Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Synantilambanomai or Helps

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Synantilambanomai is a related post of Wonderful Counselor and with the help of Mounce, Strong, and Biblehub.com we will look at the two times it is used in the New Testament. You will find synantilambanomai in Romans 8:26 (8:27 will be added) and Luke 10:40. To help, aid, or support someone are the terms that will assist us with the verses.

This word and the verses in Romans are great examples of low-use, single-use, or added prefixes and suffixes highlighting an important thought. The online Strong’s Concordance and Mounce Dictionary may list the verses where they are found, and that allows for easy comparisons.  

I will provide a connection between our two verses as a loose example of synantilambanomai. In Romans, the Spirit is the One who helps us, by praying through us when we can’t do it ourselves. In Luke, Martha is “praying to Jesus” asking for Mary to come to her aid, so she does not have to do all the work by herself.

Our keyword has two prefixes and a suffix. This is my simple explanation for Romans. We come together with the Spirit against the problem to take or get an answer/help.  

References:

Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (KJV) Thank you Bible Gateway.

Yes, there is a translation difference because of variations in word meanings. (These are not in order.) When I used a parallel function, I found it interesting how the different translations chose to interpret and footnote this verse. All of them did proclaim a divine act of the Spirit. Some left a little “wiggle room” for what it may look like in the believer’s life and practice.

Intercedes

In the above verses, interceding is the main thought. In verse 26 we see the role of the Holy Spirit being our Counselor and praying through us. In verse 27 we see Jesus doing His intercession before the Father on our behalf. Of the five times the second word is used three of them refer to Jesus, two are in Romans and one in Hebrews. The other two uses are examples (I think) of how that intercession may have sounded (the intensity) or have been done. The word in verse 27 is entynchano.

In verse 26, the one that is associated with the Holy Spirit, the word is hyperentynchano; it is only used once. The prefix hyper should speak volumes to you. Combine this word and the thought of the Spirit’s help and we can understand how special that ministry is for us.

On a personal note, when I have experienced the type of intercession as described in Romans 8:26 it is profound and intense. It is more than (hyper) speaking in tongues. Since it is the Holy Spirit praying through me, I have no understanding of what I am saying and cannot control it, other than to stop. Can this be different in other people? Yes. I will not put the Holy Spirit in a box, He will work with us where we are, but He is still God. While musing on this act of the Holy Spirit, I believe that when the problem is too big for my mind or faith level, He has taken over and prayed as needed. This ministry of the Holy Spirit is more than a promise, it is why He is our paraclete and synantilambanomai.  

Begged in Mark 5

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Mark 5 has five uses of the Greek word parakaleo or beg. This chapter has the story of the Man of Gerasenes, the Woman with the issue of blood, and Jairus and his daughter. The Gospel of John does not use parakaleo but John does use parakletos (See Our Wonderful Counselor). Luke makes use of this word, parakaleo, many times in telling the story to Theophilus.

παρακαλέω | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

Strong’s Greek: 3870. παρακαλέω (parakaleó) — to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage (biblehub.com)

I learned recently that Strong’s Concordance and other reference works will first focus on the root word. That is why it is good to use several references if you are “digging deep” into a word or passage.

These words are used in a variety of ways, but both parakaleo and parakletos carry a “legal” air about them. The legal aspect can be read in the first three entries of Mark.

  • 5:10 – Here and in verse 12 the “he” and “unclean spirits” are understood from verse 2. I have heard that demons are territorial.
  • 5:12 – If they go into the pigs they could stay in the area. That must have been an interesting conversation.
  • 5:17 – The people of the region were upset and confused and wanted Jesus to leave. I have to wonder if the “freed” demons were agitating the crowd.
  • 5:18 – The Man begged to go with Jesus. Jesus sent him out as the first missionary to the Gentiles.
  • 5:23 – Jarius, an official of the synagogue begged for Jesus to follow him to his house.

The other times Mark uses the word are in 1:40, 6:56, 7:32, and 8:22. These are all healings. Every time in Mark when someone parakaleo Jesus, even the demons, He complied with the request. Except for the Gentile to follow Him, it was just too early for that to happen.

Great Faith

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Great Faith started as a study of the centurion in Matthew 8: 5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. He is still important, but he needs to be contrasted and compared to Little Faith. The 3/12 devotion by Joseph Prince was the seed and it does deserve some time. So, with text analysis, word searches, and foundational thoughts added, here is my study.

