Ephesians 5:4
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
How much filthy, foolish, or crude joking can a person engage in and not break this rule?
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What does "everything" include? How often is "always"?
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
What is the breadth of meaning of the words "anything" and "everything"? How inclusive are these words meant to be?
It seems that God really wants us to be thankful. Contrariwise, he does not want us to misuse our mouths through filthiness. He does not want us to waste emotional energy on anxiety. The antidote is thankfulness and prayer.
Pretty simple. Now, go and do it, by the grace of God.
I said "simple", not "easy."
Does that mean that one can never tell a joke or laugh? Of course not! It means that a Christian is supposed to be careful about what is turned into a joke and what is said in order to get a laugh.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
God's Discipline
But Thou art making me, I thank Thee, sire.
What Thou hast done and doest Thou knows't well.
And I will help Thee; gently in Thy fire.
I will lie burning on Thy Potter's wheel
I will whirl patient, though my brain should reel.
Thy grace shall be enough the grief to quell,
And growing strength perfect through weakness dire.
- George McDonald
Diary of an Old Soul, October 2
What Thou hast done and doest Thou knows't well.
And I will help Thee; gently in Thy fire.
I will lie burning on Thy Potter's wheel
I will whirl patient, though my brain should reel.
Thy grace shall be enough the grief to quell,
And growing strength perfect through weakness dire.
- George McDonald
Diary of an Old Soul, October 2
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mathetes On the Great Exchange
Mathetes on the Great Exchange -
Christ took our sin on Him and gave us His righteousness. Oh believe it! Oh receive it! Christ is for you if you will take Him as a free gift. What do you give Him in return? Your sins. Love like that provokes lifelong worship of and devotion to the One who gave His life for us. This is what Christians have always understood and banked on.
"But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us,* He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus
* 313 In the ms. “saying” is here inserted, as if the words had been regarded as a quotation from Isa. liii. 11.
Christ took our sin on Him and gave us His righteousness. Oh believe it! Oh receive it! Christ is for you if you will take Him as a free gift. What do you give Him in return? Your sins. Love like that provokes lifelong worship of and devotion to the One who gave His life for us. This is what Christians have always understood and banked on.
"But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us,* He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus
* 313 In the ms. “saying” is here inserted, as if the words had been regarded as a quotation from Isa. liii. 11.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Of the Father's Love Begotten
The above song celebrates, among other things, the "eternal generation of the Son." In other words the relationship of God the Father to God the Son is an eternal one. A human father can engender a son in a moment of time, and from that point on, he is the father of that child.
It is different with God the Father and God the Son. Yes, the Son of God was born on this earth at a specific moment in time, but that was not the beginning of His existence. Yes, it was the beginning of His taking on a human body, but He Himself is from all eternity.
Since God the Father is eternal, His Son is also eternal. Hence the term "eternal generation of the Son." The Son of God did take on human flesh, born of the Virgin Mary, but that was not the beginning of the existence of the Son of God. He is eternal, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit - God in three persons.
The early church in the 4th century needed to clarify Biblical teaching about the person of Jesus Christ, since there were some who were teaching that the Son of God was not eternal. That is, He did not exist until He was born on the earth. However, the Bible teaches that the Son of God left Heaven in order to be our Savior. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the clearest texts supporting the fact of Christ's pre-existence - that is, He was already God and Lord before He took on bodily form, even before time began.
So, Christians have from time to time needed to clarify the relationship that exists between the Father and the Son, as well as the Holy Spirit - the Triune God. There is only one God, existing eternally in three persons.
From the 4th century we have the Nicene creed.:
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
More recent theologians have also addressed this issue of the "eternal generation of the Son." Here is what A.A. Hodge had to say as quoted in a Wikkipedia entry.:
"The eternal generation of the Son is defined as 'an eternal personal act of the Father, wherein, by necessity of nature, not by choice of will, He generates the person (not the essence) of the Son, by communicating to Him the whole indivisible substance of the Godhead, without division, alienation, or change, so that the Son is the express image of His Father's person, and eternally continues, not from the Father, but in the Father, and the Father in the Son.'"
- A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 182
Then, way back in the 4th century about the same time the Nicene Creed was being forged, the hymn Of the Father's Love Begotten was written. It expresses eloquently this concept of the eternal generation of the Son. He was begotten - speaking of relationship and representation - not made. Yes, the Son took on bodily form and showed us the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, but He has always been and always will be the eternal Son of God.
The melody of this song is also called Divinum Mysterium - Divine Mystery. There is a mystery about the eternal generation of the Son that some would like to ignore. However, the One who was in the bosom of the Father has been revealed - Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
The only God has been made known.
John 1:18 (English Standard Version)
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Notice that in the Greek NT, the words translated "only begotten Son" in the KJV and "the only God" in the ESV are "μονογενης θεος" - "only begotten God." Begotten, not made, very God of very God. The Nicene Creed got it right. Our English, IMO, does not properly express the nuance that the ancient Greek and Latin fathers understood, and I think we are poorer for it, myself - especially when some modern day theologians, I have noticed, argue from the English! Weird...
ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:18 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)
18θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε μονογενης θεος ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος εκεινος εξηγησατο
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Father Sent the Son
1 John 4:14
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Matthew Henry:
"The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world."
John 3:16,17
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Dr. Bruce Ware:
"Clearly, the Father both consecrated the Son for the very mission he planned for him, and then he sent the Son into the world to fulfill what he had designed. For this to be meaningful, we must understand both the consecration and sending of the Son as happening prior to the incarnation and thus in the design and purpose of God in eternity past."
-------------
It is important to understand that the Father sent the Son into the world before the Son was born in Bethlehem, even before He was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The sending happened in eternity past. In fact, one could say that eternity does not really have a past, present, or future, since eternity speaks of the kind of existence that God has outside of the constraints of time. Time is part of His created order. He is in no way bound by the limits of time.
