1 Timotei 3
1 Adevărat este cuvântul acesta: ,,Dacă râvneşte cineva să fie episcop, doreşte un lucru bun.``
2 Dar trebuie ca episcopul (Sau: privighetor.) să fie fără prihană, bărbatul unei singure neveste, cumpătat, înţelept, vrednic de cinste, primitor de oaspeţi, în stare să înveţe pe alţii.
3 Să nu fie nici beţiv, nici bătăuş, nici doritor de cîştig mârşav, ci să fie blând, nu gâlcevitor, nu iubitor de bani;
4 să-şi chivernisească bine casa, şi să-şi ţină copiii în supunere cu toată cuviinţa.
5 Căci dacă cineva nu ştie să-şi cârmuiască bine casa lui, cum va îngriji de Biserica lui Dumnezeu?
6 Să nu fie întors la Dumnezeu de curând, ca nu cumva să se îngâmfe şi să cadă în osânda diavolului.
7 Trebuie să aibă şi o bună mărturie din partea celor de afară, pentruca să nu ajungă de ocară, şi să cadă în cursa diavolului.
8 Diaconii, deasemenea, trebuie să fie cinstiţi, nu cu două feţe, nu băutori de mult vin, nu doritori de cîştig mârşav:
9 ci să păstreze taina credinţei într-un cuget curat.
10 Trebuiesc cercetaţi întâi, şi numai dacă sânt fără prihană, să fie diaconi.
11 Femeile, de asemenea, trebuie să fie cinstite, neclevetitoare, cumpătate, credincioase în toate lucrurile.
12 Diaconii să fie bărbaţi ai unei singure neveste, şi să ştie să-şi cârmuiască bine copiii şi casele lor.
13 Pentrucă ceice slujesc bine ca diaconi, dobândesc un loc de cinste şi o mare îndrăzneală în credinţa care este în Hristos Isus.
14 Îţi scriu aceste lucruri cu nădejde că voi veni în curând la tine.
15 Dar dacă voi zăbovi, să ştii cum trebuie să te porţi în casa lui Dumnezeu, care este Biserica Dumnezeului celui viu, stâlpul şi temelia adevărului.
16 Şi fără îndoială, mare este taina evlaviei... ,,Celce a fost arătat în trup, a fost dovedit neprihănit în Duhul, a fost văzut de îngeri, a fost propovăduit printre Neamuri, a fost crezut în lume, a fost înălţat în slavă.``
{"verseMap":{"1":[{"id":28583,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Ordination Ordain","title_en":"Ordination Ordain","content_ro":"<h3>ORDAIN, ORDINATION<\/h3>\n<p>The act of officially investing someone with religious authority. Several synonyms are “appoint,” “institute,” “make,” and “establish.” In current usage, the words “ordain” and “ordination” are applied to persons, signifying selection and appointment to God’s service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the OT, emphasis falls upon God’s choosing and appointing whom he wills. Priestly functions passed very early from the head of each household to the divinely chosen tribe of Levi (Dt 33:8-11; Jgs 17:13). Through all subsequent clan rivalries—“Zadokite,” “Aaronic,” “Hasmonean”—this claim to inherited privilege persisted. Divine appointment through Levi was traced back to Moses (Ex 4:14; 28:41; 29:9), claimed for the Ephraimite Samuel (1 Chr 6:28), and still celebrated by Sirach (Ecclus 45:6-22, c. 180 <span>BC<\/span>). As the book of Hebrews states (Heb 5:1, 4), no one takes the honor upon himself; he is “called by God, as Aaron was,” by birth into an inherited status.<\/p>\n<p>The first Levites were presented at the tabernacle in the presence of the people, and acknowledged by “the laying on of hands” (Nm 8:10, 14-18). Similarly, Moses received instructions for the week-long consecration of Aaron and his sons, with elaborate sacrifices, vestments, anointing, and ritual (Ex 29; Lv 8). In both cases, the careful preservation of these detailed instructions suggests that the ceremonies were retained, to some degree, in later years, though no repetition is recorded.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the priests there existed establishments of recognized prophets, or prophetic communities, sometimes with royal patronage (1 Sm 10:5; 1 Kgs 1:9-10; 18:17-19; 20:35; 22:5-28; 2 Kgs 2:3-7; 23:2). The line of prophecy was also traced back to earliest days (see Gn 20:7; Dt 34:10; Jgs 4:4; Jer 7:25). The phrase “sons of the prophets,” and an obscure hint in Jeremiah 35:4, may imply that prophecy, like priesthood, was sometimes hereditary, but the manner of appointment and installation is unknown. The outstanding prophets were frequently opposed to the prophetic “schools” (Elijah, 1 Kgs 17; Micaiah, 1 Kgs 22:5-28; Jeremiah, Jer 27:14-16; 28). Such men were appointed by direct, divine call (1 Kgs 17:1; 21:17; Is 6; Jer 1; Am 7:15), though by God’s instruction Elisha was called and anointed by Elijah (1 Kgs 19:16; cf. Is 61:1). Authentication of the prophet’s message lay not in appropriate installation ceremonies but in its self-evident truth; in the case of predictions, in their fulfillment (1 Kgs 22:13-14, 26-28; Jer 28:5-9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>Christian ordination is also a matter of divine choice. Neither Jesus, nor any disciple, came from the professional religious classes. In ordaining the 12 apostles, Jesus called to him those whom he desired, later insisting, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (Jn 15:16, <span>rsv<\/span>). The selection of Matthias rested upon prayer and the divine lot (Acts 1:24-26). Paul contended that he had been set apart by God before he was born and did not receive his apostleship from or through men (Gal 1:1, 15). Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by direction of the Spirit during worship, probably through a Christian prophet. Similarly, Timothy was first chosen as assistant to Paul by prophetic utterances that pointed to him (1 Tm 1:18; 4:14).<\/p>\n<p>At Corinth, various ministries of speaking, teaching, healing, and administration were directly conferred as gifts of the Spirit, who apportions as he sees fit (1 Cor 12:8-11, 28; cf. Eph 4:11). Elders of the church at Ephesus were made guardians of the flock by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). The divine prerogative is everywhere clear: any attempt to obtain the privilege of ministry by personal initiative and unworthy means meets with sharpest condemnation (8:18-24).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the assembled church “nominated” Barsabbas and Matthias before submitting the final choice to God (Acts 1:15, 23). The believers chose the seven servers, then presented them to the apostles (6:2-6). An assembled church, at the Spirit’s command, commissioned and sent off Paul and Barnabas (13:3). Paul and Barnabas themselves appointed elders (14:23), as Titus is instructed to do (Ti 1:5), and probably Timothy also (1 Tm 5:22). Elders at Lystra and Iconium, with Paul, obeying a Christian prophet, appointed Timothy to leadership (1 Tm 4:14; 2 Tm 1:6). By the time letters were written to Timothy and Titus, elaborate lists of qualifications were required for church leaders (1 Tm 3:1-13; 2 Tm 2:2).<\/p>\n<p>The congregation of believers also participated in selecting leaders. This could have involved prayer, fasting, and casting lots (Acts 1:26; 6:6; 13:2-3; 14:23); sometimes “selection by hands” (Greek, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">cheirotonein<\/span><em>,<\/em> originally meaning “election by raising hands,” later “selection by pointing to”; cf. Acts 14:23; 2 Cor 8:19); and sometimes selection by group choice (Acts 1:15, 23; 6:2-5; 13:3; 16:2; 1 Tm 4:14).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ORDAIN, ORDINATION<\/h3>\n<p>The act of officially investing someone with religious authority. Several synonyms are “appoint,” “institute,” “make,” and “establish.” In current usage, the words “ordain” and “ordination” are applied to persons, signifying selection and appointment to God’s service.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the OT, emphasis falls upon God’s choosing and appointing whom he wills. Priestly functions passed very early from the head of each household to the divinely chosen tribe of Levi (Dt 33:8-11; Jgs 17:13). Through all subsequent clan rivalries—“Zadokite,” “Aaronic,” “Hasmonean”—this claim to inherited privilege persisted. Divine appointment through Levi was traced back to Moses (Ex 4:14; 28:41; 29:9), claimed for the Ephraimite Samuel (1 Chr 6:28), and still celebrated by Sirach (Ecclus 45:6-22, c. 180 <span>BC<\/span>). As the book of Hebrews states (Heb 5:1, 4), no one takes the honor upon himself; he is “called by God, as Aaron was,” by birth into an inherited status.<\/p>\n<p>The first Levites were presented at the tabernacle in the presence of the people, and acknowledged by “the laying on of hands” (Nm 8:10, 14-18). Similarly, Moses received instructions for the week-long consecration of Aaron and his sons, with elaborate sacrifices, vestments, anointing, and ritual (Ex 29; Lv 8). In both cases, the careful preservation of these detailed instructions suggests that the ceremonies were retained, to some degree, in later years, though no repetition is recorded.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the priests there existed establishments of recognized prophets, or prophetic communities, sometimes with royal patronage (1 Sm 10:5; 1 Kgs 1:9-10; 18:17-19; 20:35; 22:5-28; 2 Kgs 2:3-7; 23:2). The line of prophecy was also traced back to earliest days (see Gn 20:7; Dt 34:10; Jgs 4:4; Jer 7:25). The phrase “sons of the prophets,” and an obscure hint in Jeremiah 35:4, may imply that prophecy, like priesthood, was sometimes hereditary, but the manner of appointment and installation is unknown. The outstanding prophets were frequently opposed to the prophetic “schools” (Elijah, 1 Kgs 17; Micaiah, 1 Kgs 22:5-28; Jeremiah, Jer 27:14-16; 28). Such men were appointed by direct, divine call (1 Kgs 17:1; 21:17; Is 6; Jer 1; Am 7:15), though by God’s instruction Elisha was called and anointed by Elijah (1 Kgs 19:16; cf. Is 61:1). Authentication of the prophet’s message lay not in appropriate installation ceremonies but in its self-evident truth; in the case of predictions, in their fulfillment (1 Kgs 22:13-14, 26-28; Jer 28:5-9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>Christian ordination is also a matter of divine choice. Neither Jesus, nor any disciple, came from the professional religious classes. In ordaining the 12 apostles, Jesus called to him those whom he desired, later insisting, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” (Jn 15:16, <span>rsv<\/span>). The selection of Matthias rested upon prayer and the divine lot (Acts 1:24-26). Paul contended that he had been set apart by God before he was born and did not receive his apostleship from or through men (Gal 1:1, 15). Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by direction of the Spirit during worship, probably through a Christian prophet. Similarly, Timothy was first chosen as assistant to Paul by prophetic utterances that pointed to him (1 Tm 1:18; 4:14).<\/p>\n<p>At Corinth, various ministries of speaking, teaching, healing, and administration were directly conferred as gifts of the Spirit, who apportions as he sees fit (1 Cor 12:8-11, 28; cf. Eph 4:11). Elders of the church at Ephesus were made guardians of the flock by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). The divine prerogative is everywhere clear: any attempt to obtain the privilege of ministry by personal initiative and unworthy means meets with sharpest condemnation (8:18-24).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the assembled church “nominated” Barsabbas and Matthias before submitting the final choice to God (Acts 1:15, 23). The believers chose the seven servers, then presented them to the apostles (6:2-6). An assembled church, at the Spirit’s command, commissioned and sent off Paul and Barnabas (13:3). Paul and Barnabas themselves appointed elders (14:23), as Titus is instructed to do (Ti 1:5), and probably Timothy also (1 Tm 5:22). Elders at Lystra and Iconium, with Paul, obeying a Christian prophet, appointed Timothy to leadership (1 Tm 4:14; 2 Tm 1:6). By the time letters were written to Timothy and Titus, elaborate lists of qualifications were required for church leaders (1 Tm 3:1-13; 2 Tm 2:2).<\/p>\n<p>The congregation of believers also participated in selecting leaders. This could have involved prayer, fasting, and casting lots (Acts 1:26; 6:6; 13:2-3; 14:23); sometimes “selection by hands” (Greek, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">cheirotonein<\/span><em>,<\/em> originally meaning “election by raising hands,” later “selection by pointing to”; cf. Acts 14:23; 2 Cor 8:19); and sometimes selection by group choice (Acts 1:15, 23; 6:2-5; 13:3; 16:2; 1 Tm 4:14).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreordination.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ORDAIN, ORDINATION The act of officially investing someone with religious authority. Several synonyms are “appoint,” “institute,” “make,” and “establish.” In current usage, the words “ordain” and “ordination” are applied to persons, signifying selection and appointment to God’s service. In the Old Testament Throughout the OT, emphasis falls upon God’s choosing and appointing whom he wills. Priestly functions passed very early from the head of each household to the divinely chosen tribe of Lev...","summary_en":"ORDAIN, ORDINATION The act of officially investing someone with religious authority. Several synonyms are “appoint,” “institute,” “make,” and “establish.” In current usage, the words “ordain” and “ordination” are applied to persons, signifying selection and appointment to God’s service. In the Old Testament Throughout the OT, emphasis falls upon God’s choosing and appointing whom he wills. Priestly functions passed very early from the head of each household to the divinely chosen tribe of Lev...","source":"Articles\/O.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":28685,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Overseer","title_en":"Overseer","content_ro":"<h3>OVERSEER<\/h3>\n<p>Word appearing 12 times in the OT (<span>kjv<\/span>) and once in the NT. The <span>niv<\/span> uses it at least six times in the NT to translate the word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">episkopos<\/span><em>,<\/em> which is derived from “peer” or “watch over.” In the OT “overseer” is used to translate three words, which literally mean (1) one with authority who visits, (2) the preeminent one, or (3) the head writer.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph was given authority to watch over and administer all aspects of Potiphar’s house (Gn 39:4-5), advising Pharaoh to appoint 50 men to regulate and watch over the abundant harvest for seven years (41:34). Solomon appointed 3,600 overseers (“supervisors,” <span>nasb<\/span>) to make the people work (2 Chr 2:18). In Josiah’s time of temple renovation, there were overseers over all the workmen in every job (34:13, 17). Nehemiah appointed men to oversee the rebuilding of the wall (Neh 11:9, 14), to oversee the Levites (v 22), and to be in charge of the Levitical singers (12:42).<\/p>\n<p>The word “overseer” speaks of the highest person of authority who exercised oversight over others. Included in this authoritative oversight was the idea of watching, directing, and protecting the master’s interests. The NT carries these ideas also in regard to men appointed to serve the church on behalf of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:1-2; Ti 1:7). Jesus Christ himself is the great Overseer (1 Pt 2:25, <span>niv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>OVERSEER<\/h3>\n<p>Word appearing 12 times in the OT (<span>kjv<\/span>) and once in the NT. The <span>niv<\/span> uses it at least six times in the NT to translate the word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">episkopos<\/span><em>,<\/em> which is derived from “peer” or “watch over.” In the OT “overseer” is used to translate three words, which literally mean (1) one with authority who visits, (2) the preeminent one, or (3) the head writer.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph was given authority to watch over and administer all aspects of Potiphar’s house (Gn 39:4-5), advising Pharaoh to appoint 50 men to regulate and watch over the abundant harvest for seven years (41:34). Solomon appointed 3,600 overseers (“supervisors,” <span>nasb<\/span>) to make the people work (2 Chr 2:18). In Josiah’s time of temple renovation, there were overseers over all the workmen in every job (34:13, 17). Nehemiah appointed men to oversee the rebuilding of the wall (Neh 11:9, 14), to oversee the Levites (v 22), and to be in charge of the Levitical singers (12:42).<\/p>\n<p>The word “overseer” speaks of the highest person of authority who exercised oversight over others. Included in this authoritative oversight was the idea of watching, directing, and protecting the master’s interests. The NT carries these ideas also in regard to men appointed to serve the church on behalf of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:1-2; Ti 1:7). Jesus Christ himself is the great Overseer (1 Pt 2:25, <span>niv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder.<\/p>","summary_ro":"OVERSEER Word appearing 12 times in the OT (kjv) and once in the NT. The niv uses it at least six times in the NT to translate the word episkopos, which is derived from “peer” or “watch over.” In the OT “overseer” is used to translate three words, which literally mean (1) one with authority who visits, (2) the preeminent one, or (3) the head writer. Joseph was given authority to watch over and administer all aspects of Potiphar’s house (Gn 39:4-5), advising Pharaoh to appoint 50 men to regula...","summary_en":"OVERSEER Word appearing 12 times in the OT (kjv) and once in the NT. The niv uses it at least six times in the NT to translate the word episkopos, which is derived from “peer” or “watch over.” In the OT “overseer” is used to translate three words, which literally mean (1) one with authority who visits, (2) the preeminent one, or (3) the head writer. Joseph was given authority to watch over and administer all aspects of Potiphar’s house (Gn 39:4-5), advising Pharaoh to appoint 50 men to regula...","source":"Articles\/O.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":37357,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to Timothy","title_en":"First Letter to Timothy","content_ro":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","summary_en":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":40112,"type":"textbox","type_label":"Notă explicativă","type_icon":"💡","type_color":"#8b5cf6","title_ro":"Leviticus and the Christian","title_en":"Leviticus and the Christian","content_ro":"<h3>Leviticus and the Christian<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The laws in Leviticus were given many years before Christ and seem very remote from Christian living at the onset of the 21st century. However, though our circumstances are very different, the basic religious message of Leviticus still is vital and valid today. It is in terms of the sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus that the NT understands the death of Christ. Jesus was the true burnt offering, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Jesus was the perfect sin offering whose blood cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7). His death has, of course, made animal sacrifices obsolete, but these old Levitical sacrifices show us what Jesus achieved for us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other ways the theology of Leviticus still applies to the Christian. Christians are still called to be holy because God is holy (1 Pt 1:16). As those who ate sacrifices while they were unclean were warned in Leviticus that they would be cut off, so Paul warned the Corinthians that those who partook of the Lord’s Supper unworthily would face judgment (1 Cor 11:27-32). Leviticus insists that the priests must be examples of perfect holiness in their behavior; so Christian ministers are expected to be models of Christian virtue (1 Tm 3:1-13).<\/p>\n<p>The practical exhortations to care for the poor, the blind, and the deaf; to be fair and honest; and to be faithful in marriage are just as applicable now as they were 3,000 years ago. Our Lord summed up the whole Law and the Prophets with a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:5, “You must love the <span>Lord<\/span> your God with all your heart,” and another from Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (<span>nlt<\/span>; cf. Mt 22:37-40). By studying and meditating on Leviticus, the modern Christian can learn much about the character of God and his will for holy living.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Leviticus and the Christian<\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>The laws in Leviticus were given many years before Christ and seem very remote from Christian living at the onset of the 21st century. However, though our circumstances are very different, the basic religious message of Leviticus still is vital and valid today. It is in terms of the sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus that the NT understands the death of Christ. Jesus was the true burnt offering, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Jesus was the perfect sin offering whose blood cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn 1:7). His death has, of course, made animal sacrifices obsolete, but these old Levitical sacrifices show us what Jesus achieved for us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In other ways the theology of Leviticus still applies to the Christian. Christians are still called to be holy because God is holy (1 Pt 1:16). As those who ate sacrifices while they were unclean were warned in Leviticus that they would be cut off, so Paul warned the Corinthians that those who partook of the Lord’s Supper unworthily would face judgment (1 Cor 11:27-32). Leviticus insists that the priests must be examples of perfect holiness in their behavior; so Christian ministers are expected to be models of Christian virtue (1 Tm 3:1-13).<\/p>\n<p>The practical exhortations to care for the poor, the blind, and the deaf; to be fair and honest; and to be faithful in marriage are just as applicable now as they were 3,000 years ago. Our Lord summed up the whole Law and the Prophets with a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:5, “You must love the <span>Lord<\/span> your God with all your heart,” and another from Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (<span>nlt<\/span>; cf. Mt 22:37-40). By studying and meditating on Leviticus, the modern Christian can learn much about the character of God and his will for holy living.<\/p>","summary_ro":"Leviticus and the Christian The laws in Leviticus were given many years before Christ and seem very remote from Christian living at the onset of the 21st century. However, though our circumstances are very different, the basic religious message of Leviticus still is vital and valid today. It is in terms of the sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus that the NT understands the death of Christ. Jesus was the true burnt offering, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Jesus w...","summary_en":"Leviticus and the Christian The laws in Leviticus were given many years before Christ and seem very remote from Christian living at the onset of the 21st century. However, though our circumstances are very different, the basic religious message of Leviticus still is vital and valid today. It is in terms of the sacrifices mentioned in Leviticus that the NT understands the death of Christ. Jesus was the true burnt offering, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). Jesus w...","source":"Textboxes\/Textboxes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58528,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","summary_en":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58529,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","summary_en":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86154,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","summary_en":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86155,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","summary_en":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113780,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","summary_en":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113781,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","summary_en":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141406,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1-13<\/strong> The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the unfitness of the heretics for leadership.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","summary_en":"3:1-13 The topic shifts to church leadership by elders (3:1-7) and deacons (3:8-13). Timothy’s role in the appointments is less clear than that of Titus (see 5:17-22; Titus 1:5), possibly because the church in Ephesus was more mature and thus better able to manage the process (cp. Acts 6:2-6). The criteria listed here pertain to character rather than function and are partly a response to the local heretics. Reading this letter in the churches would make the criteria public and demonstrate the...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141407,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:1","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:1<\/strong> <em>trustworthy saying:<\/em> See study note on 1:15. • <em>a church leader:<\/em> The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","summary_en":"3:1 trustworthy saying: See study note on 1:15. • a church leader: The translation assumes that “overseer” and “church leader” (see study note on 5:17-18) are the same office (see Titus 1:5-7). In the Greco-Roman world, an overseer was a religious, civic, or military supervisor.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67056,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","title_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","content_ro":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","summary_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67563,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Church Leaders","title_en":"Church Leaders","content_ro":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","summary_ro":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","summary_en":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":94682,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","title_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","content_ro":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","summary_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95189,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Church Leaders","title_en":"Church Leaders","content_ro":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","summary_ro":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","summary_en":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122308,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","title_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","content_ro":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","summary_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122815,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Church Leaders","title_en":"Church Leaders","content_ro":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","summary_ro":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","summary_en":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":149934,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","title_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body","content_ro":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Church as a Dynamic Body<\/h3>\n<p>Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>Paul understood God’s Spirit as gifting people for their specific ministries (12:7-11, 28; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11) and leading them when they came together for worship. Guided by the Spirit, every believer was to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church. Paul wanted believers to be sensitive to the empowering of the Spirit in all that they did (1 Cor 14:26-33).<\/p>\n<p>When believers meet together, every individual is important and each one has an active role to play. Believers must listen for God speaking his word—and be prepared to speak it—in all their relationships. Paul also calls for the others to “evaluate” what is said (14:26, 29). Every believer is a crucial part of the body, called to be actively involved in its growth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:7-31; 14:26-33; Eph 1:23; 4:11-13; Col 1:24; 2:18-19; 1 Tim 3:1-16<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","summary_en":"The Church as a Dynamic Body Paul viewed the church as the living body of Christ comprised of believers. Paul made no formal distinction between professional clergy and laity, in which the ministry was done only by the clergy. The community had leaders (see, e.g., 1 Tim 3:1-13), but every believer had a ministry in building up the body (1 Cor 12:12-31). When the early believers gathered together, usually in someone’s home, everyone brought something from God to share with the others (14:26-33...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150441,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Church Leaders","title_en":"Church Leaders","content_ro":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Church Leaders<\/h3>\n<p>Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor 14:26-40). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30; Eph 4:11-13) and (in some situations) to age.<\/p>\n<p>There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.<\/p>\n<p>The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5; 1 Tim 4:11-16; 5:19-22; 2 Tim 2:14-19, 25-26; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 15:4-35; 1 Cor 12:28-30; 14:26-33; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 4:11-16; 5:17-22; 2 Tim 2:2, 25-26; Titus 1:5-9; 2:15<\/p>","summary_ro":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","summary_en":"Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2; 8:14; 14:23) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4, 6, 22-23), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3), but local leader...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"2":[{"id":5141,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Bishop*","title_en":"Bishop*","content_ro":"<h3>BISHOP*<\/h3>\n<p>Official in the church whose qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The Greek word from which the English title “bishop” and the adjective “episcopal” are derived is often translated in modern versions as “elder,” “overseer,” “shepherd,” or “guardian,” corresponding closely to the current term “pastor.” Jesus is called “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pt 2:25, <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT, “bishop,” and “elder” refer to the same office, as shown by the apostle Paul’s telling Titus to appoint “elders in every town” and then referring to those same individuals as “bishops” (Ti 1:5, 7). While at Miletus, Paul summoned the elders from the church at Ephesus and then addressed them as “overseers” or “guardians” (Acts 20:17, 28). In his letter to Philippi, Paul greeted the “bishops and deacons” (Phil 1:1). The fact that there were numerous bishops at Philippi, as well as in Ephesus, shows that the episcopal office had not yet developed into what it later became: a single bishop governing one or more churches.<\/p>\n<p>Bishops obviously had positions of authority, but the duties of the office are not clearly defined in the NT. One task was to combat heresy (Ti 1:9) and to teach and expound the Scriptures (1 Tm 3:2). In addition, there is some evidence that a primary concern was with economic matters and the care of the poor, as well as with a general overseeing of the congregation. The lists of qualifications in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus indicate that a bishop was considered a leader in the congregation and a representative to the non-Christian world. <em>See<\/em> Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BISHOP*<\/h3>\n<p>Official in the church whose qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The Greek word from which the English title “bishop” and the adjective “episcopal” are derived is often translated in modern versions as “elder,” “overseer,” “shepherd,” or “guardian,” corresponding closely to the current term “pastor.” Jesus is called “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pt 2:25, <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT, “bishop,” and “elder” refer to the same office, as shown by the apostle Paul’s telling Titus to appoint “elders in every town” and then referring to those same individuals as “bishops” (Ti 1:5, 7). While at Miletus, Paul summoned the elders from the church at Ephesus and then addressed them as “overseers” or “guardians” (Acts 20:17, 28). In his letter to Philippi, Paul greeted the “bishops and deacons” (Phil 1:1). The fact that there were numerous bishops at Philippi, as well as in Ephesus, shows that the episcopal office had not yet developed into what it later became: a single bishop governing one or more churches.<\/p>\n<p>Bishops obviously had positions of authority, but the duties of the office are not clearly defined in the NT. One task was to combat heresy (Ti 1:9) and to teach and expound the Scriptures (1 Tm 3:2). In addition, there is some evidence that a primary concern was with economic matters and the care of the poor, as well as with a general overseeing of the congregation. The lists of qualifications in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus indicate that a bishop was considered a leader in the congregation and a representative to the non-Christian world. <em>See<\/em> Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"BISHOP* Official in the church whose qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The Greek word from which the English title “bishop” and the adjective “episcopal” are derived is often translated in modern versions as “elder,” “overseer,” “shepherd,” or “guardian,” corresponding closely to the current term “pastor.” Jesus is called “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pt 2:25, kjv). In the NT, “bishop,” and “elder” refer to the same office, as shown by the apostle Paul...","summary_en":"BISHOP* Official in the church whose qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The Greek word from which the English title “bishop” and the adjective “episcopal” are derived is often translated in modern versions as “elder,” “overseer,” “shepherd,” or “guardian,” corresponding closely to the current term “pastor.” Jesus is called “the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Pt 2:25, kjv). In the NT, “bishop,” and “elder” refer to the same office, as shown by the apostle Paul...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":8905,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":16861,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Hospitality","title_en":"Hospitality","content_ro":"<h3>HOSPITALITY<\/h3>\n<p>Biblical concept often used with the terms “guest,” “stranger,” and “sojourner.” It is useful to limit the meaning of “hospitality” to benevolence done to those outside one’s normal circle of friends, as is implied in the literal meaning of the Greek word meaning “love of strangers.” Although the concept is thoroughly endorsed in the Bible, it is clearly found in nonbiblical cultures as well, especially among the nomadic peoples, where definite obligations to provide food, shelter, and protection are recognized.<\/p>\n<p>The normal exercise of hospitality in the OT can be seen in the examples of Abraham and the three visitors (Gn 18:2-8, 16), Laban’s reception of Abraham’s servant (24:15-61), and Manoah’s treatment of the angel (Jgs 13:15). But there are also cases in which the host felt compelled to take extreme steps to protect his guest, even to the harm of his own family (Gn 19:1-8; Jgs 19:14-24). The hospitality of the Shunammite family is also noteworthy, although Elisha was no stranger to them (2 Kgs 4:10).<\/p>\n<p>According to the NT, Jesus relied on the general practice of hospitality in sending out the disciples (Lk 10:7), as well as in his own travels. As the gospel was spread by traveling missionaries, Christians were commended for entertaining them in their homes (Heb 13:2; 1 Pt 4:9; 3 Jn 1:5-8). Church leaders must not exempt themselves from this ministry (1 Tm 3:2; Ti 1:8); to do so is grounds for judgment (Mt 25:43-46).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreigner.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>HOSPITALITY<\/h3>\n<p>Biblical concept often used with the terms “guest,” “stranger,” and “sojourner.” It is useful to limit the meaning of “hospitality” to benevolence done to those outside one’s normal circle of friends, as is implied in the literal meaning of the Greek word meaning “love of strangers.” Although the concept is thoroughly endorsed in the Bible, it is clearly found in nonbiblical cultures as well, especially among the nomadic peoples, where definite obligations to provide food, shelter, and protection are recognized.<\/p>\n<p>The normal exercise of hospitality in the OT can be seen in the examples of Abraham and the three visitors (Gn 18:2-8, 16), Laban’s reception of Abraham’s servant (24:15-61), and Manoah’s treatment of the angel (Jgs 13:15). But there are also cases in which the host felt compelled to take extreme steps to protect his guest, even to the harm of his own family (Gn 19:1-8; Jgs 19:14-24). The hospitality of the Shunammite family is also noteworthy, although Elisha was no stranger to them (2 Kgs 4:10).<\/p>\n<p>According to the NT, Jesus relied on the general practice of hospitality in sending out the disciples (Lk 10:7), as well as in his own travels. As the gospel was spread by traveling missionaries, Christians were commended for entertaining them in their homes (Heb 13:2; 1 Pt 4:9; 3 Jn 1:5-8). Church leaders must not exempt themselves from this ministry (1 Tm 3:2; Ti 1:8); to do so is grounds for judgment (Mt 25:43-46).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Foreigner.<\/p>","summary_ro":"HOSPITALITY Biblical concept often used with the terms “guest,” “stranger,” and “sojourner.” It is useful to limit the meaning of “hospitality” to benevolence done to those outside one’s normal circle of friends, as is implied in the literal meaning of the Greek word meaning “love of strangers.” Although the concept is thoroughly endorsed in the Bible, it is clearly found in nonbiblical cultures as well, especially among the nomadic peoples, where definite obligations to provide food, shelter...","summary_en":"HOSPITALITY Biblical concept often used with the terms “guest,” “stranger,” and “sojourner.” It is useful to limit the meaning of “hospitality” to benevolence done to those outside one’s normal circle of friends, as is implied in the literal meaning of the Greek word meaning “love of strangers.” Although the concept is thoroughly endorsed in the Bible, it is clearly found in nonbiblical cultures as well, especially among the nomadic peoples, where definite obligations to provide food, shelter...","source":"Articles\/H.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":37359,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to Timothy","title_en":"First Letter to Timothy","content_ro":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","summary_en":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":37461,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Letter to Titus","title_en":"Letter to Titus","content_ro":"<h3>TITUS, Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>Paul’s epistle to his coworker, Titus.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Recipient<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Teaching<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Though this letter begins with the name and greeting of Paul (Ti 1:1-3), Paul’s authorship has been questioned by modern scholars on the grounds of its language and style, the church situation it presents, and the way that it sets forth Christian teaching. But Pauline authorship has been stoutly defended by eminent scholars and careful students who have argued that there is no reason for supposing that this epistle was written by someone else using Paul’s name, after the apostle himself had died. The differences in this epistle and Paul’s other letters are explained previously in the section on “Author” in the article “Timothy, First Letter to.”<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Recipient\">Recipient<\/p>\n<p>Titus appears to have been one of Paul’s most trusted and valuable coworkers. Paul speaks of him (2 Cor 8:23) as “my partner and coworker.” According to Titus 1:4, he owed his conversion to Paul. It is clear from Galatians 2:1-4 that he was a Gentile, as his was a test case whether gentile Christians should be compelled to be circumcised. At that time Titus was with Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem. Much later, at the time of Paul’s third missionary journey, he had two delicate missions to carry out for Paul in Corinth: the first pertained to the strained relationship between the apostle and the Corinthian Christians; the second related to the gentile collection for the Jerusalem church (2 Cor 2:12-13; 7:5-16; 8:1-24). If 2 Timothy 4:9-18 was written at the end of Paul’s life, then Titus went to Dalmatia after the time of this letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>To date this letter with precision is difficult. Titus was left by the apostle in Crete to continue his work (Ti 1:5). Paul was in Crete briefly on his voyage to Rome (Acts 27:7-13), but that could not have been the occasion referred to. In 3:12 Titus is called to come to Nicopolis (probably the Nicopolis in Epirus in Greece), as Paul had decided to winter there. Many have favored the view that after Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:16-31) he was released, carried out further ministry in various places (including Spain, Crete, and Greece), and then was arrested, imprisoned a second time, and finally put to death. Those who do not accept Pauline authorship of Titus, date this letter, like 1 and 2 Timothy, in the generation that followed Paul’s death.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandTeaching\">Purpose and Teaching<\/p>\n<p>Although this letter is addressed to an individual colleague of the apostle, it has a minimum of personal references and exhortations. The growing and developing churches in Crete were Paul’s main concern. They were being bothered by false teachings that appear to have had Jewish elements, ascetic emphases, and a great deal of speculative discussion (Ti 1:10, 14-15: 3:9). In short, it seems that they were dealing with an early Jewish form of Gnosticism. Its advocates promoted this teaching “for base gain” (1:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). Titus and those whom he would appoint as elders were called upon to refute the wrong teaching and to provide the believers with healthy teaching (v 9). Though this healthy teaching is not specified, it must have pertained to the saving grace of God in Christ, the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, and the future coming of the Lord Jesus (2:11-13; 3:4-7). In this letter there is constant emphasis on the lifestyle that bears out the truth of the gospel—with application to different groups in the Christian community: older men and women, young women, young men, and slaves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-4)<\/h5>\n<p>Greetings come from Paul—whose apostleship is described as a stewardship of the gospel that promotes faith and strengthens the knowledge of the truth, hope of eternal life, and godliness of living—to Titus, spoken of as “my true son in our common faith.”<\/p>\n<h5>Titus’s Work in Crete (1:5-9)<\/h5>\n<p>Titus was left behind in Crete to continue Paul’s work and to appoint elders in every church (cf. Acts 14:23). These elders are also called bishops (cf. 20:17, 28)—that is, those with oversight of the church. The necessary qualities of life for these positions are described (cf. 1 Tm 3:2-7).<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with False Teachings (1:10-16)<\/h5>\n<p>The closing words of the previous section speak about the responsibility of elders “to encourage others with right teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong” (<span>nlt<\/span>). The opposers were upsetting people, indeed “whole families,” by teaching what was not true. These false teachers were described by Paul in terms disparaging of Cretans, and as people whose lives do not demonstrate the knowledge of God that they professed to have.<\/p>\n<h5>Promoting Right Teaching (2:1-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Titus had a particular responsibility to “promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.” He was charged to exhort the older men to exercise self-control (2:2), and he was supposed to teach the older women to live godly lives (v 3). In turn, these women were supposed to train the younger women to live pure and loving lives in their homes so that no one will malign the word of God (vv 4-5). Younger men were to show self-control (v 6), and Titus himself was to be an example in word and life so that the opponents would have nothing bad to say about the Christians (vv 7-8). Finally, in this section slaves are taught to submit to their masters, to give good and honest service with the motivation that “then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way” (v 10, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h5>God’s Grace (2:11-15)<\/h5>\n<p>What has been said leads now to a great statement of the purpose of the revelation of the grace of God in Jesus Christ: to bring salvation to all people, who will make a complete break with godless and sensual living so that they may live upright lives with the constant expectancy of the coming again of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Their lives will show them to be a people who are God’s very own, always eager to do what is right.<\/p>\n<h5>Doing What Is Good (3:1-8)<\/h5>\n<p>In this section, Paul encourages Titus to tell the Christians at Crete that it is their duty to submit to rulers (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pt 2:13-17) and to be available in the community for honest work. Again, the quality of lifestyle is emphasized—in particular, courtesy and the desire for peace in relationships with others. This lifestyle comes from spiritual transformation. The means of that transformation is the saving work of Christ—not merited, but entirely of his mercy. He has brought cleansing from sin, “rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Final Remarks and Greetings (3:9-15)<\/h5>\n<p>In this final section, Paul encourages Titus to avoid those who like to debate about religion for the sake of debating. And he tells Titus how to deal with those who cause divisions.<\/p>\n<p>Following this, Paul tells Titus that he will send him Artemas (not mentioned otherwise in the NT) or Tychicus. Then he encourages Titus to take care of Apollos and Zenas if they pass by Crete. Titus himself is supposed to come to Paul in Nicopolis before winter.<\/p>\n<p>The epistle closes with a final exhortation to “good deeds” and to a spiritually fruitful life.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Timothy, First Letter to; Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus (Person) #1.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TITUS, Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>Paul’s epistle to his coworker, Titus.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Recipient<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Teaching<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Though this letter begins with the name and greeting of Paul (Ti 1:1-3), Paul’s authorship has been questioned by modern scholars on the grounds of its language and style, the church situation it presents, and the way that it sets forth Christian teaching. But Pauline authorship has been stoutly defended by eminent scholars and careful students who have argued that there is no reason for supposing that this epistle was written by someone else using Paul’s name, after the apostle himself had died. The differences in this epistle and Paul’s other letters are explained previously in the section on “Author” in the article “Timothy, First Letter to.”<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Recipient\">Recipient<\/p>\n<p>Titus appears to have been one of Paul’s most trusted and valuable coworkers. Paul speaks of him (2 Cor 8:23) as “my partner and coworker.” According to Titus 1:4, he owed his conversion to Paul. It is clear from Galatians 2:1-4 that he was a Gentile, as his was a test case whether gentile Christians should be compelled to be circumcised. At that time Titus was with Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem. Much later, at the time of Paul’s third missionary journey, he had two delicate missions to carry out for Paul in Corinth: the first pertained to the strained relationship between the apostle and the Corinthian Christians; the second related to the gentile collection for the Jerusalem church (2 Cor 2:12-13; 7:5-16; 8:1-24). If 2 Timothy 4:9-18 was written at the end of Paul’s life, then Titus went to Dalmatia after the time of this letter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>To date this letter with precision is difficult. Titus was left by the apostle in Crete to continue his work (Ti 1:5). Paul was in Crete briefly on his voyage to Rome (Acts 27:7-13), but that could not have been the occasion referred to. In 3:12 Titus is called to come to Nicopolis (probably the Nicopolis in Epirus in Greece), as Paul had decided to winter there. Many have favored the view that after Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:16-31) he was released, carried out further ministry in various places (including Spain, Crete, and Greece), and then was arrested, imprisoned a second time, and finally put to death. Those who do not accept Pauline authorship of Titus, date this letter, like 1 and 2 Timothy, in the generation that followed Paul’s death.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandTeaching\">Purpose and Teaching<\/p>\n<p>Although this letter is addressed to an individual colleague of the apostle, it has a minimum of personal references and exhortations. The growing and developing churches in Crete were Paul’s main concern. They were being bothered by false teachings that appear to have had Jewish elements, ascetic emphases, and a great deal of speculative discussion (Ti 1:10, 14-15: 3:9). In short, it seems that they were dealing with an early Jewish form of Gnosticism. Its advocates promoted this teaching “for base gain” (1:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). Titus and those whom he would appoint as elders were called upon to refute the wrong teaching and to provide the believers with healthy teaching (v 9). Though this healthy teaching is not specified, it must have pertained to the saving grace of God in Christ, the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, and the future coming of the Lord Jesus (2:11-13; 3:4-7). In this letter there is constant emphasis on the lifestyle that bears out the truth of the gospel—with application to different groups in the Christian community: older men and women, young women, young men, and slaves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-4)<\/h5>\n<p>Greetings come from Paul—whose apostleship is described as a stewardship of the gospel that promotes faith and strengthens the knowledge of the truth, hope of eternal life, and godliness of living—to Titus, spoken of as “my true son in our common faith.”<\/p>\n<h5>Titus’s Work in Crete (1:5-9)<\/h5>\n<p>Titus was left behind in Crete to continue Paul’s work and to appoint elders in every church (cf. Acts 14:23). These elders are also called bishops (cf. 20:17, 28)—that is, those with oversight of the church. The necessary qualities of life for these positions are described (cf. 1 Tm 3:2-7).<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with False Teachings (1:10-16)<\/h5>\n<p>The closing words of the previous section speak about the responsibility of elders “to encourage others with right teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong” (<span>nlt<\/span>). The opposers were upsetting people, indeed “whole families,” by teaching what was not true. These false teachers were described by Paul in terms disparaging of Cretans, and as people whose lives do not demonstrate the knowledge of God that they professed to have.<\/p>\n<h5>Promoting Right Teaching (2:1-10)<\/h5>\n<p>Titus had a particular responsibility to “promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.” He was charged to exhort the older men to exercise self-control (2:2), and he was supposed to teach the older women to live godly lives (v 3). In turn, these women were supposed to train the younger women to live pure and loving lives in their homes so that no one will malign the word of God (vv 4-5). Younger men were to show self-control (v 6), and Titus himself was to be an example in word and life so that the opponents would have nothing bad to say about the Christians (vv 7-8). Finally, in this section slaves are taught to submit to their masters, to give good and honest service with the motivation that “then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way” (v 10, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h5>God’s Grace (2:11-15)<\/h5>\n<p>What has been said leads now to a great statement of the purpose of the revelation of the grace of God in Jesus Christ: to bring salvation to all people, who will make a complete break with godless and sensual living so that they may live upright lives with the constant expectancy of the coming again of “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Their lives will show them to be a people who are God’s very own, always eager to do what is right.