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FOR
THEY THEMSELVES REPORT ABOUT US WHAT KIND OF A RECEPTION WE HAD WITH
YOU: autoi gar peri hemon apaggellousin (3PPAI) opoian eisodon
eschomen (1PAAI) pros humas:
(1Th 1:5,6; 2:1,13)
"People everywhere are telling about the way you accepted us when
we were there with you" (NCV)
"For they themselves volunteer
testimony concerning us, telling what an entrance we had among you"
(Amp)
"for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome
you gave us" (NLT)
"They talk about how you welcomed us when
we arrived" (GWT)
"Everyone is talking about how you welcomed
us " (CEV),
"For when others speak of us they report the
reception we had from you," (Weymouth)
"For people everywhere
report how you welcomed us" (NET)
"They themselves"
refers to the people of Macedonia and Achaia (and every place their
faith had gone out) who had heard the news. The faith of the
Thessalonians had become a topic of common knowledge.
Report (518)
("openly declare", "volunteer testimony", "give the news") (apaggello
from apó = from + aggéllo = tell,
declare) means to to provide otherwise unknown information by
giving an account or report. Apaggello can also mean to
make something known publicly and was used in secular Greek of a
messenger bringing news. The
present tense (continuous
action) indicates that
the reports were being
received by the missionaries not as isolated instances but as repeated
occurrences.
Reception
(1529)
(eisodos
from eis = in +
hodos = a way) is literally a way in or entering in and is used in
the spatial sense to describe a way, entry (access), or approach to a place
or building. As an action, eisodos can describe a coming in or
entering. Eisodos also describes a reception given, an acceptance or a
welcome extended to a person on the occasion of a visit.
Eisodos occurs 4 times in the NAS (Acts 13:24; 1Thess. 1:9; 2:1; Heb.
10:19; 2Pet. 1:11)
and is translated coming, 1; enter, 1; entrance, 1; reception, 1.
Luke
uses eisodos referring to Jesus' entrance into humanity as a man writing...
John
had proclaimed before His coming (eisodos = Jesus "entrance" into
public ministry = John had announced the coming of Messiah and called for
repentance to prepare for His arrival) a baptism of repentance to all the
people of Israel. (Acts 13:24) (The
Septuagint (LXX)
uses eisodos in
Malachi 3:2 to describe His second coming writing "But who can endure the
day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like
a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.")
Paul
uses eisodos in the next chapter writing...
For
you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, (2
Thes 2:1)
The
writer of Hebrews sums up his exhortation with the invitation...
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence (boldness - because of the
high-priestly ministry of Christ and His finished sacrifice which has made
all believers priest with the right) to enter (eisodos) the holy place by the blood of
Jesus, (Heb 10:19)
The final use of eisodos is in reference to our entrance into glory, Peter
writing...
for
in this way (being diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing
you, practicing the things mentioned earlier in chapter 1) the entrance
(eisodos) into
the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly
supplied to you (there is safety in constant spiritual progress and the
promise of a richly-provided entrance). (see note
2 Peter 2:11)
Hiebert writes that
"This
"entering in" was not restricted to the introduction or reception they
received upon arrival, but it related to their whole approach to and
dealings with the Thessalonians while with them. The correlative
pronoun
"what kind of" (hopoian) stresses
the quality of the entrance. The missionaries gained "access not only to
their friendship but to their hearts and consciences." (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians)
The phrase "with you"
(pros = before and refers to a position near another location
or object, often with the implication of facing toward) indicates Paul, et
al, carried on their ministry to the Thessalonians face‑to‑face. They were
open and above‑board in all their dealings with the new believers.
Clarke comments that
this report shows the Thessalonians were walking
"so conscientiously
before God and man, that their friends could speak of
them without a blush,
and their adversaries could say nothing to their disgrace."
AND HOW YOU TURNED TO GOD FROM
IDOLS: kai pos epestrepsate (2PAAI) pros ton theon apo ton eidolon:
(Isa 2:17, 18, 19, 20, 21; Jer 16:19; Zeph 2:11; Zec 8:20, 21, 22, 23;
Mal 1:11; Acts 14:15; Acts 26:17,18; 1Co 12:2; Gal 4:8,9)
New Jerusalem Bible
paraphrases it "how
you broke with the worship of false gods when you were converted to
God."
A PICTURE OF
REPENTANCE:
TURNING FROM THE LIE
TO THE TRUTH
Turned from idols to the living
and true God - It is interesting that in the OT one of the Hebrew
words that conveys the abstract idea of idol is "awen" (Isa 66:3)
which conveys the idea of emptiness, nothingness, as of breath or
vapor! It is that which is vain or false (not true). In short, Paul's
readers had repented, turning from belief in "nothing" to belief in
the ultimate truth!
To God from idols - Note the order, as it
is not "accidental". First = To God. Then = From idols. When our eyes
of faith are opened to see the true and living God, the vain, dead so
called gods are seen for the empty unsatisfying worthless created
things they are. Do you have any
worthless idols you are hiding in your heart? If you do then turn to
God and confess them one by one so that by His grace and power you are
enabled to turn away from them (to repent)?
You turned
(1994)
(epistrepho
from epi = motion toward +
strepho = turn) means to turn about, around or toward and
then to convert, so that it frequently refers to a sinner’s conversion
to God as in the current use. Epistrepho describes what the is
elsewhere termed repentance (see Mt 3:1,2; 4:17; Acts 2:38; 3:19;
5:31; 20:21).
See related study on
metanoia
= repentance.
Epistrepho - 36 uses in NT
- Mt. 10:13; 12:44; 13:15; 24:18; Mk. 4:12; 5:30; 8:33; 13:16; Lk.
1:16f; 2:39; 8:55; 17:4, 31; 22:32; Jn. 21:20; Acts 3:19; 9:35, 40;
11:21; 14:15; 15:19, 36; 16:18; 26:18, 20; 28:27; 2 Co. 3:16; Gal.
4:9; 1Th. 1:9; Jas. 5:19f; 1 Pet. 2:25; 2 Pet. 2:22; Rev. 1:12
(There are more than 400 uses of epistrepho in the Septuagint!)
See Harry Ironside's book -
in
Except Ye Repent by Harry A.
Ironside Pdf format
From Ironside's introduction...
Fully convinced in my own mind that
the doctrine of repentance is the missing note in many
otherwise orthodox and fundamentally sound circles today, I have
penned this volume out of a full heart. I hope and pray that God will
be pleased to use it to awaken many of His servants to the importance
of seeking so to present His truth as to bring men to the only place
where He can meet them in blessing. That place is the recognition of
their own demerit and absolute unworthiness of His least mercies
and a new conception of His saving power for all who come to Christ as
lost sinners, resting alone upon His redemptive work for salvation,
and depending upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to make them victorious
over sin's power in daily life.
Epistrepho describes a
definite turn to God in thinking and conduct and is used with this
evangelical meaning most often in Acts (Click
here for all uses in Acts).
Turned is
aorist tense pointing to a definite crisis experience and
indicative mood indicates that such a change had truly taken place. The
active voice indicates that the conversion was the consequence of a deliberate
choice on their part and was not an act forced upon them. Their turning was voluntary.
It was evidence of their faith and love mentioned in (1Thessalonians
1:3 see notes)..
MacDonald rightly
observes...
that they turned to God from idols,
not from idols to God. It wasn’t that they had become fed up with
their idols and then decided to give God a chance. No, they turned to
God and found Him so satisfying that they dropped their idols. Let us
never lose the sense of thrill and awe that is implicit in this
account. Two men go into a heathen city with the word of the Lord.
They preach the gospel in the power of the Spirit. The miracle of
regeneration takes place: men and women become so enraptured with the
Savior that they abandon their idols. Next you have a local assembly
of believers praising God, living lives of holiness, bravely enduring
persecution, and winning others to Christ. Truly the Lord’s service is
the prince of callings! (MacDonald, W., &
Farstad,
A.
Believer's Bible Commentary : Old
and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
Vine points out that
"in no case is God, or Christ, or
the Holy Spirit, said to turn, or convert,
anyone. Conversion is always the
voluntary act of the individual in response to the presentation of truth."
Charles Ryrie explains
that...
