Crown of thorns

On the head of Jesus they placed a crown of thorns

The word for thorns is

akantha {ak'-an-thah} (Here, in the context, it's akanthone)

Dr. Barbet write in his book, A Doctor at Calvary, a description of the crowning:
"St. Vincent of Lerins (Sermo in Parasceve) was to write at a later date ... "They placed in His head a crown of thorns; it was, in fact, in the shape of a pileus, so that it touched and covered His head in every part..." . The pileus, among the Romans, was a sort of semi-oval head-dress made of felt, which enveloped the head and was specially worn during work ... ." (Barbet, pg. 85)

Unlike the paintings of the windig of thorns, this "corwn would have been a sort of thorny helmet which would have covered the entire scalp and brow.

He goes on to say: "It is generally admitted that they [the thorns] belong to a thorn-bearing tree which is common in Judea, the Zizyphus spina Christi, a kind of lote-tree. It is probable that there was a heap of its branches in the praetorium, used for firing by the Roman cohort. Its thorns are very long and sharp."

I have seen the thorns of the lote tree, which are at least three quarters of an inch long.

Part of the love shown to us is displayed through akantha.

Crown of thorns

On the head of Jesus they placed a crown of thorns

The word for thorns is

akantha {ak'-an-thah} (Here, in the context, it's akanthone)

Dr. Barbet write in his book, A Doctor at Calvary, a description of the crowning:
"St. Vincent of Lerins (Sermo in Parasceve) was to write at a later date ... "They placed in His head a crown of thorns; it was, in fact, in the shape of a pileus, so that it touched and covered His head in every part..." . The pileus, among the Romans, was a sort of semi-oval head-dress made of felt, which enveloped the head and was specially worn during work ... ." (Barbet, pg. 85)

Unlike the paintings of the windig of thorns, this "corwn would have been a sort of thorny helmet which would have covered the entire scalp and brow.

He goes on to say: "It is generally admitted that they [the thorns] belong to a thorn-bearing tree which is common in Judea, the Zizyphus spina Christi, a kind of lote-tree. It is probable that there was a heap of its branches in the praetorium, used for firing by the Roman cohort. Its thorns are very long and sharp."

I have seen the thorns of the lote tree, which are at least three quarters of an inch long.

Part of the love shown to us is displayed through akantha.

1 Corinthians 4

I've been doing a litle study on 1 Corhinthians 4, and I've found a powerful word for us to review.

The time of the writing was when Paul was dealing with a pride issue with the Christians in Corinth. He reminds them that Christianity is not a fashion but a relationship with Jesus and a ministry! He brings the point home in the middle of a strongly worded passage:

"For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake..."

The word spectacle is theatron, from which we get our word “theater.” When Paul says we have been made a spectacle to the world, he is not complimenting us, nor is he making this an exciting pride-filled prospect. He refers to the way the apostles have been publicly humiliated. This kind of humiliation was a slam to the pride of the Corinthian Christians, but a cold shower to wake them up to the reality of service here on Earth. We are willing to face shame so that others may see Christ. We're willing to step out and show Jesus, no matter if it means alienation or scorn.

May I ask you - are you a spectacle for Christ?

Daily Bread

Luke 11:3 - "Give us day by day our daily bread."

epiousios {ep-ee-oo'-see-os}

found in the phrase "daily bread" has two meanings:

a) the bread of our necessity
b) the bread that suffices for each day

Nothing highly otherworldly about this - God will supply our physical needs. We can ask for the literal food we need each day. In other words, we can ask for the little things. Nothing is too small for the Lord!

Bible Scholar David Guzik says:

"God also wants us to pray for our daily, practical needs - like our daily bread. When Jesus says bread, He means real bread, as in the sense of daily provisions. Early theologians allegorized this; they couldn’t imagine a mundane thing like bread in such a majestic prayer like this.
Calvin rightly said of interpretations that fail to see God’s interest in the mundane: "This is exceedingly absurd." God does care about everyday things.

Don't be afraid to ask God for the little things you need. He'll hear you.

Heart - kardia

Romans 5:5 - " and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Kardia ("heart") is used 158 times in the NASB. It means more than an organ. It was considered the receptacle not only of food but of intellect, emotion, and physical strength. When it is used int eh Scripture, it has a full, rich meaning.

"In most modern cultures, the heart is thought of as the seat of emotions and feelings. But most ancients—Hebrews, Greeks, and many others—considered the heart to be the center of knowledge, understanding, thinking, and wisdom. The New Testament also uses it in that way. The heart was considered to be the seat of the mind and will, and it could be taught what the brain could never know. Emotions and feelings were associated with the intestines, or bowels." (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. 1986. Chicago: Moody Press)

The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. - John 12:21

The word for "see" is powerful! The word is EIDO and carries and deep meaning:

Not only to a) to perceive with the eyes but also
b) to perceive by any of the senses (getting to know Jesus in a way that goes beyond mere passing curiosity! Experiencing Him in one's heart.)
c) to discover ( find a new direction in life through this unveiling?)

