479. Obedience To God Brings His Blessings. Jonah 3

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

Jonah was certainly a reluctant prophet. He was commanded by God to go to Nineveh and warn them that if they did not turn from evil, disaster would come upon the whole city.  However, Jonah arose and went in the opposite direction in an act of sheer disobedience to God. He boarded a ship to get away from God. 

God dealt dramatically with Jonah as He caused a violent storm to arise so that the ship began to sink. He was thrown into the sea and was swallowed by a great fish. In the mercy of God, Jonah repented of his sin and cried out to God to be saved.  The great fish [at God’s command] then vomited Jonah out onto dry land. 

The Opportunities Given By Second Chances. 3:1-3

1 “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 

It’s wonderful to know that God doesn’t give up on us when we disobey Him. In the story we read how God spoke to his prophet Jonah again and recommissioned him for the task of taking His message to the people of Nineveh. When God first called Jonah his response was disobedience, “But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” Jonah 1:3. However God had dealt with Jonah so that at this second call, his response was different, “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:3-4.

We see in the story, God’s persistence in getting Jonah to take His message to the people in Nineveh. We also see His compassion for those in Nineveh as He did not want to have to destroy them. He wanted them to repent and give up their evil ways. As another Jonah [Simon Bar-Jonah] wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

God’s Message Brought Freedom

How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s message? We read, “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.” Jonah 3:5. The message Jonah proclaimed brought great conviction of sin and all the people of Nineveh repented of their sin, symbolised by their putting on sackcloth. This was a turning from sin and a turning to God in repentance. 

It was a widespread turning to God that affected even the king of Nineveh,  Jon 3:6  “The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes, 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,  8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.’”

This was an amazing response to Jonah’s message. The king issued a decree commanding that every person and animal be covered with sackcloth as a matter of urgency. They were all to cry out to God and turn from evil. It is interesting that Jonah as one of God’s chosen people initially turned away from God in disobedience but a whole ungodly city turned to God in obedience when challenged by God to repent and turn from evil.

It reminds us that humans have free will, the ability to make choices. Sometimes it is the most privileged people who reject their privileges while those less privileged make the right decisions. That is seen in the Prologue to the gospel of John, where John wrote of the coming of Jesus into the world, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:11-12. One would have thought that the Jewish people would have welcomed their long-promised Messiah. Instead, by and large, they rejected Him. In Jonah’s day, it was the privileged prophet of God who initially rejected God’s command while the ungodly evildoing people of Nineveh immediately responded to God’s message to them. Human free-will can be used to glorify God or misused to detract from His name and glory.

A True Turning To God In Repentance Brings Freedom. Jonah 3:10. 

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. 3:10. 

What an incredible act of mercy. Guilty sinners being pardoned by God, of their sins. Coming from the prospect of the judgment of God to being pardoned in His sight. Why? Because they had done what He wanted them to do. They had heard His message through the lips of Jonah and had turned from their evil ways. In a sense it was the same message Simon Bar-Jonah [Peter] would later give to the  Jews in Acts 3:19  “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”

Nineveh was a city under the coming judgment of God. But God in His mercy gave them the opportunity of being no longer condemned. He warned them of their perilous state and they responded in faith to His message. In many ways, it was the same message that Jesus would bring to His people. He was sent to be the Saviour from the condemnation from their sins and forgiveness would only be found in Him, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:18.

St Paul wrote that the whole world is under the condemnation of God because of its sin. However if individuals trusted in Christ for salvation, they would no longer be condemned, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 8:1. 

The story of Jonah is a story emphasising many of the characteristics of God. In it we read of His holiness and His hatred of sin. We read of His persistence in bringing a rebellious prophet of God back to obedience. In it we see the compassion of God in wanting guilty sinners be released from His judgment if they responded in faith to Him.

Jesus Himself made use of the story of Jonah to bring  a warning to those who were rejecting Him and His message, “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.” Matthew 12:41.

Blog No.479 posted on Saturday 06 May 2023.

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

478. The God Who Helps In Times Of Trouble. Jonah 2:1-10

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

There are times in the lives of many of us when we feel as though we have been overcome by difficulties, immersed in situations in which there seems to be no way to escape. It’s as though for some people, their lives have come to an end. Is it possible to be freed from those crippling difficulties so as to be able to live again with some sense of meaning and purpose?

The truths in Jonah chapter 2 provide some encouragement for people in today’s world who seem to be trapped in an inescapable morass. The story opens with Jonah being inside a great fish. He had been told by God to go to Ninevah to preach and to warn the residents to turn from their wicked ways. But he had disobeyed and had gone in the opposite direction and had boarded a ship going to Tarshish. When a severe wind and storm arose, the sailors reluctantly [at his suggestion] cast him overboard. A great fish then swallowed Jonah. The chapter ends with these words, “And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” Jonah 2:10. What had happened for Jonah to secure his freedom? We see the following truths in this chapter.

1]. Jonah Prayed To The Lord. 2:1. “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish.  2  saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.”

Entombed in the belly of the great fish, Jonah prayed. We see three things in his description of what happened. 