<\/p>\n<h5>Doing What Is Good (3:1-8)<\/h5>\n<p>In this section, Paul encourages Titus to tell the Christians at Crete that it is their duty to submit to rulers (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pt 2:13-17) and to be available in the community for honest work. Again, the quality of lifestyle is emphasized—in particular, courtesy and the desire for peace in relationships with others. This lifestyle comes from spiritual transformation. The means of that transformation is the saving work of Christ—not merited, but entirely of his mercy. He has brought cleansing from sin, “rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Final Remarks and Greetings (3:9-15)<\/h5>\n<p>In this final section, Paul encourages Titus to avoid those who like to debate about religion for the sake of debating. And he tells Titus how to deal with those who cause divisions.<\/p>\n<p>Following this, Paul tells Titus that he will send him Artemas (not mentioned otherwise in the NT) or Tychicus. Then he encourages Titus to take care of Apollos and Zenas if they pass by Crete. Titus himself is supposed to come to Paul in Nicopolis before winter.<\/p>\n<p>The epistle closes with a final exhortation to “good deeds” and to a spiritually fruitful life.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Paul, The Apostle; Timothy, First Letter to; Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus (Person) #1.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TITUS, Letter to Paul’s epistle to his coworker, Titus. Preview • Author • Recipient • Date • Purpose and Teaching • Content Author Though this letter begins with the name and greeting of Paul (Ti 1:1-3), Paul’s authorship has been questioned by modern scholars on the grounds of its language and style, the church situation it presents, and the way that it sets forth Christian teaching. But Pauline authorship has been stoutly defended by eminent scholars and careful students who have argued th...","summary_en":"TITUS, Letter to Paul’s epistle to his coworker, Titus. Preview • Author • Recipient • Date • Purpose and Teaching • Content Author Though this letter begins with the name and greeting of Paul (Ti 1:1-3), Paul’s authorship has been questioned by modern scholars on the grounds of its language and style, the church situation it presents, and the way that it sets forth Christian teaching. But Pauline authorship has been stoutly defended by eminent scholars and careful students who have argued th...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58530,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:2","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","summary_en":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86156,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:2","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","summary_en":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113782,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:2","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","summary_en":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141408,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:2","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:2<\/strong> <em>whose life is above reproach:<\/em> This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • <em>must be faithful to his wife<\/em> (or <em>must have only one wife,<\/em> or <em>must be married only once;<\/em> literally <em>must be the husband of one wife;<\/em> also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the surrounding culture; it probably does not prohibit remarriage after the death of a spouse (see 5:9), nor does it address the issue of polygamy. See also 3:12; Titus 1:6; cp. 1 Tim 5:9. • <em>enjoy having guests in his home<\/em> (literally <em>be hospitable<\/em>): Hospitality was an important duty and a respected virtue in the ancient world. Any traveling Christian would seek out and probably stay with fellow believers (see 2 Jn 1:10-11; 3 John). In addition, first-century churches often met in private homes (see Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","summary_en":"3:2 whose life is above reproach: This is the most general prerequisite for a community leader and public representative (see 3:7, 10; 5:7; 6:14; Titus 1:6-7; 2:8). • must be faithful to his wife (or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; literally must be the husband of one wife; also in 1 Tim 3:12): This assumes but does not require a married male. It mainly addresses purity and faithfulness in the marriage relationship, something that could not be taken for granted in the s...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"3":[{"id":13633,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Gentleness","title_en":"Gentleness","content_ro":"<h3>GENTLENESS<\/h3>\n<p>In the OT an attitude of humility or bending low (2 Sm 22:36, <span>kjv<\/span>; cf. Ps 18:35, <span>kjv<\/span>). Its adjectival and adverbial forms (“gentle,” “gently”) can mean courteous and unpretentious (Prv 15:4), quiet and tender (Dt 32:2; Is 8:6), or unharsh (2 Sm 18:5; Jb 15:11).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT several words are translated “gentleness,” “gentle,” or “gently.” Shades of meaning include (1) mildness, meekness, forbearance (Mt 11:29; 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:23; 1 Tm 6:11; 1 Pt 3:4, 15), or a courteous and unassuming attitude (2 Tm 2:25); (2) kindness expressed toward others (1 Thes 2:7; 2 Tm 2:24, <span>kjv<\/span>); and (3) fitting, fair, or seemly (1 Tm 3:3; Ti 3:2; 1 Pt 2:18). Church leaders and other believers are instructed to deal gently with those who stumble (Gal 6:1), oppose the faith (2 Tm 2:25), or are ignorant and wayward (Heb 5:2).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>GENTLENESS<\/h3>\n<p>In the OT an attitude of humility or bending low (2 Sm 22:36, <span>kjv<\/span>; cf. Ps 18:35, <span>kjv<\/span>). Its adjectival and adverbial forms (“gentle,” “gently”) can mean courteous and unpretentious (Prv 15:4), quiet and tender (Dt 32:2; Is 8:6), or unharsh (2 Sm 18:5; Jb 15:11).<\/p>\n<p>In the NT several words are translated “gentleness,” “gentle,” or “gently.” Shades of meaning include (1) mildness, meekness, forbearance (Mt 11:29; 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:23; 1 Tm 6:11; 1 Pt 3:4, 15), or a courteous and unassuming attitude (2 Tm 2:25); (2) kindness expressed toward others (1 Thes 2:7; 2 Tm 2:24, <span>kjv<\/span>); and (3) fitting, fair, or seemly (1 Tm 3:3; Ti 3:2; 1 Pt 2:18). Church leaders and other believers are instructed to deal gently with those who stumble (Gal 6:1), oppose the faith (2 Tm 2:25), or are ignorant and wayward (Heb 5:2).<\/p>","summary_ro":"GENTLENESS In the OT an attitude of humility or bending low (2 Sm 22:36, kjv; cf. Ps 18:35, kjv). Its adjectival and adverbial forms (“gentle,” “gently”) can mean courteous and unpretentious (Prv 15:4), quiet and tender (Dt 32:2; Is 8:6), or unharsh (2 Sm 18:5; Jb 15:11). In the NT several words are translated “gentleness,” “gentle,” or “gently.” Shades of meaning include (1) mildness, meekness, forbearance (Mt 11:29; 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:23; 1 Tm 6:11; 1 Pt 3:4, 15), or a courteous ...","summary_en":"GENTLENESS In the OT an attitude of humility or bending low (2 Sm 22:36, kjv; cf. Ps 18:35, kjv). Its adjectival and adverbial forms (“gentle,” “gently”) can mean courteous and unpretentious (Prv 15:4), quiet and tender (Dt 32:2; Is 8:6), or unharsh (2 Sm 18:5; Jb 15:11). In the NT several words are translated “gentleness,” “gentle,” or “gently.” Shades of meaning include (1) mildness, meekness, forbearance (Mt 11:29; 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:23; 1 Tm 6:11; 1 Pt 3:4, 15), or a courteous ...","source":"Articles\/G.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":38460,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Wine","title_en":"Wine","content_ro":"<h3>WINE<\/h3>\n<p>Beverage made from fermented grape juice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Origin\">Origin<\/p>\n<p>Noah was among the first to produce wine (Gn 9:21), presumably on the slopes of Mt Ararat. But wine making was not confined to that region, because Egypt, and later Greece, had a fondness for the juice. In fact, wine making was known to have existed in the prehistoric period of Mesopotamia and was brought to Egypt before 3000 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The word “wine” may be identified with words for vine, vineyard, and black grapes. The vine, which brings forth the wine, was often identified in the Near Eastern world with the “tree of life.” In both Egypt and Mesopotamia a goddess was thought to protect the vine. The “mistress of the heavenly tree of life,” the goddess Siris, lived in the mountains of northwestern Assyria. First Enoch 32:4 calls the vine the tree of knowledge. According to Jewish tradition, the vine was saved from the Flood by Noah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProductionofWine\">Production of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Few ancient documents are extant on the art of wine making. Experience and the interests of a few early botanists appear to be the only source of knowledge available about the early vine growers. Aristotle’s gifted student Theophrastus of Eresos wrote a book entitled <em>Enquiry into Plants<\/em> showing a blend of practical experience and theory. Later, he followed with <em>On the Life of Plants,<\/em> a work giving detailed observations about wine making. His ideas on when to plant, how to prune, statements against grafting, and how to care for the vine demonstrate the Greek genius. They raised viticulture to a science that has changed little in the last 2200 years.<\/p>\n<p>Great care was taken by Greek vine growers to ensure the success of their crops. The vines were close to the ground instead of being propped. In view of this, mice and foxes were especially undesirable, and much hoeing was needed to keep the soil free of weeds. But their method, overall, was very effective.<\/p>\n<p>In early September the grapes were collected in the plains, and at the end of the month in the hills. With an initial festival of song and dance, the workers brought the bunches of grapes to the winepresses, low cement vats inclined toward one corner. After this, workers trod the grapes. The first <em>must<\/em> (juice from the crushing) was highly valued because it provided the choicest wines. The remaining juice was extracted by wringing the trodden grapes in a bag press usually made of cloth. A third class of wine was produced by mixing or even cooking the remaining grapes with some water and expressing the mixture. This type of wine was drunk only by the poor.<\/p>\n<p>At a later time the Greeks invented a beam press in which a long beam, having a turning portion at one end and heavy stones on the other, compressed layers of grapes. The ancient Near East had these different methods of extracting wine, but the treading of grapes, even in Greece, was always the favorite method.<\/p>\n<p>In Greece the fermentation period was usually six months, during which the liquid was constantly skimmed. However, in the ancient Near East the fermentation process was usually over in three or four days, the optimum growth temperature being 77 degrees. The ancients knew that any further fermentation would produce acid.<\/p>\n<p>After desired fermentation, the wine was transferred to skins or pottery jars for transport or sale. The handles and stoppers were stamped to indicate the brand, the origin, and the vintage. At this time the wine was strained through perforated metal sieves or cloth to eliminate contaminates such as grit or insects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"KindsofWine\">Kinds of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Ancient poets discuss many different brands of wine, with Athenaeus mentioning 85 different varieties. Galen cites 60; Pliny mentions 150; and Strabo, 30. Wines are distinguished by different colors (black, red, white, or yellow) and by their taste (dry, harsh, light, or sweet). The biblical account enumerates various kinds of wine, such as the wines of Lebanon and Helbon. Hebron and Samaria were famous for their wine making. The Hebrew language has at least nine different words for wine, and the Greek has four that are mentioned in the NT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"NatureofWine\">Nature of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Few would question that at least some wine of the OT was fermented. Some scholars argue, however, that certain forms of wine in the ancient world were unfermented. They contrast two Hebrew words for wine, concluding that one particular Hebrew word that refers to fresh wine meant only grape juice (Prv 3:10; Hos 9:2; Jl 2:24; Mi 6:15). The inconclusiveness of these arguments may be seen from the following points: (1) the Hebrew word is found in primarily neutral contexts; (2) often that particular word is found in contexts definitely including a fermented beverage (e.g., Gn 27:28; Hos 4:11; Mi 6:15); (3) the Ugaritic parallel to the term in question refers with certainty to a fermented wine; (4) the Septuagint equivalents refer to fermented wine; (5) fermentation in the ancient Near East, unlike Greece, took only about three days; and (6) the Mishnah provides no such evidence of the practice of having unfermented wine. There seems to have been no attempts to preserve wine in an unfermented state; it may have been a near-impossible task. A careful examination of all the Hebrew words (as well as their Semitic cognates) and the Greek words for wine demonstrates that the ancients knew little, if anything, about unfermented wine.<\/p>\n<p>Ample evidence is available to demonstrate that wine, though always fermented, was usually mixed with water in the classical and Hellenistic world. The wine was stored in large jugs called <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">amphorae<\/span><em>,<\/em> from which the wine was poured through a strainer into a large mixing bowl called a <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">krater<\/span><em>.<\/em> In the krater the wine was mixed with water. Then the drinking bowls or cups were filled.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of wine per volume varied. The mixture that represented the greatest amount of water to wine was 20 to 1, apparently because the wine was so strong (Homer, <em>Odyssey<\/em> 10.208).<\/p>\n<p>In the western Mediterranean world, the term “wine” referred to the mixture of wine and water. If one desired to mention wine without water, it was necessary to add the word “unmixed.” For the Greeks, to drink wine unmixed was regarded as barbaric. The evidence, however, seems to indicate that in the OT era wine was used without being mixed with water. The terminology of mixing water and wine is strikingly unattested. Wine diluted with water was symbolic of spiritual adulteration (Is 1:22). By Roman times, this attitude had changed. The Mishnah assumes a ratio of two parts of water to one part wine; however, later Talmudic sources speak of three to one. A natural, nondistilled wine could reach as high as 15 percent alcohol content. If watered down three parts water to one part wine, the alcohol content would be 5 percent and still fairly potent.<\/p>\n<p>Wine was mixed not only with water but also with other ingredients, similar to mixed drinks today. An example of this is seen in the Homeric “Hymn to Demeter,” where the goddess rejects straight wine and desires the drink mixed with meal, water, and a soft mint. Often strong wine was mixed into weak wine, resulting in a stronger drink. This is what is meant by “mixture” in the Bible (Ps 75:8; Is 5:22; Rv 18:6; 19:13-15). At times the fresh wine, high in sugar content, was evaporated, and this concentrated <em>must<\/em> was mixed with wine to obtain a higher alcohol content.<\/p>\n<p>There is no mention of wine being mixed with water to make it safe for drinking, as is commonly accepted. Modern examples of pollution were not common in the ancient world, although this problem appeared occasionally. Examples are myriad concerning the fresh wells, springs, and moving bodies of water in biblical times, and methods were available to purify any impure water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WineintheOldTestament\">Wine in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The evidence, as seen above, suggests that wine in the OT was not mixed with water and was looked on with favor when taken in moderation. Judges 9:13 presents wine as that “which cheers God and men.” Psalm 104:15 portrays wine similarly: “wine which makes man’s heart glad” (cf. also Est 1:10; Eccl 10:19; Is 55:1-2; Zec 10:7). The temperate use of wine was a normal and accepted part of life (Gn 14:18; Jgs 19:19; 1 Sm 16:20). Levitical priests in service at the temple (Lv 10:8-9), Nazirites (Nm 6:3), and the Recabites (Jer 35:1-6) were forbidden to drink wine.<\/p>\n<p>Wine had many uses in the OT world. The “drink offering” was wine (Ex 29:40; Lv 23:13), and the worshiper regularly brought wine when offering sacrifice (1 Sm 1:24). In addition, a supply of wine was kept in the temple for sacrificial purposes (1 Chr 9:29). At times, wine was used in helping the weak and sick (2 Sm 16:2; Prv 31:6).<\/p>\n<p>The strong drink of the OT seems to be closely related to Mesopotamian date wine. This same date wine, high in sugar content, must have also been high in alcohol content. One Hebrew word is consistently used as strong drink (Lv 10:9; Dt 29:6; 1 Sm 1:15; Prv 20:1; 31:6; Is 29:9). There is an equivalent word to this in Ugaritic, translated “drunk,” which parallels the normal word for wine.<\/p>\n<p>Negative reactions to intemperate wine drinking abound in the OT. Isaiah condemned those who drank wine to excess (Is 28:1-8). Many admonitions of drinking wine in excess are given in the Scriptures (Prv 20:1; 21:17; 23:20-21; 23:32-34).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WineintheNewTestament\">Wine in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>Wine in the NT was a fermented beverage that was mixed with various amounts of water. It was also mixed with gall (Mt 27:34) and myrrh (Mk 15:23). Evidence strongly suggests that the wine used at the Lord’s Supper was a mixture of water and wine, probably three to one in agreement with the dictates of the Mishnah. The phrase “fruit of the vine” (Mt 26:27-29) is often interpreted to mean fresh grape juice. However, fresh grape juice would be all but impossible to find.<\/p>\n<p>The NT, as the OT, argues forcefully against the unrestrained use of wine. The biblical admonition is not to be drunk with wine (Eph 5:18; 1 Pt 4:3). Leaders in the church were to practice moderation in the use of wine (1 Tm 3:3, 8; Ti 1:7); the Greek says that they should “not be addicted to wine.”<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vines, Vineyard; Winepress.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>WINE<\/h3>\n<p>Beverage made from fermented grape juice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Origin\">Origin<\/p>\n<p>Noah was among the first to produce wine (Gn 9:21), presumably on the slopes of Mt Ararat. But wine making was not confined to that region, because Egypt, and later Greece, had a fondness for the juice. In fact, wine making was known to have existed in the prehistoric period of Mesopotamia and was brought to Egypt before 3000 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The word “wine” may be identified with words for vine, vineyard, and black grapes. The vine, which brings forth the wine, was often identified in the Near Eastern world with the “tree of life.” In both Egypt and Mesopotamia a goddess was thought to protect the vine. The “mistress of the heavenly tree of life,” the goddess Siris, lived in the mountains of northwestern Assyria. First Enoch 32:4 calls the vine the tree of knowledge. According to Jewish tradition, the vine was saved from the Flood by Noah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ProductionofWine\">Production of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Few ancient documents are extant on the art of wine making. Experience and the interests of a few early botanists appear to be the only source of knowledge available about the early vine growers. Aristotle’s gifted student Theophrastus of Eresos wrote a book entitled <em>Enquiry into Plants<\/em> showing a blend of practical experience and theory. Later, he followed with <em>On the Life of Plants,<\/em> a work giving detailed observations about wine making. His ideas on when to plant, how to prune, statements against grafting, and how to care for the vine demonstrate the Greek genius. They raised viticulture to a science that has changed little in the last 2200 years.<\/p>\n<p>Great care was taken by Greek vine growers to ensure the success of their crops. The vines were close to the ground instead of being propped. In view of this, mice and foxes were especially undesirable, and much hoeing was needed to keep the soil free of weeds. But their method, overall, was very effective.<\/p>\n<p>In early September the grapes were collected in the plains, and at the end of the month in the hills. With an initial festival of song and dance, the workers brought the bunches of grapes to the winepresses, low cement vats inclined toward one corner. After this, workers trod the grapes. The first <em>must<\/em> (juice from the crushing) was highly valued because it provided the choicest wines. The remaining juice was extracted by wringing the trodden grapes in a bag press usually made of cloth. A third class of wine was produced by mixing or even cooking the remaining grapes with some water and expressing the mixture. This type of wine was drunk only by the poor.<\/p>\n<p>At a later time the Greeks invented a beam press in which a long beam, having a turning portion at one end and heavy stones on the other, compressed layers of grapes. The ancient Near East had these different methods of extracting wine, but the treading of grapes, even in Greece, was always the favorite method.<\/p>\n<p>In Greece the fermentation period was usually six months, during which the liquid was constantly skimmed. However, in the ancient Near East the fermentation process was usually over in three or four days, the optimum growth temperature being 77 degrees. The ancients knew that any further fermentation would produce acid.<\/p>\n<p>After desired fermentation, the wine was transferred to skins or pottery jars for transport or sale. The handles and stoppers were stamped to indicate the brand, the origin, and the vintage. At this time the wine was strained through perforated metal sieves or cloth to eliminate contaminates such as grit or insects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"KindsofWine\">Kinds of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Ancient poets discuss many different brands of wine, with Athenaeus mentioning 85 different varieties. Galen cites 60; Pliny mentions 150; and Strabo, 30. Wines are distinguished by different colors (black, red, white, or yellow) and by their taste (dry, harsh, light, or sweet). The biblical account enumerates various kinds of wine, such as the wines of Lebanon and Helbon. Hebron and Samaria were famous for their wine making. The Hebrew language has at least nine different words for wine, and the Greek has four that are mentioned in the NT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"NatureofWine\">Nature of Wine<\/p>\n<p>Few would question that at least some wine of the OT was fermented. Some scholars argue, however, that certain forms of wine in the ancient world were unfermented. They contrast two Hebrew words for wine, concluding that one particular Hebrew word that refers to fresh wine meant only grape juice (Prv 3:10; Hos 9:2; Jl 2:24; Mi 6:15). The inconclusiveness of these arguments may be seen from the following points: (1) the Hebrew word is found in primarily neutral contexts; (2) often that particular word is found in contexts definitely including a fermented beverage (e.g., Gn 27:28; Hos 4:11; Mi 6:15); (3) the Ugaritic parallel to the term in question refers with certainty to a fermented wine; (4) the Septuagint equivalents refer to fermented wine; (5) fermentation in the ancient Near East, unlike Greece, took only about three days; and (6) the Mishnah provides no such evidence of the practice of having unfermented wine. There seems to have been no attempts to preserve wine in an unfermented state; it may have been a near-impossible task. A careful examination of all the Hebrew words (as well as their Semitic cognates) and the Greek words for wine demonstrates that the ancients knew little, if anything, about unfermented wine.<\/p>\n<p>Ample evidence is available to demonstrate that wine, though always fermented, was usually mixed with water in the classical and Hellenistic world. The wine was stored in large jugs called <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">amphorae<\/span><em>,<\/em> from which the wine was poured through a strainer into a large mixing bowl called a <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">krater<\/span><em>.<\/em> In the krater the wine was mixed with water. Then the drinking bowls or cups were filled.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of wine per volume varied. The mixture that represented the greatest amount of water to wine was 20 to 1, apparently because the wine was so strong (Homer, <em>Odyssey<\/em> 10.208).<\/p>\n<p>In the western Mediterranean world, the term “wine” referred to the mixture of wine and water. If one desired to mention wine without water, it was necessary to add the word “unmixed.” For the Greeks, to drink wine unmixed was regarded as barbaric. The evidence, however, seems to indicate that in the OT era wine was used without being mixed with water. The terminology of mixing water and wine is strikingly unattested. Wine diluted with water was symbolic of spiritual adulteration (Is 1:22). By Roman times, this attitude had changed. The Mishnah assumes a ratio of two parts of water to one part wine; however, later Talmudic sources speak of three to one. A natural, nondistilled wine could reach as high as 15 percent alcohol content. If watered down three parts water to one part wine, the alcohol content would be 5 percent and still fairly potent.<\/p>\n<p>Wine was mixed not only with water but also with other ingredients, similar to mixed drinks today. An example of this is seen in the Homeric “Hymn to Demeter,” where the goddess rejects straight wine and desires the drink mixed with meal, water, and a soft mint. Often strong wine was mixed into weak wine, resulting in a stronger drink. This is what is meant by “mixture” in the Bible (Ps 75:8; Is 5:22; Rv 18:6; 19:13-15). At times the fresh wine, high in sugar content, was evaporated, and this concentrated <em>must<\/em> was mixed with wine to obtain a higher alcohol content.<\/p>\n<p>There is no mention of wine being mixed with water to make it safe for drinking, as is commonly accepted. Modern examples of pollution were not common in the ancient world, although this problem appeared occasionally. Examples are myriad concerning the fresh wells, springs, and moving bodies of water in biblical times, and methods were available to purify any impure water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WineintheOldTestament\">Wine in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The evidence, as seen above, suggests that wine in the OT was not mixed with water and was looked on with favor when taken in moderation. Judges 9:13 presents wine as that “which cheers God and men.” Psalm 104:15 portrays wine similarly: “wine which makes man’s heart glad” (cf. also Est 1:10; Eccl 10:19; Is 55:1-2; Zec 10:7). The temperate use of wine was a normal and accepted part of life (Gn 14:18; Jgs 19:19; 1 Sm 16:20). Levitical priests in service at the temple (Lv 10:8-9), Nazirites (Nm 6:3), and the Recabites (Jer 35:1-6) were forbidden to drink wine.<\/p>\n<p>Wine had many uses in the OT world. The “drink offering” was wine (Ex 29:40; Lv 23:13), and the worshiper regularly brought wine when offering sacrifice (1 Sm 1:24). In addition, a supply of wine was kept in the temple for sacrificial purposes (1 Chr 9:29). At times, wine was used in helping the weak and sick (2 Sm 16:2; Prv 31:6).<\/p>\n<p>The strong drink of the OT seems to be closely related to Mesopotamian date wine. This same date wine, high in sugar content, must have also been high in alcohol content. One Hebrew word is consistently used as strong drink (Lv 10:9; Dt 29:6; 1 Sm 1:15; Prv 20:1; 31:6; Is 29:9). There is an equivalent word to this in Ugaritic, translated “drunk,” which parallels the normal word for wine.<\/p>\n<p>Negative reactions to intemperate wine drinking abound in the OT. Isaiah condemned those who drank wine to excess (Is 28:1-8). Many admonitions of drinking wine in excess are given in the Scriptures (Prv 20:1; 21:17; 23:20-21; 23:32-34).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WineintheNewTestament\">Wine in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>Wine in the NT was a fermented beverage that was mixed with various amounts of water. It was also mixed with gall (Mt 27:34) and myrrh (Mk 15:23). Evidence strongly suggests that the wine used at the Lord’s Supper was a mixture of water and wine, probably three to one in agreement with the dictates of the Mishnah. The phrase “fruit of the vine” (Mt 26:27-29) is often interpreted to mean fresh grape juice. However, fresh grape juice would be all but impossible to find.<\/p>\n<p>The NT, as the OT, argues forcefully against the unrestrained use of wine. The biblical admonition is not to be drunk with wine (Eph 5:18; 1 Pt 4:3). Leaders in the church were to practice moderation in the use of wine (1 Tm 3:3, 8; Ti 1:7); the Greek says that they should “not be addicted to wine.”<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vines, Vineyard; Winepress.<\/p>","summary_ro":"WINE Beverage made from fermented grape juice. Origin Noah was among the first to produce wine (Gn 9:21), presumably on the slopes of Mt Ararat. But wine making was not confined to that region, because Egypt, and later Greece, had a fondness for the juice. In fact, wine making was known to have existed in the prehistoric period of Mesopotamia and was brought to Egypt before 3000 BC. The word “wine” may be identified with words for vine, vineyard, and black grapes. The vine, which brings forth...","summary_en":"WINE Beverage made from fermented grape juice. Origin Noah was among the first to produce wine (Gn 9:21), presumably on the slopes of Mt Ararat. But wine making was not confined to that region, because Egypt, and later Greece, had a fondness for the juice. In fact, wine making was known to have existed in the prehistoric period of Mesopotamia and was brought to Egypt before 3000 BC. The word “wine” may be identified with words for vine, vineyard, and black grapes. The vine, which brings forth...","source":"Articles\/W.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"4":[{"id":8918,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58531,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:4","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","summary_en":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86157,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:4","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","summary_en":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113783,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:4","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","summary_en":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141409,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:4","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:4-5<\/strong> The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family <em>household<\/em>. An overseer’s capacity to <em>manage<\/em> in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","summary_en":"3:4-5 The church as a household (3:15) overlapped with the family household. An overseer’s capacity to manage in one sphere reflected his capability in the other (see also 3:12; 5:17; Rom 12:8; 1 Thes 5:12). • The Greco-Roman household was united by familial bonds characterized by mutual responsibilities, roles, and stewardship. The household included the blood relatives living together along with other dependents, such as household servants.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"5":[{"id":36164,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Spirit of God","title_en":"Spirit of God","content_ro":"<h3>SPIRIT OF GOD<\/h3>\n<p>Description of God in action, God in motion. The word “spirit” (Hebrew, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">ruach<\/span><em>;<\/em> Greek, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span>) is the word used from ancient times to describe and explain the experience of divine power working in, upon, and around people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>There are three basic meanings evident in the use of “spirit” from the earliest Hebrew writings: It was a wind from God, it was the breath of life, and it was a spirit of ecstasy.<\/p>\n<p>First, it was a wind from God (the same Hebrew word translated “Spirit” in Gn 1:2) that caused the waters of the Flood to subside (8:1). A wind from God blew locusts over Egypt (Ex 10:13) and quail over the camp of Israel. The blast of his nostrils separated the waters of the Red Sea at the exodus (14:21).<\/p>\n<p>Second, it was the breath of God that made man a living being (Gn 2:7). It is one of the earliest perceptions of Hebrew faith that humans live only because of the stirring of the divine breath or spirit within them (Gn 6:3; Jb 33:4; 34:14-15; Ps 104:29-30). Later, a clearer distinction was drawn between divine Spirit and human spirit, and between spirit and soul, but at the earliest stage these were all more or less perceived to be synonymous manifestations of the same divine power, the source of all life—animal as well as human (Gn 7:15, 22; see Eccl 3:19-21).<\/p>\n<p>Third, there were occasions when this divine power seemed to overtake and possess an individual fully, so that his or her words or actions far transcended those of normal behavior. Such a person was clearly marked as an agent of God’s purpose and given respect. This was apparently how leaders were recognized in the premonarchy period—Othniel (Jgs 3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and the first king, Saul (1 Sm 11:6), as well. So, too, the earliest prophets were those whose inspiration came in ecstasy (1 Sm 19:20-24).<\/p>\n<p>In the earlier stages of Hebrew thought, ecstatic experience was seen as the direct effect of divine power. This was true even when the ecstasy was recognized as evil in character, as in the case of Saul’s seizure by the Spirit (1 Sm 16:14-16). A spirit from God could be for evil as well as for good (see Jgs 9:23; 1 Kgs 22:19-23).<\/p>\n<h5>In the Writings of the Prophets<\/h5>\n<p>For Isaiah, the spirit was that which characterized God and distinguished him and his actions from human affairs (Is 31:3). Later, the adjective “holy” appeared as that which distinguished the Spirit of God from any other spirit, human or divine (Ps 51:11; Is 63:10-11).<\/p>\n<p>The problem of false prophecy emphasized the danger of assuming that every message delivered in ecstasy was the word of the Lord. Thus, tests of prophecy evaluated the content of the message delivered or the character of the prophet’s life, not the degree or quality of inspiration (see Dt 13:1-5; 18:22; Jer 23:14; Mi 3:5). This sense of a need to discriminate between true and false inspiration and to distinguish the word of God from the merely ecstatic oracle may help to explain the otherwise puzzling reluctance of the major eighth- and seventh-century <span>BC<\/span> prophets to attribute their inspiration to the Spirit.<\/p>\n<h5>In the Exilic and Postexilic Writings<\/h5>\n<p>In exilic and postexilic literature, the role of the Spirit is narrowed to two major functions: that of the prophetic Spirit and that of the Spirit of the age to come.<\/p>\n<p>The later prophets again spoke of the Spirit in explicit terms as the inspirer of prophecy (see Ez 3:1-4, 22-24; Hg 2:5; Zec 4:6). As they looked back to the preexilic period, these prophets freely attributed the inspiration of “the former prophets” to the Spirit as well (Zec 7:12).<\/p>\n<p>This tendency to exalt the Spirit’s role as the inspirer of prophecy became steadily stronger in the period between the OT and NT, until in rabbinic Judaism the Spirit was almost exclusively the inspirer of the prophetic writings now regarded as Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>The other understanding of the Spirit’s role during exilic and postexilic times was that the Spirit would be the manifestation of the power of God in the age to come. That eschatological hope of divine power effecting a final cleansing and a renewed creation is rooted principally in Isaiah’s prophecies (Is 4:4; 32:15; 44:3-4). Isaiah speaks of one anointed by the Spirit to accomplish complete and final salvation (11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Elsewhere, the same longing is expressed in terms of the Spirit being freely dispensed to all Israel (Ez 39:29; Jl 2:28-29; Zec 12:10) in the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Ez 36:26-27).<\/p>\n<p>In the period prior to Jesus, the understanding of the Spirit as the Spirit of prophecy and as the Spirit of the age to come had developed into the widespread dogma that the Spirit was no longer to be experienced in the present. The Spirit had been known in the past as the inspirer of prophetic writings, but after Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Spirit had withdrawn (1 Macc 4:44-46; 9:27; 2 Bar 85:1-3; see also Ps 74:9; Zec 13:2-6). The Spirit would be known again in the age of the Messiah, but in the interim the Spirit was absent from Israel. Even the great Hillel (learned Jewish leader and teacher, 60? <span>BC<\/span>–<span>AD<\/span> 20?), a near contemporary of Jesus, had not received the Spirit—though if anyone was worthy of the Spirit, it was he. There is a tradition that at a meeting of Hillel and other wise men, a voice from heaven said, “Among those here present is one who would have deserved the Holy Spirit to rest upon him, if his time had been worthy of it.” The wise men all looked at Hillel.<\/p>\n<p>The consequence of this accepted dearth of the Spirit was that the Spirit in effect became subordinated to the law. The Spirit was the inspirer of the law, but since the Spirit could no longer be experienced directly, the law became the sole voice of the Spirit. It was this increasing dominance of the law and its authoritative interpreters that provided the background for the mission of Jesus and the initial spread of Christianity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>If we are to understand the NT’s teaching on the Spirit, we must recognize both its continuity and discontinuity with the OT. At many points NT usage cannot be fully understood except against the background of OT concepts or passages. For example, the ambiguity of John 3:8 (“wind,” “Spirit”), 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (“breath”), and Revelation 11:11 (“breath of life”) takes us back to the basic Hebrew meanings of “spirit.” Acts 8:39 and Revelation 17:3 and 21:10 reflect the same conception of the Spirit that we find in 1 Kings 18:12, 2 Kings 2:16, and Ezekiel 3:14. The NT writers generally share the rabbinic view that Scripture has the authority of the Spirit behind it (see Mk 12:36; Acts 28:25; Heb 3:7; 2 Pt 1:21). The principal continuity is that the NT brings the fulfillment of what the OT writers looked forward to. At the same time, Christianity is not simply fulfilled Judaism. Jesus’ coming and his giving of his Spirit to live within his believers marks off the new faith as something new and distinct.<\/p>\n<h5>The Spirit of the New Age<\/h5>\n<p>The most striking feature of Jesus’ ministry and of the message of the earliest Christians was their conviction and proclamation that the blessings of the new age were already present, that the eschatological Spirit had already been poured out. With the exception of the Essenes at Qumran, no other group or individual within the Jewish religion of that time had dared to make such a bold claim. The prophets and the rabbis looked for a messianic age yet to come, and the apocalyptic writers warned of its imminent arrival, but none thought of it as already present. Even John the Baptist spoke only of one about to come and of the Spirit’s operation in the imminent future (Mk 1:8). But for Jesus and first-century Christians, the longed for hope was a living reality, and the claim carried with it the exciting sense of being in “the last days.” Without some recognition of that eschatological dimension of the Christians’ faith and life, we cannot understand this teaching on, and experience of, the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus clearly thought of his teachings and healings as fulfillment of the prophetic hope (Mt 12:41-42; 13:16-17; Lk 17:20-21). In particular, he saw himself as the one anointed by the Spirit to provide salvation (Mt 5:3-6; 11:5; Lk 4:17-19). So, too, Jesus understood his exorcisms as the effect of the power of God and as manifestations of the end-time rule of God (Mt 12:27-28; Mk 3:22-26). The Gospel writers, especially Luke, emphasize the eschatological character of Jesus’ life and ministry by stressing the role of the Spirit in his birth (Mt 1:18; Lk 1:35, 41, 67; 2:25-27), his baptism (Mk 1:9-10; Acts 10:38), and his ministry (Mt 4:1; 12:18; Mk 1:12; Lk 4:1, 14; 10:21; Jn 3:34).<\/p>\n<p>The Christian church began with the in-breathing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Christ’s resurrection (Jn 20:22), followed by the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost “in the last days.” The overwhelming experience of vision and inspired utterance was taken as proof positive that the new age prophesied by Joel had now arrived (Acts 2:2-5, 17-18). Similarly, in Hebrews the gift of the Spirit is spoken of as “the powers of the age to come” (Heb 6:4-5). More striking still is Paul’s understanding of the Spirit as the guarantee of God’s complete salvation (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:13-14), and as the first installment of the believer’s inheritance of God’s kingdom (Rom 8:15-17; 1 Cor 6:9-11; 15:42-50; Gal 4:6-7; 5:16-18, 21-23; Eph 1:13-14). The Spirit is here again thought of as the power of the age to come, as that power (which will characterize God’s rule at the end of time) already shaping and transforming the lives of believers.<\/p>\n<p>For Paul, this means also that the gift of the Spirit is but the beginning of a lifelong process that will not end until the believer’s whole person is brought under the Spirit’s power (Rom 8:11, 23; 1 Cor 15:44-49; 2 Cor 3:18; 5:1-5). It also means that the present experience of faith is one of lifelong tension between what God has already begun to bring about in the believer’s life and what has not yet been brought under God’s grace (Phil 1:6). It is this tension between life “in the Spirit” and life “in the flesh” (see Gal 2:20) that comes to poignant expression in Romans 7:24 and 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.<\/p>\n<h5>The Spirit of New Life<\/h5>\n<p>Since the Spirit is the mark of the new age, it is not surprising that the NT writers understood the gift of the Spirit to be that which brings an individual into the new age. John the Baptist described the way the coming one would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Mt 3:11). According to Acts 1:5 and 11:16, this imagery was taken up by Jesus, and the promise is seen as fulfilled at Pentecost—the outpouring of the Spirit here being understood as the risen Christ’s action in drawing his disciples into the new age (Acts 2:17, 33).<\/p>\n<p>It seems to be one of Luke’s aims in the book of Acts to highlight the central importance of the gift of the Spirit in conversion-initiation—it is that decisive “gift of the Holy Spirit” that makes one a Christian (Acts 2:38-39). People could have been followers of Jesus on earth, but it was only when they received the gift of the Spirit that they could be said to have “believed in the Lord Jesus Christ” (11:16-17). When the Spirit’s presence was manifested in and upon a person’s life, that was recognized by Peter as proof enough that God had accepted that person, even though he or she had not yet made any formal profession of faith or been baptized (10:44-48; 11:15-18; 15:7-9). So too Apollos, already aglow with the Spirit (18:25), even though his knowledge of “the way of God” was slightly defective (vv 24-26), apparently was not required to supplement his “baptism of John” with Christian baptism. However, the 12 so-called disciples at Ephesus proved by their very ignorance of the Spirit that they were not yet disciples of the Lord Jesus (19:1-6). Paul asked these 12 men, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2).<\/p>\n<p>This accords with Paul’s emphasis in his letters. Belief and reception of the Spirit go together: to receive the Spirit is to begin the Christian life (Gal 3:2-3); to be baptized in the Spirit is to become a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13); to “have the Spirit of Christ” is to belong to Christ (Rom 8:9-11); to receive the Spirit is tantamount to becoming a child of God (Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:6-7). The Spirit so characterizes the new age and the life of the new age that only the gift of the Spirit can bring a person into the new age to experience the life of the new age. For the Spirit is distinctively and peculiarly the life-giver; the Spirit indeed <em>is<\/em> the life of the new age (Rom 8:2, 6, 10; 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Cor 3:6; Gal 5:25).<\/p>\n<p>In just the same way in John’s writings, the Spirit is characteristically the life-giving Spirit (Jn 6:63), the power from above, the seed of divine life that brings about the new birth (Jn 3:3-8; 1 Jn 3:9), and a river of living water that brings life when one believes in Christ (Jn 7:37-39; so also 4:10, 14). Or again, reception of the Spirit in John 20:22 is depicted as a new creation analogous to Genesis 2:7. Consequently, in 1 John 3:24 and 4:13, possession and experience of the Spirit count as one of the “tests of life” listed in that letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Manifestations of the Spirit<\/h5>\n<p>It will be clear from what has already been said that when the first Christians, like the ancient Hebrews, spoke of the Spirit, they were thinking of experiences of divine power. In the NT, as in the OT, “Spirit” is the word used to explain the experience of new life and vitality (see above), of liberation from legalism (e.g., Rom 8:2; 2 Cor 3:17), of spiritual refreshing and renewal (cf. e.g., Is 32:15; Ez 39:29 with Jn 7:37-39; Rom 5:5; 1 Cor 12:13; 1 Tm 3:5-6). It is important to realize how wide a range of experiences were attributed to the Spirit: ecstatic experiences (Acts 2:24; 10:43-47; 19:6; cf. 10:10; 22:17—“in ecstasy”; 2 Cor 12:1-4; Rv 1:10), emotional experiences (e.g., love—Rom 5:5; joy—Acts 13:52; 1 Thes 1:6; see also Gal 5:22; Phil 2:1-2), experiences of illumination (2 Cor 3:14-17; Eph 1:17-18; Heb 6:4-5; 1 Jn 2:20-21), and experiences issuing in moral transformation (1 Cor 6:9-11). Likewise, when Paul speaks of spiritual gifts, called <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">charismata<\/span> (acts or words that bring divine grace to concrete expression), he evidently has a wide range of actual events in mind: inspired speech (1 Cor 12:8-10; 1 Thes 1:5), miracles and healings (1 Cor 12:9; Gal 3:5; cf. Heb 2:4), and various acts of service and help, of counsel and administration, and of aid and mercy (Rom 12:7-8; 1 Cor 12:28).<\/p>\n<p>In talking thus of the Spirit in terms of experience, we should not overemphasize particular experiences or manifestations, as though earliest Christianity consisted of a sequence of mountaintop experiences or spiritual highs. There clearly were such experiences, indeed a wide range of experiences, but no one experience is singled out to be sought by all (except prophecy). There is no distinctively second (or third) experience of the Spirit in the NT, and Paul warned against overvaluing particular manifestations of the Spirit (1 Cor 14:6-19; 2 Cor 12:1-10; cf. Mk 8:11-13). Where particular experiences are valued, it is as manifestations of a more sustained experience, particular expressions of an underlying relationship (cf. Acts 6:3-5; 11:24—“full of the Spirit”; Eph 5:18). What we are in touch with here is the vigor of the experiential dimension of earliest Christianity. If the Spirit is the breath of the new life in Christ (cf. Ez 37:9-10, 14; Jn 20:22; 1 Cor 15:45), then presumably the analogy extends further, and the experience of the Spirit is like the experience of breathing: one is not conscious of it all the time, but if one is not conscious of it, at least sometimes, something is wrong.<\/p>\n<h5>The Fellowship of the Spirit<\/h5>\n<p>It was out of this shared experience of the Spirit that the earliest Christian community grew and developed, for this is what “the fellowship [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">koinonia<\/span>] of the Spirit” properly means: common participation in the same Spirit (Phil 2:1; cf. Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 1:4-9). It was the gift of the Spirit that brought those in Samaria, Caesarea, and elsewhere effectively into the community of the Spirit (Act 8, 10). So also, it was the experience of the one Spirit that provided the unifying bond in the churches of Paul’s mission (1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:3-4; Phil 2:1-2). Here we see the real importance of the divine manifestations of the Spirit for Paul: it is out of the diversity of these particular manifestations that the body of Christ grows in unity (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12-17; Eph 4:4-16).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>SPIRIT OF GOD<\/h3>\n<p>Description of God in action, God in motion. The word “spirit” (Hebrew, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">ruach<\/span><em>;<\/em> Greek, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span>) is the word used from ancient times to describe and explain the experience of divine power working in, upon, and around people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>There are three basic meanings evident in the use of “spirit” from the earliest Hebrew writings: It was a wind from God, it was the breath of life, and it was a spirit of ecstasy.<\/p>\n<p>First, it was a wind from God (the same Hebrew word translated “Spirit” in Gn 1:2) that caused the waters of the Flood to subside (8:1). A wind from God blew locusts over Egypt (Ex 10:13) and quail over the camp of Israel. The blast of his nostrils separated the waters of the Red Sea at the exodus (14:21).<\/p>\n<p>Second, it was the breath of God that made man a living being (Gn 2:7). It is one of the earliest perceptions of Hebrew faith that humans live only because of the stirring of the divine breath or spirit within them (Gn 6:3; Jb 33:4; 34:14-15; Ps 104:29-30). Later, a clearer distinction was drawn between divine Spirit and human spirit, and between spirit and soul, but at the earliest stage these were all more or less perceived to be synonymous manifestations of the same divine power, the source of all life—animal as well as human (Gn 7:15, 22; see Eccl 3:19-21).<\/p>\n<p>Third, there were occasions when this divine power seemed to overtake and possess an individual fully, so that his or her words or actions far transcended those of normal behavior. Such a person was clearly marked as an agent of God’s purpose and given respect. This was apparently how leaders were recognized in the premonarchy period—Othniel (Jgs 3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and the first king, Saul (1 Sm 11:6), as well. So, too, the earliest prophets were those whose inspiration came in ecstasy (1 Sm 19:20-24).<\/p>\n<p>In the earlier stages of Hebrew thought, ecstatic experience was seen as the direct effect of divine power. This was true even when the ecstasy was recognized as evil in character, as in the case of Saul’s seizure by the Spirit (1 Sm 16:14-16). A spirit from God could be for evil as well as for good (see Jgs 9:23; 1 Kgs 22:19-23).<\/p>\n<h5>In the Writings of the Prophets<\/h5>\n<p>For Isaiah, the spirit was that which characterized God and distinguished him and his actions from human affairs (Is 31:3). Later, the adjective “holy” appeared as that which distinguished the Spirit of God from any other spirit, human or divine (Ps 51:11; Is 63:10-11).