Therefore, it has always been the will of the Father, - throughout all of time and eternity - with the full agreement of the Son, and the of the Holy Spirit to send the Son as our Savior. The effects of this sending would carry through to all eternity. His coming was at a specific point in time, but the effects of His coming are eternal. In fact, as Matthew Henry points out in his quote above, "He [the Father] willed His [the Son's] coming into the world." The "willing" had to happen before the "coming."
What does it matter? The Son is eternal, as is the Father. They have always had an eternal Father with His eternal Son relationship. The Son did not begin His life when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the eternal Son of God, just as the Father is our Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God. It has always been this way, and it always will be, for God in His essence does not and cannot change.
Since the Father is eternal, the Son is also eternal. How can there be an eternal Father if there is no eternal Son?
Of course, there is only One eternal God who has always existed and will always exist in what are called three hypostases - IOW, three persons who are one in essence and will.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before youand said, Destroy.
Romans 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Matthew Henry:
"The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world."
John 3:16,17
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Dr. Bruce Ware:
"Clearly, the Father both consecrated the Son for the very mission he planned for him, and then he sent the Son into the world to fulfill what he had designed. For this to be meaningful, we must understand both the consecration and sending of the Son as happening prior to the incarnation and thus in the design and purpose of God in eternity past."
-------------
It is important to understand that the Father sent the Son into the world before the Son was born in Bethlehem, even before He was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The sending happened in eternity past. In fact, one could say that eternity does not really have a past, present, or future, since eternity speaks of the kind of existence that God has outside of the constraints of time. Time is part of His created order. He is in no way bound by the limits of time.
Therefore, it has always been the will of the Father, - throughout all of time and eternity - with the full agreement of the Son, and the of the Holy Spirit to send the Son as our Savior. The effects of this sending would carry through to all eternity. His coming was at a specific point in time, but the effects of His coming are eternal. In fact, as Matthew Henry points out in his quote above, "He [the Father] willed His [the Son's] coming into the world." The "willing" had to happen before the "coming."
What does it matter? The Son is eternal, as is the Father. They have always had an eternal Father with His eternal Son relationship. The Son did not begin His life when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the eternal Son of God, just as the Father is our Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God. It has always been this way, and it always will be, for God in His essence does not and cannot change.
Since the Father is eternal, the Son is also eternal. How can there be an eternal Father if there is no eternal Son?
Of course, there is only One eternal God who has always existed and will always exist in what are called three hypostases - IOW, three persons who are one in essence and will.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before youand said, Destroy.
Romans 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
In Everything Give Thanks
I know that Paul was not talking about American Thanksgiving when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote the words "give thanks in all circumstances." The imagery of the horn of plenty has always appealed to me.
That's all. Times of a plentiful harvest are certainly part of the "all circumstances." When I was a kid, I loved those coloring pictures with the Cornucopia.
43.1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō
1) to be grateful, feel thankful
2) give thanks
"Give thanks in all circumstances" is a simple command, yet one that is hard to practice. It is another one of those present active imperatives in the Greek that means the giving of thanks and the feeling of gratitude is a habit that we should cultivate if we are real Christians. The giving of thanks should be part of our daily "routine." It should not be something that we do once in awhile, and then forget about. An imperative is a command. This is God's will for us, not an option or just a good idea.
Adverse circumstances should not have an effect on our habit of expressing gratefulness to God. God does not change, so why should our gratefulness change? The giving of thanks is Godward primarily. Remember that Christ gave thanks on the night He was betrayed, so we will never face more adverse circumstances than that.
Christ is our Savior, but He left us an example of how we should face the most dire of situations. Besides that He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, developing in us Christlike attitudes which lead to Christlike actions. The giving of thanks in all cricumstances is something that Christ certainly practiced.
Some argue that we are not told to give thanks for the circumstances themselves. If God is control of the circumstances, shouldn't we receive them all as from His good hand and give thanks for them? On the other hand, in an absolute moral sense, not all circumstances are good, so we should not thank God for our own sin or for the sinful things that others do that bring about bad circumstances. God can and does make all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, but He does not make people sin. (Romans 8:27-29) He allows people to sin, but His expressed will is that people do not sin.
So, we can thank God for the good that He is able to bring even out of the sinful actions of ourselves and others, but we should never be grateful that we or someone else has sinned. The act of giving thanks is closly related to worship, God's holiness, and His glory, so nothing in us should be grateful that someone has sinned.
Even so, if evil men had not taken Jesus and murdered Him on a cross, we would not be saved from our sins. God used the most sinful acts of the depraved human heart to bring about the destruction of sin, the devil, and even death itself.
Still, the command remains to habitually practice giving thanks to God no matter where we are or what is happening to us. Paul and Silas in prison is another example of where this principle was put into practice. Paul practiced what he preached, in other words. (Acts 16:22-30)
One may think that it is easy to give thanks to God when all is going well, but often that is not the case. Remember the 10 lepers who were healed? Only one of the 10 came back to give thanks.
I don't think, as many Christians seem to indicate, that there is some kind of spiritual power released in the act of giving thanks itself. The "power" comes from the regenerate heart of obedience and the work of the Holy Spirit. There is no "magic" in the act of giving thanks, and the unbeliever will not receive some spiritual benefit from it. The giving of thanks and the feeling of thankfulness is not something that we can work up in the flesh.
We don't thank God through gritted teeth, so to speak, while in our hearts we are cursing our circumstances.
Thankfulness is a grace that God works in our hearts through faith in Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Giving thanks in all circumstances is God's will in Christ Jesus. This is a command for believers.
Of course, if we do not feel grateful at all times, we can still give thanks, knowing that it is the right thing to do and that it is God's will. We can also ask God to work in our hearts so that our feelings also line up with His revealed will.
Some make a big deal about the circumstances themselves being God's will for the believer, therefore give thanks. Some make a big deal about the giving of thanks being God's will. I think that both are true, actually. Nothing happens to us that is outside His sovreign will, and it is always His will for us to be thankful no matter what.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Choosing Gratitude
The Family Life Today radio program has had a good series featuring interviews with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, who has written a book called Choosing Gratitude. You can find the podcasts at Family Life' website..
