Obedient Steps of Faith – BT5: Hope is faith for future inherited glorification & promises

 

 

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Hebrews 11:1 written to Jewish-Christians integrally connects our public confession of faith at water-baptism to hope:  “Now pistis trusting-relying-faith ongoing IS-defined-as/exists-as [the singular] confident-trusting-assurance of [plural things] routinely/habitually elpizo hoping for (a), [the singular] elegchos ‘inward–conviction with public expression as confession’ of things absolutely-in-fact-NOT routinely/habitually being seen.”  So certain is this, that this confession is “an inner conviction that proves/confirms God’s in-birthing of faith, thus an internal persuasion or ‘reproof’ from God (b), especially in context regarding the Jewish prophetic ‘portions of’ scripture concerning the Messiah, these alone being useful in the NT Church to produce trusting-relying-faith for salvation in Jesus Christ – see Logos Word of God – BT6 and – BT7.  Paul says Jesus will “present you holy and/coupled blameless and/coupled above reproach before Him, IF indeed you continue in The-Trusting-Relying-Faith (The Christian Faith), stable and/coupled steadfast, not shifting from the elpis hope of the gospel” (c) – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16 For endurance of faith.

 

Paul remembers Christians “work of trusting-relying-faith (d) and/coupled labor of unconditional-love and/coupled/thus steadfastness of elpis hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (e) because they “put on the breastplate of trusting-relying-faith and/coupled unconditional-love and/coupled the helmet as the elpis hope of salvation” (f).  The same grouping is in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that “Only pistis trusting-relying-faith [in the present], elpis hope [faith for future events], and unconditional-love will remain” for eternity because they are the basis for our koinonia relationship with God now and always will be!

 

<Notes> a) elpizo is the verb of  elpis hope, which is “trusting-relying-faith in future things, a confident, expectation of future events you have trusting-relying-faith for with surety, thus actively waiting for fulfillment of future things based on the trusting-relying-faith surety you have NOW in the trustworthy-faithfulness of the One who promised them to you,” b) 2 Timothy 3:16, c) Colossians 1:22-23, d) 2 Thessalonians 1:11, e) 1 Thessalonians 1:3, f) 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

 

In a court of law, elogchos is “a charge that is shown to be true, often publicly confessed by the accused.”  In our case it is a public confession of The Truth about Jesus that He is our Lord – see Surrender Control, “the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (a), likely “the confession/reproof of sins” and/coupled confession of “Jesus as Lord” (b) being “the eperotema ‘response to any inquiry’ [likely from the baptizer] of/belonging-to an agathos God-like-good (c) suneidesis ‘together-with [the Spirit’s] eido mental seeing-to-perceive/knowing’ eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of God” (d), which happens during “water-baptism that now saves you dia ‘thru-the-realizing-channel-of’ the resurrection of Jesus” (e).  When you come out of the waters of baptism, you are resurrected with Christ to be a completely-different-in-kind New Creation (f).  “Let us hold fast the confession (g) of our elpis hope without wavering, for He who promised is pistos faithful/trustworthy” (h).  “We are God’s house, IF indeed we hold fast our parresia ‘bold, confident resolve that leaves a witness’ and/coupled our kauchema ‘positive boasting, glorifying, exulting’ in our elpis hope” (i) – see Obedient Steps of Faith – BT16 on endurance of faith.

 

<Notes> a) 1 Timothy 6:12, b) Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3, c) agathos:  inherent or intrinsic goodness, a unique quality or condition, excellent or distinguished in quality, respect, uprightness, honor, useful, beneficial, salutary, suitable, pleasant, kind, benevolent, agreeable, joyful, d) In our public confession of our sinfulness and need for Jesus to be our “Savior and Lord” per Philippians 3:20; 2 Peter 1:11, 2:20, 3:18; Jude 1:25, we are agreeing-together-with [the meaning of confess] our ‘mind’s eye perceived-knowing’ of the Holy righteousness of Christ’s Spirit of “conviction of our sin/unrighteousness, Christ’s righteousness, and judgment to come for rejection of Christ, like Satan’s judgment” per John 16:8-9 – see Surrender Control, e) 1 Peter 3:21; Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5, f) 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatian 6:15; Romans 6:3-6, g) cf. Hebrews 4:14, h) Hebrews 10:23 –  This is Christ, the mediator of a New Covenant that we may receive the promised eternal inheritance:  Hebrews 9:15; Jesus the Son of God our great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, i) Hebrews 3:6.

