How can there be a government deacon? The operative word is “servant” particularly in verse 4. Romans 13.1-7, NRSV: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no... Read more
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1.21, KJV I awoke this morning at 5:30 AM and got a little snack. As I lay back down to go to sleep, the word superfluity came to mind. Knowing there is only 1 usage of the word in the KJV, I looked it up before drifting off again. Now I know basically in English what... Read more
The Fruit of the Spirit is one of the most recognizable Passages in the New Testament. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5.22-23, KJV I just completed 1 article per word, making a total of 9 articles. These are Word studies. What makes them unique is that I am writing from a Spirit-Filled perspective and so are the authors I highlight throughout the... Read more
Temperance is a multi-faceted word. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance… Galatians 5.22-23 egkrateia The word temperance is egkrateia in New Testament Greek. It can be loosely defined as self control over whatever is needed at the time, often over sensual desires. inward temperance The Holy Spirit helps us to control ourselves. “It is used of the control of the athlete over his body and its desires, during the period... Read more
Meekness in the New Testament stems from the Greek word praotes. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness… Galatians 5.22-23 (KJV) praotes Praotes can mean meekness, gentleness, and mildness. It is often translated “gentleness” (NIV, NKJV, NASB). Meekness is not weakness. Too often we get the mental picture of a mild mannered Clark Kent. It is not weakness. It is not the opposite of strength. Praotes (meekness) is closely related to strength,... Read more
We continue our series on the Fruit of the Spirit with a Word study on faith. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith… Galatians 5.22 Pistis: The Various Nuances of Faith pistis Faith comes from the Koine Greek word pistis, which basically means a conviction. The root word means being persuaded, a firm belief in God. The word occurs often in the New Testament and is defined differently by how it... Read more
agathosyne The Koine Greek word for goodness is agathosyne. It means uprightness of heart and life, and kindness. “A man who is ruled by and aims at what is good, namely, the quality of moral worth.”[1] We might think of this in terms of someone who is highly ethical. “‘Goodness’ has the idea of the development of character that is truly good, upright, dependable, and yet still generous and good to others. This is what makes us God’s noblemen.”[2] This... Read more
There are two ladies at my church who embody gentleness. I have said it from the start. Their lives are entwined like sisters, and their families are entwined. They are both involved in the praise team and in the hospitality ministries. Their approach to all the people they deal with is constant. I’m sure you know people like them. chrestotes The Koine Greek word for gentleness means moral goodness, integrity, and kindness. It’s translated as “kindness” by some major versions... Read more
This is a brief reminder to vote. We are not commanded in Scripture to vote, but there was no voting in the time of Scripture, so it’s a non-issue. There are plenty of passages about us being prayerful and good citizens. So in principle, I believe we should vote. To be entirely honest, I got behind in the game this year. I have an out-of-state drivers license. I did not change my drivers license. Nor did I vote absentee. By... Read more
longsuffering defined “The Greek word makrothumia means patience with people. It includes longsuffering and forbearance that endures the misconduct of others and never seeks revenge.”[1] It’s defined the same way by many scholars (i.e. Blue Letter Bible, Kenneth Wuest, Unger). It’s also translated as forbearance, patience, or tolerance in Spanish. inward longsuffering The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should... Read more
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