Ephesians 1:19

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Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (KJV)

  • Incomparable, hyperballo G5235. Surpassing. It is used in 2:7, 3:19.
  • Greatness, megethos G3174. This word is used only in this verse in the New Testament.
  • Power, dynamis G1411. It is used in 1:21, 3:7, 16, and 20.
  • Believe, pisteuo G4100.
  • According, kata G2596.
  • Exercise, energeis G1753. Working. It is used in 3:7 and 4:16. It is used only eight times in the NT.
  • Mighty, kratos G2904. It is used in 6:10.
  • Strength, ischus G2479. It is used in 6:10 and only ten times in the NT.

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)

RESURRECTION

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This post is about the resurrection of Jesus, it is an extension of Saturday of Holy Week- A Day of Rest and Born Again or Born from Above.

With His earthly life and “forty months” of ministry about to end, can you imagine all of the thoughts that swirled around Him? Jesus’ metamorphoo and the time spent with the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) signals His ride into Jerusalem, so He can pay the Bride’s price for His Church. But the time between “Who is it you want?” (John 18:4) and “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:15 NIV) changed so much. Types and shadows were about to become bold clear light. The Prophet’s words were being fulfilled and rejoiced over in the Heavenlies. Our redemption from the sin that claimed us was gladly being paid. The Way back to the Father and His Garden was opened, if we choose that path.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday could be Work, Rest, and Begin a New; okay, that activity could go on for a while:)

Resurrection or rise, arise, risen, and several other ideas are expressed with two Greek root words (for the most part). Anastasis G386 and egeiro G1453 are those root words, yes, they can have prefixes and other tenses.

ἀνάστασις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

ἐγείρω | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

ἔγερσις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

G386 – anastasis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

G1454 – egersis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)

Old Testament

Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (KJV) In Hebrew, the third day is Tuesday or Yom HaShelishi.

Yom ha-sh’lishi: The THIRD DAY – Hebrew Word Lessons

Examples of being raised from the dead.

  • 1 Kings 17:17-24 is where Elijah raised the widow’s son.
  • 2 Kings 4:29-37 is the telling of Elisha raising the Shunammite’s son.
  • 2 Kings 13:21 Elisha is dead and another dead man is thrown into his grave and touches his bones and was revived and stood up (he was resurrected). This event brings to mind the verse in Jude, where Satan is trying to take Moses’ body. Why did he want it? I am pretty sure it was not for a trophy. We have to know he was up to no good. A popular idea is that Satan wanted to make Israel stumble and sin by going into idol worship over the corpse. HOW ABOUT he took it because he feared it would act like Elisha’s bones and cause people to fear God? HOW ABOUT #2 Satan did not want it to be available for the transfiguration. Moses was there and with a “born from above body”.
  • In Hebrews 11:17,19 the faith of Abraham is relived when he sacrificed Issac. He knew God could/would raise him from the dead.
  • Martha knew Lazarus would rise in the resurrection on the last day, John 11:24. I do believe this was a Hebrew idea that Matthew writes about.
  • In the Sermons on the Two Mounts the Sadducees are baiting Jesus on a woman who had seven husbands. This must a been a point of discussion in their Torah studies. (Matthew 22:28) Jesus instructed them about physical state of being in Heaven.
  • John 5:29 may also be an Old idea with an upgrade. Good deeds people have a resurrection of life and bad deeds people have a resurrection of judgement.

New Testament

This is a spot check through the New Testament, there is a lot, but my focus will be Matthew, John, and 1 Corinthians.

Matthew’s contribution starts in Chapter 22 and goes to 27. There is an interesting shift in Matthew’s terms. Before Jesus’ physical resurrection (Chapter 22) he used anastasis G386 in Chapter 27 he used egersis G1454. I wonder if it is an Old-to-New shift in thinking. This is the only time G1454 is used in the Bible. Anastasis is used many more times in the New Testament.

Jesus knew what was to happen to Him in that Passover, He would be sacrificed like the lamb in Exodus. The thing that caught my attention for this post was His physical body. He had also been teaching about that as we will see in John. First, we should take a look at the revelation that Paul received on the topic.

1 Corinthians 15 is Paul’s class on the resurrection to the Church. Verse 35 starts his discussion on the body. Verses 42 to 46 describe what happened to Jesus, His natural body was put into the earth but a spiritual body came out (44). I termed this His born from above or born-again example. Yes, at the last trumpet, we who are living will get this new body and it will be quick (52).  

John’s purpose in writing his Gospel was to show Jesus as the Son of God. He highlighted the miracles Jesus did, for some reason only seven have got a lot of press. He did more in John’s Gospel and taught about some miraculous things that would occur. Here are some about His resurrection.

  • John 3:6 The Spirit gives birth to spirit.
  • 11:25 He tells Martha He is the resurrection and the life.
  • 12:24 Jesus gives a multi-level explanation of a seed producing a harvest. Unless He died, His harvest would not have happened.
  • 16:16 He tells the Disciples that He will die but that they would see Him again (palin, G3825).

These are posts I have done on the work of Jesus and His resurrection.

Bible 911 – 1 Samuel

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1 Samuel 9:11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? (KJV)

This verse segways from a donkey hunt to the anointing of a king. Chapters 9 and 10 should not be just a Sunday School story, but a lantern lighting our minds to the power and glory of Father God. There is a lot of geography, customs, and additional characters in this story. So, please do not impose modern paradigms on the ancient peoples in this tale that is proclaiming God’s sovereignty.

