FOR YOU RECALL, BRETHREN, OUR
LABOR AND HARDSHIP: mnemoneuete (2PPAI) gar, adelphoi, ton kopon hemon
kai ton mochthon: (1Th 1:3 Acts 18:3; 20:34,35; 1Cor 4:12;
9:6,15; 2Cor 6:5; 2Th 3:7 89; 1Ti 4:10)
For (1063)(gar)
is a conjunction basically introducing an explanation and here
indicates that Paul intends to further develop the point that the
Thessalonians had become very dear to the missionaries.
McGee feels Paul is
continuing his picture of...
a mother’s work. We are familiar
with the expression: “Man’s work is from sun to sun, but a woman’s
work [or a mother’s work] is never done.” A mother is not a paid
nurse. Paul is saying that he wasn’t a paid nurse who worked by the
hour. He wasn’t a hired baby-sitter. He did not belong to a union.
Have you ever heard of a mothers’ union which insisted a mother would
work only for eight hours of the day? Have you known any mothers who
punch the clock and then turn away from their crying babies because
they refuse to work anymore? Maybe some mothers will work out some
kind of union agreement like that, but I don’t think real mothers
would want it. Mothers work a little differently—night and day.
(McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson
or
Logos)
Recall (3421)
(mnemoneuo
from mimnesko = to recall to one's mind) means to exercise
memory, call something to mind, recollect, to pay attention to something and so to be
warned (eg, Lk 17:32).
The Analytical Lexicon has
an excellent summary of the NT meanings...
(1) of recollection recall, remember
(Mt 16.9); (2) of solicitous concern be mindful of, think of, remember
(Gal 2.10); (3) of self-reflection remember, keep in mind (Eph 2.11);
(4) speak (of), (make) mention (of) (He 11.22) (Friberg,
T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New
Testament. Baker Academic)
Mnemoneuo is
derived from the Indo-European root *mēn,
to think...Hence there arises, in Indo-European languages generally, the
following complex of meanings: (a) to remember (referring to the
intellectual ability, and its exercise, of linking the past to the
present); (b) to consider, weigh up (where the present is linked to the
future); (c) to be mindful, take into account, mention (assessing how
the present relates both to past and future). This range of meanings can
be seen in English, e.g., in the various uses of the word “mind”: to
remind, call to mind, give one’s mind to, bear in mind, have a mind to,
etc.
(Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan or
Computer version)
A couple of "plugs" for
remembering God's Word (which points to the Incarnate Word - Jn 1:1) -
See discussion of
Memorizing
God's Word of Truth & Life
and then put it into practice as a daily discipline (under grace, not
law!) by beginning to
Memorize Verses by Topic.
You will not regret it...in the present age or the age to come.
Paul Tucker said that
One of the products of the Fall is
that we remember the things we ought to forget—and forget the
things we ought to remember.
Aldous Huxley adds that
"Each man's memory is his private literature". And now as new creatures
in Christ (2Cor 5:17-note),
we should continually seek to fill our mind with the best "literature",
washing it with the water of the Word, which alone can counter the
effects of the fall, for it is only by the Word that we are sanctified
(made holy) and our minds are renewed (Jn 17:17, cp Php 4:8-note,
Php 4:9-note,
Col 3:16-note,
Ep 4:23-note,
Ro 12:2-note,
Jn 8:31, 32, 36).
Websters 1828 definition of
remember - To have in the mind an idea which had been in the mind
before, and which recurs to the mind without effort (Ed comment:
I think in the NT sense we often need to make a conscious effort, a
volitional choice to remember. And we have the Spirit to aid our recall
- cp Jn 14:26, 1Co 2:12, 13). When we use effort
to recall an idea, we are said to recollect it. This distinction is not
always observed. Hence remember is often used as synonymous with
recollect, that is, to call to mind. We say, we cannot remember a fact,
when we mean, we cannot recollect it. (Click
for all 15 definitions of remember)
Mounce has an interesting
note on the two NT verbs for remember (mimneskomai and
mnemoneuo) noting that ...
These two verbs share a common root (mnē)
and often carry the simple meaning of remembering or recalling to mind
(Mt 16:9; 26:75; 1Th. 2:9). Remembering, however, is often more active
and effective than the mere recollection of certain data.
Remembering should affect one’s
life significantly, in terms of changing attitudes (Jn 2:22; 12:16;
Ep 2:11) or taking some action (Rev 2:5; 3:3).
The NT authors frequently exhort
believers to remember with prayer and action (Gal 2:10; 1Th 1:3; He
13:3, 7). Belief and confession can follow remembering (1Ti 2:8; Heb
11:22).
When God remembers, there are always
consequences, both merciful (Lk 1:54, 72; 23:42; Acts 10:31) and just
(Rev 16:19; 18:5). When God does not remember, this is not
forgetfulness, but a choice to not dwell upon or consider someone or
something (Heb 8:12; 10:17). We can praise Him that He has chosen not to
remember our sins.
(Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan or
Computer version)
Isaac Watts
We are said to remember anything,
when the idea of it arises in the mind with the consciousness that we
have had this idea before.
Even as the missionaries remembered
(mnemoneuo) the Thessalonians’
"work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope" (1Th
1:3-note), so they expected
that the Thessalonians would remember (mnemoneuo) how they too had labored while
they were with them.
