Outwardly conforming (συσχηματίζω)
Outwardly conforming (συσχηματίζω) means putting on a mask to appear as something you’re not. It is to conform one’s mind and character to another’s pattern.
Suschēmatizō (συσχηματίζω) is derived from a word that means to be in the appearance or likeness of something else. When God the Son wrapped Himself in flesh, He was found in the likeness of a man; however, He was still fully God. He emptied Himself of His outward display of Deity and wrapped Himself in flesh, Philippians 2:8. As Christians, we are not part of the world system, for in Christ we are crucified to it, and it to us. However, Christ chose not to remove us from it; therefore, we are to use it but not abuse it, realizing that the outward form of the world is always changing, 1 Corinthians 7:31. It is the one who does the desirous will of God that abide into the age, 1 John 2:17.
In Romans 12:2, we are instructed not to put on a mask (outwardly conform ourselves) as though we are under law. Christians do not govern their lives by law, Romans 6:14. We are not to be inarticulate babblers who need a tutor because we are sons, Ephesians 1:5 (having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His desirous will). Sons do not need governors and tutors, which is what the law served as, Galatians 3:24. In contrast to living by law we are to train our senses to know what is proper from what lacks in character and govern our lives by grace out from faith, Hebrews 5:14; Romans 1:17. This standard needs no law because what is produced in the Christian who is focus on living by the Spirit is not against any law, Galatians 5:22-23.
And do not be outwardly conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewedness of the mind for the purpose that you test for approval what is the desirous will of God, the good and well pleasing and mature – Romans 12:2
As obedient children, we are not to put on a mask to the former lusts in our ignorance; instead, just as He is holy, we are to separate ourselves out unto God in all our conduct, 1 Peter 1:14-15.
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 night. While breaking bread, it was revealed to them that the one walking and talking with them was the resurrected Christ. They immediately went back to Jerusalem and found the eleven to inform them of what happened. While speaking to them, Jesus appears in their midst, causing them to fear, thinking he was a spirit. To reassure them, Jesus tells them to not be troubled (stirred up) or let doubt arise in their hearts for He is actually raised from the dead, proving He is resurrected and not a spirit by partaking of food with them, Luke 24:38-39.
In the upper room, before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, Jesus shared a lot of details about what was coming and the new relationship with God that would result from these events. However, in order for this to come about, He had to go away. Their hearts are not to be troubled by this, for in His Father’s house are many dwelling places and He is preparing a place for them, John 14:1. To stabilize the Christian, Jesus left His peace with us so that our hearts are not troubled, John 14:27.
Paul marveled at how quickly the saints in Galatia turned away from the One who called them by the grace of Christ to a different gospel. Jews from Jerusalem, claiming they were from the Apostles, came teaching that unless they are circumcised they cannot be saved, preaching another gospel and perverting the gospel of the Christ while stirring up the saints to follow them rather than the truth, Galatians 1:7. This persuasion does not come from Him who called them, for in Christ there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision. Those troubling them will bear their judgment, Galatians 5:6.
In response to suffering because we are acting righteously, we are not to be troubled by their threats. Instead, we are to stand firm in our faith, setting apart Christ as our Lord (master) and being ready to give a verbal defense to anyone who asks about the reason for our hope, 1 Peter 3:14-15. It is a thing of grace to suffer for righteousness and the name of Christ; therefore, let none of us suffer as one who does wrong. Instead, in all things, let us seek to fulfill the desires of the Spirit and manifest the life of Christ in us while not being troubled by those who reject the truth, speak false things about us, and treat us unfairly because we refuse to partake in their debauchery. It is better to suffer for doing the desirous will of God than for doing wrong, 1 Peter 3:17.
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, Titus 1:5. Due to the insubordination of some who are vain talkers and deceivers, teaching things that should not be taught and subverting whole household for dishonest gain, Paul had to specifically send Titus to put things in orders, for even their own prophets describe them as lazy gluttons, Titus 1:10-12. This same danger exists within many assemblies that do not hold their pastors to the Scriptural requirements of a Bishop.
Christians have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. Therefore, we are not to be idle or unfruitful in gaining a full experiential knowledge of Christ. We are to be diligent in adding to our faith virtue. Virtue is manifesting a character that denotes excellence; therefore, living out the righteousness we have in Christ. To our virtue we add knowledge by experiencing through learning to identify and fulfill the desires of the Spirit. Knowledge will support self-control because we know who we are in Christ and what is coming. Patient is supported by self-control. While being patient we will live out godliness. Our godly behavior is the foundation for our brotherly fondness of the saints. Out of our fondness for the saints comes a love that seeks the best for them, 2 Peter 1:8. However, one who lacks these things is shortsighted, forgetting they have been cleaned from their old sins, 2 Peter 1:9. Let us be diligent in doing our sure calling even election, for in doing these things we will not fall, 2 Peter 1:10.
