5] and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.

A fourth thing is like the other three: And when he comes, Jesus promised concerning the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.^[6]

So I have Jesus’ righteous prayer from the cross, his promise to draw all to Himself, our Father’s promise to put Jesus’ enemies under his feet and the promise that the Holy Spirit will prove wrong or reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.^[7] This sketch outlines the work of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for salvation, work which precedes my faith that (Romans 3:23-26 KJV):

all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus [Table].

It adequately explains why Paul didn’t celebrate my faith as a worthy personal achievement: For by grace you are saved through faith,^[8] and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. ^[9]

I’m aware of the argument that this (τοῦτο) cannot refer to faith (πίστεως) because τοῦτο is neuter and πίστεως is feminine. I’m not qualified to engage that argument so I’ll defer to Matthew Olliffe, “Is ‘Faith’ the ‘Gift of God’? Reading Ephesians 2:8-10 with the Ancients,” from The Gospel Coalition online. An alternative view is presented by René A. López, “IS FAITH A GIFT FROM GOD OR A HUMAN EXERCISE?,” from Dallas Theological Seminary online. The only thing I feel qualified to comment on here was a rhetorical question: “Who would accuse a beggar of working by holding out his hand to receive a dollar bill? No one!”^[10]

I have disengaged from conversation with a person seeking alms by saying, “I’ll let you get back to work.” The difference between us is that when I go to work my pay is guaranteed by law. No matter how many hours the person seeking alms spends in the heat, the cold or the wet, there is no guarantee but the grace of God. And more often than not I’ve been blessed in his name by those dependent upon Him for their next meal.

Whether the momentary faith that brings one into a relationship with Jesus Christ is ultimately “a gift from God or a human exercise,” faith (πίστις) is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23 NET Table):

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The believer seeks to rely on the Holy Spirit’s faithfulness, as opposed to one’s own, as soon as possible: For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.^[11] (Perhaps a new believer relies instinctively on the Holy Spirit’s faithfulness, until the religious mind leads one astray.) Mr. López didn’t confine his objections to initial saving faith. He continued with some discussion of sanctification, quoting Gary Nebeker: ^[12]

“An infused idea of faith engenders a less-than-balanced view of sanctification, i.e., victory in the spiritual life is viewed as a virtual guarantee. If God gives believers faith to live the Christian life, then the difficult aspects of progressive holiness commanded in Scripture tend to be softpedaled.”⁶⁶

If faith is a gift, then many commands in Scripture that exhort, command, prompt, and warn believers to live obediently become superfluous because the ultimate end of infused faith guarantees the sanctification of believers without their involvement. Followed to its logical conclusion the gift-of-faith view lessens the urgency of putting forth effort to obey scriptural exhortations.

I may be more susceptible to a works religion than some, but “putting forth effort to obey scriptural exhortations” sounds to me like trying to have my own righteousness derived, if not from the law, from the exhortations, commands, prompts and warnings of the New Testament perceived as rules to be obeyed. That does not sound like the one who practices the truth [who] comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.^{^[13]} Nor does it sound like the one who has entered God’s rest (Hebrews 4:10-13):

For the one who enters God’s rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις) has also rested (κατέπαυσεν, a form of καταπαύω) from his works, just as God did from his own works. Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest (κατάπαυσιν), so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience (Numbers 13-14). For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul^[14] from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.

It seems pertinent here to point out that we must make every effort (KJV: Let us labour) was Σπουδάσωμεν in Greek, a form of Σπουδάζω: “to hasten, hurry, use speed, act with speed; to be zealous, eager, diligent; to be busy; to become mentally unsettled.” They [e.g., those who were influential] requested only that we remember the poor, Paul wrote believers in Galatia, the very thing I also was eager (ἐσπούδασα, another form of σπουδάζω) to do.^[15] I’ll suggest that being eager to enter God’s rest might be a better understanding than effort or labour.

Mr. López’s argument that “the ultimate end of infused faith guarantees the sanctification of believers without their involvement”^[16] seems like a diabolical red herring to me since my primary “involvement” in my sanctification was to take charge and try to accomplish it myself by obeying rules. If he referred instead to Bible study, I can’t say that any consideration of how faith is produced—whether as an outright gift or by other means of God’s grace—ever diminished my appetite for Bible study.