Mnemoneuo - 21x in 21v in
NAS - Mt 16:9; Mk 8:18; Lk 17:32; Jn 15:20; 16:4, 21; Acts 20:31,
35; Gal 2:10; Eph 2:11; Col 4:18; 1Th 1:3; 2:9; 2Th 2:5; 2Ti 2:8; Heb
11:15, 22; 13:7; Rev 2:5; 3:3; 18:5. NAS = bearing in
mind(1), made mention(1), recall(1), remember(14), remembered(1),
remembering(1), remembers(1), thinking(1).
Matthew 16:9
"Do you not yet understand or remember (present
tense =
continually recall to your mind) the five loaves of the
five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?
Comment:
Context is Mt 16:8 "men of little faith" discussing no bread when the
Bread of life was in their very midst! Oh my, how often I am like them!
How often I see the temporal and miss the eternal, forgetting that He is
using the visible to teach me about the invisible (cp 2Co 4:18-note)!
Lord help my unbelief. Amen
Comment
from Matthew Henry: Though they had no bread with them, they had him
with them who could provide bread for them. If they had not the cistern,
they had the Fountain. Do ye not yet understand, neither remember? Note,
Christ's disciples are often to be blamed for the shallowness of their
understandings, and the slipperiness of their memories. "Have ye forgot
those repeated instances of merciful and miraculous supplies; five
thousand fed with five loaves, and four thousand with seven loaves, and
yet they had enough and to spare? Remember how many baskets ye took up."
These baskets were intended for memorials, by which to keep the mercy in
remembrance, as the pot of manna which was preserved in the ark, Ex
16:32. The fragments of those meals would be a feast now; and he that
could furnish them with such an overplus then, surely could furnish them
with what was necessary now. That meat for their bodies was intended to
be meat or their faith (Ps 74:14), which therefore they should have
lived upon, now that they had forgotten to take bread.
Mark 8:18 (for context read Mk 8:16, 17 - see preceding comments)
"HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? (cp His next miracle - Mk 8:22 23 24 25
26) AND HAVING EARS (cp Mk 7:32-37), DO YOU NOT HEAR? (see Jer 5:21, cp
similar language in Ezek 12:2; Isa 6:9 10-note)
And do you not remember, (present
tense =
continually recall to your mind)? (Jesus' question expects a positive
answer)
Comment:
Eyes, ears and mind (memory) here are all referring to their spiritual
perception (lack of). Jesus desires that all His disciples (cp who they
were in Acts 11:26) develop their skills of spiritual perception.
How are your spiritual eyes, ears
and memory beloved? A bit cloudy, a bit "stopped up", a bit forgetful?
Luke 17:32 "Remember
(present
imperative =
command calling for ready recall to be one's continual attitude. Keep
this historical event constantly on the "front burner" of your
mind!) Lot's wife.
Comment:
Jesus is speaking to disciples (Lk 17:22 - genuine followers, compare
the name of the "disciples" in Acts 11:26 - note that the most common
name for believers in Acts was "disciples" - 30x in 28 verses - eg look
at the birth of the Church in Ac 6:1 2 7 9:1 13:52 Note the effect of
the preaching of the Gospel - Acts 14:21 22 - some teach that
"disciples" are a separate category of believers - What does God's Word
teach? For a pithy, provocative study of what Scripture teaches consider
Being a Disciple Counting the Real Cost),
knowing that He is about to go to the Cross. And so here Jesus warns the
disciples to remember Ge 19:17, 26 which parallels His earlier pithy
teaching in Luke 9:62 (where "looking" is in the
present tense
= continually looking back. We all "look back" at the world and our
possessions occasionally but that is not our lifestyle - a believer's
lifestyle is looking forward, fixing one's eyes on Jesus He 12:2-note,
looking for the blessed hope Titus 2:13-note,
loving the thought of His appearing 2Ti 4:8-note).
What did Lot's wife decision reflect? Disobedience. And her disobedience
was a manifestation of her lack of faith (see relationship between faith
and obedience in Hebrews 3:18, 19-note).
And thus if a person professes to follow after Jesus and yet continually
manifests a "Lot's wife heart", they are not genuine followers of Christ
and they are not fit for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62 - the phrase
"kingdom of God" in this verse and the previous one Lk 9:60, 61
["proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God"] is equivalent to or
tantamount to salvation because the truly saved are the only ones who
will "see the kingdom of God" as Jesus' explained to Nicodemus in John
3:3.). So Jesus' call to remember Lot's wife conveys a serious, sobering
warning to all who would seek to follow Him
One side note
- As we make a habitual practice to remember the truth of God's
Word (truths like the tragic outcome of Lot's wife), we are in a sense
practicing a form of "meditation", mulling His truth over and over in
our heart and mind. This is the essence of
Biblical Meditation, a
somewhat lost discipline/art in the modern church, but one which
promises incredible spiritual blessings which should strongly motivate
us (Joshua 1:8-note,
Ps 1:1-note,
Ps 1:2-note,
Ps 1:3-note).
As we seek to remember God's Word (especially to
memorize
it), we are laying the groundwork to be able then to
meditate
on it. (Compare
the association of remember and meditate in Ps 63:5 below)
John 15:20 "Remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not
greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Comment:
Jesus' disciples must continually be aware that since the unbelieving
world persecuted Jesus, they will persecute His followers. This is not a
"maybe" but a "gimme"! But unfortunately this message is not clearly
taught many times for "fear" of chasing off potential converts. And yet
the Scriptures clearly and repeatedly teach this is the lot in this
present life for all Christ followers (cp 2Ti 3:12-note,
Php 1:29-note,
Acts 14:22, 1Pe 2:21-note)
(See also Lk 6:22 21:17; Jn 15:19, 20, 17:14, Mt 10:34, 35, 36 but
be comforted by Jn16:33,14:27). Remember is used in a similar context in
the following verse Jn 16:14.