 

Jesus is our ONLY promised hope of resurrection to eternal life:  “Of Abraham’s human offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised . . . we bring you the Great News (gospel) that what God promised to the fathers, this He has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus . . . Now I, Paul, stand here on trial because of my elpis hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our 12 tribes elpizo hope to attain . . . and for this elpis hope I am accused by Jews, O king!  Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” (a).  “God [is] our Savior and/coupled Christ Jesus – the elpis hope of us” (b).  We should have hupomone ‘patient-endurance under trials’ of the elpis hope of/belonging-to our Lord Jesus Christ” (c).

 

“If ‘in/by/with or for the sake of’ this zoe genuine-life (context:  here on earth only) we are presently/ongoing having elpis hope by-the-means-of Christ (the Anointed King) ONLY, [then] we presently/ongoingly are to be pitied more than all men” (d) – in other words, much of our Christian elpis hope lies in what happens after our death, not just hope for a Messiah-King to rule on earth like the Zealots did!  The early disciples were “the first to elpizo hope in Christ” (e).  Christ “introduced a kreitton ‘more useful, serviceable, helpful, better’ elpis hope [than the old covenant’s] dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of which we presently/ongoingly eggizo ‘draw extremely close-beside’ to God” (f). <Notes> a) Acts 13:23, 32-33, 26:6-8, b) 1 Timothy 1:1, c) 1 Thessalonians 1:3, d) 1 Corinthians 15:19, e) Ephesians 1:12, f) Hebrews 7:19.

 

 

 

God gives us eternal comfort, good hope, joy, and peace by grace thru faith in Christ’s resurrection by the Spirit’s power:  Paul’s blessing says:  “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and/coupled God our Father, the [One] who already [or viewed as a whole] has routinely/habitually unconditionally-loving us and/coupled already [or viewed as a whole] has routinely/habitually given us eternal paraklesis comforting-encouragement and/coupled agathos God-like-good (a) elpis hope by-the-means-of unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace” (b).  Another of Paul’s blessings says:  “May the God of the elpis hope pleroo fill-to-completion you of/belonging-to pas all-kinds-of joy and/coupled peace by-the-means-of:  to-be-presently/ongoingly having trusting-relying-faith, to presently/ongoingly abound eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of you by-the-means-of the elpis hope by-the-means-of [singular] dunamis enabling-power of [singular] Holy Spirit” (c).  Can you see the chain reaction of events? <Notes> a) agathos:  inherent or intrinsic goodness, a unique quality or condition, excellent or distinguished in quality, respect, uprightness, honor, useful, beneficial, salutary, suitable, pleasant, kind, benevolent, agreeable, joyful, b) 2 Thessalonians 2:16, c) Romans 15:13

 

This is Paul’s typically complicated way of saying that hope belongs-to God who can fill-us-to-overflowing from His own Joy and Peace (a) to then be-the-means for us ongoingly to have trusting-relying faith that then becomes-the-means to reach us with abounding Christian hope, and this is all by-the-means of the Holy Spirit’s dynamite-like enabling-power.  It’s a chain reaction of God’s Holy Spirit enabling-power filling us with the Spirit’s overflowing Joy and Peace that then powerfully-enables us to have trusting-relying-faith that then powerfully-enables us to have abounding hope!  What starts it is getting filled with God’s Spirit (b) – see Spirit-Baptism.  <Notes> a) flavors of the singular fruit/essence of the Spirit that is Unconditional-Love, per Galatians 5:22, b) Ephesians 3:19, 5:18.

 

Peter’s blessing of hope in eternal life all depends on Christ’s resurrection:  “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born-again/from-above (a) eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of a Living elpis hope dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . “dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of Christ you are pistos ones-full of-trusting-relying-faith (i.e., the faithful) in God, who having raised Christ ek out-from the dead and/coupled having given Him glory, so that The-Trusting-Relying-Faith (The Christian Faith) of you and/coupled elpis hope presently/ongoingly are eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal-of God” (b).  It shouldn’t be hard to “always be prepared to make an apologetic-defense to anyone who asks you for a logos message all-about the elpis hope that is IN you” (c).  It’s not about sharing bible-info from our head, but about sharing what’s IN our hearts!  We have “[singular] elpis hope of eternal zoe genuine-life, which God, who never lies promised before the ages began” (d). <Notes> a) see the previous BLOG about “born-again” or “born from above,” b) 1 Peter 1:3, 21, c) 1 Peter 3:15, d) Titus 1:2.

