Author: Calleen Hough

Miraculous power (1000 posts)

The spiritual decline of the nation of Israel resulted in God intervening in the lives of the Israelites more and more through prophets instead of their king, until the time when the people of Israel were taken into captivity (2 Chronicles 36:17-21). A prophet was an inspirited spokesman. “Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 34:10) and the example for all later prophets. He displayed every aspect of a true prophet, both in his call, his work, his faithfulness, and, at times, his doubts. Only Abraham is called a prophet before Moses (Genesis 20:7)” (H5030). Moses indicated that a prophet was someone that the LORD had put his spirit upon (Numbers 11:29), but the LORD himself said, “If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD” (Numbers 12:6-8). The Hebrew word that is translated form, tᵉmuwnah (tem-oo-nawˊ) refers specifically to “embodiment” and is used in a figurative sense to refer to “manifestation” (H8544). This seems to suggest that Moses could see Jesus, who is described in Colossians 1:15 as “the image of the invisible God” and in Hebrews 1:3 “the exact imprint of his nature” (KJV).

Not long after King Solomon’s reign ended, Israel’s kings became corrupted by the idolatry that King Solomon introduced (1 Kings 11:4-8). Afterward, the first notable prophet to enter the scene was Elijah, who raised a widow’s son from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24), and defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40). At a low point in Elijah’s career, 1 Kings 19:5 states that as he lay down and slept under a broom tree, “an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’” First Kings 19:7 goes on to say, “And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’” “There is a distinct possibility that various Old Testament references to the ‘angel of the LORD’ involved preincarnate appearances of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (note on Exodus 23:20-23). When the word of the LORD came to Elijah, it says in 1 Kings 19:9 that “he said to him, ‘What are you doing here Elijah?’” The Apostle John referred to Jesus as the Word (John 1:1) and said of him, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

The thing that distinguished Elijah and his successor Elisha from other Old Testament prophets was the miraculous power that was displayed through them on a regular basis. Before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven, Elisha asked Elijah to give him what appeared to be the key to his spiritual success. Second Kings 2:9-14 states:

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Elisha’s ambitious request for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit was granted to him even though Elijah’s said, “You have asked a hard thing” (2 Kings 2:10). The Hebrew word that is translated a hard thing, qashah (kaw-shawˊ) means “to be dense, i.e. tough or severe” and is used in Exodus 7:3 in reference to Pharaoh’s heart being hardened. “This word marks the restlessness, impatience, petulance, and irritability with which Pharaoh’s course of action was characterized while he was resisting the urgent appeals of both Moses and his own people” (H7185).

Elisha’s request for twice the amount of Elijah’s miraculous power appears to have been motivated by his own lack of belief in God. It might be said that Elisha was asking for the right thing, but for all the wrong reasons. When Elisha struck the water with Elijah’s cloak, he asked, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14), suggesting that Elisha didn’t have a personal relationship with the LORD, but was merely imitating what he had seen Elijah do. Even so, “The water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.” It may have been that Elisha’s faith was only lacking until he saw the tangible evidence that the LORD was with him as he had been with Elijah. It says in 2 Kings 2:19-22, “Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.”

Jesus explained to the Jews who had believed in him that God, his Father, was the source of all that he said and did. Jesus told them, “I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” (John 8:38), and then, Jesus went on to say, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who had told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did” (John 8:39-40). Jesus’ explanation seems to suggest that learning is necessary for one’s faith to be expressed, and that we naturally do what we have learned from others. Jesus later expanded on this point in a conversation with his disciple Philip. John 14:8-11 states:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus told Philip, “The Father who dwells in me does his works” (John 14:10). The works that he was referring to were the miracles that Jesus performed on a regular basis (G2041). Jesus told Philip that if it was impossible for him to believe that he and his Father were one, then he should at least be able to “believe on account of the works themselves” (John 14:11).

On one occasion, John pointed out to Jesus that someone was doing miracles who was not a follower of Christ. John 9:38-41 states, “John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’  But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him, for no one who does a might work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.’” Jesus used the term mighty work to describe what was happening. The Greek word that Jesus used is translated as miracle in the King James Version of the Bible and is translated elsewhere as power (G1411). This seems to suggest that miraculous power is not dependent on one’s faith, but on something that both believers and unbelievers have in common.

Mark’s gospel contains an account of a woman who was healed as a result of coming in contact with Jesus’ garments. Mark tells us:

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:24-34)

Mark indicates that Jesus was able to perceive that power had gone out from him. The Greek word that is translated power, dunamis (dooˊ-nam-is) means “miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself)…Dunamis almost always points to new and higher forces that have entered and are working in this lower world of ours” (G1411). The new and higher forces in the form of power that went out from Jesus were what caused the flow of the woman’s blood to be dried up. Jesus’ statement, “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34) indicated that the woman was born again as a result of her encounter with Jesus (G4982).

The Greek word dunamis is derived from the word dunamai (dooˊ-nam-ahee). “Dunamai means to be able, to have power, whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources (Romans 15:14); or through a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances (1 Thessalonians 2:6); or by permission of law or custom (Acts 24:8, 11); or simply to be able, powerful (Matthew 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15)” (G1410). Jesus told the Jews who were seeking to kill him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 4:19). Jesus used the words dunamai and ou (oo) to convey his complete inability to do anything of his own accord (G1410/3756). This was intended to make it clear to the Jews who wanted to kill him that it was God’s will that was determining when and how miraculous power came out of Jesus. Jesus went on to say, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (John 4:20-21). Jesus described regeneration as a joint effort between him and his Father. The Father raised the dead, which involved the physical restoration of life. But, Jesus was the one who imparted spiritual life, which prevented spiritual death from occurring in the future. In the case of the woman who had a discharge of blood, it was the release of the Father’s power that dried up her flow of blood, but only Jesus could to save her.