John 16:4 "But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their
hour comes, you may remember (present
tense =
continually recall to your mind) that I told you of them. These
things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
John 16:21 "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour
has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer
remembers (present
tense =
continually recalls to her mind) the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born
into the world.
Henry
Morris comments: Jesus uses this common experience (suffering and
travail in giving birth) as an example of what God is doing with His
whole creation and what He Himself was accomplishing for His followers
as He proceeded toward the Cross. He would "see of the travail of his
soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isaiah 53:11). He, "for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2). Furthermore, His
travail will deliver a new world. "The [creation] itself shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now" (Ro 8:21,22).
Comment:
And so dear follower in the footsteps of Christ Jesus, remember that
present suffering, which includes taking up the cross, denying self and
following Him will bring persecution in the present but will be followed
by a crown, by glory, by an eternity of unfettered joy and unbroken
intimate fellowship with the Lover of our soul! Remember - No cross, no
crown. In sum when the followers of Christ remember the vivid metaphor
He uses in this passage, they are undergirded and strengthened by His
grace (2Ti 2:1-note)
to suffer victoriously (Ro 8:37KJV-note,
Ro 8:31-note)
the present trials and tribulations for His Name's sake, for they know
that "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal
weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the
things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen
are eternal." (2Co 4:17-note,
2Co 4:18-note)
Acts 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering (present
tense =
continually recalling to your minds) that night and
day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one
with tears.
Acts 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this
manner you must help the weak and remember (present
tense =
continually recall to your minds) the words of the Lord
Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
Comment:
It is notable that twice Paul uses the verb to remember when addressing
the elders who are to oversee the body of Christ at Ephesus. This is a
good word (verb) for all elders!
Galatians 2:10 They only asked us to remember (present
tense =
continually recall to your mind) the poor-- the very
thing I also was eager to do.
Ephesians 2:11-note Therefore
remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) that formerly you,
the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision " by the
so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands
Comment:
What will it do to our attitude of gratitude when we continually are
mindful of the pit of destruction from which the Almighty has rescued us
by the redeeming blood of His Son?!
Colossians 4:18-note I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.
Remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually recall) my imprisonment. Grace be with you.
1 Thessalonians 1:3-note constantly bearing in mind
(present
tense =
continually recall to our minds) your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in
the presence of our God and Father,
1 Thessalonians 2:9-note For you recall
(present
tense =
continually recall to your minds [plural]), brethren, our labor and
hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of
you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:5 Do you not remember (present
tense =
continually recall to your minds [plural]) that while I was still
with you, I was telling you these things? (Mnemoneuo is used in a
question introduced by the negative particle which expects the answer
“yes”: “you remember don’t you?”)
2 Timothy 2:8-note
Remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) Jesus Christ,
risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel
Comment:
What do you observe in this verse? Or to ask another way, how is the
Gospel "abbreviated"? The first half speaks of our Lord becoming the
perfect sinless God Man as testified by the fact that His Father was
satisfied (Propitiation)
with His sacrifice on the Cross and raised Him from the dead. The second
half testifies that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ (Christos =
Messiah) Who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies
including His origin from the lineage of David (cp Mt 1:1). In fact
indirectly this latter passage even alludes to the presence of the
"Gospel" in the Old Testament, a truth which is validated by Paul in Gal
3:8. The OT saints looked forward to the coming of the Lamb of God to
take away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29), while we today look back to the
finished work (Jn 19:30-note) of the Lamb of God. Both
Old and New Testament saints are
saved by grace through faith (Ep 2:8, 9-note
Gal 3:6, 7) and their faith is in God's Gospel.
Hebrews 11:15-note And indeed if they had been thinking
(imperfect
tense =
means to do something over and over) of that country from which they
went out, they would have had
(imperfect
tense =
means to do something over and over) opportunity to return.
Comment:
Some things are best not remembered (compare this to
Jesus' call to disciples not to keep looking backwards - see comments
above on Lk 17:32, 9:62). The idea of the
imperfect tense
is to be in the habit of remembering and then remembering again, doing
this over and over, again and again (which reminds one of the hearts of
the children of Israel who longed for the leeks and garlic of Egypt,
forgetting the bondage of Egypt! Look what they remembered in Nu 11:5!
Leeks rather than the LORD! That is a sad substitute, an evil exchange!
Are there any "leeks"
in your/my life, forgetting [not remembering!] the bondage those "leeks"
might bring?) their
former country, the pagan land of Ur of the Chaldees (home of Abram),
they could again and again have had an opportunity (have is also in the
imperfect tense)
to return. There Abram and his family could have enjoyed the sensual
comforts instead of the rough tent life (cp the call on all followers of
Christ to live as aliens and strangers - 1Pe 2:11-note,
cp 1Pe 1:1-note).
How clear is this application to all those who have been called out of
darkness and into His marvelous light (1Pe 2:9-note),
and yet how insistent is the old, fallen
flesh to
seek to lure us back (Jas 1:14, 15-note)
to the passing pleasures of "Egypt" (the
world) (He 11:25-note),
which itself is passing away (1Jn 2:17-note)
as are even it's strong lusts which continually seek to seduce us to
gratify self but which can never satisfy for true satisfaction and
contentment comes only as we seek and surrender to the sweet will our
Gentle Shepherd and Lord, Christ Jesus (Jn 14:27, 16:33, Php 4:6-note,
Php 4:7-note,
Php 4:11, 12-note,
Php 4:13-note).