One dimension of their witness was
in the quality of life that salvation produced in them. They had
"turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God". Their
testimony is likened to the ringing blast of a trumpet, the echo of
which continues to be heard. That they had such a reputation despite
persecution is a marvelous testimony of their "faith toward God." It
is during times of difficulty that one's faith in the Lord is
especially precious, sustaining, and essential. (The
Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody
Publishers)
From
(575)(apo)
is a
preposition which means "from" or
"away from," and often speaks of a break of a former relationship.
Here apo clearly indicates that in turning to God they had
turned their backs on those idols and had separated themselves from
any further idol worship.
writes that based upon an analysis
of the relevant Scriptures the following observations can be drawn
regarding the idea of conversion...
1. Conversion in its concept and
experience originates in God. It is neither a human invention nor
the product of the human mind, will, or emotions. It originated in the
mind and will of God. As in Genesis 1:1 so also here we write, "In the
beginning God."
2. God Himself is the initiator
of the conversion of man by: (a) commanding man to be converted;
(b) calling man to return unto Him; (c) calling man to forsake sin;
(d) upholding before man the promise of the forgiveness of sins,
restoration and a life of rich blessings; and (e) warning man of
judgment if he fails to heed God’s call and command.
In order to save the Biblical
concept of conversion from all religious humanism, it is well to
realize that the Word of God is not only self-authoritative, it is
also dynamic, quickening, motivating, and causative. The command,
call, promise, and warning of God carry in them the power of God to
motivate and to enable man to respond positively to the Word of God.
In faith man opens himself to the power of God in the Word and is
thereby enabled to follow the command of God and to respond to the
call for conversion (cf. Ps 19:7, 8; John 6:63;
Hebrews 4:12 - note).
3. God Himself is operative in
conversion and thus in the final end, the ultimate cause of man’s
conversion rests in God and not in man himself. Without the
gracious operation of the Holy Spirit spoken of at times as prevenient
grace, known as the convicting (John 16:8), drawing (John 12:32), and
illuminating ministry of the Holy Spirit, no man would ever turn to
God and be converted (John 1:7-9).
4. Conversion as seen
from the above data is a conscious, radical, principal turning of man
with all his heart to God and from sin and ungodliness, a turning
which affects the whole of man’s life in all its relationships.
5. There is a possibility of
false "conversions," conversions which are merely psychological, an
escape from judgments rather than sin, or half-heartedness, or to
false gods. Thus they are inadequate either in the dynamic,
motivation, or purpose. (Peters, George: The Meaning of Conversion:
Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 120, Issue, 479, 1963, page 240. Dallas TX:
Dallas Theological Seminary)
Idols (1497)
(eidoeidolon
from
eídos = that which is seen, what is visible, figure,
appearance) is primarily a phantom, form, image, shadow or likeness.
Eidolon is
found 11 times in the NAS (Acts 7:41; 15:20; Rom. 2:22; 1 Co. 8:4, 7;
10:19; 12:2; 2 Co. 6:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Jn. 5:21; Rev. 9:20)
most of which are briefly alluded to in the following discussion.
(Related articles
#1,
#2,
#3)
Eidolon - 70 times in the
non-apocryphal
Septuagint (Lxx)- Gen. 31:19, 34f; Exod. 20:4; Lev.
19:4; 26:30; Num. 25:2; 33:52; Deut. 5:8; 29:17; 32:21; 1 Sam. 31:9; 1
Ki. 11:2, 7f, 33; 2 Ki. 17:12; 21:11, 21; 23:24; 1 Chr. 10:9; 16:26; 2
Chr. 11:15; 14:5; 15:16; 17:3; 23:17; 24:18; 28:2; 33:22; 34:7; 35:19;
Esther 4:17; Ps. 97:7; 115:4; 135:15; Isa. 1:29; 10:11; 27:9; 30:22;
37:19; 41:28; 48:5; 57:5; Jer. 9:14; 14:22; 16:19; Ezek. 6:4, 6, 13;
8:10; 16:16; 18:12; 23:39; 36:17, 25; 37:23; 44:12; Dan. 3:12, 18;
5:4, 23; 6:27; Hos. 4:17; 8:4; 13:2; 14:8; Mic. 1:7; Hab. 2:18; Zech.
13:2
NIDNTT has an excellent explanation of the background on eidolon
which is necessary to understand the Greek use of this that...
eidolon is used by Homer
for the phantoms and shades in Hades (Il. 5, 451; Od. 4, 796). It can
also mean any unsubstantial form, an image reflected in a mirror or
water, an image or idea in the mind. Apart from Polybius 31, 3, 13-15,
it was not generally used for the images of the gods in classic
Greek). (Ed note: since the Greeks did not consider their gods to be
idols, and they had no term for idolatry!)
Although eidolon is used
to render some 15 Hebrew terms in the
LXX,
it refers without exception to the images of the heathen gods and the
deities represented by them. They include gillulim (1544)
idols (always in a disdainful sense, e.g. Lev 26:30; Deut. 29:17;
Ezek. 6:4ff., 13; 36:17f., 25; 37:23); and teraphim (8655)
idols (again used disdainfully, perhaps connected with the idea of
perishing, Ge 31:19, 34ff). To express the image of God in man, even
where the Hebrew word is also applied to an idol, the term eikon is
used. This Hellenistic-Jewish usage reflects Jewish contempt for
heathen polytheism.
The prohibition against
serving other gods and the prohibition against making eidola are
linked already in the Decalogue (Ex 20:3, 4, 5f.; Deut. 5:7, 6, 7f.). The
depreciation of images based on this prohibition leaves its traces
everywhere in the OT. This does not imply, however, that there is no
reality behind the heathen idolatrous worship. Idols are bdelugmata (946),
abominations (Ed note: the very Greek word used by Jesus to
describe the Antichrist! Mt 24:15), behind which stand daimonia
(Demon) (1142),
demonic powers, with which one cannot come into contact without moving
God to wrath (Deut. 32:16f., 21). In 2Chr 24:18 the worship of idols
is equated with that of the Asherim, i.e. of the powers behind the
idols.
Israel often succumbed to the temptation to open the doors to these
powers, especially when the rise of the Assyrian and Babylonian
empires gave the impression that their gods were more powerful than
the God of Israel (Isa. 36:19, 20f.). Jer. 44:15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and Ezek 8:1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12f give
graphic and terrible pictures of how widely heathen idol worship had
spread in Israel in
their day. The prophetic message to Israel was that the misfortune
which had overtaken the people was God’s punishment for falling away
from Yahweh and compromising with the heathen cultus (Isa 10:11; Jer
9:13, 14, 15, 16; Ezek 8:17f.). The call to repentance combined a demand for
right behaviour towards one’s neighbour (Amos 5:14f.; Hos 4:1, 2, 3f.; Isa
1:15, 16, 17f.) with the demand to turn away from false gods (Hos 14:9). The
prophets never grew tired of stressing to the people how impotent and
vain (mataios = empty) (3152)
were the idols (Ezek 8:10; 1Chr. 16:26; 2 Chr. 25:15). For they are
merely the creation of men’s hands which cannot hear or see, or do
anything (Hos 8:4f.; 13:2; Je 14:22; Hab 2:18f.; cf.
Ezek. 8:10; 2Chr. 11:15). The sharpest polemic against the cult images
in an exilic setting occurs in Isa 40:18, 19, 20f.; 44:9-20; 46:1f. The
making of the idols is described in language that renders them
ludicrous; and the power of Yahweh who molds history is contrasted
with them (Isa. 45-48). He will destroy the false gods (Jer 10:10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15;
Ezek 6:4, 5, 6f, 13; Mic 1:7), and men will throw away their idols on the
day of God’s judgment (Isa 2:18, 19, 20f.).
(Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan or
Logos computer version)
In summary, the
spiritual significance of eidolon is primarily derived from the
use of this word in the
Septuagint (LXX)
where (as discussed
above in the NIDNTT) eidolon is considered a derogatory term
for images of the gods or pagan deities. The
Septuagint
uses of
eidolon emphasize the fact that idols are the products of fantasy
and are manufactured by human hands (e.g. Isa 44:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). The Old
Testament writers considered that these so-called gods had no reality
at all, but were simply pieces of wood or stone. They were not
alternative gods, but rather unreal gods. The NT usage is based on
the understanding of eidolon in the
Septuagint.
Read Psalm 115:1, 2, 2,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-note for a
vivid description of what it is like to worship an idol.
Arthur Wallis
an English evangelical writer said that...