  • There was his recognition of his drastic situation. He was in distress. He was in the belly of the great fish.
  • There was his response to the situation. He brought his situation to God. He “called out” to God. He “cried” out to God.
  • There was God’s response to his cries for help. God answered his call for help. God heard his prayer [and answered it.]

2]. Jonah Recognised That His Sin Had Led To His Present Difficult Situation. 2:3-6.  

“For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. 4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’ 5  The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head. 6  at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.”

Jonah recognised that it had been God who had been responsible for him being cast into the sea. The sailors had been the human instruments in throwing him overboard, but it was God’s way of dealing with Jonah’s disobedience. That recognition is seen in his words, “I am driven away from your sight.”

It’s a reminder to us that God may use other people in His purposes to bring us back to Himself when we have wandered from His way. He allows difficult people in our lives who make life difficult for us. But when we eventually bring our situation before the Lord and receive His help, we are able to see those people as “grace builders.” Not in the sense that they were gracious to us or imparted grace to us. Rather in our difficulty we cried to God for His grace to be on our lives and He answered our prayer. So in a sense, they were used to “build up grace” in us. 

3]. Jonah Cried Out To The Lord In The Midst Of His Difficulty. 2:7.

Jon 2:7  “When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.”

It seems that Jonah recognised that his life was coming to an end, so his mind recalled the Lord, his only hope. He prayed to God and God graciously answered him. 

4]. Jonah Bore Witness To God’s Saving Grace. 2:8-10.

Jonah utters a statement about the inability of false gods to help humans in their time of need. The hope of receiving steadfast love resides only in the one true God. “Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Jonah 2:8.

However, Jonah had turned to God and affirmed that salvation belonged only to Him. He had recommitted his whole life and future to the Lord. “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” 2:9. 

Then miracle of miracles. “And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.” 2:10. The impossible had become possible by the grace and mercy of God. The captive had been set free by the power of God! Jonah’s prayers had been answered!

Jonah had been sent by God to preach to a rebellious people in Nineveh but had disobeyed Him. Much later Jesus was sent into the world to minister to His people, many of whom refused to trust in Him. They wanted Him to perform a great miracle so that they could believe in Him. But Jesus had already performed great miracles among them, and they had continued to harden their hearts against Him. So Jesus warned them that no sign would be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Mat 12:40. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead would be the sign that He was the Messiah who had come into the world to save His people. It was as though the story of Jonah and his release from the belly of the great fish had been a preparation for the nation of Israel to believe in a Messiah who would rise from the dead after 3 days and nights. Jesus saw Jonah as a historical figure whose life had been a preparation for the coming of the Messiah into the world.

Blog No.478 posted on Thursday 04 May 2023.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

477. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The  Anointed? (Part 4 of 4).  Some Possible Conclusions. 

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

WE come now to draw some possible conclusions from the 3 previous articles in this series humbly recognising that I, like every other believer, can get spiritual truths out of perspective. 

That can happen when we become enamoured by the teaching and practice of those who seem to be make things happen, when our own lives [and ministry] don’t seem to bear that same “fruit.”

It is all too easy for us to become part of “group think” when we delve deeply into the writings of those we have come to admire and we continue to avidly read the reports of what is happening in their lives and ministries. Nothing wrong with that, unless those “admired folk” disparage others who do not see things in the same way. No one person has all the truth, nor has any particular movement. That’s why we need to look closely at the Biblical text and also be open to be instructed by the interpretations of others who are also interested in gaining a deeper and more faithful understanding of the text. 

It would appear from the previous articles that the words I quoted at the beginning of this series appear to me to be true. I add to them in the following list, of possible conclusions based on all the articles.

  • Every believer is anointed by God with the Holy Spirit to indwell them, to impart the life of God in and through them. 
  • A believer cannot become more anointed than before. Anointing by God [chriō, χρίω], refers to a once for all sovereign act of God when He imparts the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who open themselves to Him in faith and repentance. 
  • No believer is more anointed than another believer. There are no degrees of anointing.  
  • A human is either anointed by God or is not, meaning believers possess the Spirit of God and unbelievers do not.
  • Failing to recognise the difference between the Old Testament and New Testament concepts of the term “anointing” may bring confusion to believers today. One cannot, for example, ask for a double-anointing of the Spirit in the same way Elisha asked of Elijah. [NOTE 1]. The New Testament concept of anointing makes no provision at all for that to happen. 
  • There is a danger in seeing some believers as more anointed than others. It could lead to arrogance and pride in those who see themselves in this way as the “Lord’s anointed” or as more anointed than others.
  • It could also lead to some immature believers embarking on a never-ending journey to receive more and more “anointings” of the Holy Spirit in their desire to please and serve God. 
  • Better rather, for believers to believe what God has said in His word about anointing and to ask God to continue filling them with the Holy Spirit with whom they have already been anointed and sealed. 
  • God’s word indicates there is one “anointing” for each individual believer.  However, praise God there are many possibilities of being filled with His Holy Spirit over and over again in one’s desire to love Him and serve Him unreservedly, to His glory! As Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-21.  [“Keep on being filled” is an accurate translation of the Greek verb in the present continuous passive Imperative.]
  • Praise God that every believer can know they were once -for -all anointed and sealed with His Spirit! But they are commanded to keep on being filled with the Spirit. This filling is not to be viewed as a drenching from without but as a release of the Spirit from within. As Jesus taught in John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  John commented on this, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:38-39. 
  • This seems to be the way in which Paul saw the indwelling Spirit as being the source of Christian agape love. He wrote in Romans 5:5, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out [NOTE 2] within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NASB). 