This got me thinking that it would be good to do a little devotional blogging based on the subject of gratitude in the Bible. It's something I like to do - choose a topic and then search Bible Gateway to see what verses contain words related to that topic. It's not meant to be scholarly or anything, just devotional. Maybe I don't even need to say that. :-)
I'm using the English Standard Version, but there are many versions to choose from at Bible Gateway. I'll start in the NT. There are 51 verses in the NT that use the word "thanks" or "thanksgiving." I may take a look at the Greek - or not. I will try not to take the verses out of context, but I won't take the time to do a proper job of putting them in their context. It's just some thoughts.
I will give a link to the very fine harmony of the Gospels found at the Blue Letter Bible website. There are three events where Jesus gave thanks, took bread, broke it, and distributed it. Two were the miraculous feeding of the 4,000 and of the 5,000. These two events tend to get "smooshed" together in my mind, but they were two different miracles. Then there is the Lord's Supper on the night He was betrayed.
A. The feeding of the 5,000.
Feeding of the five thousand Matthew 14:13-21 Mark 6:30-44 Luke 9:10-17 John 6:1-15
B. The feeding of the 4,000.
Feeding of the four thousand Matthew 15:32-39 Mark 8:1-9
C. The Lord's Supper. This is called The Paschal Supper.
Paschal supper Matthew 26:17-30 Mark 14:12-26 Luke 22:7-23 John 13:1-35
Not all of these passages showed up in my search at Bible Gateway, so, anyway.
1.Matthew 15:36
he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
God blessed the loaves and the fish, and it was enough. Well, my thoughts turn to Christ. He was offered to God as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist declared. (John 1:29-33) His blood as suffiecient for all. His sacrifice is also efficient to save those who come to Him by faith. There is such depth in these few words. If you are His, it is because He died for you in a specific way. Hear His voice. Come to Him. The way is open.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Jeremiah 31:3 (English Standard Version)
the LORD appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
This is also part of where the tradition that Christians have of giving thanks before meals comes from. I kind of got away from the event of the feeding of the 4,000 and Jesus' giving of thanks, but I just get carried away by the Gospel.
2.Matthew 26:27
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,
Here we see Jesus, the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God, giving thanks once again before He and His disciples drink of the cup at the Lord's Supper. On the eve of His darkest day, Jesus gave thanks. Let the beauty of that, and the beauty of our Savior overwhelm you. He did it for His people to save them from their sins. Come to Him.
3.Mark 8:6
And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.
This is Mark's record of the events related to the Feeding of the 4,000 we also see in Matthew 15.
4.Mark 14:23
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
This is Mark's record of the events related to the Lord's Supper.
5.Luke 2:38
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
This is Anna in the temple. She was a godly woman who spent her time in prayer at the temple. She was waiting for God's Messiah to come. When Joseph and Mary entered the temple area with the baby Jesus, God revealed to her that He was the One. She spread the news among all the true believers in Jerusalem. Imagine her joy in being able to actually see the Savior with her own eyes after the long wait.
6.Luke 17:16
and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
This is the story of Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers. Only one of them returned to thank Jesus, and he was a foreigner. Aren't we often like the ungrateful 9? We do not properly thank and even worship the Lord for what He does on our behalf, yet He is kind even to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:34-36)
7.Luke 22:17
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves.
This is Luke's record of the Lord's Supper.
8.Luke 22:19
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Christ gave thanks first for the cup, and distributed it, and then for the bread, and distributed it. This is the institution of the Lord's Supper, better known as communion. We fellowship with the Lord Himself at His table until He come. All believers unite around that table of the Lord.
9.John 6:11
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
This is the feeding of the 5,000. See my notes on the other miraculous feedings.
10.John 6:23
Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
This is a reference to the feeding of the 5,000.
11.Acts 27:35
And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat.
Paul did this on the ship before it was run aground. He had all the people onboard eat a meal first. It must have brought comfort to all, as well as being a big surprise.
12.Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
The lack of offering thanks to God for one's benefits and blessings is a sign of deep depravity.
13.Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
Deliverance from sin and a change of heart obedience is the work of God in a person, so it is appropriate to thank God.
14.Romans 7:25
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
It is Christ who set us free from the terrible drag that sin is on our souls. We can now serve God's law freely.
15.Romans 14:6
The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
In matters of personal conscience, we are free to honor the Lord and give thanks to Him.
16.Romans 16:4
who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.
Here Paul thanks some people who risked their lives for him.
17.1 Corinthians 1:4
[ Thanksgiving ] I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
Again, Paul was grateful to God for the work He was doing in those living in Corinth.
18.1 Corinthians 10:30
If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
If we partake of something inoffensive, and we do so with thanksgiving, then we should not fear being criticized by other Christians who like to make rules about what Christians can and cannot do - rules, that is, that are not in Scripture.
19.1 Corinthians 11:24
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
This is a reference to the Lord's Supper. When we reinact this supper, we also give thanks as Jesus did.
20.1 Corinthians 14:16
Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
Since speaking in tongues in this way is a private affair, how can everyone join in the giving of thanks? The church is not the place for private shows of spirituality, but rather for corporate worship and mutual edification.
21.1 Corinthians 14:17
For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
Selfishness in the body, even though the selfish person thanks God for what he has, doesn't build up the body. If we share in our bounty, then there is more thanks offered to God and our own thanks doesn't sould so hollow.
22.1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, we thank God continually for the victory we have through Christ.
23.2 Corinthians 1:11
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
The NT teaching on the giving of thanks must be closely related to the OT practice of thank offerings.
24.2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
The believer can always be thankful because Christ always leads us in victory.
25.2 Corinthians 4:15
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Thanksgiving is related to worship and God's glory.
26.2 Corinthians 8:16
[ Commendation of Titus ] But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.
