Three Personal Reflections on Greek 1

Three Personal Reflections on Greek 1

The Value Of It

Understanding the New Testament in the original language helps me to know the intended meaning of the text more accurately. All this while I have been an ardent student of His Word, faithfully using many kinds of good study aids and translations. But through this class, I am more convinced that nothing replaces going to the text itself in the original form. It is most useful when I want to take a closer look at a word and a text. It is definitely time consuming (especially if you need to prepare a minimum of one sermon a week), but it is worthwhile.

Recognizing Greek Words

I was very happy that I could get acquainted with the 24 Greek Alphabet and pronouncing them. My excitement grew when I began to transliterate some Greek words on the first day of class, something that I never thought could happen. I must say that it was not easy. Language was never my strength. It is a challenge to me. Nevertheless I could see myself getting nearer and nearer of reaching my goal through taking this class - to understand the Word of God more accurately and teach it more clearly.

Remembering All The Rules and The Vocabulary

I can remember “the rules” and the vocabulary in one or two chapters from the notes. But more than that, I struggle in remembering. There is always something I will miss. I guess there is no short cut – I must keep at it. I believe that as I revise my lessons consistently,  I will get more into my memory. It takes consistency and daily practice. My hope is that these lessons will not be forgotten after the final exam, but will be continually applied when I prepare for my sermons or seminars.

Reflection On Romans

Four Interesting Concepts from Romans Class

The Wrath of God

His wrath is never like my wrath. Mine is based on my imperfections as a human being. It is usually my retaliation towards someone or something that I don't like. It is an emotional outburst in the heat of the moment. On the other hand, I understand His wrath to be based on His perfectly holy nature. It is His natural and necessary respond towards what is not right in His eyes. It is never an out of control outburst. It is always manifested in a controlled manner since He Himself is slow to anger. I believe that his wrath is a manifestation of His grief on sins. The reason God is angry towards sinners is not because He hates them, but because of what sins have done in theirs lives. Not only sins are so contrary to His holy nature, they cause us to be less then what God had intended for us to be. Sins mar the image of God in us and eventually destroy us. Sins separate us from Him who always desires to have a close fellowship with us. I believe that His wrath is so connected to His love for us. His wrath lets us know His never ending desire to remove what is destructive in our lives.

The Righteousness of God

Through the class, my understanding of the phrase “the righteousness of God” has expanded. Understanding this phrase will help to solve the problem of guilt in our lives. I believe we need to grasp with our hearts how accepted we are in the sight of our Holy God through Christ. Paul when writing this letter must have thought of how this phrase was used in the Old Testament (Is. 46; 51). The phrase can refer to God's upright attribute – He is always faithful to fulfill His promises. But it also can mean His saving action in putting people in the right relationship with Him on the ground of faith. Because of Jesus, we are declared “not guilty” in the sight of God at the point of new birth, rescued once and for all from condemnation. He faithfully views us who are in Christ as innocent of all our sins. When He justifies me, I am no longer a discharged criminal, but restored to a position of favour before His eyes – God treats me as though I had never sinned. On top of that, Christ's own righteousness which is always perfect, is imputed to my account. Therefore today, I have holy boldness to approach my Father in heaven in fellowship and prayer without an ounce of guilt, not because of my own righteousness which is likened to filthy rags but because I have put on the robe of Christ's own righteousness.

Predestination in Romans. 8:29, 30

I have read many writings about Divine Election based on these verses. However through the class, I am reminded again about their context. While the doctrine of Election is certainly taught in the Bible, it is not taught here by Paul. I believe that here Paul is not actually talking about God determining who can be saved and those who are damned. First of all I notice that Paul is writing to believers. The believers are those whom God foreknew and also predestined. In the original, “foreknew” has the connotation of “intimate knowledge”. This word has the same idea as God knows us, loves us and chooses us beforehand. Paul is reminding the believers here that they are very special before the Father, already loved and chosen by Him. He has something wonderful in mind for all us His children – we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. We are all are destined to grow into Christ-likeness. The “predestination” here is not unto salvation, but spiritual growth. No one among believers is exempt from growth. God has predestined all believers to be on the road towards spiritual maturity.

Christians and the Law

I am not under the Law in the sense of having my life regulated by the dos and don'ts of the Ten Commandments. The Law is still God's holy standard for me, but my relationship to it is different now because of Jesus. First of all, Jesus has fulfilled the Law for me. No one alive can fulfill completely the Law's demands. Everyone has fallen short of God's standard and is condemned. But since He has fulfilled the Law for me, the Law cannot accuse me of any shortcomings. His perfection covers my imperfection. Also I have died to the Law in Jesus's death and arose from the dead with Him to live a new kind of life – a life under the control of the Holy Spirit (Romans. 7;8). It does not mean I live a lawless life. It just means there is a new way of living for me – my life is now being regulated through the Holy Spirit within me. When I was born again, God gave me a new heart, put His Law and His Spirit within me (Ezekiel. 36:26). If I walk in the Spirit, surrendering more and more to Him, the requirement of the Law will be fulfilled in my life. Indeed Christians don't reject the Law, instead we uphold it by living in the life of the Spirit.