REMIND
THEM: Hupomimneske (2SPAM) autous: (Isa 43:26;
1Ti 4:6;
2Ti 1:6;
2Pe 1:12;
3:1,2;
Jude 1:5)
John MacArthur has some thought
provoking comments as background to this section --
This is a crucial section of instruction for today. The United States
essentially is now a pagan nation. After being blessed with some 150
years of strong Christian, biblical influence, our country has been
rapidly declining, especially during the last half of the twentieth
century. Millions of Americans still attend church regularly, and many
more consider themselves to be Christians. According to polls, most
Americans claim to believe in God. But practical atheism and moral
relativism have dominated our society for many decades. For the most
part, the few vestiges of Christianity still reflected in our culture
are weak and compromising. A growing number of those vestiges have
become apostate or cultic....The many biblical tenets and standards that
once were part of the fabric of our country, and that provided the
undeniable cultural benefits of morality, are now gone. Whatever its
form or practical benefits may have been, cultural Christianity is dead.
Self-expression, moral freedom, materialism, and hedonism are the
prevailing gods." (MacArthur.
Titus: Moody Press) (Ed: Sounds very
much like ancient Crete!)
Remind (5279) (hupomimnesko from hupó = under + mimnesko
= to remind)
means to put another in mind of something, to cause one to remember,
bring to one's mind, remind (remind suggests a jogging of
one’s memory by an association or similarity).
Hupomimnesko is used 7x in NT, once in
each of the following:
Luke;
John;
2 Timothy;
Titus;
2 Peter;
3 John;
Jude.
Paul like a
commanding officer to the junior officer, commands (imperative mood)
Titus to continually (present tense) (present
imperative) put in the Cretan
Christian's mind and bring to their remembrance the importance of
subjecting themselves to authority (note the reminder applies all of the
admonitions in this passage). The present tense gives this verb the
additional connotations of continuity and persistence.
As God's man in Crete who was responsible to protect and lead the
flock of God, Titus (as well as all church leaders and teachers of the
Word) frequently need to unapologetically remind believers of God’s
truth. The Bible Knowledge Commentary
aptly notes that
A large part of
any pastor’s public ministry is reminding people of what they already
know.
The Cretans were notoriously and naturally intractable, so Paul warns
Titus to be careful to insist that those who have been saved obey the properly constituted
civil authorities (see notes
1 Peter 2:13;
2:14;
2:15;
2:16;
2:17).
The verb remind implies that the Cretan saints already knew these
duties but as with all "non-glorified" saints, were in continual need of
a fresh reminder. Like the hymn writer (play
hymn) plainly confessed
Prone
to wander, Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Reminding
the Cretan Christians of these truths should keep them from feeling hostile toward
or superior to those who were not yet converted. The opposition of Christianity to
heathenism, and the natural disposition to rebellion of the Jews under
the Roman empire (of whom many lived in Crete), might lead many to
forget practically what was a recognized Christian principle in theory,
submission to the powers that be. Christians were often looked
on with suspicion in the Roman Empire because their conduct was so
different and they met in private meetings for worship (see
1Pe 2:11-25;
3:13-4:5).
Other
Uses of
Hupomimnesko
Luke records that
the Lord
turned and looked at Peter (Jesus made eye contact with Peter - the
verb suggests an intent, fixed look which must have magnified his shame
and stirred his memory). And Peter remembered (hupomimnesko)
the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a cock crows today,
you will deny Me three times. (Luke 22:61)
Peter used hupomimnesko writing
"Therefore
(read the immediate preceding context
2Pe 1 to see what it's "there for"), I shall always be ready
to remind (hupomimnesko) you of these things, even though you already know them,
and have been established in the truth which is present with you. And I
consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you
up by way of reminder (hupomnesis - related noun form)."
(see notes
2 Peter 1:12;
1:13)
Later in the same letter Peter states one of his main purposes --
"This
is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am
stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder (hupomnesis)"
(see note
2 Peter 3:1)
John uses this verb recording
Jesus' promise to His disciples that
"the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (Jn
14:26).