An idol may be defined
as any person or thing that has usurped in the heart the place of
preeminence that belongs to the Lord.
In Scripture eidolon
is an image or representation whether corporeal or imaginary or some
other thing which resembles a person, animal, false god, etc. and
which is an object of worship. In Colossians 3 Paul broadened the
meaning an idol using the combination word eidololatreia
(eidolon + latreia = render religious service) writing...
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which
amounts to idolatry. (see notes
Colossians 3:5)
When people engage in
either greed (literally = "desire to have more"), they follow
their desires rather than God’s desires, in essence worshiping
themselves, which amounts idolatry. Greed then in this
context is any materialistic desire including lust that disregards the
rights of others. As one writer has phrased it greed is "the
arrogant and ruthless assumption that all other persons and things
exist for one’s own benefit."
Louw and Nida
write that...
The technical
distinction between an image and an idol is that an image may merely
represent a supernatural being, while an idol not only represents such
a being but is believed to possess certain inherent supernatural
powers. Images often become idols when they are assumed to possess
such powers in and of themselves rather than being mere
representations of some supernatural entity. If, for example, various
images of a particular supernatural being are supposed to have
different healing powers, then what began merely as images or
representations of a supernatural power have become idols, in that the
different images themselves have acquired special efficacy. (Louw,
J. P., & Nida, E. A. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based
on Semantic Domains. United Bible societies)
Eidolon in a practical sense is anything, anyone, etc that takes
priority over the True and Living God. Idols therefore are not
just carved images but any objects which come between the soul and
Christ, including things like money, pleasure, fame or material
things. Many idolaters literally serve
idols as in ancient
Egypt where
statues of gods were regularly and ritually clothed and fed!
In Lystra when the pagan Gentile idol worshipers began calling
Barnabas, "Zeus" (the supreme Greek deity) and Paul "Hermes" (the
messenger of the Greek gods), they countered by preaching the gospel
and instructing them to
turn from (epistrepho) these
vain things (futile or profitless things -- Scripture frequently
refers to idols as vain things or vanity) to a living God, Who made
the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them. (Acts
14:15)
Because idolatry was
inseparably connected with all phases of pagan life, a conversion that
led to the rejection and renunciation of idols was indeed a
revolutionary experience. There seemed to be a solid basis for the
Jewish opponents' charge that the missionaries were men who "turned
the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).
The first NT use of
eidolon is to describe
Israel's sin at
Mt Sinai...
And at that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the
idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands." (Acts
7:41)
In Jerusalem at a
council of the Jewish believers James declared that...
we write to (the Gentiles turning to God) that they abstain from
things contaminated by idols (eidolon) and from fornication and
from what is strangled and from blood. (Acts
15:20) (It was not that
these restrictions (any more than circumcision) were required for
salvation, but rather for fellowship with the Jerusalem church and
with Jewish Christians in general)
In Romans 2:22 (note)
Paul addressed individuals (which in context appear to be Jews) as
those "who abhor idols (eidolon)", the Jews having been taught,
by the severe discipline of the 70 year Babylonian Captivity, to obey
God’s decree against idolatry.
Writing to the
Corinthians who lived a city alive (really "dead") with idol worship
Paul explained...
Therefore concerning the
eating of things sacrificed to idols (eidolon), we know that
there is no such thing as an idol (eidolon) in the world, and
that there is no God but one." (1Cor 8:4)
Later in the same letter
Paul explained further about idols asking
"What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols
(eidolon) is anything, or that an idol (eidolon) is anything?
No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to demons, and not to God; and I do not want you to become
sharers in demons." (1Cor
10:19-20)
Paul was making the
point that even though the physical images worshiped by idolaters are
nothing but vanity, they do represent a dangerous reality. The idols
and the things sacrificed to them have no spiritual nature or power in
themselves (1Cor 8:4, 8), but they do represent demonic beings. In
some mysterious way, idol worship is linked with demons and using the
idols, the demons can exert control over the hearts and minds of those
who worship them, thereby impressing them with the validity of their
false religion, and binding them ever more securely in the spirit's
grasp. We see this bondage to demonic spirits in many of the unreached
people groups in the 10/40 window.
In 1Cor 12:2 Paul says that
when you were pagans,
you were led astray to the dumb (speechless in contrast with the
living God who does speak) idols, however you were
led (Before conversion the Corinthians had been idolaters, enslaved by
and living in fear of demonic spirits and being led about by them
witnessing supernatural manifestations of the spirit world).
In his second letter to
the Corinthians Paul emphasizes that as believers we are to live a
separated life asking...
what agreement has the
temple of God with idols?
(Answer = nothing and he immediately explains why) For we are the
temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND
WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
(2Cor 6:16)
John warns believers in his first epistle...
Little children,
guard (aorist
imperative = urgent, do this now, don't delay, take
whatever steps necessary to fulfill) yourselves from idols. (1John 5:21)
Morris commenting on John's warning writes...
Idols are either
physical images or mental constructs with which men try to explain and
control the forces and systems of nature without acknowledging the one
true God as Creator and Sustainer of all things. Paganism, with its
pantheism and polytheism, worshipping the various forces and systems
of nature personified as Mother Earth with all her other
personifications as various gods and goddesses, was rife in John's day
and, through various forms of evolutionism, has always been arrayed in
opposition to the true God of creation and redemption. This is more
true today than ever before, and it is absolutely vital that true
Christians should refrain from all forms of idolatry, whether
rationalistic humanism, economic materialism, or New Age
pantheism--all of which are founded on an evolutionary world view. (Morris,
Henry: Defenders Study Bible. World Publishing)
Marvin Vincent
commenting on 1Corinthians 8:4 (see above) notes that...
An idol is a
nonentity. The emphasis is on the nothingness of the idol, hence the
emphatic position of ouden = nothing. It is a mere stock or stone,
having no real significance in heaven or on earth. One of the Old
Testament names for heathen gods is elilim = nothings! Idol (eidolon)
is primarily an image or likeness. In Greek writers it is sometimes
used of the shades of the dead, or the fantasies of the mind. In the
Old Testament, the number and variety of
the words
representing the objects of heathen worship, are a striking commentary
upon the general prevalence of idolatry. Eidolon = image stands
in the Septuagint for several of the different Hebrew terms for idols;
as, elilim things of nought; gillulim things rolled
about, as logs or masses of stone; chammanim sun-pillars, etc.
Other words are also used to translate the same Hebrew terms, but in
all cases the idea is that of the material object as shaped by
mechanical processes, or as being in itself an object of terror, or a
vain or abominable thing, a mere device of man. (Bolding added)
It is notable that there
are no occurrences of eidolon in the Gospels, which suggests that at
that time idolatry among the Jews was not a major problem. But as soon
as the apostolic preaching moved into the pagan world of the Gentiles
we see the use of eidolon revived. As noted here in first
Thessalonians turning to the "living and true God" was
impossible without a turning away from idols and pagan worship.
Their retention was a sign of lack of repentance as demonstrated in
the final NT use of eidolon in the Revelation, which contains
several statements concerning those who are barred from heaven. High
on the list are those who worship man-made idols, John recording
that...
the rest of mankind, who
were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their
hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols (eidolon) of
gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can
neither see nor hear nor walk and they did not repent of their murders
nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
(Rev 9:20-21).
Ray Stedman notes that
"Modern America is
surely one of the most idolatrous countries the world has ever seen.
We are surrounded with idol worship. I once heard of a Chinese man who
visited here and was asked upon his return to China whether Americans
worshipped idols. "Yes, they do," he reported. "They have three of
them. In the winter they worship a fat man in a red suit. In the
spring they worship a rabbit. And in the fall they sacrifice a
turkey!"
Pulpit Commentary
adds that...
"The Thessalonian Church was mainly Gentile; there were a few Jews among them, but the
Jews as a body bitterly persecuted the infant Church. The gospel was
glad tidings indeed to thoughtful Gentiles. The Jews had great and
precious truths, though their teachers had well-nigh hidden them under
a mass of traditions and idle forms. But what was there in the
heathenism of the day on which a thinking man could rest his soul?
There were temples everywhere, but what man who felt the yearnings of
the human soul for righteousness and God could in his heart reverence
the deities who were worshipped there?"
Martin Luther
warned of the danger of idolatry writing...
"We easily fall into
idolatry, for we are inclined to it by nature; and coming to us by
inheritance, it seems pleasant."