Hebrews 11:22-note By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention
(aorist - historical act, past tense completed action) of the exodus
of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
Hebrews 13:7-note
Remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) those who led you, who spoke the word of
God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their
faith.
Revelation 2:5-note 'Therefore
remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) from where you have fallen,
and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you
and will remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent.
Revelation 3:3-note 'So
remember
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually recall, recollect) what you have received and heard; and
keep
(tereo
= Guard it -
(present
imperative =
command to continually, habitually guard it) it, and
repent.
(aorist
imperative =
Do it! This tense often conveys a sense of urgency.) Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
Revelation 18:5-note for her
(Babylon) sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God
has remembered (Aorist - used here of a future event, so certain
is that future event!) her iniquities.
Mnemoneuo - 11 x in the
non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)-
Ex 13:3; 2Sa14:11; 2Kgs 9:25; 1Chr 16:12, 15; Esther 2:1; 4:17; Ps 6:5;
63:6; Pr 8:21; Isa 43:18.
Exodus 13:3
Moses said to the people, “Remember this day (The
Feast of Passover) in which you went
out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the
Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be
eaten.
1Chronicles
16:12 Remember
(command) His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the
judgments from His mouth...15
Remember
(command) His covenant forever (Which covenant? See 1Chr 16:16), The
word which He commanded to a thousand generations
Comment:
Beloved, notice the association of recalling the Lord's marvelous deeds
in your own life (the day of your new birth for instance) as well as His
covenant (solemn and binding and stabilizing and assuring - remembering
that the New Covenant which believers are in today is an extension in
part of the Abrahamic Covenant, excepting the specific land promises to
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - see
Covenant: Abrahamic vs Old vs New
and
Covenant: Why the New is Better)
Psalm 63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You
in the night watches
Spurgeon
comments: When I remember thee upon my bed. Lying awake, the
good man betook himself to meditation, and then began to sing. He had a
feast in the night, and a song in the night. He turned his bedchamber
into an oratory, he consecrated his pillow, his praise anticipated the
place of which it is written, "There is no night there." Perhaps the
wilderness helped to keep him awake, and if so, all the ages are debtors
to it for this delightful hymn. If day's cares tempt us to forget God,
it is well that night's quiet should lead us to remember him. We see
best in the dark if we there see God best.
And
meditate on thee in the night watches. Keeping up sacred worship in
my heart as the priests and Levites celebrated it in the sanctuary.
Perhaps David had formerly united with those "who by night stand in the
house of the Lord," and now as he could not be with them in person, he
remembers the hours as they pass, and unites with the choristers in
spirit, blessing Jehovah as they did. It may be, moreover, that the king
heard the voices of the sentries as they relieved guard, and each time
he returned with renewed solemnity to his meditations upon his God.
Night is congenial, in its silence and darkness, to a soul which would
forget the world, and rise into a higher sphere. Absorption in the most
hallowed of all themes makes watches, which else would be weary, glide
away all too rapidly; it causes the lonely and hard couch to yield the
most delightful repose -- repose more restful than even sleep itself. We
read of beds of ivory, but beds of piety are better far. Some revel in
the night, but they are not a tithe so happy as those who meditate in
God.
Isaiah
43:18 Do not call to mind
(Lxx = mnemoneuo = stop
recalling them is the idea) the former things, or ponder things of the
past.
John
MacArthur Comments:
Deliverances of the nation in the past will pale into insignificance in
comparison with the future deliverance the Lord will give His people
(Isa 42:9; 48:6; Jer 16:14 15).
(MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
Brethren (80)
(adelphos from collative a = denoting unity + delphús
= womb) is literally one born from same womb and so a male having the
same father and mother as reference person. Figuratively, adelphos
as in this verse refers to a close associate of a group of persons
having well-defined membership, specifically here referring to fellow
believers in Christ who are united by the bond of affection.
Labor and hardship -
Lightfoot points out the distinction between the two when he writes
Kopos (from kopto) is properly
a 'blow' or 'bruise,' and hence signifies 'wear and tear,' the fatigue
arising from continued labour, and hence the labor which brings on
lassitude. In mochthos on the other hand the leading notion is
that of struggling to overcome difficulties.
Labor (2873)
(kopos
[word study]
from kopto = chop, cut down, strike)
(See also study on related verb
kopiao) primarily, refers to beating or
smiting as a sign of sorrow and then sorrow itself. fatigue) As labor it involves toil
and weariness and sorrow. Kopos conveys the idea of arduous,
wearying toil involving sweat and fatigue and emphasizes the weariness
which follows on the straining of all of one's powers to the utmost. In
secular Greek kopos means “beating,” “weariness as though one had been
beaten,” and the “exertion” or “trouble” which causes this state. In
prose it is the proper word for physical tiredness induced by work,
exertion or heat.
It was not easy to make
tents and minister the Word at the same time. No wonder Paul labored
“night and day”!
As the missionaries remembered the Thessalonians' work of faith and
labor of love, so they expected that the Thessalonians would
remember how they too had labored while they were with them. Paul used
the first word, kopos, in 1.3 in describing how the
Thessalonians' love made them work so hard.