<\/p>\n<p>The problem of false prophecy emphasized the danger of assuming that every message delivered in ecstasy was the word of the Lord. Thus, tests of prophecy evaluated the content of the message delivered or the character of the prophet’s life, not the degree or quality of inspiration (see Dt 13:1-5; 18:22; Jer 23:14; Mi 3:5). This sense of a need to discriminate between true and false inspiration and to distinguish the word of God from the merely ecstatic oracle may help to explain the otherwise puzzling reluctance of the major eighth- and seventh-century <span>BC<\/span> prophets to attribute their inspiration to the Spirit.<\/p>\n<h5>In the Exilic and Postexilic Writings<\/h5>\n<p>In exilic and postexilic literature, the role of the Spirit is narrowed to two major functions: that of the prophetic Spirit and that of the Spirit of the age to come.<\/p>\n<p>The later prophets again spoke of the Spirit in explicit terms as the inspirer of prophecy (see Ez 3:1-4, 22-24; Hg 2:5; Zec 4:6). As they looked back to the preexilic period, these prophets freely attributed the inspiration of “the former prophets” to the Spirit as well (Zec 7:12).<\/p>\n<p>This tendency to exalt the Spirit’s role as the inspirer of prophecy became steadily stronger in the period between the OT and NT, until in rabbinic Judaism the Spirit was almost exclusively the inspirer of the prophetic writings now regarded as Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>The other understanding of the Spirit’s role during exilic and postexilic times was that the Spirit would be the manifestation of the power of God in the age to come. That eschatological hope of divine power effecting a final cleansing and a renewed creation is rooted principally in Isaiah’s prophecies (Is 4:4; 32:15; 44:3-4). Isaiah speaks of one anointed by the Spirit to accomplish complete and final salvation (11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Elsewhere, the same longing is expressed in terms of the Spirit being freely dispensed to all Israel (Ez 39:29; Jl 2:28-29; Zec 12:10) in the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Ez 36:26-27).<\/p>\n<p>In the period prior to Jesus, the understanding of the Spirit as the Spirit of prophecy and as the Spirit of the age to come had developed into the widespread dogma that the Spirit was no longer to be experienced in the present. The Spirit had been known in the past as the inspirer of prophetic writings, but after Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the Spirit had withdrawn (1 Macc 4:44-46; 9:27; 2 Bar 85:1-3; see also Ps 74:9; Zec 13:2-6). The Spirit would be known again in the age of the Messiah, but in the interim the Spirit was absent from Israel. Even the great Hillel (learned Jewish leader and teacher, 60? <span>BC<\/span>–<span>AD<\/span> 20?), a near contemporary of Jesus, had not received the Spirit—though if anyone was worthy of the Spirit, it was he. There is a tradition that at a meeting of Hillel and other wise men, a voice from heaven said, “Among those here present is one who would have deserved the Holy Spirit to rest upon him, if his time had been worthy of it.” The wise men all looked at Hillel.<\/p>\n<p>The consequence of this accepted dearth of the Spirit was that the Spirit in effect became subordinated to the law. The Spirit was the inspirer of the law, but since the Spirit could no longer be experienced directly, the law became the sole voice of the Spirit. It was this increasing dominance of the law and its authoritative interpreters that provided the background for the mission of Jesus and the initial spread of Christianity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>If we are to understand the NT’s teaching on the Spirit, we must recognize both its continuity and discontinuity with the OT. At many points NT usage cannot be fully understood except against the background of OT concepts or passages. For example, the ambiguity of John 3:8 (“wind,” “Spirit”), 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (“breath”), and Revelation 11:11 (“breath of life”) takes us back to the basic Hebrew meanings of “spirit.” Acts 8:39 and Revelation 17:3 and 21:10 reflect the same conception of the Spirit that we find in 1 Kings 18:12, 2 Kings 2:16, and Ezekiel 3:14. The NT writers generally share the rabbinic view that Scripture has the authority of the Spirit behind it (see Mk 12:36; Acts 28:25; Heb 3:7; 2 Pt 1:21). The principal continuity is that the NT brings the fulfillment of what the OT writers looked forward to. At the same time, Christianity is not simply fulfilled Judaism. Jesus’ coming and his giving of his Spirit to live within his believers marks off the new faith as something new and distinct.<\/p>\n<h5>The Spirit of the New Age<\/h5>\n<p>The most striking feature of Jesus’ ministry and of the message of the earliest Christians was their conviction and proclamation that the blessings of the new age were already present, that the eschatological Spirit had already been poured out. With the exception of the Essenes at Qumran, no other group or individual within the Jewish religion of that time had dared to make such a bold claim. The prophets and the rabbis looked for a messianic age yet to come, and the apocalyptic writers warned of its imminent arrival, but none thought of it as already present. Even John the Baptist spoke only of one about to come and of the Spirit’s operation in the imminent future (Mk 1:8). But for Jesus and first-century Christians, the longed for hope was a living reality, and the claim carried with it the exciting sense of being in “the last days.” Without some recognition of that eschatological dimension of the Christians’ faith and life, we cannot understand this teaching on, and experience of, the Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus clearly thought of his teachings and healings as fulfillment of the prophetic hope (Mt 12:41-42; 13:16-17; Lk 17:20-21). In particular, he saw himself as the one anointed by the Spirit to provide salvation (Mt 5:3-6; 11:5; Lk 4:17-19). So, too, Jesus understood his exorcisms as the effect of the power of God and as manifestations of the end-time rule of God (Mt 12:27-28; Mk 3:22-26). The Gospel writers, especially Luke, emphasize the eschatological character of Jesus’ life and ministry by stressing the role of the Spirit in his birth (Mt 1:18; Lk 1:35, 41, 67; 2:25-27), his baptism (Mk 1:9-10; Acts 10:38), and his ministry (Mt 4:1; 12:18; Mk 1:12; Lk 4:1, 14; 10:21; Jn 3:34).<\/p>\n<p>The Christian church began with the in-breathing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Christ’s resurrection (Jn 20:22), followed by the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost “in the last days.” The overwhelming experience of vision and inspired utterance was taken as proof positive that the new age prophesied by Joel had now arrived (Acts 2:2-5, 17-18). Similarly, in Hebrews the gift of the Spirit is spoken of as “the powers of the age to come” (Heb 6:4-5). More striking still is Paul’s understanding of the Spirit as the guarantee of God’s complete salvation (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:13-14), and as the first installment of the believer’s inheritance of God’s kingdom (Rom 8:15-17; 1 Cor 6:9-11; 15:42-50; Gal 4:6-7; 5:16-18, 21-23; Eph 1:13-14). The Spirit is here again thought of as the power of the age to come, as that power (which will characterize God’s rule at the end of time) already shaping and transforming the lives of believers.<\/p>\n<p>For Paul, this means also that the gift of the Spirit is but the beginning of a lifelong process that will not end until the believer’s whole person is brought under the Spirit’s power (Rom 8:11, 23; 1 Cor 15:44-49; 2 Cor 3:18; 5:1-5). It also means that the present experience of faith is one of lifelong tension between what God has already begun to bring about in the believer’s life and what has not yet been brought under God’s grace (Phil 1:6). It is this tension between life “in the Spirit” and life “in the flesh” (see Gal 2:20) that comes to poignant expression in Romans 7:24 and 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.<\/p>\n<h5>The Spirit of New Life<\/h5>\n<p>Since the Spirit is the mark of the new age, it is not surprising that the NT writers understood the gift of the Spirit to be that which brings an individual into the new age. John the Baptist described the way the coming one would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Mt 3:11). According to Acts 1:5 and 11:16, this imagery was taken up by Jesus, and the promise is seen as fulfilled at Pentecost—the outpouring of the Spirit here being understood as the risen Christ’s action in drawing his disciples into the new age (Acts 2:17, 33).<\/p>\n<p>It seems to be one of Luke’s aims in the book of Acts to highlight the central importance of the gift of the Spirit in conversion-initiation—it is that decisive “gift of the Holy Spirit” that makes one a Christian (Acts 2:38-39). People could have been followers of Jesus on earth, but it was only when they received the gift of the Spirit that they could be said to have “believed in the Lord Jesus Christ” (11:16-17). When the Spirit’s presence was manifested in and upon a person’s life, that was recognized by Peter as proof enough that God had accepted that person, even though he or she had not yet made any formal profession of faith or been baptized (10:44-48; 11:15-18; 15:7-9). So too Apollos, already aglow with the Spirit (18:25), even though his knowledge of “the way of God” was slightly defective (vv 24-26), apparently was not required to supplement his “baptism of John” with Christian baptism. However, the 12 so-called disciples at Ephesus proved by their very ignorance of the Spirit that they were not yet disciples of the Lord Jesus (19:1-6). Paul asked these 12 men, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2).<\/p>\n<p>This accords with Paul’s emphasis in his letters. Belief and reception of the Spirit go together: to receive the Spirit is to begin the Christian life (Gal 3:2-3); to be baptized in the Spirit is to become a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13); to “have the Spirit of Christ” is to belong to Christ (Rom 8:9-11); to receive the Spirit is tantamount to becoming a child of God (Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:6-7). The Spirit so characterizes the new age and the life of the new age that only the gift of the Spirit can bring a person into the new age to experience the life of the new age. For the Spirit is distinctively and peculiarly the life-giver; the Spirit indeed <em>is<\/em> the life of the new age (Rom 8:2, 6, 10; 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Cor 3:6; Gal 5:25).<\/p>\n<p>In just the same way in John’s writings, the Spirit is characteristically the life-giving Spirit (Jn 6:63), the power from above, the seed of divine life that brings about the new birth (Jn 3:3-8; 1 Jn 3:9), and a river of living water that brings life when one believes in Christ (Jn 7:37-39; so also 4:10, 14). Or again, reception of the Spirit in John 20:22 is depicted as a new creation analogous to Genesis 2:7. Consequently, in 1 John 3:24 and 4:13, possession and experience of the Spirit count as one of the “tests of life” listed in that letter.<\/p>\n<h5>Manifestations of the Spirit<\/h5>\n<p>It will be clear from what has already been said that when the first Christians, like the ancient Hebrews, spoke of the Spirit, they were thinking of experiences of divine power. In the NT, as in the OT, “Spirit” is the word used to explain the experience of new life and vitality (see above), of liberation from legalism (e.g., Rom 8:2; 2 Cor 3:17), of spiritual refreshing and renewal (cf. e.g., Is 32:15; Ez 39:29 with Jn 7:37-39; Rom 5:5; 1 Cor 12:13; 1 Tm 3:5-6). It is important to realize how wide a range of experiences were attributed to the Spirit: ecstatic experiences (Acts 2:24; 10:43-47; 19:6; cf. 10:10; 22:17—“in ecstasy”; 2 Cor 12:1-4; Rv 1:10), emotional experiences (e.g., love—Rom 5:5; joy—Acts 13:52; 1 Thes 1:6; see also Gal 5:22; Phil 2:1-2), experiences of illumination (2 Cor 3:14-17; Eph 1:17-18; Heb 6:4-5; 1 Jn 2:20-21), and experiences issuing in moral transformation (1 Cor 6:9-11). Likewise, when Paul speaks of spiritual gifts, called <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">charismata<\/span> (acts or words that bring divine grace to concrete expression), he evidently has a wide range of actual events in mind: inspired speech (1 Cor 12:8-10; 1 Thes 1:5), miracles and healings (1 Cor 12:9; Gal 3:5; cf. Heb 2:4), and various acts of service and help, of counsel and administration, and of aid and mercy (Rom 12:7-8; 1 Cor 12:28).<\/p>\n<p>In talking thus of the Spirit in terms of experience, we should not overemphasize particular experiences or manifestations, as though earliest Christianity consisted of a sequence of mountaintop experiences or spiritual highs. There clearly were such experiences, indeed a wide range of experiences, but no one experience is singled out to be sought by all (except prophecy). There is no distinctively second (or third) experience of the Spirit in the NT, and Paul warned against overvaluing particular manifestations of the Spirit (1 Cor 14:6-19; 2 Cor 12:1-10; cf. Mk 8:11-13). Where particular experiences are valued, it is as manifestations of a more sustained experience, particular expressions of an underlying relationship (cf. Acts 6:3-5; 11:24—“full of the Spirit”; Eph 5:18). What we are in touch with here is the vigor of the experiential dimension of earliest Christianity. If the Spirit is the breath of the new life in Christ (cf. Ez 37:9-10, 14; Jn 20:22; 1 Cor 15:45), then presumably the analogy extends further, and the experience of the Spirit is like the experience of breathing: one is not conscious of it all the time, but if one is not conscious of it, at least sometimes, something is wrong.<\/p>\n<h5>The Fellowship of the Spirit<\/h5>\n<p>It was out of this shared experience of the Spirit that the earliest Christian community grew and developed, for this is what “the fellowship [<span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">koinonia<\/span>] of the Spirit” properly means: common participation in the same Spirit (Phil 2:1; cf. Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 1:4-9). It was the gift of the Spirit that brought those in Samaria, Caesarea, and elsewhere effectively into the community of the Spirit (Act 8, 10). So also, it was the experience of the one Spirit that provided the unifying bond in the churches of Paul’s mission (1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:3-4; Phil 2:1-2). Here we see the real importance of the divine manifestations of the Spirit for Paul: it is out of the diversity of these particular manifestations that the body of Christ grows in unity (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12-17; Eph 4:4-16).<\/p>","summary_ro":"SPIRIT OF GOD Description of God in action, God in motion. The word “spirit” (Hebrew, ruach; Greek, pneuma) is the word used from ancient times to describe and explain the experience of divine power working in, upon, and around people. In the Old Testament There are three basic meanings evident in the use of “spirit” from the earliest Hebrew writings: It was a wind from God, it was the breath of life, and it was a spirit of ecstasy. First, it was a wind from God (the same Hebrew word translat...","summary_en":"SPIRIT OF GOD Description of God in action, God in motion. The word “spirit” (Hebrew, ruach; Greek, pneuma) is the word used from ancient times to describe and explain the experience of divine power working in, upon, and around people. In the Old Testament There are three basic meanings evident in the use of “spirit” from the earliest Hebrew writings: It was a wind from God, it was the breath of life, and it was a spirit of ecstasy. First, it was a wind from God (the same Hebrew word translat...","source":"Articles\/S.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67510,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95136,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122762,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150388,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"7":[{"id":58532,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:7","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","summary_en":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86158,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:7","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","summary_en":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113784,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:7","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","summary_en":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141410,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:7","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:7","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:7<\/strong> Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by <em>people outside the church<\/em> (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The <em>trap<\/em> might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","summary_en":"3:7 Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"8":[{"id":8895,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":37360,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to Timothy","title_en":"First Letter to Timothy","content_ro":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","summary_en":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58533,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","summary_en":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58534,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","summary_en":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86159,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","summary_en":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86160,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","summary_en":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113785,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","summary_en":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113786,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","summary_en":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141411,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8-13<\/strong> The Greek word translated <em>deacon<\/em> (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","summary_en":"3:8-13 The Greek word translated deacon (“servant, assistant, courier, agent”) and its cognates (“service, to serve”) are commonly used for service of any kind (e.g., 4:6; Matt 22:13; John 2:5; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 1 Cor 3:5). As designating an office in the church, it occurs only in 1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1; and (maybe) Rom 16:1. This passage concentrates on character rather than activities. See also study note on Acts 6:2-6.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141412,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:8","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:8<\/strong> <em>must not be . . . dishonest with money<\/em> (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","summary_en":"3:8 must not be . . . dishonest with money (3:3): Greed is disreputable and improper (6:6-10, 17-19; Eph 5:3; Col 3:5), especially for those who lead in the church (1 Tim 3:9; see Titus 1:7).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"9":[{"id":26737,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mystery","title_en":"Mystery","content_ro":"<h3>MYSTERY<\/h3>\n<p>Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told.<\/p>\n<p>The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly seen (among over 30 occurrences in Scripture) are Daniel 3:18-28; 4:6 (Septuagint); Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-6, 9-12; Colossians 1:26-29; 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16; Revelation 1:20; 10:7; 17:5-18.<\/p>\n<p>In the passages in Daniel, the emphasis is on the revelation that God gave Daniel concerning the content and meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the future. It is important to note here that the dream was about what God was going to do. No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner could explain it, but “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Dn 2:28).<\/p>\n<p>Scholarly studies in recent years have determined that similar themes are found in other Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The stress is on the decisions God has made about the future, especially the end time. The world wrestles with such matters as the problem of evil (i.e., Why, if God is both good and powerful, do people still suffer?). The believer identifies with these problems but knows that God has his providential plans and that one day he will make all things clear. The way God will bring vindication for those who are wronged in this world and judgment to those who do wrong is part of the content of the “mystery” and was a major emphasis in the writings around the time of Christ. God controls the affairs of the universe. The nations will eventually fulfill his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, and Luke 8:10 are part of the parables of the kingdom. The kingdom itself is related to the final climactic work of God in history. This is seen in some of the imagery of the parables, such as the harvest, which symbolizes future judgment. Therefore, the word “mystery” is appropriate and significant here. In the immediate context Jesus is explaining why he uses parables. They both vividly illustrate truth and conceal truth from those who are not receptive to it. Therefore, the word “mystery” (plural in Mt and Lk) describes the inner meaning of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Those who accept the message will know its meaning; those who do not will lose not only the meaning but apparently also the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of salvation (Mt 13:12-15).<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of this passage lies in the unasked question as to why, if the Messiah has come, evil still persists in the world. The servants in one of the parables wanted to pull up the weeds, symbolizing evil or evil persons, but were told to allow them to grow until the time of harvest—that is, the judgment (Mt 13:24-30). The persistence of evil in the world and the way God will eventually deal with it is one of the “mysteries.”<\/p>\n<p>Romans 11:25 occurs in a large section (chs 9–11) that deals with the people of Israel and their future. Once again, the issue concerns a present problem and its future resolution. In this case the problem is the unbelief of Israel. The hardening of Israel during the present time is called a “mystery” (Rom 11:25). God’s purposes will not be thwarted, however, “and so all Israel will be saved” (v 26). This emphasis on the purposes of God is closely intertwined with the concept of the “mystery” and is basic to this entire passage.<\/p>\n<p>Romans 16:25 is broader in its scope, connecting the “revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past” with Paul’s “gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” Here the focus is more closely on the meaning of the death of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>God’s “secret wisdom” is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:7. The context is the message of the cross that Paul preaches. This message is foolishness to those who consider themselves wise but are lost, and it is the “foolishness” of what is preached that brings salvation to believers (1:18-25). Paul does not attempt to proclaim worldly “wisdom,” but he does declare a “message of wisdom” to those who are spiritually mature (2:6). To these he speaks the “secret wisdom,” or literally, “wisdom in a secret” (v 7). This passage clearly connects the basic concept of “mystery” as the counsel of God with the death of Christ as the means of salvation. It also connects mystery with the process of history (“the rulers of this age”) and with the sweep of God’s purposes from OT times into the future. Verse 10 emphasizes the fact that God has indeed revealed these mysteries to us.<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul again speaks from the context of a contrast between God’s wisdom and that of the world (3:18-23). He speaks not only of secret things or mysteries but also introduces the concept of stewardship. He has been entrusted with the revelation of God’s mystery and must be faithful in his ministry of declaring it. This theme will reappear in Ephesians 3:2-6.<\/p>\n<p>Paul returns to the relationship of mystery and the end time in 1 Corinthians 15:51. The earlier passage (2:9-16) showed that human knowledge cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned, but God has revealed this mystery to believers. A major aspect of this revealed mystery is the way in which the faithful will be brought into the presence of God: “Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (15:51-52, <span>rsv<\/span>). The other references to mystery in 1 Corinthians occur in the broad context of chapters 12–14 dealing with spiritual gifts, which include receiving divine revelation, so the term “mysteries” in 13:2 and 14:2 is appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Ephesians opens with a series of statements about God’s purpose in history, culminating in the universal headship of Christ (Eph 1:10). These statements include such terms as “chose,” “destined,” “will,” “purpose,” “plan,” and “counsel.” This is clearly the range of ideas associated with the word “mystery” in ancient Jewish writings, and these ideas shed light on Paul’s use of the summary expression: “For he has made known to us . . . the mystery of his will” (v 9, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Part of God’s purpose was to form a body of believers, reconciled to himself and to each other through the cross (Eph 2:14-18). In this body, Jewish and Gentile believers have been made members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus, a new phase of God’s revealed plan, which Paul here calls a “mystery” (3:6). As noted above, Paul himself has a responsibility to minister the truth of this “mystery” faithfully (3:2-5; cf. 1 Cor 4:1-5).<\/p>\n<p>Colossians continues to show Paul’s sense of responsibility regarding this “mystery,” which is now identified with the “word of God” (Col 1:25-29). Once again there is the idea of the span of history linked with the mystery that is known only by revelation: “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints” (v 26). As in Ephesians, the church is the locus for the working out of God’s mystery, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v 27). This Christ is proclaimed in wisdom, so that believers may reach mature completion in him (v 28). The Colossian believers are asked to pray for Paul as he preaches this “mystery” (4:3).<\/p>\n<p>It is made clear in 1 Timothy 3:16 that the “mystery of godliness” includes the basic elements associated with the “mystery,” such as its manifestation in the world and ultimate vindication. However, this grand plan of God does not unfold without opposition. In connection with the coming of the end time, Paul again mentions a mystery. This time it is a dark mystery, called the “secret power of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:7). A similar evil force, “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes,” is introduced in the book of Revelation with the word “mystery” (Rv 17:5). Perhaps the idea is that there are forces counter to God whose workings are also impossible for humans to understand. God’s truth and power will, however, prevail over these, as he brings his own mystery, his wise counsel, to fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 10:6-7 declares this fulfillment. The ages of waiting in perplexity, of enduring evil, are over, as the angel announces, “There will be no more delay!” The time has finally come when “the mystery of God will be accomplished.” Note the dynamic quality of the mystery in this context. It is not just static truth but something that can be “accomplished.” This great climax to history is in accord with God’s previous revelation “to his servants, the prophets.” The mystery, then, is God’s wise counsel, which both guides history and is revealed in its culmination. It expresses God’s answer to the problem of evil and the vain opposition by evil powers. It declares the meaning of the central event in history, the death of Christ, and reveals the results of the resurrection in the ultimate transformation of all believers at the coming of Christ.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MYSTERY<\/h3>\n<p>Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told.<\/p>\n<p>The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly seen (among over 30 occurrences in Scripture) are Daniel 3:18-28; 4:6 (Septuagint); Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-6, 9-12; Colossians 1:26-29; 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16; Revelation 1:20; 10:7; 17:5-18.<\/p>\n<p>In the passages in Daniel, the emphasis is on the revelation that God gave Daniel concerning the content and meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the future. It is important to note here that the dream was about what God was going to do. No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner could explain it, but “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Dn 2:28).<\/p>\n<p>Scholarly studies in recent years have determined that similar themes are found in other Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The stress is on the decisions God has made about the future, especially the end time. The world wrestles with such matters as the problem of evil (i.e., Why, if God is both good and powerful, do people still suffer?). The believer identifies with these problems but knows that God has his providential plans and that one day he will make all things clear. The way God will bring vindication for those who are wronged in this world and judgment to those who do wrong is part of the content of the “mystery” and was a major emphasis in the writings around the time of Christ. God controls the affairs of the universe. The nations will eventually fulfill his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, and Luke 8:10 are part of the parables of the kingdom. The kingdom itself is related to the final climactic work of God in history. This is seen in some of the imagery of the parables, such as the harvest, which symbolizes future judgment. Therefore, the word “mystery” is appropriate and significant here. In the immediate context Jesus is explaining why he uses parables. They both vividly illustrate truth and conceal truth from those who are not receptive to it. Therefore, the word “mystery” (plural in Mt and Lk) describes the inner meaning of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Those who accept the message will know its meaning; those who do not will lose not only the meaning but apparently also the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of salvation (Mt 13:12-15).<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of this passage lies in the unasked question as to why, if the Messiah has come, evil still persists in the world. The servants in one of the parables wanted to pull up the weeds, symbolizing evil or evil persons, but were told to allow them to grow until the time of harvest—that is, the judgment (Mt 13:24-30). The persistence of evil in the world and the way God will eventually deal with it is one of the “mysteries.”<\/p>\n<p>Romans 11:25 occurs in a large section (chs 9–11) that deals with the people of Israel and their future. Once again, the issue concerns a present problem and its future resolution. In this case the problem is the unbelief of Israel. The hardening of Israel during the present time is called a “mystery” (Rom 11:25). God’s purposes will not be thwarted, however, “and so all Israel will be saved” (v 26). This emphasis on the purposes of God is closely intertwined with the concept of the “mystery” and is basic to this entire passage.<\/p>\n<p>Romans 16:25 is broader in its scope, connecting the “revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past” with Paul’s “gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” Here the focus is more closely on the meaning of the death of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>God’s “secret wisdom” is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:7. The context is the message of the cross that Paul preaches. This message is foolishness to those who consider themselves wise but are lost, and it is the “foolishness” of what is preached that brings salvation to believers (1:18-25). Paul does not attempt to proclaim worldly “wisdom,” but he does declare a “message of wisdom” to those who are spiritually mature (2:6). To these he speaks the “secret wisdom,” or literally, “wisdom in a secret” (v 7). This passage clearly connects the basic concept of “mystery” as the counsel of God with the death of Christ as the means of salvation. It also connects mystery with the process of history (“the rulers of this age”) and with the sweep of God’s purposes from OT times into the future. Verse 10 emphasizes the fact that God has indeed revealed these mysteries to us.<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul again speaks from the context of a contrast between God’s wisdom and that of the world (3:18-23). He speaks not only of secret things or mysteries but also introduces the concept of stewardship. He has been entrusted with the revelation of God’s mystery and must be faithful in his ministry of declaring it. This theme will reappear in Ephesians 3:2-6.<\/p>\n<p>Paul returns to the relationship of mystery and the end time in 1 Corinthians 15:51. The earlier passage (2:9-16) showed that human knowledge cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned, but God has revealed this mystery to believers. A major aspect of this revealed mystery is the way in which the faithful will be brought into the presence of God: “Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (15:51-52, <span>rsv<\/span>). The other references to mystery in 1 Corinthians occur in the broad context of chapters 12–14 dealing with spiritual gifts, which include receiving divine revelation, so the term “mysteries” in 13:2 and 14:2 is appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Ephesians opens with a series of statements about God’s purpose in history, culminating in the universal headship of Christ (Eph 1:10). These statements include such terms as “chose,” “destined,” “will,” “purpose,” “plan,” and “counsel.” This is clearly the range of ideas associated with the word “mystery” in ancient Jewish writings, and these ideas shed light on Paul’s use of the summary expression: “For he has made known to us . . . the mystery of his will” (v 9, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Part of God’s purpose was to form a body of believers, reconciled to himself and to each other through the cross (Eph 2:14-18). In this body, Jewish and Gentile believers have been made members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus, a new phase of God’s revealed plan, which Paul here calls a “mystery” (3:6). As noted above, Paul himself has a responsibility to minister the truth of this “mystery” faithfully (3:2-5; cf. 1 Cor 4:1-5).<\/p>\n<p>Colossians continues to show Paul’s sense of responsibility regarding this “mystery,” which is now identified with the “word of God” (Col 1:25-29). Once again there is the idea of the span of history linked with the mystery that is known only by revelation: “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints” (v 26). As in Ephesians, the church is the locus for the working out of God’s mystery, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v 27). This Christ is proclaimed in wisdom, so that believers may reach mature completion in him (v 28). The Colossian believers are asked to pray for Paul as he preaches this “mystery” (4:3).<\/p>\n<p>It is made clear in 1 Timothy 3:16 that the “mystery of godliness” includes the basic elements associated with the “mystery,” such as its manifestation in the world and ultimate vindication. However, this grand plan of God does not unfold without opposition. In connection with the coming of the end time, Paul again mentions a mystery. This time it is a dark mystery, called the “secret power of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:7). A similar evil force, “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes,” is introduced in the book of Revelation with the word “mystery” (Rv 17:5). Perhaps the idea is that there are forces counter to God whose workings are also impossible for humans to understand. God’s truth and power will, however, prevail over these, as he brings his own mystery, his wise counsel, to fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 10:6-7 declares this fulfillment. The ages of waiting in perplexity, of enduring evil, are over, as the angel announces, “There will be no more delay!” The time has finally come when “the mystery of God will be accomplished.” Note the dynamic quality of the mystery in this context. It is not just static truth but something that can be “accomplished.” This great climax to history is in accord with God’s previous revelation “to his servants, the prophets.” The mystery, then, is God’s wise counsel, which both guides history and is revealed in its culmination. It expresses God’s answer to the problem of evil and the vain opposition by evil powers. It declares the meaning of the central event in history, the death of Christ, and reveals the results of the resurrection in the ultimate transformation of all believers at the coming of Christ.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MYSTERY Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told. The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly...","summary_en":"MYSTERY Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told. The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"11":[{"id":8904,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":37361,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to Timothy","title_en":"First Letter to Timothy","content_ro":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","summary_en":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58535,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:11","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","summary_en":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86161,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:11","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","summary_en":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113787,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:11","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","summary_en":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141413,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:11","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:11<\/strong> <em>their wives<\/em> (or <em>the women deacons<\/em>): The Greek word can be translated <em>women<\/em> or <em>wives.<\/em> In favor of <em>their wives,<\/em> 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","summary_en":"3:11 their wives (or the women deacons): The Greek word can be translated women or wives. In favor of their wives, 3:8-13 is a discussion of male deacons; switching to “women deacons” would disrupt the flow of thought. However, there might have been women deacons in the early church (see Rom 16:1). In that case, this verse might parallel 1 Tim 3:8.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"12":[{"id":37362,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"First Letter to Timothy","title_en":"First Letter to Timothy","content_ro":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>TIMOTHY, First Letter to<\/h3>\n<p>The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy.<\/p>\n<p>The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Theology<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the first verse. And Paul’s name is the only one assigned as author in the tradition of the early church since the time of Irenaeus (c. <span>AD<\/span> 185). Throughout all three letters are many personal references to the life of Paul, which constitute strong evidence that he was truly the author.<\/p>\n<p>However, some scholars object to Pauline authorship on the following grounds:<\/p>\n<p>1. The Greek vocabulary contains a large number of words that are not found in the other Pauline letters.<\/p>\n<p>But the subject matter in these letters is also different. In the Pastoral Epistles the author is dealing with the more technical matters of church organization and discipline—a church leader writing to other leaders. Paul was a highly educated man, with a large vocabulary at his disposal. None of the words peculiar to the Pastoral Letters would have been beyond Paul’s own vocabulary. And if these weren’t his words, they may have come from the scribes that Paul regularly used to compose his epistles.<\/p>\n<li>2. There are notes about Paul’s journeys that do not fit into the journeys described in the book of Acts.<\/li>\n<p>To believe that Paul wrote the Pastorals and did the things described in them, he must have been released from Roman imprisonment and then traveled to Crete, Ephesus, and Macedonia. These later journeys may not have been mentioned in Acts because the writer of Acts concluded this book with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. There is some legal evidence that Paul would automatically have been released after two years, if he had not been convicted by that time.<\/p>\n<li>3. The advanced development of the church described in the pastorals proves a date later than the life of Paul. Elders, bishops, and deacons are mentioned.<\/li>\n<p>However, elders existed in OT times and bishops, as officers within local churches, are almost certainly the same as elders. In addition, Paul refers to deacons elsewhere in his letters, such as Philippians 1:1.<\/p>\n<p>Most conservative scholars, and many others as well, believe very strongly that Paul did write all three of the Pastoral Letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>Assuming that Paul wrote the Pastorals, 1 Timothy would have been written after his release from the first Roman imprisonment, about <span>AD<\/span> 61 or 62, and before his second Roman imprisonment, somewhere between 64 and 67, the date of the death of Nero. As to the place, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus and then went on to Macedonia (1 Tm 1:3), where he may have written 1 Timothy. The letter was, of course, written to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>Paul left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (1:2-3). Paul wanted to go to the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was the chief city, on his second missionary journey, but the Spirit did not allow him to do so. He went on to Macedonia and Greece (Acts 16:6). He briefly visited Ephesus as he was completing his second journey (18:19-20). Then on his third journey he made Ephesus the center of his activity and spent three years there (19:1–20:1). During his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote an encyclical letter to Ephesus and the nearby churches. Only a few years later, he wrote 1 Timothy to Timothy at Ephesus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Theology\">Theology<\/p>\n<p>In general, the theology of 1 Timothy is consistent with that of the other Pauline letters and of the NT as a whole. The sovereignty and love of God are clearly presented time and again throughout the letter. Jesus is always presented as being truly God as well as man. Salvation is by faith in God through Christ. The law will not save a person, because all people have broken it. Yet the law is good and is God’s guide for the saved person in living a life pleasing to God.<\/p>\n<p>The church occupies a large place in the letter. All Christians should be a part of the church. They gain much from the church for the development of Christian character, and they can serve God far more effectively in the church than apart from it. The church needs organization to do its work effectively. And the church must strive always to avoid heresy and to teach the truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<h5>Salutation (1:1-2)<\/h5>\n<p>The author names himself, Paul, and describes himself as an apostle, chosen by God and authorized by God the Father and his Son, Christ Jesus. Paul had the right to speak words of authority to the young pastor and to the church.<\/p>\n<p>The letter is written to Timothy, Paul’s beloved spiritual child, to whom Paul gave his triple blessing—grace, mercy, and peace from God.<\/p>\n<h5>Dealing with Heresy (1:3-20)<\/h5>\n<p>One of the reasons Paul left Timothy in Ephesus was that he wanted him to “stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine” (1:3). Paul believed that what a person believed was as important as what he did. The heresy here is described as an early form of the Gnostic heresy, a dangerous heresy plaguing the church for centuries.<\/p>\n<p>These early Gnostics claimed to have a deeper insight into truth than the average Christian. They separated God as Spirit from man as matter. For Gnostics, the bridge between the two was made up of innumerable angels of various ranks, emanations, aeons, and such, rather than the one mediator, Jesus Christ. They argued about myths and fables. They sought salvation by finding favor with an endless chain of angels rather than by accepting God’s salvation by faith. But only the grace of God can save sinners, as Paul himself knew well.<\/p>\n<h5>Correct Worship in the Church (2:1-15)<\/h5>\n<p>“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men” (2:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). Prayer is an exceedingly important part of the worship of the Christian church. Paul emphasized the importance of special prayer for persons in high places of authority in the state (even though the state was the Roman Empire with Nero as its emperor). Paul had taught this clearly in Romans 13, and Jesus had told his disciples to give to Caesar the things that belonged to him (Mt 22:17).<\/p>\n<p>Christian men and women should pray to God, lifting up holy hands to him, hands free from sin and anger and resentment. Paul specifically urged the sisters as follows: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do” (1 Tm 2:9-10, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Paul said, “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them” (v 12). This did not mean, however, that they could not function orally in the church meetings. According to Acts and 1 Corinthians, it is quite clear that women prayed, prophesied, and testified in church meetings. But teaching was reserved for the men because it was the duty of the elders (who were male) to be the teachers. Thus, teaching and exercising authority went hand in hand.<\/p>\n<h5>Proper Organization in the Church (3:1–5:25)<\/h5>\n<p>The first issue to resolve about the organization of the early church had to do with who the bishops were. The first verse of this section reads, “If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task” (3:1, <span>rsv<\/span>). In all the Pastoral Epistles, the bishop is clearly an officer within a local church rather than an official over a group of churches, such as the office of the episcopal bishop, which developed in the early second century. And in the light of Titus 1:4-6, where Paul passed directly from elders to bishops, most scholars believe that Paul used the two terms interchangeably. Timothy himself would be the closest thing to a modern pastor in the church, and there were elders (bishops) and deacons assisting him in governing the church.<\/p>\n<p>To be an elder in the church is a worthy aspiration. But a person must have high qualifications to be elected to such a responsible position. He should be respected by other members of the church and by those outside the church. Most of the qualifications are quite clear but several of them deserve some attention.<\/p>\n<p>“Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of one wife” (3:2, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Greek says literally, “a man of one woman.” That would clearly prohibit polygamy and eliminate a man who was unfaithful to his wife. It would probably eliminate neither a man who had been divorced and remarried nor a bachelor who had never had a wife. The church should insist that its official leaders conform to a high view of sexual morality.<\/p>\n<p>The elder should be able to discipline his own family life if he is to exert discipline in the church. The man also should not be a drunkard. Paul did not demand total abstinence, but he clearly demanded that an elder not be a person under the domination of strong drink. And a person occupying the high office of elder should not be a new Christian (lit. a neophyte), lest this go to his head and keep him from being a good elder. All in all, only a person of excellent character should be elected to the high office of elder, or bishop, in the church.<\/p>\n<p>Then Paul went on to speak about the office of the deacon: “In the same way, deacons must be people who are respected and have integrity” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>). The qualifications for the deacons are virtually the same as those for elders. Before being elected as deacons, they should have experience in church work. First Timothy 3:11 applies the same qualifications to women aspiring to be deacons and\/or to wives of deacons (<span>nlt<\/span> mg). Verse 12 continues with the qualifications of deacons in general.<\/p>\n<p>In chapter 4 Paul urges Timothy to exercise his leadership in the church, especially in his relation to the heretics. Some of the Gnostic heretics taught a false kind of asceticism, forbidding marriage and the eating of various foods. But God has given these things to be used and appreciated for God’s glory. Timothy’s pastoral duty was to teach his people God’s truths and not to allow himself to be caught up in arguing about the heretics’ godless and silly myths (4:7). Paul urged Timothy to keep his spirit fit by constant spiritual exercise, which was even more important than exercise of the body.<\/p>\n<p>Paul recognized that Timothy was a young man, and that some of the older Christians might be tempted to look down upon his youth. Timothy should strive even harder to deserve their admiration—“in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (4:12). Because God had called Timothy and the church had ordained him by the laying on of hands, Timothy should strive to live up to these high responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Paul gave Timothy practical advice as to how a young preacher should deal with the different age and sex groups in the church. He should treat the older men as his own father, the older women as his mother, the younger men as his brothers, and the younger women as his sisters—adding significantly, “in all purity” (5:2).<\/p>\n<p>Paul also told Timothy how to deal with the problem of widows. At that time, when few women could work and before the days of insurance and Social Security, women who had lost their husbands were in a hopeless situation. The early church developed a roll for widows that would enable it to minister to their needs. Younger widows were to be encouraged to marry again and get new husbands to support them. Able families should recognize their responsibility to take care of their own needy ones. The church, then, would have the responsibility of taking care of the older widows who had no families to take care of them. The church, with its charitable obligations, must use its limited means responsibly, wisely, and fairly so that the greatest possible good can result.<\/p>\n<p>Even in the early church, church leaders were paid for their work. Paul said that they should “be considered worthy of double honor” (5:17). Church leaders should not be chosen or ordained too quickly. Their sins should not be overlooked. Even Timothy himself was warned to keep himself free from sin. The section ends with another treatment of the sins of church leaders (vv 24-25). When the sins are clear, the sinner must be disciplined by the church. At times, a person’s sins are not evident to other people, but God knows them and will deal with them. Conversely, the same is true about the many good deeds of the leaders.<\/p>\n<h5>Some Practical Teaching about the Christian Life (6:1-21)<\/h5>\n<p>Slavery was a recognized institution in those days. Christian slaves should be good slaves, and Christian masters should be good masters. After many centuries, Christian principles would bring slavery to an end, but it would have been impossible for Paul or anyone else at that time to lead a crusade for the abolition of slavery.<\/p>\n<p>Timothy was urged to avoid the teaching of the heretics but to be faithful in teaching the positive truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Two sections (6:6-10, 17-19) deal with the Christian’s attitude toward wealth. Here Paul closely followed the teachings of Jesus. Money can be made into a false god and bring all kinds of evil to the church member. But it can also be used in the service of God and be changed into treasure stored in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in two sections (6:11-16, 20-21), Paul encouraged Timothy to strive to do his very best to be truly God’s man. He should fight a good fight as a soldier of God. This life will often be hard, but Timothy should keep his eyes fixed on the second coming of the glorious Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Timothy, Second Letter to; Titus, Letter to.