2 Tim. 2:14-26, Emptiness (2)

Here is the list of uses of the adjective.  Who or what is empty and why?

kenos: empty

·       Mk.12:3: servant beaten, sent away empty (Lk.20:10,11)

·       Lk.1:53: God has filled hungry, sent rich away empty

·       Acts 4:25: why do nations rage, peoples plot in vain. This is a quote of Ps. 2:1. The Hebrew word here is riq and has the same idea as the Greek.  In Lev. 26:16,20 Israel will sow seed in vain because her enemies will eat the harvest; and her work in the fields will be vain because there will be no produce.

·       I Cor.15:10: God's grace was not w/o effect to Paul. 

·       I Cor.15:14ab: if Christ not raised our preaching & your faith is useless

·       I Cor.15:58: be faithful because your labor in Lord is not in vain

·       2 Cor.6:1: Paul urged them not to receive God's grace in vain.  It appears this might lead to some thoughts on “Irresistible/Resistible Grace.”

·       Gal.2:2: Paul spoke with leaders of the Jerusalem Church about his preaching for fear he had run in vain.

·       Eph.5:6: don't be deceived with empty words (cf. 5:4 to define these words)

·       Phil.2:16ab: Paul urges the Philippians to “hold fast the word of life” so he can boast/rejoice in the day of Christ that he did not labor in vain or run in vain

·       I Th.2:1: Paul's visit to Thessalonica was not a failure

·       I Th.3:5: Paul afraid Satan tempted them & his efforts were useless

·       Jas.2:20: faith w/o deeds is useless (Majority Text has “dead”)

And then add these compound terms.

kenembateuō: to step on emptiness, misstep (empty kenem to walk bateuō)

·       Col.2:18: don't let false teachers disqualify you for the prize. You are disqualified if you follow false teaching because you are walking on air or on emptiness.  (The word “vainly” later in the verse is Greek eike, for no reason.)

kenodoxos: conceited, boastful (empty keno glory doxos).

·       Gal.5:26: let us not become conceited, provoking & envying.  Church fights are often “empty.” 

kenophōnia: chatter, empty talk (empty keno talk phonia)

·       1 Tim.6:20: turn away from godless chatter & opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge

·       2 Tim.2:16: avoid godless chatter, those who do it become more ungodly

May our lives be filled with the fullness of God!