God is thanked even for the caring heart of Titus.
27.2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Generosity among believers results in thanksgiving to God.
28.2 Corinthians 9:12
For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
When believers do what they can to help supply the needs of other believers, it is God who is thanked.
29.2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Words fail Paul in telling of the depth of gratitude he felt for the gift of Christ.
30.Ephesians 1:15
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
31.Ephesians 1:16
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
This is evidence that Paul practiced the habitual giving of thanks to God.
32.Ephesians 5:4
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
This is clear. Giving thanks to God should be the main topic of our speech.
33.Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Always and everything are pretty all-inclusive words. All the time, for every thing. Our thanks is to the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is another evidence of the diversity of roles within the 3 hypostases of the Triune God. Well, in this case two, but elsewhere Paul tells us that we pray in the Spirit.
34.Philippians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
The faith of converts was a motive for Paul to give thanks to God.
35.Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Give thanks to God as you are asking Him to supply your need, even before you have received what you have asked for.
36.Colossians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
We should thank the Father as we pray for other believers.
37.Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Our thanks for our salvation is to the Father.
38.Colossians 2:7
rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Real Christians don't thank God grudgingly, but they abound in thanksgiving.
39.Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Giving thanks characterizes the life of a true believer in Christ.
40.Colossians 4:2
[ Further Instructions ] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
In all our prayer, especially when facing temptation, don't forget to thank God and be grateful to Him.
41.1 Thessalonians 1:2
[ The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example ] We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
Paul the apostle gave thanks to God for what he was doing in the converts.
42.1 Thessalonians 3:9
For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,
Words fail us when we beging to offer thanksgiving to God for the joy that seeing converts grow in their faith.
43.1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō
This is a simple command, one that is hard to practice. It is another one of those present active imperatives in the Greek that means the giving of thanks and the feeling of gratitude is a habit that we should cultivate if we are real Christians. Adverse circumstances should not have an effect on our habit of expressing gratefulness to God. Remember that Christ gave thanks on the night He was betrayed.
Some argue that we are not told to give thanks for the circumstances themselves. If God is control of the circumstances, shouldn't we receive them all as from His good hand? In an absolute moral sense, not all circumstances are good, so we should not thank God for our own sin or for the sinful things that others do. That is usually the argument against the necessity of thanking God for the circumstances themselves.
I can see that. Still, the command remains to habitually practice giving thanks to God no matter where we are or what is happening to us. Paul and Silas in prison is another example of where this principle was put into practice. Paul practiced what he preached, in other words. (Acts 16:22-30)
44.2 Thessalonians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving ] We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Seeing the growth in others should give us joy and we should feel grateful, giving thanks to God when we see His work.
45.2 Thessalonians 2:13
[ Stand Firm ] But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
When we see how God has worked in the lives of others, our reaction should be that of gratefulness to God for what He has done.
46.1 Timothy 2:1
[ Pray for All People ] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
Giving thanks is a kind of prayer that we should engage in at least as often as we do in asking and interceding.
47.1 Timothy 4:3
who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
False religiosity of all kinds - Gnosticism in this case - makes up rules and laws to prohibit things that God has created to be enjoyed.
48.1 Timothy 4:4
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
Man takes what God has created and is capable of turning it into something that doesn't bless us. Everything that God created, that is used as He has designed and authorized should be received with thanksgiving. We don't need to go around with our noses in the air, looking down on people who enjoy legitimate pleasures.
49.Revelation 4:9
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
These beings' only purpose in life is to praise God.
50.Revelation 7:12
saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Words fail us in expressing our gratitude for who God is and what He has done.
51. Revelation 11:17
saying,"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was,for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
Wow! Yes, we give thanks to God for His rule in our lives.
This got me thinking that it would be good to do a little devotional blogging based on the subject of gratitude in the Bible. It's something I like to do - choose a topic and then search Bible Gateway to see what verses contain words related to that topic. It's not meant to be scholarly or anything, just devotional. Maybe I don't even need to say that. :-)
I'm using the English Standard Version, but there are many versions to choose from at Bible Gateway. I'll start in the NT. There are 51 verses in the NT that use the word "thanks" or "thanksgiving." I may take a look at the Greek - or not. I will try not to take the verses out of context, but I won't take the time to do a proper job of putting them in their context. It's just some thoughts.
I will give a link to the very fine harmony of the Gospels found at the Blue Letter Bible website. There are three events where Jesus gave thanks, took bread, broke it, and distributed it. Two were the miraculous feeding of the 4,000 and of the 5,000. These two events tend to get "smooshed" together in my mind, but they were two different miracles. Then there is the Lord's Supper on the night He was betrayed.
A. The feeding of the 5,000.
Feeding of the five thousand Matthew 14:13-21 Mark 6:30-44 Luke 9:10-17 John 6:1-15
B. The feeding of the 4,000.
Feeding of the four thousand Matthew 15:32-39 Mark 8:1-9
C. The Lord's Supper. This is called The Paschal Supper.
Paschal supper Matthew 26:17-30 Mark 14:12-26 Luke 22:7-23 John 13:1-35
Not all of these passages showed up in my search at Bible Gateway, so, anyway.
1.Matthew 15:36
he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
God blessed the loaves and the fish, and it was enough. Well, my thoughts turn to Christ. He was offered to God as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist declared. (John 1:29-33) His blood as suffiecient for all. His sacrifice is also efficient to save those who come to Him by faith. There is such depth in these few words. If you are His, it is because He died for you in a specific way. Hear His voice. Come to Him. The way is open.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Jeremiah 31:3 (English Standard Version)
the LORD appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
This is also part of where the tradition that Christians have of giving thanks before meals comes from. I kind of got away from the event of the feeding of the 4,000 and Jesus' giving of thanks, but I just get carried away by the Gospel.
2.Matthew 26:27
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,
Here we see Jesus, the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God, giving thanks once again before He and His disciples drink of the cup at the Lord's Supper. On the eve of His darkest day, Jesus gave thanks. Let the beauty of that, and the beauty of our Savior overwhelm you. He did it for His people to save them from their sins. Come to Him.
