Awe-full
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 NIV
Good work – Do you do good work? Your answer depends on what you mean by “good.” The Hollywood culture seems to think that good work includes robberies that are carried out with precision, mayhem that fulfills our sense of justice, and any sexual conduct as long as the people are “in love.” You might not agree with the Hollywood cult, but it certainly influences our thinking. Perhaps the real problem is that our word “good” is far too broad. We need to know what Paul had in mind before we apply our views to his words.
The Greek Paul chooses is ergon agathon. Lexicons describe agathos as “useful, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, upright,” but we need to look a little deeper into the etymology. The word is not just about what is admirable. It originates with the idea of awe, what may be wondered at. From here the word passes over to what is excellent. Paul is aware of this Greek background but he also knows the Hebrew parallel. Fundamental to Hebrew thought is the relationship between God and good. “God is good” expresses the basic confession of Judaism. Therefore, what is ultimately good is defined solely by God Himself. Yeshua acknowledged this essential identity when He said, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” “Good work” is finally the handiwork of God, no matter what or who is the intermediary. “Good work” is awe-filled work because it expresses the awe and reverence due to God alone.
Now we can answer the question. Do we do good work? Only if our labors reflect that awe and wonder of God’s hand in us. Whatever does not exhibit God’s goodness is not ergon agathon. You might complain, “Wait! Does that mean that everything I do that isn’t spiritual is useless?” The response comes from rabbi Hillel. When his talmidim asked him where he was going, he answered, “To fulfill a mitzvot (commandment).” “Which one?” they inquired. “To bathe,” he said. “How is this a mitzvot?” they asked. “God made my body. When I care for it, I fulfill His command to honor His image in me.” Therefore, eating, drinking, bathing, exercise – in fact, all the acts of caring for God’s image – are “good,” and part of ergon agathon is directly tied to physical existence. With a moment’s reflection, you will easily be able to extend this view to all sorts of God-honoring activities.
Perhaps Paul’s hidden message is this: God put a sense of awe in us. God has awakened that sense of awe, that wonder at being His children, and now we are set on the course that will take us to being completely His children. We work out our salvation (another meaning of agathos) as He works in us. That mystery, the partnership of the God of awe in and through the men and women, remains hidden deep inside “the good.” It is gift and gain at the same time. But it is only “good” when it retains its deepest essence – awe at being created in His image.
Topical Index: good work, ergon agathon, agathos, awe, Philippians 1:6
We do need to regain our ‘sense’ of awe and wonder. Just yesterday we viewed this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KqziOKZ4AE
As brother Giglio shares- our G-d is an awe-some God. Both in the macro and in the micro His wonders are clearly seen. But even more so that the things which are seen (both telescopic and microscopic) G-d has revealed Himself to us in a Book. Not the book of the month (there is no shortage of these!) -but in the Book of the Ages- our Bible, written “both” in Hebrew and in Greek.
“Every word of G-d is pure.” Every word in the Word. The Living Word (the) Christ, is fully revealed and manifested for us within the pages of the written word. “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. (Luke 24.27)
-“all things” -“concerning Himself”. Why was the Bible written? Why do we have a history of G-d interacting with, redeeming, delivering, guiding, guarding His chosen ones? Have we seen by “it is written” our G-d is a covenant making and a covenant keeping G-d?
All things in the O.T. point to and reveal (the) Messiah. All things. Read each story, each event, each name, each miracle and know (according to the scriptures) these are ‘all’ revealing Someone. Christ is the hero of this Book. Our Bible is His-story. – (and the rest is His-story!)
We (also) get to play a part in this ‘never ending story!’ G-d is today using us to further His kingdom’s purposes and His purpose is for everyone to be reconciled unto Him through the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiach, the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ. Blood was shed upon a cross, and this blood is for you. It is also for ‘whosover will’. Salvation (deliverance) is offered “to the Jew first, – and also to the Greek. “For G-d so loved the world..” (John 3.16) Christ died for all. For the sins of the world. That Man did for me what I could not do for myself- He (through the body of His death upon a cross) paid for in full and atoned for my sin-debt. I will agree and say with Rabbi Sha’ul- “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves complete acceptance: To this world Messiah came, sinful people to reclaim. I am the worst of them.” (1 Timothy 1.15)
I also agree with (and will pray with) the blind beggar: “Yeshua-thou Son of David, -have mercy on me.” (Mark 10.47) What an excellent prayer!