The secret of the kingdom of God

One of the key features of Jesus’ ministry on earth was the new doctrine or teaching that he introduced to the Jewish religion. It says in Mark 1:22, “they were astonished at his teaching” and in 1:27-28, “they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.” Mark later tells us that Jesus “was teaching them many things in parables” (Mark 4:2). A parable is a comparison. “Specifically, a parable, i.e. a short story under which something else is figured or in which the fictitious is used to represent and illustrate the real” (G3850). Jesus told his disciples, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables” (Mark 4:11).

The secret of the kingdom of God that Jesus was referring to was the gospel, “the Christian dispensation” which wasn’t revealed to the Jews until Jesus came into the world (G3466). Jesus depicted the process of preaching the gospel in his parable of the sower. Jesus said:

“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:3-9)

Jesus’ statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” was expanded upon and clarified in Paul’s doxology at the end of his letter to the Romans. Paul concluded, “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen” (Romans 16:25-27). Paul spoke of the revelation of the mystery being disclosed and made known to all nations, “according to the command of the eternal God” (Romans 16:26). When Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” he was essentially commanding or activating the faith of those who were believers in the crowd around him.

Paul indicated that the purpose of the revelation of the mystery being disclosed was to “bring about the obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26). The Greek word that is translated disclosed, phaneroo (fan-er-oˊ-o) means “to render apparent” or make clear (G5319). Therefore, obedience is dependent upon God’s word being made clear to us. After Jesus told the parable of the sower, he met with his disciples privately and asked them, “Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13). Jesus wanted his disciples to know that he had just revealed to them a foundational principle of the kingdom of God. Their understanding of that principle was critical to their spiritual development. After stating this, Jesus went on to disclose the meaning of parable to his disciples. Jesus said:

“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:14-20)

Jesus identified the word as the real thing that the fictitious seed was intended to represent. The seed was not only symbolic of the word, but its characteristics were also similar to the word so that it helped people to understand what Jesus was talking about when referred to the word. Jesus also likened sowing the seed to hearing or preaching the gospel, and used the phrases “when they hear” and “who hear” to indicate the different effects of hearing the word on the people who were listening.

Jesus’ final statement in his explanation of the parable of the sower was intended to refer his disciples back to the secret of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “But those that were sown on good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:20). Jesus identified a second step that was necessary for the word to take root in a person’s heart, grow, and eventually to bear fruit in the person’s life. Jesus indicated a person must hear the word and accept it. The Greek word paradechomai (par-ad-ekhˊ-om-ahee), which is translated accept, is derived from the words para (par-ahˊ) a “preposition with the primary meaning of near, nearby, expressing the notion of immediate vicinity or proximity” (G3844), and dechomai (dekhˊ-om-ahee), which means, “To receive, admit with the mind and heart, i.e. by implication: to approve, embrace, follow (Matthew 11:14; Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:13; James 1:21)” (G1209). Matthew and Luke used two different words to describe the second step that Jesus identified. Matthew said you must hear the word and understand or comprehend it (Matthew 13:23; G4920). Luke indicated that you must hear the word and “hold it fast in an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15), meaning, in a figurative sense, that you must retain the word in your memory or keep it in the forefront of your mind because the word of God is important to you (G2722).

John’s gospel contains an explanation of the Israelites unbelief. John said:

Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

“He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:37-43)

The verse that John quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10 to explain the Israelites’ unbelief (John 12:40) was also used by Jesus to explain the purpose of him using parables to teach the Israelites about the kingdom of God (Mark 4:12). Paul clarified in his second letter to the Corinthians who the person was that had blinded the people’s eyes. Paul said, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The phrase the god of this world refers to “the devil, who is the archenemy of God and the unseen power behind all unbelief and ungodliness. Those who follow him have in effect made him their god” (note on 2 Corinthians 4:4, KJSB).

Paul made a clear connection between hearing the gospel and having faith in his letter to the Romans. Paul concluded his message of salvation to all with this statement:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:14-17)

Paul used the Greek word akoe (ak-o-ayˊ) to describe the type of hearing that was required to have faith. Akoe refers to “that which is or may be heard: a thing announced, instruction, teaching” (G189). In other words, akoe is an audible message that is received from a person who is authorized/qualified to distribute it. Paul asked the question, “And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:15). Paul’s question indicated that preaching the gospel was intended to be reserved for those whom God had set apart for that work, “prophets, messengers, teachers, angels,” individuals that were considered to be agents sent from God (G649).

Jesus clarified his message in the parable of the sower with the illustration of a lamp being placed under a basket. Jesus asked, “’Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’” (Mark 4:21-25). Jesus instructed his disciples to pay attention to what they heard. What Jesus meant by paying attention was to not be blinded by the devil. The Greek word blepo (blepˊ-o), which is translated pay attention, means “to be able to see, i.e. to have the faculty of sight, and as spoken of the blind, to recover sight” (G991). The point that Jesus wanted to make was that his gospel message was being brought out into the open so that those who were interested in a relationship with God could easily find their way to him, but it required an intentional effort on the part of those who wanted to know the secret of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Mark 4:24), suggesting that faith is given to us in limited portions based on the amount of effort we expend trying to understand Jesus’ gospel message. Therefore, the greater the effort we make to pay attention to the word, or you might say, to intentionally take the blinders off when we are hearing God’s word, the greater the amount of faith we will receive from God as a result of it.

God’s family

The LORD’s unconditional promise to David that he would be the father of an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16) changed the way God dealt with the nation of Israel. God told David, “I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16). “This refers initially to Solomon but was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the ‘Son of David’ (Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:25-35) who reigns at God’s right hand (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33)” (note on 2 Samuel 2:13). The Father/Son relationship between God and Jesus Christ made it possible for believers to become members of the family of God (Ephesians 1:5).