A Foundation Stone

Paul in Galatians 3:6-9 quotes Genesis 18:18 and 22:18 as his revelation into the Gospel and his mission from the Lord: non-Jews were to share in the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ main mission was to the Jews but Matthew, by the Holy Spirit, adds two events of great faith by Gentiles. We have decided that Matthew was writing for a Hebrew audience, so these two stories of faith are important.

Great Faith

Analysis of the Greek text reinforced two things for me: STUDY and pray for translators. I expected to find the word megas in Matthew 8: 5-13 and Luke 7:1-10, but I did not. I found “tosauten” faith. The centurion had a faith that Jesus had not seen before in Israel; it was “great” but special. (tosauten G 5118)

This Roman soldier’s faith had synthesized his authority in the natural world to Jesus’ authority in the spiritual world. How few of us today have that same understanding. Had this soldier been present for the Sermon on the Mount? Had he witnessed the healing of the leper? Was he Cornelius in Acts 10? Okay, I have none of those answers, but he saw and knew Jesus walked on the earth and commanded the heavenlies. So, his “like this” faith was beyond even that of the disciples at that time.

Jesus is chiding His listeners in verses 11 +12 to check their faith, especially in light of the Sermon. To use the thoughts of a great thinker: Just because you spend a lot of time in a garage, that does not make you a car. These verses are a powerful part about Kingdom teachings.

Megas faith was found in the Canaanite woman, outside of Israel in Tyre, who knew Jesus could deliver/heal her daughter (Matthew 15:28). Good News can produce great things and it is clear the word about Jesus spread outside of Israel. From the text, you can get the idea that she asked many times and that it was probably loud. There are varied opinions on this conversation, but her faith that had come from hearing about miracles and her knowledge of the descendant of King David got her what she needed and wanted.

A Contrast

Joseph Prince in his 3/12 devotion in Destined to Reign contrasts the faith of the centurion to Jarius (my take on it). Both of these men had faith that Jesus could heal but they had different working levels of faith. Jesus worked with both of them so that His Father would get the glory.

Little Faith

Please note that I said “little faith” NOT “no faith”. The Greek term is oligopistos G 3640. To compare faith is not a Kingdom activity that will have a positive outcome, no matter where you think you stand on the faith chart. The majority of the people who got to ponder this label were the Twelve. I think we can agree they changed so we can too. Here is a summary of the verses in Matthew.

  • 6:30 – Sermon on the Mount about clothing
  • 8:26 – the disciples in a storm
  • 14:31 – Peter and his walk
  • 16:8 – the disciples worried about food after thousands were fed

A Muse Moment from the Holy Spirit

Please add 8: 5-13 and 15: 8 in between those of little faith and get how our Master Teacher was guiding his followers in a series of life lessons. Their great faith came through many lessons.

Matthew 8:10 Greek Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

τοσοῦτος | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com It means “like this”. Just reading through the verses listed was a great study.

μέγας | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com   megas

πίστις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  faith  

Ephesians 1: 17

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This verse is one of many that shows God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation).

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him (KJV)

  • God, theos G2316.
  • Lord, kyrios G2962.
  • Jesus, iesous G2424.
  • Christ, christos G5547.
  • Father, pater G3962.
  • Glory, doxa G 1391.
  • May give, didomi G1325.
  • Spirit, pneuma G4151.
  • Wisdom, sophia G4678.
  • Revelation, apokalypsis G 602. Luke first uses this word in 2:32, it is for us Gentiles. It is also used in 3:3 in connection with the mystery made known to Paul.
  • Coming to know, epignosis G 1922. Paul and Peter use this word in their Epistles. It is also used in 4:13 with our faith and knowledge of the Son of God.

Use the links below to explore all of the words in the passage in Ephesians.

Ephesians 1 MOUNCE – Paul, an apostle of Christ  Jesus by the – Bible Gateway

Ephesians 1 Interlinear Bible (biblehub.com)

Heart of God

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The heart, the heart of God, the heart of man, follow your heart, and Valentine’s Day all had something to do with starting this study. No, I am not going to cover all of those topics, but this study led me to places I did not expect. I began by putting “heart God” in the search box in Bible Gateway. Many verses came up, I looked at every one of them. What I did not find surprised me, more on that later.