My life divides into two parts: 1) From reciting the sinner’s prayer to atheism (about 5 years of age to 17); and 2) asking to know the Lord if He was there to be known to the present (about 22 years of age to 66 currently). In part one of my life I had a distaste for the Bible, almost nothing could compel me to regular study. In part two, I’ve had such a hunger that almost nothing could dissuade me from regular Bible study; nothing except, sadly, marriage and family. I was too busy then being promoted at work to my level of incompetence and at home trying to please my wife (another “promotion” to my level of incompetence). But I consider this appetite for the Bible God’s answer to my prayer rather than a personal achievement.

“If God gives believers faith to live the Christian life, then the difficult aspects of progressive holiness commanded in Scripture tend to be softpedaled.” Which of the two regimes Jesus contrasted does this Gary Nebeker quote sound most like?

Matthew 23:2-7 (NET)

Matthew 11:25b-30 (NET)

The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’^[17] seat. Therefore pay attention to what^[18] they tell you^[19] and do^[20] it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up^[21] heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they^[22] themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for^[23] they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.^[24] They love^[25] the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’^[26]

I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden^[27] these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (ἀναπαύσω, a form of ἀναπαύω). Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle^[28] and humble in heart, and you will find rest (ἀνάπαυσιν, a form of ἀνάπαυσις) for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

To my ear “the difficult aspects of progressive holiness” being “softpedaled” leans more toward heavy loads, hard to carry and an unwillingness even to lift a finger to move them, as it leans away from a yoke that is easy to bear and a load that is not hard to carry.

Mr. López considered, “true believers will never fail to live godly lives…because God, having infused them with faith, guarantees their sanctification throughout their lives,” a view that “diminishes the seriousness of the commands of Scripture for believers to pursue holiness.”^[29] Does God infusing me with his love through his Holy Spirit diminish the command You shall not murder?^[30] Or is it the way He fulfills his command? “[M]ost Christians do not understand,” an article titled Sanctification on The Alliance website acknowledged, “the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives.”^[31] The uncertainty expressed concerning sanctification in Mr. López’s article seems too accommodating to that majority.

Though my knowledge of Koine Greek syntax is insufficient to argue that—For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—means that faith is not a gift from God, I have experienced by simple trial and error the difference between relying on my faith and resting in God’s own πίστις (NET: faithfulness), a fountain of water springing up to eternal life^[32] as Jesus promised. The writer of Hebrews encourages believers to enter this rest (Hebrews 3:12-14 NET):

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called “Today,” that none of you may become hardened by sin’s deception. For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence (ὑποστάσεως, a form of ὑπόστασις) firm until the end.

It seems obvious to me now, this requires the continuous infusion of the faithfulness that is an aspect of the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit (not to mention his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-contol), rather than something I might conjure on my own (Ephesians 3:14-21 NET).

For this reason I kneel before the Father, [Table] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, [Table] that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love,^[33] you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen [Table].

A table comparing Exodus 20:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and another comparing Exodus 20:13 (20:15) in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek follow. Tables comparing Matthew 22:42, 43; 22:45; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 23:2-7; 11:25; 11:29 and Ephesians 3:18 in the NET and KJV follow those.

Exodus 20:13 (Tanakh)	Exodus 20:13 (KJV)	Exodus 20:13 (NET)
Thou shalt not murder; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.	Thou shalt not kill.	“You shall not murder.

Exodus 20:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 20:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις
Exodus 20:15 (NETS)	Exodus 20:15 (English Elpenor)
You shall not murder.	Thou shalt not kill.

Matthew 22:42, 43 (NET)	Matthew 22:42, 43 (KJV)
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”	Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγων· τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ; τίνος υἱός ἐστιν; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· τοῦ Δαυίδ	λεγων τι υμιν δοκει περι του χριστου τινος υιος εστιν λεγουσιν αυτω του δαβιδ	λεγων τι υμιν δοκει περι του χριστου τινος υιος εστιν λεγουσιν αυτω του δαυιδ

He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,

He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγει αὐτοῖς· πῶς οὖν Δαυὶδ ἐν πνεύματι καλεῖ αὐτὸν κύριον λέγων	λεγει αυτοις πως ουν δαβιδ εν πνευματι κυριον αυτον καλει λεγων	λεγει αυτοις πως ουν δαυιδ εν πνευματι κυριον αυτον καλει λεγων

Matthew 22:45 (NET)	Matthew 22:45 (KJV)
If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”	If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ οὖν Δαυὶδ καλεῖ αὐτὸν κύριον, πῶς υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἐστιν	ει ουν δαβιδ καλει αυτον κυριον πως υιος αυτου εστιν	ει ουν δαυιδ καλει αυτον κυριον πως υιος αυτου εστιν