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor (kopos) of love
(agape)
and steadfastness of hope (elpis) in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of
our God and Father (1Th 1:3-note)
Hardship (3449)
(mochthos from mógos = labor, toil) means toil,
painfulness, travail, afflicting and wearisome labor. Hardship,
struggle, strenuous toil. It refers to hard and difficult labor
involving suffering and implying an unusual exertion of energy and
effort.
The word refers to the trouble and
pain of arduous work and the leading notion is that of struggling to
overcome difficulties.
Mochtos is the everyday word for that labor
which, in one shape or another, is the lot of all the sinful children of
Adam. It is more than kópos and it therefore follows kópos in all the
three passages wherein it occurs. Kopos emphasizes fatigue and
mochthos hardship.
Mochthos is used 37 times
in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Exod. 18:8; Lev.
25:43, 46, 53; Num. 20:14; 23:21; Deut. 26:7; Neh. 9:32; Job 2:9; Eccl.
1:3; 2:10f, 18ff, 24; 3:13; 4:4, 6, 8f; 5:15, 18f; 6:7; 8:15; 9:9;
10:15; Isa. 55:2; 61:8; Jer. 3:24; 51:35; Lam. 3:65; Ezek. 23:29; 34:4).
Note the 21 uses in Ecclesiastes with this representative use...
Ecclesiastes 1:3 What
advantage does man have in all his work (mochthos) which he does
under the sun?
There are 3 uses of mochthos
in the NT...
2 Corinthians 11:27 I have
been in labor (kopos) and hardship (mochthos), through many
sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure.
1 Thessalonians 2:9 For you
recall, brethren, our labor (kopos) and hardship (mochthos), how
working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we
proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we
eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor (kopos) and
hardship (mochthos) we kept working night and day so that we might
not be a burden to any of you;
Hiebert comments that...
Paul's expression aptly stresses the
reality and exhausting character of the work of the missionaries. It
certainly was no pleasant, self-chosen activity adopted as an easy means
of gaining a livelihood. In their own memories of the toil of the
missionaries, the readers had proof of the self-sacrificing spirit of
the preachers. (Hiebert,
D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
HOW WORKING NIGHT AND DAY SO
AS NOT TO BE A BURDEN TO ANY OF YOU: nuktos kai hemeras ergazomenoi
(AAN) pros to me epibaresai (1PAAI) tina humon: (1Th 3:10;
Psalms 32:4; 88:1; Jeremiah 9:1; Luke 2:37; 18:7; Acts 20:31; 1Ti 5:5;
2Ti 1:3) (1Th 2:6; Neh 5:15,18; 1Co 9:7,18; 2Co 11:9; 12:13,14)
In a similar vein Paul
wrote to the Church at Corinth reminding them...
and we toil, working with our own
hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure
(1Cor 4:12)
If others share the right over you,
do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure
all things, that we may cause no hindrance (egkope = impediment from
egkopto which In classic Greek was used as a military metaphor meaning
to cut in on, throw obstacles in the way of, or cut up the road so that
normal movement is impossible) to the gospel of Christ. (1Cor 9:12)
Paul spoke of his manual labor
in Acts...
(Paul came to Corinth to join Aquila
and Priscilla) and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them
and they were working; for by trade they were tent-makers. (Acts 18:3)
(At Paul's last face to face address
to the elders at Ephesus) You yourselves know that these hands
ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. (Acts 20:34)
Bruce observes that...
A later teacher, Rabban Gamaliel III,
gave voice to a traditional principle when he said that study of the
Torah was excellent if it were combined with a secular occupation (Pirqe Abot… 2.2), and this principle, in accordance with which Paul had been
brought up, was carried over by him into his apostolic ministry. In
Thessalonica, then, as later in Corinth (1 Cor 4:12) and Ephesus (Acts
19:12; 20:34), Paul maintained himself by manual labor. (Bruce,
F F: 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word,
Incorporated. 1982 or
Logos)
Working (2038)
(ergazomai) means to engage in an activity involving
considerable expenditure of effort.
Night (3571)
(nux) is literally the period between sunset and sunrise. Here
night and day is a figure of speech. .
Night and day reflects
Jewish reckoning of time where the day begins at dusk (cf. Gen. 1:5, 8,
13, 19, 23, 21).
Moffatt quotes Ramsay
writing that...
Paul means by the phrase, night
and day, that he started work before dawn; the usage is regular and
frequent. He no doubt began so early in order to be able to devote some
part of the day to preaching.
Be a burden (1912)
(epibareo from epí = upon or an intensifier + baréo
= to burden) means to weigh down, to place a weight upon someone, to put a burden on or
to be burdensome to.
To press too heavily on or be too severe with. To burden heavily,
referring to material resources.
Paul did not want to be a
financial burden to the Thessalonian saints. Paul emulates civic-minded
persons who did not wish the public to be burdened.
Paul made it his policy to work so as to shut the mouths of those who
would have liked to say that he, like others, was in the preaching
business for what he could get out of it (cf. 2 Cor 11:12).
Epibareo is used 3 times in
Scripture...
2 Corinthians 2:5 But if any
has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree--
in order not to say too much-- to all of you. (Comment:
Here epibareo seems to have the meaning "in order not to heap up too
great a burden of words" or in order not to say too much).
1 Thessalonians 2:9 For you
recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so
as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the
gospel of God.
