Holy Ground
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:15 NASB
Sanctify – What does “sanctify the Messiah as Lord” really mean? When you think of the term “sanctify,” what images come to mind? Do you think of the sanctuary, a place of holiness? Do you imagine something without guilt or sin? Do you think of acts of consecration? Sacraments? In our culture, all of these are related to this word, but in ancient times, “sanctify” was connected to the Canaanite root qds (qadosh). It was used to describe the ground around the burning bush, the festival days, the tithe, certain offerings and, by extension, the name of YHVH. Perhaps the most important thread in all these uses is the idea of awe and holiness. To “sanctify” the Messiah is to treat him with awe and recognize his holy status.
But how do we do that? According to Peter, this is first a matter of the heart. It begins by acknowledging his authority over us. It continues by submitting to his instruction. It ends when our lives are in alignment with his. In other words, sanctify is more than entering some holy place. It is altering our lives so that our thoughts and behavior exhibit his character. Paul says much the same thing when he exhorts us to take every thought captive. Sanctification begins with what we think about and it ends with what we do about it.
With this in mind, it’s pretty easy to see who is sanctifying Yeshua as Messiah. Just listen and observe. What these people say and what they do will demonstrate their submission to the Messiah. In fact, if this is really happening, it is more than likely that others will ask for an explanation. That’s another sign of alignment. If people aren’t asking you about the way you live, maybe you’re missing something.
Finally, we should notice that Peter tells his readers to be ready to defend their faith. Does this mean that we should all take a class in apologetics? I don’t think so. Giving an account of the hope in you is not providing proofs for God’s existence or moral arguments for biblical ethics. The Greek is apologia. The idea is providing a personal witness about what happened to you and why your life is different. Of course, this assumes that your life is different. Different enough for others to notice. Something about you has changed and other people want to know why. This is not formal justification. This is person-to-person dialogue—with gentleness and reverence for the other person. This is not harsh debate. This is hand-holding, eye contact, intimate conversation.
We all have opportunities to “defend” our faith. What is often missing is the personal connection in the process.
Topical Index: sanctify, hagiazo, defend, apologia, 1 Peter 3:15
Skip…
John 4:23-24
Interesting selection woman at the well I’ve been instructed as you show up was sharing the good news he himself was being refreshed with the Living Water.. I have often been content with saying we are saved because of our works but because we’re saved we do good works. The topic would be what are the good works? The Works that we have being ordained beforehand to do. James tells us that this is true religion feed the poor help the Widow and the orphan and those who are afflicted are also excellent examples. Another alignment for example would be…. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
I make an apology pull up the opening line..It should read… When Yeshua shows up……
I have been trying to send a link for studylight devotionals skip Moen titled servants very fitting skip’s own words. March 19th 2017
Thank you BB read it…
Are we all not seeking justification in the life experiences of others. Are we not justifying our faith by what others are doing…
Big concern as this tells me my faith is mind matter instead of truth matter… God wants a personal relationship with everyone. He knows our uniqueness why go for generalisation when personification is His Goal…. He changes not we on the other hand are as divers as the pebbles on the sea shore and the stars stretched across heaven.
Faith is a gift. To live by faith is to walk in the freedom we have to have to truly love. The entire world is in bondage to what is. Faith is free to determine what should be. It takes faith to treat others as you SHOULD BE treated, but to the extent that we are bound by sin, we cannot do this, even if we can see and acknowledge it, but when others see someone walking in freedom at this level, they can recognize it. The problem is not that the world does not understand or desire love: the problem is that they are not free to walk in it. If someone sees you walking around without the chains of fear, self serving or uncaring, they will want it too, and that is when you can introduce them to the keys. We have all been given the stick by which to measure faith, as Skip points out, but to measure something still does not mean that you have it. Everyone knows what love is, too, but to have that knowledge, or even that desire, is not the same as to have access to it. Witness, whether it be in the courtroom or on the street, because it is first hand experience, which we all are consigned to live by, is the only way to learn for us. Witness, then, is how others can learn from us; in fact, it is the only way that works in this post-Tree world. Not for nothing were we given the commission of witness, and promised the empowerment of that witness. All we have to do is witness, for the Spirit is set to take it from there. A true partnership!
Amen!
I love that the Rauch unifies us. I had this conversation twice yesterday. Seems to be something the Spirit of YHVH is pressing the body of Messiah to consider. Clearly the Greek “Church ” evangelistic model is about declaring and proselytizing. This seems to me to come from a place of perceived superior understanding. Since the “Christian” church has a superior revelation on the truth it must be about proving and convince since the historical evidence of its truth claims is rather compromised. Agin Art Katz “The truth is in us and we in it only to the degree we actually walk in it. ” Also I belive a foundational Hebraic perspective asserted elsewhere in our discussions is the issue of respecting the other persons exeriance and perspectives as valid. If from my world view my truth claims are more true then yours my obligation is to help you see the light and the error of your ways. But if we are all brothers in a covenant walk towards our “salvation” and that is an ongoing development, a process rather than a singular experiance based on an intellectual ascent to a religious program we can freeing share our jurney. We grow in integrity as we walk inTruth. Partial truth is a lie just as partial obedience is actually disobedience. If we are really seeking to walk in the whole truth all the time we will need a lot of grace for ourselves and our brethren. I have enough truble living out my convictions. To go around shouding on others it is rather disengenious and often insensitive and mean.