Ephesians 2:8 (NET)	Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;	For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Τῇ γὰρ χάριτι ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον	τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υμων θεου το δωρον	τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υμων θεου το δωρον

Hebrews 4:12 (NET)	Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.	For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον καὶ διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας	ζων γαρ ο λογος του θεου και ενεργης και τομωτερος υπερ πασαν μαχαιραν διστομον και διικνουμενος αχρι μερισμου ψυχης τε και πνευματος αρμων τε και μυελων και κριτικος ενθυμησεων και εννοιων καρδιας	ζων γαρ ο λογος του θεου και ενεργης και τομωτερος υπερ πασαν μαχαιραν διστομον και διικνουμενος αχρι μερισμου ψυχης τε και πνευματος αρμων τε και μυελων και κριτικος ενθυμησεων και εννοιων καρδιας

Matthew 23:2-7 (NET)	Matthew 23:2-7 (KJV)
The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.	Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγων· ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι	λεγων επι της μωσεως καθεδρας εκαθισαν οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι	λεγων επι της μωσεως καθεδρας εκαθισαν οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι

Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε· λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν	παντα ουν οσα αν ειπωσιν υμιν τηρειν τηρειτε και ποιειτε κατα δε τα εργα αυτων μη ποιειτε λεγουσιν γαρ και ου ποιουσιν	παντα ουν οσα εαν ειπωσιν υμιν τηρειν τηρειτε και ποιειτε κατα δε τα εργα αυτων μη ποιειτε λεγουσιν γαρ και ου ποιουσιν

They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.

For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
δεσμεύουσιν δὲ φορτία βαρέα [καὶ δυσβάστακτα] καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, αὐτοὶ δὲ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά	δεσμευουσιν γαρ φορτια βαρεα και δυσβαστακτα και επιτιθεασιν επι τους ωμους των ανθρωπων τω δε δακτυλω αυτων ου θελουσιν κινησαι αυτα	δεσμευουσιν γαρ φορτια βαρεα και δυσβαστακτα και επιτιθεασιν επι τους ωμους των ανθρωπων τω δε δακτυλω αυτων ου θελουσιν κινησαι αυτα

They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ποιοῦσιν πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· πλατύνουσιν γὰρ τὰ φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν καὶ μεγαλύνουσιν τὰ κράσπεδα	παντα δε τα εργα αυτων ποιουσιν προς το θεαθηναι τοις ανθρωποις πλατυνουσιν δε τα φυλακτηρια αυτων και μεγαλυνουσιν τα κρασπεδα των ιματιων αυτων	παντα δε τα εργα αυτων ποιουσιν προς το θεαθηναι τοις ανθρωποις πλατυνουσιν δε τα φυλακτηρια αυτων και μεγαλυνουσιν τα κρασπεδα των ιματιων αυτων

They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
φιλοῦσιν δὲ τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις καὶ τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς	φιλουσιν τε την πρωτοκλισιαν εν τοις δειπνοις και τας πρωτοκαθεδριας εν ταις συναγωγαις	φιλουσιν τε την πρωτοκλισιαν εν τοις δειπνοις και τας πρωτοκαθεδριας εν ταις συναγωγαις

and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’

And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ραββί	και τους ασπασμους εν ταις αγοραις και καλεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων ραββι ραββι	και τους ασπασμους εν ταις αγοραις και καλεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων ραββι ραββι

Matthew 11:25 (NET)	Matthew 11:25 (KJV)
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to little children.	At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· ἐξομολογοῦμαι σοι, πάτερ, κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἔκρυψας ταῦτα ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν καὶ ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις	εν εκεινω τω καιρω αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν εξομολογουμαι σοι πατερ κυριε του ουρανου και της γης οτι απεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων και απεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις	εν εκεινω τω καιρω αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν εξομολογουμαι σοι πατερ κυριε του ουρανου και της γης οτι απεκρυψας ταυτα απο σοφων και συνετων και απεκαλυψας αυτα νηπιοις

Matthew 11:29 (NET)	Matthew 11:29 (KJV)
Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.	Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων	αρατε τον ζυγον μου εφ υμας και μαθετε απ εμου οτι πραος ειμι και ταπεινος τη καρδια και ευρησετε αναπαυσιν ταις ψυχαις υμων