2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we
eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we
kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to
any of you
Paul did manual labor (likely making
tents) in order to give the gospel without charge. He wanted to avoid any
appearance of self-serving in their evangelistic ministry (or pretext
of greed
1Thessalonians 2:5), Paul and
Silas did not preach in order to secure money for their support. They
earned their sustenance by their own labor most likely by making and
selling tents (Acts 18:3). They performed manual
labor in order to give the gospel without charge. In a Jewish setting, there would have been nothing unusual about
this, since every rabbi had a trade. However, in Thessalonica it would have been
remarkable, since non-Jewish traveling lecturers were often less
scrupulous, and the Greeks generally despised manual labor.
WE PROCLAIMED TO YOU THE
GOSPEL OF GOD:
ekeruxamen eis humas to euaggelion tou theou:
(1Th 2:2; Acts 20:24; Romans 1:1; 15:16,19; 1Timothy 1:11)
Proclaimed the gospel of God -
This is the third time in this chapter we encounter the term gospel
of God. (1Thes
2:2,
2:8,
2:9)
(It is notable that there are only 8 total uses of this phrase in
the NT -
click for all 8 in NASB) The designation stresses the divine origin and authority of their
message and points to the greatness of the good news they had imparted
to the Thessalonians. It was because the messengers were deeply
convinced that their message was indeed God's gospel that they were
willing to proclaim it freely while working for their own living.
This
is the very thing Jesus did at the inception of His ministry...
Now after John had been taken into
custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching (kerusso) the Gospel of God.
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled (cf Gal 4:4 "fullness of
time" in God's prophetic timetable, the time was ripe for the appearance
of the King), and the kingdom of God is at
hand (Or "is near" because the King has arrived!).
Repent
(present
imperative = not
just a one time repentance but as one's lifestyle!) and
believe
(present
imperative =
again, not just a one time belief but believing as a lifestyle! Problems and
doubts assail us moment by moment, stressing the need for us to
continually walk by faith, in the Sprit, not by sight!) in the gospel."
(Mark 1:14-15)
Hogg and Vine remark that at each occurrence of the expression
the missionaries appear in a different capacity...
in 1Thes
2:2
Paul refers to the work of the missionaries as evangelists among the as
yet unconverted Thessalonians; in 1Thes
2:8
he refers to their work as pastors, and in 1Thes
2:9
as teachers, among their converts.
Proclaimed (2784)
(kerusso
or kerysso from
kerux/keryx = a
herald - one who acts as the medium of the authority of one who
proclamation he makes;
kerugma = the thing preached or the
message) means to proclaim (publicly) or to herald or act as a public crier -
the town official who would make a proclamation in a public gathering.
Kerusso was used of the official whose duty it was to proclaim
loudly and extensively the coming of an earthly king, even as our
gospel is to clearly announce the coming of the King of kings and
Lord of lords (Rev 19:16-note)!
The Imperial Herald would enter a
town in behalf of the Emperor, and make a public proclamation of the
message which his Sovereign ordered him to give, doing so with such
formality, gravity, and authority as to emphasize that the message must be heeded!
(Think about this in regard to the Gospel of God instead of the decree
of a man! cf 1Th 2:13-note). He gave the people
exactly what the Emperor bade him give, nothing more, nothing less. He
did not dare add to the message or take away from it.
Should this not be the example and
pattern every preacher and teacher of the holy gospel of God
seeks and strives to emulate, yea, even doing so with fear and trembling!
("not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts" see
1Th 2:4-note)
The original meaning
of the root word
kerux was a "herald at the royal court." Homer
used kerusso and kerux in this connection. They not only
announced the coming of the prince, but they also carried his commands
to the uttermost corners of his realm. As the government of Greece
became more republican, these heralds came to serve the state rather
than the court. Certain qualities were required of heralds. They
must have powerful voices, so voice auditions were often held. Also they
had to be capable of calming down an unruly mob, in order to faithfully
communicate the command. An honest disposition was also required, as a
protection against the exaggeration of a royal decree. Furthermore,
they could make no additions or subtractions from the received message.
Later these heralds were also used to declare the message of a Greek
deity or a religious oracle.
To preach, proclaim, publish, always with the suggestion of formality,
gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed. The idea
is to preach or proclaim with the goal to persuade, urge or warn
to comply.
How then shall they call upon Him in
whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they
have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher
(kerusso)? (Ro 10:14-note)
Comment: Kerusso also means to preach the
Gospel in Ro 10:15-note; 1Cor 1:23; 15:11,
12; Galatians 2:2; Php 1:15-note;
1Th 2:9-note;
1 Ti 3:16
Kerusso is used of the public proclamation of the gospel and
matters pertaining to it as proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus, the
apostles and other Christian teachers. An unexpected group of preachers
were some of those whom the miracles of Jesus touched. A cleansed leper
told his tale of healing far and wide (Mark 1:44-45). When a
demon-possessed man was released, he proclaimed the glories of Christ
throughout the whole city (Mark 5:19-20). In the New Testament, from John the
Baptist to the establishment of an Apostolic church, preaching was the
main means of communicating the Christian message. This gives validity
to the preaching ministry today.
Kerusso does not carry within
it the content or nature of the message which is proclaimed. The context
usually indicates what is being preached or qualifying phrase must be
used for that purpose. In the New Testament, the word is used either
with a qualifying phrase such as “the gospel” (Mark 16:15), or the
contents of the proclamation are given as in Revelation 5:2, or it is
used alone without the contents of the message being given as in Romans
10:15.
R. C. H. Lenski
comments
The point to be noted is that to
preach is not to argue, reason, dispute, or convince by intellectual
proof, against all of which a keen intellect may bring counterargument.