Paul tells us in Romans 8:14 that being led by the Holy Spirit is an indicator that you are a child of God. Paul said:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17)

Paul said that the Holy Spirit’s activity inside of a believer bears witness to the fact that he has a parent/child relationship with God.

Jesus repeatedly referred to God as your Father in his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “’You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 5:43-45). The Greek word that is translated sons, uihos (hwee-osˊ) is spoken of “those whom God loves and cherishes as a father. Generally of pious worshippers of God, the righteous, the saints (Matthew 5:9, 45; Luke 6:35; 20:36),” but is also used to refer to, “One who derives his human nature directly from God, and not by ordinary generation: spoken of Jesus (Luke 1:35); implied of Adam (Luke 3:38)” (G5207). Jesus told his followers:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11)

Jesus compared a believer’s relationship with God to that of a natural born child and its parent and said that we should expect to receive good things from God when we ask him for them. The Greek word aiteo (ahee-tehˊ-o), which is translated ask, has to do with prayer, and “is strictly a demand of something due” (G154/4441). Just as a child is dependent upon his or her own parents to provide daily food and shelter, so is a child of God dependent upon him to provide the daily necessities of spiritual life.

Jesus made it clear to his disciples that he didn’t recognize relationships that were established through physical birth. Mark tells us, “And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:31-35). Jesus considered his followers to be his family and said the thing that distinguished them from everyone else was that they do the will of God. Jesus elaborated on this point in his Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said:


“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus used the Greek word ginosko (ghin-oceˊ-ko) to indicate his lack of a spiritual relationship with a person. Ginosko is used “in the sense to know, as being what one is or professes to be, to acknowledge (Matthew 7:23)” (G1097). “In the New Testament ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person ‘knowing’ and the object known; in this respect, what is ‘known’ is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship, e.g., especially of God’s ‘knowledge,’ 1 Corinthians 8:3, ‘if any man love God, the same is known of Him’…”such ‘knowledge’ is obtained not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.”

Paul described the spiritual birthing process that every believer has to go through in his letter to the Ephesians. Paul stated:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Paul indicated that the process of spiritual birth begins with God choosing us and also stated that God chose us “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). That means that God’s family was established before he even thought about creating the world. After God chose the members of his family, he exercised his love toward them by determining in advance that each one of them would be adopted and become “heirs of His covenanted salvation” (G5206; Ephesians 1:5). The process of spiritual birth concludes with God blessing all who were predestined to become his children by giving them the grace to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior so that their sins can be forgiven and they can go to heaven to be with him when they die (Ephesians 1:6-10).

Jesus told the Jews who claimed that God was their Father, but did not believe his gospel message, that they belonged to a different family, the family of Satan. John 8:31-47 states:

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Jesus differentiated between those who were descendants of Abraham who were actually members of God’s family and those who were not. The key characteristic of a member of God’s family is telling and believing the truth.

Jesus encouraged his followers to not be anxious and told them that they could depend on God to take care of them because they were members of his family. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:25-33). Jesus said that the way God takes care of his children is by adding things to them. The Greek word prostithemi (pros-tithˊ-ay-mee) has to do with placing something near or in the pathway of the person that it is intended for and means “to place additionally” (G4369). In other words, God gives his children more than they already have or more than they can provide for themselves. Jesus used the example of the lilies that grow in the field compared to King Solomon, who was the richest man who ever lived, and said, “I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:29-30).

Spiritual Sickness

Jesus’ selection of Matthew, who was identified as a tax collector (Matthew 10:3), as one of his twelve apostles drew criticism from the Jewish religious leaders because they considered Matthew to be a traitor. Mark 2:15-17 tells us:

And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus used the Greek term iatros (ee-at-rosˊ) to describe the role he was playing when he ate with tax collectors and sinners. Iatros is derived from the verb iaomai (ee-ahˊ-om-ahee), which means “to cure” or “to heal” with regard to physical treatment, but is used figuratively, “of spiritual ‘healing’” (G2390). Jesus described spiritual sickness in Matthew 13:15 where he said, “’For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their eyes they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn and I would heal them.’”

Jesus associated the righteous with those who are well and said that they had no need for spiritual healing, but only sinners. The Greek word that is translated sinners, hamartolos (ham-ar-to-losˊ) is derived from the word harmartano (ham-ar-tanˊ-o), which means “to miss the mark, swerve from the way” (G264). Jesus told his disciple Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis mine). When Jesus said that he was the way, he meant that he was the author and medium of access to God and eternal life (G3598). To miss the way or mark means that a person has not accepted Jesus as the propitiation for their sins (Romans 3:25). Paul explained in his letter to the Romans that there is no distinction between those who need redemption and those who do not because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:23-25).

Jesus’ statement, “Those who are well have no need of a physician” (Mark 2:17) was intended to trigger his listeners’ awareness of their lost condition. The Greek word ischoo (is-khooˊ-o) “denotes to be strong, to prevail and indicates a more forceful strength or ability than dunamai” (G2480). Dunamai was used in Matthew 19:25 in connection with entering the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:23-26 states:

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can (dunamai) be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Greek word that is translated impossible, adunatos (ad-ooˊ-nat-os) is the negative of dunatos (doo-nat-osˊ), a derivative of dunamai. Literally, what Jesus was saying was that it could never happen. There was no possibility that a person could be saved through his own effort.

Jesus said that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17). It says in Romans Chapter 8 that believers are predestined to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, “in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). Paul went on to say, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Being called by Jesus is one of the steps in the process of spiritual rebirth. “The new birth and regeneration do not represent successive stages in spiritual experience, they refer to the same event but view it in different aspects. The new birth stresses the communication of spiritual life in contrast to antecedent spiritual death; regeneration stresses the inception of a new state of things in contrast with the old” (G3824). When Jesus healed a paralytic, he linked the healing of the man’s body with the forgiveness of his sins. Mark’s gospel tells us:

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mark 2:1-12)

Mark indicated that Jesus was preaching the word to them when four men opened up the roof of the house and let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. Mark also noted that Jesus saw the faith of the men who had brought the paralytic to him and perceived in his spirit that the scribes were questioning in their hearts his authority to forgive the paralytics sins. Jesus was perfectly in tune with what was going on in the spiritual realm and decided to demonstrate his authority so that people would understand how he was able to make the paralytic’s condition disappear. Jesus commanded the man to rise, pick up his bed, and go home (Mark 2:11).