Ephesians 3:18 (NET)	Ephesians 3:18 (KJV)
you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,	May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις τί τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ ὕψος καὶ βάθος,	εν αγαπη ερριζωμενοι και τεθεμελιωμενοι ινα εξισχυσητε καταλαβεσθαι συν πασιν τοις αγιοις τι το πλατος και μηκος και βαθος και υψος	εν αγαπη ερριζωμενοι και τεθεμελιωμενοι ινα εξισχυσητε καταλαβεσθαι συν πασιν τοις αγιοις τι το πλατος και μηκος και βαθος και υψος

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 4

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 1

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 5

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 6

Back to Psalm 22, Part 8

Back to Funeral, Part 3

Back to Adultery in the Law, Part 2

Back to Westworld, Part 4

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 5

Back to Peter’s Third Gospel Proclamation

Back to Christianity, Part 6

Back to Christianity, Part 9

Back to Who Am I? Part 14

Back to The Children of Promise, Part 1

Back to Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Back to Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 1

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 2

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

Back to Matthew 8:23-34

Back to Luke 8:22-56

^[1] Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 8

^[2] In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυίδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

^[3] In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυίδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

^[4] In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυίδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

^[5] Since I’ve considered this recently it seems pertinent to note that the Pharisees did not answer Jesus’ quizzical allusion to his own incarnation by saying, “Oh, well, David was just being respectful to the future Messiah, calling him ‘sir’.”

^[6] John 16:8 (NET)

^[7] John 16:8b (KJV)

^[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article της preceding faith. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not. A note (20) in the NET indicates that this difference might actually be significant.

^[9] Ephesians 2:8 NET

^[10] René A. López, “IS FAITH A GIFT FROM GOD OR A HUMAN EXERCISE?,” IS FAITH CONSIDERED A WORK?, BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July–September 2007, p266, from Dallas Theological Seminary

^[11] Romans 8:14 (NET)

^[12] René A. López, “IS FAITH A GIFT FROM GOD OR A HUMAN EXERCISE?” THE CONFLICT: IF FAITH IS A GIFT, BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July–September 2007, p. 275, from Dallas Theological Seminary

^[13] John 3:21 (NET)

^[14] The StephanusTextus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τε και (KJV: and) following soul, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had simply καὶ.

^[15] Galatians 2:10 (NET)

^[16] René A. López, “IS FAITH A GIFT FROM GOD OR A HUMAN EXERCISE?” THE CONFLICT: IF FAITH IS A GIFT, BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July–September 2007, p. 275, from Dallas Theological Seminary

^[17] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσέως, and μωσεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

^[18] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ὅσα ἐὰν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had οσα αν (KJV: whatsoever).

^[19] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τηρειν (KJV: observe) following tell you (KJV: bid you). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[20] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ποιήσατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ποιειτε.

^[21] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ (not translated in the NET) following tie up, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For).

^[22] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτοὶ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[23] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γαρ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δὲ (KJV: But).

^[24] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των ιματιων αυτων (KJV: of their garments) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[25] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ (not translated in the NET) following they love, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τε (KJV: And).

^[26] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had a second ραββι (KJV: Rabbi) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔκρυψας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απεκρυψας (KJV: had hid).

^[28] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πραΰς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πραος (KJV: meek).

^[29] René A. López, “IS FAITH A GIFT FROM GOD OR A HUMAN EXERCISE?” THE CONFLICT: IF FAITH IS A GIFT, BIBLIOTHECA SACRA / July–September 2007, p. 275, from Dallas Theological Seminary

^[30] Exodus 20:13 (NET)

^[31] Here is a link to a table comparing Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian & Missionary Alliance views of sanctification according to their own websites.

^[32] John 4:14 (NET)

^[33] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν αγαπη ερριζωμενοι και τεθεμελιωμενοι (“in love rooted and grounded”) at the beginning of verse 18, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had it (ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι) at the end of verse 17.

Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Posted on November 29, 2013 by admin

Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand – when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid (yârêʼ)^[1] to approach him.^[2] The Greek word ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω)^[3] was chosen for this fear in the Septuagint. This word occurs in the phrase ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον^[4] μέγαν^[5] in Mark’s gospel and was translated, They were overwhelmed by fear.^[6]

Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat. Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.^[7] Jesus was asleep in the stern. His disciples woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.^[8]

I thought Jesus rebuked them then. “Why are you cowardly?” He said according to Mark’s account (which I assume was Peter’s account and Mark served as chronicler, if not his scribe). Do you still not have faith?”^[9] In Matthew’s account Jesus’ rebuke—“Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?”^[10]—came even before He calmed the storm. (Matthew/Levi hadn’t been called yet, according to Matthew.^[11]) Of course, the text doesn’t actually say that Jesus rebuked them.