Why then do some writers and speakers use terms such as these, which I have come across over recent years? Terms such as 

  • “heavy anointing’. Nothing in the New Testament to indicate such an occurrence. 
  • “double anointing.” Nothing in the New Testament to indicate such an occurrence
  • “passing on the anointing.” Sorry! It is the Lord who anoints individuals with His Holy Spirit. No other person has the authority or ability to do so. [We can anoint people with oil for healing but as we saw in a previous article in this series, that is described by a different New Testament word.]
  • “lying on the grave to absorb the anointing of a former saint.” If the Lord is the only One who can anoint with the Spirit, then what they are absorbing is certainly not the Holy Spirit! They may be gaining inspiration by being in close proximity to the human remains of a great servant of God from time past, but that is far different from ‘absorbing an anointing’. 
  • a sermon or a time of worship being described as “really anointed”. We have seen that the term ‘anointing’ refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit being poured out by the Lord on individuals who believe. Material things and human productions such as passionate preaching and singing beautifully to the Lord, can never be said to be anointed in biblical terms. The singing may be produced by a person who was anointed by the Lord at their conversion, but the singing is not anointed. It may give us great pleasure listening to beautiful singing but we can also derive great joy as a young singer nervously leads worship for the first time, whose notes in their nervousness, are not pure. We are blessed by their obvious willingness to lovingly serve the Lord to His glory.
  • “growing in the anointing.” One cannot grow in something that cannot grow. As we have seen before, anointing is the sovereign act of God when He gives individuals the gift of the Holy Spirit as they put their trust in Him.  He doesn’t keep on withdrawing the Spirit and then anointing individuals over and over again with increasing strength. No, He anoints them once at conversion and seals them at that same time with His Spirit. 

My concern is that I don’t see any justification for using these terms such as “anoint”, “anointed”, “anointing,” in the New Testament in the way I have described above.  For that reason, I see it as a dangerous and misleading emphasis in today’s Christian church. It may be that many folk have simply picked up the lingo of the day and have not yet checked the scriptural backing for those expressions. My prayer is that [if I am right in what I have written] they will go back to the Scriptures and begin to use those terms in the way the New Testament prescribes and not as they are used widely today.

A note of caution. What do you do when you hear someone using the term ”anointed” in a way that is not biblical? Hopefully you might be able to correct their wrong understanding by pointing to the truth of Bible verses on the topic, but doing it in a loving way and at an appropriate time and place. But we need to understand that God loves His people and wants the very best for them. He understands the words we pray but He also knows the motivation behind our words. That is why His answers to our prayers are often so much greater than we ever imagined they might be. 

What He is answering is the deep desire behind our inadequate words, a desire prompted by His indwelling Spirit in our hearts. As St Paul wrote, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26,27. God, the heart-searcher hears the words of our prayers but also what the Spirit is praying through them as they express their God-given desires in inadequate words. The Spirit’s words are in accord with the will of God and are answered in fulfilment of His will. God’s power is always greater than our ability to even imagine, as St Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.” It may be that in the providence of God, those who are praying for a double anointing of the Spirit for example, are richly blessed by God, not because of the accuracy of their prayers, but because He was responding to their God-given desire to love Him and to see His kingdom extended.

NOTES

  • [NOTE 1].  2Kings 2:9 ‘When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”’
  • [NOTE 2]. “Poured out within our hearts.” The word for “poured out” [ekcheō; ἐκχέω] is a verb in Perfect tense indicating a past action with a present abiding result. The Holy Spirit with whom the believer is permanently sealed, is the instrument through whom God’s love is poured out within the believer’s heart. He is the reservoir through whom God’s divine agape love can flow out through the believer’s heart to touch the lives of others. It is the release of the fruit of the indwelling Spirit which is able to be manifest through believers’ lives. God’s love is the release of what exists within the believer [in the person of the Holy Spirit]. It is not another endowment from without.  

Blog No.477 posted on Tuesday 11 April 2023.

Posted in anointing, BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

476. The  Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The  Anointed? (Part 3 of 4).

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

Part 3. An Analysis Of All The Verses On “Anointing” As Relating To Believers

As I wrote in a previous article, there are only a small number of references to the word “anoint” in the New Testament. They are in the following verses.

The verb  [Chriō; χρίω.]  Used of believers. [All references.] There is one reference in one verse.

Though the verb appears in Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; Acts 10:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Hebrews 1:9, there is only one reference to believers in 2 Cor 1:21.

  • (2 Cor 1:21, Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22  who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

The noun [Chrisma, χρίσμα.]  Used of believers. [All references.] There are only three references to be found in two verses. 

  • (1 John 2:20 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.”
  • (1 John 2:27 “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

What Do These Verses About Anointing In The New Testament Mean?

The verb  [chriō, χρίω]. Used to describe both status and function.  