Paul commanded Timothy that he was
to
"Remind (present
tense = continually remind) them of
these things (see
2Ti 2:1-13, especially the life and
death issues in
2Ti 2:11-13) and solemnly charge them in
the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and
leads to the ruin of the hearers." (see note
2 Timothy 2:14).
Wuest makes an excellent point that Timothy was to continually remind
them because
"there is no such prophylactic (preventative) against striving
(wrangling) about words as a serious endeavor to realize the relative
importance of time and eternity."
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
After exposing the fact that false
teachers had already crept into the church, Jude then reminded his
readers of God's attitude toward the first of three well known acts of
apostasy from the OT:
"Now I desire to remind you, though you
know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out
of the land of Egypt (read
Nu 13,
14,
1Cor 10:5-10), subsequently destroyed
those who did not believe." (Jude
1:5)
Similarly Paul reminded the Corinthians that
"these
things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil
things, as they also craved" and "these things happened to them
as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the
ends of the ages have come." (1Cor 10:6,11)
Them refers to all
the Christians on Crete. Paul is introducing another section giving
specific instructions on how God's saints (set apart ones) empowered by
"the grace of God" (see note
Titus 2:11)
are to "live sensibly, righteously and godly" (see note
Titus 2:12)
as citizens "in the midst of crooked and perverse generation among
whom you appear as lights in the world" (see note
Philippians 2:15).
Spurgeon
comments...
You see, they were a rough, wild,
rebellious people in Crete, and Christianity comes to civilize, to
sober, to sanctify, to save.
In the preceding instructions Paul had dealt primarily with how the
believer was to interact in relation to fellow Christians. He now
informs them that the obligations to the Gospel are also operative in a
believer's relation to government and pagan society (cf "Cretans are
always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." - see note
Titus 1:12) The truth of the Gospel is
that it does not relieve saints of their civic duties but in fact
enforces them. In sum, Christianity makes people better citizens in a
society.
Jesus' "Beatitude Instruction" is applicable to saved saints
living in the midst of Sodom-like societies --
"You are the salt of
the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made
salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and
trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set
on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under
the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who
are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
(see notes
Matthew 5:13;
5:14;
5:15;
5:16).
Too much salt ruins the taste. Too much light blinds the eyes. How are
you doing?
Illustration - Finally, it's
easy to tell who the Christians are. They're the ones sporting a witness
on their T-shirts or caps, wearing WWJD bracelets, with crosses around
their necks. Making a visible statement of belief has come a long way
since the days of the ""Honk if you love Jesus"" bumper stickers. Is
there anything wrong with wearing a witness for Christ? Of course
not--as long as our behavior lives up to its ""advertising."" No
wardrobe accessory can take the place of a Spirit-empowered daily life
of humility and obedience that wears well in any situation. Practical is
an overworked term to describe certain sections of the Bible--and
probably misleading, since it implies that some parts of the Word are
impractical. But having said that, Titus 3 is about as down-to-earth as
it gets in helping us understand how to ""work out [our] salvation""
(Phil. 2:12). Verses 2-3 remind us that we're to be like Jesus for the
best reason of all: because He reached down in mercy to save us from a
life of sin. And He did it not by reforming us, but by regenerating us,
making us alive again. We were dead in sin, not just slightly ill.
If God had done nothing for us except give us eternal life through
Christ, we would be eternally grateful. But our loving Father did so
much more. After He had rescued us from sin and washed us clean in
Christ's blood, God brought us into His house and made us His heirs.