Jesus’ ability to heal spiritual sickness is based on the authority that has been given to him by God. Jesus told his disciples before he ascended to heaven, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Paul elaborated on this fact when he said that God had seated Jesus at his right hand in the heavenly places, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:20-23). Jesus’ all-encompassing authority makes it possible for him to exercise God’s power in whatever way he wants or needs to. Jesus told his disciples, “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). The only thing that hindered the people of Israel from being made well by Jesus during his ministry on earth was the people’s unwillingness to admit they were sinners who needed God’s forgiveness.  

Preaching the gospel

Mark’s gospel opens with a statement that sets the context for the rest of his message. Mark informs his readers that his message is about, “The beginning of the gospel Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). In other words, Mark was saying, this is how it all got started, we were told that the Son of God is here. Mark went on to talk about John the Baptist’s preparation for Jesus’ arrival (Mark 1:2-8), and then, recounted how John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Mark said:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11)

Mark indicated that it wasn’t Jesus who informed the people of Israel about his identity, but God himself who said, “You are my beloved Son” (Mark 1:11). Mark also clarified that it wasn’t Jesus’ story that was being told, but “the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). Mark stated, “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Mark used the Greek word kerusso (kay-roosˊ-so) to describe what Jesus was doing. Kerusso means “to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel)…Especially to preach, publish, or announce religious truth, the gospel with its attendant privileges and obligations, the gospel of dispensation…’To preach Christ’ means to announce him as the Messiah and urge the reception of His gospel” (G2784). Kerusso is translated as both preached and proclaiming in Mark chapter one. Jesus’ brief message, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15), suggests that there was a simple formula for accepting Christ as one’s Savior, “repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark’s gospel is the most simple and direct of the four gospels. Mark seems to cut to the chase and doesn’t waste any time trying to convince people of the truth. Mark just states the facts and then, lets people draw their own conclusions.

Mark briefly described what a typical day for Jesus and his disciples probably looked like in Mark 1:35-39. Mark stated:

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Jesus indicated that he came out in order to preach the gospel. The Greek word that is translated came out, exerchomai (ex-erˊ-khom-ahee) is derived from the words ex “denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds)…primarily meaning out of, from, of, as spoken of such objects which before were in another, but are not separated from it, either in respect of place, time, source, or origin” (G1537), and erchomai “in the sense of to come forth before the public” (G2064). This seems to suggest that it was necessary for people to see Jesus, who was described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as “the image of God,” in order for the gospel to be preached.

Paul explained in his second letter to the Corinthians that the gospel is veiled or hidden from those who are perishing. Paul stated:

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:2-6)

Paul referred to the devil as the god of this world and said that he has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). The mind is where perception comes from and is what makes it possible for us to think and plan our activities. Without our minds, we wouldn’t have the ability to understand the world or people around us. When Paul said that the devil has blinded the minds of unbelievers, he meant that the devil could skew their perception by making them conceited, proud, arrogant; unaware of their need for a Savior.

Matthew’s gospel tells us:

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30)

Jesus said no one knows the Father except the Son, “and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). The Greek word that is translated chooses is boulomai (booˊ-lom-ahee). Boulomai has to do with exercising the will, being willing to do something (G1014). The Apostle Peter indicated that the Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, KJV). Therefore, it can be assumed that the rest of Jesus’ statement is an explanation of how people get to the point of repentance. Jesus said that we must 1) come to him, and that we must 2) take his yoke upon us, and 3) learn from him; and then, Jesus added as a word of encouragement, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

The spiritual decline of the nation of Israel

The spiritual decline of the nation of Israel began after King David’s son Solomon turned away from the LORD and worshipped other gods. First Kings 11:1-4 states:

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

The LORD was angry with Solomon and told him:

“Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” (1 Kings 11:11-13)

God’s anger with Solomon was appropriate because he had warned Solomon against worshipping other gods, and specifically told him about the consequences of his sin; that Israel would be cut-off from the land that he had given them (1 Kings 9:6-7). About the temple that Solomon had built, God said, “And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on others gods and worshipped them and served them. Therefore the LORD has brought all this disaster on them’” (1 Kings 9:8-9).

The kingdom was divided after Solomon’s death as God had predicted. Solomon’s son Jeroboam took possession of all the tribes except Judah (1 Kings 12:20), and made two golden calves for the people to worship, stating, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28). Several kings succeeded Jeroboam who led Israel further and further into spiritual decline. Ahab, who is noted as being more evil than all his predecessors (1 Kings 16:30), “took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshipped him. He erected an altar to Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:31-33). During Ahab’s reign, the prophet Elijah was raised up by God to confront the evil that was dominating his kingdom. First Kings 18:17-19 tells us, “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat as Jezebel’s table.’”

Elijah’s arrangement of a show-down between God and Baal was intended to convince the people of Israel that the LORD was the one and only true god and that He deserved their worship. It says in 1 Kings 18:20-29:

So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

When it was Elijah’s turn to make an offering to God, he cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood, and then, made a trench about the altar large enough to contain about three and a half gallons of water. Elijah filled four jars with water and poured them on the burnt offering and on the wood. “And he said, ‘Do it a second time.’ And they did it a second time. And he said, ‘Do it a third time.’ And they did it a third time. And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water (1 Kings 18:32-35). First Kings 18:36-39 goes on to say:

And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

Following his defeat of the prophets of Baal, Elijah fled from Jezebel because she threatened to kill him (1 Kings 19:2). First Kings 19:4 indicates that Elijah “went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life for I am no better than my fathers.’”