He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν, a form of ἐπιτιμάω)^[12] the wind (the cause^[13] of the problem, if you will), and said (εἶπεν, a form of ῥέω)^[14] to the sea as He said (εἶπεν) to his disciples. Matthew recorded what He said (λέγει, a form of λέγω)^[15] to his disciples, and how He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν) the winds and the sea. But when I believed that my faith was the work that made me worthy of heaven—Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith? and Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?—stung like rebuke. My opinion began to change, however, after I began to believe that his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence,^[16] and that credited righteousness^[17] was a functional,^[18] rather than merely a formal,^[19] righteousness.

My original opinion about Jesus’ rebuke was rendered absurd when I began to believe that even faith did not come out of or out from me: For by grace you are saved through faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις),^[20] and this is not from yourselves (καὶ^[21] τοῦτο^[22] οὐκ^[23] ἐξ^[24] ὑμῶν^[25]), it is the gift of God.^[26] I heard the argument that this (τοῦτο, literally these) cannot refer back to faith (πίστεως) because τοῦτο “is neuter plural and ‘Faith’ [πίστεως] is feminine.”^[27] And I certainly tried to live by its consequences: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth (Romans 6:15-18). Man’s obedient faith does not cancel grace. The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace (Acts 2:38) and permits continual grace (1 John 1:7).”^[28] My faith proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was never up to the task. On the other hand, “Grace is feminine…And even Salvation (as a noun) is feminine.”^[29] So τοῦτο (literally these) refers to none of them or all three of them.

Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s grace is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his grace was not from works, so that no one can boast.^[30] Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s salvation is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his salvation was not from works, so that no one can boast. Likewise there was a time when I reached the end of MY faith and needed to hear that even faith is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.^[31] It is Christ’s faithfulness, not mine, the fruit of his Spirit.

And notice how easily these lofty requirements are fulfilled when the faithfulness in question is Christ’s rather than mine: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth. [Christ’s] obedient faith does not cancel grace. The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace and permits continual grace.” I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.^[32] And, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control.^[33]

I’m not thinking here of the works of the flesh,^[34] but that desire of the flesh that is most perniciously opposed to the Spirit^[35] even after its works are largely under his control; namely, the desire to be accepted by God as righteous by my own works on my own terms. But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites, Jesus said to men who pursued that kind of righteousness. You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.^[36] I know Paul didn’t explicitly say that this is a desire of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians, so I may be giving the flesh more credit than it deserves. Perhaps the desire to be right is nothing more than a perversion or short-circuiting of a God-given hunger and thirst for righteousness.^[37] Regardless, the fruit and the glory are God’s, not mine.

The Greek word for this “obedient faith” in the New Testament is ὑπακοή. At the beginning and the end of his letter to the Romans Paul went out of his way to make it clear that he did not mean “my own works by my own righteousness,” in fact, he called it faith’s obedience (Romans 1:5; 16:25-27 NET):

Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith (ὑπακοὴν^[38] πίστεως) among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God [κατ᾿^[39] ἐπιταγὴν^[40] τοῦ^[41] αἰωνίου^[42] θεοῦ^[43]] to bring about the obedience of faith [εἰς^[44] ὑπακοὴν πίστεως] – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever! Amen.

While it is correct to translate ὑπακοή obedience relative to the Greek language, when Paul used ὑπακοή, even alone, relative to the Gospel he did not refer to “my own works by my own righteousness” any more than his use of the word θεοῦ referred to Zeus, Hera, Apollo or Aphrodite. So I have to ask, how harshly did the Lord Jesus criticize his disciples for not demonstrating the faith He had not yet given them? And look, I am sending you what my Father promised, Jesus told his Apostles after his resurrection. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.^[45]

Jesus’ disciples knew, or suspected, that He was the Messiah, or Christ. That’s why they followed Him, according to John’s Gospel account. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John [the Baptist] said and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah (Μεσσίαν, a form of Μεσσίας)!”^[46] (which is translated Christ [χριστός]).^[47] Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”^[48]

Up to that time a messiah (Hebrew: mâshı̂yach, maw-shee’-akh) was simply a man anointed by God for a specific purpose. Though incredulous at first that anything good could come out of Nazareth,^[49] when he met Jesus, Nathaniel revealed some of his expectation regarding this particular anointed one at this particular time in Israel’s history, Rabbi, you are the Son of God (υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ); you are the king of Israel!^[50] I’m not sure what Nathaniel meant by υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. I don’t think he recognized yet that Jesus was Yahweh in human flesh. I do think it is that particular lack of faith to which Jesus referred when He said, Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith? or Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith? I’m just not so sure any more that it was a rebuke.