We simply state in public or testify to all men the truth which God bids
us state. No argument can assail the truth presented in this
announcement or testimony. Men either believe the truth, as all sane men
should, or refuse to believe it, as only fools venture to do” (The
Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964],
p. 168).
Kerusso is
a term borrowed from the secular sphere where it was used for the
proclamation of an official message from a ruler or other person of
power. Because of that association, the term implies some dignity for
the person doing the proclaiming.
Kerusso means to make a formal
or an official announcement and thus to announce by means of a herald or
one who functions as a herald
And I saw a strong angel
proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and
to break its seals?" (see note
Revelation 5:2).
Kerusso means to make known
extensively or tell everywhere
And he (man healed of a demon) went
away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus
had done for him; and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:20).
In a religious sense it denotes
proclamation of a sacred message and can mean to preach or publish...
John the Baptist appeared in the
wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness
of sins. (Mark 1:4)
Comment: Here kerusso
pictures John as a herald with an official proclamation from a coming
King, the Messiah of Israel. He acted as one, making a public
proclamation of the news of the advent of the Messiah with such
formality, gravity, and authority as must be listened to and obeyed.
And Jesus was going about in all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of
sickness among the people. (Mt 4:23).
Comment: Generally a
herald speaks for the king, making his decrees known. In this case, the
proclamation was about the kingdom of God and the herald was the King!
Matthew uses kerusso for John, for Jesus, and for the disciples.
He emphasizes the binding and official legalistic character of the
proclamation.
Kerusso
like its synonym
euaggelizo, is especially used of preaching the
gospel with the distinction lying in the literal significance where
kerusso signifies to proclaim as a herald (kerux) and euaggelizo
means to announce a good message or declare good tidings. Stated another
way
euaggelizo
stresses the content while
kerusso emphasizes the manner of the proclamation.
Kerusso also conveys a sense of urgency with which the
proclamation is made. Similarly while
didasko relates to
explaining a message, kerusso relates to announcing it,
proclaiming openly something which has been done.
Vance Havner once said
It is not the business of the
preacher to fill the house. It is his business to fill the pulpit.
Similarly Dwight L. Moody
(1837-99) claimed
The best way to revive a church is to
build a fire in the pulpit
John Ruskin (1819-1900) remarked
Preaching is 30 minutes in which to
raise the dead.
Hunter
writing on kerusso says that...
In the New Testament the verb does
not mean ‘to give an informative or hortatory or edifying discourse
expressed in beautifully arranged words with a melodious voice; it means
to proclaim an event
Preaching is not a lecture on the nature of God's kingdom. It is
proclamation (Webster = official, authoritative notice given to the
public) or the declaration of an event (Webster says "In England, a
declaration of the king’s will, openly published." The proclamation should be
characterized by that dignity which comes from the consciousness of the
fact that the kerux or preacher is an official herald of the King of
kings. It is to be accompanied by a sense of divinely given authority,
authority which commands the respect, careful attention, and proper reaction of the
listeners. In short, there is no place for clowning around in the pulpit
of Jesus Christ (Read Paul's solemn charge to Timothy regarding
preaching the Word - 2Ti 4:1-note)
C. H. Dodd writes that the word
kerusso
signifies not the action of the
preacher, but that which he preaches, his message, as we sometimes say
Kerusso - 61 times in NT - Mt
3:1; 4:17, 23; 9:35; 10:7, 27; 11:1; 24:14; 26:13; Mk. 1:4, 7, 14, 38 39,
45; 3:14; 5:20; 6:12; 7:36; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15, 20; ; Lk 3:3; 4:18 19,
44; 8:1, 39; 9:2; 12:3; 24:47; Acts 8:5; 9:20; 10:37, 42; 15:21; 19:13;
20:25; 28:31; Ro 2:21-note;
Ro 10:8-note,
Ro 10:14 15-note; 1Co 1:23; 9:27; 15:11
12; ; 2Co
1:19; 4:5-note;
2Co 11:4; Gal 2:2; 5:11; Php 1:15-note; Col 1:23-note;
1Th 2:9; 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 4:2-note; 1Pe 3:19-note;
Rev 5:2-note.
NAS = made proclamation, 1; preach, 16; preached, 10; preacher,
1; preaches, 2; preaching, 11; proclaim, 8; proclaimed, 6; proclaiming,
6.
Kerusso -26 times in
the non-apocryphal
Septuagint (LXX)
- Ge 41:43; Ex 32:5; 36:6; 2Ki. 10:20; 2Chr 20:3; 24:9; 36:22;
Est 6:9, 11; Pr 1:21; 8:1; Is 61:1 (...He has sent Me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives..."); Da 3:4 (Then
the herald loudly proclaimed "To you the command is given, O peoples,
nations and men of every language"); Da 5:29; Hos 5:8; Joel 1:14
(Proclaim a solemn assembly); Joel 2:1, 15; 3:9; Jonah 1:2 {Note: Here
Kerusso is used of bringing bad news! But what effect did first
presenting the "bad news" have on their reception of the "good news"? cp
Jonah 3:4 5 6 7 8 9 10}; Jonah 3:2, 4 5, 7; Mic 3:5;
Zeph. 3:14; Zech 9:9
Paul uses
the noun kerux (herald) in 1 Ti 2:7 ("And for this I was
appointed a preacher") and 2Ti 1:11
(note)
("for which [for the Gospel] I was appointed a preacher and an
apostle and a teacher"). In Ro 16:25
(note)
("Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ...") he uses
the related derivative kerugma of the content of his preaching.