  • 2 Cor 1:21 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22  who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
  • The anointing comes from God Himself. As this verse states, He establishes believers together in Christ [or He makes them stand firm together in Christ.] He “anointed us” [by giving us His Spirit into our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come]. He sealed us [sphragizō; σφραγίζω] by His Spirit to mark us out as His own and to bring us the assurance of our identity as His people, in Him. This was a pledge or guarantee [arrhabōn, ἀῤῥαβών] which can be described as a down-payment given in advance as security for the promised full payment. 

The status of the person whom God anoints changes. Once they were not “in Christ.” Now they are “in Christ.”  Once they were without the Spirit. Now they have received the Spirit. Once they were outside the family of God, but now they have received the Holy Spirit [the Spirit of adoption] and have been adopted into His family, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15.

This applies to every believer. No comparatives or superlatives here. So it is possible for a person to say, “I am the Lord’s anointed!” provided we recognise that every other believer in the world of every age group can say the same! Even the 5 year old who gives his or her life to the Lord today is among the Lord’s “anointed” in Biblical terms. As such, he or she will never become more anointed, no matter how long they grow into spiritual maturity. Nor can he or she pass on their anointing to another person no matter what spiritual giants they may become in later life. Each anointing by God of a person is unique and unrepeatable for that person and is non-transferable.

Not only do believers have a new status before God but they are also being equipped by Him to function and live for Him. His anointing of them gives them knowledge they could never have otherwise. That is the point of this verse. John’s readers were living at a time when an early form of Gnosticism was prevalent. Some aspects of Gnosticism involved having secret knowledge which was derived through secret rites and ceremonies for the few. John is at pains to show that the anointing God gives, makes His knowledge available to all whom He has anointed by His Spirit. Unlike Gnosticism there were no ceremonies or rites one had to undergo to receive their secret knowledge. God’s anointing of His people makes His knowledge available to all His anointed as they open their lives to Christ as Lord and Saviour.

The noun [Chrisma, χρίσμα].  These three are the only noun references in the New Testament to believers. They are all found in 1 John 2, verses 20 and 27. 

  • (1 John 2:20 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” 

Who is the “Holy One?” In the New Testament, the ‘Holy One’ appears to refer to Jesus Christ (see Mark 1:24; Luk 4:34; Joh 6:69; Act 3:14). [NOTE 1]. 

It is not surprising that Jesus is seen as the dispenser of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had predicted that happening. All the gospel writers record John the Baptist saying that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit. [See NOTE 2].   

It appears however that Jesus would only do that after His death, resurrection and ascension, that is, His glorification.  Jesus said on the last day of the feast in John 7, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  John commented on this, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39.

It fits in with Peter’s description of the happenings on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:3, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Having ascended back into heaven, Jesus was then given the promise of the Spirit for Him to pour out on His believing people. It means then that in John 20:22 as Jesus breathed on them [NOTE 3] saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” it was a proleptic saying [NOTE 4] of a future promise to be fulfilled after Jesus’ glorification. There was no indication that the disciples received the Spirit of God until the day of Pentecost. 

  • 1 John 2:27 “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”

Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would teach His disciples, Luke 12:12 “for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

 John records the words of Jesus, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26. “Will teach all things” is (didaskei; διδάξει =will teach) and (panta; πάντα  = all things). Here it is in the future tense because the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out when Jesus spoke these words. 

The wording in 1 Jn 2:27 is similar. However naturally it is not future tense but present tense because the Holy Spirit had already been poured out on the day of Pentecost before John wrote these words.  Thus the translation here is  (διδάσκει = teaches) and (πάντων = ‘everything’ or ‘all things’). That was the present day reality when John wrote this epistle. The anointing by the Holy Spirit enabled them to understand spiritual truths and realities.  

As Paul wrote, 1 Cor 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” The “natural” person is the unregenerate person who has not received the Holy Spirit. Spiritual things have to be spiritually discerned, and that is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of believers.

In the next article, we will look at what these truths about anointing mean for us today. But what is apparent is that to be anointed by God refers to the time we came before God in repentance for our sins seeking mercy and in faith opened our hearts and lives to Him to live as He desires us to live.

NOTES 

[NOTE 1].  The “Holy One” appears to refer to Jesus, Mar 1:24, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” Luk 4:34, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” John 6:69  “and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Act 3:14, “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.”

[NOTE 2].  Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit. Mat 3:11  “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Mar 1:8 “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 3:16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John 1:33 “ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’34  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

NOTE 3] “Breathed” is [emphysaō; ἐμφυσάω] This is its only use in the New Testament but it was used in the Greek Old Testament in Genesis 2:7 where God breathed on Adam and he became a living soul. The original creation came into being by an act of God, so Jesus brought into being a new creation by His acts as the promised Messiah.  It would begin when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

NOTE 4] “Proleptic” means representing something in the future as if it already existed or had occurred. It was an anticipation of what would take place on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God would be poured out on His people. 

Blog No.476 posted on Monday after Easter 10 April 2023.

Posted in anointing, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

475. THE GOOD FRIDAY CROSS THAT DIVIDES HUMANITY. Luke 23:39-43. [Paradise or Lostness]

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

We know that Good Friday is called “Good” because of the good news associated with it. It is the good news that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins and to bring guilty sinners back to a holy God. The attitude we take to the crucifixion of Jesus has eternal consequences. We see this on that first Good Friday in the crucifixion scene. The scene is of 3 crosses, each with a victim nailed to it. There are two criminals and the third is Jesus. 