<\/p>","summary_ro":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","summary_en":"TIMOTHY, First Letter to The first of Paul’s epistles to his young coworker Timothy. The authorship, date, and background of 1 Timothy must be considered together with those of the other two Pastoral Epistles, 2 Timothy and Titus, which were written to two young coworkers to help them deal with pastoral problems in the churches of Ephesus and Crete. Preview • Author • Date • Background • Theology • Content Author In 1 Timothy, as in 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul is named as the author in the firs...","source":"Articles\/T.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67511,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95137,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122763,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150389,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"13":[{"id":8906,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Deacon, Deaconess*","title_en":"Deacon, Deaconess*","content_ro":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>DEACON, DEACONESS*<\/h3>\n<p>Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century <span>AD<\/span> Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OriginsoftheConcept\">Origins of the Concept<\/p>\n<h5>Greek Usage<\/h5>\n<p>References have been found in extrabiblical writings where the Greek word “deacon” meant “waiter,” “servant,” “steward,” or “messenger.” In at least two instances it indicated a baker and a cook. In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples. Ancient documents show “deacons” presiding at the dedication of a statue to the Greek god Hermes. Serapis and Isis, Egyptian deities, were served by a college of “deacons” presided over by a priest.<\/p>\n<h5>General New Testament Usage<\/h5>\n<p>The same word was used by biblical writers in a general sense to describe various ministries or services. Not until later in the development of the apostolic church was the term applied to a distinct body of church officers. Among its general usages, “deacon” refers to a waiter at meals (Jn 2:5, 9), a king’s attendant (Mt 22:13), a servant of Satan (2 Cor 11:15), a servant of God (6:4), a servant of Christ (11:23), a servant of the church (Col 1:24-25), and a political ruler (Rom 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>The NT presents servanthood in the sense of ministry or service as a mark of the whole church—that is, as normative for all disciples (Mt 20:26-28; Lk 22:26-27). Jesus’ teaching on the final judgment equates ministry with feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned (Mt 25:31-46). The entire NT emphasizes compassionate care for individuals’ physical and spiritual needs as well as the giving of oneself to meeting those needs. Such service is ultimately a ministry to Christ himself (v 45).<\/p>\n<h5>Origin of the Office<\/h5>\n<p>There is little question that before the end of the first century the general term for service or ministry became a kind of title for a position or office in the church. That development evidently went through several stages.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical scholars emphasize a relationship between the <em>hazzan<\/em> of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian office of deacon. The <em>hazzan<\/em> opened and closed the synagogue doors, kept it clean, and handed out the books for reading. It was probably to such a person that Jesus handed the scroll of Isaiah after finishing his reading (Lk 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>Other NT scholars give considerable attention to the choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6); they see that action as a historical forerunner of a more developed structure (Phil 1:1; 1 Tm 3:8-13—the two specific references to an “office” of deacon). Luke devoted considerable attention in Acts to the selection of a new set of church leaders. Overworked with a variety of responsibilities, the 12 apostles proposed a division of labor to ensure care for the Hellenist (Greek-speaking) widows in the church’s daily distribution of food and alms. Seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3), subsequently became prominent in the Jerusalem congregation, doing works of charity and caring for physical needs.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars caution that the diaconate should not be exclusively linked with charitable works, since the Greek word used in Acts 6:2 is related to the word translated “ministry of the word” in verse 4. Those chosen to oversee the care for physical needs were people of spiritual stature. Stephen, for instance, “full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs” (6:8, <span>rsv<\/span>). Philip, appointed as one of the seven in Acts 6, “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (8:12). Philip also baptized (v 38) and is referred to as an evangelist (21:8).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"DeaconsintheEarlyChurch\">Deacons in the Early Church<\/p>\n<p>Those who cite Acts 6 as a preliminary stage of the office of deacon refer to the spread of the practice from the church in Jerusalem to the gentile congregations sprouting elsewhere. Many churches probably took the appointing of “the Jerusalem seven” as a pattern to follow, some even adopting the number seven. In a letter of the third-century pope Cornelius, for example, the church of Rome was said to have maintained seven for the number of deacons.<\/p>\n<p>By the time the church of Philippi received its instructions from the apostle Paul (c. <span>AD<\/span> 62) and Timothy had Paul’s first letter in hand, “deacon” had become a technical term referring to a specific office in the churches. In Philippians 1:1 Paul addressed the church in general and then added “with bishops and deacons.” Some interpreters consider that to be a clear establishment of two distinct groups within the larger church body, though no further description is given. Possibly the deacons of that congregation were responsible for collecting and then dispatching the offerings referred to (Phil 4:14-18).<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Timothy 3:8-13 instructions are given about qualifications for the office of deacon. Although that is the most detailed treatment of the subject in the NT, it is actually quite sketchy. Most of the qualifications, dealing with personal character and behavior, are similar to those for a bishop. For instance, a deacon is to be truthful, monogamous, “not addicted to much wine,” and a responsible parent. Verse 11, requiring that “the women likewise must be serious, not slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things” (<span>rsv<\/span>), may refer not to deacons’ wives but to deaconesses, as several translations note (<span>niv<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). In any event, it is clear that women participated in the work of the diaconate.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to the office of bishop (1 Tm 3:2), deacons are not described as providing teaching or hospitality. In fact, no mention is made of any functional qualifications to clarify deacons’ or deaconesses’ roles in the early church. The character qualifications listed are appropriate for those with monetary and administrative responsibilities (as Acts 6:1-6 suggests). Timothy is told that good deacons will not go unrewarded; not only will their faith increase, but also their good standing among those whom they serve (1 Tm 3:13).<\/p>\n<p>The NT writings indicate that to be chosen as a deacon or deaconess is a high compliment and affirmation. Named as “deacons” were Timothy (1 Thes 3:2; 1 Tm 4:6), Tychicus (Col 4:7), Epaphras (1:7), Paul (1 Cor 3:5)—and even Christ (Rom 15:8, “servant”). Biblical “deaconing” is not characterized by power and prominence but by service to others. In imitation of Jesus’ life, the deacon or deaconess followed the servant pattern. The Christian diaconate thus contrasted sharply with the prevailing Greek thought of service, which was considered unworthy of the dignity of free men. (The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “How can man be happy when he has to serve someone?”)<\/p>\n<p>The office of deacon differed from the office of elder, which was adapted from a definite Jewish pattern in the OT (see Nm 11:16-17; Dt 29:10). The diaconate, on the other hand, developed from the strong, personal, historical example of Jesus, the servant who compassionately met concrete human needs.<\/p>\n<p>As the office of deacon became more firmly established, its duties could be defined as those of pastoral care. The poor and the sick received their service not only physically but also with instruction and consolation. The homes of church members became familiar territory to a deacon or deaconess. A pattern of visitation was established to discover and then meet the needs of the church body at large. Although that included the administration of funds, it went far beyond it. Those who served as deacons and deaconesses undoubtedly became symbols of loving care for the church in general.<\/p>\n<p>Where the office of deacon fits into the larger pattern of church order within the NT is difficult to determine because of the obvious variety present during the formative years. Some church historians conclude that as ecclesiastical structure developed, elders provided congregational leadership. Deacons assisted them, especially in social services and pastoral care. The late first and early second centuries witnessed a distinctive threefold ministry of deacons, elders (presbyters), and bishops. Bishops or “overseers” began to exercise authority over areas or groups of churches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deaconess\">Deaconess<\/p>\n<p>Where did women fit into the ministry of the early church? Paul’s inclusion of references to women in ministry is striking when compared with the role of women in general in the first century. He commended Phoebe for her service in the church at Cenchrea, using the word “deacon” to describe her (Rom 16:1). He praised her as a “helper” (v 2), a word that denotes leadership qualities (cf. Rom 12:8; 1 Tm 3:4-5). Some scholars have used that reference as an example of early development of the office of deaconess. Others have interpreted it in a nontechnical sense, meaning that Phoebe functioned in a generally serving role and thus was worthy of recognition at Rome. Whether “deacon” was used technically or descriptively, ministry for both women and men in the NT was patterned after the example of Jesus, who “came not to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). Because of the large number of female converts (Acts 5:14; 17:4), women functioned in such areas of ministry as visitation, instruction in discipleship, and assistance in baptism. Deaconesses are mentioned in third-century documents as administering baptism to female converts.<\/p>\n<p>Considering the rigid separation of the sexes in the Near East at that time, female participation in church ministry stands out in bold relief. A governor of Bithynia, Pliny the Younger (early second century), in his <em>Correspondence with Trajan<\/em> verified women officeholders in the church. Pliny also mentioned two deaconesses who were martyred for the cause of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Bishop; Elder; Pastor; Presbyter.<\/p>","summary_ro":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","summary_en":"DEACON, DEACONESS* Terms designating an officer in a local church, derived from a Greek word meaning “servant” or “minister.” The term “diaconate” is used for the office itself or for the collective body of deacons and deaconesses. As with many other biblical words used today in a technical sense, the words “deacon” and “deaconess” began as popular, nontechnical terms. Both in secular first-century AD Greek culture and in the NT, they described a variety of services. Origins of the Concept Gr...","source":"Articles\/D.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"14":[{"id":58536,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:14","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","summary_en":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86162,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:14","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","summary_en":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113788,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:14","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","summary_en":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141414,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:14","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:14–4:16<\/strong> This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","summary_en":"3:14–4:16 This section addresses how Timothy should occupy himself until Paul arrives (3:14-15; 4:13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"15":[{"id":12264,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Fellowship","title_en":"Fellowship","content_ro":"<h3>FELLOWSHIP<\/h3>\n<p>Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings.<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ultimate restoration of sinners through the work of the Redeemer (v 15).<\/p>\n<p>The OT tells how God began to draw a special people into fellowship with himself. Enoch is described as a man who walked with God (Gn 5:22, 24). Noah, likewise, walked in communion with the Lord (6:9). And Abraham, the father of Israel, is called “the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). No OT person had deeper fellowship with God than did Moses during his 40-day encounter with the Lord on Mt Sinai (Ex 24). Later in Israel’s history, David wrote psalms that reflect a heart vitally in tune with the living God (Pss 16, 34, 40, 63).<\/p>\n<p>As a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross, God now makes his permanent abode in each believer’s heart (Jn 14:23). As a result, the fellowship that now prevails under the new covenant is nothing less than the vital, spiritual union of the believer with Christ (vv 20-21). Fellowship with God is the goal of the Christian life (1 Jn 1:3), and this relationship will be perfected forever when we see our Savior “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12), when God dwells with his people in eternity (Rv 21:3).<\/p>\n<p>The gospel restores fellowship not only with God but also among believers. Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples illustrates the relationship between the vertical and horizontal dimensions of fellowship (Mk 14:22-25). In the upper room, Jesus shared with his disciples a sacred love feast. The hearts of the Lord and his followers were knit together by a deep sense of love and commitment. Later, the disciples discovered that their own hearts were strongly united out of their common loyalty to Jesus. Following the cross and the outpouring of the Spirit, the church was born—that new society of people in fellowship with God and with one another.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of camaraderie among the first Christians is portrayed in the early chapters of Acts. The believers met together in house groups for teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42, 46). So profound was their sense of togetherness that the Christians pooled their possessions and distributed them to brothers and sisters in need (2:44-45; 4:32-35). Perhaps the dominant characteristic of this early Christian fellowship was the love among the believers (1 Thes 4:9; 1 Pt 1:22).<\/p>\n<p>Motivated by love, Paul organized among the gentile churches a collection for poor believers in Jerusalem. In Romans 15:26, which speaks of the gifts of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, the word translated “contribution” is the common Greek word for “fellowship.” Similarly, the fellowship that the Philippian church shared with Paul assumed the form of gifts to support the apostle’s ministry (Phil 1:5; 4:14-15).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture uses several images to describe the spirit of togetherness that characterized the early church. The first is “the household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1 Tm 3:15), or “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). In God’s household, love and hospitality are to be the rule (Heb 13:1-2). Further, the church is depicted as the family of God on earth (Eph 3:15). God is the Father, and believers are his faithful sons and daughters. The life of God’s family is to be governed by love, tenderness, compassion, and humility (Phil 2:1-4). Finally, the Christian fellowship is represented as the “one new man” or the “one body” (Eph 2:15-16). In spite of great natural diversity in the body, the Holy Spirit binds believers together into a single organism (4:4-6). In this fellowship of love, no believer is insignificant. Each member has been endowed with gifts for the spiritual edification of the entire body.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down the basis of fellowship in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (<span>rsv<\/span>). Jesus Christ, then, is the source and fount of all spiritual communion. Only when rightly related to the Lord do we experience true fellowship with another Christian. Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so a believer can have no real fellowship with an unbeliever. Neither can the Christian be in fellowship with one who walks contrary to the teaching of Christ (2 Jn 1:9-11), or a professing brother who is immoral, idolatrous, a drunkard, or a thief (1 Cor 5:11).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down several guidelines for enhancing the communion of believers in the body: (1) Love one another with the same compassion that Christ displayed to his own (Jn 13:34-35; 15:12). The law of the fellowship should be the rule of love (Heb 13:1). (2) Cultivate that spirit of humility that seeks the other person’s honor (Phil 2:3-5). (3) Lighten fellow believers’ loads by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). (4) Share material blessings with brothers and sisters in need (2 Cor 9:13). (5) Tenderly correct a sinner while helping to find solutions to the problems (Gal 6:1). (6) Succor a fellow believer in times of suffering (1 Cor 12:26). (7) Pray for one another in the Spirit without ceasing (Eph 6:18). The Christian will want to seriously regard the saying of an anonymous saint, “You cannot draw nigh to God if you are at a distance from your brother.”<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>FELLOWSHIP<\/h3>\n<p>Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings.<\/p>\n<p>In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ultimate restoration of sinners through the work of the Redeemer (v 15).<\/p>\n<p>The OT tells how God began to draw a special people into fellowship with himself. Enoch is described as a man who walked with God (Gn 5:22, 24). Noah, likewise, walked in communion with the Lord (6:9). And Abraham, the father of Israel, is called “the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). No OT person had deeper fellowship with God than did Moses during his 40-day encounter with the Lord on Mt Sinai (Ex 24). Later in Israel’s history, David wrote psalms that reflect a heart vitally in tune with the living God (Pss 16, 34, 40, 63).<\/p>\n<p>As a result of Christ’s finished work on the cross, God now makes his permanent abode in each believer’s heart (Jn 14:23). As a result, the fellowship that now prevails under the new covenant is nothing less than the vital, spiritual union of the believer with Christ (vv 20-21). Fellowship with God is the goal of the Christian life (1 Jn 1:3), and this relationship will be perfected forever when we see our Savior “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12), when God dwells with his people in eternity (Rv 21:3).<\/p>\n<p>The gospel restores fellowship not only with God but also among believers. Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples illustrates the relationship between the vertical and horizontal dimensions of fellowship (Mk 14:22-25). In the upper room, Jesus shared with his disciples a sacred love feast. The hearts of the Lord and his followers were knit together by a deep sense of love and commitment. Later, the disciples discovered that their own hearts were strongly united out of their common loyalty to Jesus. Following the cross and the outpouring of the Spirit, the church was born—that new society of people in fellowship with God and with one another.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of camaraderie among the first Christians is portrayed in the early chapters of Acts. The believers met together in house groups for teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42, 46). So profound was their sense of togetherness that the Christians pooled their possessions and distributed them to brothers and sisters in need (2:44-45; 4:32-35). Perhaps the dominant characteristic of this early Christian fellowship was the love among the believers (1 Thes 4:9; 1 Pt 1:22).<\/p>\n<p>Motivated by love, Paul organized among the gentile churches a collection for poor believers in Jerusalem. In Romans 15:26, which speaks of the gifts of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, the word translated “contribution” is the common Greek word for “fellowship.” Similarly, the fellowship that the Philippian church shared with Paul assumed the form of gifts to support the apostle’s ministry (Phil 1:5; 4:14-15).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture uses several images to describe the spirit of togetherness that characterized the early church. The first is “the household of God” (Eph 2:19; 1 Tm 3:15), or “the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). In God’s household, love and hospitality are to be the rule (Heb 13:1-2). Further, the church is depicted as the family of God on earth (Eph 3:15). God is the Father, and believers are his faithful sons and daughters. The life of God’s family is to be governed by love, tenderness, compassion, and humility (Phil 2:1-4). Finally, the Christian fellowship is represented as the “one new man” or the “one body” (Eph 2:15-16). In spite of great natural diversity in the body, the Holy Spirit binds believers together into a single organism (4:4-6). In this fellowship of love, no believer is insignificant. Each member has been endowed with gifts for the spiritual edification of the entire body.<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down the basis of fellowship in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (<span>rsv<\/span>). Jesus Christ, then, is the source and fount of all spiritual communion. Only when rightly related to the Lord do we experience true fellowship with another Christian. Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so a believer can have no real fellowship with an unbeliever. Neither can the Christian be in fellowship with one who walks contrary to the teaching of Christ (2 Jn 1:9-11), or a professing brother who is immoral, idolatrous, a drunkard, or a thief (1 Cor 5:11).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture lays down several guidelines for enhancing the communion of believers in the body: (1) Love one another with the same compassion that Christ displayed to his own (Jn 13:34-35; 15:12). The law of the fellowship should be the rule of love (Heb 13:1). (2) Cultivate that spirit of humility that seeks the other person’s honor (Phil 2:3-5). (3) Lighten fellow believers’ loads by bearing one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2). (4) Share material blessings with brothers and sisters in need (2 Cor 9:13). (5) Tenderly correct a sinner while helping to find solutions to the problems (Gal 6:1). (6) Succor a fellow believer in times of suffering (1 Cor 12:26). (7) Pray for one another in the Spirit without ceasing (Eph 6:18). The Christian will want to seriously regard the saying of an anonymous saint, “You cannot draw nigh to God if you are at a distance from your brother.”<\/p>","summary_ro":"FELLOWSHIP Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings. In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ...","summary_en":"FELLOWSHIP Communion with God, which results in common participation with other believers in the Spirit of God and God’s blessings. In the beginning Adam was placed in the Garden to enjoy friendship and communion with God. When Adam and Eve chose to assert their own autonomy rather than live under the Creator’s gracious care, the fellowship was broken. As a result, Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord’s presence (Gn 3:8). Yet God immediately sought them out and revealed his plan for the ...","source":"Articles\/F.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":58537,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:15","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","summary_en":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86163,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:15","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","summary_en":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113789,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:15","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","summary_en":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141415,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:15","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:15<\/strong> <em>household of God:<\/em> The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • <em>the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth:<\/em> This idea may anticipate the transition from the time of the apostles to the period after their deaths (cp. Gal 2:9; Rev 3:12). The church must be active rather than defensive in upholding <em>the truth<\/em> in the world (cp. 2 Cor 10:3-6).<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","summary_en":"3:15 household of God: The earliest churches were house churches (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phlm 1:2) that reflected the codes of conduct of Greco-Roman households (see study note on 1 Tim 3:4-5). Violating these norms brought disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household and its head. The same is true for the church (cp. Eph 2:19-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). • the church . . . is the pillar and foundation of the truth: This idea may anticipate the transition from the time...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67512,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95138,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":122764,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150390,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Household","title_en":"The Household","content_ro":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Household<\/h3>\n<p>The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged to men, the private space of the home belonged to women. It was not uncommon for Greco-Roman orators to accuse new foreign cults (as Christianity was perceived) of corrupting and destabilizing society, precisely by threatening the structure of the household.<\/p>\n<p>The New Testament household codes (see Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:1-2; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:18–3:7) were therefore not innovations, even if these catalogs were adapted by the apostles to fit the Christian faith and to address particular needs. In practice, the Christian faith would result in the significant modification of cultural norms. Yet wisdom and loving restraint were needed, because heedlessly violating cultural norms created destructive upheaval and threatened to bring disrepute, disgrace, and shame on the entire household—including Christ, its head. This seems to be the effect of certain false teachers in Ephesus, as discussed in 1 Timothy. In this context, the New Testament household codes guided Christian communities toward a life that (1) silenced the accusations of unbelievers that Christianity was a threat to the state; and (2) served as a compelling, winsome witness to the truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eph 5:21–6:9; Col 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:5, 12, 15; 5:1-2, 8; 6:1-2; Titus 2:1–3:8; 1 Pet 2:13–3:7; 4:17; 5:1-5<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","summary_en":"The Household The household was the basic unit of Greco-Roman society; it was believed that the stability of the state rested upon the stability of the household. Roles and responsibilities were well defined and deeply ingrained. The central concern was to maintain the “natural” ordering of authority and subordination, the violation of which would lead to degradation and corruption. In this framework, the husband-father-master was over all. The public space of society and government belonged ...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"16":[{"id":2871,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Ascension of Christ","title_en":"Ascension of Christ","content_ro":"<h3>ASCENSION OF CHRIST<\/h3>\n<p>Transference of the resurrected body of Jesus from this world to heaven. Among the NT writers, only Luke described Jesus’ ascension. Acts 1:9-11 pictures a scene in which Jesus was “taken up” and disappeared into a cloud. Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:12 locate that final event near Bethany, east of Jerusalem on the Mt of Olives.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew concluded his history before Pentecost, but John suggested the Ascension in Jesus’ own comments: Jesus has departed, but he will return (Jn 21:22); he cannot be touched, for he must ascend (20:17); many will believe without having seen him (20:29). Thus, the Gospels assume that (1) after the resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples; (2) at some point in time those appearances ceased; and (3) although physically absent, Jesus is still spiritually present in his church. Other NT writings agree. The apostle Paul wrote that God raised Christ from the dead “and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:20) or, as the writer of Hebrews put it, “in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven” (Heb 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>The Ascension, however, is more than merely a past event. It has further significance in the NT that can be summarized under two headings: (1) its meaning for Christ and (2) its meaning for the Christian.<\/p>\n<p>For Christ, the Ascension is the necessary entrance into his heavenly “glorification” in which he sits on the right hand of the Father until his enemies become his footstool (Ps 110:1—the OT text most quoted in the NT). The Ascension is proof of his glorification and his superiority over such OT heroes as David (Acts 2:33-36). By his ascension he rises over all and fills all (Eph 4:10), receiving “the name that is over every name” (Phil 2:9-11). For the author of the book of Hebrews the Ascension is also proof of Christ’s superiority to angels; he sits enthroned while they are constantly being sent out to serve (Heb 1:13-14). Angels, authorities, and powers are all subject to the ascended Christ (1 Tm 3:16; 1 Pt 3:22).<\/p>\n<p>For the Christian, the ascension of Christ is meaningful in four ways. First, without it there would be no gift of the Holy Spirit, who could not come until Jesus had ascended and sent him (Jn 16:7). Without the Ascension, the church would have Jesus locally in one place, not spiritually present “wherever two or three are gathered” (Mt 18:20; cf. 28:20).<\/p>\n<p>Second, since a truly human Jesus has ascended to heaven, human beings can also ascend there. Jesus went “to prepare a place” for his followers (Jn 14:2). The hope of those who are “in Christ” is that they will eventually ascend to be with him (2 Cor 5:1-10).<\/p>\n<p>Third, the Ascension proves that the sacrifice of Christ is finished and accepted by God. Jesus has passed through the heavens (Heb 4:14) and entered the presence of God (Heb 6:20), which is described as the inner sanctuary of the heavenly temple, the real temple of which the one on earth was a copy (Heb 9:24). Having brought a single, once-for-all sacrifice to God (Heb 9:12), Christ sat down (Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2), showing that no repetition of his sacrifice is necessary.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, the Ascension means that there is a human being in heaven who sympathizes with humanity and can therefore intercede on humanity’s behalf (1 Jn 2:1). Jesus has experienced everything humans experience—birth, growth, temptation, suffering, and death—and therefore he can serve effectively as an intermediary before God in heaven (Heb 2:17; 5:7-10). Christ’s ascension assures the church that God understands the human situation and that Christians can therefore approach him boldly in their prayers (Heb 4:14-16).<\/p>\n<p>Thus Christ’s ascension is an indispensable aspect of NT teaching. It is the basis for recognition of Christ’s exalted status and for the Christian’s confidence and hope.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Christology; Jesus Christ, Life and Teachings of.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ASCENSION OF CHRIST<\/h3>\n<p>Transference of the resurrected body of Jesus from this world to heaven. Among the NT writers, only Luke described Jesus’ ascension. Acts 1:9-11 pictures a scene in which Jesus was “taken up” and disappeared into a cloud. Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:12 locate that final event near Bethany, east of Jerusalem on the Mt of Olives.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew concluded his history before Pentecost, but John suggested the Ascension in Jesus’ own comments: Jesus has departed, but he will return (Jn 21:22); he cannot be touched, for he must ascend (20:17); many will believe without having seen him (20:29). Thus, the Gospels assume that (1) after the resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples; (2) at some point in time those appearances ceased; and (3) although physically absent, Jesus is still spiritually present in his church. Other NT writings agree. The apostle Paul wrote that God raised Christ from the dead “and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Eph 1:20) or, as the writer of Hebrews put it, “in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven” (Heb 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>The Ascension, however, is more than merely a past event. It has further significance in the NT that can be summarized under two headings: (1) its meaning for Christ and (2) its meaning for the Christian.<\/p>\n<p>For Christ, the Ascension is the necessary entrance into his heavenly “glorification” in which he sits on the right hand of the Father until his enemies become his footstool (Ps 110:1—the OT text most quoted in the NT). The Ascension is proof of his glorification and his superiority over such OT heroes as David (Acts 2:33-36). By his ascension he rises over all and fills all (Eph 4:10), receiving “the name that is over every name” (Phil 2:9-11). For the author of the book of Hebrews the Ascension is also proof of Christ’s superiority to angels; he sits enthroned while they are constantly being sent out to serve (Heb 1:13-14). Angels, authorities, and powers are all subject to the ascended Christ (1 Tm 3:16; 1 Pt 3:22).<\/p>\n<p>For the Christian, the ascension of Christ is meaningful in four ways. First, without it there would be no gift of the Holy Spirit, who could not come until Jesus had ascended and sent him (Jn 16:7). Without the Ascension, the church would have Jesus locally in one place, not spiritually present “wherever two or three are gathered” (Mt 18:20; cf. 28:20).<\/p>\n<p>Second, since a truly human Jesus has ascended to heaven, human beings can also ascend there. Jesus went “to prepare a place” for his followers (Jn 14:2). The hope of those who are “in Christ” is that they will eventually ascend to be with him (2 Cor 5:1-10).<\/p>\n<p>Third, the Ascension proves that the sacrifice of Christ is finished and accepted by God. Jesus has passed through the heavens (Heb 4:14) and entered the presence of God (Heb 6:20), which is described as the inner sanctuary of the heavenly temple, the real temple of which the one on earth was a copy (Heb 9:24). Having brought a single, once-for-all sacrifice to God (Heb 9:12), Christ sat down (Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2), showing that no repetition of his sacrifice is necessary.<\/p>\n<p>Fourth, the Ascension means that there is a human being in heaven who sympathizes with humanity and can therefore intercede on humanity’s behalf (1 Jn 2:1). Jesus has experienced everything humans experience—birth, growth, temptation, suffering, and death—and therefore he can serve effectively as an intermediary before God in heaven (Heb 2:17; 5:7-10). Christ’s ascension assures the church that God understands the human situation and that Christians can therefore approach him boldly in their prayers (Heb 4:14-16).<\/p>\n<p>Thus Christ’s ascension is an indispensable aspect of NT teaching. It is the basis for recognition of Christ’s exalted status and for the Christian’s confidence and hope.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Christology; Jesus Christ, Life and Teachings of.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ASCENSION OF CHRIST Transference of the resurrected body of Jesus from this world to heaven. Among the NT writers, only Luke described Jesus’ ascension. Acts 1:9-11 pictures a scene in which Jesus was “taken up” and disappeared into a cloud. Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:12 locate that final event near Bethany, east of Jerusalem on the Mt of Olives. Matthew concluded his history before Pentecost, but John suggested the Ascension in Jesus’ own comments: Jesus has departed, but he will return (Jn 21...","summary_en":"ASCENSION OF CHRIST Transference of the resurrected body of Jesus from this world to heaven. Among the NT writers, only Luke described Jesus’ ascension. Acts 1:9-11 pictures a scene in which Jesus was “taken up” and disappeared into a cloud. Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:12 locate that final event near Bethany, east of Jerusalem on the Mt of Olives. Matthew concluded his history before Pentecost, but John suggested the Ascension in Jesus’ own comments: Jesus has departed, but he will return (Jn 21...","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":11365,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"of Christ*, Exaltation","title_en":"of Christ*, Exaltation","content_ro":"<h3>EXALTATION OF CHRIST*<\/h3>\n<p>The glory and dominion which Jesus attained subsequent to the completion of his earthly work of suffering and death. It is at one and the same time the consummation of his redemptive sacrifice and the reward of his full obedience to the will of the Father. The exaltation thus includes the biblical doctrines of Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and heavenly enthronement.<\/p>\n<p>During his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted not only that he would suffer, die, and be buried (Mt 20:28; Jn 3:14; 6:51; 10:11; etc.) but also that he would thereafter be exalted by the power of the Father to heavenly dominion and glory (Lk 24:26; Jn 17:5). This humiliation-exaltation pattern was plainly indicated by Jesus on the occasion of his encounter with a delegation of proselytes who sought to meet with the Lord (Jn 12:20-36). Jesus far exceeded the expectations of these Greeks by declaring that fellowship with his Father would be extended to the Gentiles in consequence of his imminent passion and resurrection. By affirming, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (Jn 12:23, <span>rsv<\/span>), Jesus indicated that he would be endowed with honor and splendor at his exaltation to the presence of the Father in heaven. Jesus’ teaching in respect to his exaltation to heaven provided the foundation for the church’s more explicit teaching on the subject.<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection, the initial event in the exaltation of Jesus, is one of the central affirmations of NT teaching (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; Rom 1:4; 1 Cor 15:4). From apostolic times Christians have consistently affirmed that at a particular moment in time and in a given place its founder literally passed from a state of death to a state of endless life. The absolute uniqueness of Christ’s exaltation via bodily resurrection from the dead sets Christianity in a class by itself among the religions of the world. A reading of the NT plainly indicates that Jesus openly predicted that death was unable to defeat him. To the skeptical Jews who demanded from Jesus a sign of the authority by which he purged the temple, the Lord answered: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19, <span>rsv<\/span>). After Peter’s crucial confession of Christ’s divine sonship at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus gave to his followers a more detailed account of the divine plan whereby he would be raised from the dead on the third day (Mt 16:21). To the disciples who assembled in Galilee shortly after his transfiguration, Jesus spoke plainly of his forthcoming exaltation: “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (17:22-23, <span>rsv<\/span>). In the NT, the apostolic teaching about Christ’s death is almost always accompanied by an emphasis upon the certainty of his physical resurrection after three days.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the NT writers were careful to spell out the profound theological significance of Christ’s exaltation in resurrection: (1) it demonstrates Christ’s certain power over death and the grave (Acts 2:24; 1 Cor 15:54-56); (2) it confirms the validity of Christ’s teachings, particularly his claims to divine Sonship (Acts 2:36; Rom 1:4); (3) it represents God’s ultimate vindication of his obedient, suffering servant (Phil 2:8-9); (4) it is the means of the justification (Rom 4:25) and regeneration (1 Pt 1:3) of the believer; and (5) it is the guarantee of the future resurrection of the Christian (Rom 6:5; 1 Cor 15:22-24). The effective cause of Christ’s resurrection is declared to be, on one hand, God (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:32; Eph 1:19-20) and, on the other hand, our Lord himself (Jn 2:19; 10:17-18).<\/p>\n<p>The ascension represents the second phase of the exaltation of Christ. According to the two NT historical accounts (Lk 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11), 40 days after his death Jesus left his disciples for the last time and ascended into heaven. Jesus, who several times in John’s Gospel specifically refers to his ascension (Jn 3:13; 6:62; 14:12; 20:17), regarded the place to which he would depart as an actual locality in the heavenly realm (14:2). In his reflection upon this second stage of the exaltation intimated by Psalm 68:18, the apostle Paul associates the ascension with Christ’s triumph over his foes and the bestowal of spiritual gifts to the church (Eph 4:8). The victor triumphantly returned to his Father’s throne in order to bless his people. In what may be part of an early Christian hymn, Paul explicates what he regards as the supreme “mystery” of the Christian faith, namely, that Christ Jesus who “was manifested in the flesh” was at the close of his life “taken up into glory” (1 Tm 3:16).<\/p>\n<p>Alone among the writings of the NT, the Epistle to the Hebrews associates Christ’s ascension with his high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. He who steadfastly withstood every earthly trial, having “passed through the heavens,” is fully able to empathize with his people and impart grace to the tempted and distraught (Heb 4:14ff.). Employing the symbolism of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary, the writer conceptualizes the Ascension as the event whereby Christ enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain (6:19), bringing with him his own blood (9:12), to the end that he might appear in the presence of God on our behalf (v 24).<\/p>\n<p>The NT thus attributes considerable theological significance to this phase of Christ’s exaltation. By virtue of his exaltation to the Father, Christ (1) demonstrated his defeat of every earthly enemy (Eph 4:8); (2) sent the promised Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7; Acts 2:33), which awaited his glorification (Jn 7:39); and (3) formally undertook his heavenly priestly ministry (Heb 6:20).<\/p>\n<p>The third stage of Christ’s exaltation is his heavenly enthronement at the right hand of the Father. Following his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension to the heavenly realm, Christ is represented in Scripture as having taken his seat at the Father’s right hand. The biblical phrase “right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56), which has been preserved in many later Christian creeds and confessions, is an anthropomorphism that figuratively describes Christ’s universal dominion, authority, and power in the presence of the Father. This aspect of Christ’s exaltation represents the fulfillment of his prayer recorded in John 17:5: “Now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world was made.”<\/p>\n<p>In the OT the description of God seated on the throne of the universe is a sign of his sovereignty (1 Kgs 22:19; Ps 99:1), majesty (Is 6:1-4) and holiness (Ps 47:8). That one should be invited to take a seat on the right hand of the sovereign in Eastern cultures was a token of extraordinary honor and authority (1 Kgs 2:19). The fact that the exalted Christ would be accorded this particular privilege was anticipated in the Scriptures of the OT (see Ps 8:5, quoted in Heb 2:8; and see Ps 110:1).<\/p>\n<p>The Epistle to the Hebrews, which shows unusual interest in the doctrine of Christ’s exaltation, represents Christ’s heavenly enthronement both as the sequel to his completed earthly sacrifice and as the commencement of his High Priestly ministration in the sanctuary on high. Affirming the superiority of Christ as High Priest of the new covenant, Hebrews 8:1-2 portrays Christ as seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the heavenlies. Christ’s enthronement affirms not only the finality of his earthly work of self-sacrifice but also his newly acquired status as mediator of the new and better covenant. Hebrews 10:11-18 pointedly contrasts the ineffectual sacrifices of the legal priests who <em>stand<\/em> in the performance of their ritual sacrifices with the effectual single sacrifice of Christ, who is now <em>seated<\/em> at the right hand of God as intercessor for the saints.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>EXALTATION OF CHRIST*<\/h3>\n<p>The glory and dominion which Jesus attained subsequent to the completion of his earthly work of suffering and death. It is at one and the same time the consummation of his redemptive sacrifice and the reward of his full obedience to the will of the Father. The exaltation thus includes the biblical doctrines of Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and heavenly enthronement.<\/p>\n<p>During his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted not only that he would suffer, die, and be buried (Mt 20:28; Jn 3:14; 6:51; 10:11; etc.) but also that he would thereafter be exalted by the power of the Father to heavenly dominion and glory (Lk 24:26; Jn 17:5). This humiliation-exaltation pattern was plainly indicated by Jesus on the occasion of his encounter with a delegation of proselytes who sought to meet with the Lord (Jn 12:20-36). Jesus far exceeded the expectations of these Greeks by declaring that fellowship with his Father would be extended to the Gentiles in consequence of his imminent passion and resurrection. By affirming, “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (Jn 12:23, <span>rsv<\/span>), Jesus indicated that he would be endowed with honor and splendor at his exaltation to the presence of the Father in heaven. Jesus’ teaching in respect to his exaltation to heaven provided the foundation for the church’s more explicit teaching on the subject.<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection, the initial event in the exaltation of Jesus, is one of the central affirmations of NT teaching (Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; Rom 1:4; 1 Cor 15:4). From apostolic times Christians have consistently affirmed that at a particular moment in time and in a given place its founder literally passed from a state of death to a state of endless life. The absolute uniqueness of Christ’s exaltation via bodily resurrection from the dead sets Christianity in a class by itself among the religions of the world. A reading of the NT plainly indicates that Jesus openly predicted that death was unable to defeat him. To the skeptical Jews who demanded from Jesus a sign of the authority by which he purged the temple, the Lord answered: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19, <span>rsv<\/span>). After Peter’s crucial confession of Christ’s divine sonship at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus gave to his followers a more detailed account of the divine plan whereby he would be raised from the dead on the third day (Mt 16:21). To the disciples who assembled in Galilee shortly after his transfiguration, Jesus spoke plainly of his forthcoming exaltation: “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day” (17:22-23, <span>rsv<\/span>). In the NT, the apostolic teaching about Christ’s death is almost always accompanied by an emphasis upon the certainty of his physical resurrection after three days.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the NT writers were careful to spell out the profound theological significance of Christ’s exaltation in resurrection: (1) it demonstrates Christ’s certain power over death and the grave (Acts 2:24; 1 Cor 15:54-56); (2) it confirms the validity of Christ’s teachings, particularly his claims to divine Sonship (Acts 2:36; Rom 1:4); (3) it represents God’s ultimate vindication of his obedient, suffering servant (Phil 2:8-9); (4) it is the means of the justification (Rom 4:25) and regeneration (1 Pt 1:3) of the believer; and (5) it is the guarantee of the future resurrection of the Christian (Rom 6:5; 1 Cor 15:22-24). The effective cause of Christ’s resurrection is declared to be, on one hand, God (Ps 16:10; Acts 2:32; Eph 1:19-20) and, on the other hand, our Lord himself (Jn 2:19; 10:17-18).<\/p>\n<p>The ascension represents the second phase of the exaltation of Christ. According to the two NT historical accounts (Lk 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11), 40 days after his death Jesus left his disciples for the last time and ascended into heaven. Jesus, who several times in John’s Gospel specifically refers to his ascension (Jn 3:13; 6:62; 14:12; 20:17), regarded the place to which he would depart as an actual locality in the heavenly realm (14:2). In his reflection upon this second stage of the exaltation intimated by Psalm 68:18, the apostle Paul associates the ascension with Christ’s triumph over his foes and the bestowal of spiritual gifts to the church (Eph 4:8). The victor triumphantly returned to his Father’s throne in order to bless his people. In what may be part of an early Christian hymn, Paul explicates what he regards as the supreme “mystery” of the Christian faith, namely, that Christ Jesus who “was manifested in the flesh” was at the close of his life “taken up into glory” (1 Tm 3:16).<\/p>\n<p>Alone among the writings of the NT, the Epistle to the Hebrews associates Christ’s ascension with his high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. He who steadfastly withstood every earthly trial, having “passed through the heavens,” is fully able to empathize with his people and impart grace to the tempted and distraught (Heb 4:14ff.). Employing the symbolism of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary, the writer conceptualizes the Ascension as the event whereby Christ enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain (6:19), bringing with him his own blood (9:12), to the end that he might appear in the presence of God on our behalf (v 24).<\/p>\n<p>The NT thus attributes considerable theological significance to this phase of Christ’s exaltation. By virtue of his exaltation to the Father, Christ (1) demonstrated his defeat of every earthly enemy (Eph 4:8); (2) sent the promised Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7; Acts 2:33), which awaited his glorification (Jn 7:39); and (3) formally undertook his heavenly priestly ministry (Heb 6:20).<\/p>\n<p>The third stage of Christ’s exaltation is his heavenly enthronement at the right hand of the Father. Following his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension to the heavenly realm, Christ is represented in Scripture as having taken his seat at the Father’s right hand. The biblical phrase “right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56), which has been preserved in many later Christian creeds and confessions, is an anthropomorphism that figuratively describes Christ’s universal dominion, authority, and power in the presence of the Father. This aspect of Christ’s exaltation represents the fulfillment of his prayer recorded in John 17:5: “Now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world was made.”