3.Mark 8:6
And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.
This is Mark's record of the events related to the Feeding of the 4,000 we also see in Matthew 15.
4.Mark 14:23
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
This is Mark's record of the events related to the Lord's Supper.
5.Luke 2:38
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
This is Anna in the temple. She was a godly woman who spent her time in prayer at the temple. She was waiting for God's Messiah to come. When Joseph and Mary entered the temple area with the baby Jesus, God revealed to her that He was the One. She spread the news among all the true believers in Jerusalem. Imagine her joy in being able to actually see the Savior with her own eyes after the long wait.
6.Luke 17:16
and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
This is the story of Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers. Only one of them returned to thank Jesus, and he was a foreigner. Aren't we often like the ungrateful 9? We do not properly thank and even worship the Lord for what He does on our behalf, yet He is kind even to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:34-36)
7.Luke 22:17
And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves.
This is Luke's record of the Lord's Supper.
8.Luke 22:19
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Christ gave thanks first for the cup, and distributed it, and then for the bread, and distributed it. This is the institution of the Lord's Supper, better known as communion. We fellowship with the Lord Himself at His table until He come. All believers unite around that table of the Lord.
9.John 6:11
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
This is the feeding of the 5,000. See my notes on the other miraculous feedings.
10.John 6:23
Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.
This is a reference to the feeding of the 5,000.
11.Acts 27:35
And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat.
Paul did this on the ship before it was run aground. He had all the people onboard eat a meal first. It must have brought comfort to all, as well as being a big surprise.
12.Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
The lack of offering thanks to God for one's benefits and blessings is a sign of deep depravity.
13.Romans 6:17
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
Deliverance from sin and a change of heart obedience is the work of God in a person, so it is appropriate to thank God.
14.Romans 7:25
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
It is Christ who set us free from the terrible drag that sin is on our souls. We can now serve God's law freely.
15.Romans 14:6
The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
In matters of personal conscience, we are free to honor the Lord and give thanks to Him.
16.Romans 16:4
who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.
Here Paul thanks some people who risked their lives for him.
17.1 Corinthians 1:4
[ Thanksgiving ] I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
Again, Paul was grateful to God for the work He was doing in those living in Corinth.
18.1 Corinthians 10:30
If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
If we partake of something inoffensive, and we do so with thanksgiving, then we should not fear being criticized by other Christians who like to make rules about what Christians can and cannot do - rules, that is, that are not in Scripture.
19.1 Corinthians 11:24
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
This is a reference to the Lord's Supper. When we reinact this supper, we also give thanks as Jesus did.
20.1 Corinthians 14:16
Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
Since speaking in tongues in this way is a private affair, how can everyone join in the giving of thanks? The church is not the place for private shows of spirituality, but rather for corporate worship and mutual edification.
21.1 Corinthians 14:17
For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up.
Selfishness in the body, even though the selfish person thanks God for what he has, doesn't build up the body. If we share in our bounty, then there is more thanks offered to God and our own thanks doesn't sould so hollow.
22.1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, we thank God continually for the victory we have through Christ.
23.2 Corinthians 1:11
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
The NT teaching on the giving of thanks must be closely related to the OT practice of thank offerings.
24.2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
The believer can always be thankful because Christ always leads us in victory.
25.2 Corinthians 4:15
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Thanksgiving is related to worship and God's glory.
26.2 Corinthians 8:16
[ Commendation of Titus ] But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.
God is thanked even for the caring heart of Titus.
27.2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Generosity among believers results in thanksgiving to God.
28.2 Corinthians 9:12
For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
When believers do what they can to help supply the needs of other believers, it is God who is thanked.
29.2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Words fail Paul in telling of the depth of gratitude he felt for the gift of Christ.
30.Ephesians 1:15
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,
31.Ephesians 1:16
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
This is evidence that Paul practiced the habitual giving of thanks to God.
32.Ephesians 5:4
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
This is clear. Giving thanks to God should be the main topic of our speech.
33.Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Always and everything are pretty all-inclusive words. All the time, for every thing. Our thanks is to the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is another evidence of the diversity of roles within the 3 hypostases of the Triune God. Well, in this case two, but elsewhere Paul tells us that we pray in the Spirit.
34.Philippians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
The faith of converts was a motive for Paul to give thanks to God.
35.Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Give thanks to God as you are asking Him to supply your need, even before you have received what you have asked for.
36.Colossians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
We should thank the Father as we pray for other believers.
37.Colossians 1:12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Our thanks for our salvation is to the Father.
38.Colossians 2:7
rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Real Christians don't thank God grudgingly, but they abound in thanksgiving.
39.Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Giving thanks characterizes the life of a true believer in Christ.
40.Colossians 4:2
[ Further Instructions ] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
In all our prayer, especially when facing temptation, don't forget to thank God and be grateful to Him.
41.1 Thessalonians 1:2
[ The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example ] We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,
Paul the apostle gave thanks to God for what he was doing in the converts.
42.1 Thessalonians 3:9
For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,
Words fail us when we beging to offer thanksgiving to God for the joy that seeing converts grow in their faith.
43.1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō
This is a simple command, one that is hard to practice. It is another one of those present active imperatives in the Greek that means the giving of thanks and the feeling of gratitude is a habit that we should cultivate if we are real Christians. Adverse circumstances should not have an effect on our habit of expressing gratefulness to God. Remember that Christ gave thanks on the night He was betrayed.
Some argue that we are not told to give thanks for the circumstances themselves. If God is control of the circumstances, shouldn't we receive them all as from His good hand? In an absolute moral sense, not all circumstances are good, so we should not thank God for our own sin or for the sinful things that others do. That is usually the argument against the necessity of thanking God for the circumstances themselves.
