Something Greater

Where Thieves Break In Today I received a letter from friends who work as translators and teachers in another country. They are helping to translate the Bible into a language that has lacked anything written, not even an alphabet! Their letter described something I always find intriguing, and important . My friends were translating a verse from Matthew: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 6:19 (ESV) "Break in" is the English translation of the Greek word, diorysso, meaning to penetrate burglariously, from a word meaning to burrow in the ground or dig . One of my greatest passions is words, and how words develop , and the literal objects at the root of words for abstract concepts. My friends live among a people-group who understand clearly what this verse describes: "In the hot season, people sleep outside and lock the door of their house. Thieves go aroun

Astonished and Silenced Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 (ESV) BOLDNESS: parresia (all out-spokeness, frankness, bluntness, publicity, assurance); from pas (all) and rheo (to utter, speak or say); from rheo (to flow, or "run") ASTONISHED: thaumazo (to wonder or admire); from thauma (wonder); from theaomai (to look closely at, to perceive or visit) The religious leaders greatly admired the bold, out-spokenness of their speech. Notice that their wonder resulted from seeing Peter and John, rather than listening to them. It was not so much as their words of reason, but their boldness in speaking that caused others to look closely at Peter and John in wonder and admiration. The astonishment came because of the constrast between what the crowd had expected of Peter and John before they saw them preaching. Notice tha

Joyful Despair "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of

Acting in Ignorance "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers." Acts 3:17 (ESV) IGNORANCE: agnoia (the quality of ignorance); from agnoeo (not to know, to ignore through disinclination); from noieo (to exercise the mind, observe, comprehend, heed); from nous (the intellect, mind, meaning); from ginosko (to know) Ignorance means to not know and to not care to know . The root of the word is to exercise the mind, to observe and attach meaning and importance to what is observed. Peter was preaching to Jews, the religious people who denied Christ's divine nature and hated His condemnation of their lifestyle. The Jewish leaders initiated His arrest and demanded His execution, and Peter blamed ignorance for their malice and violence . The Apostle Paul described ignorance as having a mind of futility : "You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, ali

Abiding in Christ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:9-11 (ESV) ABIDE: meno (to stay) Abiding in Christ's love means depending upon what Christ gives through His love , which includes His commandments. When Jesus first sent His disciples out to go from town to town to heal and preach, He told them to find a "house of peace" and abide there, eating what they provide . They were not to go from house to house. (Luke 10:3-7) Abiding in the same house is a good illustration of abiding in Christ's love. Abiding means accepting all that Christ has done for us and given us , with an attitude of thankfulness and dependence. Christ's commandments are given in love, and He promises joy in the abiding. Abidin