<\/p>\n<p>In the OT the description of God seated on the throne of the universe is a sign of his sovereignty (1 Kgs 22:19; Ps 99:1), majesty (Is 6:1-4) and holiness (Ps 47:8). That one should be invited to take a seat on the right hand of the sovereign in Eastern cultures was a token of extraordinary honor and authority (1 Kgs 2:19). The fact that the exalted Christ would be accorded this particular privilege was anticipated in the Scriptures of the OT (see Ps 8:5, quoted in Heb 2:8; and see Ps 110:1).<\/p>\n<p>The Epistle to the Hebrews, which shows unusual interest in the doctrine of Christ’s exaltation, represents Christ’s heavenly enthronement both as the sequel to his completed earthly sacrifice and as the commencement of his High Priestly ministration in the sanctuary on high. Affirming the superiority of Christ as High Priest of the new covenant, Hebrews 8:1-2 portrays Christ as seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the heavenlies. Christ’s enthronement affirms not only the finality of his earthly work of self-sacrifice but also his newly acquired status as mediator of the new and better covenant. Hebrews 10:11-18 pointedly contrasts the ineffectual sacrifices of the legal priests who <em>stand<\/em> in the performance of their ritual sacrifices with the effectual single sacrifice of Christ, who is now <em>seated<\/em> at the right hand of God as intercessor for the saints.<\/p>","summary_ro":"EXALTATION OF CHRIST* The glory and dominion which Jesus attained subsequent to the completion of his earthly work of suffering and death. It is at one and the same time the consummation of his redemptive sacrifice and the reward of his full obedience to the will of the Father. The exaltation thus includes the biblical doctrines of Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and heavenly enthronement. During his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted not only that he would suffer, die, and be buried (Mt 20:28...","summary_en":"EXALTATION OF CHRIST* The glory and dominion which Jesus attained subsequent to the completion of his earthly work of suffering and death. It is at one and the same time the consummation of his redemptive sacrifice and the reward of his full obedience to the will of the Father. The exaltation thus includes the biblical doctrines of Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and heavenly enthronement. During his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted not only that he would suffer, die, and be buried (Mt 20:28...","source":"Articles\/E.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":15815,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Heaven","title_en":"Heaven","content_ro":"<h3>HEAVEN<\/h3>\n<p>Realm (or realms) designated by a Hebrew term used to represent the sky and air and also heaven. The form of the word in Hebrew is dual (implying two of something). Although this dual form may only represent an ancient device for expressing the plural, it is supposed by some to imply the existence of a lower and an upper heaven—a physical and a spiritual heaven.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The OT writers viewed the physical heavens as a “firmament” appearing as a great arch supported on foundations and pillars (2 Sm 22:8) and spread out above the earth, with rain descending through its doors (Ps 78:23). The keynote of the OT revelation about the physical heavens is set forth in Psalms 8 and 19:1-6. Elsewhere the OT speaks of the atmospheric heavens as the region of the clouds (Ps 147:8), winds (Zec 2:6), rain (Dt 11:11), thunder (1 Sm 2:10), dew (Dt 33:13), frost (Jb 38:29), and the abode of birds (Gn 1:26, 30). It is also the locale of such destructive forces as hail (Jos 10:11), fire, and brimstone (Gn 19:24). In the NT this notion of the vaulted expanse of the sky as the region in which the elements, clouds, and tempests gather (Mt 16:2; Lk 4:25) and birds fly (Lk 9:58) is continued.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the atmospheric regions, the Hebrew idea of the physical heavens includes stellar space, which ultimately embraces the universe. The heavenly bodies of the stellar heavens were viewed by the Hebrews as inexpressibly glorious manifestations of God’s handiwork without having any power or vitality of their own. These include the sun, moon, planets, and stars, which were but lights in the firmament of the heavens (Gn 1:14; 15:5). As such, they were regarded as unworthy of worship because God had, by his own will and grace, made humans superior to them. In fact, the Hebrews were expressly forbidden to worship the stellar bodies (Ex 20:4), the gods and goddesses who represented them (Jer 44:17-25), or to participate in astrological speculation (Is 47:13). Hence, this unique theological ordinance differentiated the Hebrews, who viewed the heavenly bodies as made and moved by the will of God, from the superstitious heathen, who worshiped them.<\/p>\n<p>The term “heaven of heavens” (Dt 10:14; see also <span>kjv<\/span> 1 Kgs 8:27; Pss 68:33; 148:4) is the literal English rendition of the Hebrew idiom for the superlative “the highest heaven.” Some have thought this the counterpart to Paul’s expression “the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2), which parallels the classical Greek conception of three heavens. This notion was subsequently adopted by the Roman Catholic medieval church and in the Latin form of <em>Coelum Aqueum, Coelum Sidereum,<\/em> and <em>Coelum Empyreum.<\/em> The basic concept followed the Greek view, and it coincides with the OT view of the physical and spiritual heavens as indicated earlier. Those who follow this approach tend to regard this third heaven as the place reached by the souls of the blessed as they pass through the two lower regions of the atmosphere and outer space containing the celestial bodies, and enter into the uttermost reaches of the universe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Lord Jesus indicated that heaven is the dwelling place of God (Mt 6:9). Jesus, during his earthly ministry, repeatedly claimed that he had come from heaven (Jn 3:13; 6:33-51); and on at least three occasions utterances from heaven confirmed these claims (Mt 3:16-17; 17:5; Jn 12:28). There is where the true tabernacle stands, of which the earthly tabernacle was merely a shadow (cf. Heb 8:1-5). That abode of God was in view when the apostle Paul wrote of “the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). As such, it is often seen as a synonym for God himself (cf. Mt 23:22; Lk 15:18).<\/p>\n<p>After Jesus’ ascension, recorded in Acts 1:6-11, two angels reminded the disciples that Jesus would return again from heaven. This was later confirmed by the apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:1-11; Eph 4:7-16; 1 Tm 3:16) and reiterated in the summary of the teachings of the NT known as the Apostles’ Creed. In all, the relationship of Jesus Christ to the heavenly abode of God is inextricably interwoven in the NT and is inseparable from the gospel message itself. Indeed, it is from the “right hand of God” that Christ forever lives to make intercession for those who have come to him by faith (Heb 7:25; cf. Mk 14:62).<\/p>\n<p>Paul asserts that the believer’s body will be made conformable to the glorious body of Jesus Christ when Christ returns from heaven (Phil 3:20-21). The believers need such a heavenly body to match their heavenly citizenship. The term “citizenship” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “commonwealth” (<span>rsv<\/span>) implies a colony of individuals who live in a foreign country while observing the laws of their homeland instead of the land in which they reside (cf. Acts 22:28). The implication for believers is quite clear: They are to live according to the moral and ethical principles of God as revealed from heaven regardless of the standards proclaimed by the world. They have been raised together with Christ and have been instructed to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). From there Christ has blessed his followers “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). The expression “in the heavenly places” is peculiar to Ephesians (see 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12), suggesting that the blessings of the spiritual world are not relegated to some remote future time or place but can be perceived by faith here and now. That is why believers are said to have been made partakers already in the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1; 6:4).<\/p>\n<p>In the meanwhile, believers look forward to a new heaven and a new earth with the new Jerusalem. There will be no tears, sorrow, pain, death, and night there because the Son of God will be there (Rv 21:1-4, 27; 22:1-5), and in the resurrected state there will be no marrying or giving in marriage (Lk 20:27-38). At least two OT saints, Enoch (Gn 5:22-24; Heb 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11), were translated directly into the presence of God—into heaven. In addition to Paul’s statement about the third heaven, John was called into heaven (Rv 4:1), a heaven that is intended to be populated (cf. 19:1). All believers will ultimately dwell in heaven in their resurrection bodies, which they will receive when the Lord comes for them from heaven (1 Thes 4:16-17; Rv 19:1-4). The Lord will also give treasures and rewards at that time (Mt 5:12; 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Cor 5:1; 2 Tm 4:8; Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 1:4; 5:4; Rv 2:10; 4:10).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> “Abraham’s Bosom”; New Heavens and New Earth; Paradise.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>HEAVEN<\/h3>\n<p>Realm (or realms) designated by a Hebrew term used to represent the sky and air and also heaven. The form of the word in Hebrew is dual (implying two of something). Although this dual form may only represent an ancient device for expressing the plural, it is supposed by some to imply the existence of a lower and an upper heaven—a physical and a spiritual heaven.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The OT writers viewed the physical heavens as a “firmament” appearing as a great arch supported on foundations and pillars (2 Sm 22:8) and spread out above the earth, with rain descending through its doors (Ps 78:23). The keynote of the OT revelation about the physical heavens is set forth in Psalms 8 and 19:1-6. Elsewhere the OT speaks of the atmospheric heavens as the region of the clouds (Ps 147:8), winds (Zec 2:6), rain (Dt 11:11), thunder (1 Sm 2:10), dew (Dt 33:13), frost (Jb 38:29), and the abode of birds (Gn 1:26, 30). It is also the locale of such destructive forces as hail (Jos 10:11), fire, and brimstone (Gn 19:24). In the NT this notion of the vaulted expanse of the sky as the region in which the elements, clouds, and tempests gather (Mt 16:2; Lk 4:25) and birds fly (Lk 9:58) is continued.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the atmospheric regions, the Hebrew idea of the physical heavens includes stellar space, which ultimately embraces the universe. The heavenly bodies of the stellar heavens were viewed by the Hebrews as inexpressibly glorious manifestations of God’s handiwork without having any power or vitality of their own. These include the sun, moon, planets, and stars, which were but lights in the firmament of the heavens (Gn 1:14; 15:5). As such, they were regarded as unworthy of worship because God had, by his own will and grace, made humans superior to them. In fact, the Hebrews were expressly forbidden to worship the stellar bodies (Ex 20:4), the gods and goddesses who represented them (Jer 44:17-25), or to participate in astrological speculation (Is 47:13). Hence, this unique theological ordinance differentiated the Hebrews, who viewed the heavenly bodies as made and moved by the will of God, from the superstitious heathen, who worshiped them.<\/p>\n<p>The term “heaven of heavens” (Dt 10:14; see also <span>kjv<\/span> 1 Kgs 8:27; Pss 68:33; 148:4) is the literal English rendition of the Hebrew idiom for the superlative “the highest heaven.” Some have thought this the counterpart to Paul’s expression “the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2), which parallels the classical Greek conception of three heavens. This notion was subsequently adopted by the Roman Catholic medieval church and in the Latin form of <em>Coelum Aqueum, Coelum Sidereum,<\/em> and <em>Coelum Empyreum.<\/em> The basic concept followed the Greek view, and it coincides with the OT view of the physical and spiritual heavens as indicated earlier. Those who follow this approach tend to regard this third heaven as the place reached by the souls of the blessed as they pass through the two lower regions of the atmosphere and outer space containing the celestial bodies, and enter into the uttermost reaches of the universe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The Lord Jesus indicated that heaven is the dwelling place of God (Mt 6:9). Jesus, during his earthly ministry, repeatedly claimed that he had come from heaven (Jn 3:13; 6:33-51); and on at least three occasions utterances from heaven confirmed these claims (Mt 3:16-17; 17:5; Jn 12:28). There is where the true tabernacle stands, of which the earthly tabernacle was merely a shadow (cf. Heb 8:1-5). That abode of God was in view when the apostle Paul wrote of “the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). As such, it is often seen as a synonym for God himself (cf. Mt 23:22; Lk 15:18).<\/p>\n<p>After Jesus’ ascension, recorded in Acts 1:6-11, two angels reminded the disciples that Jesus would return again from heaven. This was later confirmed by the apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:1-11; Eph 4:7-16; 1 Tm 3:16) and reiterated in the summary of the teachings of the NT known as the Apostles’ Creed. In all, the relationship of Jesus Christ to the heavenly abode of God is inextricably interwoven in the NT and is inseparable from the gospel message itself. Indeed, it is from the “right hand of God” that Christ forever lives to make intercession for those who have come to him by faith (Heb 7:25; cf. Mk 14:62).<\/p>\n<p>Paul asserts that the believer’s body will be made conformable to the glorious body of Jesus Christ when Christ returns from heaven (Phil 3:20-21). The believers need such a heavenly body to match their heavenly citizenship. The term “citizenship” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “commonwealth” (<span>rsv<\/span>) implies a colony of individuals who live in a foreign country while observing the laws of their homeland instead of the land in which they reside (cf. Acts 22:28). The implication for believers is quite clear: They are to live according to the moral and ethical principles of God as revealed from heaven regardless of the standards proclaimed by the world. They have been raised together with Christ and have been instructed to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). From there Christ has blessed his followers “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3). The expression “in the heavenly places” is peculiar to Ephesians (see 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12), suggesting that the blessings of the spiritual world are not relegated to some remote future time or place but can be perceived by faith here and now. That is why believers are said to have been made partakers already in the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1; 6:4).<\/p>\n<p>In the meanwhile, believers look forward to a new heaven and a new earth with the new Jerusalem. There will be no tears, sorrow, pain, death, and night there because the Son of God will be there (Rv 21:1-4, 27; 22:1-5), and in the resurrected state there will be no marrying or giving in marriage (Lk 20:27-38). At least two OT saints, Enoch (Gn 5:22-24; Heb 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11), were translated directly into the presence of God—into heaven. In addition to Paul’s statement about the third heaven, John was called into heaven (Rv 4:1), a heaven that is intended to be populated (cf. 19:1). All believers will ultimately dwell in heaven in their resurrection bodies, which they will receive when the Lord comes for them from heaven (1 Thes 4:16-17; Rv 19:1-4). The Lord will also give treasures and rewards at that time (Mt 5:12; 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Cor 5:1; 2 Tm 4:8; Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 1:4; 5:4; Rv 2:10; 4:10).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> “Abraham’s Bosom”; New Heavens and New Earth; Paradise.<\/p>","summary_ro":"HEAVEN Realm (or realms) designated by a Hebrew term used to represent the sky and air and also heaven. The form of the word in Hebrew is dual (implying two of something). Although this dual form may only represent an ancient device for expressing the plural, it is supposed by some to imply the existence of a lower and an upper heaven—a physical and a spiritual heaven. In the Old Testament The OT writers viewed the physical heavens as a “firmament” appearing as a great arch supported on found...","summary_en":"HEAVEN Realm (or realms) designated by a Hebrew term used to represent the sky and air and also heaven. The form of the word in Hebrew is dual (implying two of something). Although this dual form may only represent an ancient device for expressing the plural, it is supposed by some to imply the existence of a lower and an upper heaven—a physical and a spiritual heaven. In the Old Testament The OT writers viewed the physical heavens as a “firmament” appearing as a great arch supported on found...","source":"Articles\/H.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":17367,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Incarnation*","title_en":"Incarnation*","content_ro":"<h3>INCARNATION*<\/h3>\n<p>Literally, “in flesh”; theologically, the doctrine that in Jesus of Nazareth God took on human flesh and became the God-man. Historically, the doctrine of incarnation was central in the christological debates of patristic times and has recently come to the fore again in academic circles. Biblically, it expresses the mystery of Jesus’ identity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"NewTestamentTestimony\">New Testament Testimony<\/p>\n<h5>The Synoptic Gospels<\/h5>\n<p>The Gospel of Mark has no account of the Incarnation and stresses Jesus’ messiahship more than his deity. As a result, some believe that it represents an earlier stage in the development of the church’s theology, before the doctrine of incarnation had evolved. That is doubtful for two reasons: Incarnation passages like the Philippians hymn (Phil 2:6-11) probably antedate Mark’s Gospel, and Mark has a well-developed theology of the two natures of Christ. Although he stresses Jesus’ humanity, Mark accents it with an emphasis on divinity. Jesus was called the “beloved Son” by a heavenly voice at his baptism and transfiguration (Mk 1:11; 9:7); demons called him divine (3:11; 5:7), as did a Roman centurion (15:39). Jesus’ “Abba” prayers (14:36; cf. Mt 26:39; Lk 22:42) indicate his sense of divine identity, and at his trial he was charged with claiming the title “Son of the Blessed” (14:61-62). Thus, though the Incarnation is nowhere explicitly stated in Mark, it is implicitly affirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew and Luke express the Incarnation. The birth narratives, of course, stress the event itself, with Matthew emphasizing Jesus’ royal messiahship, and Luke, the divine witness of the Holy Spirit. Matthew’s Gospel is Christ-centered; Luke concentrates on Christ as Savior, or more precisely, on salvation-history. Although Matthew presents Jesus’ humanity, he emphasizes his lordship (Mt 23:6-10) and divine sonship. The Incarnation thus becomes the means whereby the divine becomes human in a universal sense (1:23; 18:20; 24:14; 28:18-20). Luke shows the greatest interest of the three in Jesus’ earthly life. Nevertheless, his Gospel does not stress the human side of Jesus as much as Mark’s. Luke portrays Jesus primarily as the divine Savior within history (Lk 2:11; 4:16-30). He combines Jesus’ messianic office and divine nature, showing that the incarnate Son of God suffered and was exalted in order to bring people to God.<\/p>\n<h5>John’s Writings<\/h5>\n<p>The apostle John’s doctrine of incarnation is more explicit than any of the others, teaching not only Jesus’ God-man status but also his preexistent “glory” (Jn 1:1-18). Central in this presentation is the oneness between Jesus and God the Father (10:29-30; 14:8-11; 1 Jn 2:23). The “I am” (the expressed Christ, taken from the OT title for the one true God and probably signifying God’s personal name, Yahweh) came to reveal God to his people (Jn 1:4-5, 14, 18). Yet John also has the most balanced presentation of the Incarnation. The divine Logos or Word (1:1-18) is the exemplar of perfect humanity; he “became flesh” (v 14) to enlighten people (vv 5, 9) and generate in them “eternal life” (3:14-18; 1 Jn 1:1-3; 4:9).<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Epistles<\/h5>\n<p>The apostle Paul presented the Incarnation as Jesus’ path to suffering and redemption. In Galatians 4:4-5 the Incarnation (“born of woman”) came “in the fullness of time” or at the apex of salvation-history, to “redeem those who were under the law.” In the Philippians hymn (Phil 2:6-11, quotes from <span>nasb<\/span>), the Incarnation is seen in terms of preexistence (“though he was in the form of God”), humiliation (“emptied . . . humbled”), and obedience (“becoming obedient to the point of death”). The goal of the Incarnation was the cross (“even death on a cross”), and its result was Christ’s exaltation. The hymn is perhaps the supreme theological statement on the Incarnation in the NT. Jesus’ human life was an “emptying,” a refusal to seize the prerogatives of his deity (“did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”).<\/p>\n<p>Paul described Christ as a second Adam (Rom 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:45-47), who brought humanity a new possibility to attain what Adam had forsaken. Through assuming the form of a man, Christ became the Redeemer who reconciles people to God (Rom 3:25; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tm 1:15). Paul stressed even more, however, that the exalted Christ provides newness of life (Rom 6:4-6; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Col 3:1-4). A hymn in the Letter to the Colossians (1:15-20) employs ideas from Jewish wisdom speculation, and possibly Greek themes, to show Christ as the “firstborn” and the “fullness of God.” The one who always existed as God, through his sacrificial death, became the exalted Lord and brought humankind to God (see also the “flesh-spirit” theme in Rom 1:3-4; 1 Tm 3:16).<\/p>\n<h5>Hebrews<\/h5>\n<p>The Letter to the Hebrews strongly speaks of the Incarnation. The opening hymn (Heb 1:1-3) accents Christ’s exalted status as “the very stamp” of God’s image and the radiance of his glory. Christ is superior to the angels (1:4-9), yet he became a man in order to suffer for human salvation (2:9; 5:7-9). The Incarnation is aligned with sinful humankind’s need for a Savior. The purpose of Hebrews is to show Christ’s incomparable superiority to the OT sacrifices, and at the same time to stress his work of salvation. His real temptation (2:18; 4:15) combined with his sinlessness (4:15; 5:9; 7:26) is the human remedy for human sin. The Incarnation was Christ’s path to final, once-for-all atonement and victory over sin (7:28; 9:26).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"HistoricalDevelopment\">Historical Development<\/p>\n<p>The first group to challenge the traditional doctrine of incarnation was the Gnostics, who in the late first century denied that Jesus was truly human. Their Greek belief that the physical creation was evil led them to deny the Incarnation. They believed Christ to be a quasi-spiritual being who merely appeared human. The theologian Marcion (d. c. 160), trained by Gnostic teachers, also accepted a docetic interpretation of Christ (his humanity was only apparent). Marcion taught his doctrine as an antidote to the OT or Jewish-oriented Christianity in his day. After his excommunication in <span>AD<\/span> 144, Marcion founded his own church, and his views were widely disseminated in the next two centuries. Partly in reaction to Marcion’s christological heresy, the orthodox churches unified their doctrine.<\/p>\n<p>The next challenge to the orthodox view came through the Arian, Apollinarian, and Nestorian controversies in the third and fourth centuries. Arianism held that the Incarnation was total, so that Christ the Logos was no longer fully God. At the same time, he was not fully human, so Christ was someone between two natures. The Council of Nicaea (<span>AD<\/span> 325) affirmed that Jesus was indeed both God and man. A further question soon arose, however, as to the relation between his two natures. Apollinarius (310?–390?) taught that only the body of Jesus was human; his soul was absorbed completely into the divine Logos. Nestorius (c. 381–451) taught that the two natures must always remain distinct in the person of Christ; they functioned together but were separate in his being. The Council of Chalcedon (<span>AD<\/span> 451) affirmed the unity of the two natures in Jesus. Many opponents of Chalcedon arose, called Monophysites, who believed in one divine nature in Jesus, who was only in a sense human. That movement caused serious political and religious divisions, and the Council of Constantinople (680–81) reaffirmed Chalcedon and established the orthodox incarnation theology.<\/p>\n<p>In the eighth century, Spain and France were centers of the “adoptionist” controversy. Adoptionism taught that at birth Jesus was human, but at his baptism he underwent a “second birth” and was “adopted” as Son of God. It was condemned in a series of synods and never gained many adherents until modern times. During the scholastic age, Peter Lombard (1095?–1160) advocated what became known as “nihilism.” The Incarnation supposedly caused no fundamental change in Jesus’ deity, but his human nature was both insubstantial and unessential. That view likewise was condemned by Pope Alexander III (1159–81). Another debate at that time centered on the relationship between the fall and the Incarnation. Thomas Aquinas (1224–74) concluded that there was a cause-effect connection; the Incarnation was necessitated by sin rather than predestined apart from the fall.<\/p>\n<p>The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformers follow basically the same orthodox teaching about the Incarnation. The conflict in the Reformation centered more on soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). Several aberrant antitrinitarian movements took advantage of the breakdown in ecclesiastical authority, however. Michael Servetus (1511–53) taught a pantheistic view of the Incarnation, focused on the divine Spirit becoming manifest in the human form of Jesus. Thus the Logos is not a distinct person in the Godhead, nor is it fundamentally different from a “divine spark” in every person. At the same time Laelius Socinus (1525–62) and his nephew, Faustus Socinus (1539–1604), taught a unitarian system. The Incarnation was not a transferral of the divine essence but a communication of divine authority and revelation. Christ thus did not die as an atonement but as a moral example. Both Servetus and Socinianism were condemned by Catholics and Protestants alike.<\/p>\n<p>In the 17th and 18th centuries “kenoticism” (from Greek for “empty”) taught that in the Incarnation the Logos totally “emptied himself” (Phil 2:7) of the divine attributes. That doctrine represented the final phase of a dialogue from the scholastic period about the exact communication between Jesus’ two natures. Was his human nature omnipotent? If not, how did the man Jesus exercise the divine attributes? The kenotic school believed that Jesus was fully human and that his divine nature was quiescent until after the Ascension. His miraculous powers were external, given by the Spirit. Against that view, the majority of theologians argued that Jesus was at all times both God and man, and that in Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus did not lay aside the attributes of deity (he still exhibited the “form of God”) but rather the majesty associated with deity.<\/p>\n<p>The 19th and 20th centuries have given rise to a view that the Incarnation was a “myth,” a pictorial way of describing how God spoke through Jesus. The virgin birth was not historical, nor did any of the supernatural events of the Gospels ever take place. Rather, the stories in the Gospels were concoctions of the later church, efforts to portray Jesus’ impact on the movement. The Gospels, however, have too strong a flavor of accurate history for such a view to prevail (see Lk 1:1-5; Jn 19:35; 21:24).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/p>\n<p>The NT teaching on the Incarnation balances the humanity and divinity of Christ. Those two facts must harmonize in any theological system, for both are absolutely necessary parts of God’s redemptive plan. In the Incarnation, Jesus became a perfect human being. As God in human flesh, he suffered the divine penalty for sin as an innocent substitute. Being both God and man, Jesus simultaneously revealed God’s will for human life and reconciled sinful people to God through his own perfect life and death. Because of the Incarnation, therefore, those who believe in Christ have peace with God and new life from God.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Christology; Jesus Christ, Life and Teachings of; Genealogy of Jesus Christ; Virgin Birth of Jesus.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>INCARNATION*<\/h3>\n<p>Literally, “in flesh”; theologically, the doctrine that in Jesus of Nazareth God took on human flesh and became the God-man. Historically, the doctrine of incarnation was central in the christological debates of patristic times and has recently come to the fore again in academic circles. Biblically, it expresses the mystery of Jesus’ identity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"NewTestamentTestimony\">New Testament Testimony<\/p>\n<h5>The Synoptic Gospels<\/h5>\n<p>The Gospel of Mark has no account of the Incarnation and stresses Jesus’ messiahship more than his deity. As a result, some believe that it represents an earlier stage in the development of the church’s theology, before the doctrine of incarnation had evolved. That is doubtful for two reasons: Incarnation passages like the Philippians hymn (Phil 2:6-11) probably antedate Mark’s Gospel, and Mark has a well-developed theology of the two natures of Christ. Although he stresses Jesus’ humanity, Mark accents it with an emphasis on divinity. Jesus was called the “beloved Son” by a heavenly voice at his baptism and transfiguration (Mk 1:11; 9:7); demons called him divine (3:11; 5:7), as did a Roman centurion (15:39). Jesus’ “Abba” prayers (14:36; cf. Mt 26:39; Lk 22:42) indicate his sense of divine identity, and at his trial he was charged with claiming the title “Son of the Blessed” (14:61-62). Thus, though the Incarnation is nowhere explicitly stated in Mark, it is implicitly affirmed.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew and Luke express the Incarnation. The birth narratives, of course, stress the event itself, with Matthew emphasizing Jesus’ royal messiahship, and Luke, the divine witness of the Holy Spirit. Matthew’s Gospel is Christ-centered; Luke concentrates on Christ as Savior, or more precisely, on salvation-history. Although Matthew presents Jesus’ humanity, he emphasizes his lordship (Mt 23:6-10) and divine sonship. The Incarnation thus becomes the means whereby the divine becomes human in a universal sense (1:23; 18:20; 24:14; 28:18-20). Luke shows the greatest interest of the three in Jesus’ earthly life. Nevertheless, his Gospel does not stress the human side of Jesus as much as Mark’s. Luke portrays Jesus primarily as the divine Savior within history (Lk 2:11; 4:16-30). He combines Jesus’ messianic office and divine nature, showing that the incarnate Son of God suffered and was exalted in order to bring people to God.<\/p>\n<h5>John’s Writings<\/h5>\n<p>The apostle John’s doctrine of incarnation is more explicit than any of the others, teaching not only Jesus’ God-man status but also his preexistent “glory” (Jn 1:1-18). Central in this presentation is the oneness between Jesus and God the Father (10:29-30; 14:8-11; 1 Jn 2:23). The “I am” (the expressed Christ, taken from the OT title for the one true God and probably signifying God’s personal name, Yahweh) came to reveal God to his people (Jn 1:4-5, 14, 18). Yet John also has the most balanced presentation of the Incarnation. The divine Logos or Word (1:1-18) is the exemplar of perfect humanity; he “became flesh” (v 14) to enlighten people (vv 5, 9) and generate in them “eternal life” (3:14-18; 1 Jn 1:1-3; 4:9).<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Epistles<\/h5>\n<p>The apostle Paul presented the Incarnation as Jesus’ path to suffering and redemption. In Galatians 4:4-5 the Incarnation (“born of woman”) came “in the fullness of time” or at the apex of salvation-history, to “redeem those who were under the law.” In the Philippians hymn (Phil 2:6-11, quotes from <span>nasb<\/span>), the Incarnation is seen in terms of preexistence (“though he was in the form of God”), humiliation (“emptied . . . humbled”), and obedience (“becoming obedient to the point of death”). The goal of the Incarnation was the cross (“even death on a cross”), and its result was Christ’s exaltation. The hymn is perhaps the supreme theological statement on the Incarnation in the NT. Jesus’ human life was an “emptying,” a refusal to seize the prerogatives of his deity (“did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”).<\/p>\n<p>Paul described Christ as a second Adam (Rom 5:12-19; 1 Cor 15:45-47), who brought humanity a new possibility to attain what Adam had forsaken. Through assuming the form of a man, Christ became the Redeemer who reconciles people to God (Rom 3:25; 2 Cor 5:19; 1 Tm 1:15). Paul stressed even more, however, that the exalted Christ provides newness of life (Rom 6:4-6; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Col 3:1-4). A hymn in the Letter to the Colossians (1:15-20) employs ideas from Jewish wisdom speculation, and possibly Greek themes, to show Christ as the “firstborn” and the “fullness of God.” The one who always existed as God, through his sacrificial death, became the exalted Lord and brought humankind to God (see also the “flesh-spirit” theme in Rom 1:3-4; 1 Tm 3:16).<\/p>\n<h5>Hebrews<\/h5>\n<p>The Letter to the Hebrews strongly speaks of the Incarnation. The opening hymn (Heb 1:1-3) accents Christ’s exalted status as “the very stamp” of God’s image and the radiance of his glory. Christ is superior to the angels (1:4-9), yet he became a man in order to suffer for human salvation (2:9; 5:7-9). The Incarnation is aligned with sinful humankind’s need for a Savior. The purpose of Hebrews is to show Christ’s incomparable superiority to the OT sacrifices, and at the same time to stress his work of salvation. His real temptation (2:18; 4:15) combined with his sinlessness (4:15; 5:9; 7:26) is the human remedy for human sin. The Incarnation was Christ’s path to final, once-for-all atonement and victory over sin (7:28; 9:26).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"HistoricalDevelopment\">Historical Development<\/p>\n<p>The first group to challenge the traditional doctrine of incarnation was the Gnostics, who in the late first century denied that Jesus was truly human. Their Greek belief that the physical creation was evil led them to deny the Incarnation. They believed Christ to be a quasi-spiritual being who merely appeared human. The theologian Marcion (d. c. 160), trained by Gnostic teachers, also accepted a docetic interpretation of Christ (his humanity was only apparent). Marcion taught his doctrine as an antidote to the OT or Jewish-oriented Christianity in his day. After his excommunication in <span>AD<\/span> 144, Marcion founded his own church, and his views were widely disseminated in the next two centuries. Partly in reaction to Marcion’s christological heresy, the orthodox churches unified their doctrine.<\/p>\n<p>The next challenge to the orthodox view came through the Arian, Apollinarian, and Nestorian controversies in the third and fourth centuries. Arianism held that the Incarnation was total, so that Christ the Logos was no longer fully God. At the same time, he was not fully human, so Christ was someone between two natures. The Council of Nicaea (<span>AD<\/span> 325) affirmed that Jesus was indeed both God and man. A further question soon arose, however, as to the relation between his two natures. Apollinarius (310?–390?) taught that only the body of Jesus was human; his soul was absorbed completely into the divine Logos. Nestorius (c. 381–451) taught that the two natures must always remain distinct in the person of Christ; they functioned together but were separate in his being. The Council of Chalcedon (<span>AD<\/span> 451) affirmed the unity of the two natures in Jesus. Many opponents of Chalcedon arose, called Monophysites, who believed in one divine nature in Jesus, who was only in a sense human. That movement caused serious political and religious divisions, and the Council of Constantinople (680–81) reaffirmed Chalcedon and established the orthodox incarnation theology.<\/p>\n<p>In the eighth century, Spain and France were centers of the “adoptionist” controversy. Adoptionism taught that at birth Jesus was human, but at his baptism he underwent a “second birth” and was “adopted” as Son of God. It was condemned in a series of synods and never gained many adherents until modern times. During the scholastic age, Peter Lombard (1095?–1160) advocated what became known as “nihilism.” The Incarnation supposedly caused no fundamental change in Jesus’ deity, but his human nature was both insubstantial and unessential. That view likewise was condemned by Pope Alexander III (1159–81). Another debate at that time centered on the relationship between the fall and the Incarnation. Thomas Aquinas (1224–74) concluded that there was a cause-effect connection; the Incarnation was necessitated by sin rather than predestined apart from the fall.<\/p>\n<p>The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformers follow basically the same orthodox teaching about the Incarnation. The conflict in the Reformation centered more on soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). Several aberrant antitrinitarian movements took advantage of the breakdown in ecclesiastical authority, however. Michael Servetus (1511–53) taught a pantheistic view of the Incarnation, focused on the divine Spirit becoming manifest in the human form of Jesus. Thus the Logos is not a distinct person in the Godhead, nor is it fundamentally different from a “divine spark” in every person. At the same time Laelius Socinus (1525–62) and his nephew, Faustus Socinus (1539–1604), taught a unitarian system. The Incarnation was not a transferral of the divine essence but a communication of divine authority and revelation. Christ thus did not die as an atonement but as a moral example. Both Servetus and Socinianism were condemned by Catholics and Protestants alike.<\/p>\n<p>In the 17th and 18th centuries “kenoticism” (from Greek for “empty”) taught that in the Incarnation the Logos totally “emptied himself” (Phil 2:7) of the divine attributes. That doctrine represented the final phase of a dialogue from the scholastic period about the exact communication between Jesus’ two natures. Was his human nature omnipotent? If not, how did the man Jesus exercise the divine attributes? The kenotic school believed that Jesus was fully human and that his divine nature was quiescent until after the Ascension. His miraculous powers were external, given by the Spirit. Against that view, the majority of theologians argued that Jesus was at all times both God and man, and that in Philippians 2:6-8 Jesus did not lay aside the attributes of deity (he still exhibited the “form of God”) but rather the majesty associated with deity.<\/p>\n<p>The 19th and 20th centuries have given rise to a view that the Incarnation was a “myth,” a pictorial way of describing how God spoke through Jesus. The virgin birth was not historical, nor did any of the supernatural events of the Gospels ever take place. Rather, the stories in the Gospels were concoctions of the later church, efforts to portray Jesus’ impact on the movement. The Gospels, however, have too strong a flavor of accurate history for such a view to prevail (see Lk 1:1-5; Jn 19:35; 21:24).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/p>\n<p>The NT teaching on the Incarnation balances the humanity and divinity of Christ. Those two facts must harmonize in any theological system, for both are absolutely necessary parts of God’s redemptive plan. In the Incarnation, Jesus became a perfect human being. As God in human flesh, he suffered the divine penalty for sin as an innocent substitute. Being both God and man, Jesus simultaneously revealed God’s will for human life and reconciled sinful people to God through his own perfect life and death. Because of the Incarnation, therefore, those who believe in Christ have peace with God and new life from God.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Christology; Jesus Christ, Life and Teachings of; Genealogy of Jesus Christ; Virgin Birth of Jesus.<\/p>","summary_ro":"INCARNATION* Literally, “in flesh”; theologically, the doctrine that in Jesus of Nazareth God took on human flesh and became the God-man. Historically, the doctrine of incarnation was central in the christological debates of patristic times and has recently come to the fore again in academic circles. Biblically, it expresses the mystery of Jesus’ identity. New Testament Testimony The Synoptic Gospels The Gospel of Mark has no account of the Incarnation and stresses Jesus’ messiahship more tha...","summary_en":"INCARNATION* Literally, “in flesh”; theologically, the doctrine that in Jesus of Nazareth God took on human flesh and became the God-man. Historically, the doctrine of incarnation was central in the christological debates of patristic times and has recently come to the fore again in academic circles. Biblically, it expresses the mystery of Jesus’ identity. New Testament Testimony The Synoptic Gospels The Gospel of Mark has no account of the Incarnation and stresses Jesus’ messiahship more tha...","source":"Articles\/I.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26657,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Music","title_en":"Music","content_ro":"<h3>MUSIC<\/h3>\n<p>A natural human expression that probably began with speech-singing and developed into songs, which were then accompanied by instruments. Music as we know it has become quite complex, a luxury and entertainment; music in antiquity, however, was a functional expression of daily life, work, and worship.<\/p>\n<p>The phrase “sing to the Lord,” common to the OT (Ex 15:21; 1 Chr 16:9; Pss 68:32; 96:1-2; Is 42:10; Jer 20:13), was not unique to the Jewish nation. All religions draw on the natural human impulse to sing. The injunction “sing to the Lord” was a signal for the people to pour out their praise in song.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible, however, is limited in its treatment of music in ancient Israel. Since there was no written musical notation, the primary record of songs sung by the Hebrews is the collection of texts, particularly the psalms, and a few enigmatic musical instructions. The biblical writers were writing a history not of their culture but of their relationship with God; hence, their comments about music are not critical. Also, the biblical documents cover a long span of history and are grouped according to category rather than in chronological order, thus making it difficult to order the development of musical style with precision. Finally, there is the problem of understanding the biblical descriptions of music and its performance. Only in this century have scholars been able to interpret the information provided in the Bible in terms of Eastern music systems.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the Psalms<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicintheOldTestament\">Music in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The first musician mentioned in the Bible is “Jubal, the first musician—the inventor of the harp and flute” (Gn 4:21, <span>nlt<\/span>). The importance of this description of a musician so early in history lies in the equality Jubal is given with his brothers Jabal, the herdsman, and Tubal-cain, the smith. Music making is recognized among the earliest professions of nomadic peoples. The name Jubal is believed to be a derivative from the Hebrew word for “ram.” The ram’s horn <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shophar<\/span><em>)<\/em> was an early instrument of the Jewish people and was significant in signaling important events.<\/p>\n<p>For the most part, the music described in early biblical history was of a functional nature. Music gained special significance as it became an important part of temple worship. Many of the descriptions of music making in ancient Israel, before David’s time, are quite utilitarian. There are accounts of music at times of farewell (Gn 31:27), at times of rejoicing and feasting (Ex 32:17-18; Is 5:12; 24:8-9), at military victories (2 Chr 20:27-28), and for work (Nm 21:17, the song of the well diggers; Is 16:10; Jer 48:33). Most of this music was probably rather crude and primitive in nature, especially the music associated with military advances, which was meant to terrify the enemy (Jgs 7:17-20). The music and dancing that greeted Moses as he descended from the mountain was described as if it sounded like “war in the camp” (Ex 32:17-18).<\/p>\n<p>In the early history of the Jewish people, women played an important part in the performance of music. The image of women dancing and singing for joy accompanied by percussion instruments is repeated several times: Miriam led the women in a hymn of thanksgiving after the deliverance from the Red Sea (Ex 15); Jephthah’s daughter welcomed her father in his victory (Jgs 11:34); Deborah joined with Barak in singing a song of victory (Jgs 5); and women hailed David after his defeat of the Philistines (1 Sm 18:6-7). There is little mention of women as musicians following the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem, but there are a few allusions to the fact that women did participate in singing and dancing. The account of the return from exile in Babylon includes both male and female singers (Neh 7:67), confirming that women still took part in musical performance.<\/p>\n<p>As Jerusalem became the religious center of the Hebrew people (950–850 <span>BC<\/span>), the role of the professional musician became more important. The women’s songs became insignificant compared to the pomp and ceremony associated with the temple and the royal court. While the Levitical singers took most of the musical responsibility at the temple, the development of antiphonal singing allowed the people to join in on responses in the singing of psalms.<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Style and Use<\/h5>\n<p>The Jewish people seem to have been especially musical. Of course, they were influenced by other ancient cultures, but there is evidence that they were in demand as musicians by other peoples. According to an Assyrian document, King Hezekiah gave as tribute to King Sennacherib many male and female Jewish musicians. The Babylonians demanded that the captive Jews sing to them and entertain them (cf. Ps 137:3).<\/p>\n<p>Since the OT’s purpose was to narrate the relationship between the Jewish nation and God, most of the references to music deal with its function in worship. However, evidence reveals that there was also a large body of secular musical literature. There may have been guilds of poets and singers early in Jewish history. The kinds of songs recorded in the early part of the OT represent a folklike poetry. The song of thanksgiving to the Lord by Moses and the people of Israel after their escape at the Red Sea is a stirring national song. Many descriptions of the biblical writers reflect the spirit of bardic song. This would be logical, as these stories were meant to be passed on. Marching songs (2 Chr 20:27-28), and songs of triumph (Jgs 5) also indicate a secular body of music.<\/p>\n<h5>Music in Worship<\/h5>\n<p>The singers and musicians for the temple worship were chosen from the tribe of Levi. King David assembled the Levites for a census, and out of the total of 38,000 men over the age of 30, 4,000 were chosen as musicians. These 4,000 were subsequently given specific jobs. “David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. . . . The number of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to the <span>Lord<\/span>, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight” (1 Chr 25:1, 7, <span>rsv<\/span>). The singers were further divided into 24 groups of 12 singers, who rotated in participating in the weekday, Sabbath, and high holy day services.<\/p>\n<p>According to a later source, there were minimum and maximum numbers of singers and instrumentalists required at each service. The minimum number of singers was twelve, the maximum was unlimited. There had to be in attendance at least two harps but no more than six, at least two flutes but no more than twelve, a minimum of two trumpets with no maximum, and a minimum of nine lyres with no maximum. There was only one player with a pair of cymbals.<\/p>\n<p>A singer was admitted to the Levitical choir at the age of thirty following a five-year apprenticeship (1 Chr 23:3). Five years is a relatively short time considering the amount of material these singers had to memorize (for there was no notation) and the liturgical ritual they had to master; it is speculated that they actually were in training from childhood. The Levites lived in villages outside the city wall and may have been actively involved in the musical education of their children (Neh 12:29). The Levites performed other duties connected with the sacred service, but the singers were excused from all other duties because they were on duty day and night (1 Chr 9:33). Their skills were an important part of the temple worship, and they were able to devote their entire life to the development of their musical ability. A singer served in the choir for 20 years, from age 30 to 50, and the music was of a high quality due to strict discipline and continuous practice and performance.<\/p>\n<p>From the beginning of Jewish formal worship connected with the tabernacle, music and sound was important. In Exodus 28:34-35 the descriptions of Aaron’s robe include bells attached to the lower hem that sounded as he entered the Holy Place. The first liturgical music mentioned in the OT is found in 2 Samuel 6 in the descriptions of the transfer of the ark: David and the Israelites sang, played instruments, and danced to the glory of the Lord. This music bore little resemblance to the stately ceremony described later in Solomon’s temple. In 2 Chronicles 7:6, David is given recognition for inventing the musical instruments used in the temple. In the postexilic era Levitical singers are mentioned as the descendants of Asaph, the “singing master” appointed by David (Ezr 2:41; Neh 7:44; 11:22-23). From passages such as these, we have a definite indication that liturgical music and organization stemmed from David’s time.<\/p>\n<p>The ceremonies in the Jewish temple were organized around the sacrifice. Singing formed an integral part of the sacrificial service and was necessary to validate the sacrificial action. There were special musical settings for each sacrifice; thus the daily burnt, expiatory, and laudatory offerings and libations had individual liturgies. Particular psalms became associated with certain sacrifices as well as with certain days of the week. The psalm of the day was intoned as the high priest started to pour out the drink offering. The psalm was divided into three sections, each signaled by the blowing of the trumpets, on which signal the people would prostrate themselves. This is the only time the trumpets were used together with the other instruments in orchestral fashion on solemn occasions (2 Chr 5:12-13).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicinthePsalms\">Music in the Psalms<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Psalm Titles<\/h5>\n<p>The collection of 150 lyric poems known as the book of Psalms contains the most information on music making in ancient Israel. The Psalter contains not only religious songs but also songs that have their roots in secular or popular songs, such as work songs, love songs, and wedding songs. The majority are songs of praise, thanksgiving, prayer, and repentance. There are also historic odes that relate great national events—for example, Psalm 30, “a song at the dedication of the temple,” and Psalm 137, which portrays the sufferings of the Jews in captivity.