Rev. 3:14-22, No Place for the Poor or Beggarly Elements

Here is another simple term.  But I am going to pull out two references and save them for the end.  The word is pronounced ptōchos.  It refers to the poor, miserable, beggarly or impotent.  Along the way you will learn some things about our attitude towards and relationship with those who are “weak” in society.  Jesus cared about the poor, so this is an important matter.

·       Mt 5:3: blessed the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Lk 6:20).

·       Mt 11:5: blind/lame/lepers/deaf/dead were healed/raised, and the poor had the gospel preached to them. (Lk 7:22)

·       Mt 19:21: rich ruler told to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come follow Christ. (Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22)

·       Mt 26:9,11: The perfume could have been sold, the money given to the poor; Jesus said, the poor you will always have with you. (Mk 14:5,7)(Jn 12:5,6,8; v6: Judas didn't really care about the poor.)

·       Mk 12:42,43: The poor widow put in 2 coins; Jesus said, the poor widow put in more than others. (Lk 21:2,3)

·       Lk 4:18: Jesus quotes the prophecy of His call ... to preach gospel to the poor.

·       Lk 14:13,21: when giving a banquet Jesus says to invite the poor, etc. After being refused the man had his servants invite poor, lame, etc.

·       Lk 16:20,22: parable of a beggar names Lazarus; the beggar died.

·       Lk 19:8: Zaccheus gave half his possessions to the poor.

·       Jn 13:29: the disciples thought Judas was going to give something to poor.

·       Ro 15:26: churches made contributions to the poor saints in Jerusalem.

·       2Co 6:10: Paul was poor, yet making many rich

·       Gal 2:10: Paul was only asked to remember the poor, the very thing he did.

·       Jas 2:2f,5f: a poor man comes into church and biased people tell the poor man to sit at their feet; God chose poor to be rich in faith, but you insult the poor.

·       Rev 13:16: beast forced all, rich & poor, etc, to receive mark.

Now, with this background, here are two situations involving spiritual poverty.

·       Gal 4:9: how can you turn back to weak, miserable principles?  This is the description of someone who has come to Christ, solely by the grace of God, but who now thinks that they are to live the Christian life by the law and the fleshly effort that was involved in keeping the law.  They have ignorant of the riches of our inheritance in Christ (Eph. 1:18), the unsearchable riches of Christ (3:8), the riches of His glory (3:16). 

·       Rv 3:17: the Laodicean Church was wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, etc.  It is because they have counted themselves rich in material things while being poverty-stricken spiritually.  They are not drawing on their riches in Christ.

Psalm 114

Here is another Psalm that glorifies God in the history of Israel, or more specifically, in His choice of Israel.  Remember that this is in the group of “hillel” Psalms (113-118) read at feast times.  They are calls to praise that are beneficial for the people of Israel to review frequently.  But, to be sure, this is a call to praise for all the earth.

·         114:1-2: We are transported to the very beginning of the national existence of the descendents of Jacob.  They were a family until God took them out of Egypt.  Judah, the tribe in which both the palace and the temple would rest, became holy to the Lord (His sanctuary or holy place).  Israel became His dominion, the place on earth where God would exercise His kingly authority.  Remember how significant this is to the people of Israel.  They entered Egypt 70 members of a family; they endured great affliction; and by God’s grace and power, they exited Egypt a nation of millions.

·         114:3-6: What rejoicing this elicited from the parts of creation through which Israel travelled on their way to Canaan.  Both the Red Sea and the Jordan River were parted for Israel to pass through.  The great mountains of the wilderness and the little hills were like playful sheep as God brought His people into the Promised Land.

·         114:7-8: Why did these potential obstacles act in such a way?  Because they recognized the presence of the Lord in this event.  All the earth is called to tremble at His presence.  In the Exodus the Presence of God was especially evident when God provided water from the rock (Exodus 17:1-7).  When you read that story you will see God not only promised to meet the need for water; He promised to appear before the people.  God did His work through Moses, speaking to the people in Egypt and leading them out.  But at Rephidim He manifested Himself in a way that was evident to the people.  There is a Jewish tradition that the rock from which water came actually stayed with Israel throughout their years in the wilderness.  That may or may not be the case (Scripture is not clear).  But remember that the Apostle Paul put it this way: they all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).  God manifested Himself in that rock and manifestations of God always are connected to the second member of the Trinity, the Son of God.