Elijah thought that Jezebel would succeed in killing him, and because he was the last prophet in Israel, that would be the end of God’s kingdom on earth. When Elijah told God, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” God responded, “Go, return on our way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-melohah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:14-18). God corrected Elijah’s view of the situation as being hopeless by letting him know that he had control of all that was going on. The LORD was able to remove Ahab from his position as King of Israel whenever he wanted to, and even, decided to replace Elijah the prophet as well. The key takeaway from Elijah’s encounter with God (1 Kings 19:9-18) was that Israel’s spiritual decline was a part of God’s plan of salvation, and he was going to allow them to continue down that pathway until it was time for them to go into captivity (Deuteronomy 28:36-68; 30:1-20).

The resurrection of the dead

The Apostle Paul’s ministry ended when he was martyred for his faith in Rome. The book of Acts tells us that Paul was first arrested in the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36). When he was given the opportunity to address the chief priests and all the council, Paul indicated, “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (Acts 23:6). Later, when Paul appeared before the governor, Felix, he stated, “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:14-15). In his defense before King Agrippa, Paul talked about his conversion (Acts 26:12-18) and, then argued on his own behalf:

“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:19-23)

Festus, the leader of the Roman Tribunal, reacted to Paul’s personal testimony by stating, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind” (Acts 26:24).

Paul’s assertion that he was saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass was corroborated by Peter’s message to Cornelius, “a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household” (Acts 10:1, 39-43). In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul clearly stated what he meant by resurrection of the dead. Paul said:

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)

Paul indicated that his revelation about the resurrection of the dead came directly from the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:15). Paul told the Thessalonians that Jesus himself will descend from heaven, “And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The event that Paul described has come to be known as “the rapture of the church” (note on 1 Thessalonians 5:2). Zechariah 14:1-4 explains that the events pertaining to Christ’s Second Advent are included in the day of the Lord, “that extended period of time when God will deal with Israel after the rapture of the church. It will continue through the second advent and the millennial age, which precedes the creation of the new heaven and new earth.”

Jesus mentioned the resurrection of the dead in his conversation with Martha about her brother, Lazarus’ death. “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). The Greek word that is translated rise again, anistemi (an-isˊ- tay-mee) means “to stand up (literal or figurative; transitive or intransitive” (G450). Jesus went on to tell Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” and then, asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). In this statement, Jesus used the word anastasis (an-asˊ-tas-is), which means, “a standing up again, i.e. (literal) a resurrection from death…Spoken of the future and general resurrection at the end of all things (John 11:24; Acts 17:32; 24:15, 21; 26:23; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 13, 21, 42; Hebrews 6:2)” (G386). Jesus referred to himself as the resurrection, the author of resurrection. What Jesus meant by that was that he would establish the resurrection as a known fact, a real thing that people could understand and believe. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul referred to the fact that Christ’s resurrection was established by eye witness accounts of more than 500 people. Paul said:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Paul began by stating that what he was about to say was of first importance, meaning that it was the primary fact upon which everything else depended in his message that followed. Paul indicated that Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:4). One of the scriptures that Paul was referring to was most likely Hosea 6:2, which states, “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” The Hebrew word, chayah (khaw-yawˊ), is translated as both revive and live in this verse, suggesting that the restoration of life and the resurrection of the dead do not occur at the same time. The Hebrew word that is translated raise us up, quwm (koom) has the same meaning as the Greek word anistemi, “to stand up” (H6965).The Greek word that is translated raised in 1 Corinthians 15:4, egeiro (eg-iˊ-ro) is “probably akin to the base of 58 (through the idea of collecting one’s faculties); to waken (transitive and intransitive), i.e. rouse (literal from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figurative from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence)” (G1453).

Paul went on to explain that it was necessary for Christ to be raised, to waken from death, in order for there to be a resurrection of the dead. Otherwise, there would be no such thing as a resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Paul concluded his argument by stating, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:20-26).

Paul’s discussion of the resurrection of the dead was likely prompted by questions about his teaching on this topic. The book of Acts indicates there was a division among the Jews about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6-8), and it seems likely that the division carried over into the church. Paul explained to the Corinthians:

But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:35-44)

Paul compared the transformation that will occur at the resurrection of the dead to a kernel becoming a stalk of wheat and then, provided the details of what he knew about our bodies’ future state. Paul said that our spiritual body will be imperishable or will have unending existence (G861). In addition to that, Paul said our new bodies will be raised in glory and in power. In other words, our spiritual bodies will display the attributes of God that have been at work within us, which God will develop to the point that they become visible to everyone around us, as with the grain of wheat that sprouts up out of the ground.

Paul concluded his discussion of the resurrection of the dead by making note of the mystery surrounding the rapture of the church. Paul exclaimed, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The Greek word allassō (al-lasˊ-so), in this instance, has to do with a change for the better, and Paul’s next statement suggests that the change will be connected to our immortality. Paul stated:

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:53-57)

Paul described the resurrection of the dead as a victory, a conquest or triumph over death (G3534), and said that God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Romans, Paul elaborated on the conquest that believers will one day achieve. Paul said:

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

Paul’s image of the believer’s conquest over death had to do with nothing being able to separate us from the love of God. In Paul’s mind, death was not about the absence of life, but about being separated from our Creator. From that standpoint, the resurrection of the dead means that our physical connection with God is what needs to and will be restored when Jesus returns.

