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Pleasing (ἀρέσκω)

Pleasing (ἀρέσκω) expresses the concept of acting in a fawning manner to win favor or to act in a way that is pleasing. Therefore, it has a negative, flattery, and a positive, pleasing, side to its meaning.

On Herod’s birthday, Herodias’ daughter danced before Herod and his guests to please him, instigating a response from him that resulted in a promise of a reward. This allowed Herodias to have John the Baptist put to death for calling out Herod’s unlawful act of being with her (his brother’s wife), for she had already instructed her daughter to ask for his head when the King offered her whatever she wanted because she pleased him, Matthew 14:6.

At the beginning of the Church, before the complete revelation concerning the Church was given, the first assembly in Jerusalem faced an issue with the care of the widows among the Hellenistic Jews. This issue required substantial attention and would impact the disciples’ ability to minister to the saints. To address this, the disciples called the multitude together to discuss selecting men who would handle the day-to-day affairs of the assembly, including ensuring that all widows were adequately cared for. This solution would allow the disciples to focus on ministering the Word instead of serving tables. The proposed resolution pleased the multitude, creating the position of Deacon, Acts 6:5.

The desires and works of the flesh cannot please God, for they are carnal in nature and, therefore, hostile to God, Romans 8:8. Because God imputes Christ’s death and resurrection to us, we are able to walk in newness of life, free from slavery to the sin nature, Romans 6:5-6. However, when we try to live the Christian life through law, the result […]

Pleasing (ἀρέσκω)Luther Walker2024-09-05T05:52:16-07:00

Inherent power (δύναμις)

Inherent power (δύναμις) describes the potential for functioning, the ability or capability to carry something out.

Inherent ability is often translated as, “power”, “wonders”, “mighty works”, or “miracles”, which can cause a lot of confusion in understanding what is being expressed. However, when we go back to its roots, we find that it refers to a person’s natural innate capacity or talent without the need to be taught or trained.

In Matthew chapter eleven, verses twenty through twenty-three, Jesus rebukes Chorazin and Bethsaida for their unbelief because of all the many manifestations of inherent ability that were done before them. In comparison, if these works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, these cities would still remain. However, in the day of Judgment, it will be more tolerable for these cities than for Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated His authority by bestowing inherent ability upon the twelve disciples. He sent them to Israel to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God, equipping them with the inherent ability and authority over demons and diseases, Luke 9:1.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved, it is the inherent ability of God, 1 Corinthians 1:18. The gospel of the Christ has within its words the inherent ability to save, Romans 1:16. It is important to clearly and without modification state the good news by which we are saved that is laid out by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Christ died on behalf of our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Unlike the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens, which could […]

Inherent power (δύναμις)Luther Walker2024-08-15T05:57:37-07:00

Troubled (ταράσσω)

Troubled (ταράσσω) means to shake together, stir up, or throw into confusion.

A few years after the birth of Christ, three magi from the east came to Judea looking for the King of the Jews. This troubled Herod, a Roman King, Matthew 2:3. After gathering all the High Priests and scribes of Israel to determine where the Christ would be born, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to seek out the child with the pretense that he wanted to also prostate before Him.

While Zacharias was performing his priestly service in the Temple of the Lord, an angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the messenger and fear fell upon him, Luke 1:12.

After the resurrection of Christ, in one of the instances that He showed the disciples that He is, in fact, raised from the dead, when He appeared to them, at first there was great fear and trembling in them. During the journey of two of the disciples to Emmaus, a man joins them asking what they are speaking about. Surprised that he did not know about what had happened over the last few days, they informed him how the rulers of Israel put Jesus to death. A man who was great in words and works from God that they had hope was the Messiah. In response, the man opens their minds concerning how the Scripture stated it was necessity for the death and resurrection of the Messiah. While they were speaking with this stranger, their hearts burned within them. When they came to the village they constrained the stranger to come and stay with them for the […]

Troubled (ταράσσω)Luther Walker2024-08-01T06:14:52-07:00

Idle (ἀργός)

Idle (ἀργός) describes someone who has nothing to do or is unwilling to work and, therefore, lazy.

Words are important. Men will give account for every idle utterance that comes out of the mouth, Matthew 12:36. This is because the mouth speaks out from the abundance of the heart, Matthew 12:34. A good man will store up good treasure in his heart, where a malignantly evil one will bring forth malignantly evil things from the treasury of his heart.

Socialism is not a standard for the Church. As with secular socialism, when people are taken care of and allowed to be idle rather than work, they become lazy. However, within the assembly, the sharing of possessions can and should be done out of love. We are a community that cares for each other. Sharing is not to encourage laziness, for one who does not work is not to be permitted to eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10. When a woman within the assembly becomes a widow, who is truly destitute having no living relatives, the local assembly is to care for her needs. This type of caring demonstrates our unity and love for the saints. However, if she is young or has other family members who can care for her, she is not to be financially provided for by the Church because of the danger of her becoming idle; instead, she is to marry, bear children, and manage the household, 1 Timothy 5:13.

The standards for a Pastor are essential for the assembly to know and to hold him accountable to. Paul left Titus in Crete to put things in order and appoint elders (pastors) in each of the cities, abiding by the guidance that Paul gave him, […]

Idle (ἀργός)Luther Walker2024-07-25T05:49:45-07:00

Deceive (ἀπάτη)

Deceive (ἀπάτη) expresses the concept of misleading someone through untrue statements intended to give them a wrong impression or misrepresentation of the truth.

When the man of lawlessness comes, it will be in accordance with the working of Satan by his inherent ability with signs and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception to the ones perishing. Those who follow him will have strong delusion upon them because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, the deception of the riches of this world choked out the message of the Kingdom of the Heavens many received, Matthew 13:22. Rather than following the Messiah, whom they believed was Jesus, they allowed the deceitful desire for wealth to lead them away from the promise of God.

One of the derivatives of this word emphasizes a thorough deception. Eve was thoroughly deceived (ἐξαπατάω) by Satan into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; however, Adam was not deceived (ἀπατάω), 1 Timothy 2:14. This is why sin came into the world through Adam; although, Eve was first to transgress, Romans 5:12. The sons of the unpersuaded use empty words to deceive, Ephesians 5:6. The false teachers among us thoroughly deceive the hearts of the simple, Romans 16:18. If anyone considers himself to be religious but cannot bridle his tongue, he is deceived in his own heart, James 1:26. Our sin nature uses law to thoroughly deceive us, making it impossible to live out our righteousness in Christ through law, Romans 7:11.

Those who intentionally deceive are misleading others by distorting the truth, just as Satan deceived Eve by his craftiness, they seek to corrupt our […]

Deceive (ἀπάτη)Luther Walker2024-07-11T06:06:54-07:00

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