J Vernon McGee
gives an excellent summary of this section writing that...
when Paul arrived in Thessalonica,
he preached Christ. When he preached Christ, they turned to God from
idols. Notice that he doesn’t say they turned from idols to God.
Someone will say, "You’re splitting hairs." I surely am. These are
hairs that need to be split. We need to do some straight thinking
about this. "How ye turned to God from idols." We hear today that
repentance is essential to salvation. Repentance and believing are
presented as two steps in a process. Actually, they are both wrapped
up in the same package, and you have them both right here. When Paul
preached Christ, they turned to God from idols. I want you to see
something that is very important. When they turned to God, that is the
work of faith; that is what faith did. The Lord Jesus said, "… This is
the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29,
italics mine). These people turned to God from idols; they turned from
idols, too. That’s right—and that is repentance. The repentance
followed the turning to God. It didn’t precede it. When they turned to
God, they automatically turned from idols.
Take your hand and hold it so the
palm of your hand is facing toward you. Now turn your hand around.
When you turned your hand around, the back side of your hand now faces
you, and the palm of your hand automatically turned away from you.
Just so, you cannot turn to Christ Jesus without turning from
something, my friend. That turning from something is repentance. We
need to hold up Jesus Christ as the Savior from sin. A man needs to
know that he is a lost sinner. He can sit and weep about his sins
until Judgment Day, and it
won’t
do him one bit of good. I know an alcoholic man who died an alcoholic.
He could sit in my study and cry about the fact that he was an
alcoholic and how terrible he was to be a drunkard. He could shed
great tears and repent, but nothing changed because he never did turn
to Christ!
My dad used to tell about a little
boat that went up and down the Mississippi River. It had a little
bitty boiler and a great big whistle. When that boat was carrying a
load and was going upstream, it was in trouble when the whistle would
blow, because the boat would begin to drift downstream. There are a
lot of people who have a little boiler and a great big whistle. They
can repent and shed tears all over the place, but that doesn’t do any
good. It is only when a person turns to Christ that he will turn from
something. He will turn from his sin. If a man doesn’t turn from his
sin, it is because he hasn’t turned to Christ. (McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
TO SERVE A LIVING AND TRUE
GOD: douleuein (PAN) theo zonti (PAPMSD) kai alethino:
(Dt 5:26; 1Sa 17:26,36; Ps 42:2; 84:2;
Isa 37:4,17; Jer 10:10; Da 6:26; Hos 1:10; Ro 9:26; 2Co 6:16,17; 1Ti
4:10; Heb 12:22; Rev 17:2)
(See Torrey's topics
Conversion;
Idolatry;
Repentance)
to serve a God Who is alive and true and genuine (Amp)
To serve
(1398)
(douleuo
[word study] from
doulos
= bondservant in turn
from deo = to bind so one who is bound to another) means
to be a slave to God and to act accordingly.
The present infinitive denotes that it was a life of continual,
complete, and wholehearted service to God. The Thessalonians had
completely yielded their wills to continuously (present
tense) carry out the will of their heavenly
Master.
A
doulos
conveys the idea of one closely bound with his master, belonging to
him, obligated and desirous to do his will, in a permanent relation of
servitude and having his will be altogether consumed by the will of
the master.
Doulos
and douleuo emphasize
that one is no longer their own but that they have been bought at
great price and therefore willingly commit to serve their master whom
they love and respect.
Someone has observed
that men have free will and thus the freedom to choose who their
master will be, but they do not have the freedom to choose no master.
We will serve either "God or mammon" and Jesus made it abundantly
clear that we can only serve one master...
No one can serve (present
tense) two
masters; for either he will hate the
one
and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You
cannot serve (present
tense -make this
a habitual practice) God and
mammon. (Mt 6:24-note)
Calvin remarks,
Only the man who has learned to put himself wholly in subjection to
God is truly
converted to Him.
Hiebert adds that
To be the Lord's "bondsman" is
perfectly consistent with true Christian
liberty.
Man's freedom consists in his liberty to choose his master, not to be
without a master. As he voluntarily yields himself to Gods service,
the believer finds the power and the desire to do what is right
thereby experiencing true liberty. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians) Moulton and Milligan
point out that the verb douleuo was apparently never used in a
religious sense in pagan literature. Paul's beautiful picture of the
Thessalonians serving a living and true God by a life of voluntary
obedience to His will was quite beyond pagan conception.
Denney remarks,
No Greek or Roman could take in the idea of "serving" a God.... There
was no room for it in his religion; his conception of the gods did not
admit of it. if life was to be a moral service rendered to God, it
must be to a God quite different from any to whom he was introduced by
his
ancestral worship.,"
True (228) (alethinos
from alethes = true, one who cannot lie) is an adjective
which pertains to being in accordance with historical fact - genuine,
real, true, valid, trustworthy (worthy of confidence, dependable).
Alethinos describes that which has not only the name and resemblance,
but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect
corresponding to the idea signified by the name -- thus genuine not
spurious, fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended.
In describing God as "True God" Paul
is saying that He is a genuine, truthful (and thus trustworthy) God,
as opposed to the counterfeit gods of idolatry that have no objective
existence nor divine truth. Paul is emphasizing the monotheistic
character of the Deity the Thessalonians now served which sharply
distinguished them from the pagan so-called gods.
True God
- This phrase is also found in 2Chr. 15:3 (Lxx = alethinos); Jer 10:10; Jn. 17:3; 1Th 1:9; 1Jn.
5:20. Beloved, aren't we glad we worship and serve the One Who Alone
can truly be called the "True God!" Praise Him today for revealing His
truth to our blind, spiritually darkened hearts in Jesus Who is the
Truth (Jn 14:6, cp 2Cor 4:6, Acts 26:18).
John frequently combines alethinos
and "faithful"
(pistos)
in the Revelation (Rev 3:14-note,
Rev 19:11-note,
Rev 21:5-note,
Rev 22:6-note).
There is one passage by Luke in which he uses both words but not in a
coupled phrase as in the uses in the Revelation.
What is the Spirit of Truth (!) saying to us
in this last book of the Holy Bible? God is trustworthy and He
corresponds in His essence to that which is real and genuine. Why do
we so often not trust our God Who gives us such a soul encouraging
description of Himself? Notice that when He returns to defeat the
enemies of God in Revelation 19, the Lord Jesus Christ's actual name
is "Faithful and Truth!" O how we need to allow these simple but
profound words marinate our heart and our mind, so that we might
remain "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord" (1Cor 15:58-note)
in these last tumultuous days preceding His imminent, return "with
power and great glory." (Mt 24:30) Let it be so Lord. Amen.
Nuances of meaning of definition of
alethinos (adapted from Thayer's Lexicon)...
1) that which has not only the name and
resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every
respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true
genuine (see use in Lxx of 2Chr 15:3) (Donaldson adds "particularly
applied to express that which is all that it pretends to be, for
instance, pure gold as opposed to adulterated metal"). For
example, alethinos describes words that conform to the facts and thus
are correct and dependable (Jn 19:35)
1a) Alethinos is opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit,
imaginary, simulated or pretended (e.g., idols in 1Th 1:9!)
1b) it contrasts realities with their semblances
(e.g., the earthly versus the heavenly tabernacle, the latter being
the "true tabernacle" Heb 8:2)
1c) opposite to what is imperfect, defective,
frail, uncertain
2) True, veracious, sincere. (Describes one's
heart Heb 10:22, cp Lxx use describing Isaiah's heart in Isa 38:3) The Septuagint often uses alethinos in this
sense. This sense of alethinos is said to be equivalent to
alethes (but see Vincent's comment below).
How fitting that the last two uses of the word "true" refer to God's
Word, both times as "faithful and true." (Rev 21:5, Rev 22:6)
Friberg on alethinos...
(1) Of words that conform to facts true,
correct, dependable (Jn 19.35);
(2) Of what conforms to reality genuine, real,
true (1Jn 2.8); substantially true thing, reality (Heb 9.24);
(3) Of persons characterized by integrity and
trustworthiness true, dependable; substantially, as a person who is
what he claims to be = (the) true one (Rev 3.7)
(Friberg,
T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New
Testament. Baker Academic) (Logos
version)
Vine summarizes
alethinos...
denotes true in the sense of real, ideal,
genuine; it is used
(a) of God, John 7:28 (cp. No. 1 Alethes in Jn
7:18, above); Jn 17:3; 1Th. 1:9; Rev. 6:10; these declare that God
fulfils the meaning of His Name, He is “very God,” in distinction from
all other gods, false gods (alēthēs, see John 3:33 in No. 1, signifies
that He is veracious, true to His utterances, He cannot lie);
TDNT - As a divine attribute it has the
sense of “reliable,” “righteous,” or “real” (cf. Ex. 34:6; Is. 65:16;
1 Th. 1:9; Jn. 7:28; 1 Jn. 5:20; Rev. 3:7; 6:10); in the NT it can be
used of Christ as well as God.