I can see that. Still, the command remains to habitually practice giving thanks to God no matter where we are or what is happening to us. Paul and Silas in prison is another example of where this principle was put into practice. Paul practiced what he preached, in other words. (Acts 16:22-30)
44.2 Thessalonians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving ] We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
Seeing the growth in others should give us joy and we should feel grateful, giving thanks to God when we see His work.
45.2 Thessalonians 2:13
[ Stand Firm ] But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
When we see how God has worked in the lives of others, our reaction should be that of gratefulness to God for what He has done.
46.1 Timothy 2:1
[ Pray for All People ] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
Giving thanks is a kind of prayer that we should engage in at least as often as we do in asking and interceding.
47.1 Timothy 4:3
who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
False religiosity of all kinds - Gnosticism in this case - makes up rules and laws to prohibit things that God has created to be enjoyed.
48.1 Timothy 4:4
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
Man takes what God has created and is capable of turning it into something that doesn't bless us. Everything that God created, that is used as He has designed and authorized should be received with thanksgiving. We don't need to go around with our noses in the air, looking down on people who enjoy legitimate pleasures.
49.Revelation 4:9
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
These beings' only purpose in life is to praise God.
50.Revelation 7:12
saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Words fail us in expressing our gratitude for who God is and what He has done.
51. Revelation 11:17
saying,"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was,for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.
Wow! Yes, we give thanks to God for His rule in our lives.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
The Word "Love" in the Book of John
Amazing love! In the book of John, the word "love" is used 39 times in 21 chapters. No wonder John is called the Apostle of Love.
The New Testament was written in Greek. As many know, there are several words in the Greek language that are translated into English as "love." In the New Testament, there are two Greek words used fairly frequently: "agape" and "philos." "Agape" tends to mean "love" in a general sense and "philos" more of a brotherly love. However, in the NT, these two words seem to be practically interchangeable in their usage. Many think that there is little difference between the two words. So, I won't bother at this point going through and looking up which word is used in each verse. I may do that sometime, but not right now.
Here is a good John MacArthur sermon on the subject of John:The Apostle of Love. His text is from 1 John.
1.John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Bible speaks of God's love in several different ways. First, God is love. That is, He is a loving and good God, kind and gracious to all (Acts 14:17). Love is one of God's attributes.
Then, God has a special love for His own, for those who believe in Christ. It is the kind of love that a bridegroom has for his bride. It is an exclusive kind of love, reserved only for the beloved and not given indiscriminately to all.
Here in this verse we see God's love for everyone in the world, yet only those who believe in Christ will be saved from condemnation. Why? God is also just. His love is satisfied in sending Christ, and His justice is satisfied in Christ's death on the cross. Christ paid the full penalty for the sins of mankind, especially for those who believe in Him. (1 Timothy 4:10)
So, there is a sense in which God loves all the world and all the people in it, but there is a greater kind of love. God's love for His elect is not at all the same as the general love He has for all those created in His image.
Even among humans this is true. The love one may feel for mankind in general is not at all the same as the love he feels for those close to him such as his family or best friends.
God's love for His elect ensures their salvation. God's love for all of mankind does not save all men from their sin. Many are left in their unbelief and rebellion while others are saved from their sins.
2.John 3:19
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
We should love God with all our hearts. He is the one who made our hearts in the first place, after all. We are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26,27). Since God is love, and since we are made in His image, it seems that it would be natural for all mankind to love God back and to be loving and kind to everyone else. As St. Agustin said in his Confessions:
"Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee?"
The problem is that we tend to love sin rather than God. Just as Adam and Eve hid from God when they sinned (Genesis 3:10), all the children of Adam and Eve - which is all of us - hide in the darkness from God because we don't want to face up to who we really are. We don't want to admit that we are sinners who hate God and love our sin. Our problem as men and women is one of sinfulness.
3.John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
The love that the Father and the Son enjoy is absolute and perfect. The Father and the Son are equal in being, so the Father gives all things into the hand of the Son. Only the Son is able to receive such a commission from His Father.
4.John 5:20
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
Again, the Father and Son are equal in being.
5.John 5:42
But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
Jesus knew who had love for God within them and who did not. Outward displays of religiosity are not enough. God looks on the heart; He looks at what is on the inside. (1 Samuel 16:7)
6.John 8:42
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
One cannot say he loves the Father but reject the Son. One cannot say that he loves God and at the same time reject the Word made flesh.
7.John 10:17
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
The love between the Father and the Son was perfect.
8.John 11:3
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
Jesus had special friends that He loved in a special way. People noticed that He had His close friends, and Lazarus was one of them.
9.John 11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Mary and Martha were also among Jesus' closest friends.
10.John 11:36
So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
His love for this family was great and everyone recognized His grief.
11.John 12:25
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
This is one of those beautiful paradoxes we find in Scripture. How can our losing our life actually give us eternal life? This is what Jesus teaches, though. We lose what once seemed dear to us, but we gain something far better. We no longer live for ourselves, seeking to satisfy our sinful desires. Rather, we live for the One who gave Himself for us, Jesus Christ.
12.John 12:43
for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Here is an example of some who claimed to be serving God, but who were really seeking fame. We were created to love the glory of God above all else, but because of sin, we easily seek glory, fame, and fortune for ourselves and not for God. That self-glorification can lead to evil acts. In the case of these religious leaders, the result was the murder of the Son of God.
13.John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
14.John 13:23
One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus,
15.John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
16.John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
17.John 14:15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
18.John 14:21
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
19.John 14:23
Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
20.John 14:24
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
21.John 14:28
You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
22.John 14:31
but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
23.John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
24.John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
25.John 15:12
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
26.John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
27.John 15:17
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
28.John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
29.John 16:27
for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
30.John 17:23
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
31.John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
32.John 17:26
I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
33.John 19:26
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
34.John 20:2
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
35.John 21:7
That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
36.John 21:15
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
37.John 21:16
He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
38.John 21:17
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
39.John 21:20
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"
The New Testament was written in Greek. As many know, there are several words in the Greek language that are translated into English as "love." In the New Testament, there are two Greek words used fairly frequently: "agape" and "philos." "Agape" tends to mean "love" in a general sense and "philos" more of a brotherly love. However, in the NT, these two words seem to be practically interchangeable in their usage. Many think that there is little difference between the two words. So, I won't bother at this point going through and looking up which word is used in each verse. I may do that sometime, but not right now.
