John 1:1-2, 14 – John describes Jesus as the Word. Because Jesus is the living and active Word of God, He can “rightly divide/judge the thoughts and intentions” of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Everything is “open and laid bare” before Him (Hebrews 4:13; see 1 Cor. 14:23-25 below).
1 In the beginning was the Word [356- logos – “a word or saying, a word spoken for any purpose”], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning...
14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
NIV
Matthew 9:1-4 – Jesus knows, and is therefore able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
1 Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.
2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven."
3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes."
4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
NASU
Matthew 12:22-25 – Again, He knows our thoughts, which is good for us to keep in mind, not letting bad thoughts continue on to further wickedness.
22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.
23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."
25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.
NASU
Jude 14-16 – The Lord’s coming again “with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all.” Because He is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, He is able to judge righteously.
14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
NASU
1 Corinthians 14:23-25 – Through prophecy (i.e. speaking the word of the Lord), the secrets of the heart of an “unbeliever or an ungifted man” (i.e. his thoughts and intentions) are disclosed/laid bare.
23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? [See the Bible study Tongues.]
24 But if all prophesy [4395- “to speak under inspiration, to utter forth, declare, exercise the prophetic office”], and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;
25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed [5318- “apparent, manifest, evident, known”]; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.
NASU
Revelation 1:1-3 – See the Bible study The Testimony Of Jesus regarding the next few passages from Revelation that refer to “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
1 The Revelation [602- “an uncovering, unveiling, disclosure”] of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
2 who testified [3140] to the word of God and to the testimony [3141] of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed [5083- “to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard, to observe”] the things which are written in it; for the time [2540- “a fixed and definite time, the right time, opportune or seasonable time”] is near.
NASU
NT:3140 martureo (mar-too-reh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3144; to be witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively):
KJV - charge, give [evidence], bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to be a witness, to bear witness, testify,
a. in general; absolutely, to give (not to keep back) testimony (John 15:27)
b. emphatically; to utter honorable testimony, give a good report: with a dative of the person (Luke 4:22)
c. the middle voice, according to a false reading, to conjure, implore (1 Thess. 2:12)
3141 marturia (mar-too-ree'-ah)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from 3144; evidence given (judicially or genitive case)
KJV-- record, report, testimony, witness.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1) a testifying; the office committed to the prophets of testifying concerning future events
2) what one testifies, testimony, that is, before a judge
Revelation 1:9 – John was sent to an insignificant place, the island called Patmos, “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” It was here that he was given visions from the Lord that he compiled in the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible.
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker [4791- “a co-participant, joint partner”] in the tribulation [2347- “a pressing, pressing together, pressure”] and kingdom [932- “royal power, kingship, dominion, rule”] and perseverance [5281- “steadfastness, endurance; a patient steadfast waiting for”] which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony [3141] of Jesus.
NASU
Revelation 19:10 – The “testimony” of Jesus, the witness/evidence of Him within, is the spirit of prophecy, His word being proclaimed. Another witness, or evidence of Jesus being within someone is the words of God that they speak. John 3:32-34 says, “What He has seen and heard, of that He bears witness [3140]; and no man receives His witness [3141]. He who has received His witness [3141] has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words ([4487] – rhema - “the living word having a definite meaning”) of God; for He gives the Spirit [“the evidence, the witness, the testimony”] without measure.”
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold [2192- “to have, that is, to hold; to own, to possess”] the testimony [3141] of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony [3141] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
(NASU)
Revelation 19:11-16 – By the two-edged, “sharp sword” of the Lord that comes forth from His mouth, the nations will be struck down.
11 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.
12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.
13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies [the “hosts” of the Lord in Isaiah 25:6 above] which are in heaven [separated from the rest of the body, she has now been eternally joined together with the Lord in the wedding feast of the Lamb], clothed in fine linen, white and clean [the newly crowned bride in Rev. 19:7-8], were following [190- see def. below] Him on white horses.
15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
NASU
NT:190 akoloutheo (ak-ol-oo-theh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:1 (as a particle of union) and keleuthos (a road); properly, to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple):
KJV - follow, reach.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him (Matt. 4:25)
2. to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple; side with his party, (A.V., follow him) (Matt. 4:20, 22)
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
akoloutheo [NT:190] – to be an akolouthos, “a follower,” or “companion” (from the prefix a, here expressing “union, likeness,” and keleuthos, “a way”; hence, “one going in the same way”), is used (a) frequently in the literal sense, e. g., Matthew 4:25; (b) metaphorically, of “discipleship,” e. g., Mark 8:34; 9:38; 10:21. It is used 77 times in the Gospels, of “following” Christ, and only once otherwise, Mark 14:13.
Psalm 149 – You won’t hear much, if ever, spoken about this psalm. The psalmist declared that the “godly ones” of the Lord will have “a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples… to execute on them the judgment written.” He then says that it will be “an honor for all His godly ones.” (See Jude 14-16 above.)
1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify [6286- “to glorify, to beautify, to adorn”] the afflicted [635- “poor, humble afflicted, needy, weak”] ones with salvation [3444- “salvation, deliverance, aid, victory”].
5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord!
NASU
2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 – In this passage, Paul is speaking of the timing of the return of Christ. in the first six verses he says that the apostasy, the great falling away from Christ will occur first, and “the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction” will be revealed. This person is described by Him as one who exalts himself, seated on the throne of the Lord. This lawless person will be killed “with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” (See the Bible study The Son Of Destruction.)
7 For the mystery [3466- “a hidden or secret thing”] of lawlessness [458- “the condition of one without law, wickedness”] is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 Then that lawless [459- “departing from the law, wicked”] one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath [4151- “wind, breath, spirit”] of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved [4982].
NASU
NT:4982 sozo (sode'-zo)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saoz, "safe"); to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):
KJV - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to save, to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
a. universally, tina, one (from injury or peril); to save a suffering one (from perishing), e.g. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health (Matthew 9:22)
b. to save (Matthew 1:21)
Comments