Spiritual Communication

Paul’s in-depth discussion of love in his first letter to the Corinthians was followed by a topic that may have seemed irrelevant, but was extremely important for the Corinthian believers’ understanding of how the body of Christ achieves spiritual maturity and maintains its spiritual health over time. Paul began by encouraging the Corinthians to, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1). The primary focus of the Old Testament prophet Joel’s warning to the people of Israel was the day of the LORD, a time that is associated with God’s judgment, but in his message, Joel identified a period of time when God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh and prophesying would be a common practice among believers. Joel stated:

“And it shall come to pass afterward,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

There is a controversy over the time when this prophecy was (or will be) fulfilled. Some people believe that the ‘first stage’ of this prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:17-21), when Peter cited these verses from Joel in response to the question from the multitude, ‘What does this mean?’ (Acts 2:12). They claim Peter connected the events of that day with Joel’s prophecy about the coming ‘day of the LORD’ (v. 31). However, many of the parts of the prophecy were not fulfilled in Acts: sons and daughters did not predict; young men, as a group, did not see visions; and old men did not dream dreams (cf. Joel 2:28). Those who believe that Pentecost was the ‘first stage’ claim that Peter was saying that only the first part of Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled. Others claim that none of this prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost. Instead it was merely used by Peter, in response to those who said the disciples were drunk (v. 13) as an example of how the work of the Holy Spirit may be marked by extraordinary phenomena. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy will take place at the second coming of Christ at the end of the great tribulation. The day of darkness and gloom, along with the wonders of the heavens, will follow the opening of the sixth seal (Joel 2:2, 30, 31, cf. Revelation 6:12)” (note on Joel 2:28-32).

Jesus substantiated the content of Joel’s prophecy about the Holy Spirit being poured out on all flesh when he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Jesus went on to say, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:22-23). The day that Jesus was referring to was the “Day of the Lord when Christ will return to judge the world and fully establish His kingdom” (G2250). Jesus talked about the final judgment in his Olivet Discourse. Jesus told his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32). The fact that people will have to be separated one from another indicates that the two groups, identified as the sheep and the goats, have similar characteristics, but do not belong together. Jesus said, “And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:33). Jesus explained the reason for this separation in the conclusion of his message. Jesus said:

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

The goats thought that they had done what was expected of them, but Jesus pointed out that they had not actually ministered to him in the way that they thought they had. The Greek word that is translated minister, diakonos (dee-akˊ-on-os) refers specifically to “a Christian teacher or pastor (technically a deacon or deaconess)” and means “an attendant, i.e. (genitive) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties)” (G1249). A word that is comparable to diakonos is dioko, a word that Paul used in 1 Corinthians 14:1, to introduced the topic of prophecy and tongues. Paul encouraged the Corinthian believers to, “Pursue (dioko) love.” Another way of saying it might be, minister love or follow Jesus’ example of love. With that in mind, the reason why the shepherd determined that the goats had not ministered to him may have been because their actions were not motivated by love, the standard that God established when he gave us his only Son so that we would not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Paul contrasted prophesying with speaking in tongues in order to show the Corinthians that spiritual communication serves multiple purposes. Paul said:

For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. (1 Corinthians 14:2-3)

Paul identified three things that result from a believer prophesying: upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. When believers prophesy, they are speaking under the divine influence of the Holy Spirit and are acting as interpreters of God’s mind and will (G4395).

Paul indicated that upbuilding could result from both prophesying and speaking in tongues, but one had an internal effect whereas the other produced an external result. Paul said, “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but he one who prophesies builds up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:4). The Greek word that is translated builds up, oikodomeo (oy-kod-om-ehˊ-o) is used figuratively, “to build up, establish, confirm. Spoken of the Christian Church and its members who are thus compared to a building, a temple of God, erected upon the one and only foundation, Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9, 10) and ever built up progressively and unceasingly more and more from the foundation” (G3618). Paul called the process of building up the church, edification and said of Jesus in his letter to the Ephesians, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 411-16).

Paul used the word comfort to link together the concepts of encouragement and consolation in his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Paul said that God comforts (encourages) us in our affliction, “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). The way that we comfort others is by sharing scriptures with them that God has brought to our minds in times of trouble or distress so that it encourages them as they go through the same kind of situation.

Paul made his case against speaking in tongues as opposed to prophesying by emphasizing the importance of knowing the meaning of what is being said. Paul told the Corinthians:

So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will speak into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world and none without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. (1 Corinthians 14:9-11)

The Greek word that is translated meaning in this passage is dunamis (dooˊ-nam-is), which means “force (literal or figurative); specially miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself” and is “Spoken of the essential power, true nature or reality of something (Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 3:5). As opposed to logos (G3056), speech merely (1 Corinthians 4:19, 20; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). Metaphorically of language: the power of a word, i.e. meaning, significance (1 Corinthians 14:11).

Paul went on to explain that the mind plays an important role in the fruitfulness of our spiritual communication. Paul said, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful” (1 Corinthians 14:14). The Greek word that Paul used that is translated unfruitful, akarpos (akˊ-ar-pos) appears in Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower. Jesus told his disciples, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). It seems that the effectiveness of spiritual communication is linked to the believer’s mind being able to keep God’s word from being crowded out by thoughts that contradict it. Paul used the example of an unbeliever being convicted of his sins to convey his point that the clarity and simplicity of God’s word are powerful enough to bring a sinner to repentance. Paul said, “If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Corinthians 14:23-25).

Love

The Apostle John wrote in his first letter, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:15-16). John stated that God is love, meaning that God is “the author and source of love, who Himself is love” (G26). There are multiple words in the Bible that are translated into the English word love. The kind of love that John was talking about when he said that God is love is “spoken especially of goodwill toward others, the love of our neighbor, brotherly affection, which the Lord Jesus commands and inspires (John 15:13, 17:26; Romans 13:10; 1 Corinthians 13:1; 2 Corinthians 2:4, 8: 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 6:10; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7). Paul indicated that agape (ag-ahˊ-pay) love was a more excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31). The Greek word that is translated way, hodos (hod-osˊ) means “a road.” Paul used the word hodos to express the idea of getting somewhere, reaching a destination. Paul had been talking about spiritual gifts and being a member of the body of Christ, and wanted his readers to understand that love was the ultimate goal with regard to achieving spiritual success as a member of the body of Christ.