Here is a good John MacArthur sermon on the subject of John:The Apostle of Love. His text is from 1 John.
1.John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Bible speaks of God's love in several different ways. First, God is love. That is, He is a loving and good God, kind and gracious to all (Acts 14:17). Love is one of God's attributes.
Then, God has a special love for His own, for those who believe in Christ. It is the kind of love that a bridegroom has for his bride. It is an exclusive kind of love, reserved only for the beloved and not given indiscriminately to all.
Here in this verse we see God's love for everyone in the world, yet only those who believe in Christ will be saved from condemnation. Why? God is also just. His love is satisfied in sending Christ, and His justice is satisfied in Christ's death on the cross. Christ paid the full penalty for the sins of mankind, especially for those who believe in Him. (1 Timothy 4:10)
So, there is a sense in which God loves all the world and all the people in it, but there is a greater kind of love. God's love for His elect is not at all the same as the general love He has for all those created in His image.
Even among humans this is true. The love one may feel for mankind in general is not at all the same as the love he feels for those close to him such as his family or best friends.
God's love for His elect ensures their salvation. God's love for all of mankind does not save all men from their sin. Many are left in their unbelief and rebellion while others are saved from their sins.
2.John 3:19
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
We should love God with all our hearts. He is the one who made our hearts in the first place, after all. We are made in God's image (Genesis 1:26,27). Since God is love, and since we are made in His image, it seems that it would be natural for all mankind to love God back and to be loving and kind to everyone else. As St. Agustin said in his Confessions:
"Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee?"
The problem is that we tend to love sin rather than God. Just as Adam and Eve hid from God when they sinned (Genesis 3:10), all the children of Adam and Eve - which is all of us - hide in the darkness from God because we don't want to face up to who we really are. We don't want to admit that we are sinners who hate God and love our sin. Our problem as men and women is one of sinfulness.
3.John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
The love that the Father and the Son enjoy is absolute and perfect. The Father and the Son are equal in being, so the Father gives all things into the hand of the Son. Only the Son is able to receive such a commission from His Father.
4.John 5:20
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
Again, the Father and Son are equal in being.
5.John 5:42
But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.
Jesus knew who had love for God within them and who did not. Outward displays of religiosity are not enough. God looks on the heart; He looks at what is on the inside. (1 Samuel 16:7)
6.John 8:42
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.
One cannot say he loves the Father but reject the Son. One cannot say that he loves God and at the same time reject the Word made flesh.
7.John 10:17
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
The love between the Father and the Son was perfect.
8.John 11:3
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
Jesus had special friends that He loved in a special way. People noticed that He had His close friends, and Lazarus was one of them.
9.John 11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Mary and Martha were also among Jesus' closest friends.
10.John 11:36
So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
His love for this family was great and everyone recognized His grief.
11.John 12:25
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
This is one of those beautiful paradoxes we find in Scripture. How can our losing our life actually give us eternal life? This is what Jesus teaches, though. We lose what once seemed dear to us, but we gain something far better. We no longer live for ourselves, seeking to satisfy our sinful desires. Rather, we live for the One who gave Himself for us, Jesus Christ.
12.John 12:43
for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Here is an example of some who claimed to be serving God, but who were really seeking fame. We were created to love the glory of God above all else, but because of sin, we easily seek glory, fame, and fortune for ourselves and not for God. That self-glorification can lead to evil acts. In the case of these religious leaders, the result was the murder of the Son of God.
13.John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
14.John 13:23
One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus,
15.John 13:34
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
16.John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
17.John 14:15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
18.John 14:21
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
19.John 14:23
Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
20.John 14:24
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
21.John 14:28
You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
22.John 14:31
but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
23.John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
24.John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
25.John 15:12
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
26.John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
27.John 15:17
These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
28.John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
29.John 16:27
for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
30.John 17:23
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
31.John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
32.John 17:26
I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
33.John 19:26
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
34.John 20:2
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
35.John 21:7
That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
36.John 21:15
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
37.John 21:16
He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
38.John 21:17
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
39.John 21:20
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"
Friday, July 3, 2009
Joy - Pauline Epistles
I searched the word "joy" at Bible Gateway, restricting it to the Pauline Epistles. Here is what I found, along with a few of my comments on each verse that came up.
1. Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Partying brings a kind of "joy." It is only for a brief time, though. The joy that comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit is not like that. That joy is eternal and no one can take it away. No circumstance in this life can rob a believer of the joy that is theirs in Christ. Christian joy also goes along with righteousness and peace.
2. Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Real joy comes from God.
3. Romans 15:32
so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
There is joy found in fellowship with other believers, especially when we go through difficult circumstances together.
4. Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Knowing how God has worked in those we have shared Christ with brings joy.
5. 2 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
The desire of a true shepherd of God is that those under him will have joy. He wants the best for them and wants to work with them. The real spiritual leader doesn't try to boss people around.
6. 2 Corinthians 2:3
I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
If the Apostle Paul was happy, then they could all be happy. If they were still tolerating sin in their midst, then there would be no joy shared with Paul. True joy from God involves separating oneself from sin. True Christian fellowship is based on the truth. When we "hide" sin among us, there can be no fellowship and no joy.
7. 2 Corinthians 7:4
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
Paul was confident that they would obey God in the things he had written to them about in the first letter. Knowing that made his troubles less and even "worth it."
8. 2 Corinthians 7:7
and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
Paul was joyous to find out that the Christians in Corinth had taken care of the problems they had. He was happy to find out that they still loved him even after he had rebuked them strongly. He was glad to see that they loved righteousness and hated sin.