(b) of Christ, John 1:9; 6:32; 15:1; 1 John 2:8;
5:20 (thrice); Rev. 3:7, 14; 19:11; His judgment, John 8:16 (in the
best texts, instead of No. 1 - Alethes);
(c) God’s words, John 4:37; Rev. 19:9; 21:5;
22:6; the last three are equivalent to No. 1 (alethes);
(d) His ways, Rev. 15:3;
(e) His judgments, Rev. 16:7; 19:2;
(with reference to God’s ways or judgments
“valid” - TDNT)
(f) His riches, Luke 16:11;
(g) His worshippers, John 4:23;
(h) their hearts, Heb. 10:22;
(i) the witness of the Apostle John, John 19:35;
(j) the spiritual, antitypical Tabernacle, Heb.
8:2; 9:24, not that the wilderness Tabernacle was false, but that it
was a weak and earthly copy of the Heavenly.
TDNT - In Hellenism it also takes on the
sense of “real as eternal” or “real as mediated by revelation.” Thus
in Heb. 8:2 the heavenly tabernacle is “true” in contrast to the
earthly, and in Heb. 9:24 the human sanctuary is a copy of the true
one, which is genuine as divine, and as thus containing truth and
dispensing revelation. Similarly the true light of Jn. 1:9 is the
light of life of Jn. 8:12, and the true bread from heaven is the bread
of life (Jn. 6:32, 35, 48), while the true God of Jn. 7:28 is he who
gives revelation, and Christ’s true judgment is not merely just or
trustworthy but authentic and definitive.
(Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament. Eerdmans
or
Wordsearch)
Note: “Alēthinos is related to alethes as form to contents or
substances; alēthēs denotes the reality of the thing, alēthinos
defines the relation of the conception to the thing to which it
corresponds=genuine” (Cremer) (Vine's
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words- Topic: True, Truly,
Truth)
NIDNTT notes
that alethinos...
alethinos frequently has the meaning in cl. Gk. of “real” or
“genuine”, but it may also mean simply “truthful”. Xenophon speaks of
securing a real army (strateumati alēthinōi), in the sense of an army
worthy of the name (Anabasis 1, 9, 17). Plato speaks of having a real
passion for genuine philosophy (alēthinēs philosophias alēthinos erōs)
(Republic 499c). Philo has an interesting theological use in which he
describes God as “the real one”, like a coin which is genuine rather
than counterfeit, or an article which is not merely veneer (Congr.,
159).
(Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan or
Logos Computer version)Vincent comments on the related word alethinos versus
alethes...
alethes, also rendered
true, occurs at Ro 3:33; 5:31; 8:13, and elsewhere. The difference is
that alethes signifies true, as contrasted with false; while alethinos
signifies what is real, perfect, and substantial, as contrasted with
what is fanciful, shadowy, counterfeit, or merely symbolic. Thus God
is alethes (John 3:33) in that He cannot lie. He is alethinos (1Th
1:9), as distinguished from idols. In Heb 8:2, the heavenly tabernacle
is called alethino, as distinguished from the Mosaic tabernacle, which
was a figure of the heavenly reality (Heb 9:24). Thus the expression
true light denotes the realization of the original divine idea of the
Light — the archetypal Light, as contrasted with all imperfect
manifestations: “the Light which fulfilled all that had been promised
by the preparatory, partial, even fictitious lights which had existed
in the world before.”
Comment: Bishop Trench also compares alethinos and alethes
summarizing a lengthy discussion by concluding "we may affirm of the
alethes, that he fulfils the promise of his lips, but the
alethinos the wider promise of his name. Whatever that name
imports, taken in its highest, deepest, widest sense, whatever
according to that he ought to be, that he is to the full. This, let me
further add, holds equally good of things as of persons; pistos
and alethinos are therefore at Rev. 21:5 justly found together.
(Read Trench's full discussion in
Synonyms of the New Testament)
Alethinos - 28x in 26v in NAS - NAS renders alethinos as -
sincere(1), true(26), true one(1).
Luke 16:11 "Therefore if you have not been
faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the
true riches to you?
Comment: The genuine riches, those
associated with real (and lasting) good, standing in opposition
external riches the world futilely so desperately craves and seeks.
John 1:9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world,
enlightens every man.
Comment: The opposite is not necessarily
false, but imperfect, shadowy. Christ is the perfect light in whose
radiance all other lights seem dim (Bernard; Morris). He is the true
light, the genuine and ultimate self-disclosure of God to man
John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such
people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
John 4:37 "For in this case the saying is
true, 'One sows and another reaps.'
John 6:32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly (Amen, Amen), I say to you, it is
not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My
Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.
Comment: True Bread is a picturesque
description of Jesus, Who Alone is able to nourish the soul unto
everlasting life. Have you tasted and
received the Bread of Life dear reader?
John 7:28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying,
"You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of
Myself, but He who sent Me is true, Whom you do not know.
Comment: "God is the ultimate reality"
(Barrett)
John 8:16 "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I
am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.
Comment: Psalm 19:9 uses alethinos to
describe the "judgments of Jehovah" as "true".
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser.
John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 19:35 And he who has seen has testified (John had just witnessed
Jesus' crucifixion and the soldier's spears piercing His side - Jn
19:34), and his testimony is
true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also
may believe.
Comment: This is John's own testimony ("he
who has seen" = the apostle John), in which he emphatically
asserts that he was recording what really happened. This emphasis on a
true testimony was necessary both because of the vitally important
nature of the Crucifixion and the importance of the truth that Jesus
was in fact physically dead. John's emphasis on true testimony
anticipated the false witnesses (these skeptical agnostics are still
alive today presenting fallacious television "documentaries", writing
fictional accounts as if they were true, etc) who would attempt to
explain (away) Jesus' (true) resurrection as supposing that He merely
swooned ("to sink into a fainting fit, in which there is a
suspension of the apparent vital functions and mental powers") and
had not actually died.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a
reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to
serve a living and true God,
Hebrews 8:2-note a minister in the sanctuary and in the true
tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
Hebrews 9:24-note For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a
mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us;
Hebrews 10:22-note let us draw near with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Comment: What an incredible "exhortative
invitation" the writer gives this band of persecuted Hebrew Christ
followers (and us today as well!) - Draw near! How this contrast with
the words of the Law - "Stand back!" (Cp Ex 19:12-22, 23, 24, Heb
12:20, 21) referring to Mt Sinai from whence the Law was given)
1 John 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you,
which is true (alethes) in Him and in you, because the darkness is
passing away and the true Light is already shining.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us
understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are
in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the
true God and eternal life.
Comment: "True God" is also used
in Jn 17:3.
Did you observe what was associated with the "true God"
in both of these Scriptures?
Revelation 3:7-note "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who
opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
Revelation 3:14-note "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the
faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of
God, says this:
Revelation 6:10-note and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How
long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and
avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"
Revelation 15:3-note And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of
God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your
works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your
ways, King of the nations!
Revelation 16:7-note And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the
Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
Revelation 19:2-note BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS;
for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with
her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON
HER."
Revelation 19:9-note Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to
the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are
true words of God."
Revelation 19:11-note And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat
on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He
judges and wages war.
Revelation 21:5-note And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am
making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are
faithful and true."
Revelation 22:6-note And he said to me, "These words are faithful and
true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent
His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take
place.
Alethinos - 34 verses in the
Non-apocryphal
Septuagint (Lxx)
- Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Deut 25:15; 32:4; 2 Sam 7:28; 1Kgs 10:6; 17:24;
2Chr 9:5; 15:3; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 4:7, 12; 6:25; 8:6, 21; 17:8; 27:17;
Ps 19:9; 86:15; Pr 12:19; Isa 25:1; 38:3; 57:18; 59:4; 65:2, 16; Jer
2:21; Dan 2:45; 4:37; 6:12; 10:1; Zech 8:3
THE ULTIMATE
"TRUE/FALSE"
TEST!