The Main Participants  

  • Servant – I did a post on Saul’s unnamed servant because he is the clear-minded God-aware light early in this story. He is used by God to get Saul into position for his anointing.
  • Saul – He was a complex person. In his introduction, we see him as an obedient son who accepts God’s plan for his life. The end of his story is another thing altogether. Saul | The amazing name Saul: meaning and etymology (abarim-publications.com)   One form of the Hebrew word for Saul means grave, that is just extra:)
  • Samuel – The last Judge of Israel was also a seer/prophet. He had many great accomplishments in his long life.

Seer – This is the gem I found in this Bible 911 study. Verse 9 gives a cultural change in Israel. Seer or ro’eh is part of the word for a shepherd. The prophet or navi carries the idea as “a source” of God’s words. If Samuel is a transition figure, we can see him leading and caring for the people and he starts to write the story of Israel. (It makes you think who compiled the Book of Judges?) I found these sites to help with the study, I do not always use Christian sites and I have no connection with any of these. They are just informative.

IsraelBiblicalStudies.com

Ro’eh – Shepherd – En-Gedi Resource Center (engediresourcecenter.com)

Ra’ah: The LORD is my SHEPHERD – Hebrew Word Lessons

What Is the Meaning of Navi? – The Jewish Link

The Tribe of Benjamin

The progenitor of this tribe is the second-born son of Rachel and the thirteen child of Jacob. He is the only son who was born in the Land of Promise. He also had his name changed, which in the Bible is important. Benjamin, the Tribe, stays with Judah after Rehoboam divides Israel in 1 Kings 12. Esther is a member of the Tribe that was deported out of Israel, she is also a granddaughter of Saul.

The last event in the Book of Judges plays a part in the life of Saul and his children. Lo Debar is in the region where some of the wives for Benjamin came from, which may explain why Jonathan had Mephibosheth sent there. The story of Barzillai (2 Samuel 17:27) is a part of this connection with Jonathan and David. I can not prove this, but I think Barzillai was related to Mephibosheth through his mother’s side of the family.

Many cities and sites in Samuel are located in the territory of Benjamin. Jerusalem is in this area of inheritance and the Prophet Jeremiah’s hometown is a city allotted to the priest in the land of Benjamin. 

The City

Please use these as points of study.

  • “Drinking Water” – In this story the girls were out of the town going to draw water for the day. Why might wells or springs be outside of the city walls? Key words here will be springs, wells, and cisterns; these may change with your favorite translation.
  • City on a Hill – Major towns may have had walls, but they were also on top of hills. Can you find other towns or cities that were on a hill?
  • High Places – These definitely have a pagan connection; groves are another term associated with pagan worship. Since Samuel was sacrificing here it seems not all were pagan. At the time of this story, there was no Temple, but Shiloh was where the Ark was. Abraham, Elijah, and Solomon, and others have stories set around hilltop sites. In your study, please note that God found many of these places a snare to His people, why?
  • A Roof – This is in 9:25. Find the times that roofs were part of the action for people in the Bible.

Born Again, Born Anew, Born from Above

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This post, Born Again, Born Anew, Born from Above was an “Easter Present” from Father God. The phrase “born again” in Greek is gennao anothen and may be better translated born from above.

John 3:3 is the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus where Jesus said, “No can see the kingdom of God unless you are born again” (NIV). Anothen, G 509, is the word that has been translated as “again”. In the other places, John uses this word in 3:31, 19:11, and 23, it is rendered “from above or from the top”.

  • 3:31 – one who comes from above
  • 19:11 – Jesus tells Pilate he would have no authority unless it came from above
  • 19:23 – Jesus’s robe was woven from the top down

 ἄνωθεν | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com

John uses the word palin in the places where we expect to see the “again”. (Strong’s G3825)

My non-Greek scholarly observation of the different translations of again comes from Nicodemus’ answer. He ignores Jesus’ “from above” and focuses on going into the womb for a SECOND TIME or again. It would not surprise me if Jesus had pointed upward when He said it.

Born Again, Born Anew, or Born from Above reflects John 1:13 where when we believe and become children of God, we are born of God. It may be time to change terminology.

John 3:3 Greek Text Analysis (biblehub.com)  born from above

Gennao is the Greek word for born. It is Strong’s G1080.

The OJB has a reference note in John 3:3 where the born-again phrase is viewed as a circumcised heart. I think that is a good thought.

Saturday of Holy Week – A Day of Rest

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For years I have thought and written about what Jesus did between the Cross and the stone being rolled away. Here are the verses I have used in the past in my post of Saturday, Easter 2015, Jesus Preached, and Dark to Light – Jesus in the Tomb.

  • Psalm 68:18
  • Matthew 27:62 – 66
  • Ephesians 4: 7-10
  • 1 Peter 3:19

I often limit my thinking and forget to look at the really big picture of what happened on this Passover. I have heard it and said it, and have written it, but today being still before God I saw His GREATEST act of love and mercy in a different light.

Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law and opened the curtain so we could go to the Father through Him. There were legal issues that had to be addressed as He got the Keys back. He set examples for us to follow so His Kingdom would come.

Jesus died because of (our) sin. He came out of that tomb a new creation and with new heavenly powers and abilities. Today, we might call that being born again.

The thought of the silence and stillness of that rock tomb added another dimension to what was going on. Jesus finished His work, just as God did in Genesis 1. So, the right thing to do was to REST. With respect to all of the other posts and the Scriptures I have used; Jesus was resting from His labor. I am so glad He finished the work and took my place, so I can be with Him in His place.

His Easter meetings: the women, the road to Emmaus, and walking through a closed door into a very private dinner party were to show He was victorious and had conquered Sin and Death. He took the next forty days to reteach and prepare His followers for their “personal trip” up “Mount Sinai” and their meeting with the Holy Spirit. His journey from victim to victor came with a day of rest in between them.