9. 2 Corinthians 8:2
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
Often those who have the least as far as this world goes are the ones who most understand the joy in giving principle.
10. Galatians 4:15
What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
False teachers had confused the Christians in Galatia. Because of accepting wrong teachings about the Law, they had lost their joy. False teachings rob a Christian of joy. The Holy Spirit is not in heresy, so His joy is not present, either.
11. Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Again, real joy is from the Holy Spirit and is fruit of His work in our lives.
12. Philippians 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
Paul prayed with joy for those who were his brothers and sisters in Christ.
13. Philippians 1:25
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Growth brings joy.
14. Philippians 1:26
so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Paul was in prison for his faith. They were all suffering because of it. Paul was torn. He would have liked to die and enter God's presence, but he knew that the Christians needed him to continue teaching and encouraging them. His presence with them after being released from prison would give all of them great joy.
15. Philippians 2:2
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Unity among Christians gives us joy.
16. Philippians 2:29
Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
Paul was telling the brethren to receive Epaphroditus with joy and honor. He had been willing to give his life for the sake of the Gospel. God had mercy on him.
17. Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Paul, though he was in prison, found joy in knowing that His friends were standing firm in the faith. He longed to be with them. That was all he wanted - to be with them.
18. 1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Where can one who is suffering find joy? There is joy in the Lord and this joy is given as a gift by the Holy Spirit. When we have nothing left, we still have the joy of the Lord to strengthen and encourage us.
19. 1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
When Paul and his companions stood before God, the ones who had come to the Lord through their ministry would be their source of joy. They would not be entering Heaven alone.
20. 1 Thessalonians 2:20
Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
The fact that the believers were going on with the Lord brought Paul and his companions joy.
21. 1 Thessalonians 3:9
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
Joyful fellowship in the Lord.
22. 2 Timothy 1:4
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
Paul was sad because Timothy was sad. They were very close, like father and son. Their separation and Paul's difficult circumstances caused them both pain. Paul looked forward to a joyful reunion with his dear friend.
23. Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Other believers who are an encouragement to us bring joy to our hearts.
------------------------
Definition of the Greek word "χαρά - chara" which is translated as "joy" in many of these verses:
"1) joy, gladness
a) the joy received from you
b) the cause or occasion of joy
1) of persons who are one's joy"
Blue Letter Bible
1. Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Partying brings a kind of "joy." It is only for a brief time, though. The joy that comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit is not like that. That joy is eternal and no one can take it away. No circumstance in this life can rob a believer of the joy that is theirs in Christ. Christian joy also goes along with righteousness and peace.
2. Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Real joy comes from God.
3. Romans 15:32
so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
There is joy found in fellowship with other believers, especially when we go through difficult circumstances together.
4. Romans 16:19
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Knowing how God has worked in those we have shared Christ with brings joy.
5. 2 Corinthians 1:24
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
The desire of a true shepherd of God is that those under him will have joy. He wants the best for them and wants to work with them. The real spiritual leader doesn't try to boss people around.
6. 2 Corinthians 2:3
I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.
If the Apostle Paul was happy, then they could all be happy. If they were still tolerating sin in their midst, then there would be no joy shared with Paul. True joy from God involves separating oneself from sin. True Christian fellowship is based on the truth. When we "hide" sin among us, there can be no fellowship and no joy.
7. 2 Corinthians 7:4
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
Paul was confident that they would obey God in the things he had written to them about in the first letter. Knowing that made his troubles less and even "worth it."
8. 2 Corinthians 7:7
and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
Paul was joyous to find out that the Christians in Corinth had taken care of the problems they had. He was happy to find out that they still loved him even after he had rebuked them strongly. He was glad to see that they loved righteousness and hated sin.
9. 2 Corinthians 8:2
Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
Often those who have the least as far as this world goes are the ones who most understand the joy in giving principle.
10. Galatians 4:15
What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
False teachers had confused the Christians in Galatia. Because of accepting wrong teachings about the Law, they had lost their joy. False teachings rob a Christian of joy. The Holy Spirit is not in heresy, so His joy is not present, either.
11. Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Again, real joy is from the Holy Spirit and is fruit of His work in our lives.
12. Philippians 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
Paul prayed with joy for those who were his brothers and sisters in Christ.
13. Philippians 1:25
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Growth brings joy.
14. Philippians 1:26
so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Paul was in prison for his faith. They were all suffering because of it. Paul was torn. He would have liked to die and enter God's presence, but he knew that the Christians needed him to continue teaching and encouraging them. His presence with them after being released from prison would give all of them great joy.
15. Philippians 2:2
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Unity among Christians gives us joy.
16. Philippians 2:29
Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
Paul was telling the brethren to receive Epaphroditus with joy and honor. He had been willing to give his life for the sake of the Gospel. God had mercy on him.
17. Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Paul, though he was in prison, found joy in knowing that His friends were standing firm in the faith. He longed to be with them. That was all he wanted - to be with them.
18. 1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Where can one who is suffering find joy? There is joy in the Lord and this joy is given as a gift by the Holy Spirit. When we have nothing left, we still have the joy of the Lord to strengthen and encourage us.
19. 1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
When Paul and his companions stood before God, the ones who had come to the Lord through their ministry would be their source of joy. They would not be entering Heaven alone.
20. 1 Thessalonians 2:20
Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
The fact that the believers were going on with the Lord brought Paul and his companions joy.
21. 1 Thessalonians 3:9
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
Joyful fellowship in the Lord.
22. 2 Timothy 1:4
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
Paul was sad because Timothy was sad. They were very close, like father and son. Their separation and Paul's difficult circumstances caused them both pain. Paul looked forward to a joyful reunion with his dear friend.
23. Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Other believers who are an encouragement to us bring joy to our hearts.
------------------------
Definition of the Greek word "χαρά - chara" which is translated as "joy" in many of these verses:
"1) joy, gladness
a) the joy received from you
b) the cause or occasion of joy
1) of persons who are one's joy"
Blue Letter Bible
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