Today the message is the same.  Israel was to be His sanctuary and dominion.  He is present with those today who drink of the spiritual Rock, to dwell with them and to rule over them.  What worship that should elicit from each of us!  Jesus Himself said, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14).

Acts 20:36-21:6, The Fellowship of Ministry

Today we have a special Greek word, easy to define and describe, yet critical to our calling as Christians. The word is “propempō,” joining the verb “to send” with the prefix indicating “before, forward, ahead.”  Thus, we have “to accompany, escort; to help on one’s journey.”  It is used 9x in the NT, all with the same context.

·       Acts 15:3: the Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas on their way to Jerusalem.  Probably they paid their expenses, but certainly they sent them with the authority to speak for their church.

·       Acts 20:38: the Ephesian elders "accompanied" Paul to the ship.  There is no mention of financial assistance, but these men accompanied Paul as a form of encouragement.  They were aware Paul thought it might be the last time they would see each other, and the reason would have to do with Paul’s upcoming ministry in Jerusalem.  Money does not meet all needs.  We need to exercise the gift of giving, but we also need to use the gift of encouragement/ comfort.

·       Acts 21:5: the disciples of Tyre accompanied Paul and his group out of town and prayed on the beach before he boarded his ship.  Again, this is not a time of financial need but a time when what is needed must come from the Lord.  So they prayed, right there on the beach.

·       Rom 15:24: Paul planned for them to assist him on his journey to Spain.  While you might assume “money” you need to understand Paul’s attitude on these things.  Yes, he accepted gifts.  But in Phil. 1:5 he noted how the church had helped him from the beginning of their relationship with him.  They were “partakers” of the grace of God along with him (1:7).  He could get along with a little or a lot, but mainly he wanted fellow-believers to be blessed and for God to be blessed by the sweet aroma of their sacrifices (4:14-18).

·       1 Cor 16:6,11: Paul might stop in Corinth so they can help him on his way; in the meantime Paul wanted them to help Timothy on his way.

·       2 Cor 1:16: Paul had wanted to stop there in Corinth so they could help him on his way.  Some in Corinth struggled with this.  They wanted Paul to come personally to visit them and felt snubbed when he went other place but not to Corinth.  These are attitudes that work against “propempō.”

·       Titus 3:13: Titus told to help Zenas and Apollos on their way.

·       3Jn 6: Gaius needs to help itinerate ministers on their way.  This epistle highlights this idea.  Gaius was willing to help travelling servants of Christ.  Diotrephes (1:9) did not do this and apparently prevented the church from doing this important ministry.  Diotrephes wanted to be the “big man” in the church.  John warned that he would come and call attention to this.

What is your attitude toward “missions giving?”  Do you see it as just a “church” thing or do you seek opportunities to encourage them in your own life?

Deut. 29:2-4; Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Get It Together” (3)

In this listing of passages keep in mind that the “mind” it is talking about is this “mind” that perceives, that by the Spirit under the New Covenant is enabling us to see how things fit together in our walk with Christ.  But also keep in mind, that the natural man has a “mind” like this, but it is a “good sense” mind that is created by the wisdom of the world.

·       Luke 24:46: Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples so they could understand the Scriptures.  We need this.  As believers in Christ we have this in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10).

·       Rom.1:28: God gave them over to reprobate minds.  Because man suppressed the truth, his “good sense mind” is actually rejected, worthless.

·       Rom.7:23,25: Paul sees another law (law of sin) working against the “law of my mind” (his desire to do right).  He serves God with the law of his mind.

·       Rom.11:34: who has known the mind of the Lord.  Ultimately, God’s understanding is above all others.

·       Rom.12:2: be transformed by the renewal of your mind (a change in our perspective or perception).

·       Rom.14:5: We need to be persuaded in our own mind if something is right.

·       1Cor.1:10: Christians should be joined in the same mind.

·       1 Cor.2:16ab: who knows the mind of the Lord; but we have mind of Christ.  In the New Covenant time believers are able by the Holy Spirit to know things that were a mystery in OT times. 