The word translated cowardly in both Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts is δειλοί, a form of δειλός.^[51] Online in a section labeled HELPS^TM Word-studies it reads, “deilós is always used negatively in the NT and stands in contrast to the positive fear which can be expressed by 5401 /phóbos [φόβος] (‘fear,’ see Phil 2:12).”^[52] Actually δειλός only occurs three or perhaps four times in the New Testament. The fourth was rejected by the writer(s) of this particular definition: So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe (δέους, possibly another form of δειλός).^[53] This is quite similar to Philippians 2:12 (NET): So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe (φόβου, a form of φόβος)^[54] and reverence…

In a section labeled “Forms and Transliterations” at the bottom of the web-page in the Bible Hub δέους is listed along with δειλοί: “δειλοι, δειλοί, δειλοις, δειλοίς, δειλοῖς, δειλός, δεους, δέους.” It is a form of δέος (δειλός is from δέος in Strong’s) according to the Greek Word Study Tool,^[55] but it is a form of αἰδώς^[56] according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. The NET online Bible jumps to αἰδώς if I click on awe in English. If I click on δέους in Greek the busy signal spins perpetually. If δέους actually is another form of δειλός, Jesus’ saying might have been translated, Why are you [awestruck]?

The problem is, the one time δειλοῖς (another form of δειλός) occurs in the New Testament it is first in the list of the damned: But to the cowards (δειλοῖς), unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.^[57] And so Thayer’s Greek Lexicon reads, “δειλός, δείλη, δειλόν (δείδω to fear), timid, fearful: Matthew 8:28 [actually, Matthew 8:26]; Mark 4:40; in Revelation 21:8 of Christians who through cowardice give way under persecutions and apostatize. (From Homer down.)”^[58]

Before I get too carried away by the idea that the Lord Jesus used δειλός in the same way that Homer used it, I’ll look more deeply into the context in Revelation. But that kind of confusion could explain why Peter believed that Jesus wanted him to die ^[59] defending Him with a sword in the garden of Gethsemane.

The damned in Revelation were contrasted to one who conquers: The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω)^[60] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.^[61] The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will in no way be harmed by the second death.^[62] The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.^[63]

And to the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) and who continues in my deeds (τὰ ἔργα^[64] μου^[65]) until the end, I will give him authority over the nations…^[66] The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will be dressed like [the few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes]^[67] in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.^[68] I have not found your deeds complete (σου |τὰ| ἔργα πεπληρωμένα^[69]) in the sight of my God,^[70] the Lord complained against most in Sardis. Wake up then, and strengthen what remains,^[71] He said, remember what (πῶς)^[72] you received (εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω)^[73] and heard, and obey it, and repent.^[74]

Ordinarily, εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω, means to take.^[75] Of course, coupled with πῶς which means how, in what way (translated what), the translation received makes more sense. How could anyone take from the Lord except to receive what He has given? What do you have that you did not receive (ἔλαβες, another form of λαμβάνω)? And if you received (ἔλαβες) it, why do you boast as though you did (λαβών, another form of λαμβάνω) not?^[76]

Translated as remember what you received I think of the Holy Spirit and all the righteousness, both fruit and gifts, that flows from Him: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.^[77] And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.^[78]

On the other hand if I think of it translated as remember what you [took], I am reminded of the law: You shall not take (Septuagint, λήμψῃ,^[79] another form of λαμβάνω) the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes (Septuagint, λαμβάνοντα,^[80] another form of λαμβάνω) his name in vain.^[81] Most in Sardis had not continued in Christ’s deeds, τὰ ἔργα μου (literally, my works, these works of mine). They had not come into the light, so that it may be plainly evident that [their] deeds have been done in [or, by] God.^[82] They relied on their own works. I have not found your deeds complete (ἔργα πεπληρωμένα [a form of πληρόω, fulfilled]) in the sight of my God, Jesus said. He came to fulfill his works in and through us who believe (Matthew 5:17 NET):

Do not think that I have come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω)^[83] the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω) these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω) them.