One of the criminals is said to have “railed” at Jesus, “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Luke 23:39. “Railed” is the Greek word, [blasphēmeō; βλασφημέω] meaning to speak of God or divine things irreverently, to blaspheme, to mock. There is no sense of humility in his words. He wanted Jesus to do what he wanted Him to do, namely to rescue them all from their crosses. But there was no way that Jesus could affect such a rescue. He knew that it was the will of God for Him to die on the cross. There was no other way forgiveness could ever become available for humans except through His death, bearing all the sins of the world in His own body on the cross.

The other criminal looked at the scene of Jesus hanging on the cross, differently. That led him to rebuke the other criminal saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23:40-41. We see in his words a number of things. We see his humility in recognising himself as a sinner. A sinner who deserved punishment for his sins. We see his recognition that God was to feared because of his sin. We see also his recognition that Jesus was innocent for He had done nothing wrong. Then from his lips came some of the most astonishing words ever uttered by human lips as he addressed Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:42.

They were amazing, for who looked less like a king than the weak mutilated body of Jesus hanging on the cross. The first criminal had mocked Jesus. The second criminal recognised Jesus as the victor in the situation. He saw Him as a king, who would shortly after His death become a King. He wanted to be part of Jesus’ kingdom as he asked for mercy from this king by asking Jesus to “remember” him.

Then came the astonishing words from Jesus as He said to the second criminal, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43. Why were His words so astonishing? Because the criminal had done nothing to deserve any pardon from sin. There was nothing spectacular he could do in the future to merit any consideration for acceptance in Jesus’ kingdom, for he would soon be dead. But Jesus saw him as being with him in paradise. How? Because he had met the requirements we all need to meet to enter into Jesus’ kingdom. He had repented of his sin and turned in faith to Jesus for acceptance into His kingdom. Paradise awaited the second criminal who repented of sin and turned to Jesus. Lostness forever awaited the other impenitent criminal who would not turn to Jesus in repentance and faith.

There was one other astonishing thing in what Jesus said. He said, “Today.” The second criminal was accepted just as he was, and on that very day he would join Jesus in His kingdom. What a blessing it is for humans to know when they come to Jesus in repentance and faith He accepts them immediately. There’s no such thing as Purgatory for them to go through as a means of getting them prepared for heaven. They belong to Jesus from the moment they turn to Him. As the NKJV puts it, “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” It reminds us as St Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. Salvation comes by receiving a gift, not by having to work for it.

“Today.” What a beautiful comforting word. It meant a great deal to me almost 4 years ago when my beloved wife went home to be with the Lord. That very day she passed in the presence of Jesus and so I was able to write these words on the plaque above her burial place, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8. What a blessing it is to know that as we go through the pain and grief of losing our loved ones, that right now they are at bliss in the presence of Jesus.

“Today!” I had thought that I would not write anything today but having been to morning church today I came home with a deep desire to write on this passage describing the scene of the three crosses.  AND the good news that comes out of that passage. I believe it was the Lord prompting me to write something that would be of benefit to someone, somewhere in the world who needed to read it. I want to be the Lord’s instrument in the same way that St Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favourable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.“ 

“Today!” my dear reader, the Lord may be calling you to come to Him, TODAY! He may be knocking on the door of your heart as you did on mine over 65 years ago and I responded to His invitation to me in Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” THAT DAY as I opened my heart to Jesus, I began a new life as a new creature in Christ leading to a wonderful fulfilling life in marriage, family life and ministry so that TODAY I am eternally grateful to Jesus for these words from Jesus on the cross, “It is finished!” On that day He offered the one sufficient sacrifice for sins so that forgiveness  could become available for the people of God throughout the world through all the ages. AND ALSO for the assurance of Jesus’ words to us, as he says that on the day of our death, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Good news on Good Friday! For you and me! TODAY!

Blog No.475 posted on Good Friday 07 April 2023.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

474. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. (Part 2 of 4). Why The Dispensation Of The Holy Spirit May Differ In The New Testament Era From That In The Old Testament Era. 

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

In the previous article, we looked at the total list of occurrences of the words “anoint” or “anointing” in the New Testament. But it might be helpful to examine, before examining them in more detail, what differences might exist between the dispensation of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times and what we find in the New Testament era. 

The Old Testament Dispensation of the Holy Spirit

In the Old Testament, prophets, priests and kings and others were anointed to signify their being set apart for the tasks God had prepared for them to do. They were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help equip them for their ministry. However, the Spirit could be withdrawn as King Saul discovered, due to his disobedience, 1Sam 16:14 “Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him”. 

When King David sinned against Bathsheba he pleaded with God not to withdraw His Holy Spirit from Him, “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”  Psalm 51:11. God didn’t remove His Spirit from David. David repented, confessed his sin and turned back to God. 

We see that the dispensation of the Holy Spirit would be different in the New Testament. In the following ways.