·       1 Cor 14:14,15,19: Concerning speaking in tongues Paul says, if I pray in a tongue my understanding is unfruitful; therefore I'll pray and sing with my mind; he would rather speak 5 words with his understanding. 

·       Eph.4:17: Gentiles walk in vanity of their mind.

·       Eph.4:23: As in Rom. 12:2, be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

·       Phil.4:7: the peace of God passes all understanding.

·       Col.2:18: The Gnostics were vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind.

·       2 Th.2:2: don't be shaken in mind (worried), Paul says, about false claim that the day of Christ had already come.

·       2 Tim.3:8: Jannes & Jambres were men of corrupt minds.

·       Tit 1:15: the mind and conscience of the unpure person is defiled.

·       Rev.13:18: let him with understanding count number of beast.

·       Rev 17:9: here is the mind with wisdom (the one who understands the nature of the harlot Babylon).

Not all who say they have it together do, in fact, have it together.  The Christian has an advantage because of the indwelling Spirit.

Luke 2:41-50, “Get It Together” (2)

The adjective means “intelligent, wise, with good sense.”  The NKJV translates this “prudent” to differentiate it from wisdom.  As for the difference in English, prudence involves caution and careful planning while wisdom is the more general term dealing with a sound approach to life. 

·       Mt 11:25: God had hidden things from the wise and prudent (Lk 10:21). 

·       Ac 13:7: Sergius Paulus was a prudent man.

·       1Co 1:19: A quote from Isa. 29:14, where God says He will bring to nothing the understanding (noun form) of the prudent.

The noun refers to the “faculty of comprehension, intelligence, acuteness.”  We’re not talking about the brain but an ability to see things in a right perspective.

·       Mk 12:33: The scribe responded to Jesus, saying “to love God with all your u.”  Jesus had said, as recorded in all three gospels (Mt. 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk. 10:27), to love God “with all your mind,” using the term dianous which is part of this family of words.  The “nous” (mind) is the faculty by which we “understand.”  To put a “dia” in front of it is to add a sense of thoroughness to our understanding.  One thing we conclude is that Jesus did not say to simply love God with your brain, a grasping of the facts.

·       Lk 2:47: all who heard Jesus (12 yrs old) were amazed at his u & answers.  And remember from the previous post, Mary and Joseph “did not understand” what Jesus meant about “His Father’s business.”

·       1Co 1:19: I will bring to nothing the u of the prudent.

·       Eph 3:4: if they read his 1st letter they'll u Paul's knowledge of Christ.

·       Col 1:9: be filled w/knowledge of his will in all ... spiritual u.  Again, Paul is clear.  The Bible knowledge that fills us needs to be the kind of knowledge that is wise and perceptive.

·       Col 2:2: Paul labors that their hearts would be knit together in love and to all riches of full assurance of u.  This tells us that part of gaining “understanding” has to do with the Word of God and the teacher of the Word of God.

·       2Ti 2:7: Prayer: the Lord give them u in all things.  We pray that people will have understanding because the Lord must do the work.

The negative adjective, means a person is “without understanding, discernment.”

·       Mt 15:16: to Peter Jesus said, Are you also without u? (Mk 7:18)

·       Rom 1:21: their foolish hearts were darkened.

·       Rom 1:31: the list of sins includes being without understanding.

·       Rom 10:19: a quote of Moses (Dt. 32:21, the Song of Moses) concerning Israel, "By a foolish nation I will anger you.”

There is more to come!  Much more that we need to “put together.”

Matt. 13:18-23, “Get It Together” (1)

There is “knowledge” of the facts, “wisdom” in using that knowledge, and then there is “understanding.”  Let me share Vine’s description of this term:

primarily, "to bring or set together," is used metaphorically of "perceiving, understanding, uniting" (sun), so to speak, the perception with what is perceived.

“Perception” is critical point.  You might think this is “wisdom,” and in Eph. 5:17 understanding is the opposite of being unwise.  But as I see it, “understanding” is between knowing the facts and using the facts.  It indicates you have brought the strands of information related to something, and it has affected your heart. 