<\/p>\n<p>The psalms were an important part of all the services of the temple; the Psalter became the liturgical hymnal of the Israelites. Worship included an appointed psalm for each day of the week. On the first day of the week, Psalm 24 was sung in remembrance of the first day of creation, Psalm 48 was sung on the second day, Psalm 82 on the third, Psalm 94 on the fourth, Psalm 81 on the fifth, Psalm 93 on the sixth, and Psalm 92 on the Sabbath. After the sacrificial offerings, Psalm 105:1-5 was sung at the morning service and Psalm 96 at the evening service. The Hallel psalms (Pss 113–118, 120–136, 146–148) were sung during the offering of the paschal lamb at the Passover feast.<\/p>\n<p>While most of the liturgical music was performed by Levites, texts of the psalms suggest that there was also congregational participation. The forms of music found both in synagogal and ecclesiastical chant had their source in the forms of the poetic text of the psalms. The simplest is the plain psalmody sung by one person (e.g., Pss 3–5, 46). In responsorial psalmody the soloist is answered by the choir (e.g., Ps 67:1-2; the soloist sang verse 1 and the choir answered with verse 2). Antiphonal psalmody involves two groups singing alternately (e.g., Ps 103:20-22). The congregation would chant a refrain such as appears in Psalm 80: “Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!” recurs throughout the psalm (<span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Even though the synagogue had no altar for sacrifice, psalm singing retained an important place. After the Romans destroyed the temple, the worship heritage of the Jews could have been lost if the customs, including musical customs, had not become an integral part of synagogue worship.<\/p>\n<p>The most enigmatic part of the psalms is the headings that are not part of the poetic text. The first question is whether these should even be considered as superscripts. Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and other ancient languages were written in such a way that the text ran together without any break between chapters or paragraphs. This means that the verses, and even the division of the psalms themselves, were partially determined by copyists, chiefly the Masoretes. There is some question as to which psalms the extrapoetic texts actually belong with; they may actually be subscripts instead of superscripts. Sumerian and Babylonian poetry had information such as the name of the author, the musical instrument used for accompaniment, the tune, the purpose, and such listed at the end of the poem. Hence, some of the headings may actually be endings.<\/p>\n<p>The indications at the beginning of a psalm fall into three categories. They are either musical terms giving direction for the actual performance, musical cues designating the tune to which the psalm would be sung, or comments indicating the function of the psalm. These terms have been interpreted in various ways.<\/p>\n<p>Originally, these headings may have been marginal notes for the choir leaders. Realizing that these terms were not related to the psalm text proper, early biblical scribes may not have been overly careful with their placement in the text, which may explain some of the discrepancies among the early manuscripts—why certain words are left out in some and why terms assigned to only a few psalms may originally have been indicated on more of them.<\/p>\n<p>All but 50 of the psalms contain a proper name in the heading. These names possibly indicate the author; other commentators, interpreting the preposition appearing before the names to mean “for,” think the names are a dedication. Thus the title would be “A Psalm for David,” not “A Psalm of David.” This may be the case with the names of Asaph, Heman, Ethan, and especially the sons of Korah, where it would make better sense for the psalm to be written for rather than by the family. Seventy-three psalms have David’s name in the heading, hence the common reference to the Psalter as the Psalms of David. Twelve include the name of Asaph, eleven the children of Korah, two Solomon, and one each contains Moses, Heman, and Ethan.<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Terms in the Psalm Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Numerous musical terms are included in the superscriptions to cue the kind of instrumental accompaniment, mood, and style of performance for the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Alamoth<\/span> is one of the most controversial terms found in the psalm headings. It appears at the beginning of Psalm 46 and also in 1 Chronicles 15:20. One meaning for the Hebrew word is “maiden,” and musicologists interpret this as an instruction that the psalm should be sung in the range of the female singing voice. The reference in Chronicles is to harps in the range of women’s voices. This interpretation does not seem to fit Psalm 46, but if we look at the preceding psalm and read the term as a subscript, it becomes logical. Psalm 45 is a song of love, actually a nuptial ode; it would be natural for women to sing the second half (vv 10-17). While there is little mention of women singing in the temple, there is speculation that young boys in training may have sung along with the Levitical singers. Also this may be a case where the term appears only once in the modern text but may have been used more often in the original. Another possible meaning for <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Alamoth<\/span> is “flutes,” perhaps describing the kind of musical accompaniment for the performance of the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Gittith<\/span> is a term found in the superscriptions of Psalms 8, 81, and 84. It may be a musical cue, indicating a mood for the performance of these psalms, but a more common explanation is that it is a collective term for the stringed instruments that would have accompanied them.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath<\/span> has been left in its original Hebrew form by early translators and is found in the headings of Psalms 53 and 88. It may have roots in the Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mahaleh<\/span> “sickness” or <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mahot<\/span> “dance,” though neither of these words can be related to the psalm texts. Another explanation is a musical one. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath<\/span> may come from the word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">halal<\/span> meaning “to pierce,” implying that the psalm was to be accompanied with pipes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Maskil<\/span> (<span>kjv<\/span> “Maschil”) appears in the headings of 13 psalms (Pss 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, 142). The term is probably derived from the verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sakal<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to have insight or comprehension,” but there is no agreement among commentators. By looking at the psalms themselves, their didactic nature and the structure of stanzas and refrains, musicologists conclude the term represents a song of praise, possibly sung by a soloist with participation by the choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Menazzeah<\/span> appears in the heading of 55 psalms. It appears 52 times in the first three books of Psalms (Pss 1–89), not at all in book four (Pss 90–106), and 3 times in book five (Pss 107–150). The most common modern translations are “to the Choirmaster” (<span>rsv<\/span>), “to the choir director” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>), “to the director of music” (<span>niv<\/span>), “to the chief Musician” (<span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nkjv<\/span>). The word is derived from the Hebrew verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">nazzah<\/span><em>,<\/em> appearing in 1 Chronicles 23:4 and Ezra 3:8-9 in the sense of “administering.” In 1 Chronicles 15:21 the word is found in relation to leading or directing song in the temple. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Menazzeah<\/span> relates to the choirmaster and represents the singer chosen to lead the music who probably was involved in rehearsing and instructing. It is now assumed that <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">menazzeah<\/span> indicates the psalm was to be sung partially or entirely by a soloist. This is evidenced by the change in some texts from “I” where the soloist sang, to “we” where the choir or congregation sang. Psalm 5 is an example of a text divided for solo and choral singing: verses 1-3 solo; verses 4-6 choral; verses 7-8 solo; verses 9-10 choral; and verses 11-12 end the psalm with the combined soloist and choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Miktam<\/span> (<span>kjv<\/span> “Michtam”) is another term that has no clear musical meaning, due mainly to the fact that its etymology is unknown. It occurs in Psalms 16 and 56–60, all of which have a character of lamentation or supplication. In a musical sense, it probably meant that a certain well-known tune was to be selected as the melody of the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mizmor<\/span> (Hebrew, meaning a song sung to instrumental accompaniment) is found nowhere else in the Bible; it is included in the superscriptions of 57 psalms. It probably indicated a song accompanied by melodic instruments as opposed to a dance song accompanied by rhythmic instruments.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Neginah<\/span> appears in the superscriptions of Psalms 4, 6, 54–55, 61, 67, and 76. The term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">neginah<\/span> and its plural <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">neginoth<\/span> are found in Psalm 77:7, Lamentations 5:14, Isaiah 38:20, and Habakkuk 3:19. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Neginah<\/span><em>,<\/em> from the Hebrew root <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">naggen<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to touch the strings,” instructs that stringed instruments accompany the singing.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Nehiloth<\/span> is found only in the introduction to Psalm 5 (<span>kjv<\/span>). The origin of the word is problematic. It could come from the verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">nahal<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to possess or inherit,” or more feasibly from <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">halal<\/span><em>,<\/em> meaning “to pierce.” The latter implies the idea of a pierced instrument (the flute or pipe) to be used for accompaniment.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Sheminith<\/span> appears in Psalms 6 and 12 and also in 1 Chronicles 15:21. The Hebrew word means literally “over the eighth.” Some scholars feel it had something to do with an octave, but the Hebrew musical language probably did not include a musical unit divided into eight parts. Other scholars interpret <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> as meaning an eight-stringed instrument. A more logical interpretation comes from examining its use in 1 Chronicles. In 15:20 the instructions are for musicians to play the harps according to <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> and in verse 21 to play the lyres according to <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span><em>.<\/em> Here the terms <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> and <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> seem to be used in opposition. If <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> implies a register of the female voice, then <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> would imply a lower register. Thus, it may have been an instruction to use a lower pitched instrument for accompaniment.<\/p>\n<h5>Psalm Varieties in the Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Some of the notes in the psalm headings are indications of the type or variety of psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Hazkir<\/span> is found in the headings of Psalms 38 and 70. According to the Targum, this is an indication that the psalm was sung at the sacrificial rite called <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">askara<\/span> and is translated “for a memorial offering.”<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Lammed<\/span> appears in the superscription of Psalm 60 in the phrase <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">le-lammed<\/span><em>,<\/em> translated “to teach.” According to tradition, this was a psalm, though undoubtedly not the only one, taught to young people as part of their education. This is another example of a term that may have been omitted from other psalms in later versions of the Psalter.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shiggaion<\/span> is in the heading of Psalm 7 and also in Habakkuk 3:1. The word probably comes from the Hebrew verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shagah<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to wander,” but may also be connected with the Assyrian liturgical term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shigu<\/span><em>,<\/em> which represented a plaintive song in several stanzas. Biblical scholars have assumed <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shiggaion<\/span><em>,<\/em> plural <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shigionoth<\/span><em>,<\/em> was a lament or penitential song.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir<\/span> is the simplest word for “song” and was probably used in the headings at an early stage of the Psalter; it is usually found with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mizmor<\/span> (13 times). Fifteen psalms have this heading. It was probably the term for a specific type of praise song, usually performed by the choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Hamaalot<\/span> and <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Lamaalot<\/span> occur in the headings of Psalms 120–134, which are often referred to as the Psalms of Ascent (<span>kjv<\/span> “Psalms of Degrees”). Most explanations offered relate to the fact that the temple was situated on high ground. Often these 15 psalms are associated with the 15 steps leading from the Court of the Women to the Court of the Israelites. But most contemporary scholars believe the idea of “going up” referred to the pilgrims’ journey to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. These psalms are short, with popular appeal, making them appropriate for singing during the journey.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Hanukkat Habayit<\/span> is found only in the heading of Psalm 30. This phrase tells that the psalm was to be used for the dedication or rededication of the house of God.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir-yedidot<\/span> appears only in Psalm 45. It refers to a love song that was probably sung at wedding ceremonies.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Tefillah<\/span> is a common term for “prayer” and appears in the headings of Psalms 17, 86, 90, 102, and 142, and also in Habakkuk 3:1. The word probably refers to a specific form of poetic prayer.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Selah<\/span> is one of the most frequently used, but most enigmatic, terms found in the book of Psalms. It occurs in 39 psalms, appearing a total of 71 times in the Psalter—67 times within the text and 4 times at the end of a psalm. It is most frequent in the first three books. In the first book <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> appears in 9 psalms; in the second book, 17 psalms; in the third book, 11 psalms. In the fourth book it is not found at all and in the fifth book in only two psalms. Thirty-one of these psalms also include the term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">menazzeah<\/span> in their superscriptions, which implies that they were sung by a soloist and choir. Most commonly, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> is interpreted as a signal for a break in the singing and possibly for an instrumental interlude. It never appears at the beginning of a psalm but only in the middle of the text or at the end. The regularity of its appearance within a psalm is not consistent, and in only a few instances do these divisions break the psalm into equal sections. Because of the random placement of the term, some scholars believe that, like the headings, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> was not always carefully copied into the text. It may have been a note appearing only in the texts of the musicians, which would explain this inconsistency. An explanation of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> is found in the Talmudic tradition: “Ben Azra clashed the cymbal and the Levites broke forth into singing. When they reached a break in the singing they blew upon the trumpets and the people prostrated themselves; at every break there was a blowing of the trumpet and at every blowing of the trumpet a prostration. This was the rite of the daily whole offering in the service of the House of our God.” <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Selah<\/span><em>,<\/em> then, would be an instruction for the musicians that the singing was to cease and the instrumentalists were to play.<\/p>\n<p>The term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">higgaion selah<\/span> appears once, in Psalm 9:16. The word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">higgaiaon<\/span> comes from the root <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">hagah<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to murmur, to growl, to produce a low sound.” This may have been an instruction for the interlude to be more subdued than a normal <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h5>Ancient Melodies in the Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Many psalms contain headings that are not direct musical references but are cue words to suggest well-known tunes. They probably refer either to names or the first words of popular secular songs <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makams<\/span><em>)<\/em> whose melodic patterns were used in singing the psalm. Many biblical scholars have tried to find hidden meaning in these headings, but most musicologists believe these are simply references or introductions to melodies.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Aijeleth Shahar<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 22 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “according to The Hind of the Dawn” (<span>rsv<\/span>), and “To the tune of ‘The Doe of the Morning’ ” (<span>niv<\/span>), “To the tune ‘Doe of the Dawn’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Al-taschith<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalms 57–59 and 75 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Do Not Destroy!’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Jonath-elem-rechokim<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 56 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths” (<span>rsv<\/span>), and “To the tune ‘Dove on Distant Oaks’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath Leannoth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 88, is translated “To the tune ‘The Suffering of Affliction’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Muthlabben<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 9, is translated “To the tune ‘Death of the Son’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shoshannim<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalms 45 and 69 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Lilies’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shoshannim-Eduth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 80 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Lilies of the Covenant’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shushan-eduth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 60, is translated “To the tune ‘Lily of the Testimony’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>These melody types appear only in the first three books of the Psalter, and this may imply that these popular <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makams<\/span> had fallen into disuse by the time the final books of the Psalter were written. Other <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makam<\/span>-types had probably become popular, and the authors, realizing the relatively short life of a popular tune, did not include them in the headings of the Psalms but left the choice up to the performer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicintheNewTestament\">Music in the New Testament<\/p>\n<h5>First-Century Influences<\/h5>\n<h6>The Synagogue<\/h6>\n<p>By the time of Christ, the synagogue had become the chief place of worship for the Jewish people. It began as a place for study of the law but gradually became the center of worship for Jews unable to attend the temple. The liturgical service of the temple could not be duplicated in the synagogue as there was no sacrificial rite, and the music could not be exactly reproduced as there were no trained Levitical singers. Scholars do not agree about the amount of continuity between the music of the temple and the music of the synagogue, but there is evidence that certain musical practices did remain constant between the two places of worship.<\/p>\n<p>Information on the customs and rituals of the synagogue come from Talmudic writings. The musical elements of worship in the synagogue were the chanting of Scripture, psalmody, and spiritual songs. The choral singing of the temple was replaced by a single cantor. The cantor was a layman who, according to tradition, had to have the following qualifications: “He had to be well educated, gifted with a sweet voice, of humble personality, recognized by the community, conversant with Scripture and all the prayers; he must not be a rich man, for his prayers should come from his heart.” His most important job was the cantillation of the Law and the Prophets. A series of accents and punctuations, forerunners of actual musical notation, were indications for the cantor in the musical interpretation of the Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Psalm singing was gradually transplanted from the temple to the synagogue, which in turn influenced the early Christian church. Gregorian psalm tones have their roots in Hebrew psalmody.<\/p>\n<h6>Greek and Roman Cultures<\/h6>\n<p>While both the temple and the synagogue were familiar to the early Christians (Acts 2:46-47; 3:1; 5:42; 9:20; 18:4; etc.), the Greek and Roman cultures also played a major part in shaping the young church. Hellenistic influences by the time of Christ had long been felt in the Middle East, and while it was strongly opposed by some Jewish leaders, the Greek arts had permeated Jewish culture. Greek philosophers considered music a cathartic force that could lead humans into metaphysical knowledge. This understanding led to the belief that music had a moral substance that could influence people to either good or evil. If this philosophy had totally encompassed Judeo-Christian thought, certainly Paul would have encouraged the use of music in the spread of the gospel. However, Paul’s omission of this theory implies that the Judeo-Christian world at that time had rejected the Greek ideal, at least in part.<\/p>\n<p>While the Jewish rabbis considered music an art form for the praise of God, and while the Greek philosophers thought of it as a powerful moral force in creation, the Romans considered music mainly as entertainment. The music of the Roman games was neither religious nor philosophic and, from the accounts of witnesses, it was not technically exceptional. In the Roman Empire musicians were given a lower status and looked on as mere entertainers. One reason the early church did not include instrumental music in their worship was in reaction to the debased secular use of instruments by the Romans.<\/p>\n<h5>In the New Testament Writings<\/h5>\n<p>One of the few mentions of instruments in the NT is the use of flutes at a wake (Mt 9:23). As in the OT, music is associated with feasting and merrymaking (e.g., the return of the prodigal son, Lk 15:25). Five passages mention music metaphorically (Mt 6:2; 11:17; Lk 7:32; 1 Cor 13:1; 14:7-8). The most well known of these is Paul’s celebration of love in 1 Corinthians 13. The denunciation of the gong and cymbals must be understood in light of the attitude of the early Christians toward the music of the Pharisees. Here the signal instruments of the temple were used to represent pompous display of religious pietism.<\/p>\n\n<p>Most references to music are found in the eschatological visions and prophetic passages scattered throughout the NT—most frequently in the book of Revelation (also Mt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16; Heb 12:19). Many of these descriptions have a direct association with musical references in the OT (e.g., the use of harps and trumpets and the singing of the Hallelujah). But the value of many of the passages in Revelation comes from their literary style. These doxological and psalmlike passages were probably spontaneous “spiritual songs” composed by the young church (e.g., Rv 5:9-10).<\/p>\n<p>The passages that mention religious or liturgical music are often more conceptual than literal. Two parallel passages describing the Last Supper (Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26) mention that Christ and his disciples sang a hymn. This is the only direct account of Jesus singing, but it is probable that when he read in the synagogue he did so in the accepted vocal style (Lk 4:16-20). There is much controversy surrounding the actual events at the Last Supper, but we can assume that the hymn sung was a traditional Jewish hymn, probably associated with the Passover.<\/p>\n<p>From the account in Acts 16:25 we know that Paul and Silas sang hymns while in jail. Paul gives instruction for music making in 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26 in terms of a balance between rationalism and emotion. And, as with all the gifts of the Spirit, Paul asks that singing be done for edification.<\/p>\n<p>In two similar passages (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) Paul groups together three musical terms—psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The singing of psalms was an obvious carryover from the synagogue, and we can assume that the early Christian psalm singing followed the Jewish style. The term for “hymns” probably refers to poetic texts, possibly modeled after the psalms, but in praise of Christ. “Spiritual songs” may refer to a spontaneous, ecstatic form of musical prayer, possibly wordless (perhaps related to glossolalia), in a style that was popular in mystical Judaism. These outbursts of song were probably melismatic (sung on one tone) and are perhaps the forerunners of the later Alleluia chant.<\/p>\n<h5>Hymnody in the New Testament<\/h5>\n<p>It can be assumed that the early Christians composed hymns in praise of Christ. Logically, most of the hymns found in the NT are based on Hebrew poetic psalm forms, but there is Greek and Latin influence also. The hymns from the Gospel of Luke have become well-known canticles adopted by the church: the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), the Benedictus (1:68-79), the Gloria (2:14) and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29-32). While patterned after the psalms of the OT, these hymns are full of confidence in the salvation of Christ and in his imminent return. Other Christological hymns found in the NT include the prologue to the Gospel of John, Ephesians 2:14-16, Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:3, and 1 Peter 3:18-22.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MUSIC<\/h3>\n<p>A natural human expression that probably began with speech-singing and developed into songs, which were then accompanied by instruments. Music as we know it has become quite complex, a luxury and entertainment; music in antiquity, however, was a functional expression of daily life, work, and worship.<\/p>\n<p>The phrase “sing to the Lord,” common to the OT (Ex 15:21; 1 Chr 16:9; Pss 68:32; 96:1-2; Is 42:10; Jer 20:13), was not unique to the Jewish nation. All religions draw on the natural human impulse to sing. The injunction “sing to the Lord” was a signal for the people to pour out their praise in song.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible, however, is limited in its treatment of music in ancient Israel. Since there was no written musical notation, the primary record of songs sung by the Hebrews is the collection of texts, particularly the psalms, and a few enigmatic musical instructions. The biblical writers were writing a history not of their culture but of their relationship with God; hence, their comments about music are not critical. Also, the biblical documents cover a long span of history and are grouped according to category rather than in chronological order, thus making it difficult to order the development of musical style with precision. Finally, there is the problem of understanding the biblical descriptions of music and its performance. Only in this century have scholars been able to interpret the information provided in the Bible in terms of Eastern music systems.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the Psalms<\/p>\n<p>• Music in the New Testament<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicintheOldTestament\">Music in the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The first musician mentioned in the Bible is “Jubal, the first musician—the inventor of the harp and flute” (Gn 4:21, <span>nlt<\/span>). The importance of this description of a musician so early in history lies in the equality Jubal is given with his brothers Jabal, the herdsman, and Tubal-cain, the smith. Music making is recognized among the earliest professions of nomadic peoples. The name Jubal is believed to be a derivative from the Hebrew word for “ram.” The ram’s horn <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shophar<\/span><em>)<\/em> was an early instrument of the Jewish people and was significant in signaling important events.<\/p>\n<p>For the most part, the music described in early biblical history was of a functional nature. Music gained special significance as it became an important part of temple worship. Many of the descriptions of music making in ancient Israel, before David’s time, are quite utilitarian. There are accounts of music at times of farewell (Gn 31:27), at times of rejoicing and feasting (Ex 32:17-18; Is 5:12; 24:8-9), at military victories (2 Chr 20:27-28), and for work (Nm 21:17, the song of the well diggers; Is 16:10; Jer 48:33). Most of this music was probably rather crude and primitive in nature, especially the music associated with military advances, which was meant to terrify the enemy (Jgs 7:17-20). The music and dancing that greeted Moses as he descended from the mountain was described as if it sounded like “war in the camp” (Ex 32:17-18).<\/p>\n<p>In the early history of the Jewish people, women played an important part in the performance of music. The image of women dancing and singing for joy accompanied by percussion instruments is repeated several times: Miriam led the women in a hymn of thanksgiving after the deliverance from the Red Sea (Ex 15); Jephthah’s daughter welcomed her father in his victory (Jgs 11:34); Deborah joined with Barak in singing a song of victory (Jgs 5); and women hailed David after his defeat of the Philistines (1 Sm 18:6-7). There is little mention of women as musicians following the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem, but there are a few allusions to the fact that women did participate in singing and dancing. The account of the return from exile in Babylon includes both male and female singers (Neh 7:67), confirming that women still took part in musical performance.<\/p>\n<p>As Jerusalem became the religious center of the Hebrew people (950–850 <span>BC<\/span>), the role of the professional musician became more important. The women’s songs became insignificant compared to the pomp and ceremony associated with the temple and the royal court. While the Levitical singers took most of the musical responsibility at the temple, the development of antiphonal singing allowed the people to join in on responses in the singing of psalms.<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Style and Use<\/h5>\n<p>The Jewish people seem to have been especially musical. Of course, they were influenced by other ancient cultures, but there is evidence that they were in demand as musicians by other peoples. According to an Assyrian document, King Hezekiah gave as tribute to King Sennacherib many male and female Jewish musicians. The Babylonians demanded that the captive Jews sing to them and entertain them (cf. Ps 137:3).<\/p>\n<p>Since the OT’s purpose was to narrate the relationship between the Jewish nation and God, most of the references to music deal with its function in worship. However, evidence reveals that there was also a large body of secular musical literature. There may have been guilds of poets and singers early in Jewish history. The kinds of songs recorded in the early part of the OT represent a folklike poetry. The song of thanksgiving to the Lord by Moses and the people of Israel after their escape at the Red Sea is a stirring national song. Many descriptions of the biblical writers reflect the spirit of bardic song. This would be logical, as these stories were meant to be passed on. Marching songs (2 Chr 20:27-28), and songs of triumph (Jgs 5) also indicate a secular body of music.<\/p>\n<h5>Music in Worship<\/h5>\n<p>The singers and musicians for the temple worship were chosen from the tribe of Levi. King David assembled the Levites for a census, and out of the total of 38,000 men over the age of 30, 4,000 were chosen as musicians. These 4,000 were subsequently given specific jobs. “David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. . . . The number of them along with their brethren, who were trained in singing to the <span>Lord<\/span>, all who were skilful, was two hundred and eighty-eight” (1 Chr 25:1, 7, <span>rsv<\/span>). The singers were further divided into 24 groups of 12 singers, who rotated in participating in the weekday, Sabbath, and high holy day services.<\/p>\n<p>According to a later source, there were minimum and maximum numbers of singers and instrumentalists required at each service. The minimum number of singers was twelve, the maximum was unlimited. There had to be in attendance at least two harps but no more than six, at least two flutes but no more than twelve, a minimum of two trumpets with no maximum, and a minimum of nine lyres with no maximum. There was only one player with a pair of cymbals.<\/p>\n<p>A singer was admitted to the Levitical choir at the age of thirty following a five-year apprenticeship (1 Chr 23:3). Five years is a relatively short time considering the amount of material these singers had to memorize (for there was no notation) and the liturgical ritual they had to master; it is speculated that they actually were in training from childhood. The Levites lived in villages outside the city wall and may have been actively involved in the musical education of their children (Neh 12:29). The Levites performed other duties connected with the sacred service, but the singers were excused from all other duties because they were on duty day and night (1 Chr 9:33). Their skills were an important part of the temple worship, and they were able to devote their entire life to the development of their musical ability. A singer served in the choir for 20 years, from age 30 to 50, and the music was of a high quality due to strict discipline and continuous practice and performance.<\/p>\n<p>From the beginning of Jewish formal worship connected with the tabernacle, music and sound was important. In Exodus 28:34-35 the descriptions of Aaron’s robe include bells attached to the lower hem that sounded as he entered the Holy Place. The first liturgical music mentioned in the OT is found in 2 Samuel 6 in the descriptions of the transfer of the ark: David and the Israelites sang, played instruments, and danced to the glory of the Lord. This music bore little resemblance to the stately ceremony described later in Solomon’s temple. In 2 Chronicles 7:6, David is given recognition for inventing the musical instruments used in the temple. In the postexilic era Levitical singers are mentioned as the descendants of Asaph, the “singing master” appointed by David (Ezr 2:41; Neh 7:44; 11:22-23). From passages such as these, we have a definite indication that liturgical music and organization stemmed from David’s time.<\/p>\n<p>The ceremonies in the Jewish temple were organized around the sacrifice. Singing formed an integral part of the sacrificial service and was necessary to validate the sacrificial action. There were special musical settings for each sacrifice; thus the daily burnt, expiatory, and laudatory offerings and libations had individual liturgies. Particular psalms became associated with certain sacrifices as well as with certain days of the week. The psalm of the day was intoned as the high priest started to pour out the drink offering. The psalm was divided into three sections, each signaled by the blowing of the trumpets, on which signal the people would prostrate themselves. This is the only time the trumpets were used together with the other instruments in orchestral fashion on solemn occasions (2 Chr 5:12-13).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicinthePsalms\">Music in the Psalms<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Psalm Titles<\/h5>\n<p>The collection of 150 lyric poems known as the book of Psalms contains the most information on music making in ancient Israel. The Psalter contains not only religious songs but also songs that have their roots in secular or popular songs, such as work songs, love songs, and wedding songs. The majority are songs of praise, thanksgiving, prayer, and repentance. There are also historic odes that relate great national events—for example, Psalm 30, “a song at the dedication of the temple,” and Psalm 137, which portrays the sufferings of the Jews in captivity.<\/p>\n<p>The psalms were an important part of all the services of the temple; the Psalter became the liturgical hymnal of the Israelites. Worship included an appointed psalm for each day of the week. On the first day of the week, Psalm 24 was sung in remembrance of the first day of creation, Psalm 48 was sung on the second day, Psalm 82 on the third, Psalm 94 on the fourth, Psalm 81 on the fifth, Psalm 93 on the sixth, and Psalm 92 on the Sabbath. After the sacrificial offerings, Psalm 105:1-5 was sung at the morning service and Psalm 96 at the evening service. The Hallel psalms (Pss 113–118, 120–136, 146–148) were sung during the offering of the paschal lamb at the Passover feast.<\/p>\n<p>While most of the liturgical music was performed by Levites, texts of the psalms suggest that there was also congregational participation. The forms of music found both in synagogal and ecclesiastical chant had their source in the forms of the poetic text of the psalms. The simplest is the plain psalmody sung by one person (e.g., Pss 3–5, 46). In responsorial psalmody the soloist is answered by the choir (e.g., Ps 67:1-2; the soloist sang verse 1 and the choir answered with verse 2). Antiphonal psalmody involves two groups singing alternately (e.g., Ps 103:20-22). The congregation would chant a refrain such as appears in Psalm 80: “Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!” recurs throughout the psalm (<span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Even though the synagogue had no altar for sacrifice, psalm singing retained an important place. After the Romans destroyed the temple, the worship heritage of the Jews could have been lost if the customs, including musical customs, had not become an integral part of synagogue worship.<\/p>\n<p>The most enigmatic part of the psalms is the headings that are not part of the poetic text. The first question is whether these should even be considered as superscripts. Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and other ancient languages were written in such a way that the text ran together without any break between chapters or paragraphs. This means that the verses, and even the division of the psalms themselves, were partially determined by copyists, chiefly the Masoretes. There is some question as to which psalms the extrapoetic texts actually belong with; they may actually be subscripts instead of superscripts. Sumerian and Babylonian poetry had information such as the name of the author, the musical instrument used for accompaniment, the tune, the purpose, and such listed at the end of the poem. Hence, some of the headings may actually be endings.<\/p>\n<p>The indications at the beginning of a psalm fall into three categories. They are either musical terms giving direction for the actual performance, musical cues designating the tune to which the psalm would be sung, or comments indicating the function of the psalm. These terms have been interpreted in various ways.<\/p>\n<p>Originally, these headings may have been marginal notes for the choir leaders. Realizing that these terms were not related to the psalm text proper, early biblical scribes may not have been overly careful with their placement in the text, which may explain some of the discrepancies among the early manuscripts—why certain words are left out in some and why terms assigned to only a few psalms may originally have been indicated on more of them.<\/p>\n<p>All but 50 of the psalms contain a proper name in the heading. These names possibly indicate the author; other commentators, interpreting the preposition appearing before the names to mean “for,” think the names are a dedication. Thus the title would be “A Psalm for David,” not “A Psalm of David.” This may be the case with the names of Asaph, Heman, Ethan, and especially the sons of Korah, where it would make better sense for the psalm to be written for rather than by the family. Seventy-three psalms have David’s name in the heading, hence the common reference to the Psalter as the Psalms of David. Twelve include the name of Asaph, eleven the children of Korah, two Solomon, and one each contains Moses, Heman, and Ethan.<\/p>\n<h5>Musical Terms in the Psalm Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Numerous musical terms are included in the superscriptions to cue the kind of instrumental accompaniment, mood, and style of performance for the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Alamoth<\/span> is one of the most controversial terms found in the psalm headings. It appears at the beginning of Psalm 46 and also in 1 Chronicles 15:20. One meaning for the Hebrew word is “maiden,” and musicologists interpret this as an instruction that the psalm should be sung in the range of the female singing voice. The reference in Chronicles is to harps in the range of women’s voices. This interpretation does not seem to fit Psalm 46, but if we look at the preceding psalm and read the term as a subscript, it becomes logical. Psalm 45 is a song of love, actually a nuptial ode; it would be natural for women to sing the second half (vv 10-17). While there is little mention of women singing in the temple, there is speculation that young boys in training may have sung along with the Levitical singers. Also this may be a case where the term appears only once in the modern text but may have been used more often in the original. Another possible meaning for <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Alamoth<\/span> is “flutes,” perhaps describing the kind of musical accompaniment for the performance of the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Gittith<\/span> is a term found in the superscriptions of Psalms 8, 81, and 84. It may be a musical cue, indicating a mood for the performance of these psalms, but a more common explanation is that it is a collective term for the stringed instruments that would have accompanied them.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath<\/span> has been left in its original Hebrew form by early translators and is found in the headings of Psalms 53 and 88. It may have roots in the Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mahaleh<\/span> “sickness” or <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mahot<\/span> “dance,” though neither of these words can be related to the psalm texts. Another explanation is a musical one. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath<\/span> may come from the word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">halal<\/span> meaning “to pierce,” implying that the psalm was to be accompanied with pipes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Maskil<\/span> (<span>kjv<\/span> “Maschil”) appears in the headings of 13 psalms (Pss 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, 142). The term is probably derived from the verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sakal<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to have insight or comprehension,” but there is no agreement among commentators. By looking at the psalms themselves, their didactic nature and the structure of stanzas and refrains, musicologists conclude the term represents a song of praise, possibly sung by a soloist with participation by the choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Menazzeah<\/span> appears in the heading of 55 psalms. It appears 52 times in the first three books of Psalms (Pss 1–89), not at all in book four (Pss 90–106), and 3 times in book five (Pss 107–150). The most common modern translations are “to the Choirmaster” (<span>rsv<\/span>), “to the choir director” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>), “to the director of music” (<span>niv<\/span>), “to the chief Musician” (<span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nkjv<\/span>). The word is derived from the Hebrew verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">nazzah<\/span><em>,<\/em> appearing in 1 Chronicles 23:4 and Ezra 3:8-9 in the sense of “administering.” In 1 Chronicles 15:21 the word is found in relation to leading or directing song in the temple. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Menazzeah<\/span> relates to the choirmaster and represents the singer chosen to lead the music who probably was involved in rehearsing and instructing. It is now assumed that <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">menazzeah<\/span> indicates the psalm was to be sung partially or entirely by a soloist. This is evidenced by the change in some texts from “I” where the soloist sang, to “we” where the choir or congregation sang. Psalm 5 is an example of a text divided for solo and choral singing: verses 1-3 solo; verses 4-6 choral; verses 7-8 solo; verses 9-10 choral; and verses 11-12 end the psalm with the combined soloist and choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Miktam<\/span> (<span>kjv<\/span> “Michtam”) is another term that has no clear musical meaning, due mainly to the fact that its etymology is unknown. It occurs in Psalms 16 and 56–60, all of which have a character of lamentation or supplication. In a musical sense, it probably meant that a certain well-known tune was to be selected as the melody of the psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mizmor<\/span> (Hebrew, meaning a song sung to instrumental accompaniment) is found nowhere else in the Bible; it is included in the superscriptions of 57 psalms. It probably indicated a song accompanied by melodic instruments as opposed to a dance song accompanied by rhythmic instruments.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Neginah<\/span> appears in the superscriptions of Psalms 4, 6, 54–55, 61, 67, and 76. The term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">neginah<\/span> and its plural <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">neginoth<\/span> are found in Psalm 77:7, Lamentations 5:14, Isaiah 38:20, and Habakkuk 3:19. <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Neginah<\/span><em>,<\/em> from the Hebrew root <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">naggen<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to touch the strings,” instructs that stringed instruments accompany the singing.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Nehiloth<\/span> is found only in the introduction to Psalm 5 (<span>kjv<\/span>). The origin of the word is problematic. It could come from the verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">nahal<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to possess or inherit,” or more feasibly from <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">halal<\/span><em>,<\/em> meaning “to pierce.” The latter implies the idea of a pierced instrument (the flute or pipe) to be used for accompaniment.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Sheminith<\/span> appears in Psalms 6 and 12 and also in 1 Chronicles 15:21. The Hebrew word means literally “over the eighth.” Some scholars feel it had something to do with an octave, but the Hebrew musical language probably did not include a musical unit divided into eight parts. Other scholars interpret <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> as meaning an eight-stringed instrument. A more logical interpretation comes from examining its use in 1 Chronicles. In 15:20 the instructions are for musicians to play the harps according to <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> and in verse 21 to play the lyres according to <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span><em>.<\/em> Here the terms <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> and <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> seem to be used in opposition. If <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">alamoth<\/span> implies a register of the female voice, then <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">sheminith<\/span> would imply a lower register. Thus, it may have been an instruction to use a lower pitched instrument for accompaniment.<\/p>\n<h5>Psalm Varieties in the Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Some of the notes in the psalm headings are indications of the type or variety of psalm.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Hazkir<\/span> is found in the headings of Psalms 38 and 70. According to the Targum, this is an indication that the psalm was sung at the sacrificial rite called <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">askara<\/span> and is translated “for a memorial offering.”<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Lammed<\/span> appears in the superscription of Psalm 60 in the phrase <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">le-lammed<\/span><em>,<\/em> translated “to teach.” According to tradition, this was a psalm, though undoubtedly not the only one, taught to young people as part of their education. This is another example of a term that may have been omitted from other psalms in later versions of the Psalter.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shiggaion<\/span> is in the heading of Psalm 7 and also in Habakkuk 3:1. The word probably comes from the Hebrew verb <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shagah<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to wander,” but may also be connected with the Assyrian liturgical term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shigu<\/span><em>,<\/em> which represented a plaintive song in several stanzas. Biblical scholars have assumed <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shiggaion<\/span><em>,<\/em> plural <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">shigionoth<\/span><em>,<\/em> was a lament or penitential song.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir<\/span> is the simplest word for “song” and was probably used in the headings at an early stage of the Psalter; it is usually found with <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">mizmor<\/span> (13 times). Fifteen psalms have this heading. It was probably the term for a specific type of praise song, usually performed by the choir.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Hamaalot<\/span> and <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Lamaalot<\/span> occur in the headings of Psalms 120–134, which are often referred to as the Psalms of Ascent (<span>kjv<\/span> “Psalms of Degrees”). Most explanations offered relate to the fact that the temple was situated on high ground. Often these 15 psalms are associated with the 15 steps leading from the Court of the Women to the Court of the Israelites. But most contemporary scholars believe the idea of “going up” referred to the pilgrims’ journey to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. These psalms are short, with popular appeal, making them appropriate for singing during the journey.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir Hanukkat Habayit<\/span> is found only in the heading of Psalm 30. This phrase tells that the psalm was to be used for the dedication or rededication of the house of God.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shir-yedidot<\/span> appears only in Psalm 45. It refers to a love song that was probably sung at wedding ceremonies.