The Heart

Preachers, poets, and movie people provide palpitations. Do our modern thoughts on the “heart” actually sync with the ancient words and ideas? Over the years I have read many different opinions and thoughts on the subject (I have no references). Read the Strong’s references and you will see there were metaphorical aspects to the thoughts on the heart or what controlled people.

Strong’s Greek: 2588. καρδία (kardia) — heart (biblehub.com)

Strong’s Hebrew: 3820. לֵב (leb) — inner man, mind, will, heart (biblehub.com)   See H3824.

Take a Muse Moment to consider an intelligent, observant populace. Please compare an active beating heart that was in the center of your chest that changed speeds at certain times; to a glob of stuff locked away in your skull that only gave you headaches. What would you think was important?

I tend to believe that our modern society wants to nullify God and put us in His place. We think too much of our hearts (emotions and feelings). Why would God allow or even use that imagery? When you are in the lead, you have to let your followers catch up.

The Heart of Man

Please consider these popular cliches: follow your heart, my heart was not in it, my heart’s desire, bless your heart. Hollywood, Wall Street, and a sin nature can be a problem, but there are many positive thoughts also.

The free will we have is the problem. God wants us to choose Him. The Tree that Eve picked and Adam ate from also shades the way we “naturally” chose to go. So, as you study the heart of man in the Bible the overwhelming number of verses refer to us not picking Him or going His Way.

What I Did Not Find

I did not find many verses that specifically refer to God’s leb or kardia. In my first search, I found Ezekiel 28: 2 and 6. Because there was a still small voice telling me to go further, I turned to my “leaf and ink” version of Strong’s Concordance and found three more: Genesis 6:6, Jeremiah 3:15, and 32:41. There may be more and the translation you use may require more study; using the meanings of leb or kardia are going to be the path. (Let me know.) The verses I will add from the New Testament will not have kardia in them but the Hebrew ideas associated with leb. I believe these should be part of this study because you have Hebrews writing in Greek.

The exoteric anthropomorphism of a beating heart in our God, in Scripture, was put there by our God. So, it is how He chooses to portray Himself and we need to learn about Him through this self-revelation. I will use bullet points just because, again leb and kardia are the focus thoughts, not our English words.

  • Genesis 6:6 – God is grieved because of man.
  • Jeremiah 3:15 – the Father will give us shepherds who will feed us.
  • Jeremiah 32:41 – He will plant us in His land.
  • Ezekiel 28:2 and 6 – these verses are about the king of Tyre, who believes he has a heart like God’s.
  • Romans 8:27 – the “mind of the Spirit” and the “will of God”. φρόνημα | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com
  • Romans 12:2 – “renew our minds” to prove His will. These are different Greek words in this verse.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:16 – “mind of the Lord” and we have the “mind of Christ”. (Isaiah 40:13 is a reference for this verse.) Please start in verse 10 and read through 16 for the complete thought. Your translation may have the word “thought” added for clarity. 1 Corinthians 2:11 Greek Text Analysis (biblehub.com)

The Heart of God

So, there does not seem to be many verses on the heart of God, or is there? Over the years many have told me what the heart of God is, needs, or wants. Were they in the know? (Please, this is a study.)

As I worked on this post, three ideas were reinforced in me. 1. His written Word reveals the heart of God. 2. Do not be quick to claim the heart of God. 3. The Holy Spirit is an integral part of the heart of God.

I give two of many verses that show what our God is like.

Psalm 86:5 (NASB) For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all who call upon You.

Psalm 33:4-5 (NIV) For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Ezekiel 28

Verse 2 in the NASB is, “Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, ‘The Lord God says this: “Because your heart is haughty And you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas’; Yet you are a mortal and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God.” (From Bible Gateway) This was the first verse I found that cited the heart of God. I did another search on this website Ezekiel 28:2 Hebrew Text Analysis (biblehub.com). Verse 6 also uses these words and ideas.

Tyre has a long and complicated place in Scripture, it starts with David and continues into the New Testament with Jesus and even into the Book of Acts. Joshua used it as a reference point. I will offer a “light look” at this verse.

  • Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon when God gave him this word to speak.
  • It appears to be written to a man. Most scholars will tell you this also refers to Satan.
  • The Complete Jewish Bible has, “You think that you think like God”. Many translations use this instead of the heart to portray the inner part of God.