Paul started his discussion of love by making it clear that none of the spiritual gifts that a person might receive from God would be beneficial to him or the body of Christ without love being present in is life. Paul said:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Paul emphasized the point that nothing could be gained by making extreme sacrifices unless love was the motivation behind it. John tells us in his gospel account, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Paul identified love as a fruit of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus often used the concept of fruit in his teaching (Matthew 13:8, 26; 21:34, 43; Mark 4:29; 11:14; Luke 13:6; John 4:36). John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him to be baptized, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the foot of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10). John associated bearing fruit with repentance. The Greek word metanoia (met-anˊ-oy-ah) means “A change of mind” and in a religious sense, implies “pious sorrow for unbelief and sin and a turning from them unto God and the gospel of Christ” (G3341). John indicated that bearing good fruit was a requirement for spiritual survival, stating that, “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

Jesus said of a tree and its fruit, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-20). Jesus said that a healthy tree bears good fruit and a diseased tree bears bad fruit. The terms healthy and diseased have to do with the spiritual condition of a person’s heart. Jesus said “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19-20). Jesus clarified this point even further when he told the Pharisees, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:33-37).

Jesus indicated that the evidence, or fruit if you will, of the spiritual condition of a person’s heart is the words that come out of his mouth. The Greek word logos (logˊ-os) appears two times in Matthew 12:33-37. Logos is translated as both words and give account. Logos means “something said (including the thought); (by implication) a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression” (G3056). John used the word logos three times in the opening statement of his gospel. John said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It could be that the words that will justify or condemn us are directly related to the Word, Jesus Christ. Paul interjected into his discussion about spiritual gifts the statement, “You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:2-3). According to Paul, the Holy Spirit controls the believer’s speech and will align it with his faith in the Lord. Thus, confirming or denying that a relationship with the Lord exists.

The Greek word hodos, which is translated way in 1 Corinthians 12:31, was used by Jesus in his discussion about the golden rule. Jesus said:

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:12-14)

These statements were followed by Jesus’ comment about a tree and its fruit, so it seems safe to assume that the way had something to do with the result that was produced by spiritual activity. When hodos is used metaphorically, it refers to “a course of conduct” or “a way of thinking” (G3598).

Paul told the Corinthians that he was going to show them “a still more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31) and then, started talking about love (1 Corinthians 13). Paul was most likely referring to the Corinthian believers’ lifestyle and may have been concerned about their behavior not being consistent with a follower of Christ. Paul described love for them so that the Corinthian believers would know exactly what he was talking about. Paul said:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Paul’s description of love made it obvious that love was not the norm for human behavior. In fact, it seems likely that love was the opposite of what Paul was seeing in the Corinthians’ behavior. Paul set the bar high when he said that love was “a still more excellent way,” but his description made it seem like love was an impossible thing for anyone to achieve.

Paul went on to explain that love is an eternal quality that is evidence that believers have been born again and are in the process of becoming like Christ. Love is an indicator of spiritual maturity and cannot be attained apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s heart. Paul stated:

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)

Paul indicated that faith, hope, and love will abide, meaning that these qualities are permanent and will still be evident in us after we are resurrected. Paul’s statement, “Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:13) seems to suggest that faith, hope, and love have to do with us being able to know God and others that we have eternal relationships with. The Greek word that Paul used to indicate knowing someone fully and being fully known was epiginosko (ep-ig-in-oceˊ-ko). Epiginosko means that you know someone well enough to recognize them, you are fully acquainted with the person (G1921). This type of recognition is not based on physical characteristics, but an internal understanding of the person that gives you the confidence to boldly approach him, as believers are instructed to do with Jesus, our great high priest in Hebrews 4:16.

Paul’s statement, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13) makes it seem as if Paul wanted believers to realize the extreme importance or value of love being evident in their lives. It’s possible that the list: faith, hope, and love; was meant to show the progressive ordering of how the Holy Spirit develops these three qualities in believers. The Holy Spirit starts by developing our faith, then he develops a hope for something more in our relationship with God. Finally, the Holy Spirit produces love, the actualization of our intimacy with God. Another way of looking at faith, hope, and love is that each of these qualities has a varying ability to help us know God and others. If love is the greatest of the three, then that would mean love is the best way we have of knowing God and others intimately. This makes sense from the standpoint that love usually involves personal contact with another person. Paul said, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Corinthian 13:12), indicating that there was a change in the quality of the contact. Paul talked about this in his letter to the Romans. Paul wrote:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

Paul said that we gain access to God by faith, but hope is what draws us closer to him as we go through the process of spiritual maturation. When our hope reaches a point of coming to fruition, Paul indicated, God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The phrase poured into suggests that love is an all or nothing type of quality (G1632). It doesn’t increase over time, as seems to be the case with hope. It’s possible that Paul viewed love as the greatest of the three qualities, faith, hope, and love because its production capability is limitless, since we receive the full measure of its potential all at once. The presence of love is an indicator that we have reached spiritual maturity, we are adults in God’s eyes (1 Corinthians 13:11).

The body of Christ

Jesus first hinted at the special qualities of his body when the Jews asked him to show them a sign as evidence of his divine power. Jesus responded to the Jews’ request by stating, “’Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It has taken forty six years to build this temple, and will you raise it in three days?’ But he was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:19-21). Paul elaborated on the connection between the temple and Jesus’ body in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul talked about the difference between people of the flesh and spiritual people (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) and then, referred to believers as “God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Paul asked the Corinthian believers, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) and went on to say, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two shall become one flesh.’ But he who is joined in the Lord becomes one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:15-17). Paul used the Greek word kollao (kol-lahˊ-o), which is translated joined, to describe the spiritual union that takes place when a believer is born again. Paul compared this union to sexual intercourse between a man and woman, but indicated that rather than becoming one flesh, the believer becomes one spirit with Christ.