  • The Spirit would be poured out on all the believing people of God, not just upon a select few as in the Old Testament era. As Joel prophesied, the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all who believed whether old or young, male or female, whether slave or free. [NOTE 1]. Peter saw the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost as a fulfilment of that prophecy. “But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:16-18. 
  • The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit would mark them out as belonging to the people of God,  Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” AND Rom 8:9  “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” The people of God possessed the Holy Spirit. Unbelievers did not!
  • The Holy Spirit would not be withdrawn as in the Old Testament era. God’s people would be “sealed” by the Holy Spirit. Eph 1:13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” AND Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” AND  2 Cor 1:21 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Sealing denotes permanence and ownership by God! Sealed by Him, by His Spirit, for Him, forever!
  • Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah and the messianic roles in the Old Testament. That is seen specially in Luke 4 where Jesus saw Himself as fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 61. [NOTE 2].  In Luke 4:16- 20 we read that Jesus read from this passage in the synagogue in Nazareth and then proclaimed, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” This was a claim to be the long-promised Messiah. As Paul wrote in 2 Cor 1:21 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” 
  • In brief, JESUS IS THE ANOINTED ONE, fulfilling in Himself all the shadows or prototypes of His ministry in the Old Testament. 

He is THE PROPHET in a way no other prophet could fulfil the role. 

He is THE PRIEST who offered the only one true sacrifice for sin in offering Himself. 

He is THE KING with everything in heaven and on earth under His over-riding rule.  He is the One who is now able to baptise those who trust in Him with the Holy Spirit, in what Paul and John described as their anointing. 

  • Therefore we cannot just take the mention of anointing in the Old Testament and try to impose its meaning on the concept of anointing in the New Testament. The reason is that THE ANOINTED ONE, Jesus has come and has fulfilled all the prophecies about anointing in the Old Testament. That is why there is probably so little mention of anointing in the New Testament. The SUBSTANCE [the ANOINTED ONE] has come in Jesus. He is THE CHRISTOS, THE MESSIAH, THE ANOINTED ONE. The shadows fade. Fulfilled! By THE CHRISTOS! The Anointed One. Who Anoints His People with the Holy Spirit!

In the next article, we will look at an analysis of all the verses on “anointing” in the New Testament as relating to believers.

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NOTES. 

[NOTE 1]  Joel 2:28-29.  “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”   

[NOTE 2]. Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.”

Blog No. 474 posted on Wednesday 05 April 2023

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473. The Blessing Of Being Anointed By God. But Who Are The Anointed? (Part 1 of 4).

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

Over 50 years ago I began to notice a great increase in Christian circles of the words, “anointed” and “anointing.” I was cautious back then about using the words in the way many people were using them. It seemed to me at that time, that some of those folk were giving far more meaning to the terms than I saw in the New Testament. However there has been another great increase of the use of those words in more recent times. Should I still be cautious? 

Recently I found among my own ancient jottings, a summary of a study on the topic I had done many years ago. This is what I wrote way back then.

  • Every believer is anointed by God. The anointing is the reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit into one’s life as one believes. 
  • There are no degrees of anointing. One is anointed by the Spirit or one is not. One cannot be more anointed than one already is.
  • One cannot be more anointed or less anointed than another person. 
  • God is the only One who anoints as 2 Cor 1:21 states, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us.”

That summary seems to be somewhat removed from what we hear or read from many teachers and authors in some Christian circles today. So it is worthwhile looking at the scriptures to see whether my conclusions, back then, are still true.

 As we begin, we need to note that it is important to use biblical terms and concepts in the way the Bible uses them and not to use them in a way contrary to Biblical use. This applies especially to the term “anointed.” In this article I look at the few references there are to the word “anoint” and the cognates of that term. So for convenience, I will list here ALL the references in the New Testament to “anoint” and “anointed” and “anointing.” 

All The New Testament References To “Anoint” And “Anointed” And “Anointing.”

First of all we need to put to one side those verses in which “anointing” is simply associated with smearing or rubbing with oil. 

  • The word [aleipho.] 8 references. [See NOTE 1]
  • The words [egchriō] and [epichriō]. 3 references. [NOTE 2].
  • The word [murizo.] To anoint with aromatics. One reference. [See NOTE 3]

Next we set aside for our particular purpose, the references to Jesus being anointed. [See NOTE 4].

Now we are in a position to list all the vast references that apply to believers being anointed.  Stand by! Don’t be overwhelmed by the following avalanche of verses! Here is the l..o..n..g, l..o..n..g  list. It actually consists of only one verb reference and 3 noun references [but with 2 in one verse.]

The one verb reference

  • (2 Cor 1:21 “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” We note here the tenses of the verbs. “Establishes” is a present particle and could be translated as “is establishing.” It was what God was continuing to do at the time St Paul wrote.  However “anointed” is an Aorist participle  of the Greek word from [chriō; χρίω] and could be rendered “having anointed.”  Another verb in the verse is “put his seal on us” which translates the Greek word from [sphragizō; σφραγίζω] and is also an Aorist participle meaning “having sealed.” The final verb in the verse is “given” from [didōmi; δίδωμι] is also an Aorist participle meaning “having given.”

Thus the verse could be translated as, “And it is God who is establishing us with you in Christ, having anointed us, and having sealed us and having given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Then come the 3 noun references in 2 verses.