One of the things the one who conquers will inherit^[84] is a promise: To the one who is thirsty (διψῶντι, a form of διψάω)^[85] I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life.^[86] The translators admitted (NET note 13) that they added the word water because it “is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.” So the text reads, To the one who is thirsty I will give free of charge from the spring of the water of life. The implied direct object in this case is not water but righteousness: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst (διψῶντες, another form of διψάω) for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.^[87]

Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, Jesus, pointing at a well, told a Samaritan woman. But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.^[88] So the way that righteousness, the will of God, is achieved in heaven is through free access to God’s Holy Spirit, not an occasional spurt of righteousness, but a spring or fountain springing up to eternal life, which is not so much a timeless time or place as an eternal way of life. And so it is on earth: may your will be done (γενηθήτω, a form of γίνομαι, literally become)^[89] on earth as it is in heaven.^[90]

And so it was with our Lord and Savior: I will grant the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered (ἐνίκησα, a form of νικάω) and sat down with my Father on his throne.^[91] For everyone who has been fathered by God conquers (νικᾷ, a form of νικάω) the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered (νικήσασα, a form of νικάω) the world: our faith. Now who is the person who has conquered (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^[92] If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. And we have come to know and to believe the love [the fruit of his Spirit] that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table].^[93]

With that in mind I want to reconsider the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves. I’ll use my imagination along with a psalm to get into the scene a little deeper. When a great windstorm developed and the waves first began breaking into the boat,^[94] though the other disciples may have been immediately afraid, I imagine Peter, Andrew, James and John took it in stride, for they were fishermen (Psalm 107:23-25 NET).

Some traveled on the sea in ships, and carried cargo over the vast waters. They witnessed the acts of the Lord, his amazing feats on the deep water. He gave the order for a windstorm, and it stirred up the waves of the sea.

As Peter gave orders to man the sail, ropes or oars, I imagine he smiled to himself that Jesus could sleep through it all. Obviously, the Messiah wasn’t worried that He might drown in a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Psalm 107:26a NET Table).

They reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths.

That’s an apt description of a boat riding out a storm fairly successfully. But in the midst of an inland lake, the longer the wind blows, the more confused the waves become as they bounce back from every shore. In the dark with no clue where the next wave would come from, it became almost impossible to head into the waves, so that the boat was nearly swamped.^[95] As the level of the water rose inside the boat, I imagine Peter’s amusement gave way to dismay, that the Messiah could sleep through it all (Psalm 107:26b-28a NET).

The sailors’ strength left them because the danger was so great [Table]. They swayed and staggered like a drunk, and all their skill proved ineffective. They cried out to the Lord in their distress…

Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?^[96] Peter roused Jesus from his slumber. I imagine that it was Peter, telling on himself through Mark (Psalm 107:28b, 29 NET).

…he delivered them from their troubles. He calmed the storm, and the waves grew silent.

Granted, there are more appropriate ways to cry out to the Lord at the end of one’s own faith. I’ve certainly said worse than—Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?—but the Lord’s love is not easily angered or resentful.^[97] And with time in, living at the edge of my faith, his peace and patience work out more appropriate prayers for salvation in me. My point in all this is that Jesus was not concerned with the fear his disciples felt during the storm. They responded more or less appropriately to that fear according to the Scripture.

Hear how the words—Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?—sound, if they were spoken quietly with a smile and a wink as Jesus headed back to bed, rather than an imperious scowl. Granted, the order of events in Matthew’s Gospel account lends more credence to that imperious scowl, but then in Matthew the phrase you people of little faith^[98] is one word, ὀλιγόπιστοι (a form of ὀλιγόπιστος).^[99] Knowing that, it sounds more like a pet name or a term of endearment than a curse, or even a rebuke.

