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Fond of Honor (φιλοτιμέομαι)

Fond of Honor (φιλοτιμέομαι) is a word built from fondness (φιλος) and honor (τιμη) to express the concept of aspire towards that which is honorable. Therefore, have a strong desire, ambition, or aim to achieve something. It is often used when someone is striving toward a high or noble goal.

Paul aspired to evangelize the gospel where Christ had not been named, taking it to the end of the known world, not building upon another’s work, Romans 15:20. Just as it is written, to those whom it was not announced, they will discern, and to those who have not heard, they will understand.

We walk by faith, not by what we physically see; therefore, we are to aspire, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to God, 2 Corinthians 5:9. While we are present in this body, we are absent from the Lord. Although we groan within ourselves to be swallowed up by life, during our time here on earth we are to strive to be pleasing to God for we will all face the reward seat of Christ and receive the things that have been done in this body, 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Although the Thessalonians saints could have retaliated against the Jews who stirred up the city and instigated the magistrates to illegally demand surety from the victims; instead, Paul encourage them to refrain from disruptive activities, living a well-ordered life, 1 Thessalonians 4:11. This type of lifestyle focuses on your own things, working with your own hands so that you are able to walk in a proper manner to those who are outside the Church.

We are to be fond of doing what is honorable, for God has given us all things pertaining to […]

Fond of Honor (φιλοτιμέομαι)Luther Walker2024-09-26T05:34:54-07:00

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 9

Class Notes

Imperfect Indicative Middle and Passive

The Imperfect Indicative Middle and Passive are grammatical construction that expresses an action being performed on the subject (passive voice) or by the subject for the subject’s benefit (middle voice) and occurring continuously or repeatedly in the past (imperfect tense). This tense is used when describing events that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated over a period of time, rather than a single, completed action.

The Imperfect Indicative Middle and Passive Endings:

Singular

1st Person: – όμην

2nd Person: – ου

3rd Person: – ετο

Plural

1st Person: – όμεθα

2nd Person: – εσθε

3rd Person: – οντο

The imperfect Tense indicated action in the past, up to the point of writing. It is ongoing or repetitive action occurring in the past.

The indicative mood is used to express a statement as factual or reality. Therefore, the action is perceived as real or certain.

The passive voice emphasis that action of the verb being performed on the subject. Where the middle expresses the subject performs the action and is directly involved in its effect or outcome; therefore, done for the subject’s own benefit, on themselves, or in some reciprocal manner.

Imperfect Indicative Middle/Passive conjugation using λύω (to loose).

Singular

1st Person: ἐλυόμην – I was loosing (for myself)

2nd Person: ἐλύου – You were loosing (for yourself)

3rd Person: ἐλύετο – He/She/It was loosing (for him/her/itself)

Plural

1st Person: ἐλυόμεθα – We were loosing (for ourselves)

2nd Person: ἐλύεσθε – You all were loosing (for yourselves)

3rd Person: ἐλύοντο – They were loosing (for themselves)

Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive Examples:

ἐγίνετο (from γίνομαι – “to become” or “to […]

Biblical Greek First Year Lesson 9Luther Walker2024-11-03T15:36:32-08:00

Abstain (ἀπέχω)

Abstain (ἀπέχω) comes from the root “to have or hold (εχω)”, expressing the concepts of paid in full or sufficiency. In its general use it may also conveying the idea of deliberately avoiding or refraining from something; hence, abstain. Therefore, not holding onto something.

In expressing the concept of sufficiency, Paul uses ἀπέχω in Philippians 4:18 concerning the support he received from Epaphroditus, who was sent by the assembly to fulfill Paul’s physical needs. He conveys to them that he has no need for more, or they may abstain from sending more, because they have met the need.

The village of Emmaus is fully sixty stadia, approximately seven miles, from Jerusalem, Luke 24:13. ἀπέχω (apecho) is used to express its full distance being sufficiently completed by sixty stadia.

When speaking to the Jews about their righteous acts, Jesus warns them to not do them with the intent for others to see them. The one who does work in this manner receives in full what he deserves by the glory he acquired from men, Matthew 6:2, and, therefore, will not be rewarded by God.

In these latter times that we live in, we have many who have departed from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons. These are the pastors that in hypocrisy speak lies, having their own conscience seared, forbidding marriage and teaching abstaining from food, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth, 1 Timothy 4:3.

An aspect of the desirous will of God is for the saint to abstain from fornication, 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Each of us is to know how to possess his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the […]

Abstain (ἀπέχω)Luther Walker2024-10-31T05:42:49-07:00

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

The Fall of Cain

In Genesis 4:7, God instructs Cain concerning the rules of his household. After God rejected the work of Cain’s hands as an offering, Cain was very angry. In response, God lays out the rule by which Cain is expected to govern his life.

And if you do good, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do good, sin lies at the opening, and its desire is unto you, and you are to rule over it – Genesis 4:7.

This is the first time in Scripture we are introduced to the sin nature. The sin nature describes the human nature bent by Adam’s fall. Through Adam’s trespass and sin, his nature became bent towards doing what is wrong, for although Eve was thoroughly deceived, Adam was not, 1 Timothy 2:14. Adam passed on this bent nature to his offspring, Genesis 5:3. Therefore, even though as humans we now inherently possess the knowledge of good and evil, we are all born with a nature that is separated from God in our spirit and bent towards wrong. However, with this knowledge, we are also to rule over our nature, not permit it to rule over us.

After Cain does not heed God’s instructions and slayed his brother as a sacrifice, he was punished. The works of his hand will no longer produce good, and he is to wander the earth, never possessing a homeland to reside in. In Cain’s response, we again encounter the sin nature when he states, “My perversity is greater than I can bear.”

And Cain said to the LORD, “My perversity is greater than I can bear.” Genesis 4:13.

In Genesis 4:7, the word for sin is in a specific […]

The Fall of CainLuther Walker2024-04-25T06:26:34-07:00

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