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Mental Control (πίμπλημι)

Mental Control (πίμπλημι) is a type of filling in which the person, or thing, is completely filled up in such a way as to directly influence its direction and activities; therefore, they are dominated by what is filling them.

This is the type of filling used by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in the upper room in Acts chapter two when the disciples were dominated by Him to speak with other dialects. This is not the Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, which is a replenishing type of filling; instead, it is an Old Testament type of filling that was for the purpose of showing the Jews a sign from God.

And they were all dominated by the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages just as the Spirit gave them to declare – Acts 2:4.

The other type of filling, which is to replenish, is also used in the same context in Acts chapter two for how the sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the house with sound as the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, Acts 2:2.

The Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues that was given to the Church as a sign to the unbelieving Jews is a different type of filling from what happened on the day of Pentecost. It is a filling up where lacking, or replenish, and the person being filled in this way maintains mental control over the use of the gift, 1 Corinthians 14:32. On the day of Pentecost the disciples did not have control over what they were speaking; however, concerning the Spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, Christians are instructed to abstain from speaking if they do not have someone who can […]

Mental Control (πίμπλημι)2024-06-27T05:53:58-07:00

To Suppose (νομίζω)

“To suppose (νομίζω)” expresses following a practice that is customary or common in use, leading to the concept of forming an idea or making a tentative supposition concerning something in a traditional manner.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the Jews not to form a common opinion that He is seeking to release the Law or the Prophets for He came to fulfill, not loose, them, Matthew 5:17. As Jesus sends out twelve disciples, He instructs them to not go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans. Instead, they are only to go to the household of Israel preaching the Kingdom of the Heavens. They are to be wise as serpents, yet as harmless as a dove, for many will deliver them to councils and scourge them in their synagogues. However, they are not to fear them because those who verbally agree that Jesus is the Messiah, He will confess them before the Father in heaven. They are not to suppose that He came to bring peace to the earth, which was the customary way of thinking concerning the Messiah’s coming; instead, He brings a sword, for brother will be against brother, and a son against his father concerning the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens, Matthew 10:34.

Speaking concerning the Kingdom of the Heavens, Jesus uses a parable in which He speaks of a landowner who hired laborers to work in his vineyard for the day. He did this three times throughout the day, gathering more laborers each time. At the end of the day, when the laborers came to receive payment for their work, those who started work in the morning supposed they should get more money than they agreed upon because […]

To Suppose (νομίζω)2024-06-20T05:43:15-07:00

Not Striking against (ἀπρόσκοπος)

While Paul was defending himself before Felix against accusations from the Jews, he spoke of his conscience. He strives to have a conscience that does not strike at, hence, cause offense, God or men, Acts 24:16.

Although we understand that food does not defile a person, if someone lacks this knowledge, we are not to use our freedom to cause offense to ( a strike against) their conscience. Instead, whatever we eat or drink it is to be in a way that expresses a proper opinion of God, not striking against the conscience of the Jews, Greeks, or Church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32.

As we grow in love our full experiential knowledge and perception abound more and more so that we are able to approve the things that differ. In doing this, we will live out the life we have in Christ in a sincere manner and without offense to another until the day of Christ as we are filled up with the fruit of righteousness that is through Jesus Christ, Philippians 1:10.

‘Not striking against’ (ἀπρόσκοπος) is a concept often translated in English as ‘not offending’. However, ‘offense’ is also used for different words, such as ‘scandalizing’ (Matthew 18:7), and ‘trespass’ (Romans 4:25). Therefore. it is important to discern what Paul is referring to when he states we are not to give offense to any of the races. ‘Not strike against’ is a negation of the word ‘to strike’, which is used of dashing a foot against stone, Matthew 4:6, or stumbling while walking at night, John 11:10. ‘Aproskopos’ is predominately use concerning the conscience. Paul strived to have a good conscience before God and men, that did not strike against them; therefore, does not […]

Not Striking against (ἀπρόσκοπος)2024-06-13T07:07:50-07:00
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