Good morning Mark John 17:17 but start playback at versus number 2 father the hour has come glorify your son so he can give Glory back to you
Thanks Brett.
“To “sanctify” the Messiah is to treat him with awe and recognize his holy status . . . It begins by acknowledging his authority over us. It continues by submitting to his instruction. It ends when our lives are in alignment with his.”
Thank you Skip, that sounds a lot more respectful of Yeshua than what my last post was protesting. In fact, it sounds like even you have “elevated” Christ.” I know you don’t believe in His pre-existence but today you certainly sound like you are placing Him far superior to any other Pharisee, even though you wrote, “his teaching is virtually identical”
People know what love is. Love is no secret, for we are all hardwired for it. The problem lies elsewhere. We didn’t need to be told what love was, for we all need the stuff: what we needed was to be shown how to do it. Now, that’s TRUE authority.
Today’s passage is an interesting selection. Check it out in the KJV/NKJV. It reads: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. This is because there is split in the Greek manuscripts. The Byzantine read “God”, while the Alexandrian read “Christ”. Otherwise, this clause is identical. Making this substitution, how might this change one’s understanding of this particular passage; and, perhaps more importantly, how should this bear on Christology?
Quoting Metzger’s commentary on the NT may be helpful:
Nonetheless, there are some, such as Maurice Robinson and the late Harry Sturz, who would argue that the Byzantine manuscripts represent the earliest text – the earliest manuscripts are just not extant.
Thank you Greg you caused me to rethink the question how do we sanctify Christ in our hearts? This causes me to think and meditate not ready to give a quick answer but think like the prophets of old and speak without knowing just in the heart where Christ abides speaks no given proof only relying on on the sufficient peace in in my heart it’s not about what I can do it’s about what he can do through me for I am crucified with Christ yet I live not me but Christ in me he does the works. It’s all about HIM!!!!!
I’m getting back here late, sorry. There’s even more to this. The last clause of the previous verse (3:14) is a quote of the LXX of Isaiah 8:12 (“AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,” – Greek: ton de phobon autōn mē phobēthēte mēde tarachthēte), and this carries over into 3:15, which partially quotes Is 8:13; however, in the Masoretic Text (MT) YHWH is used, whereas here Christ is substituted (with God in the KJV/NKJV). This is part of a larger quote attributed specifically to YHWH. In 3:15, the writer of 1 Peter continues the thought, but made an obvious change as compared to Is 8:13.
As is the custom with the Greek New Testament (GNT), quotations of the LXX are italicized (as I’ve done above in Is 8:12). An important aside, to be completely accurate, Peter’s quote of Is 8:12 is identical except Isaiah uses a double negative twice for emphasis, illustrated by bold: ton de phobon autōn ου mē phobēthēte ουde mē tarachthēte [ουde is the same as mēde = and not]. A double negative is emphatic in Greek and does not negate the negative as it does in normal English (not unlike, e.g.). This is somewhat similar to English colloquial use (I ain’t got nobody = I have nobody), though it’s proper in Greek. The LXX here follows the MT very closely.
Getting back to I Peter 3:15, here’s the Greek in the GNT, with the italics representing quotes from Is 8:13:
The Greek de (“but”) is always placed postpositively (i.e. 2nd in the text). We place it first in the clause in translation. Otherwise, “Christ” would immediately follow “Lord” (as in kyrion ton Christon), and both are in the accusative, i.e. both are direct objects. To reiterate, note again that “Lord God” is found in the KJV/NKJV (in the Textus Receptus Greek). The following, from Mark Dubis’ contribution to the Baylor Handbook of the Greek New Testament series (1 Peter: A Handbook on the Greek [Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2010], p 109) regarding the Greek of “But sanctify Lord Christ” [omitting Greek accenting while adding transliteration]:
The Greek auton is the pronoun “he/him”. The MT here reads [transliterated] YHWH tzeva’ovt [“LORD of hosts” – NASB] instead of the LXX’s kyrion auton for Is 8:13.