This means all that God has, we now have. Therefore, living to please
Him through our obedience to Him and to the human authorities He has
established, and through lives of good works and humility, is nothing
more than our reasonable service. Anything less would be an insult to
the God who appeared in flesh to save us when we were His enemies. And
what about those who are looking to cause trouble and sow discord in the
body of Christ? We need to reach out to them in peace. But if they
refuse to repent of their sin, we can't afford to let them drain the
life from the church.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY -Actually, the idea of putting on our witness is not
new at all. The Bible tells us to put on a number of things that will
protect us against sin and help us live the godly lives God expects of
His heirs. For example, we are told to put on the armor God has given us
(Ro 13:12; Eph. 6:11) and to put on ""the new self,"" which is more like
God (Eph 4:24). How complete is your ""witness wardrobe"" today? (Copyright
Moody Bible Institute. Used by permission. All rights reserved)
TO BE SUBJECT
TO RULERS, TO AUTHORITIES: archais exousiais hupotassesthai (PMN):
(Dt 17:12;
Ec 8:2-5;
10:4;
Jer 27:17;
Mt 22:21;
23:2,3;
Ro 13:1-7;
1 Ti 2:2;
1 Pe 2:13-17)
"to put
themselves in subjection with implicit obedience" (Wuest)
To be subject
(5293)
(hupotasso
from hupó
= under + tasso = arrange in orderly manner) means
literally to place under in an orderly fashion. In the active voice
hupotasso
means to
subject, bring under firm control, subordinate as used in (see note
Romans 8:20)
Hupotásso
is used 38 times in
the NT:
3x Lu;
5x Ro;
5x 1Co;
3x Eph;
1x Phil;
1x Col;
3x Titus;
3x Heb;
1x Js;
6x 1Pe
and in the NASB is translated - put in subjection, 5; subject, 16;
subjected, 7; subjecting, 1; subjection, 4; submissive, 3; submit, 2.
Hupotásso
means to submit (to
yield to governance or authority), to place in subjection. It is
important to note that many of the NT uses are in the passive
voice with a middle sense which signifies the voluntary
subjection of oneself to the will of another. Husbands and wives
both need to understand the voluntary nature of the submission
called for in the marital relationship lest it be misapplied (discussed
in more detail below).
Hupotásso
was a military term
meaning to draw up in order of battle, to form, array, marshal,
both troops or ships.
Hupotásso
meant that troop
divisions were to be arranged in a military fashion under the command of
the leader. In this state of subordination they were now subject to the
orders of their commander. Thus, it speaks of the subjection of one
individual under or to another.
Hupotasso
was also used to
describe the arrangement of
military implements on a battlefield in order that one might carry out
effective warfare!
In non-military use,
hupotasso
described a voluntary
attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, or carrying
a burden.
Submission focuses not on
personality but position. We need to see authority over us not acting on
their own, but as instruments in the hand of God. If we look at people
as acting on their own we will eventually become bitter, but if we can
see them as acting as God allows, we will become holy. A beautiful
example of this is found in the life of Joseph. His brothers
consistently mistreated him and it would have been very easy for him to
become bitter at them. Yet he had a divine perspective on the whole
situation and it helped him become a holy man of God.
And as for
you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to
bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. (Ge 50:20).
To be subject
(hupotasso)
as used here in Titus 3:1 is
in the
present tense (continual action called for) and the
middle voice (reflexive) which calls for the subject to initiate and
then participate in the action of putting one’s self in subjection to or under the
authority of another. In this context the middle voice stresses the
voluntary or willing nature of their submission.
In other words, the
Cretan Christians were to continually voluntarily place themselves in
under the authority of the government.
They were to submit not necessarily because these individuals are
personally worthy of our submission necessarily, but because by
submitting to them they were honoring God by obeying His Word.
Early Christian preaching was not limited to the way of salvation but
included instructions concerning the practical implications of that
salvation for daily living. Paul ever desired that the lives of
believers should produce a favorable impression on the non- Christian
world. (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing)
Paul is saying that the Cretan
believers can obey this instruction because God is sovereign and all
government is of God. Note that Paul does not make any exceptions to the
form of government, which implies that this command applies to
monarchies, republics, oligarchies, etc, for all have in them the
ordination and power of God for the welfare of society. Society needs to
be governed for lawlessness always ends in anarchy, misery, and
desolation.
Regarding subjection to the rulers
and authorities it is notable that
restraint is better than the liberty of licentiousness. Compare a river
that keeps its bounds to one that overflows its banks. Men... must not
forget that all well-ordered societies exist only by subjection...Every
community, to be kept in order, must have a recognized head — one who
shall be allowed to rule, either by his own will or the organized will
of the whole. Hence man, in his most savage state, has some recognized
chief. (Pulpit Commentary)
This duty pertains to our attitude
and conduct in regard to secular government. It is important to note
that Paul specifies no particular kind or level of government or any
particular kind or level of government official and thus by his
"silence' he allows for no exceptions or qualifications. The Roman
government under which the early church lived not only was thoroughly
pagan and morally debauched but also was despotic, oppressive, unjust,
and brutal. Paul makes clear that the Christian’s obligation to
respect and obey human government does not rest on its being democratic
or just but solely on its being the God-ordained means by which human
society is regulated.