Where the disciples were in danger of diverging from Scripture was after Jesus calmed the storm, after He revealed that this particular Messiah was in fact Yahweh (Psalms 65:5-7; 89:8, 9; 93:3, 4 NET), who spoke to the wind and the waves and, Even the wind and sea obey him!^[100] The sailors [in the psalm] rejoiced because the waves grew quiet, and he led them to the harbor they desired.^[101] Jesus disciples were overwhelmed by fear (ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν).^[102]

So, when Aaron and all the Israelites…were afraid (Septuagint, ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) to approach [Moses] because the skin of his face shone,^[103] they were not frightened by a strange sight. They had seen stranger sights. They were frightened by the implication of Moses’ shining face, that Moses was becoming like Yahweh. The fear of becoming like God, if it is not faced, could keep one from conquering, from inheriting, and from hearing the Lord say, I will be his God and he will be my son.^[104]

So that fear fully deserves its place first in the list of the damned. Aaron and all the Israelites faced that fear, however, and drew near to Moses anyway. Jesus’ Apostles, except for Judas Iscariot, faced it and overcame by faith in Him, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.^[105]

Fear – Leviticus

Back to Torture, Part 1

Back to Cobwebs

Back to The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 1

^[2] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

^[4] a form of φόβος

^[5] a form of μέγας

^[6] Mark 4:41 (NET)

^[7] Mark 4:37 (NET)

^[8] Mark 4:38, 39 (NET)

^[9] Mark 4:40 (NET)

^[10] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

^[11] Matthew 9:9 (NET) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

^[13] Now a great windstorm (λαῖλαψ μεγάλη [another form of μέγας]) developed and the waves, careening back and forth between the shores of the lake called the Sea of Galilee, were the result.

^[15] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

^[16] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

^[17] Romans 4

^[18] Romans, Part 18

^[19] Who Am I? Part 3

^[22] a form of οὗτος

^[25] a form of σύ; of you

^[26] Ephesians 2:8 (NET)

^[27] http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ephesians-2-8.html

^[28] http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-ephesians-2-8-10.htm

^[29] http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ephesians-2-8.html

^[30] Ephesians 2:9 (NET)

^[31] Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NET)

^[32] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

^[33] Galatians 5:22, 23a (NET)

^[34] Galatians 5:19-21 (NET)

^[35] Galatians 5:17 (NET)

^[36] Matthew 23:13 (NET)

^[37] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

^[38] a form of ὑπακοή

^[40] a form of ἐπιταγή

^[41] a form of ὁ

^[42] a form of αἰώνιος, of eternal

^[43] a form of θεός, of God

^[45] Luke 24:49 (NET) Table

^[47] John 1:40, 41 (NET)

^[48] John 1:45 (NET)

^[49] John 1:46 (NET)

^[50] John 1:49 (NET)

^[52] http://biblesuite.com/greek/1169.htm

^[53] Hebrews 12:28 (NET)

^[55] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=de%2Fous&la=greek&prior=p

^[57] Revelation 21:8 (NET)

^[58] http://biblesuite.com/greek/1169.htm

^[59] The Soul

^[61] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[62] Revelation 2:11b (NET)

^[63] Revelation 3:12 (NET)

^[64] a form of ἔργον

^[65] a form of ἐγώ

^[66] Revelation 2:26 (NET)

^[67] Revelation 3:4 (NET)

^[68] Revelation 3:5 (NET)

^[69] a form of πληρόω

^[70] Revelation 3:2b (NET)

^[71] Revelation 3:2a (NET)

^[74] Revelation 3:3a (NET)

^[75] Revelation 11:17b (NET) …you have taken (εἴληφας) your great power and begun to reign.

^[76] 1 Corinthians 4:7b (NET)

^[77] Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

^[78] Romans 12:6-8 (NET)

^[79] http://www.ericlevy.com/lxx/?Book=Gen&Chapter=24 Point to the word with the mouse to see a popup translation; then point to “search” in the popup to see another popup with the root form of the word.

^[80] http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/morph.pl?id=4430627&prev=true&lang=greek

^[81] Exodus 20:7 (NET) Table

^[82] John 3:21 (NET)

^[84] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[86] Revelation 21:6 (NET)

^[87] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

^[88] John 4:13, 14 (NET)

^[90] Matthew 6:10 (NET) Table

^[91] Revelation 3:21 (NET)

^[92] 1 John 5:4, 5 (NET)

^[93] 1 John 4:15, 16 (NET)

^[94] Mark 4:37a (NET)

^[95] Mark 4:37b (NET)

^[96] Mark 4:38 (NET)

^[97] 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NET)

^[98] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

^[100] Mark 4:41 (NET)

^[101] Psalm 107:30 (NET)

^[102] Mark 4:41 (NET)

^[103] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

^[104] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[105] 1 John 5:4 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Tag Archives: Ephesians 2:8

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Father, Forgive Them – Part 6

Fear – Exodus, Part 9