“The LORD is not slow in keeping His promise, as some people think of slowness; on the contrary, He is patient with you; for it is not His purpose (His will) that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins.” (2 Peter 3.9)
It is His purpose, His desire, His will that we (all) repent. This “turning from our sins” is repentance. Turning from our sins and toward the Savior is the turning point from darkness to Light because He is (not was) the Light of the world! Repentance is a happy word, a “blessed” word.
From darkness to light, from confusion to clarity, from destruction to delight- what’s not to like? What is the problem here? Why do men refuse to come to Yeshua and be healed? – It’s a wonder to me. A mystery. “So great salvation (deliverance) has been offered unto us and yet we refuse? – Sin must be a form of insanity- I do not know, except through my own ‘experience’ with sin. May I share some of my scars with you? for sin will leave scars in its wake. The wages (payday someday) of sin is death (separation). Separation from G-d (who is holy) and separation from our fellow man. Sin separates, divides, destroys, wounds and scars. -Been there, done that- don’t like it one bit. Sorrow, sickness, disease, destruction and death. – Happy stuff- right? – (Are we nutz?) In the vernacular of the day: “gross!” Sin is a stench. Sin stinks. Phew! Let’s walk over to my trash can, open up the lid and take in a great big snort! What? -Are U crazy? -I must be for “sin is a form of insanity.” Stupidity at the bare minimum. Go ahead and sin- go harm yourself, your family, your community and your nation. We must be nutz to live in sin when G-d offers unto us a cure for this curse, this blight, this wound upon our race.
O Hallelu Yah for the tslav. “The blood of Yeshua HaMashiach, G-d’s Son (and G-d the Son) cleanses from “all” sin. (The) Christ has redeemed us- “once for all.”
Salvation (deliverance from sin) is the gift of G-d. It is free to all, but at the cost of the blood of the Holy ONE. There is no free lunch- ‘Somebody’ pays for it. According to what He said, (from the lips of our LORD)- it has been accomplished.. paid for in full, – finished, completed, done. He did what He came to do. From the cradle to the cross, -He was born to die, “the (final) Sacrifice” for sin.
Behold the Lamb. (for G-d will provide Himself the Lamb.) Genesis 22.8
So wonderfully stated. Former SDA christian, left church 15+ years ago and started actually reading the Word for myself. Wow amazing. I didn’t see Messiah in the Torah but he is sprinkled across every page. I can not believe what his chosen people had to endure and through you I have hope because of Jacob contending with G-d and Abrahams trust all nations may be blessed. I see why to the Jew first, such a heart breaking history but a most beautiful promise for restoration of a nation, a city of peace and kingdom in heaven soon manifesting on earth. I can’t wait for the coming of our King and High Priest. I will grab the robe of Jew and ask for assistance as our prophet said. Even now in this age I need help from G-d’s chosen to help me. Thank-you for your assurance and love for his words. It gives me hope and encouragement when I feel alone and have no community of believes to join myself to. I look forward to this day of gathering and pray that I will follow along the same path to completion in His perfect will, word, living by his good instructions to meet the mark/goal.
“The Greek Paul chooses is ergon agathon. Lexicons describe agathos as “useful, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, upright,” but we need to look a little deeper into the etymology.”
From Wiki
In ancient Greek religion, Agathos Daimon or Agathodaemon (Greek: ἀγαθὸς δαίμων, “noble spirit”) was a daemon or presiding spirit of the vineyards and grainfields and a personal companion spirit, similar to the Roman genius, ensuring good luck, health, and wisdom.