  • (1 John 2:20 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” “Have” is present tense. His readers already possessed the anointing as believers. The word “anointing” is [chrisma; χρίσμα] and this anointing by God enabled them to know the truth.
  •  (1 John 2:27 “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” Here again the word for “anointing” is [chrisma; χρίσμα]. John is saying that his readers had received [past tense] the anointing and that this anointing continued to abide [present tense] in them and to teach them.  

THAT’S IT! That is the sum total of verses on ‘anointing’ as it is used in the New Testament in relation to believers, apart from being anointed with oil. There are dozens of other terms that are bandied around which are used in conjunction with the term “anointing” for the believer. But if they can’t be proved to fit in with biblical concepts then they can’t be accepted as biblical truth. Even when such concepts come from highly regarded teachers and writers! 

 In the next article I hope to look at why the dispensation or distribution of the Holy Spirit [or the anointing] in the New Testament may differ from that in the Old Testament. Following that I hope to examine in closer detail, the meanings behind the New Testament words anoint, anointing and anointed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

NOTES.  (Other New Testament words translated as “anoint” or “anointed.”)

[NOTE 1.] The word [aleiphō; ἀλείφω] 8 references.  Mt 6:17, Mark 6:13, Mark 16:1, Luke 7:38, Luke 7:46, John 11:2, John 12:3, James 5:14. 

[NOTE 2.] The words [egchriō; ἐγχρίω] in Rev 3:18, and [epichriō; ἐπιχρίω] in John 9:6, 11.

[NOTE 3.] The word [murizo; μυρίζω] To anoint with aromatics. Mk 14:8.

[NOTE 4.]  The references to Jesus being anointed. The word [chrio; χρίω].  Luke 4:18, Acts 4:27, Acts 10:38, Heb 1:9.  

Blog No.473 Posted on jimholbeck.blog on Friday 31 March 2023

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472. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ANOINTED BY GOD?

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

In preparing a Bible study on 1 Samuel 26  I came across David’s description of King Saul as the “Lord’s anointed.” David realised that God had anointed Saul to be the king of Israel and so he was not willing to kill the king, knowing this fact. King Saul had unjustly pursued David and had already attempted to kill him. However, David had been able to creep unawares into the camp of Saul’s army and had the opportunity to kill him as he slept. When his companion Abishai said to David,  “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice” David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?  As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 1 Samuel 26:8-11. That is what they did and King Saul survived.

Saul had indeed been anointed by God to be king and David respected the fact that God had chosen Saul for this role. It was up to God to remove him when he ceased being obedient to God, not David. Of course, God later withdrew His Spirit from Saul and then David became the Lord’s anointed king over Israel. But it shows that God anointed some people for certain tasks by giving them His Spirit to fulfil the roles he had given them. So in the Old Testament times, it was mainly prophets, priests and Kings who received the Holy Spirit to equip them for their ministries. If they were disobedient to God, He could remove the Holy Spirit [their equipping] from them. That is what happened to King Saul and what David prayed would not happen to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11.  

What does that mean for us in today’s world? God foretold through the prophet Joel that there would be a change in His anointing of people, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” Joel 2:28-29. Here was a massive change. Instead of a few special people being anointed by God for certain tasks, He was going to pour out the same Holy Spirit on all His people, both young and old and even on lowly servants. The only qualification they needed was the desire to belong to Him. 

Because there is a lot of misunderstanding around the topic of God’s anointing I may write a couple of blog articles in the future to try to bring some balance on the topic.  However, if you hear some individual urging you to follow them because they say they are the Lord’s anointed, take care! We all, as believers, have an anointing from the Lord. He wants us, by His equipping by His Holy Spirit, to fulfil the roles He has for us to accomplish in His eternal purposes. It may be that some believers are anointed by God for certain leadership roles such as a pastor or a teacher and for that they bear a greater responsibility before God. But it is not that they are God’s anointed ones who have to be followed no matter what, whilst the rest of us have no anointing. 

Every believer has been anointed by the Holy Spirit of God to fulfil a role He has planned from eternity for us to follow and every role has significance when it is God Himself who is working through His people by His Spirit. Paul referred to that in Philippians 2:12-13  when he wrote, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Praise God that every believer throughout the world has received an anointing, the gift of the Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to do the Master’s will to His glory!

You are anointed! By God himself! By giving you His Holy Spirit! To do His will!

Blog No.472 posted on Wednesday 29 March 2023.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Judgement, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, spiritual warfare, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

471. The Hoped-for Gentleness of Christian Ministry. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

One often wonders why some churches continue to grow while others grow less in numbers and influence. It seems that much has to do with the type of ministry being exercised in those parishes. Often one hears of an overbearing minister who wants everyone to be subservient to him and whose way has to be followed, or else! However the ministry we see being exercised by St Paul in his writings shows a humility that points to a reason behind successful ministries.

One of the most memorable sayings in the writings of St Paul is this, “To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means, I might save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22. He was willing to adapt and change his approach when necessary to ensure that his ministry was successful.