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Tefillah<\/span> is a common term for “prayer” and appears in the headings of Psalms 17, 86, 90, 102, and 142, and also in Habakkuk 3:1. The word probably refers to a specific form of poetic prayer.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Selah<\/span> is one of the most frequently used, but most enigmatic, terms found in the book of Psalms. It occurs in 39 psalms, appearing a total of 71 times in the Psalter—67 times within the text and 4 times at the end of a psalm. It is most frequent in the first three books. In the first book <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> appears in 9 psalms; in the second book, 17 psalms; in the third book, 11 psalms. In the fourth book it is not found at all and in the fifth book in only two psalms. Thirty-one of these psalms also include the term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">menazzeah<\/span> in their superscriptions, which implies that they were sung by a soloist and choir. Most commonly, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> is interpreted as a signal for a break in the singing and possibly for an instrumental interlude. It never appears at the beginning of a psalm but only in the middle of the text or at the end. The regularity of its appearance within a psalm is not consistent, and in only a few instances do these divisions break the psalm into equal sections. Because of the random placement of the term, some scholars believe that, like the headings, <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> was not always carefully copied into the text. It may have been a note appearing only in the texts of the musicians, which would explain this inconsistency. An explanation of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span> is found in the Talmudic tradition: “Ben Azra clashed the cymbal and the Levites broke forth into singing. When they reached a break in the singing they blew upon the trumpets and the people prostrated themselves; at every break there was a blowing of the trumpet and at every blowing of the trumpet a prostration. This was the rite of the daily whole offering in the service of the House of our God.” <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Selah<\/span><em>,<\/em> then, would be an instruction for the musicians that the singing was to cease and the instrumentalists were to play.<\/p>\n<p>The term <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">higgaion selah<\/span> appears once, in Psalm 9:16. The word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">higgaiaon<\/span> comes from the root <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">hagah<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to murmur, to growl, to produce a low sound.” This may have been an instruction for the interlude to be more subdued than a normal <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">selah<\/span><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h5>Ancient Melodies in the Titles<\/h5>\n<p>Many psalms contain headings that are not direct musical references but are cue words to suggest well-known tunes. They probably refer either to names or the first words of popular secular songs <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makams<\/span><em>)<\/em> whose melodic patterns were used in singing the psalm. Many biblical scholars have tried to find hidden meaning in these headings, but most musicologists believe these are simply references or introductions to melodies.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Aijeleth Shahar<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 22 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “according to The Hind of the Dawn” (<span>rsv<\/span>), and “To the tune of ‘The Doe of the Morning’ ” (<span>niv<\/span>), “To the tune ‘Doe of the Dawn’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Al-taschith<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalms 57–59 and 75 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Do Not Destroy!’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Jonath-elem-rechokim<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 56 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths” (<span>rsv<\/span>), and “To the tune ‘Dove on Distant Oaks’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Mahalath Leannoth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 88, is translated “To the tune ‘The Suffering of Affliction’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Muthlabben<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 9, is translated “To the tune ‘Death of the Son’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shoshannim<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalms 45 and 69 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Lilies’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shoshannim-Eduth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 80 (<span>kjv<\/span>), is translated “To the tune ‘Lilies of the Covenant’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">Shushan-eduth<\/span><em>,<\/em> in Psalm 60, is translated “To the tune ‘Lily of the Testimony’ ” (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>These melody types appear only in the first three books of the Psalter, and this may imply that these popular <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makams<\/span> had fallen into disuse by the time the final books of the Psalter were written. Other <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">makam<\/span>-types had probably become popular, and the authors, realizing the relatively short life of a popular tune, did not include them in the headings of the Psalms but left the choice up to the performer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"MusicintheNewTestament\">Music in the New Testament<\/p>\n<h5>First-Century Influences<\/h5>\n<h6>The Synagogue<\/h6>\n<p>By the time of Christ, the synagogue had become the chief place of worship for the Jewish people. It began as a place for study of the law but gradually became the center of worship for Jews unable to attend the temple. The liturgical service of the temple could not be duplicated in the synagogue as there was no sacrificial rite, and the music could not be exactly reproduced as there were no trained Levitical singers. Scholars do not agree about the amount of continuity between the music of the temple and the music of the synagogue, but there is evidence that certain musical practices did remain constant between the two places of worship.<\/p>\n<p>Information on the customs and rituals of the synagogue come from Talmudic writings. The musical elements of worship in the synagogue were the chanting of Scripture, psalmody, and spiritual songs. The choral singing of the temple was replaced by a single cantor. The cantor was a layman who, according to tradition, had to have the following qualifications: “He had to be well educated, gifted with a sweet voice, of humble personality, recognized by the community, conversant with Scripture and all the prayers; he must not be a rich man, for his prayers should come from his heart.” His most important job was the cantillation of the Law and the Prophets. A series of accents and punctuations, forerunners of actual musical notation, were indications for the cantor in the musical interpretation of the Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Psalm singing was gradually transplanted from the temple to the synagogue, which in turn influenced the early Christian church. Gregorian psalm tones have their roots in Hebrew psalmody.<\/p>\n<h6>Greek and Roman Cultures<\/h6>\n<p>While both the temple and the synagogue were familiar to the early Christians (Acts 2:46-47; 3:1; 5:42; 9:20; 18:4; etc.), the Greek and Roman cultures also played a major part in shaping the young church. Hellenistic influences by the time of Christ had long been felt in the Middle East, and while it was strongly opposed by some Jewish leaders, the Greek arts had permeated Jewish culture. Greek philosophers considered music a cathartic force that could lead humans into metaphysical knowledge. This understanding led to the belief that music had a moral substance that could influence people to either good or evil. If this philosophy had totally encompassed Judeo-Christian thought, certainly Paul would have encouraged the use of music in the spread of the gospel. However, Paul’s omission of this theory implies that the Judeo-Christian world at that time had rejected the Greek ideal, at least in part.<\/p>\n<p>While the Jewish rabbis considered music an art form for the praise of God, and while the Greek philosophers thought of it as a powerful moral force in creation, the Romans considered music mainly as entertainment. The music of the Roman games was neither religious nor philosophic and, from the accounts of witnesses, it was not technically exceptional. In the Roman Empire musicians were given a lower status and looked on as mere entertainers. One reason the early church did not include instrumental music in their worship was in reaction to the debased secular use of instruments by the Romans.<\/p>\n<h5>In the New Testament Writings<\/h5>\n<p>One of the few mentions of instruments in the NT is the use of flutes at a wake (Mt 9:23). As in the OT, music is associated with feasting and merrymaking (e.g., the return of the prodigal son, Lk 15:25). Five passages mention music metaphorically (Mt 6:2; 11:17; Lk 7:32; 1 Cor 13:1; 14:7-8). The most well known of these is Paul’s celebration of love in 1 Corinthians 13. The denunciation of the gong and cymbals must be understood in light of the attitude of the early Christians toward the music of the Pharisees. Here the signal instruments of the temple were used to represent pompous display of religious pietism.<\/p>\n\n<p>Most references to music are found in the eschatological visions and prophetic passages scattered throughout the NT—most frequently in the book of Revelation (also Mt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16; Heb 12:19). Many of these descriptions have a direct association with musical references in the OT (e.g., the use of harps and trumpets and the singing of the Hallelujah). But the value of many of the passages in Revelation comes from their literary style. These doxological and psalmlike passages were probably spontaneous “spiritual songs” composed by the young church (e.g., Rv 5:9-10).<\/p>\n<p>The passages that mention religious or liturgical music are often more conceptual than literal. Two parallel passages describing the Last Supper (Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26) mention that Christ and his disciples sang a hymn. This is the only direct account of Jesus singing, but it is probable that when he read in the synagogue he did so in the accepted vocal style (Lk 4:16-20). There is much controversy surrounding the actual events at the Last Supper, but we can assume that the hymn sung was a traditional Jewish hymn, probably associated with the Passover.<\/p>\n<p>From the account in Acts 16:25 we know that Paul and Silas sang hymns while in jail. Paul gives instruction for music making in 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26 in terms of a balance between rationalism and emotion. And, as with all the gifts of the Spirit, Paul asks that singing be done for edification.<\/p>\n<p>In two similar passages (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) Paul groups together three musical terms—psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The singing of psalms was an obvious carryover from the synagogue, and we can assume that the early Christian psalm singing followed the Jewish style. The term for “hymns” probably refers to poetic texts, possibly modeled after the psalms, but in praise of Christ. “Spiritual songs” may refer to a spontaneous, ecstatic form of musical prayer, possibly wordless (perhaps related to glossolalia), in a style that was popular in mystical Judaism. These outbursts of song were probably melismatic (sung on one tone) and are perhaps the forerunners of the later Alleluia chant.<\/p>\n<h5>Hymnody in the New Testament<\/h5>\n<p>It can be assumed that the early Christians composed hymns in praise of Christ. Logically, most of the hymns found in the NT are based on Hebrew poetic psalm forms, but there is Greek and Latin influence also. The hymns from the Gospel of Luke have become well-known canticles adopted by the church: the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), the Benedictus (1:68-79), the Gloria (2:14) and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29-32). While patterned after the psalms of the OT, these hymns are full of confidence in the salvation of Christ and in his imminent return. Other Christological hymns found in the NT include the prologue to the Gospel of John, Ephesians 2:14-16, Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:3, and 1 Peter 3:18-22.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MUSIC A natural human expression that probably began with speech-singing and developed into songs, which were then accompanied by instruments. Music as we know it has become quite complex, a luxury and entertainment; music in antiquity, however, was a functional expression of daily life, work, and worship. The phrase “sing to the Lord,” common to the OT (Ex 15:21; 1 Chr 16:9; Pss 68:32; 96:1-2; Is 42:10; Jer 20:13), was not unique to the Jewish nation. All religions draw on the natural human ...","summary_en":"MUSIC A natural human expression that probably began with speech-singing and developed into songs, which were then accompanied by instruments. Music as we know it has become quite complex, a luxury and entertainment; music in antiquity, however, was a functional expression of daily life, work, and worship. The phrase “sing to the Lord,” common to the OT (Ex 15:21; 1 Chr 16:9; Pss 68:32; 96:1-2; Is 42:10; Jer 20:13), was not unique to the Jewish nation. All religions draw on the natural human ...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26762,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mystery","title_en":"Mystery","content_ro":"<h3>MYSTERY<\/h3>\n<p>Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told.<\/p>\n<p>The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly seen (among over 30 occurrences in Scripture) are Daniel 3:18-28; 4:6 (Septuagint); Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-6, 9-12; Colossians 1:26-29; 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16; Revelation 1:20; 10:7; 17:5-18.<\/p>\n<p>In the passages in Daniel, the emphasis is on the revelation that God gave Daniel concerning the content and meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the future. It is important to note here that the dream was about what God was going to do. No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner could explain it, but “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Dn 2:28).<\/p>\n<p>Scholarly studies in recent years have determined that similar themes are found in other Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The stress is on the decisions God has made about the future, especially the end time. The world wrestles with such matters as the problem of evil (i.e., Why, if God is both good and powerful, do people still suffer?). The believer identifies with these problems but knows that God has his providential plans and that one day he will make all things clear. The way God will bring vindication for those who are wronged in this world and judgment to those who do wrong is part of the content of the “mystery” and was a major emphasis in the writings around the time of Christ. God controls the affairs of the universe. The nations will eventually fulfill his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, and Luke 8:10 are part of the parables of the kingdom. The kingdom itself is related to the final climactic work of God in history. This is seen in some of the imagery of the parables, such as the harvest, which symbolizes future judgment. Therefore, the word “mystery” is appropriate and significant here. In the immediate context Jesus is explaining why he uses parables. They both vividly illustrate truth and conceal truth from those who are not receptive to it. Therefore, the word “mystery” (plural in Mt and Lk) describes the inner meaning of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Those who accept the message will know its meaning; those who do not will lose not only the meaning but apparently also the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of salvation (Mt 13:12-15).<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of this passage lies in the unasked question as to why, if the Messiah has come, evil still persists in the world. The servants in one of the parables wanted to pull up the weeds, symbolizing evil or evil persons, but were told to allow them to grow until the time of harvest—that is, the judgment (Mt 13:24-30). The persistence of evil in the world and the way God will eventually deal with it is one of the “mysteries.”<\/p>\n<p>Romans 11:25 occurs in a large section (chs 9–11) that deals with the people of Israel and their future. Once again, the issue concerns a present problem and its future resolution. In this case the problem is the unbelief of Israel. The hardening of Israel during the present time is called a “mystery” (Rom 11:25). God’s purposes will not be thwarted, however, “and so all Israel will be saved” (v 26). This emphasis on the purposes of God is closely intertwined with the concept of the “mystery” and is basic to this entire passage.<\/p>\n<p>Romans 16:25 is broader in its scope, connecting the “revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past” with Paul’s “gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” Here the focus is more closely on the meaning of the death of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>God’s “secret wisdom” is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:7. The context is the message of the cross that Paul preaches. This message is foolishness to those who consider themselves wise but are lost, and it is the “foolishness” of what is preached that brings salvation to believers (1:18-25). Paul does not attempt to proclaim worldly “wisdom,” but he does declare a “message of wisdom” to those who are spiritually mature (2:6). To these he speaks the “secret wisdom,” or literally, “wisdom in a secret” (v 7). This passage clearly connects the basic concept of “mystery” as the counsel of God with the death of Christ as the means of salvation. It also connects mystery with the process of history (“the rulers of this age”) and with the sweep of God’s purposes from OT times into the future. Verse 10 emphasizes the fact that God has indeed revealed these mysteries to us.<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul again speaks from the context of a contrast between God’s wisdom and that of the world (3:18-23). He speaks not only of secret things or mysteries but also introduces the concept of stewardship. He has been entrusted with the revelation of God’s mystery and must be faithful in his ministry of declaring it. This theme will reappear in Ephesians 3:2-6.<\/p>\n<p>Paul returns to the relationship of mystery and the end time in 1 Corinthians 15:51. The earlier passage (2:9-16) showed that human knowledge cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned, but God has revealed this mystery to believers. A major aspect of this revealed mystery is the way in which the faithful will be brought into the presence of God: “Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (15:51-52, <span>rsv<\/span>). The other references to mystery in 1 Corinthians occur in the broad context of chapters 12–14 dealing with spiritual gifts, which include receiving divine revelation, so the term “mysteries” in 13:2 and 14:2 is appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Ephesians opens with a series of statements about God’s purpose in history, culminating in the universal headship of Christ (Eph 1:10). These statements include such terms as “chose,” “destined,” “will,” “purpose,” “plan,” and “counsel.” This is clearly the range of ideas associated with the word “mystery” in ancient Jewish writings, and these ideas shed light on Paul’s use of the summary expression: “For he has made known to us . . . the mystery of his will” (v 9, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Part of God’s purpose was to form a body of believers, reconciled to himself and to each other through the cross (Eph 2:14-18). In this body, Jewish and Gentile believers have been made members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus, a new phase of God’s revealed plan, which Paul here calls a “mystery” (3:6). As noted above, Paul himself has a responsibility to minister the truth of this “mystery” faithfully (3:2-5; cf. 1 Cor 4:1-5).<\/p>\n<p>Colossians continues to show Paul’s sense of responsibility regarding this “mystery,” which is now identified with the “word of God” (Col 1:25-29). Once again there is the idea of the span of history linked with the mystery that is known only by revelation: “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints” (v 26). As in Ephesians, the church is the locus for the working out of God’s mystery, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v 27). This Christ is proclaimed in wisdom, so that believers may reach mature completion in him (v 28). The Colossian believers are asked to pray for Paul as he preaches this “mystery” (4:3).<\/p>\n<p>It is made clear in 1 Timothy 3:16 that the “mystery of godliness” includes the basic elements associated with the “mystery,” such as its manifestation in the world and ultimate vindication. However, this grand plan of God does not unfold without opposition. In connection with the coming of the end time, Paul again mentions a mystery. This time it is a dark mystery, called the “secret power of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:7). A similar evil force, “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes,” is introduced in the book of Revelation with the word “mystery” (Rv 17:5). Perhaps the idea is that there are forces counter to God whose workings are also impossible for humans to understand. God’s truth and power will, however, prevail over these, as he brings his own mystery, his wise counsel, to fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 10:6-7 declares this fulfillment. The ages of waiting in perplexity, of enduring evil, are over, as the angel announces, “There will be no more delay!” The time has finally come when “the mystery of God will be accomplished.” Note the dynamic quality of the mystery in this context. It is not just static truth but something that can be “accomplished.” This great climax to history is in accord with God’s previous revelation “to his servants, the prophets.” The mystery, then, is God’s wise counsel, which both guides history and is revealed in its culmination. It expresses God’s answer to the problem of evil and the vain opposition by evil powers. It declares the meaning of the central event in history, the death of Christ, and reveals the results of the resurrection in the ultimate transformation of all believers at the coming of Christ.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MYSTERY<\/h3>\n<p>Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told.<\/p>\n<p>The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly seen (among over 30 occurrences in Scripture) are Daniel 3:18-28; 4:6 (Septuagint); Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; Romans 11:25; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 4:1; 15:51; Ephesians 1:9; 3:3-6, 9-12; Colossians 1:26-29; 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16; Revelation 1:20; 10:7; 17:5-18.<\/p>\n<p>In the passages in Daniel, the emphasis is on the revelation that God gave Daniel concerning the content and meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the future. It is important to note here that the dream was about what God was going to do. No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner could explain it, but “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Dn 2:28).<\/p>\n<p>Scholarly studies in recent years have determined that similar themes are found in other Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The stress is on the decisions God has made about the future, especially the end time. The world wrestles with such matters as the problem of evil (i.e., Why, if God is both good and powerful, do people still suffer?). The believer identifies with these problems but knows that God has his providential plans and that one day he will make all things clear. The way God will bring vindication for those who are wronged in this world and judgment to those who do wrong is part of the content of the “mystery” and was a major emphasis in the writings around the time of Christ. God controls the affairs of the universe. The nations will eventually fulfill his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, and Luke 8:10 are part of the parables of the kingdom. The kingdom itself is related to the final climactic work of God in history. This is seen in some of the imagery of the parables, such as the harvest, which symbolizes future judgment. Therefore, the word “mystery” is appropriate and significant here. In the immediate context Jesus is explaining why he uses parables. They both vividly illustrate truth and conceal truth from those who are not receptive to it. Therefore, the word “mystery” (plural in Mt and Lk) describes the inner meaning of Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom. Those who accept the message will know its meaning; those who do not will lose not only the meaning but apparently also the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of salvation (Mt 13:12-15).<\/p>\n<p>Another aspect of this passage lies in the unasked question as to why, if the Messiah has come, evil still persists in the world. The servants in one of the parables wanted to pull up the weeds, symbolizing evil or evil persons, but were told to allow them to grow until the time of harvest—that is, the judgment (Mt 13:24-30). The persistence of evil in the world and the way God will eventually deal with it is one of the “mysteries.”<\/p>\n<p>Romans 11:25 occurs in a large section (chs 9–11) that deals with the people of Israel and their future. Once again, the issue concerns a present problem and its future resolution. In this case the problem is the unbelief of Israel. The hardening of Israel during the present time is called a “mystery” (Rom 11:25). God’s purposes will not be thwarted, however, “and so all Israel will be saved” (v 26). This emphasis on the purposes of God is closely intertwined with the concept of the “mystery” and is basic to this entire passage.<\/p>\n<p>Romans 16:25 is broader in its scope, connecting the “revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past” with Paul’s “gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” Here the focus is more closely on the meaning of the death of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>God’s “secret wisdom” is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:7. The context is the message of the cross that Paul preaches. This message is foolishness to those who consider themselves wise but are lost, and it is the “foolishness” of what is preached that brings salvation to believers (1:18-25). Paul does not attempt to proclaim worldly “wisdom,” but he does declare a “message of wisdom” to those who are spiritually mature (2:6). To these he speaks the “secret wisdom,” or literally, “wisdom in a secret” (v 7). This passage clearly connects the basic concept of “mystery” as the counsel of God with the death of Christ as the means of salvation. It also connects mystery with the process of history (“the rulers of this age”) and with the sweep of God’s purposes from OT times into the future. Verse 10 emphasizes the fact that God has indeed revealed these mysteries to us.<\/p>\n<p>In 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul again speaks from the context of a contrast between God’s wisdom and that of the world (3:18-23). He speaks not only of secret things or mysteries but also introduces the concept of stewardship. He has been entrusted with the revelation of God’s mystery and must be faithful in his ministry of declaring it. This theme will reappear in Ephesians 3:2-6.<\/p>\n<p>Paul returns to the relationship of mystery and the end time in 1 Corinthians 15:51. The earlier passage (2:9-16) showed that human knowledge cannot possibly anticipate what God has planned, but God has revealed this mystery to believers. A major aspect of this revealed mystery is the way in which the faithful will be brought into the presence of God: “Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (15:51-52, <span>rsv<\/span>). The other references to mystery in 1 Corinthians occur in the broad context of chapters 12–14 dealing with spiritual gifts, which include receiving divine revelation, so the term “mysteries” in 13:2 and 14:2 is appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Ephesians opens with a series of statements about God’s purpose in history, culminating in the universal headship of Christ (Eph 1:10). These statements include such terms as “chose,” “destined,” “will,” “purpose,” “plan,” and “counsel.” This is clearly the range of ideas associated with the word “mystery” in ancient Jewish writings, and these ideas shed light on Paul’s use of the summary expression: “For he has made known to us . . . the mystery of his will” (v 9, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Part of God’s purpose was to form a body of believers, reconciled to himself and to each other through the cross (Eph 2:14-18). In this body, Jewish and Gentile believers have been made members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus, a new phase of God’s revealed plan, which Paul here calls a “mystery” (3:6). As noted above, Paul himself has a responsibility to minister the truth of this “mystery” faithfully (3:2-5; cf. 1 Cor 4:1-5).<\/p>\n<p>Colossians continues to show Paul’s sense of responsibility regarding this “mystery,” which is now identified with the “word of God” (Col 1:25-29). Once again there is the idea of the span of history linked with the mystery that is known only by revelation: “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints” (v 26). As in Ephesians, the church is the locus for the working out of God’s mystery, “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (v 27). This Christ is proclaimed in wisdom, so that believers may reach mature completion in him (v 28). The Colossian believers are asked to pray for Paul as he preaches this “mystery” (4:3).<\/p>\n<p>It is made clear in 1 Timothy 3:16 that the “mystery of godliness” includes the basic elements associated with the “mystery,” such as its manifestation in the world and ultimate vindication. However, this grand plan of God does not unfold without opposition. In connection with the coming of the end time, Paul again mentions a mystery. This time it is a dark mystery, called the “secret power of lawlessness” (2 Thes 2:7). A similar evil force, “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes,” is introduced in the book of Revelation with the word “mystery” (Rv 17:5). Perhaps the idea is that there are forces counter to God whose workings are also impossible for humans to understand. God’s truth and power will, however, prevail over these, as he brings his own mystery, his wise counsel, to fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>Revelation 10:6-7 declares this fulfillment. The ages of waiting in perplexity, of enduring evil, are over, as the angel announces, “There will be no more delay!” The time has finally come when “the mystery of God will be accomplished.” Note the dynamic quality of the mystery in this context. It is not just static truth but something that can be “accomplished.” This great climax to history is in accord with God’s previous revelation “to his servants, the prophets.” The mystery, then, is God’s wise counsel, which both guides history and is revealed in its culmination. It expresses God’s answer to the problem of evil and the vain opposition by evil powers. It declares the meaning of the central event in history, the death of Christ, and reveals the results of the resurrection in the ultimate transformation of all believers at the coming of Christ.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MYSTERY Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told. The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly...","summary_en":"MYSTERY Counsel, or secret plan, that God shares only with his people. In most biblical passages it relates to the wise counsel of God in his guidance of history to its destiny. The most specific and significant application of the concept of mystery is to the plan of God regarding the death of Christ. It does not refer to a secret that God is unwilling to tell or to something so obscure that it could not be understood even if told. The passages in which its theological meaning is most clearly...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":30845,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Biblical Poetry","title_en":"Biblical Poetry","content_ro":"<h3>POETRY, B<span>iblical<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Poetic language in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The OT contains all that we know of the poetry of Israel, and what we have occupies an important place in that literature. It was presumably well known throughout the ancient Near East, for its fame had spread even to Babylon (Ps 137:3). Much of the OT is poetic in spirit and structure—a feature of the prophetic writings as well as the poetic literature. In the former are found passages of elevated poetry, studded with brilliant gems of imagery. The movement is rhythmical, with meter, parallelism, and strophic arrangement, as in the poetry books.<\/p>\n<p>The English Revised Version of the Bible (1881) first rendered a great service to English readers by printing OT poetry in parallel lines. Where this is not done in the prophetic literature, the poetic quality of these books is obscured. Note that besides the OT books recognized as poetry—the Psalms, Job, Lamentations, Song of Songs, and Proverbs—Ecclesiastes and the Prophets consist of prose and poetry. The historical books also contain fine examples of poetry.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew language was an ideal instrument for expressing poetic speech. Its simplicity of form combined intensity of feeling and pictorial power and allowed great play of imagination. Figures, metaphors, and hyperboles are extremely common. In its powerful imagery the genius of Hebrew poetry comes to its finest expression.<\/p>\n<p>The normal unit of Hebrew verse is the couplet of two parallel lines. But this is not the only grouping of lines in Hebrew poetry. Units of three (Pss 1:1; 5:11; 45:1-2), four (Pss 1:3; 55:21; Prv 27:15-16), five (Ps 6:6-7; Prv 24:23-25), six (Ps 99:1-3; Prv 30:21-23), and even larger combinations of parallel lines occur.<\/p>\n<p>As far as can be determined, meter is absent from biblical poetry. Certainly there is little concern for the careful meter that marks classic Greek and Latin, as well as much of English, poetry. The only exception is found in wailing songs or laments (Jer 9:18-20; Lam 1–4). This is called the lamentation meter, where the verse is in two parts. Rhyme also is so rare as to be almost nonexistent.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Hebrew poetry is rhythmical—one of its distinguishing features. Its rhythm recurs with stressed and unstressed syllables in relatively regular succession. There are usually three or four accents or beats to a line, but the rhythmic unit is not uniform. Rhythm in Hebrew poetry, however, is not confined to the balance of accents or beats in a line. The meaning of the words and their position in the line are also significant—a feature called parallelism. This distinguishing characteristic was first clearly recognized by Dr. Robert Lowth, who in 1753 developed the principle of parallelism.<\/p>\n<p>He distinguished three types. The first is <em>synonymous parallelism,<\/em> where the thought expressed in the first part of the verse is repeated in the second part, in different but equivalent terms (Pss 2:4; 19:1; 36:1-2; 103:11-12; Prv 3:13-18). The second is <em>antithetic parallelism,<\/em> where the thought in the first part of the verse is contrasted with its opposite in the second (Ps 1:6; Prv 10:1-4, 16-18; 13:9). The third is <em>synthetic parallelism,<\/em> where the idea expressed in the first line of a verse is developed and completed in the following lines (Pss 1:1; 3:5-6; 18:8-10; Prv 26:3). There are more complicated forms of parallelism, but these three are the most common.<\/p>\n<p>Another characteristic of biblical poetry is the use of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalms in which verses are linked together by this means are called acrostic. Today, an acrostic is formed by taking a name and beginning the successive lines of the short poem with the letters that make up the name. The Hebrews took only the alphabet and arranged the lines of the poem according to the succession of the letters.<\/p>\n<p>Each line of a psalm may begin with a different letter, as in Psalm 25. Or each of the stanzas may begin with the same letter until all 22 letters of the alphabet are exhausted, as in Psalm 119. However, this psalm, which is the most conspicuous example of a Hebrew acrostic poem, is quite complicated in its arrangement. Not only does each stanza begin with a letter, but each of the eight lines of every stanza begins with the same letter, so that eight alphabetic arrangements move through the psalm in parallel lines. Other elaborate acrostics are Psalms 9, 10, 34, 37, 111, 112, and 145.<\/p>\n<p>The first four chapters of Lamentations also follow an acrostic arrangement. This example of acrostic arrangement is less noticeable to the English reader because the names of the Hebrew letters do not mark the beginning of the stanzas. In Lamentations 3 each letter of the alphabet begins three successive lines numbered as verses. Another acrostic occurs in Proverbs 31:10-31. It is an alphabetic description of the virtuous woman.<\/p>\n<p>Another poetic device giving unity to a poem and marking its divisions is the refrain. Psalm 136 is an outstanding example of this arrangement. The refrain is “His faithful love endures forever” and is used to conclude every verse.<\/p>\n<p>The meter of Hebraic poetry is dependent on accentuation; the unit is the couplet, in which the members may be of equal or varying length. Couplets are often arranged into strophes. The fundamental category of Hebrew poetry is the song or lyric. The song was accompanied by music (Gn 31:27; Ex 15:20; 1 Chr 25:6; Is 23:16; 30:29; Am 6:5) and could be associated with dance (Ex 15:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>Some complete poems in the OT are embedded in the narrative books and represent various types of Hebrew poems. The first recorded poem in the Bible is a battle song (Gn 4:23-24). Other famous examples of this type are the Song of Moses (Ex 15:1-18) and the Song of Deborah (Jgs 5:1-31). Then there is the Taunt Song (Nm 21:27-30), the Song of the Well (vv 17-18), and songs of blessing. Of this latter type, well-known examples are the Blessing of Jacob (Gn 49:1-27), the Blessing of Moses (Dt 33:2-29), and the four Blessings of Balaam (Nm 23:7-10; 23:18-24; 24:3-9; 24:15-24). There are also laments for the dead (2 Sm 1:19-27) and didactic poems that warn against improvidence (Prv 6:6-11) and drunkenness (23:29-35). Common throughout all of these various types of poems is religious emotion and fervor. The songs of Moses and Deborah praise God as the giver of victory.<\/p>\n<p>Most poems of distinctively religious fervor characterize the worship of the sanctuary. The psalms are religious poems sung with musical accompaniment. Many are private prayers, while others were composed for public worship, especially hymns of thanksgiving sung at the tabernacle or temple. It is in the Psalter that the soaring spirit of Hebrew poetry rises to a level never achieved by Israel’s pagan neighbors; the Hebrews worshiped God in spirit and in truth, and as they did so, they were giving expression to a personal experience of the living God in their soul.<\/p>\n<p>The internal qualities of Hebrew poetry are in part influenced by the age, social conditions, and environment in which the writers lived. Although the OT is of divine authorship, it also comes within the scope of literature and should be appreciated as such. Though the Holy Spirit inspired the message of the Hebrew writers, their individual writing styles remain clearly evident. Using simple and vivid diction, figures of speech, and literary devices, each poet expressed a wealth of religious thought, experience, and emotion; simile, metaphor, allegory, hyperbole, personification, irony, and wordplay all variously enhanced each writer’s pattern of thinking. Hebrew poetry is the expression of the poet’s human spirit, and it is the literature of revelation—the Word of God to humankind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The NT has a limited number of poetical passages. Probably the NT contains less poetry than the OT (relatively speaking) because the early Christians found the OT Psalter (in the Hebrew and LXX) adequate for their devotional purposes. All the writers of the NT were Jews, except Luke. He has given us some memorable poems: the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), the Benedictus (vv 68-79), and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29-32). Interestingly, these poems are strongly Hebraic in form, character, and content. Matthew has given us the poetic Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12). These Beatitudes have the parallelism that is common in OT poetry—specifically, synthetic parallelism (where the second line of each verse completes the meaning of the first line). There is also a definite rhythmic quality in Matthew 11:28-30. John’s Prologue to his Gospel of John (1:1-18) is a fine example of Hellenistic poetry.<\/p>\n<p>The NT Epistles contain a number of poetic passages, especially in the doxologies (see, for example, Rom 16:25-27; Jude 1:24-25). Other sections are distinctly poetry and\/or early Christian hymns. These include Philippians 2:6-11 (“The Humility of Christ” hymn\/ poem); Colossians 1:15-20 (“The Preeminence of Christ” hymn\/poem); and 1 Timothy 3:16 (“The Incarnation” hymn\/poem). The writer to Hebrews also produced a noteworthy poetic prologue (1:1-3). Other sections of Paul’s writings display poetic language, where rhythm and exalted diction are prominent (see, for example, 1 Cor 13; 15:54-57).<\/p>\n<p>The book of Revelation also contains a number of poems of praise as well as hymns (see Rv 5:9-10, 12-13; 7:12; 11:17-18; 15:3-4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ecclesiastes, Book of; Job, Book of; Lamentations, Book of; Music; Proverbs, Book of; Psalms, Book of; Song of Solomon; Wisdom; Wisdom Literature.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>POETRY, B<span>iblical<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Poetic language in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheOldTestament\">In the Old Testament<\/p>\n<p>The OT contains all that we know of the poetry of Israel, and what we have occupies an important place in that literature. It was presumably well known throughout the ancient Near East, for its fame had spread even to Babylon (Ps 137:3). Much of the OT is poetic in spirit and structure—a feature of the prophetic writings as well as the poetic literature. In the former are found passages of elevated poetry, studded with brilliant gems of imagery. The movement is rhythmical, with meter, parallelism, and strophic arrangement, as in the poetry books.<\/p>\n<p>The English Revised Version of the Bible (1881) first rendered a great service to English readers by printing OT poetry in parallel lines. Where this is not done in the prophetic literature, the poetic quality of these books is obscured. Note that besides the OT books recognized as poetry—the Psalms, Job, Lamentations, Song of Songs, and Proverbs—Ecclesiastes and the Prophets consist of prose and poetry. The historical books also contain fine examples of poetry.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew language was an ideal instrument for expressing poetic speech. Its simplicity of form combined intensity of feeling and pictorial power and allowed great play of imagination. Figures, metaphors, and hyperboles are extremely common. In its powerful imagery the genius of Hebrew poetry comes to its finest expression.<\/p>\n<p>The normal unit of Hebrew verse is the couplet of two parallel lines. But this is not the only grouping of lines in Hebrew poetry. Units of three (Pss 1:1; 5:11; 45:1-2), four (Pss 1:3; 55:21; Prv 27:15-16), five (Ps 6:6-7; Prv 24:23-25), six (Ps 99:1-3; Prv 30:21-23), and even larger combinations of parallel lines occur.<\/p>\n<p>As far as can be determined, meter is absent from biblical poetry. Certainly there is little concern for the careful meter that marks classic Greek and Latin, as well as much of English, poetry. The only exception is found in wailing songs or laments (Jer 9:18-20; Lam 1–4). This is called the lamentation meter, where the verse is in two parts. Rhyme also is so rare as to be almost nonexistent.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Hebrew poetry is rhythmical—one of its distinguishing features. Its rhythm recurs with stressed and unstressed syllables in relatively regular succession. There are usually three or four accents or beats to a line, but the rhythmic unit is not uniform. Rhythm in Hebrew poetry, however, is not confined to the balance of accents or beats in a line. The meaning of the words and their position in the line are also significant—a feature called parallelism. This distinguishing characteristic was first clearly recognized by Dr. Robert Lowth, who in 1753 developed the principle of parallelism.<\/p>\n<p>He distinguished three types. The first is <em>synonymous parallelism,<\/em> where the thought expressed in the first part of the verse is repeated in the second part, in different but equivalent terms (Pss 2:4; 19:1; 36:1-2; 103:11-12; Prv 3:13-18). The second is <em>antithetic parallelism,<\/em> where the thought in the first part of the verse is contrasted with its opposite in the second (Ps 1:6; Prv 10:1-4, 16-18; 13:9). The third is <em>synthetic parallelism,<\/em> where the idea expressed in the first line of a verse is developed and completed in the following lines (Pss 1:1; 3:5-6; 18:8-10; Prv 26:3). There are more complicated forms of parallelism, but these three are the most common.<\/p>\n<p>Another characteristic of biblical poetry is the use of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalms in which verses are linked together by this means are called acrostic. Today, an acrostic is formed by taking a name and beginning the successive lines of the short poem with the letters that make up the name. The Hebrews took only the alphabet and arranged the lines of the poem according to the succession of the letters.<\/p>\n<p>Each line of a psalm may begin with a different letter, as in Psalm 25. Or each of the stanzas may begin with the same letter until all 22 letters of the alphabet are exhausted, as in Psalm 119. However, this psalm, which is the most conspicuous example of a Hebrew acrostic poem, is quite complicated in its arrangement. Not only does each stanza begin with a letter, but each of the eight lines of every stanza begins with the same letter, so that eight alphabetic arrangements move through the psalm in parallel lines. Other elaborate acrostics are Psalms 9, 10, 34, 37, 111, 112, and 145.<\/p>\n<p>The first four chapters of Lamentations also follow an acrostic arrangement. This example of acrostic arrangement is less noticeable to the English reader because the names of the Hebrew letters do not mark the beginning of the stanzas. In Lamentations 3 each letter of the alphabet begins three successive lines numbered as verses. Another acrostic occurs in Proverbs 31:10-31. It is an alphabetic description of the virtuous woman.<\/p>\n<p>Another poetic device giving unity to a poem and marking its divisions is the refrain. Psalm 136 is an outstanding example of this arrangement. The refrain is “His faithful love endures forever” and is used to conclude every verse.<\/p>\n<p>The meter of Hebraic poetry is dependent on accentuation; the unit is the couplet, in which the members may be of equal or varying length. Couplets are often arranged into strophes. The fundamental category of Hebrew poetry is the song or lyric. The song was accompanied by music (Gn 31:27; Ex 15:20; 1 Chr 25:6; Is 23:16; 30:29; Am 6:5) and could be associated with dance (Ex 15:20-21).<\/p>\n<p>Some complete poems in the OT are embedded in the narrative books and represent various types of Hebrew poems. The first recorded poem in the Bible is a battle song (Gn 4:23-24). Other famous examples of this type are the Song of Moses (Ex 15:1-18) and the Song of Deborah (Jgs 5:1-31). Then there is the Taunt Song (Nm 21:27-30), the Song of the Well (vv 17-18), and songs of blessing. Of this latter type, well-known examples are the Blessing of Jacob (Gn 49:1-27), the Blessing of Moses (Dt 33:2-29), and the four Blessings of Balaam (Nm 23:7-10; 23:18-24; 24:3-9; 24:15-24). There are also laments for the dead (2 Sm 1:19-27) and didactic poems that warn against improvidence (Prv 6:6-11) and drunkenness (23:29-35). Common throughout all of these various types of poems is religious emotion and fervor. The songs of Moses and Deborah praise God as the giver of victory.<\/p>\n<p>Most poems of distinctively religious fervor characterize the worship of the sanctuary. The psalms are religious poems sung with musical accompaniment. Many are private prayers, while others were composed for public worship, especially hymns of thanksgiving sung at the tabernacle or temple. It is in the Psalter that the soaring spirit of Hebrew poetry rises to a level never achieved by Israel’s pagan neighbors; the Hebrews worshiped God in spirit and in truth, and as they did so, they were giving expression to a personal experience of the living God in their soul.<\/p>\n<p>The internal qualities of Hebrew poetry are in part influenced by the age, social conditions, and environment in which the writers lived. Although the OT is of divine authorship, it also comes within the scope of literature and should be appreciated as such. Though the Holy Spirit inspired the message of the Hebrew writers, their individual writing styles remain clearly evident. Using simple and vivid diction, figures of speech, and literary devices, each poet expressed a wealth of religious thought, experience, and emotion; simile, metaphor, allegory, hyperbole, personification, irony, and wordplay all variously enhanced each writer’s pattern of thinking. Hebrew poetry is the expression of the poet’s human spirit, and it is the literature of revelation—the Word of God to humankind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p>The NT has a limited number of poetical passages. Probably the NT contains less poetry than the OT (relatively speaking) because the early Christians found the OT Psalter (in the Hebrew and LXX) adequate for their devotional purposes. All the writers of the NT were Jews, except Luke. He has given us some memorable poems: the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), the Benedictus (vv 68-79), and the Nunc Dimittis (2:29-32). Interestingly, these poems are strongly Hebraic in form, character, and content. Matthew has given us the poetic Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12). These Beatitudes have the parallelism that is common in OT poetry—specifically, synthetic parallelism (where the second line of each verse completes the meaning of the first line). There is also a definite rhythmic quality in Matthew 11:28-30. John’s Prologue to his Gospel of John (1:1-18) is a fine example of Hellenistic poetry.<\/p>\n<p>The NT Epistles contain a number of poetic passages, especially in the doxologies (see, for example, Rom 16:25-27; Jude 1:24-25). Other sections are distinctly poetry and\/or early Christian hymns. These include Philippians 2:6-11 (“The Humility of Christ” hymn\/ poem); Colossians 1:15-20 (“The Preeminence of Christ” hymn\/poem); and 1 Timothy 3:16 (“The Incarnation” hymn\/poem). The writer to Hebrews also produced a noteworthy poetic prologue (1:1-3). Other sections of Paul’s writings display poetic language, where rhythm and exalted diction are prominent (see, for example, 1 Cor 13; 15:54-57).<\/p>\n<p>The book of Revelation also contains a number of poems of praise as well as hymns (see Rv 5:9-10, 12-13; 7:12; 11:17-18; 15:3-4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ecclesiastes, Book of; Job, Book of; Lamentations, Book of; Music; Proverbs, Book of; Psalms, Book of; Song of Solomon; Wisdom; Wisdom Literature.