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 minds from the simplicity of the Christ, 2 Corinthians 11:3. Through the traditions of men and the basic principles of the world, false teachers will seek to cheat us by using philosophy and empty deceit, Colossians 2:8. We are complete in Christ, touch not, taste not, handle not, and the observation of days are principles of the world for righteousness, not for those who are in Christ, for we govern out lives out from faith not out from law. In these last days, many false teachers will carouse in their own deceptions while feasting among the saints, 2 Peter 2:13. They have forsaken the right way, loving the wages of unrighteousness by imposing tithing on the assemblies. Sin is very deceitful and will cause us to harden our hearts, not listening to God, Hebrews 3:12-13. Many assemblies today seek to please the emotions, exchanging proper doctrine for teachings through which they merchandise the saints. Through their sinful desires to seek their own righteousness, they have hardened their heart, abusing spiritual gifts, seeking signs and wonders so their eyes are pleased, and turning the grace of God into licentiousness. We are to stand away from such assemblies lest the deceitfulness of sin hardens our hearts, while being vigilant against deception by fostering a sense of alertness and caution concerning what is being taught.
As Christians, we are to put off our former conduct. The old man, which is who we were in Adam, grows corrupt according to the deceitfulness of strong desires, Ephesians 4:22. As part of a new creation, we are imputed the righteousness of our head, Who is Christ, 1 Corinthians 1:30. Therefore, when we frame our mind on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, so that we are seeking to identify and do the desires from the Holy Spirit, we will manifest the quality of righteousness we have in Christ, putting off the former conduct in the old man and no longer being deceived by its strong desires, Ephesians 4:23-24.
Reconcile (καταλλάσσω)
Reconcile (καταλλάσσω) involves the settlement of disputes or differences between two or more individuals or groups. It is often facilitated by a third party. An agreement is reached that satisfies all persons involved in the dispute, thereby restoring a sense of cooperation and harmony.
In the marriage relationship among saints when there is a dispute that results is a separation, they are not to marry another. Rather, they are to stay unmarried or be reconciled to each other, 1 Corinthians 7:11. However, if an unbelieving spouse abandoned the marriage, the believer is free to remarry another believer, 1 Corinthians 7:15.
God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8. Through the death of Christ, the righteousness of God was satisfied, permitting reconciliation, Romans 5:9. Therefore, since when we were enemies He made reconciliation for us through His blood, how much more through His life will we be saved, Romans 5:10. He was raised three days later, proving that His sacrifice was acceptable to God and, therefore, we are justified through Him, Romans 4:25. It was necessary that Christ died for our sin because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, Hebrews 9:22. Without the shedding a blood a settlement could not be garnered that would satisfy all parties.
In this dispensation, those who are saved are given the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18. God was in Christ reconciling the world, not imputing their trespasses, and has given to us the word of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:19. We supplicate on behalf of Christ to those who do not believe to be reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Adam’s sin brought death unto all humans, Romans 5:12. God instructed Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, informing him that on the day in which he eats, dying he would die. Before he sinned, Adam trespassed by determining to break God’s law, even though Satan had not deceived him; although, he was able to fully deceive Eve, 1 Timothy 2:14. Therefore, through his trespass, he became dead to God in his spirit, and through his sin, the penalty of physical death was applied. Although Adam did not immediately drop dead, his act of disobedience guaranteed his physical death. Since Adam is the head of the creation of humans, he passed down these deaths and condemnation to all, Romans 5:12-14. Therefore, it is appointed to man to die, Hebrews 9:27. The blood of Christ satisfies the requirements of God’s righteousness concerning Adams trespass and sin; thereby freeing those who believe in Christ’s death for sin and resurrection on the third day from the wrath of God, Romans 5:9.
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 translate what is being said, 1 Corinthians 14:26-28.
There are a few forms of the words for filling in Greek that can be a bit confusing at first; however, a bit of study will clear up any misunderstanding. Platho (πληθω) is a form of (Pimplami) πίμπλημι, not a separate word. It looks very similar to πληρόω (Plarow); however, when the root of the word is properly determined, it express a dominating type of filling (πίμπλημι), not replenishing (πληρόω). What is being conveyed by the different uses of these words can be correctly expressed in English by the use of “dominate” for filling up in a mentally controlling manner and “to replenish” for filling up where lacking. Scripture was originally written in Greek for a reason. The distinctions of these words are here on purpose so that we properly understand the truth being conveyed by their use.
As the Old Testament saints began to transition to grace and the New Covenant, there was a time period in which God demonstrated to the Jews through signs and wonders that what was happening was His work. When Israel fully rejected the resurrected Messiah, the sign and miracles gifts ceased, including speaking in another dialect (speaking in tongues). After John wrote the book of Revelation, the gift of prophecy also ceased to operate in the Church, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
How a dominating (Pimplami πίμπλημι) type of filling controls can be seen in its effects on the entire city of Ephesus, which was filled with confusion by Demetrius and the silver smith’s yelling, causing all in the city to rush into the theater with one accord, Acts 19:29. The Jews in Antioch of Pisidia were dominated by their envy for the response among the Gentiles to Paul and Barnabas so that they spoke contradicting and blasphemous things against Paul, Acts 13:45. The result of their opposition to truth was the message of the Gospel of God’s grace going to the Gentiles, Acts 13:47-51. In contrast to the Jews being dominated (filled) by their envy, the disciples are replenished (filled) with joy by the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:52.
The last time a Christian was dominated by the Holy Spirit in Scripture was with Paul when he was dealing with Elymas the sorcerer, Acts 13:8-9. Through Paul, the Holy Spirit condemned and punished Elymas for standing against the truth. The only type of filling that the Spirit does today is a replenishment when the saint puts on the new man and, therefore, is able to use the fruit from the Spirit as the Holy Spirit filled him up where he is lacking so that he can fully manifest the character of Christ, Ephesians 5:18.