Adam Clarke has an insightful contrast between the false and
true noting that the
phrase true God
stands in direct
opposition to
the whole system of idolatry, which was false in the objects of its
adoration, false in its pretensions, false in its promises, and
false
in all its prospects.
Living
(2198)
(zao)
means to have life and existence as opposed to death and nonexistence.
Zao is in the
present tense which is
more literally translated "the continuously living God".
He is a living God, having life and
power in Himself as "the author and preserver of life unto others" and
He stands in contrast to the dead idols that are impotent to help
their worshipers.
Study the 28 occurrences of the
phrase Living God in Scripture -
Dt. 5:26;
Jos. 3:10; 1Sam. 17:26, 36; 2Ki. 19:4, 16; Ps. 42:2; 84:2; Isa. 37:4,
17; Jer. 10:10; 23:36; Dan. 6:20, 26; Hos. 1:10; Matt. 16:16; 26:63;
Acts 14:15; Rom. 9:26; 2 Co. 3:3; 6:16; 1 Tim. 3:15; 4:10; Heb. 3:12;
9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Rev. 7:2
The
psalmist declares
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? (Ps 42:2)
(Spurgeon's
Commentary)
King Darius although a pagan, recognized
Daniel, (as the)
servant of the living God... (Da 6:20).
After Daniel's miraculous deliverance from the lion's den King Darius
declared
I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom
men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the
living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will
not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever (Da
6:26)
When others see you, do they see the "living God" in
you? When Jesus asked His disciples
But who do you say that I
am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. (Mt
16:15, 16)
And here in
Paul's epistle, we see that the Thessalonians who had formerly served
dead, lifeless, empty, vain, futile gods, who are no gods at all, now willingly submit to the
only living God.
Have you surrendered your will to the
good and acceptable and perfect will of the ever living God?
God is called the living God
thus standing in radical contrast to the dead, dumb, deaf, blind, lifeless idols. The
psalmist declares that
The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, the work of man's
hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak. They have eyes, but
they do not see. They have ears, but they do not hear, Nor is there
any breath at all in their mouths." (Ps 135:15, 16, 17 Spurgeon's
comments on
Ps 135:15;
16;
17]
cf Isa 44:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) Writing to the Corinthians who were in an
"idol infested" environment,
Paul reminds them
that there is no such thing as an idol in the
world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are
so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many
gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from
Whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
by Whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (1Cor 8:4, 5,
6)
Willard Aldrich
has some interesting thoughts on this definitive turning to
God and from idols writing that...
if God indeed has committed Himself
to keep and perfect His own through faith then, as both condition and
proof of a divine undertaking, human perseverance in faith and
obedience should be expected. Where these are lacking, there is reason
to believe the person is guilty of making an empty profession. Such in
reality is the teaching of Luke 9:62:
No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
The hand of discipleship is laid to
the plough, but the backward look proves the profession to be empty
and the heart unconverted. The man who puts his hand to the plough and
keeps looking back shows he is not fit for the kingdom of God.
At the outset it should be borne in
mind that one does not make himself fit for the kingdom of God by his
own ploughing. Fitting us for heaven is a divine undertaking, but
those thus fitted will manifest it, and those not fitted will evidence
their unfitness also.
The ploughman who keeps looking
back with lingering and longing, like Lot’s wife for Sodom and
Gomorrah, proves that his heart has not been changed.
Some years ago a "poet" in the
Portland, Oregon traffic department succeeded in posting the city with
traffic safety signs exhorting the pedestrian to "Gaze Both Ways"
before stepping off the curb. An editorial in the Oregonian pointed
out that it was impossible to gaze both ways, at least both at once
unless cross-eyed, because to gaze means to look earnestly and
steadily. The gaze of the ploughman was back at the old life because
his heart was there.
Unlike the Thessalonian believers
who "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1Thess 1:9), the ploughman of empty profession had not really turned to
God from his idols. In a number of places in the New Testament the
Christian life is represented in terms of going on with Christ, and
those looking back or turning back are those who have never been truly
converted and saved (cf. John 6:66;2Pe 2:21-note;
Php 3:13-note).
(Aldrich, Willard: Perseverance: Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 114, Issue
456, page 16. Dallas TX: Dallas Theological Seminary)
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Genuine Faith - He said he
had trusted Jesus as his Savior, but he was involved in an illicit
affair. His buddies were men who bragged about getting away with
dishonesty and immorality. I wanted to encourage him to live for
Christ, so I met with him weekly.
The man listened when I explained the Scriptures, and he seemed
touched by my prayers for him. Yet he never expressed sorrow about his
past. He continued to live as before and expressed no desire to
change. He correctly understood that Jesus graciously accepts us just
as we are, but he thought that living in obedience to Christ was
optional. As far as I could tell, he never changed his attitude or
behavior before he died unexpectedly.
In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul referred to a false profession that
minimized the importance of a changed life as "empty words" (Eph
5:5,6-see notes
5:5;
6).
Something very significant happens to us and in us when we truly
believe. We who were "once darkness" become "light in the Lord" (Ep
5:8-note).
The result will be lives that are marked by "goodness, righteousness,
and truth" (Ep 5:9-note).
If our faith is real, our goal will be to honor our Lord and not live
like those who don't know Him. That's a sure sign of genuine faith.
—Herbert Vander Lugt (Our
Daily Bread - Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
What is it to be born again,
Unless it's plain to see
A difference in the way I live—
A change inside of me?
—Sper
When Jesus comes into a life,
He changes everything
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Lipstick on a Bulldog - "In
a lot of organizations, change is like putting lipstick on a bulldog.
There's a tremendous amount of effort involved, and most times all you
get is some cosmetics—and an angry bulldog." So writes Dave Murphy of
the San Francisco Chronicle.
Real change, whether in a business, church, family, or in ourselves,
can be difficult and elusive. While we long for a deep and lasting
transformation, we often get only a temporary cover-up that solves
nothing and satisfies no one.
The word repent is used in the Bible to describe the beginning of
genuine spiritual change. Language scholar W. E. Vine says that to
repent means "to change one's mind or purpose." In the New Testament
it always involves a change for the better as a person turns away from
sin while turning toward God. Jesus began His public ministry with the
call, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).
When we feel sorry for doing wrong or for getting caught, it may be
nothing more than a spiritual cosmetic. But true repentance occurs
deep in our hearts and results in a visible difference in our actions.
When we turn to Christ and yield ourselves to Him, He produces real
change—not just a cover-up. —David C. McCasland (Ibid)
Don't hide your sin and cover up,
Pretending there is nothing wrong;
Instead, confess it and repent,
And God will fill your heart with song.
—Sper
Repentance is not just words but actions
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Religion Or Relationship? -
Two kinds of religion exist in our world: Religion A and Religion B.
The first is "faith" in name only (2Ti 3:5-note).
It's the outward practice of Christianity without genuine faith in the
living Lord.
Religion B, on the other hand, is a life-transforming,
destiny-changing experience. It's a definite commitment to the
crucified and risen Savior, which establishes an ongoing personal
relationship between a forgiven sinner and a gracious God.
This difference explains why for many years British author C. S. Lewis
had such great difficulty in becoming a Christian. Religion A had
blinded him to Religion B. According to his brother Warren, his
conversion was "no sudden plunge into a new life, but rather a slow,
steady convalescence from a deep-seated spiritual illness--an illness
that had its origins in our childhood, in the dry husks of religion
offered by the semi-political churchgoing of Ulster, and the similar
dull emptiness of compulsory church during our school days."
Are you bogged down in the empty ritual of Religion A? If so, you must
receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then make sure your
relationship with Christ is growing deeper and more vital every day.