 

No hope of glorification for the world!  “The world is “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, [are] having in-possibility-NO elpis hope and/coupled [are] without God in the world” (a).  When Christians die, they “should in-possibility-NOT grieve as others do who have in-possibility-NO elpis hope . . . through Jesus [His return] God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep . . . the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive that are left, will be raptured (snatched up) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (b),” particularly “when Jesus comes on that day to be glorified IN His saints” (c), when we are “glorified with Him . . . the glory that is to be revealed IN us . . . and those whom He predestined He also called . . . also justified . . . also glorified” (d), when “Christ comes on that Day to be glorified in His saints and/coupled to be marveled at among all who have had trusting-relying-faith” (e). <Notes> a) Ephesians 2:12, b) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, c) 2 Thessalonians 1:10, d) Romans 8:17-18, 30, e) 2 Thessalonians 1:1.

 

Then when “we see face to face . . . to then genuinely, fully, experientially, relationally epiginosko know just as we have already been genuinely, fully, experientially, relationally epiginosko known (a) when at “the resurrection of the dead . . we are raised to be imperishable” (b) “in a moment, in the twinkling of any eye . . . the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed . . . putting on immortality . . . death is swallowed up in victory” (c) when “the dead will akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know the Voice of the Son of God, and those who akouo hear/listen-to-understand/know shall indeed zao genuinely-live, . . . even those in the tombs” (d), “and they cannot die anymore because they are equal [in that way] to angels and/specifically are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection” (e). <Notes> a) 1 Corinthians 13:12, b) 1 Corinthians 15:42, c) 1 Corinthians 15:52-54, d) John 5:25, 28, e) Luke 20:36.

 

Christians get all the glory!  “The riches of the glory of the mystery made known among the Gentiles [by the gospel] is Christ IN you, the elpis hope of glory” (a).  In fact, “we boast upon [singular] elpis hope of/belonging-to the glory of God” (b).  Therefore, Paul wisely prays to God for their revelation-awareness: “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened/illuminated, that you may eido mentally ‘see’ to perceive/know what is the elpis hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of/belonging-to the glory of/belonging-to the inheritance of Him IN the saints” (c).  That’s what Christians will have! <Notes> a) Colossians 1:27, b) Romans 5:2, c) Ephesians 1:18.

 

Like faith in the unseen, hope waits patiently for what we don’t yet see:  We are to “be prosdexomai ‘waiting-towards warmly welcoming’ the blessed elipis hope, kai and/specifically the appearing of the glory of the great God and/coupled Savior of us, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and/coupled to purify for Himself a people for His own possession” (a).  “But if we elpizo hope for what we do absolutely-in-fact-NOT blepo physically-see, we apekdechomai ‘completely look away from the present to warmly-welcome the future’ for it [what we are hoping for] with hupomone ‘patient-endurance under trials/persecution’ ” (b), “for by-the-means-of [singular] Spirit, ek out-from trusting-relying-faith, we ourselves apekdechomai ‘completely look away from the present to warmly-welcome the future’ [singular] elpis hope of righteousness [at our glorification at Christ’s return]” (c).  The Christian’s “hope for righteousness” is nothing like that of “the teachers of the Law” who put their hope in 613 commandments of the Torah Law of conditional-favor! <Notes> a) Titus 2:13-14, b) Romans 8:25, c) Galatians 5:5.

 

 

 

97.4% of the OT gives us NO hope – see Logos Word of God – BT5a and – BT8:  Romans 15:4 states: “hosos whatever [few or many] (a) that was written in the past was written eis toward-and-reaching-the-goal/purpose-of our-own (b) instruction in order that dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of The hupomeno patient-endurance and/coupled dia thru-the-realizing-channel-of The Paraklesis ‘close-beside encouraging, comfort, counseling, help, advocacy’ (c) of/belonging-to the graphe [plural] scriptures we might presently/ongoingly have The elpis hope.”  According to Logos Word of God – BT5 note “B”, the plural ‘scriptures’ with the article “the” can refer:  B1) to the OT as a whole only in John 5:39, B2) to various books or larger portions of the OT, B3) just the Messianic portions from the Jewish prophetic oracles and Moses used to convert Jews, B4) to a group of verses, or B5) a group of “difficult-to-understand” verses that can be twisted by false-teachers.

 

<Notes> a) hosos doesn’t mean ‘all’ but can mean ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’ as defined by context, b) “our-own” is emphatic of Paul as a Jewish-Christian but also His readers as fellow Jewish-Christians that Paul was sent to at first [Romans 1:16, 2:9-10] then to the Gentiles, since Romans was written in 57-58 AD after he said in Acts 13:46 he would go to the Gentiles in 38 AD.  Some of Romans is clearly written to circumcised Jews as with verse 15:4 – see verses 2:17, 25-29, 3:1-2, 9, 29-30, 4:9-12, 9:24, 10:12, 11:4, 15:8, c) Paraklesis is most often of the Holy Spirit: Acts 9:31, because the Spirit is our Parakletos as the subject: John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7 or as the Accusative direct object Parakleton:  John 14:16; 1 John 2:1.  This is another indication that the prophetic ‘kind, class, category’ of scripture is in mind here, NOT all of it.

