A Biblical Word Study

Transcription

1 A Biblical Word Study By Paul Knopf Word studies are a great way to look at God s wonderful Word in a more in-depth manner. If we believe the premise that the Bible is God s Word, then the words we find therein must be those He chose with precision. Why did God use a particular word over another one? Being God, it stands to reason that His vocabulary is extensive, and that He knows how to use it. [smiley face] Looking at what word is used in a verse and seeing where else that word is used provides a more detailed look at God s vocabulary choices and puts us on a path to better understand the Truth He wants to communicate. Word studies can also help us find deeper meanings about a particular verse, topic or the word itself. They also provide insights into whether the translator used the correct English word in his translation. If you find a Greek word translated into a certain English word 99% of the time, but 1% it is translated into a different English word, you may choose to translate that English word yourself as it is predominantly used. That is a scholarly approach to reading the Bible. Lexical aids are available for the Bible student when doing a word study. The basic tools are a Concordance, an Interlinear, a Lexicon, and a Bible Dictionary. Today, you can find all these and other resources integrated via Bible Study software programs. We want to present word studies in FRUIT OF D VINE on a regular basis so as to open up a part of the Bible in more depth to you. Please feel free to comment on our word studies via our Facebook page, Better yet, please join our Facebook group where you can join in on biblical discussions which take place all the time, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith [pistis] it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to God must believe [pisteuo] that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Wow! That makes it clear that we must understand what faith is, what it is to believe God s Word, because that is how we receive from God what we need day by day. The verb believe is used throughout God s Word, but considering a few uses of it will help us grasp just what it means to trust God. We will begin in Mark 9:23 and 24, but first let s set the context. Mark 9:14 27 (KJV) 14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were

2 greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. Now let s look at verses 23 and 24 in an interlinear Greek-English translation, which has other research information like Strong s numbering system.

3 1 An Interlinear is a powerful tool as it shows you the Greek text and what English words the translator used to translate from Greek. In verse 23 Jesus says to the Father, all things are possible to him that believeth. What a statement. We have but to believe God s Word to see tremendous miracles happen. Here are some uses of the Greek word translated believeth in the King James Version. The Greek word is πιστευοντ and is transliterated pisteuo and here is a definition πιστεύω b ; πίστις b, εως f: to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust Newberry, T., & Berry, G. R. (2004). The Interlinear Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament (Mark 9:23 24). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 2. Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. Of the 2 nd edition.). New York: United Bible Societies.

4 The Father of the demonized boy came to Jesus on behalf of his dear son. He said he believed, but he still asked for help. What a heart of love he had for his son. He cried out with tears and true passion, and that is a key here. He looked Jesus right in the eye (OK, I wasn t there, but I can t imagine he was looking at his sandals). It is significant that the father called Jesus Lord, because that term was used to show the utmost respect for someone. It is clear that he had elevated Jesus to a position of power and authority. We need to always start there, looking up to Jesus and acknowledging his authority as the Son of God and our Lord and Master. The father of the oppressed boy looked Jesus in the eye and said, Lord, I believe. He had complete trust and confidence in Jesus power, his authority, and, apparently, his willingness to deliver his son. He didn t just say those words, he cried out with tears! He really meant it! But note that he went on to also say, Help my unbelief. We should learn from this father how to approach Jesus with

5 passion, certainty, and humility. We too can be certain that Jesus is Lord, we too can believe with passion and conviction that he desires to help us, and we too can count on him to help us grow in faith and overcome our unbelief. Like that father, we too can mean what we say with all our being. Finally, let s look briefly at the word unbelief, because that is what supplants our faith/belief in the promises of God. The boy s father knew that, and asked Jesus to help him replace unbelief with belief (faith). In Mark 9:24, the transliterated Greek word for unbelief is apistia, which is found 12 times in the New Testament. We get the English words apathy and apathetic from it. We want to be the opposite of apathetic when we approach Jesus. Let s remember Matthew 13:58 (KJV). We want Jesus to DO mighty works today, and it is unbelief that is a hindrance to that. We also want to be like Abraham who believed God, though he and his wife were old and they had their promised baby! Romans 4:19 21 (KJV) 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 3 We can receive what God promises! When we feel apathetic because of circumstances, we can remember the father of the oppressed boy and ask Jesus to help overcome our apathy. What did we learn from taking a deeper look at the word believe? We want to always be like this father in our relationship with Jesus. We want to know Jesus as our Lord, showing him respect and placing him in the position of lordship of our lives. We want to let Jesus know that we trust him and always have confidence in His ability to do great and wondrous things. We want the Lord to see our genuine emotion when we speak with him. We want to always ask Jesus to help our unbelief, because sometimes when we focus upon the world we live in, we can become weak and lose trust and confidence. We need His help to strengthen our trust in His ability to heal and perform miracles. With all our heart, we want to be BELIEVERS! I hope you have enjoyed this first FRUIT OF D VINE word study. There will be more to come. Feel free to login to our Facebook page and suggest topics for future word studies. 3. The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version.) (Rom. 4:19 21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.