—Vernon C Grounds
You only are true life--
To know You is to live
The more abundant life
That earth can never give. --Clarkson
You can have tons of religion
without one ounce of salvation
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TORREY'S TOPIC
REPENTANCE
What it is -Isaiah 45:22; Matthew 6:19-21; Acts
14:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:9;
Hebrews 12:1,2
Commanded to all by God -Ezekiel 18:30-32; Acts 17:30
Commanded by Christ -Revelation 2:5,16; 3:3
Given by God -Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25
Christ came to call sinners to -Matthew 9:13
Christ exalted to give -Acts 5:31
By the operation of the Holy Spirit -Zechariah 12:10
Called repentance to life -Acts 11:18
Called repentance to salvation -2 Corinthians 7:10
WE SHOULD BE LED TO, BY
The long-suffering of God -Genesis 6:3; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9
The goodness of God -Romans 2:4
The chastisements of God -1 Kings 8:47; Revelation 3:19
Godly sorrow works -2 Corinthians 7:10
Necessary to the pardon of sin -Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22
Conviction of sin necessary to -1 Kings 8:38; Proverbs 28:13; Acts
2:37,38; 19:18
PREACHED
By Christ -Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15
By John the Baptist Matthew 3:2
By the Apostles -Mark 6:12; Acts 20:21
In the name of Christ -Luke 24:47
Not to be repented of -2 Corinthians 7:10
The present time the season for -Psalms 95:7,8; Hebrews 3:7,8;
Proverbs 27:1; Isaiah 55:6; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 4:7
There is joy in heaven over one sinner brought to Luke 15:7,10
Ministers should rejoice over their people on their -2 Corinthians 7:9
Should be evidenced by fruits -Isaiah 1:16,17; Daniel 4:27; Matthew
3:8; Acts 26:20
SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY
Humility -2 Chronicles 7:14; James 4:9,10
Shame and confusion -Ezra 9:6-15; Jeremiah 31:19; Ezekiel 16:61,63;
Daniel 9:7,8
Self-abhorrence -Job 42:6
Confession -Leviticus 26:40; Job 33:27
Faith -Matthew 21:32; Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21
Prayer -1 Kings 8:33; Acts 8:22
Conversion -Acts 3:19; 26:20
Turning from sin -2 Chronicles 6:26
Turning from idolatry -Ezekiel 14:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9
Greater zeal in the path of duty 2 Corinthians 7:11
Exhortations to Ezekiel 14:6; 18:30; Acts 2:38; 3:19
THE WICKED
Averse to -Jeremiah 8:6; Matthew 21:32
Not led to by the judgments of God Revelation 9:20,21; 16:9
Not led to, by miraculous interference Luke 16:30,31
Neglect the time given for -Revelation 2:21
Condemned for neglecting -Matthew 11:20
Danger of neglecting -Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 13:3,5; Revelation 2:22
Neglect of, followed by swift judgment -Revelation 2:5,16
Denied to apostates -Hebrews 6:4-6
Illustrated -Luke 15:18-21; 18:13
The Prodigal Son -Luke 15:17-19
The Repentant Son -Matthew 21:29
Paul Galatians 1:23
True-Exemplified
Israelites -Judges 10:15,16
David 2 Samuel 12:13
Manasseh 2 Chronicles 33:12,13
Job -Job 42:6
Nineveh -Jonah 3:5-8; Matthew 12:41
Peter -Matthew 26:75
Zacchaeus Luke 19:8
Thief on the Cross Luke 23:40,41
Corinthians -2 Corinthians 7:9,10
False-Exemplified
Saul -1 Samuel 15:24-30
Ahab -1 Kings 21:27-29
Judas -Matthew 27:3-5
TORREY'S TOPIC
Conversion
By God -1 Kings 18:37; John 6:44; Acts 21:19
By Christ -Acts 3:26; Romans 15:18
By the power of the Holy Spirit -Proverbs 1:23
Is of grace -Acts 11:21,23
Follows repentance -Acts 3:19; 26:20
Is the result of faith -Acts 11:21
THROUGH THE INSTRUMENTALITY OF
The scriptures -Psalms 19:7
Ministers -Acts 26:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:9
Self-examination -Psalms 119:59; Lamentations 3:40
Affliction -Psalms 78:34
OF SINNERS, A CAUSE OF JOY
To God -Ezekiel 18:23; Luke 15:32
To saints -Acts 15:3; Galatians 1:23,24
Is necessary -Matthew 18:3
Commanded -Job 36:10
Exhortations to -Proverbs 1:23; Isaiah 31:6; 55:7; Jeremiah 3:7;
Ezekiel 33:11
Promises connected with -Nehemiah 1:9; Isaiah 1:27; Jeremiah 3:14;
Ezekiel 18:27
Pray for -Psalms 80:7; 85:4; Jeremiah 31:18; Lamentations 5:21
Is accompanied by confession of sin, and prayer
1 Kings 8:35 -
Danger of neglecting -Psalms 7:12; Jeremiah 44:5,11; Ezekiel 3:19
Duty of leading sinners to -Psalms 51:13
Encouragement for leading sinners to -Daniel 12:3; James 5:19,20
Of Gentiles, predicted -Isaiah 2:2; 11:10; 60:5; 66:12
Of Israel, predicted -Ezekiel 36:25-27
TORREY'S TOPIC
IDOLATRY
Forbidden -Exodus 20:2,3; Deuteronomy 5:7
CONSISTS IN
Bowing down to images -Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9
Worshipping images -Isaiah 44:17; Daniel 3:5,10,15
Sacrificing to images -Psalms 106:38; Acts 7:41
Worshipping other gods -Deuteronomy 30:17; Psalms 81:9
Swearing by other gods -Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7
Walking after other gods -Deuteronomy 8:19
Speaking in the name of other gods -Deuteronomy 18:20
Looking to other gods -Hosea 3:1
Serving other gods -Deuteronomy 7:4; Jeremiah 5:19
Fearing other gods -2 Kings 17:35
Sacrificing to other gods -Exodus 22:20
Worshipping the true God by an image, &c -Exodus 32:4-6; Psalms
106:19,20
Worshipping angels -Colossians 2:18
Worshipping the host of heaven -Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3
Worshipping demons -Matthew 4:9-10; Revelation 9:20
Worshipping dead men -Psalms 106:28
Setting up idols in the heart -Ezekiel 14:3,4
Covetousness -Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5
Sensuality -Philippians 3:19
Is changing the glory of God into an image -Romans 1:23; Acts 17:29
Is changing the truth of God into a lie -Romans 1:25; Isaiah 44:20
Is a work of the flesh -Galatians 5:19,20
Incompatible with the service of God -Ge 35:2,3; Jos24:23; 1Sa 7:3;
1Ki 18:21; 2Co 6:15,16
DESCRIBED AS
An abomination to God -Deuteronomy 7:25
Hateful to God -Deuteronomy 16:22; Jeremiah 44:4
Vain and foolish -Psalms 115:4-8; Isaiah 44:19; Jeremiah 10:3
Bloody -Ezekiel 23:39
Abominable -1 Peter 4:3
Unprofitable -Judges 10:14; Isaiah 46:7
Irrational -Acts 17:29; Romans 1:21-23
Defiling -Ezekiel 20:7; 36:18
THEY WHO PRACTISE
Forget God -Deuteronomy 8:19; Jeremiah 18:15
Go astray from God -Ezekiel 44:10
Pollute the name of God -Ezekiel 20:39
Defile the sanctuary of God -Ezekiel 5:11
Are estranged from God -Ezekiel 14:5
Forsake God -2 Kings 22:17; Jeremiah 16:11
Hate God -2 Chronicles 19:2,3
Provoke God -Deuteronomy 31:20; Isaiah 65:3; Jeremiah 25:6
Are vain in their imaginations Romans 1:21
Are ignorant and foolish -Romans 1:21,22
Inflame themselves -Isaiah 57:5
Hold fast their deceit Jeremiah 8:5
Carried away by it -1 Corinthians 12:2
Go after it in heart -Ezekiel 20:16
Are mad upon it -Jeremiah 50:38
Boast of it -Psalms 97:7
Have fellowship with devils Hosea 4:12
Ask counsel of their idols -Hosea 4:12
Look to idols for deliverance Isaiah 44:17; 45:20
Swear by their idols -Amos 8:14
Objects of, numerous -1 Corinthians 8:5
OBJECTS OF DESCRIBED AS
Strange gods -Genesis 35:2,4; Joshua 24:20
Other gods -Judges 2:12,17; 1 Kings 14:9
New gods -Deuteronomy 32:17; Judges 5:8
Gods that cannot save -Isaiah 45:20
Gods that have not made the heavens -Jeremiah 10:11
No gods -Jeremiah 5:7; Galatians 4:8
Molten gods -Exodus 34:17; Leviticus 19:4
Molten images -Deuteronomy 27:15; Habakkuk 2:18
Graven images -Isaiah 45:20; Hosea 11:2
Senseless idols -Deuteronomy 4:28; Psalms 115:5,7
Dumb idols Habakkuk 2:18
Dumb Stones -Habakkuk 2:19
Stocks -Jeremiah 3:9; Hosea 4:12
Abominations -Isaiah 44:19; Jeremiah 32:34
Images of abomination -Ezekiel 7:20
Idols of abomination -Ezekiel 16:36
Stumbling blocks -Ezekiel 14:3
Teachers of lies -Habakkuk 2:18
Wind and confusion -Isaiah 41:29
Nothing -Isaiah 41:24; 1 Corinthians 8:4
Helpless Jeremiah 10:5
Vanity -Jeremiah 18:15
Vanities of the Gentiles -Jeremiah 14:22
Making idols for the purpose of, described and ridiculed -Isaiah
44:10-20
Obstinate sinners judicially given up to -Deuteronomy 4:28; 28:64;
Hosea 4:17
Warnings against -Deuteronomy 4:15-19
Exhortations to turn from -Ezekiel 14:6; 20:7; Acts 14:15
Renounced on conversion -1 Thessalonians 1:9
Led to abominable sins -Romans 1:26-32; Acts 15:20
SAINTS SHOULD
Keep from -Joshua 23:7; 1 John 5:21
Flee from -1 Corinthians 10:14
Not have anything connected with in their houses -Deuteronomy 7:26
Not partake of any thing connected with -1 Corinthians 10:19,20
Not have religious intercourse with those who practise -Jos 23:7; 1Co
5:11
Not covenant with those who practise -Exodus 34:12,15; Deuteronomy 7:2
Not intermarry with those who practise -Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3
Testify against -Acts 14:15; 19:26
Refuse to engage in, though threatened with death- Daniel 3:18
Saints preserved by God from -1 Kings 19:18; Romans 11:4
Saints refuse to receive the worship of -Acts 10:25,26; 14:11-15
Angels refuse to receive the worship of -Revelation 22:8,9
Destruction of, promised -Ezekiel 36:25; Zechariah 13:2
Everything connected with, should be destroyed -Ex 34:13; Dt 7:5; 2Sa
5:21; 2Ki 23:14
Woe denounced against -Habakkuk 2:19
Curse denounced against -Deuteronomy 27:15
PUNISHMENT OF
Judicial death -Deuteronomy 17:2-5
Dreadful judgments which end in death -Jeremiah 8:2; 16:1-11
Banishment -Jeremiah 8:3; Hosea 8:5-8; Amos 5:26,27
Exclusion from heaven -1 Corinthians 6:9,10; Ephesians 5:5; Re 22:15
Eternal torments -Revelation 14:9-11; 21:8
Exemplified
Israel -Exodus 32:1; 2 Kings 17:12
Philistines -Judges 16:23
Micah -Judges 17:4,5
Jeroboam -1 Kings 12:28
Maachah -1 Kings 15:13
Ahab -1 Kings 16:31
Jezebel -1 Kings 18:19
Sennacherib -2 Kings 19:37
Manasseh -2 Kings 21:4-7
Amon -2 Kings 21:21
Ahaz -2 Chronicles 28:3
Judah -Jeremiah 11:13
Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 3:1
Belshazzar Daniel 5:23
People of Lystra Acts 14:11,12
Athenians Acts 17:16
Ephesians Acts 19:28
Zeal against-Exemplified
Asa -1 Kings 15:12
Josiah -2 Kings 23:5
Jehoshaphat -2 Chronicles 17:6
Israel -2 Chronicles 31:1
Manasseh -2 Chronicles 33:15
All forms of, forbidden by the law of Moses -Exodus 20:4,5
All heathen nations given up to -Psalms 96:5; Romans 1:23,25; 1
Corinthians 12:2
Led the heathen to think that their gods visited the earth in Bodily
shapes -Acts 14:11
Led the heathen to consider their gods to have but a local Influence
-1Ki 20:23; 2Ki 17:26
OBJECTS OF
The heavenly bodies -2Ki 23:5; Acts 7:42
Angels -Colossians 2:18
Departed spirits -1Samuel 28:14,15
Earthly creatures -Romans 1:23
Images Deuteronomy 29:17; Psalms 115:4; Isaiah 44:17
Temples built for -Hosea 8:14
Altars raised for -1 Kings 18:26; Hosea 8:11
Accompanied by feasts -2 Kings 10:20; 1 Corinthians 10:27,28
OBJECTS OF, WORSHIPPED
With sacrifices -Numbers 22:40; 2 Kings 10:24
With libations -Isaiah 57:6; Jeremiah 19:13
With incense -Jeremiah 48:35
With prayer 1 Kings 18:26; Isaiah 44:17
With singing and dancing -Exodus 32:18,19; 1 Kings 18:26; 1
Corinthians 10:7
By bowing to them -1 Kings 19:18; 2 Kings 5:18
By kissing them -1 Kings 19:18; Hosea 13:2
By kissing the hand to them -Job 31:26,27
By cutting the flesh -1 Kings 18:28
By burning children Deuteronomy 12:31; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Jeremiah
19:4,5; Ezek 16:21
In temples -2 Kings 5:18
On high places Numbers 22:41; Jeremiah 2:20
In groves -Exodus 34:13
Under trees Isaiah 57:5; Jeremiah 2:20
In private houses -Judges 17:4,5
On the tops of houses -2 Kings 23:12; Zephaniah 1:5
In secret places -Isaiah 57:8
Rites of, obscene and impure -Ex 32:25; Nu 25:1-3; 2Ki 17:9; Isa
57:6,8,9; 1Peter 4:3
Divination connected with -2 Chronicles 33:6
Victims sacrificed in, often adorned with garlands -Acts 14:13
IDOLS, &c MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE
Adrammelech 2 Kings 17:31
Anammelech -2 Kings 17:31
Ashima 2 Kings 17:30
Ashtoreth -Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 11:33
Baal -Judges 2:11-13; 6:25
Baal-berith Judges 8:33; 9:4,46
Baal-peor -Numbers 25:1-3
Baalzebub 2 Kings 1:2,16
Baal-zephon Exodus 14:2
Bel -Jeremiah 50:2; 51:44
Chemosh -Numbers 21:29; 1 Kings 11:33
Chiun -Amos 5:26
Dagon Judges 16:23; 1 Samuel 5:1-3
Diana Acts 19:24,27
Huzzab Nahum 2:7
Jupiter -Acts 14:12
Mercury -Acts 14:12
Molech or Milcom -Leviticus 18:21; 1 Kings 11:5,33
Merodach -Jeremiah 50:2
Nergal 2 Kings 17:30
Nebo -Isaiah 46:1
Nibhaz and Tartak -2 Kings 17:31
Nisroch -2 Kings 19:37
Queen of heaven -Jeremiah 44:17,25
Remphan Acts 7:43
Rimmon -2 Kings 5:18
Succothbenoth 2 Kings 17:30
Tammuz -Ezekiel 8:14
Objects of, carried in procession -Isaiah 46:7; Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43
Early notice of, amongst God’s professing people -Genesis 31:19,30;
35:1-4; Joshua 24:2
THE JEWS
Practised, in Egypt -Joshua 24:14; Ezekiel 23:3,19
Brought, out of Egypt with them -Ezekiel 23:8; Acts 7:39-41
Forbidden to practise -Exodus 20:1-5; 23:24
Often mixed up, with God’s worship -Exodus 32:1-5; 1 Kings 12:27,28
Followed the Canaanites in Judges 2:11-13; 1 Chronicles 5:25
Followed the Moabites in Numbers 25:1-3
Followed the Assyrians in Ezekiel 16:28-30; 23:5-7
Followed the Syrians in -Judges 10:6
Adopted by Solomon -1 Kings 11:5-8
Adopted by the wicked kings -1 Kings 21:26; 2 Kings 21:21; 2Chr
28:2-4; 33:3,7
Example of the kings encouraged Israel in -1 Kings 12:30; 2 Kings
21:11; 2Chr 33:9
Great prevalence of, in Israel -Isaiah 2:8; Jeremiah 2:28; Ezekiel
8:10
A virtual forsaking of God -Jeremiah 2:9-13
The good kings of Judah endeavored to destroy -2Chronicles 15:16; 34:7
Captivity of Israel on account of 2 Kings 17:6-18
Captivity of Judah on account of -2 Kings 17:19-23 |