On the other hand if
subjecting ourselves results in performing some action which contradicts the clear
teaching of Scripture (tantamount to the will of God), we are to obey God.
|
Examples
of Exceptions
To Titus 3:1: Be Subject to the Authorities |
|
In Acts we see an illustration
of the "exception to the rule" -- Peter and the
apostles are confronted by the Jewish leaders who declared
"We gave
you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you
have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's
blood upon us".
To this Peter and the apostles replied
"We
must obey God rather than men." (Acts
5:28-29) |
|
Daniel 3 records a well-known
example of an exception of the command to obey governing
authorities. King Nebuchadnezzar's decree was
"at the
moment you hear the sound ...you are to fall down and worship the golden image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up" (Da 3:5)
and "whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately
be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire." (Da 3:6)
Shadrach, Meshach and
Abed-nego, choose to obey their God rather than the king,
declaring
"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing
fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even
if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not
going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have
set up." (Da 3:16-18)
Note that although they did not
die, they clearly were willing to die before they disobeyed their
Lord. |
Other
Uses of
Hupotássō
In a parallel passage in Romans
13, Paul
commands that
every person (literally = every soul = a
Hebraism for “every man”) be in subjection
(present tense, middle voice = voluntarily and habitually) to the governing
authorities (literally “authorities which have themselves over”
= authorities who are over the citizen) (see
note
Romans 13:1)
This verse more literally reads
Let every soul voluntarily place himself habitually in subjection to the
higher powers.
Paul emphasizes that
"those who refuse to obey the laws of the land
are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow" for "the
authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something
wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The
authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish
those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to
keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience." (Ro 13:1-7
NLT) (See notes
Romans 13:1;
13:2;
13:3;
13:4;
13:5;
13:6;
13:5)
Therefore, the
person who resists and opposes human government, resists and opposes
God!
In another parallel passage, Peter
writes to the his believing audience to
Submit
yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a
king as the one in authority or to governors as sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
Peter goes on to explain the worthy goal attained by
godly submission writing that
such is the will of God that by doing
right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. (see note
1 Peter 2:15)
The first NT
use of hupotasso
Luke describes
provides an example for all believers, recording that as a 12 year old
boy, Jesus
went down with (His parents) and came to Nazareth,
and He continued in subjection (present tense = denoting
habitual, continuous subjection) to them and His mother treasured all
these things in her heart. (Lu 2:51)
His relationship
with His Heavenly Father did not override or nullify His duty to His
earthly parents. Though Jesus was the Creator of the universe, He took
His place as an obedient Child in this humble Jewish family.
