2 Cor. 10:1-7, Dwelling with the Most High God (2)

Here is a continuation of the “high” word family.

upsos (neuter noun): height

·       Lk.1:78: by God's mercy the rising sun will come to us from heaven

·       Lk.24:49: d's to stay in city until clothed w/power from on high

·       Eph 3:18: prayer to grasp how wide, long, high, deep is love of Christ (what a grand aspect of spiritual maturity: to more and more have an experiential knowledge of the four dimensions of God’s love).

·       Eph 4:8: when Christ ascended on high he led captivity captive (from a great Messianic Psalm, Ps. 68:18).

·       Jas 1:9: bro in humble circ. should take pride in high position (with the entirety of the verse, this is James’ way of saying whether our earthly position is humble or high, we must always recognize our dependency on the Lord).

·       Rev. 21:16: city = as wide & high as it is long

upsōma (neuter noun): height, exaltation

·       Rom 8:39: not height nor depth, etc can sep. from God's love in Christ

·       2 Cor 10:5: Paul demolishes all pretension that sets up against kn. of God

upsoō (verb): to lift up, to raise high

·       Mt.11:23: will Capernaum be lifted up to skies? No; to depths (Lk.10:15)

·       Mt.23:12ab: he who exalts self = humbled; he who humbles self is exalted (Lk.14:11ab; 18:14ab)

·       Lk.1:52: Mary: he has lifted up the humble

·       Jn.3:14ab: as Moses lifted up snake, so Son of Man must be lifted up (John uses the idea of “height” as the most humiliating thing of all: Jesus lifted up to the cross.  And yet it was God’s means of drawing all to Himself.)

·       Jn.8:28: Christ: when I'm lifted up you'll know I am who I claim to be

·       Jn.12:32: Christ: when I am lifted up I'll draw all men to Myself

·       Jn.12:34: Jews ask why Christ says Son of Man must be lifted up

·       Ac.2:33: Christ, exalted to rt. hand of God, poured out HS at Pentecost (Christ lifted up to the cross in shame; thus Christ exalted to the heavenlies.)

·       Ac.5:31: God exalted Christ to rt hand as Prince & Savior to give repentance

·       Ac.13:17: God made Israel prosper in Egypt

·       2 Cor 11:7: Paul took no pay so as to elevate them

·       Jas 4:10: humble self & God will lift you up (1 Pet 5:6; this is a universal principle in Scripture: God exalts the humble and humbles the proud, Mt. 23:12, as is demonstrated in every story in OT and NT alike).

Our desire to be lifted to higher ground simply requires that we be fixed on Christ.  He is the ultimate one who was humbled and exalted (Phil. 2:5-11).