The Greek word kollao means “to join fast together” and refers to a personal attachment that is similar to glue or cement (G2853). In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul compared the relationship between a husband and wife to that of Christ and the church. Paul said:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

…In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:22-32)

The Greek word that is translated hold fast, proskollao (pros-kol-layˊ-o) is a combination of the words pros and kollao. Pros indicates movement toward something or someone “with the dative by the side of, i.e. near to” (G4314), whereas kollao on its own suggests that a physical connection already exists.

Paul indicated that the church, all who are born again, are members of the body of Christ and referred to this doctrinal truth as a profound mystery. What Paul meant by a profound mystery was that being a member of the body of Christ or being able to comprehend what it means to be a member of the body of Christ is too big of an idea for us to comprehend, it is above human insight. Jesus first introduced this idea through his institution of the Lord’s Supper. Matthew’s gospel tells us:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29)

The Greek word that is translated body in Matthew 26:26 is soma (soˊ-mah), “A noun meaning body, an organized whole made up of parts and members.” It is “spoken of a human body, different from sarx (G4561), flesh, which word denotes the material of the body” (G4983). One way of interpreting Jesus’ statement, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26) might be let my parts and members become a part of you.

Paul prefaced his discussion of the body of Christ in his letter to the Corinthians with an overview of spiritual gifts. Paul likely connected these two topics because of the dependency of one upon the other. Paul began by stating, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1). Paul didn’t want the Corinthian believers to ignore the fact that spiritual gifts were linked to the activities of the body of Christ. Paul said:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Paul indicated that gifts were a manifestation or expression of the Holy Spirit and were intended for the common good of the body of Christ. The Greek word sumphero (soom-ferˊ-o), which is translated common good, literally means “to bring together” (G4851); the idea being that the common good is an incentive for membership in the body of Christ. Paul told the Corinthians:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

Paul said that we are baptized into one body and made to drink of one Spirit, suggesting that a connection exists between participation in the Lord’s Supper and membership in the body of Christ.

The Greek word that is translated baptized in 1 Corinthians 12:13, baptizo (bap-tidˊ-zo) means “to wash, to cleanse by washing” (G907). John recorded in his gospel that during the Lord’s Supper, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:3-5). Jesus told Simon Peter, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand” (John 13:7). Jesus used two different Greek words that are both translated understand. In reference to not understanding now, Jesus used the word eido (iˊ-do) which has to do with perception (G1492). Whereas, the Greek word ginosko (ghin-oceˊ-ko) has to do with knowing “in a completed sense, that is, to have the knowledge of” (G1097). When Peter responded to Jesus, “’You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’” (John 13:8). “By this statement, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me,’ it seems that the Lord was referring to the necessity of regular spiritual cleansing to remain in fellowship with him. Jesus did not say, ‘you have no share in me (en [1722] emoi), which would indicate Peter lacked salvation, but ‘you have no share with me’ (met’ [3326] emou), meaning Peter would have no communion and fellowship with him. Christians need constant cleansing and renewal if they are to remain in fellowship with God” (note on John 13:8).

Paul elaborated on Jesus’ comment about Peter not having a share with him in his explanation of how the body of Christ functions in a way that is similar to the human body. Paul said:

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:18-27, NLT)

Paul’s statement, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it,” was intended to emphasize the fact that both unity and individuality are necessary for the body of Christ to function properly. One of the keys to understanding how this works can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:24, which contains the statement, “God has so composed the body.” The Greek word that is translated composed, sugkerannumi (soong-ker-anˊ-noo-mee) means “to commingle, i.e. (figurative) to combine or assimilate” (G4786). Assimilation has to do with taking in information, ideas, or culture and understanding them fully. In reference to the body or any biological system, assimilation means to “absorb and digest (food or nutrients)” (Oxford Languages). Therefore, Jesus’ instruction during the Lords’ Supper to, “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matthew 26:26), had the connotation of becoming assimilated into the body of Christ.

Paul talked about unity in the body of Christ in the context of spiritual gifts and maturing as a believer in his letter to the Ephesians. Paul said of Christ:

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Paul noted that the goal of Jesus’ ongoing ministry was building up the body of Christ, and also indicated that when each part was working properly, it made the body grow so that it built itself up in love. Working properly means that each part is active and is doing what it’s designed to do; the body of Christ is efficiently using its resources. In order for that to happen, there can’t be any division or gap in the body’s members. Paul admonished the Corinthians about this early in his letter. Paul stated, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The Greek word that Paul used that is translated united is translated perfectly joined together in the King James Version of the Bible. Katartizo (kat-ar-tidˊ-zo) means “to be suitable, such as one should be, deficient in no part” and implies that an adjustment has to be made in order to fit everything together so that it is finished, complete (G2675).

Paul indicated that the parts of the body are joined and held together by Christ, who is the head of the body (Ephesians 4:16). The head describes Christ as being the one to whom others are subordinate. In the context of a building, Jesus was described as being the cornerstone. In relation to architecture, a cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference. A cornerstone marks the geographical location by orienting a building in a specific direction. It is the rock upon which the weight of the entire structure rests. Jesus referred to himself as the cornerstone after telling his followers The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-40). Jesus stated:

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. (Matthew 21:38-45)

Jesus spoke of the cornerstone in a way that was counter intuitive to its intended purpose. Jesus indicated that a person could fall on the cornerstone and said, “When it falls on anyone, it will crush him” (Matthew 21:44). What I believe Jesus meant by this statement with regard to his method of joining and holding together the body of Christ was that those who interfere with or perhaps imitate the building up of the body will be destroyed in the process, as opposed to those who are working properly being strengthened by his support.