Now, going back, once again, to 1 Peter 3:15, a Greek double accusative can be rendered either: (a) “Lord Christ” (similar to KJV/NKJV’s use of “Lord God”) or, alternatively, (b) “Lord, that is, Christ”, as opposed to “Christ as (the) Lord”, such as the NASB translation. However, it seems apparent that Peter, though he switches “Christ” for “LORD” (which, in the LXX, is the standard translation for YHWH), is following the basic trajectory of the LXX, which follows the MT, making it most likely that Peter’s intention was (a) rather than (b). Hence, Peter’s change in 1 Peter 3:15 is certainly Christologically important!
Sorry; though I was careful (I currently have an eye infection causing vision problems) I messed up a very important part of the last paragraph, misplacing the “(b)”. It should be: (a) “Lord Christ” (similar to KJV/NKJV’s use of “Lord God”) or, alternatively, “Lord, that is, Christ”, as opposed to, (b) “Christ as (the) Lord”, such as the NASB translation.
Thank you for the further in depth translation explanation.
Christ is also referred to by Paul as the image of God rather than Jesus being God or lord…
This according to my understanding will then explain that when we accept/submit unto our creation in Christ we glorify and make God lord in our lives thereby meeting the creation requirements in Genesis…
“Christ is also referred to by Paul as the image of God rather than Jesus being God or lord…”
You may want to recheck how Paul begins his letters.
Yes, Paul, in Colossians 1:15, refers to Jesus as the image of God, which makes Him a human. However, in Colossians 1:15 Paul also calls Jesus the firstborn/precedent over all creation. And, John the Revelator, in 13:8, says He was slain from the creation/foundation of the world (or, alternatively, that the Book of Life existed from the creation/foundation – the Book of Life itself belonging to “the Lamb”, i.e. Jesus). Moreover, John the Revelator records Jesus referring to Himself as hē archē tēs ktiseōs tou theou: the First Cause/Beginning/Origin(ator) of God’s creation in 3:14. So, is Jesus ‘merely’ human, or is He something more?
Thank you for the correction… Allegorical or actual? As in Job we read of Sons of God which included the deceiver… Would this then also mean that deception is a human… Unless this reference was referring to a supernatural being, if that be so why would Paul or even John be referring to a human. If allegorical the records could in both accounts be referring to choices or attributes lived out by humankind…
Yes my problem could be that I fail to see the records implying both interpretation possibilities for if they do the records would be relevant for scrutinization as including creation of deception or salvation…
The reference on slain before and following in the desert could then imply the same thing? Not literally slain but provided or made as the instrument or process through which salvation is manifested.
I address both of your references in my book, demonstrating how the Greek text has been altered to fit a theological presupposition. You might take a look at Cross Word Puzzles and a few other authors on this.
Skip
Thank you for the guidelines.
Skip,
I’m not sure exactly who/what you are referring to. If I’m not mistaken, your “I address both of your references…” is a response to one or more of my comments above. Assuming so, to which Scriptural references do you refer? Are these the differences noted between the LXX and the MT?
Dear Skip, thank you for this timely, deep, and confirming message today. I know I am not the same person…not even since yesterday! I am it seems continually being changed. This is so new.
The Lord had to get me into a receiving mode, broke me down. It was a terrifying journey that I did not tread perfectly….broke down quite a few times. But I came out the other end of a lot of questions I was asking. Questions I had no one but God to ask.
During that time of turbulence, I was with and around people almost 24/7.When God released me home to recover. My questions amplified and took me deep into His life changing ministering that is continuing. I even look different than I did, shed a good deal of unconscious activities and pursuits and people I thought were just the ‘bees’ knees’, and have tasted something beyond anything else. This is significant because I have never felt peace before, never felt close to the Lord. I am humbled to my bones to find the stumbling thoughts to that sublime intimacy.
Now it seems that everything–I mean like even watching a movie with my husband, or driving down the street–I get insights and confirmations into living with Him. Your message today being one of them. Thank you.
Changed people changed me. Their living faith greatly helped my self-consumed and belligerent life
to see the light. One day over 35 years ago, a well known businessman sat across from my desk and
out of nowhere loudly whispered, “You need to know Christ, don’t you?” How did he know? He didn’t,
he said. But the One who lived in him did! Both of us admitted we were kind of startled. After all, we had
just met. About this same time, the good Lord introduced me to my ‘ezer kenegdo who’s been by my side
ever since.
Coincidence? God’s timing is too good for that! And the changes in me from these two and so many others
are waiting in a book somewhere. Also in that book are changed people who have questioned me about
my changes, as the Giver of Life roles on as only He can!
I would’ve called myself a, “believer, Christian” for decades. It was not until I discovered that Torah was for today, and my husband and I started learning to live according to it that our lives really did look different. That is when we started to have people question us, and really take note of “the difference” (eating differently, keeping the feasts, etc.). Sadly, it is also win many so-called Christians walked away from us as well. All we can do is our very best to try and live after Yeshua’s example and hope that our example can lead others to Torah.
Thank you for your kind, yet bold, teachings. They mean more to us than I think you will ever know.