Not only does EIDO mean to turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to the subject, but also to pay attention, observe and to ascertain what must be done about it!
The people coming to Phillip wanted more than a cursory glance at Jesus. They wanted an experience they would never forget. That's what I want, too.


Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'eido (Strong's 1492)' " . Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2002.
14 Feb 2007.

Fear

Jesus approaches the disciples by walking across the water to them. They are terrified. he responds by saying "It is I. Don't be afraid."

The word for FEAR is

phobeo {fob-eh'-o}

It is the word we use in the English for phobia. One definition of phobeo is "terror which seizes one when danger appears." It is a shaking, quaking reaction. It is one that renders you unable to do anything but run away.

Yet Jesus' presence took care of the fear. He did it then, and He can do it now. I like the story that I read of a church's sign in WWII in London as nighttime bombings shook the city:
"If your knees knock, kneel on them."

SELF CONTROL

Galatians 5:22, 23 -"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. "

(self-control is the Greek word enkrates from en = in + krátos = power is literally one having power to "hold oneself in" or to "master self". Enkrates means the ability to have dominion over self. The individual exercising enkrates is displaying restraint over his own emotions and appetites. He is able to control his impulses and desires.

This is difficult if we attemtpt this on our own, but God's power through the Holy Spirit makes it possible. It, indeed, is a fruit of the Spirit.

ekplesso...SHOCKED!!!

Shocked! Amazed! Filled with wonder!

The teachings and miracles that Jesus performed caused a powerful reaction from the people who witnessed His life: they were astounded. The word is ekplesso ... from ek = out and plesso = strike). It means that they were smacked right out of their mind with what they saw...they were struck with astonishment...almost as if someone whacked their normal state of thinking right out of their skull.

And coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished (ekplesso) and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? ( Matthew 13:54 )

Ekplesso is used 13 times in the NT.

agape - a committed love

1 Corinthians 13;4 clearly states that the best kind of love, agape love, which is a determined, serious love – is a kind love. It’s a kindness that is interested in the good of others and is eager to make itself helpful or available for serving others.

The Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti was leading his bobsled team in the Innsbuck Olympics in 1964 to a first place finish after his final run. Only one racing team remained, led by Britiash athlete Tony Nash. As Nash and his team got ready to run, Nash noticed a critical bolt on his sled had snapped off at the last moment. Word of this disaster got to Monti and the Italian bobsledder removed the corresponding bolt from his own sled and sent it over to Nash. Nash fixed his sled and raced, setting a course record and winning the gold medal. Did Monti forfeit his win? Not really, because he became famous for his sportsmanship and kindness. Wouldn’t it be great that if we were to become famous at all, we would be known for our Christian kindness?

The Greek battles continue!

CONGRATULATIONS TO PHI BETA! Last week the green team took first place, earning them a bye on last week's test. This week, however, Zeta Chi seems to be sneaking up ont hem. In fact, all four teams appear to be in a very close race. Remember - the final points are added up at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, so that's the last time to turn in your points. Also remember - you get 50 points per student in your class if you bring in a snack for the UT students Wednesday Bible study.

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well pleasing

SHHHHH - this should be a secret. Add the words "well pleasing" to the top of your quiz and I will give you bonus points.

"Well pleasing" - euarestos from eu = well + arésko = please, and it means something that causes a person to be pleased. A person who is 'well pleasing" is someone who is doing something highly approved.

Paul tells us of the desire of the Christian: "we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing (euarestos) to Him." (2Cor 5:9).

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By the way I want to remind you - if you'd like some more serious Greek, we'll get to it this summer ... camp time looms, and this year it's May 24th to the 28th - we'll have twice as much room. We're going to Galilee Bible Camp in LaFollette. I've rented the entire camp.
COST: $200
...get me your $50 deposit before January 30th and I'll drop the price to only $160.
Cabins, lake, ox roast, watermelons, late night skits and games, private devotional time, debates, team cooking, mexican spaghetti, and the famous AUCTION... and even more.
Contact me if you'd like to go!

Some great links

Here are some powerful Bible study links that I use regularly. Perhaps they could be of use to you, too.

Blue Letter Bible. Commentaries and Hebrew/Greek lexicons make this a daily favorite of mine

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Study Light. Excellent place to find good word studies:

http://www.studylight.org/

Christians Unite. You'll find devotionals, study guides and even biographies on this fine site:

http://bible.christiansunite.com/

God and Science. Contains and excellent section on the prophecies of Christ:

http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/prophchr.html

William Lane Craig Debates. This is powerful stuff. Dr. Craig takes on all non-Christian comers in a stand-up debate that will amaze you on the truths of the Bible:

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/menus/debates.html

Institute of Creation Research. Great site for learning scientific truth and God's Word:

http://www.icr.org/

There are numerous more fine places to study. I will be posting them in future weeks. I hope these help you as you lead your Bible studies or prayer groups.