 

The context and notes above tells us that ‘B3’ is the right choice!  From Logos Word of God – BT9  you can see from the context discussion there that B3) the prophetic scriptures about Christ’s servant-suffering and ultimate rule for our hope are what was in view here in Romans 15:4 by Paul to instruct Jewish-Christians like himself and his evangelistic team to endure all kinds of suffering for the sake of Christ, and to maintain their trusting-relying-faith and unconditional-love specifically through The Paraklesis ‘close-beside encouraging, comfort, counseling, help, advocacy’ of the Holy Spirit that they can get from a relatively-few (365) specific prophetic scriptures concerning Christ and His sufferings – see Salvation – BT4, and all of this so that they would patiently-endure long enough to realize their Christian hope, a hope the Gentiles now even have, something that these prophetic scriptures also promised!  However, these scriptures weren’t primarily intended for Gentiles to understand but for Jewish-Christians!  Only 2.6% of the OT actually gives Jewish-Christians hope and thus was the only pas “every/all of kind/class/category” used by the early NT Church to convert/catechize Jews or to keep Jewish-Christians from listening to Law-teachers and going back to putting their trusting-relying-faith in Moses’ Law instead – see Logos Word of God – BT6.

 

The first 200 years of Church history confirms that early Jewish-Christians used only pas “every/all of kind/class/category” the OT scripture that were “routinely/habitually, powerfully-enabling to make you wise eis ‘toward and reaching the goal/purpose of’ salvation thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith in Christ Jesus,” clearly defined by the context of 2 Timothy 3:14-16 of what:  “you already learned and/coupled have already firmly had trusting-relying-faith by, having already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know from whom (a) you already learned it, even how from infant-childhood you had already [with ongoing results] eido mentally ‘seen’ to perceive/know the sacred gramma writings (b)” – not pas “the entirety/whole of” the OT graphe scripture but clearly as it most often means pas “every/all of kind/class/category” (c), but only “this [prophetic Messianic portion] that routinely/habitually is powerfully-enabling to make you wise eis ‘toward and reaching the goal/purpose of’ salvation thru-the-realizing-channel-of trusting-relying-faith in Christ Jesus.”  <Notes> a) ‘whom’ is plural: not just Paul but Timothy’s grandmother Louis and mother Eunice – see 2 Timothy 1:5 and Acts 16:1, b) this is plural with the definite article = a specific ‘portion of’ OT being the prophetic portions – see ‘2B’ of Logos Word of God – BT4, c) see  Logos Word of God – BT5.

 

Only the prophetic pas “every/all of kind/class/category” 2.6% of OT scripture are what Paul now considers in 2 Timothy 3:16 to be “profitable for instruction,” which is learning/teaching doctrine regarding godliness (a), “profitable” in what is the “Savior’s goodness, unconditionally-loving kindness, Christ’s appearing, salvation and justification by unconditional-loving-favor-of-grace because of Christ’s works” (b), along with “devotion to good works” that “accords with godliness” (c), but certainly NOT “the unprofitable and worthless quarrels about the Law” (d) – see Logos Word of God – BT7. In 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Paul prohibits the reading of Moses!  He prohibited the teaching of the Law! <Notes> a) 1 Timothy 4:8, b) Titus 3:8-9, c) 1 Timothy 6:3; Titus 1:1, d) 1 Timothy 1:10, 6:3; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9, 13, 2:1.

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Education, Our public confession of faith in Jesus as Lord at Water-baptism gives us hope only if we keep our faith, faith hope love often linked and eternal, we only have hope because Jesus resurrected, Jesus is the promised singular Offspring of hope from Abraham, Christ is a better hope than the old covenant, God’s love gives us comfort hope joy peace by Grace thru faith by the Spirit, Filling by the Spirit starts the process, Our hope comes from Christ’s resurrection for our resurrection to glory, Our hope is in Christ’s return to glorify us into His image, At our glorification we shall fully know as we are fully known, Our glorification is part of our inheritance, We must endure in faith to be saved, We must endure in hope to be fully righteous by our glorify-transformation, Our hope is not righteousness by the Law that is 97.4% of the OT, Only 2.6% of scripture was messianic and these 365 verse are that give Jews hope, Once the early church was mostly Gentile they stopped using the Old Testament, Paul prohibited us of the Law or Law-teachers in church