Day 338

V. Book of Colossians
1. Completeness of Christ - Colossians 1:1-29: 2:1-3
2. Warning against erroneous beliefs - Colossians 2:4-23
3. Walk of the believer with Christ - Colossians 3:1-25; 4:1-18

Some verses which caught my attention and made me dig a little deeper to understand what they words meant in the Greek.

Mortify therefore you members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)

mortify - G3499 - From G3498; to deaden, that is, (figuratively) to subdue.

fornication - G4202 - From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry.

uncleanness - G167 - From G169; impurity (the quality), physically or morally.

inordinate affection - G3806 - From the alternate of G3958; properly suffering (“pathos”), that is, (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence).

evil - G2556 - Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), that is, (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious.

concupiscence - G1939 - From G1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden).

covetousness - G4124 - From G4123; avarice, that is, (by implication) fraudulency, extortion.

idolatry - G1495 - From G1497 and G2999; image worship (literally or figuratively).

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not to one another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (Colossians 3:8-9)

anger - G3709 - From G3713; properly desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment.

wrath - G2372 - From G2380; passion (as if breathing hard).

malice - G2549 - From G2556; badness, that is, (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble.

blasphemy - G988 - From G989; vilification (especially against God).

filthy communication - G148 - From G150 and G3056; vile conversation.

lie - G5574 - Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to utter an untruth or attempt to deceive by falsehood.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13-14)

bowels - G4698 - (the “spleen”); an intestine (plural); figuratively pity or sympathy.

mercies - G3628 - From G3627; pity.

kindness - G5544 - From G5543; usefulness, that is, moral excellence (in character or demeanor).

humbleness of mind - G5012 - From a compound of G5011 and the base of G5424; humiliation of mind, that is, modesty.

meekness - G4236 - From G4235; gentleness; by implication humility.

longsuffering - G3115 - From the same as G3116; longanimity, that is, (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude.

forbearing - G430 - Middle voice from G303 and G2192; to hold oneself up against, that is, (figuratively) put up with.

forgiving - G5483 - Middle voice from G5485; to grant as a favor, that is, gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.

Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

wisdom - G4678 - From G4680; wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual).

teaching - G1321 - A prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb δάω daō (to learn); to teach (in the same broad application).

admonishing - G3560 - From the same as G3559; to put in mind, that is, (by implication) to caution or reprove gently.

psalms - G5568 - From G5567; a set piece of music, that is, a sacred ode (accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a “psalm”); collectively the book of the Psalms.

hymns - G5215 - Apparently from a simpler (obsolete) form of ὕδέω hudeō (to celebrate; probably akin to G103; compare G5567); a “hymn” or religious ode (one of the Psalms).

spiritual - G4152 - From G4151; non-carnal, that is, (humanly) ethereal (as opposed to gross), or (daemoniacally) a spirit (concretely), or (divinely) supernatural, regenerate, religious.

songs - G5603 - From G103; a chant or “ode” (the general term for any words sung; while G5215 denotes especially a religious metrical composition, and G5568 still more specifically a Hebrew cantillation.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.  Husbands love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (Colossians 3:18-19)

submit yourselves - G5293 - From G5259 and G5021; to subordinate; reflexively to obey.

love - G25 - Perhaps from ἄγαν agan (much; or compare [H5689]); to love (in a social or moral sense.

bitter - G4087 - From G4089; to embitter (literally or figuratively).

Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:20-21)

obey - G5219 - From G5259 and G191; to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority.

provoke - G2042 - From a presumed prolonged form of G2054; to stimulate (especially to anger).

discouraged - G120 - From a compound of G1 (as a negative particle) and G2372; to be spiritless, that is, disheartened.

Concupiscence, what a word!  The definition in the Greek did not help me to better understand that word, so pressing on...dictionary.com?  **GASP**

–noun

1.

sexual desire; lust.

2.

ardent, usually sensuous, longing.

From the thesaurus:

Main Entry:concupiscence

Part of Speech:noun

Definition:lust

Synonyms:desire, lechery, prurience, sexual desire

I have a much better understanding NOW!  I also like the entry for bowels, spleen (the seat of emotion).

Day 326

J. Book of 1 Corinthians (from Ephesus) ~ cont.

2. Pattern for a prosperous church ~ cont.

h. Importance of love - 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

i. Tongues and prophesying - 1 Corinthians 14:1-40

j. The gospel declared - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

k. The resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:8-58


I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. (1 Corinthians 14:5)


prophesied/prophesieth - G4395 - From G4396; to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office.  G4396 - From a compound of G4253 and G5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by analogy an inspired speaker; by extension a poet.


church - G1577 - From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both).


Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his own heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 
(1 Corinthians 14:22-25)


This passage seems contradictory to me - tongues are a sign for unbelievers (22) yet the next verse (23) seems to indicate that unbelievers would consider someone speaking in tongues as mad (G3105 - rave as a maniac).


Then verse 22 states prophesying is for them which believe, yet in verses 24 and 25 it appears that it is to convict the unbeliever.


Gill's commentary on the passage is well worth the time to read (too lengthy to quote) - the part I found most interesting was in reference to verse 25 - if I have internalized it properly - that when the Word is rightly divided someone sitting under the teaching can and will be convicted. The Word being taught, no knowledge by that person giving forth, the message is used by God to convict of sin and bring to repentance.


The passage is speaking about unbelievers, but also unlearned.


unbelievers - G571 - From G1 (as a negative particle) and G4103; (actively) disbelieving, that is, without Christian faith (specifically a heathen); (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing).


unlearned - G2399 - From G2398; a private person, that is, (by implication) an ignoramus (compare “idiot”).


God's Word, rightly divided should be an edification for and to all.  Not only to those who are in need of HIS saving grace, but more importantly for the warriors who battle (or should) daily, contending for the faith.


How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you have a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.  Let all things be done to edifying. (1 Corinthians 14:26)


Again Gill's commentary is an encouragement for those who are gifted in these areas to be used, not for vanities sake, but for the edification of the saints.


Wherefore brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.  (1 Corinthians 14:39)


covet? - G2206 - From G2205; to have warmth of feeling for or against. G2205 - From G2204; properly heat, that is, (figuratively) “zeal” (in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one, jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively of God], or an enemy, malice). G2204 - A primary verb; to be hot (boil, of liquids; or glow, of solids), that is, (figuratively) be fervid (earnest).


There are 2 distinct camps regarding spiritual gifts one says they are for today, others that they have passed away with the 1st century church.  I realize there are some major abuses of the gifts. The name it, claim in crowd is one example of extreme abuse, done solely for the purpose of building up a person or ministry.


That said, I do not see how the church can deny that Paul was very specific about the need for fervency in the manifestation of these gifts.  If he admonishes us to covet them, how then can they have passed away?


Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  (1 Corinthians 15:33)


deceived - G4105 - From G4106; to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue).


evil - G2556 - Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), that is, (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious.


communications - G3657 - From G3658; companionship (“homily”), that is, (by implication) intercourse.


corrupt - G5351 - Probably strengthened from φθίω phthiō (to pine or waste): properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or (genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave).


good - G5543 - From G5530; employed, that is, (by implication) useful (in manner or morals).


manners - G2239 - A strengthened form of G1485; usage, that is, (plural) moral habits.


This is in reference to those who deny resurrection.  However, it would behoove the Bride to look at it in light of how much the world influences her.  We (whether we agree with or to it) are impacted by what we read, watch and participate.  We become desensitized to the evil promoted in the culture.  If Father admonishes us to be set apart and holy, how diligently are we to obey?