<\/p>","summary_ro":"POETRY, Biblical Poetic language in Scripture. In the Old Testament The OT contains all that we know of the poetry of Israel, and what we have occupies an important place in that literature. It was presumably well known throughout the ancient Near East, for its fame had spread even to Babylon (Ps 137:3). Much of the OT is poetic in spirit and structure—a feature of the prophetic writings as well as the poetic literature. In the former are found passages of elevated poetry, studded with brilli...","summary_en":"POETRY, Biblical Poetic language in Scripture. In the Old Testament The OT contains all that we know of the poetry of Israel, and what we have occupies an important place in that literature. It was presumably well known throughout the ancient Near East, for its fame had spread even to Babylon (Ps 137:3). Much of the OT is poetic in spirit and structure—a feature of the prophetic writings as well as the poetic literature. In the former are found passages of elevated poetry, studded with brilli...","source":"Articles\/P.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":32834,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Resurrection","title_en":"Resurrection","content_ro":"<h3>RESURRECTION<\/h3>\n<p>Act of being raised from the dead, used in the Bible in three different contexts: (1) It refers to miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life, such as when Elijah raised a boy (1 Kgs 17:8-24), Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kgs 4:18-37), Jesus raised both Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:35-43) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17-44), Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42), and Paul raised Eutychus (20:9-12). There is no hint that these resuscitations would prevent future death. (2) It refers most frequently to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (3) It also refers to the eschatological resurrection of mankind at the end of time for punishment or reward (Jn 5:29; cf. Rv 20:5-6).<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection in the Old Testament and Judaism<\/p>\n<p>• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n<p>• The Resurrection Accounts<\/p>\n<p>• The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection in General<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection and Gnosticism<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectionintheOldTestamentandJudaism\">Resurrection in the Old Testament and Judaism<\/p>\n<p>The concept of resurrection to eternal life developed slowly in Israel. Life and death were limited to physical existence in this world. Death meant leaving this world and entering a shadowy existence known as Sheol, the place of the <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">rephaim<\/span><em>,<\/em> or shades (Is 14:9), a place of hopelessness (2 Sm 12:23; Jb 7:9-10). The tragedy of Sheol was that a person was cut off from fellowship with God. At that stage of Israel’s thought, there seemed little hope for resurrection (Pss 6:4-5; 88:10-12).<\/p>\n<p>But in the midst of hopelessness concerning a personal future, Israel developed a sense of faithfulness to God. In spite of the fact that the future was not clear, Job cried helplessly, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Jb 14:14). As Job sought for the seemingly impossible, the difficult passage in Job 19:25-26 suggests the reality of resurrection by a living redeemer (<span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">go’el<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>While some would argue that Hosea 6:1-3 suggests a resurrection, it is more likely that Israel considered it to be a promise of God’s continuing care, even when it experienced defeat at the hands of its enemies. Whether Paul saw in the third-day statement of Hosea a reference to Jesus is difficult to assess. This passage, along with texts like the dry bones of Ezekiel (ch 37), focus primarily on giving Israel hope in spite of defeat. But they may have become part of a developing sense in Israel that after death there should be something more.<\/p>\n<p>In Daniel 12:2, however, there is a sure reference to the resurrection of the dead. Indeed, the text announced a twofold resurrection of Jews: some to eternal life and some to eternal contempt. But there was no general resurrection of all people suggested by this text.<\/p>\n<p>In the intertestamental period, views began to solidify. The theologically conservative Sadducees would have nothing to do with the new ideas of resurrection and the afterlife. They continued to argue that there was no mention of resurrection in the writings of Moses, that life pertained to this earthly realm, and that the future hope was experienced through one’s children (Ecclus 46:12). Sheol, the place of the dead, was devoid of relationship with God and was a place of hapless existence. The Sadducean opinion of the resurrection is generally well known to Christians because of the encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees when they sought to ensnare him concerning the wife of seven brothers. Jesus rejected their views of the resurrection, of God, and of the Scriptures (Mk 12:18-27).<\/p>\n<p>The Pharisees, along with the Essenes and those at Qumran, believed in resurrection. A twofold pattern of resurrection was suggested by the famous eschatological passages of 2 Esdras 7 and the Apocalypse of Baruch 50–51. Both texts may be as late as the first century <span>AD<\/span>. In the Similitudes of 1 Enoch, the righteous Jews could generally expect resurrection, but not the wicked (1 Enoch 1:46, 51, 62). But elsewhere in Enoch there is a hint that some wicked may be raised for judgment (vv 22, 67, 90). The resurrection of the righteous in these texts would generally be linked to a spiritual type of body, yet in 2 Maccabees 7:14ff., the view seems less developed and more physical. The ascetics at Qumran expected a resurrection in the great Day of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>While in Judaism there was a growing sense of an eschatological day of resurrection and reckoning, there was no hint anywhere of a resurrection of the Messiah. Such an idea had to await the historical reality of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheResurrectionofJesusChrist\">The Resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection of Christ is the central point of Christianity. So important was the resurrection for Paul that he hinged both preaching and faith upon its validity. He considered that a Christianity without the resurrection would be empty and meaningless (1 Cor 15:12-19). Indeed, the resurrection for him was the unveiling of God’s power in Jesus (Rom 1:4).<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection of Christ is the presupposition behind other texts of the NT as well. Rebirth to a living hope is based upon the resurrection (1 Pt 1:3). It is the foundation for witness and fellowship with God, because the living Lord has been seen and touched (1 Jn 1:1-4). It is the bedrock thesis for ministry and apostleship (Acts 1:21-25). The Gospels likewise would hardly have been good news if they did not conclude with Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s resurrection is the prototype for all the believers, who will experience resurrection when Christ returns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheResurrectionAccounts\">The Resurrection Accounts<\/p>\n<p>While the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very essence of Christianity, it has been the subject of considerable debate. Scholars have frequently noted the variations that are present in the accounts. How many and who were the women at the tomb? Was there one (Mt; Mk) or were there two (Lk; Jn) angels at the tomb? Did the women come to anoint the body (Mk; Lk) or to see the tomb (Mt)? Did the women say nothing to anyone because of fear (Mk), or did they report to the disciples (Mt)? What was the order of the appearances, and did they take place in Jerusalem (Lk; Jn 20) or in Galilee (Mt; Jn 21) or in both places? Can the appearances be harmonized? What kind of body did Jesus possess? These and many other questions have been the watershed for a great deal of contemporary scholarly debate.<\/p>\n<p>Many of these questions were not first discovered by recent scholars. Tatian in the second century sought to remove the questions by composing his <em>Diatessaron<\/em> (harmony) in hopes that Christians would accept his work as a variant-free substitute for the Gospels. Although Christians liked the harmony, they continued to faithfully transmit the Gospels, because they believed that in them, by divine inspiration, God had provided a powerful witness concerning his Son. Many today still try the way of harmonization in an effort to deal with the minutia of historical questions, but they usually miss the uniqueness of each testimony. Others emphasize the differences and speculate on the Gospel constructs, but the fact of the resurrection usually becomes lost in the details of these human constructs. Both are attempts at protecting the essence of faith and reason in different ways.<\/p>\n<h5>The Empty Tomb<\/h5>\n<p>Many explanations have been given concerning the empty tomb. Some said the body was stolen by the disciples (already suggested by Mt 28:13), but then one needs to explain the church on the basis of fraud. Others have said that the Jews could have stolen the body, or the disciples could have mistaken the tomb, but then the body would soon have been produced by the enemies. Others have said that Jesus could have lapsed into a swoon, reviving later in the cold tomb, but then the result would hardly have inspired the power of the Christian church. These explanations are all rationalistic attempts based upon a preconception that an actual resurrection of Jesus could not have happened.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of the material differences, and while the Gospel writers have used a great deal of common material in their tomb stories, they themselves refrain from employing the tomb as a basis for resurrection faith. With the exception of John 20:8, the empty tomb engendered surprise and fear. Indeed, it seemed to be an idle tale (Lk 24:11). It is not the tomb stories but the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection that gave rise to faith.<\/p>\n<h5>The Appearances<\/h5>\n<p>Unlike the tomb stories, there is little commonality of material in the appearances. Yet the appearances are the basis for faith that the unbelievable happened. An enemy like Paul was converted into a zealous apostle (Acts 9:1-22; 1 Cor 15:8). A fearful fisherman like Peter abandoned his nets (Jn 21). A doubter like Thomas uttered early Christianity’s greatest confession, calling Jesus “my Lord and my God” (20:24-28). And two weary travelers to Emmaus found new zeal to return quickly to Jerusalem and share the news about their encounter with the risen Jesus (Lk 24:13-35).<\/p>\n<p>Scholars have debated the nature of these appearances. Starting from Paul’s list of appearances (1 Cor 15:5-8), some have argued that all appearances are of the same nature, and since the Damascus-road appearance to Paul recorded in Acts seems to have been of a spiritual nature (Acts 9:1-9; cf. 22:6-11; 26:12-19), then all the appearances must have been similar. Statements that the risen Jesus was touchable (Lk 24:41-43) are rejected as later accretions to an earlier vision-type tradition. This type of argument is based on presuppositions of the impossibility of a bodily resurrection.<\/p>\n<p>Another theory was based on the division between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. According to this view, the resurrection was not to be regarded as a fact of history but as an experience of the faith of the disciples. The issue, however, is that the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection proclaimed the event as a historical, palpable reality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheSignificanceofChristsResurrection\">The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection<\/p>\n<p>Several people were raised from the dead, as recorded in the Bible. A widow’s son was raised by Elijah, another widow’s son was raised by Jesus, and Lazarus was raised by Jesus. However, their revitalization (or resuscitation) is not the same as Christ’s resurrection. They arose only to die again; he arose to live forevermore. They arose still doomed by corruptibility; he arose incorruptible. They arose with no change to their constitution; he arose in a significantly different form.<\/p>\n<p>When the Lord arose, three significant things happened to him. He was glorified, he was transfigured, and he became spirit. All three happened simultaneously. When he was resurrected, he was glorified (see Lk 24:26). At the same time, his body was transfigured into a glorious one (Phil 3:21). Equally so—and quite mysteriously—he became life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45).<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection, he declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth many grains” (Jn 12:23-24; literal). This declaration provides the best picture of resurrection. Paul also used this illustration. He likened the resurrection glory to a grain being sown in death and then coming forth in life. Actually, Paul used this illustration when answering two questions the Corinthians posed about resurrection: (1) How are the dead raised? and (2) With what sort of body do they come? (1 Cor 15:35).<\/p>\n<p>To the first question Paul responded, “Foolish man, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies” (1 Cor 15:36). This follows perfectly the Lord’s saying in John 12:24, and the two explain each other. The grain must die before it can be quickened. Paul devotes more explanation to the second question; and the Spirit inspired his sublime utterance to unfold this mystery. Using the same natural example of the grain of wheat, Paul revealed that the body that comes forth in resurrection is altogether different in form from that which had been sown. Through an organic process, the single bare grain is transformed into a stalk of wheat. In essence, the grain and the stalk are one and the same—the latter simply being the living growth and expressed expansion of the former. In short, the stalk is the glory of the grain, or the glorified grain. This illustration shows that Jesus’ resurrected body was altogether different from the one that was buried. In death, he had been sown in corruption, dishonor, and weakness; in resurrection, he came forth in incorruption, glory, and power. The natural body that Jesus possessed as a man became a spiritual body, and at the same time Christ became “life-giving spirit.”<\/p>\n<p>With this new spiritual existence, Christ, as spirit and through the Holy Spirit, could indwell millions of believers simultaneously. Before the resurrection, Jesus was limited by his mortal body; after his resurrection, Jesus could be experienced illimitably by all his believers. Before his resurrection, Christ could dwell only among his believers; after his resurrection, he could dwell in his believers. Because Christ became spirit through resurrection, he can be experienced by those he indwells. The Spirit of Christ now makes Christ very real and experiential to us.<\/p>\n<p>The Lord Jesus entered into a new kind of existence when he was raised from the dead because he was glorified and simultaneously became spirit—or, to coin a term, he was “pneumafied” (from the Greek word for “spirit,” <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span>). It appears that when he arose the indwelling Spirit penetrated and saturated his body so as to constitute his entire being with spirit. Recent studies in the area of pneumatology (the study of the Spirit) point out that the risen Christ and the Spirit were united via Christ’s resurrection.<\/p>\n<p>William Milligan, the author of the best English classic on the subject of the resurrection, said that the risen Christ is spirit. In that classic, called <em>The Resurrection of Our Lord<\/em>, he wrote the following:<\/p>\n<p>The condition of our Lord after His Resurrection was viewed by the sacred writers as essentially a state of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span> (spirit). Not indeed that our Lord had then no body, for it is the constant lesson of Scripture that a body was possessed by him; but that the deepest, the fundamental characteristic of His state, interpenetrating even the body, and moulding it into a complete adaptation to and harmony with His spirit, was <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span><em>.<\/em> In other words, it is proposed to inquire whether the word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span> in the New Testament is not used as a short description of what our Lord was after His Resurrection, in contrast with what He was during the days of His humiliation upon earth.<\/p>\n<p>Milligan went on from there to show that several Scriptures affirm that the resurrected Christ is spirit. He cited 1 Corinthians 6:17 to show that the believer who is joined with the risen Lord must be joined to him as spirit, because he who is joined to the Lord is said to be “one spirit” with him. He used 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 to demonstrate that the Lord who is the Spirit is none other than the risen Christ. He also employed 1 Timothy 3:16, Romans 1:3-4, and Hebrews 9:14 to prove that the risen Lord is spirit.<\/p>\n<p>When we read the last chapters of the Gospels, we realize that a great change had transpired in our Lord after the resurrection. By entering into glory, he had entered into a new sphere of existence. At one moment he was visible; in another he became invisible (Lk 24:31). He was defying the limitations of space and perhaps even time. In the early morning of the day of resurrection, he appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden (Jn 20:11-17), then to some of the other women (Mt 28:9). After this, he ascended to his Father (Jn 20:17). Then he returned to appear to Peter, who had gone home (Jn 20:10; Lk 24:34). On the same day, in the late afternoon, he took a seven-mile (11.3-kilometer) walk with two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-33), following which he appeared to the disciples as they were assembled in a closed room somewhere in Jerusalem (Lk 24:33-48; Jn 20:19-23). It is nearly impossible to follow a sequential, chronological order of all these happenings. What Jesus did was humanly impossible. How could he make all of these appearances on the same day? All we can say is that resurrection greatly changed his sphere of existence. As spirit, and yet with a body—a glorified one—he was no longer limited by time and space.<\/p>\n<p> Through resurrection, Jesus had acquired a different form (see Mk 16:12). As to his person, he was still the same; the Jesus who walked in Galilee and was crucified at Calvary is the same Jesus who arose. His person had not changed, nor will it ever; it is immutable. But his form did change; he is now life-giving spirit. As such, Christ is able to indwell all of his believers.<\/p>\n<p>Resurrection and regeneration are closely linked in the Scriptures—in the same way that crucifixion and redemption form an inseparable unity. As redemption was not possible without Christ’s crucifixion, so regeneration is not possible without Christ’s resurrection. The Scripture plainly says that we have been born again through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pt 1:23).<\/p>\n<p>After Christ was raised from the dead, he called the disciples his brothers (Mt 28:10; Jn 20:19), and he declared that his God was now their God, and his Father their Father. Through resurrection, the disciples had become the brothers of Jesus, possessing the same divine life and the same Father. As the firstborn from among the dead (Col 1:18; Rv 1:18), Jesus Christ became the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectioninGeneral\">Resurrection in General<\/p>\n<p>Paul looked for the Day of the Lord when the dead in Christ would be raised and those who were still alive would join the dead in final victory (1 Thes 4:15-18). There was no doubt in his mind that this resurrection was a glorious expectation, that it involved some type of a personalized body, and that this body would not be physical but spiritual (1 Cor 15:35-44). Paul did not speak of two resurrections, as do the Johannine texts (e.g., Jn 5:29), but merely of the resurrection to life. Perhaps the Revelation of John provides the best clue in understanding NT thought on this issue because it refers to the blessing of being part of the first resurrection (Rv 20:5-6). Although in Revelation the term “resurrection” is not used in connection with judgment, the appearance at the judgment seat and the verdict of the second death in the lake of fire indicate that a resurrection to judgment will hardly be of the same essence as resurrection to life.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectionandGnosticism\">Resurrection and Gnosticism<\/p>\n<p>Gnostic eschatology is indebted to the Greek view of immortality and involves the shedding of the bodily husk in the spiritual ascent of the devotee to the Pleroma, or Gnostic heaven. Because of the way Gnostics used words, the Gospel of Philip is a helpful window for understanding the Gnostic twisting of ideas. There it is argued that “those who say that the Lord died first and [then] arose are in error; because he first arose and [then] died. If anyone does not attain the resurrection first, will he not die?” (Philip 56:15-19). The concept of resurrection is de-eschatologized and defined not in terms of a truly future expectation of resurrection but in terms of a realized spiritual awakening in this world. The Gospel of Philip is also useful in perceiving why in 2 Timothy 2:17-19 the criticism was so severe against Hymenaeus and Philetus for holding that the resurrection was past. Clearly, realized eschatology was rejected in the Pauline community and by the church when it appeared in Gnosticism. And it should continue to be rejected by the church in the present day.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Dead, Place of the; Eschatology; Second Coming of Christ; Spirit.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>RESURRECTION<\/h3>\n<p>Act of being raised from the dead, used in the Bible in three different contexts: (1) It refers to miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life, such as when Elijah raised a boy (1 Kgs 17:8-24), Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kgs 4:18-37), Jesus raised both Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:35-43) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17-44), Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42), and Paul raised Eutychus (20:9-12). There is no hint that these resuscitations would prevent future death. (2) It refers most frequently to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (3) It also refers to the eschatological resurrection of mankind at the end of time for punishment or reward (Jn 5:29; cf. Rv 20:5-6).<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection in the Old Testament and Judaism<\/p>\n<p>• The Resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n<p>• The Resurrection Accounts<\/p>\n<p>• The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection in General<\/p>\n<p>• Resurrection and Gnosticism<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectionintheOldTestamentandJudaism\">Resurrection in the Old Testament and Judaism<\/p>\n<p>The concept of resurrection to eternal life developed slowly in Israel. Life and death were limited to physical existence in this world. Death meant leaving this world and entering a shadowy existence known as Sheol, the place of the <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">rephaim<\/span><em>,<\/em> or shades (Is 14:9), a place of hopelessness (2 Sm 12:23; Jb 7:9-10). The tragedy of Sheol was that a person was cut off from fellowship with God. At that stage of Israel’s thought, there seemed little hope for resurrection (Pss 6:4-5; 88:10-12).<\/p>\n<p>But in the midst of hopelessness concerning a personal future, Israel developed a sense of faithfulness to God. In spite of the fact that the future was not clear, Job cried helplessly, “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Jb 14:14). As Job sought for the seemingly impossible, the difficult passage in Job 19:25-26 suggests the reality of resurrection by a living redeemer (<span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">go’el<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>While some would argue that Hosea 6:1-3 suggests a resurrection, it is more likely that Israel considered it to be a promise of God’s continuing care, even when it experienced defeat at the hands of its enemies. Whether Paul saw in the third-day statement of Hosea a reference to Jesus is difficult to assess. This passage, along with texts like the dry bones of Ezekiel (ch 37), focus primarily on giving Israel hope in spite of defeat. But they may have become part of a developing sense in Israel that after death there should be something more.<\/p>\n<p>In Daniel 12:2, however, there is a sure reference to the resurrection of the dead. Indeed, the text announced a twofold resurrection of Jews: some to eternal life and some to eternal contempt. But there was no general resurrection of all people suggested by this text.<\/p>\n<p>In the intertestamental period, views began to solidify. The theologically conservative Sadducees would have nothing to do with the new ideas of resurrection and the afterlife. They continued to argue that there was no mention of resurrection in the writings of Moses, that life pertained to this earthly realm, and that the future hope was experienced through one’s children (Ecclus 46:12). Sheol, the place of the dead, was devoid of relationship with God and was a place of hapless existence. The Sadducean opinion of the resurrection is generally well known to Christians because of the encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees when they sought to ensnare him concerning the wife of seven brothers. Jesus rejected their views of the resurrection, of God, and of the Scriptures (Mk 12:18-27).<\/p>\n<p>The Pharisees, along with the Essenes and those at Qumran, believed in resurrection. A twofold pattern of resurrection was suggested by the famous eschatological passages of 2 Esdras 7 and the Apocalypse of Baruch 50–51. Both texts may be as late as the first century <span>AD<\/span>. In the Similitudes of 1 Enoch, the righteous Jews could generally expect resurrection, but not the wicked (1 Enoch 1:46, 51, 62). But elsewhere in Enoch there is a hint that some wicked may be raised for judgment (vv 22, 67, 90). The resurrection of the righteous in these texts would generally be linked to a spiritual type of body, yet in 2 Maccabees 7:14ff., the view seems less developed and more physical. The ascetics at Qumran expected a resurrection in the great Day of the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>While in Judaism there was a growing sense of an eschatological day of resurrection and reckoning, there was no hint anywhere of a resurrection of the Messiah. Such an idea had to await the historical reality of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheResurrectionofJesusChrist\">The Resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection of Christ is the central point of Christianity. So important was the resurrection for Paul that he hinged both preaching and faith upon its validity. He considered that a Christianity without the resurrection would be empty and meaningless (1 Cor 15:12-19). Indeed, the resurrection for him was the unveiling of God’s power in Jesus (Rom 1:4).<\/p>\n<p>The resurrection of Christ is the presupposition behind other texts of the NT as well. Rebirth to a living hope is based upon the resurrection (1 Pt 1:3). It is the foundation for witness and fellowship with God, because the living Lord has been seen and touched (1 Jn 1:1-4). It is the bedrock thesis for ministry and apostleship (Acts 1:21-25). The Gospels likewise would hardly have been good news if they did not conclude with Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s resurrection is the prototype for all the believers, who will experience resurrection when Christ returns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheResurrectionAccounts\">The Resurrection Accounts<\/p>\n<p>While the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very essence of Christianity, it has been the subject of considerable debate. Scholars have frequently noted the variations that are present in the accounts. How many and who were the women at the tomb? Was there one (Mt; Mk) or were there two (Lk; Jn) angels at the tomb? Did the women come to anoint the body (Mk; Lk) or to see the tomb (Mt)? Did the women say nothing to anyone because of fear (Mk), or did they report to the disciples (Mt)? What was the order of the appearances, and did they take place in Jerusalem (Lk; Jn 20) or in Galilee (Mt; Jn 21) or in both places? Can the appearances be harmonized? What kind of body did Jesus possess? These and many other questions have been the watershed for a great deal of contemporary scholarly debate.<\/p>\n<p>Many of these questions were not first discovered by recent scholars. Tatian in the second century sought to remove the questions by composing his <em>Diatessaron<\/em> (harmony) in hopes that Christians would accept his work as a variant-free substitute for the Gospels. Although Christians liked the harmony, they continued to faithfully transmit the Gospels, because they believed that in them, by divine inspiration, God had provided a powerful witness concerning his Son. Many today still try the way of harmonization in an effort to deal with the minutia of historical questions, but they usually miss the uniqueness of each testimony. Others emphasize the differences and speculate on the Gospel constructs, but the fact of the resurrection usually becomes lost in the details of these human constructs. Both are attempts at protecting the essence of faith and reason in different ways.<\/p>\n<h5>The Empty Tomb<\/h5>\n<p>Many explanations have been given concerning the empty tomb. Some said the body was stolen by the disciples (already suggested by Mt 28:13), but then one needs to explain the church on the basis of fraud. Others have said that the Jews could have stolen the body, or the disciples could have mistaken the tomb, but then the body would soon have been produced by the enemies. Others have said that Jesus could have lapsed into a swoon, reviving later in the cold tomb, but then the result would hardly have inspired the power of the Christian church. These explanations are all rationalistic attempts based upon a preconception that an actual resurrection of Jesus could not have happened.<\/p>\n<p>In spite of the material differences, and while the Gospel writers have used a great deal of common material in their tomb stories, they themselves refrain from employing the tomb as a basis for resurrection faith. With the exception of John 20:8, the empty tomb engendered surprise and fear. Indeed, it seemed to be an idle tale (Lk 24:11). It is not the tomb stories but the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection that gave rise to faith.<\/p>\n<h5>The Appearances<\/h5>\n<p>Unlike the tomb stories, there is little commonality of material in the appearances. Yet the appearances are the basis for faith that the unbelievable happened. An enemy like Paul was converted into a zealous apostle (Acts 9:1-22; 1 Cor 15:8). A fearful fisherman like Peter abandoned his nets (Jn 21). A doubter like Thomas uttered early Christianity’s greatest confession, calling Jesus “my Lord and my God” (20:24-28). And two weary travelers to Emmaus found new zeal to return quickly to Jerusalem and share the news about their encounter with the risen Jesus (Lk 24:13-35).<\/p>\n<p>Scholars have debated the nature of these appearances. Starting from Paul’s list of appearances (1 Cor 15:5-8), some have argued that all appearances are of the same nature, and since the Damascus-road appearance to Paul recorded in Acts seems to have been of a spiritual nature (Acts 9:1-9; cf. 22:6-11; 26:12-19), then all the appearances must have been similar. Statements that the risen Jesus was touchable (Lk 24:41-43) are rejected as later accretions to an earlier vision-type tradition. This type of argument is based on presuppositions of the impossibility of a bodily resurrection.<\/p>\n<p>Another theory was based on the division between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. According to this view, the resurrection was not to be regarded as a fact of history but as an experience of the faith of the disciples. The issue, however, is that the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection proclaimed the event as a historical, palpable reality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"TheSignificanceofChristsResurrection\">The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection<\/p>\n<p>Several people were raised from the dead, as recorded in the Bible. A widow’s son was raised by Elijah, another widow’s son was raised by Jesus, and Lazarus was raised by Jesus. However, their revitalization (or resuscitation) is not the same as Christ’s resurrection. They arose only to die again; he arose to live forevermore. They arose still doomed by corruptibility; he arose incorruptible. They arose with no change to their constitution; he arose in a significantly different form.<\/p>\n<p>When the Lord arose, three significant things happened to him. He was glorified, he was transfigured, and he became spirit. All three happened simultaneously. When he was resurrected, he was glorified (see Lk 24:26). At the same time, his body was transfigured into a glorious one (Phil 3:21). Equally so—and quite mysteriously—he became life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45).<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection, he declared, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth many grains” (Jn 12:23-24; literal). This declaration provides the best picture of resurrection. Paul also used this illustration. He likened the resurrection glory to a grain being sown in death and then coming forth in life. Actually, Paul used this illustration when answering two questions the Corinthians posed about resurrection: (1) How are the dead raised? and (2) With what sort of body do they come? (1 Cor 15:35).<\/p>\n<p>To the first question Paul responded, “Foolish man, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies” (1 Cor 15:36). This follows perfectly the Lord’s saying in John 12:24, and the two explain each other. The grain must die before it can be quickened. Paul devotes more explanation to the second question; and the Spirit inspired his sublime utterance to unfold this mystery. Using the same natural example of the grain of wheat, Paul revealed that the body that comes forth in resurrection is altogether different in form from that which had been sown. Through an organic process, the single bare grain is transformed into a stalk of wheat. In essence, the grain and the stalk are one and the same—the latter simply being the living growth and expressed expansion of the former. In short, the stalk is the glory of the grain, or the glorified grain. This illustration shows that Jesus’ resurrected body was altogether different from the one that was buried. In death, he had been sown in corruption, dishonor, and weakness; in resurrection, he came forth in incorruption, glory, and power. The natural body that Jesus possessed as a man became a spiritual body, and at the same time Christ became “life-giving spirit.”<\/p>\n<p>With this new spiritual existence, Christ, as spirit and through the Holy Spirit, could indwell millions of believers simultaneously. Before the resurrection, Jesus was limited by his mortal body; after his resurrection, Jesus could be experienced illimitably by all his believers. Before his resurrection, Christ could dwell only among his believers; after his resurrection, he could dwell in his believers. Because Christ became spirit through resurrection, he can be experienced by those he indwells. The Spirit of Christ now makes Christ very real and experiential to us.<\/p>\n<p>The Lord Jesus entered into a new kind of existence when he was raised from the dead because he was glorified and simultaneously became spirit—or, to coin a term, he was “pneumafied” (from the Greek word for “spirit,” <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span>). It appears that when he arose the indwelling Spirit penetrated and saturated his body so as to constitute his entire being with spirit. Recent studies in the area of pneumatology (the study of the Spirit) point out that the risen Christ and the Spirit were united via Christ’s resurrection.<\/p>\n<p>William Milligan, the author of the best English classic on the subject of the resurrection, said that the risen Christ is spirit. In that classic, called <em>The Resurrection of Our Lord<\/em>, he wrote the following:<\/p>\n<p>The condition of our Lord after His Resurrection was viewed by the sacred writers as essentially a state of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span> (spirit). Not indeed that our Lord had then no body, for it is the constant lesson of Scripture that a body was possessed by him; but that the deepest, the fundamental characteristic of His state, interpenetrating even the body, and moulding it into a complete adaptation to and harmony with His spirit, was <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span><em>.<\/em> In other words, it is proposed to inquire whether the word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">pneuma<\/span> in the New Testament is not used as a short description of what our Lord was after His Resurrection, in contrast with what He was during the days of His humiliation upon earth.<\/p>\n<p>Milligan went on from there to show that several Scriptures affirm that the resurrected Christ is spirit. He cited 1 Corinthians 6:17 to show that the believer who is joined with the risen Lord must be joined to him as spirit, because he who is joined to the Lord is said to be “one spirit” with him. He used 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 to demonstrate that the Lord who is the Spirit is none other than the risen Christ. He also employed 1 Timothy 3:16, Romans 1:3-4, and Hebrews 9:14 to prove that the risen Lord is spirit.<\/p>\n<p>When we read the last chapters of the Gospels, we realize that a great change had transpired in our Lord after the resurrection. By entering into glory, he had entered into a new sphere of existence. At one moment he was visible; in another he became invisible (Lk 24:31). He was defying the limitations of space and perhaps even time. In the early morning of the day of resurrection, he appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden (Jn 20:11-17), then to some of the other women (Mt 28:9). After this, he ascended to his Father (Jn 20:17). Then he returned to appear to Peter, who had gone home (Jn 20:10; Lk 24:34). On the same day, in the late afternoon, he took a seven-mile (11.3-kilometer) walk with two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-33), following which he appeared to the disciples as they were assembled in a closed room somewhere in Jerusalem (Lk 24:33-48; Jn 20:19-23). It is nearly impossible to follow a sequential, chronological order of all these happenings. What Jesus did was humanly impossible. How could he make all of these appearances on the same day? All we can say is that resurrection greatly changed his sphere of existence. As spirit, and yet with a body—a glorified one—he was no longer limited by time and space.<\/p>\n<p> Through resurrection, Jesus had acquired a different form (see Mk 16:12). As to his person, he was still the same; the Jesus who walked in Galilee and was crucified at Calvary is the same Jesus who arose. His person had not changed, nor will it ever; it is immutable. But his form did change; he is now life-giving spirit. As such, Christ is able to indwell all of his believers.<\/p>\n<p>Resurrection and regeneration are closely linked in the Scriptures—in the same way that crucifixion and redemption form an inseparable unity. As redemption was not possible without Christ’s crucifixion, so regeneration is not possible without Christ’s resurrection. The Scripture plainly says that we have been born again through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pt 1:23).<\/p>\n<p>After Christ was raised from the dead, he called the disciples his brothers (Mt 28:10; Jn 20:19), and he declared that his God was now their God, and his Father their Father. Through resurrection, the disciples had become the brothers of Jesus, possessing the same divine life and the same Father. As the firstborn from among the dead (Col 1:18; Rv 1:18), Jesus Christ became the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectioninGeneral\">Resurrection in General<\/p>\n<p>Paul looked for the Day of the Lord when the dead in Christ would be raised and those who were still alive would join the dead in final victory (1 Thes 4:15-18). There was no doubt in his mind that this resurrection was a glorious expectation, that it involved some type of a personalized body, and that this body would not be physical but spiritual (1 Cor 15:35-44). Paul did not speak of two resurrections, as do the Johannine texts (e.g., Jn 5:29), but merely of the resurrection to life. Perhaps the Revelation of John provides the best clue in understanding NT thought on this issue because it refers to the blessing of being part of the first resurrection (Rv 20:5-6). Although in Revelation the term “resurrection” is not used in connection with judgment, the appearance at the judgment seat and the verdict of the second death in the lake of fire indicate that a resurrection to judgment will hardly be of the same essence as resurrection to life.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"ResurrectionandGnosticism\">Resurrection and Gnosticism<\/p>\n<p>Gnostic eschatology is indebted to the Greek view of immortality and involves the shedding of the bodily husk in the spiritual ascent of the devotee to the Pleroma, or Gnostic heaven. Because of the way Gnostics used words, the Gospel of Philip is a helpful window for understanding the Gnostic twisting of ideas. There it is argued that “those who say that the Lord died first and [then] arose are in error; because he first arose and [then] died. If anyone does not attain the resurrection first, will he not die?” (Philip 56:15-19). The concept of resurrection is de-eschatologized and defined not in terms of a truly future expectation of resurrection but in terms of a realized spiritual awakening in this world. The Gospel of Philip is also useful in perceiving why in 2 Timothy 2:17-19 the criticism was so severe against Hymenaeus and Philetus for holding that the resurrection was past. Clearly, realized eschatology was rejected in the Pauline community and by the church when it appeared in Gnosticism. And it should continue to be rejected by the church in the present day.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Dead, Place of the; Eschatology; Second Coming of Christ; Spirit.<\/p>","summary_ro":"RESURRECTION Act of being raised from the dead, used in the Bible in three different contexts: (1) It refers to miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life, such as when Elijah raised a boy (1 Kgs 17:8-24), Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kgs 4:18-37), Jesus raised both Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:35-43) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17-44), Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42), and Paul raised Eutychus (20:9-12). There is no hint that these resuscitations would prevent future death. (2) It refe...","summary_en":"RESURRECTION Act of being raised from the dead, used in the Bible in three different contexts: (1) It refers to miraculous raising of the dead back to earthly life, such as when Elijah raised a boy (1 Kgs 17:8-24), Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son (2 Kgs 4:18-37), Jesus raised both Jairus’s daughter (Mk 5:35-43) and Lazarus (Jn 11:17-44), Peter raised Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42), and Paul raised Eutychus (20:9-12). There is no hint that these resuscitations would prevent future death. (2) It refe...","source":"Articles\/R.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":40430,"type":"picture","type_label":"Imagine","type_icon":"🖼️","type_color":"#ec4899","title_ro":"Codex Sinaiticus","title_en":"Codex Sinaiticus","content_ro":"<p><\/p>\n <p><strong>Codex Sinaiticus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This replication shows 1 Timothy 3:16.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><\/p>\n <p><strong>Codex Sinaiticus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This replication shows 1 Timothy 3:16.<\/p>","summary_ro":"Codex Sinaiticus This replication shows 1 Timothy 3:16.","summary_en":"Codex Sinaiticus This replication shows 1 Timothy 3:16.","source":"Pictures\/Pictures.xml","external_url":"..\/Pictures\/artfiles\/bibsinai.jpg","has_map":false,"has_picture":true},{"id":40435,"type":"picture","type_label":"Imagine","type_icon":"🖼️","type_color":"#ec4899","title_ro":"1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus","title_en":"1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus","content_ro":"<p><\/p>\n <p><strong>1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Replication showing 1 Timothy 3:16, which in this manuscript reads, “And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: who was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed on the world, taken up in glory.”<\/p>","content_en":"<p><\/p>\n <p><strong>1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Replication showing 1 Timothy 3:16, which in this manuscript reads, “And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: who was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed on the world, taken up in glory.”<\/p>","summary_ro":"1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus Replication showing 1 Timothy 3:16, which in this manuscript reads, “And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: who was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed on the world, taken up in glory.”","summary_en":"1 Timothy 3:16 in Codex Sinaiticus Replication showing 1 Timothy 3:16, which in this manuscript reads, “And confessedly great is the mystery of godliness: who was manifested in flesh, justified in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among nations, believed on the world, taken up in glory.”","source":"Pictures\/Pictures.xml","external_url":"..\/Pictures\/artfiles\/tim1.jpg","has_map":false,"has_picture":true},{"id":58538,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:16","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","summary_en":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":86164,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:16","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","summary_en":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":113790,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:16","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","summary_en":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":141416,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: 1 Timotei 3:16","title_en":"Study Note: 1 Timotei 3:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>3:16<\/strong> The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus <em>Christ<\/em> is the only source of godliness. • <em>vindicated by the Spirit:<\/em> Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • <em>seen by angels:<\/em> This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • <em>announced to the nations:<\/em> Christ’s provision of salvation and sovereign rule must be proclaimed and accepted in the earthly realm as well (cp. 1 Tim 2:1-7). • <em>believed in throughout the world:<\/em> The mission to the nations is successful, but it does not guarantee universal acceptance. • Christ was <em>taken to heaven<\/em> (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22) and was exalted <em>in glory<\/em> (cp. Acts 7:55-56). Christ’s saving work is crowned with success in the world and with glory in heaven.<\/p>","summary_ro":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","summary_en":"3:16 The short hymn or creed in this verse shows the theological richness of early Christian worship. • Jesus Christ is the only source of godliness. • vindicated by the Spirit: Christ’s resurrection (Rom 1:4) answers the apparent weakness of his life and death as a human, and affirms his teaching. • seen by angels: This emphasizes Jesus’ sovereign rule in the heavenly realm (see also Eph 1:21; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:3-4; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:8-14). • announced to the nations: Christ’s provision of ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":66647,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Angels","title_en":"Angels","content_ro":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","summary_ro":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","summary_en":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":94273,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Angels","title_en":"Angels","content_ro":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","summary_ro":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","summary_en":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":121899,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Angels","title_en":"Angels","content_ro":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","summary_ro":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","summary_en":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":149525,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"Angels","title_en":"Angels","content_ro":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>Angels<\/h3>\n<p>Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometimes administer his judgment (2 Kgs 19:35; Acts 12:23; Rev 9:15; 16:1-12). Angels were witnesses of Christ’s life (1 Tim 3:16), and they are now witnesses of the lives of God’s people (see 1 Cor 11:10; 1 Tim 5:21). There are guardian angels who protect God’s people (Matt 18:10; see also Pss 34:7; 91:11; Acts 12:11). They are “spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matt 25:31; 2 Thes 1:7-8) and will participate in the final judgment (Matt 13:39, 41, 49-50; 16:27; 24:31; Mark 13:27; Luke 9:26; 12:8; 2 Thes 1:7).<\/p>\n<p>Angels appear at some significant points in the Gospels. Angels announced the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:1–2:52) and ministered to Jesus after his temptation (Matt 4:11). Angels also appeared at the empty tomb after the resurrection of Jesus (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:23; John 20:12).<\/p>\n<p>The ministry of angels is also prominent in the book of Acts. On multiple occasions, an angel of the Lord made possible miraculous escapes from prison (5:19; 12:6-11). An angel offered a message of encouragement to Paul in the midst of a violent storm (27:23-24). An angel also directed Cornelius to seek the Good News from Peter (10:3, 7, 22; 11:13). Meanwhile, an angel struck down Herod Agrippa “because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God” (12:23). Throughout Acts, God was guiding his people in their ministry and using angels to accomplish his purposes.<\/p>\n<p>Some angels have fallen into sin and are destined for eternal judgment (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6). And although angels are spiritual and heavenly beings, angels are not to be worshiped (Gal 1:8; Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9) because they are inferior to Christ (Heb 1:5-14). Their role is to be servants of God (Heb 1:14).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ps 91:11; Dan 8:15-18; 9:21-23; 10:4–11:1; 12:1-2; Zech 1:8-13, 18-19; 2:3-5; Matt 1:20-24; 4:5-7, 11; 13:39-42, 49-50; 18:10; 24:31; 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 1:11-22, 26-38; 2:8-15; 9:26; 12:8; John 20:12-13; Acts 5:19-20; 7:30-35, 53; 10:3-8; 12:6-11, 23; 27:23-24; 1 Cor 11:10; Gal 1:8; 3:19; Col 2:18; 1 Thes 4:16; 1 Tim 3:16; 5:21; Heb 1:5-14; 12:22; 13:2; 2 Pet 2:4, 11; Jude 1:6, 9; Rev 1:1-2; 5:2, 11-12; 7:1-2; 8:3-8; 9:15; 10:7-9; 14:6-10; 16:1-12; 19:10, 17; 20:1; 22:6-9<\/p>","summary_ro":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","summary_en":"Angels Throughout the Bible, angels are God’s heavenly agents who carry out his purpose and communicate God’s will to humanity (Gen 16:7-12; Num 22:22-34; Judg 13:3-21; 2 Kgs 1:3, 15; Zech 1:4-12). The only angels named in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel, who carry out special assignments (Dan 8:16, 18; 9:21; 10:12, 21; 12:1-2; Luke 1:19-20; Jude 1:9). Angels had a role in putting God’s law into effect through Moses (Acts 7:30, 35, 38, 53; Gal 3:19). Angels dispense God’s grace and sometime...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}]},"labels":{"article":"Articol","map":"Hartă","chart":"Diagramă","textbox":"Notă explicativă","picture":"Imagine","profile":"Profil","study_note":"Notă de studiu","theme_note":"Temă biblică"},"icons":{"article":"📖","map":"🗺️","chart":"📊","textbox":"💡","picture":"🖼️","profile":"👤","study_note":"📝","theme_note":"🎯"},"typeColors":{"article":"#d4af37","map":"#2d7d46","chart":"#3b82f6","textbox":"#8b5cf6","picture":"#ec4899","profile":"#f59e0b","study_note":"#06b6d4","theme_note":"#ef4444"}}
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