TDNT has an excellent discussion of kerusso...
1.
The Dignity and Social Position of the Herald. The herald has
a high place in Greek antiquity; he belongs to the court, carries a
sceptre, and is renowned for cleverness and wisdom. Yet he also performs
menial tasks and runs very ordinary errands. Later there are heralds of
mysteries, games, festivals, and markets. As state officials heralds
come to be poorly regarded but still render important services, belong
to the higher classes, and are often given high honors and rewards.
2. The Qualities Demanded of a Herald. A strong and resonant voice is
the basic requirement, since the herald has to issue summons, keep the
peace, and make announcements. The games include contests to test the
strength and diction of heralds. To restrict garrulity and exaggeration,
it is important that heralds deliver news or pass on messages strictly
as these are given to them. In negotiations they seldom act on their own
initiative but simply deliver short messages, put a few questions, and
report back for further instructions. In the assembly or in court they
act only as the voice of the chairman or president.
3. The Religious Significance of the Herald.
a. His Inviolability on Diplomatic Missions. Since politics and religion
are inseparable for the Greeks, heralds on foreign missions are regarded
as under the protection not only of their country but also of the gods.
To violate them is to bring down divine wrath. Even if their message is
unwelcome, they must be hospitably received. They have a special
sanctity which enables them to speak without fear or favor. For this
reason they often accompany envoys. Even in war they may go to the enemy
camp to open up negotiations for peace. Similarly, they may go to an
enemy capital to declare war.
b. His Participation in Cultic Life. Heralds offer prayers at the
opening of assemblies or the mustering of the army. They invoke divine
blessing on their cities and cursing on traitors and public offenders.
They also have a part in preparations for sacrifices and lead in prayer
at the actual sacrifices. They have a part, too, in the religious act of
making treaties. Their intimation of festivals and games may also have a
cultic aspect, and some heralds are specifically employed by cultic
societies (cf. their role in the Eleusinian mysteries, in which they
issue the call to worship, lead in prayer, help in the sacrifices, and
make important announcements).
4. The Herald of the Gods. While all heralds stand under the protection
of the gods, the gods have their own special heralds. Hermes is the
herald-god who plays the herald role in the divine assemblies. Birds are
also at times heralds of the gods. So, too, are Stoic philosophers, who,
according to Epictetus, go through the world in simple style with the
task of presenting divine teaching with its truth and claim, bringing a
higher peace than even the emperor can grant, but also issuing a call
for decision, chiding error, and summoning to emulation. Formally one
sees a close parallel here to the work of early Christian missionaries.
A primary distinction is that the Stoic sees himself as a katáskopos, an
inspector of people who declares his message on the basis of his
observations. The Stoic starting point, then, is human need or
wickedness, whereas the Christian starting point is God's gracious
presence in Christ. This points to the fundamental difference, namely,
between the god whose heralds the Stoics are and the Father of Christ
whose message the apostles declare. The message itself differs in
consequence, for while the Stoics have high ideals, they can finally
hope only to quicken a slumbering seed of morality, whereas the gospel
ushers in the new age of the kingdom which involves radical conversion
and renewal. Philosophical heralds proclaim human development and
divinization, apostolic messengers the incarnation, the forgiveness of
sins, and the gift of eternal life. (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Gospel (2098)(euaggelion
from eú = good + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) originally referred to a reward for
good news and later became the good news itself. The word euaggelion
was in just as common use in the first century as our words good news
today. “Have you any good news for me today?” would have been a common
question. In this secular use euaggelion described good news
of any kind and prior to the writing of the New Testament, had no
definite religious connotation in the ancient world until it was taken
over by the "Cult of Caesar" which was the state religion and in which
the emperor was worshipped as a god (see more discussion of this use
below). The writers of the New Testament adapted the term as God's
message of salvation for lost sinners.
Paul gives his definition of
the Gospel in 1Co 15:1-8. Read 1Co 15:1, 1Co 15:2, 1Co 15:3 4 5-note
1Co 15:6 7 8-note
The Gospel of God - It is the Gospel...
•
of God
(cf
Mk 1:14, Romans 15:16 (note), 2Cor 11:7,
1Th 2:2-note,
1Th 2:8, 9-note,
1Pe 4:17-note)
because it originates with God and was not invented by man
• of God...concerning His
Son - Ro 1:1, 2, 3
(notes)
• of His Son - Ro 1:9
(note)
• of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
Mk 1:1
because it centers in Christ
• of our Lord Jesus -
2Th 1:8
• of Christ - Ro 15:19
(note), 1Cor 9:12, 2Cor 2:12, 9:13, 10:14, Gal 1:7,
Php 1:27
(note), 1Th 3:2
(note)
• of the glory of Christ
-
2Co 4:4
• of the grace of God -
Acts 20:24
• of the glory of the blessed God
-
1Ti 1:11
• of your salvation -
Eph 1:13
(note)
• of peace -
Eph 6:15
(note)
• of the Kingdom - Mt
4:23; 9:35; 24:14
• of the Kingdom of God
-
Lk 16:16
• an eternal gospel - Re
14:6
(note) (Some such as C I Scofield
interpret this as a "different gospel" than the other "gospels"
mentioned above but I
think such a distinction is incorrect and is poorly substantiated).
• my Gospel - Ro 16:25,
26 (note) Paul called
it “my Gospel” indicating the special emphasis he gave the gospel in his
ministry.