St Paul’s motivation in life and ministry was to minister appropriately to those amongst whom he came. That meant behaving towards them in a whole range of ways that were appropriate for the times he spent with them. He treated them as if they belonged to the same family as himself. That meant humbling himself among them and treating them with the gentleness of a child. It meant caring for them with the care a nursing mother would show towards her own child. It also meant encouraging them like a father would, to walk in a manner worthy of God’s calling them to be His children. We read about this in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

1].        He Became Like A Child Among Them. [2:7]

The NIV translates verse 7 as,  “Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children.”  [1Thess 2:7.]  This translates the phrase [all’ egenetheme νηπιοι nepioi] we became (young children) among you.] The word νηπιοι (nepioi) means infants, babes or young children. Thus “we became as young children.” 

The NASB and other translations are based on another variant text  [all’  egenetheme ἤπιος, ēpios] where epios is missing the letter “n” from nepioi and means mild, kind or gentle. Thus NASB “But we were gentle among you.” In a sense, the two variants mean the same. Paul was among them like a young child being gentle and non-threatening to them and not seeking to impose his authority upon them. This is what the previous verse implies, “Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.” 1 Thess 2:6. 

Paul came amongst them with a gentleness of a young child, not seeking to exercise authority over them but seeing himself as a member of the same family. As he wrote later in the epistle, he recognised that, before God, he and they were all children, indeed children of God, children of light. “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” 1 Thess 5:5. 

2].        He Became Like A Mother Among Them. 2:7-8.

1Thess 2:7-8 “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8  So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

Paul exercised the gentleness of a nursing mother towards her own child. In the same way that a mother cares for her children and shares her own body with them, so St Paul had given of himself in ministry to them. His care for them resembled that of a mother exercising protection and care for her children. It was because he was “affectionately desirous” of them and because they had “become very dear” to him.

3].        He Became Like A Father Among Them. 2:11-12

“For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” 1 Thess 2:11-12.

Paul now moves from the maternal side of his care for the Thessalonian believers to make mention of the paternal side of his care. It was in 3 areas, exhortation, encouragement and challenge.

i]. Exhortation. [from parakaleō]. This means  to beseech, comfort, exhort, pray, intreat, beseech.

We know that the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete [the one called alongside to help] from the same root origin and thus He is called the encourager, the exhorter, the counsellor, the comforter, the advocate. Paul was being the Holy Spirit’s instrument in his exhorting ministry to the Thessalonians.

ii]. Encouragement. [From paramytheomai (para = to the side of) and (muthos = speech) meaning to speak to, address one, whether by way of admonition and incentive, or to calm, to encourage, to console. The word is found 4 times in the New Testament, 

  • John 11:19 – Console. “and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.” 
  • John 11:31 – Consoling. “When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.”
  • Here in 1 Thess. 2:12 – Encouraged
  • 1 Thess. 5:14 – Encourage. “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

iii]. Challenge. Paul had charged them. “[I] charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” [“Charge” is from martyromai, to call to witness; to make a solemn affirmation or declaration, to make a solemn appeal.] Paul was exhorting, encouraging and challenging the Thessalonian believers to live lives that showed they respected the fact that God had called them to live for Him. Their lives had to be worthy of God where “worthy” [axios] means as becometh, appropriate, suitable. “Worthy” is seen in other verses, as worthy of the saints [Rom 16:2], of their calling [Eph 4:1], of the gospel of Christ [Col 1:10].

So in these verses we have a pattern for ministry that will be successful under God. There will be times when we need to humble ourselves before God and recognise that we and those to whom we minister are all children before God and that we need to be gentle towards those in our charge. At all times we have to have like a mother’s care towards her child, being willing to give ourselves in our care for them. We also need people to be like fathers exhorting, encouraging and challenging those under our care to live in a way that brings glory to God, while being affectionately desirous of them, and their being very dear to us.

Blog No.471 posted on Sunday 26 March 2023.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Glorification, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

470. Taking Opportunities To Show Love. Re-reading Blog No 271. 

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Jim Holbeck

I don’t often go back to look at my previous blog articles but when this one appeared on my computer screen I decided to read it again. I was challenged by it. I wrote it when my beloved wife was slowly succumbing to the cancers that had invaded her body and I was very conscious of the need to love her even more thoughtfully and deeply while she was still with me. I tried to!

It means a great deal to me that one of my favourite memories of my wife took place just a year later and a couple of days before she entered hospital for the last time, never to return home. I was helping her to her favourite chair when she suddenly stopped, took me by my hands, looked up into my eyes and said just 2 sentences to me that I will remember for the rest of my life. She said, “Thank you for loving me. Thank you for caring for me.” She had often said lovely things to me like those words but this was different. It was as though she knew her death was imminent, and she wanted to express her gratitude for the almost 54 years of marriage we had enjoyed together, before she was unable to do so. Her words  touched me deeply and still do almost 4 years later. 

I hope as you read the article on the link below that you might respond to the challenge it contains. The world is in desperate need of people who are willing to take advantage of the opportunities to show love to the people in their environment. I praise God for the love I have received throughout my life from people who saw an opportunity to show love to me and unselfishly met it. 

Become, or continue to be, a lover!

Click on No 271 on http://www.jimholbeck.blog OR below

271. Love Makes The Most Of Every Opportunity. (Sermon suggestions for Mark 14:1-9 for Palm Sunday 25March 2018).

Blog No.470 posted on Sunday 19 March 2023 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Coping With Personal Grief, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Justification, Mental Health, New Covenant, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Salvation, Sanctification | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment