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BE OF SOBER
SPIRIT: Nepsate (2PAAM):
(1Peter 1:13; 4:7; Mt 24:48, 49,50; Lk 12:45,46; 21:34,36; Ro 13:11,
12, 13; 1Th 5:6, 7, 8; 1Ti 2:9,15; 3:2,11; Titus 1:8; 2:2,4,6,12)
("spirit" is added by the translators)
Note:
Hold mouse pointer over underlined links for pop up of Scripture (which
stays open and can be copied).
RELATED RESOURCES
ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
EPHESIANS 6:10-18...
Ephesians 6:10
Ephesians 6:11
Ephesians 6:12
Ephesians 6:13
Ephesians 6:14
Ephesians 6:15
Ephesians 6:16
Ephesians 6:17
Ephesians 6:18
EPHESIANS 6:10-18 BY WAYNE
BARBER
Ephesians 6:10:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 1
Ephesians 6:11:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 2
Ephesians 6:14:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 3
Ephesians 6:15,16 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 4
Ephesians 6:17:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 5
Ephesians 6:12,13 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 6
Ephesians 6:18:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 7
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON THE
FALLEN FLESH
James 1:13
James 1:14
James 1:15
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
THE BATTLE IN OUR MIND
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Exposition
MISCELLANEOUS
Cyberhymnal Hymns on Topic of
Spiritual Warfare
(scroll down)
2 Chronicles 20:1-25 Ambushing Satan with Song
- John Piper THE METAPHOR OF THE CHRISTIAN
SOLDIER
Soldier Illustrations
Exposition of 2 Timothy 2:3-4
Three Kinds of Soldiers - Ten Principles of
Warfare
Roman Soldier by Edward Gibbon
(Decline & Fall of Roman Empire)
The Roman Soldier - Description
from Jewish Historian Josephus
A Few Soldier Stories and Sermons
THE AMALEKITES: A PICTURE OF
PERSISTENT SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Jehovah
Nissi: Exposition of Exodus 17:8-16
Satan is not a joke and is
not be to ignored but as the Holman NT Commentary says...
Wake up! Pay attention! We are
involved in a spiritual battle. You need to know the enemy and his
characteristics. You need to understand that we are in a
life-and-death battle.
Be of sober spirit...on the
alert - Bengel wrote that
Let this be your "care." (anxiety -
cp 1Pe 5:7) God provides, therefore do not be anxious. The devil
seeks, therefore watch.
Be sober (3525) (nepho)
in the physical sense literally was used to refer to either
complete abstinence or in a relative sense to refer to temperance
(drinking but not to the point of intoxication).
In the NT nepho is used only figuratively
meaning to be free from every form of mental and spiritual
"intoxication". The idea then is to be calm and collected in spirit,
circumspect, self-controlled, well-balanced, clear headed. Be
self-possessed (for believers a more accurate description would be
"Spirit" possessed) under all circumstances. It speaks of exercising
self-restraint (enabled by the Spirit) and being free from excess,
from evil passion, from rashness, etc.
The
aorist tense, imperative
(command)
mood calls for urgent action. Peter is saying you must "Do this now. Keep
your head
clear!" And the next passage explains why believers need to
remain watchful and vigilant.
Here are the 6 uses of nepho
in Scripture (none in Lxx) (note some are discussed in more detail
below)...
1 Thessalonians 5:6 so then let us
not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober....8 But since
we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of
faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
2 Timothy 4:5 (note)
But you, be
sober in all things, endure hardship, do the
work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
1 Peter 1:13 (note) Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep
sober in
spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at
the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:7 (note) The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound
judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
1 Peter 5:8
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the
devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Nepho conveys the
idea of freedom from excitability (a contrast to the excitement of
drunkenness) and thus means to be calm and collected in spirit,
temperate (marked by moderation, keeping within limits, not
extreme or excessive), not given to excessive indulgence in drink or
any other activity, dispassionate (not influenced by strong
feeling; especially not affected by personal or emotional
involvement), circumspect (careful to consider all
circumstances and possible consequences, prudently watchful and
discreet in the face of danger or risk), with equanimity
(evenness of mind especially under stress and suggests a habit of mind
that is only rarely disturbed under great strain), cool (marked
by steady dispassionate calmness and self-control) and unimpassioned.
Wiersbe says that
"a part of
this soberness includes not blaming everything on the devil.
Some people see a demon behind every bush and blame Satan for their
headaches, flat tires, and high rent. While it is true that Satan can
inflict physical sickness and pain (Luke 13:16; and the Book of Job),
we have no biblical authority for casting out “demons of headache” or
“demons of backache." (Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
Nepho means taking
heed of what is happening and pursuing a course with calm and steady
aim.
Nepho
"denotes a condition free from every form of mental and spiritual loss
of self-control; it is an attitude of self-discipline that avoids the
extremes of the 'reckless irresponsibility of self indulgence on the
one hand, and of religious ecstasy on the other.' It inculcates a
calm, steady state of mind that evaluates things correctly, so that it
is not thrown off balance by new and fascinating ideas. Such
'level headedness' is a constant Christian need." (Hiebert,
D. First Peter. page 91. Moody, 1984, 1992)
"Christian living needs order
as well as ardour." (E. P. Clowney. The Message of 1 Peter. page
63)
Nepho (and similar
words in this word group) is the antithesis of all mental fuzziness.
The Greek culture highly valued sober judgment in both
individual and public life.
Barclay says that the Greek word nepho
like the English, can have two meanings. It can mean that they must
refrain from drunkenness in the literal sense of the term; and it
can also mean that they must be steady in their minds. They
must become intoxicated neither with intoxicating liquor nor with
intoxicating thoughts; they must preserve a balanced judgment.
It is easy for the Christian to be carried away with this, that, or
the next sudden enthusiasm and to become readily intoxicated with the
latest fashion and the newest craze. Peter is appealing to them to
maintain the essential steadiness of the man who knows what he
believes...This does not mean that the Christian is to be lost in a
gloomy joylessness; but it does mean that his approach to life must
not be frivolous and irresponsible. To take things seriously is to be
aware of their real importance and to be ever mindful of their
consequences in time and in eternity. It is to approach life, not as a
jest, but as a serious matter for which we are answerable. (Barclay,
W:
The New Daily Study Bible Westminster
John Knox Press)
Sober
characterizes the individual
marked by self-control; of sound
moral judgment. Sober Christians deny themselves worldly pleasures
(see note
Titus 2:12). This allows them to be always alert, able to
guard against Satan’s attacks (1Pet 5:8) and ready to receive
the revelation of Christ (see note
1 Peter 1:13).
(Youngblood,
R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
)
Nepho speaks of a
sense of coolness (arising out of abstinence from what will excite) of
one who is prepared for
any emergency.
Part of being sober is not blaming everything on the Devil!
Nepho is the proper exercise of the mind, that state of
mind in which the individual is self-controlled, and is able to see
things without the distortion caused by worry, fear, and their related
attitudes.
Writing to the Thessalonian
saints Paul reminds them that
you are all sons of light and sons
of day... not of night nor of darkness (Believers live in an
entirely different sphere than those who will experience God’s wrath
in the Day of the Lord);" and that because of who are they are
(emphasizing that there must be an inseparable link between our new
nature and new behavior) they are to "not sleep as others do
(day people can still do deeds of darkness), but... be alert
(continuously awake and able to rightly assess what is happening in
the spiritual dimension) and sober (nepho - calm,
collected, and circumspect) For those who sleep do their sleeping
at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are
of the day, let us be sober (nepho), having put
on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of
salvation. (see notes
1Thessalonians 5:5;
5:6;
5:7;
5:8).
Nepho points to a
condition of moral alertness, the sense of being so exercised and
disciplined that all fear of sleeping again is removed. Paul exhorted
the Thessalonians to live consistently with their new natures. The
present
tense (continuous action =
lifestyle = habitual action) verbs in
1Thessalonians 5:6 (sleep...be alert.. and
sober) call for the Thessalonians to be continuously awake,
alert, and sober. A habitually spiritually sober
person exhibits self-control, lives a serious, balanced, calm, steady
life, and maintains proper priorities. To be sober is to be alert; the two terms are essentially synonyms. Just
as sleep and drunkenness define night people’s insensitivity to
spiritual reality, so alertness and soberness describe day people’s
sensitivity to it.
William
Hendricksen in
discussing
1Thessalonians 5:6 adds that
The sober person lives
deeply. His pleasures are not primarily those of the senses, like the
pleasures of the drunkard for instance, but those of the soul. He is
by no means a Stoic. On the contrary, with a full measure of joyful
anticipation he looks forward to the return of the Lord (see note
1 Peter 1:13-14).
But he does not run away from his task! Note how both here and also in
1 Peter 5:8 the two verbs to be watchful and to be sober are used as
synonyms. (Hendricksen,
W. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Thessalonians, Timothy, and
Titus. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981).
Knowing that Timothy would face
spiritual opposition especially toward the pure truth of the gospel,
Paul exhorted him to
be sober
(nepho -
present imperative
= make this your continual practice) in all things,
endure
(aorist
imperative = do
this now. It is urgent) hardship,
do
(aorist
imperative) the work of an evangelist,
fulfill
(aorist
imperative)
your ministry." (see note
2 Timothy 4:5)
Paul is
encouraging his your protégé to be levelheaded, well-balanced,
and in control of his faculties and by extension to be stable,
unwavering, and steadfast.
MacArthur comments
that
the sober
preacher is like the diligent athlete, who “exercises self-control in
all things,” who, like Paul himself, runs “in such a way, as not
without aim,” boxes “in such a way, as not beating the air,” and
buffets his body to make it his slave, lest, after having “preached
to others, [he himself] should be disqualified” (1Cor. 9:25, 26,
27). In the midst of a changing world, a changing church, and even a
changing gospel—which is not really the gospel but a distortion of
“the gospel of Christ” (Gal 1:7; cf. 2Cor 11:4)—he
remains committed to the changeless truth of God’s Word. (MacArthur,
J. 2 Timothy. page 182. Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press
)
Peter used nepho
two other times in his epistle, the first use calling for is tried and
tested saved readers to therefore (on the basis of all the great
truths in the preceding verses)
brace up your minds (pull
yourselves together); be sober (circumspect, morally alert);
set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that
is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.
(Amplified Version, see note
1 Peter 1:13)
Hiebert says nepho in
this verse is literally translated "being sober", this mindset
supporting a life of hope (absolute certainty of future good). He adds
that
the
present
tense (1 Peter 1:13 -NOTE) calls for a continuing state or habitual
temper of sobriety. (Hiebert, D. First Peter. page 91. Moody,
1984, 1992).
Constable says that Peter is saying
in effect, Now
that you have focused your thinking positively you need to roll up
your sleeves mentally and adopt some attitudes that will affect your
activities...Sober of spirit describes a Christian who is in
full control of his speech and conduct in contrast to one who allows
his flesh (i.e., his sinful human nature) to govern him. (Constable,
T. Expository Notes on the Bible)
In Peter's third use of
nepho he
reminds the suffering saints that
The end of all things is at hand (a process consummated with a resulting nearness > imminent);
therefore, be of sound judgment and sober (nepho)
spirit for the purpose of prayer. (1 Peter 4:7, 8, 9 see note
1 Peter 4:7-9).
Davids has written that
proper prayer is not an ‘opiate’ or escape, but rather a function of
clear vision and a seeking of even clearer vision from God. It is only
through clear communication with headquarters that a soldier can
effectively stand guard.
Nepho is
related to the adjective, nephalios, used to describe one of the
qualities that should mark overseers (1Ti 3:2) and the wives of those
who take the lead among the saints (1Ti 3:11). Likewise older men are exhorted in a similar sense "to be temperate"
(nephalios Titus 2:2 see
NOTE); it is to be observed that
the Christian sobriety of mature years is the result of self-control
and the study of the Scriptures in youth.
Barclay comments that saints
must
be sober and watchful. The fact that we cast everything upon God does
not give us the right to sit back and to do nothing. Cromwell’s
advice to his troops was: “Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.”
Peter knew how hard this vigilance was, for he remembered how in
Gethsemane he and his fellow-disciples slept when they should have
been watching with Christ (Mt 26:38, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34,
35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46).
The Christian is the man who trusts but at the same time puts all his
effort and all his vigilance into the business of living for Christ. (The New Daily Study Bible Westminster
John Knox Press)
BE ON THE
ALERT: gregoresate (2PAAM):
Be on alert (1127) (gregoreuo
from egeiro = to arise, arouse)
means to be watchful or to refrain from physical sleep. Later
gregoreuo came to used in the moral and religious sphere and
was used to call for one to be on the alert, in a constant
state of readiness and vigilant (alertly watchful
especially to avoid danger this word suggesting intense, unremitting,
wary watchfulness; keenly alert to or heedful of trouble or danger as
others are sleeping or unsuspicious).
Gregoreuo
is used 22 times in the NAS (Matt. 24:42, 43; 25:13; 26:38, 40, 41;
Mk. 13:34, 35, 37; 14:34, 37, 38; Lk. 12:37; Acts 20:31; 1 Co. 16:13;
Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:6, 10; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 3:2, 3; 16:15) and is translated as: alert, 10; awake, 1; keep, 1; keep watch, 4;
keep watching, 1; keeping alert, 1; stay on the alert, 1; stays awake,
1; wake, 2;)
Most of the NT uses are in
reference to the Christians’ being spiritually awake and alert, as
opposed to being spiritually indifferent and listless.
Gregoreuo
conveys the idea of alertness. It is like a sleeping man rousing
himself. It means to give strict attention to, to be active, to take
heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity
suddenly overtake one.
Secular Greek used
gregoreuo to describe people carefully crossing a river
while stepping on slippery stones. If they did not pay strict
attention to their steps, they would end up in the water. So the idea
of vigilance is to stay alert and cautious.
Gregoreuo,
is used of mental alertness, the condition of the mind opposite to
that which characterizes it in sleep.
Gregoreuo
means to to take heed lest through remission and indolence some
destructive calamity suddenly overtake one.
"Confidence in God must not
lead to slackness; the spiritual warfare that they wage demands
vigilance" (Beare)
Gregoreuo
is
aorist imperative, which conveys the sense of "Stay
awake now!" and do it with a sense of urgency. Stay awake! Be ready! Watch out! Note that a strong trust in God's
power and watch care and a confidence that we can cast our anxiety on
Him does not justify carelessness on our part. In other words, in
spiritual warfare we cannot take the approach to simply "Let go and
let God!" It is imperative Paul says that we not become
indolent and lazy and let down our guard or we will become victims of
the enemy. The outside forces that come against us demand us to be
alert and vigilant.
In secular Greek
gregoreuo was used to describe people carefully crossing a river while
stepping on slippery stones. If they did not pay strict attention to
their steps, they would end up in the water. So the idea of vigilance
is to stay alert and cautious.
The enemy is very subtle, Paul recording that
"Satan
disguises himself as an angel of light" and "his servants also
disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2Cor 11:14,15)
Alertness is required because our enemy rarely shows himself
for who he is. He almost always masks himself as a religious
personality, almost always endeavoring somehow in some way to be able
to approach you subtly so that you can't recognize the reality of who
he is. So you need to "be on the alert"!
Most of the 22 uses of
gregoreuo are in the latter part of Gospels in the context of
Jesus' imminent crucifixion and departure and the exhortation to His
disciples to be on the alert for His future return. Thus
He declared
Therefore
be on the alert
(gregoreuo),
for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. (Mt 24:42)
Jesus concluded the parable of the 10 virgins with the warning
Be
on the alert
(gregoreuo) then, for you do not know
the day nor the hour. (Mt 25:13)
As Augustine wisely stated
“The
last day is a secret, that every day may be watched.”
A man should
live every day as if it were his last.
Gregoreuo
is used three times in Mark 13 which closes with an exhortation to
watchfulness and prayer in view of the Lord’s Return. Jesus'
addressing His disciples, Peter and James and John and Andrew, on the
Mount of Olives tells them a parable of the doorkeeper, declaring that
It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house
and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also
commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert (gregoreuo).
Therefore, be on the alert (gregoreuo)-- for you
do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the
evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning-- lest he come
suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all, 'Be
on the alert (gregoreuo)!' (Mk 13:34-37)
Vincent comments on the significance of Jesus' using the illustration
of an awake, alert doorkeeper in this parable writing that
"In
the temple, during the night, the captain of the temple made his
rounds, and the guards had to rise at his approach and salute him in a
particular manner. Any guard (doorkeeper) found
asleep on duty was beaten, or his garments were set on fire." (Greek Word
Studies)
Jesus used
gregoreuo
in His exhortation to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane in His
hour of greatest attack by the Devil. Jesus said
"My soul is deeply
grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch
(gregoreuo) with Me." (Mt 26:38)..."And
He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
"So, you men could not keep watch (gregoreuo)
with Me for one hour?" (Mt 26:40)
and finally warning them to "Keep watching (gregoreuo)
(present
tense = continuously = make this your lifestyle) and praying, that you
may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak." (Mt 26:41)
Spurgeon
remarks that there is no temptation in the world which is so bad as
not being tempted at all, for to be tempted will tend to keep us
awake. Whereas, being without temptation, flesh and blood are weak.
Though the spirit may be willing, yet we may be found falling into
slumber. Children do not run away from their father’s side when big
dogs bark at them. The howlings of the devil may tend to drive us
nearer to Christ, may teach us our own weakness, may keep us upon our
own watch tower, and be made the means of preservation from other
ills. (Spurgeon,
C. H. Satan, A Defeated Foe)
Mark it down that the Christian
who is not alert to Satanic attack is in for trouble. Don't
misunderstand...we are not to look for a demon behind every bush. We
are simply called to a continual state of spiritual alertness. It is
as if we are like a sentry constantly on guard duty at the door of our
mind and the gate of our eyes and ears, alert for any deceptive,
seductive intruders. Keep watching and praying beloved.
John Calvin on "be
sober...on the alert" writes that
"as we have war with a
most fierce and most powerful enemy, we are to be strenuous in
resisting him. But he uses a twofold metaphor, that they were to be
sober, and that they were to exercise watchfulness. Surfeiting
(intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something) produces sloth
(disinclination to action or labor, spiritual apathy and inactivity) and sleep; even so they who indulge in earthly cares and pleasures,
think of nothing else, being under the power of spiritual lethargy."
(Commentaries)
Paul like a general keenly aware
of the real spiritual war surrounding every saint, uses four Greek
military terms to issue a staccato command (all in the
imperative mood) to the church and all in the
present
tense (continuously)
calling for each to be the habitual practice for the rest of our
lives! (Note: "be on the alert" = gregoreuo)
The saints are to be on guard all the time. They are not to give up an
inch of vital territory. They are to behave with true courage.
|
Be on
the alert
Stand firm in the faith
Act like men
Be strong
(1 Co 16:13) |
Our
Daily Bread: A Daily Devotional
has an excellent illustration of
Peter's exhortation...
The ancient sport of falconry used
trained hawks or falcons in the pursuit of wild game. When the
"educated predator" was allowed to fly, however, it often rose too
high for human eyes to see it. So a hunter often carried a small caged
bird called a shrike. By watching the antics of the little
bird, the man could always tell where his hawk was, for the shrike
instinctively feared the predator and cocked its head to keep it in
view.
The Christian desperately needs the alert perception of the
shrike when it comes to detecting his spiritual enemy....We're to be
always on the alert. It would be nice if God had giant sirens to warn
us of an attack by the devil. But the Lord doesn't operate that way.
Instead, we must read the Bible regularly, meditate on its truths,
maintain a prayerful attitude throughout the day, and be filled with
the Holy Spirit. Only then will we be sensitive to an imminent
onslaught of the evil one, and be armed by grace to meet it.
Is your spiritual "shrike
system" working well?
--(MRD II)
The devil is clever, deceiving us all,
He subtly causes the strongest to fall;
But we his sly methods are sure to discern
By making God's warnings our daily concern. --DJD
SPIRITUAL
WARFARE:
Six Things Every Believer
Needs To
Be On The Alert For |
|
1).Satan:
As Peter exhorts us in this present passage "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert (gregoreuo)." Be aware of Satan’s
strategies (word study =
methodeia), which are always deceptive and subtle but can basically be
classified into one of three categories "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the
boastful pride of life” (1Jn 2:16).
2). Temptation:
Keep watching (What
were they doing? - Mt 26:40) (gregoreuo in the
present imperative
-command [not a suggestion] in the
present
tense = continuously = make this your lifestyle) and praying
(present
imperative-
word study =
proseuchomai), that you
may not enter into temptation (peirasmos)
= basically means to learn the nature or character of
something and in this context is an attempt to entice, make
or cause one to do something evil); the spirit is willing, but
the flesh is weak (asthenes
= inadequate, feeble, even helpless!). (Mt 26:41)
If we are not watching
(we are not looking for a demon behind every bush but we are
aware that every moment of every day we are in a war -- no
furloughs in this spiritual war beloved! At least not until
our glorification!) and seeking the
Lord’s help in prayer (don't be too proud to cry out), we often will not even notice temptation when
it comes. When our spiritual eyes are shut or sleepy, we can fall more
easily into sin.
3). Apathy and indifference:
The very nature of those sins makes them
very difficult to notice. By definition, a person who is apathetic and
indifferent is insensitive and therefore cannot be alert. Although the
city of Sardis (see
discussion and picture in Revelation 3:1;
general article) was considered to be a natural citadel and
incapable of capture, there were several times in the city’s
history that the city fell because of self-confidence and
consequent failure to stay alert and watchful. (cp
Paul's warning command - 1Co 10:12, Pr 16:18, 28:14, Peter's
pride Mt 26:33,34, cp Rev 3:17-note,
Rev 3:18-note). The church
at Sardis assumed that it had spiritual life because it had “a name
that [it was] alive,” (Rev 3:1-note) but it was so indifferent to the Lord’s will
that it did not realize it was “dead”!
Our Lord's warning to
the church at Sardis was
Wake up (gregoreuo) (present
tense = continually keeping awake) and
strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die;
for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My
God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard;
and keep it, and repent. If therefore you will not wake
up (gregoreuo), I will come like a thief,
and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you."
(Rev 3:2, 3)
John MacArthur wisely warns us that...
Christians cannot disregard the Lord’s Word with impunity. To neglect
Scripture is to disregard it and treat it as if it means nothing.
Before long we cannot remember what we have received and heard, and
the Lord’s way becomes more and more vague and indefinite. When His
Word is indefinite to us we become indifferent to it, and we need to
begin to “keep it, and repent.” If we do not, God will chasten us in
love—at a time, and perhaps in a way, that we do not expect."
(MacArthur,
J: 1Corinthians. Page 472. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
4). False teachers:
In view of the certainty of the attack on the church from
within Paul instructed the Ephesian elders
Therefore
be on the alert
(gregoreuo -
present
tense,
imperative mood commands this to the overseers' continual
practice), remembering that night and day for a
period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one
with tears. (Acts
20:31)
This is the clarion call to elders everywhere and for all
times -- They are charged to be ever aware that the savage wolves
(false teachers who would devour and destroy the faith of
believers) are awaiting an opening to
attack their flocks, they must be vigilant. Let me ask you
dear elder -- First, do you teach those who are under your
care (cp Titus 1:9-see
note)?
Secondly, do you monitor Sunday School classes and other
studies (including video series) being offered to the
"sheep". If you don't, you need to remember that you will
still be held accountable for doing so and will be rewarded
accordingly (cp 2Cor 5:9, 10, 1Co 3:10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Charles Jefferson
explains why overseers must be continually on the alert:
The
Eastern shepherd was, first of all, a watchman. He had a
watch-tower. It was his business to keep a wide-open
eye, constantly searching the horizon for the possible
approach of foes. He was bound to be circumspect and
attentive. Vigilance was a cardinal virtue. An
alert wakefulness was for him a necessity. He could
not indulge in fits of drowsiness, for the foe was
always near. Only by his alertness could the enemy be
circumvented. There were many kinds of enemies, all of
them terrible, each in a different way. At certain
seasons of the year there were floods. Streams became
quickly swollen and overflowed their banks. Swift action
was necessary in order to escape destruction There were
enemies of a more subtle kind—animals, rapacious and
treacherous: lions, bears, hyenas, jackals, wolves.
There were enemies in the air; huge birds of prey | | |