Though he was little noted in Greek mythology (Pausanias conjectured that the name was a mere epithet of Zeus),[2] he was prominent in Greek folk religion;[3] it was customary to drink or POUR OUT a few drops of unmixed wine to honor him in every symposium or formal banquet.
Hmmm
About 10 years ago, I read a book called The Fragile Absolute, by Slavoj Zizek, who was positioning Paul as the new cultural role model for our New Age.
Given Zizek’s academic background, I found it very difficult to understand how he could think Paul, whom I always considered to be the founder of the Catholic Church, could be the new revolutionary cultural hero.
About the same time I started reading Today’s Word, which I considered to be a Protestant perspective, and said to myself, Hmmm, these two things are connected in some mysterious way.
Two different but simlar forms of the Hebrew IMO
Today’s Word, which I considered to be a Protestant perspective,
Hi Michael
I have been raised and was a fourth generation Protestant for 40 years before making a change. I don’t know how you bring Protestant and TW together? To me it is as far apart as East and West, Hebrew and Greek, The Way and The Harlot, Faith and Religion. Likewise I was taught that Paul was the founder of the Protestant Church!
Here’s the way I see it. Today’s Word just tries to deal with the text – what it says, what it meant to the original audience, what (if any) implications that might have today. I know that I also have a paradigm and that this paradigm affects my interpretation of the text, but I try to be aware of those assumptions. Of course, I don’t always succeed. That’s why I need all of you. That’s why Paul encouraged dissenters. Debate makes good theology. As far as I can tell, dogma does not. So, rather than advocating one denomination or one form of the Christian religion, I hope I can just understand where the text leads and stick with that. What I have discovered is that the Bible has the same essential tension that life has – not surprisingly – and that there are some (many?) things that just resist complete answers. What i find is that the Hebraic worldview embraces this tension but the Greek worldview does not.
Good questions Luzette – i was wondering the same things but decided not to waste my energy so glad you decided to… ♥âĵß♥
“I don’t know how you bring Protestant and TW together?”
Hi Luzette,
When I first started reading TW, in my worldview there were two Christian worldviews:
– Catholic
– Protestant
I respected these two religions, but did not believe in them
From my Catholicism (7th grade), I could tell Skip was not a Catholic
And the website looked Christian and was not called Hebrew Word Study 🙂
The Hebrew worldview I knew came from the great Jewish intellectuals, such as:
– Marx
– Freud
– The Frankfurt School
– Herbert Marcuse (UCSD)
– Fred Jameson (UCSD)
What Skip refers to as the Hebrew and Greek worldviews
I saw in terms of the “dialectical mode” of thought and the “structural mode” of thought
Jewish mysticism did not attract me
Because I thought Hinduism had a more systematic way of explaining those things
But I was always looking for the source of the signs I wanted to understand
In retrospect it seems Skip could explain to me what I could see but not understand
Most importantly, Skip taught me how to read and enjoy the Bible 🙂
“Likewise I was taught that Paul was the founder of the Protestant Church!”
Hi Luzette,
That is funny. I was not taught anything about Paul by the Catholic Church
They taught me about God the Father and the 10 Commandments – pretty good stuff 🙂
But when I read the Bible from end to end in college, all I could see was Jesus the Jew among Jews
Then later passages of Paul made me think he was anti-Jew and pro new-church ideology, which would ultimately become Catholicism
But recent scholarship seems to indicate that Paul’s pro-Faith and anti-Law statements in the Bible are forgeries
And that Paul was just a Jew like Jesus 🙂
But it is only “good” when it retains its deepest essence – awe at being created in His image.
I also truly believe to measure the “good” that I do, to how I return to “demut”and “tselem”. I found that it is so easy to convince myself that I am doing good, God- honoring events( Are Christmas or feeding the poor not good, God-honoring events for most?) . In the mean time I am still stuck at the GOOD of Tree of Knowledge of good and evil and NOT bearing or sharing the fruit with the life-giving seed of the Father.
May YHWH help me to know the difference.
For me, this lesson comes down to the last paragraph. The closer that my walk with God takes me to Him, the more that gift of a sense of awe is exercised!