In this post I just want to list the verb uses because it starts with what is likely the most important issue of understanding.  For space, “u” is “understanding.”

·       Mt 13:13-15: Isaish: hearing but shall not u. Ye shall hear and not u. Eyes and ears closed lest they u and be converted. Also in Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Ac28:26,27.  Israel got the facts through the prophets, but these facts would not grip their hearts, which is the seat of “understanding.”

·       Mt 13:19,23: parable of soils: one u not; one u.  Both receive the gospel but one has no heart engagement, the other does. (Lk. 8:17,21)

·       Mt 13:51: Jesus asks: have you u all things? Yes, they said.  Interesting.  Are the disciples saying, “we have the facts” or that they truly “understand?”

·       Mt 15:10: Jesus calls the multitudes to “hear & u.”  Not just the facts. (Mk. 7:14)

·       Mt 16:12: then they u he spoke of spiritual leaven, not literal. Remember: “understanding” involves bringing together various strands.  When the saw that He was not talking about literal bread then they could understand.

·       Mt 17:13: disciples u he spoke of John the B. 

·       Mk 6:52: disciples considered not the miracle of loaves bec. hearts were hard.

·       Lk 2:50: they u not Jesus’ remark about His Father's business (age 12).

·       Lk 18:34: disciples didn't u what Jesus said of His death, resurrection.  Note: this was the third time Jesus had told them of His coming suffering.

·       Lk 24:45: Jesus opens their understanding (nous, the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining) so they can u Scripture.  He enabled the organ of perception to they could perceive.  This is a New Covenant issue (cf. Deut. 29:2-4; Jer. 31:31-34).

·       Ac7:25ab: Moses thought his brothers would u his mission but they u not.

·       Ac13:27: those in Jerusalem knew not Christ or prophets.

·       Ro 3:11: there is none that understands.

·       2Co 10:12: those who measure and compare selves by selves are not wise.

·       Eph 5:17: be not unwise but understanding what will of Lord is.

The next post will build considerable on this.

1 Peter 1:13-21, God Has No Partiality

There’s a lot of talk about “prejudice” in our society.  It’s quite likely that, no matter what side you are on in the political circles, it’s not just a matter of talk but is a fact.  I say this because our Lord is concerned about this issue, even in and especially in His Church.  There are 4 words in this family, and this time I’ll just take them one at a time.  Each is a compound word, joining the Greek words pros (to, towards) + hoptanomai (to look at, behold) + lambanō (to take up something).  Put them together and we have “a respecter of persons, looking at someone with favorability.”

The masculine noun, a respecter of persons, is found once in Ac. 10:34.  Peter said to Cornelieus, "God is not one to show partiality."  The whole story throughout Ac. 10 is about this, God working on Peter’s Jewish attitude, that God’s choice of Israel meant that He thought less of the Gentiles.  The truth was that God choice Israel to be His avenue through which redemption would come to the entire world.  The OT makes it clear of God’s plan to provide a Savior for all the families of the nations. Study Rom. 15:7-13 and note the OT quotes that prove this point.

The feminine noun, respect of persons, is used 4 times. 

·       Rom 2:11: there is no partiality w/God. The context again is Jew/Greek.

·       Eph 6:9: no partiality by God to masters or slaves.  The bias that was acceptable in society has no place in the Body of Christ.

·       Col 3:25: judgment w/o partiality (context is same as above, slaves and masters).  Pay attention to this.  The issue is not “sharing the wealth,” as if impartiality means everyone is the same.  Everyone is not the same.  Some have more money than others, more education than others, a higher political standing, and so forth.  But all will be judged by the Lord on the same standard: what did you do with what you had, not what you didn’t have? 

·       Jas 2:1: do not hold the faith of Christ with personal favoritism/partiality. 

The verb, to have respect of persons, is also in James 2 (2:9) where James emphasizes the rich and poor in the Body of Christ.

The adverb has an alpha/”a” preceeding, making it negative: without respect of persons, and is found in 1 Pt. 1:17: the Father impartially judges each man according to his works.  The application is that, since we call on our impartial Father, we should live our lives here in fear.

Vine (on above 4 terms) says this: denotes respect of persons, partiality, the fault of one who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich & powerful to those who are not so.