Luke records that
the seventy (additional disciples Jesus had appointed) returned with joy,
saying, “Lord, even the demons are (present tense = continually)
subject to us in Your name. (Lu 10:17,
cf
Lu 9:1)
In the third NT use of
hupotasso,
Paul describing those
who are according to the flesh writes that
"the mind set on
the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not (present tense = habitually does not = continued insubordination)
subject (hupotasso
- middle voice = the voluntary subjection of oneself to
the will of another) itself to the law of God, for it is not even
able to do so" (see notes
Romans 8:6;
8:7)
Wuest comments that
Such a mind is not marshaled (like troops not placed in proper rank or
position) under the command of God, but of Satan. Consequently, those
who are within the sphere of the evil nature, are not able to please
God. These are, of course, the unsaved.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
John MacArthur adds that
"Even
the good deeds unbelievers perform are not truly a fulfillment of
God’s law, because they are produced by the flesh, for selfish reasons,
and from a heart that is in rebellion." (MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word Pub)
In Romans Paul records that the
Jews in
"seeking (continually) to establish (to set
up or erect a righteousness of their own as a monument to their own
glory and not to God’s) their own (righteousness - their
own means of salvation)...did not subject (hupotasso)
themselves to the righteousness of God." (see note
Romans 10:3)
Wuest says that
hupotasso means
"to
arrange under, to subordinate,” as soldiers in a battalion under a
commanding officer" or "to put one’s self under orders, to obey.” He
goes on to help us understand the meaning of
hupotasso
commenting that what Paul is saying
here is that the "Appropriation by faith of God’s righteousness
involves not only the discarding of all dependence upon self and
self-effort for salvation, but also the heart’s submission or
capitulation to Jesus as Saviour and Lord. This the Jews did not
want to do." (Bolding added)
(Ibid)
Paul uses
hupotasso
6 times in a section which describes
the final subjection of all creation to God the Father, writing, that
Christ
"must reign (1000 years) until He has put all His
enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished
is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under
His feet. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection,"
it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection
to Him. 28 And when (at the end of the 1000 year reign of
Christ) all things are subjected to Him (God the Father), then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One
(God the Father) who subjected all things to Him (Christ),
that God may be all in all." (1Cor
15:25-28)
Paul writes that God the Father
"put
all things in subjection (hupotasso) under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all." (see
note
Ephesians 1:22;
1:23)
This is a quote from
Ps 8:6 indicating that God has exalted
Christ and granted Him universal dominion, over His body the church,
over men and angels and over all the rest of His creation, animate and
inanimate. Christ is clearly the authoritative Head because all things
have been placed under His feet.
How is it possible to submit or
surrender one's rights to another whether they are rulers as specified
here in Titus 3:1 or others?
Paul gives us the answer In Ephesians writing that believers should
not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be (continually)
filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (see note
Ephesians 5:18).
Spirit controlled husbands and wives are then called first to
be
subject to (hupotasso - present tense = our habit, as our lifestyle, continually to) one another in the fear
(reverential awe) of Christ
(see note
Ephesians 5:21)
Henry Alford says:
As we are
otherwise to be filled, otherwise to sing and rejoice, so also we are
otherwise to behave—not blustering nor letting our voices rise in
selfish vaunting, as such men do,—but subject to one another. (Alford's Greek Testament)
Subjecting one’s self to another is
the opposite of self assertion, the opposite of an independent,
autocratic spirit. It is the desire to get along with one another,
being satisfied with less than one’s due, a sweet reasonableness of
attitude.
Paul then goes on to give
instructions that
Wives, [be subject] (not in the
Greek but implied by the context) to your own (one’s own
private, peculiar, unique possession) husbands, as (hōs
= adverb of comparison = even as, in the same manner as, like as) to the Lord (to Christ; not to the husband as lord and master =
the obedience she has to render to her husband is as an obedience
rendered to Christ). (see note
Ephesians 5:22).
The Greek is literally
"The wives to their own
husbands as to the Lord.” Then Paul adds "as the church is
subject (hupotasso)
to Christ, so also the wives [ought to] (not in the Greek but added
by translators) be to their husbands in everything." (see
note
Ephesians 5:24)
(For more in depth discussion of this topic click Wayne Barber's
messages on
"Spirit-Filled Families")
Wayne Barber notes that in the context
of marriage hupotássō
"does
not mean that
(the wife) is
commanded to obey her husband as a child would obey his parents or a
slave would obey his master. A lot of men treat their wives as if they
are a door mat. They walk all over them as if they have no sense, as if
they have no ability, as if they are inferiors. That is not what
(hupotássō)
means."
Dr. Barber goes on to explain that
"hupotasso, the
word
used for wives to husbands, is the word that talks about two people who
are absolutely equal in God’s eyes, totally equal. There is not one level
of inferiority of one to the other. But the wife makes a choice to place
herself as an equal underneath another equal, her husband, in order that
there can be order and function in the family. The whole purpose of it is
so that it meets the design that God has already ordered...
Does it mean that your wife is a slave to obey your every command? Does
it mean that you treat her like a child? NO! If there is a man who
thinks for one second that they have any superiority in God’s eyes over
their wife, they are gravely mistaken from God’s Word. However, by His
design to have a functional family, concessions have to be made. So God
says, "Wives, you make it and you choose to put yourself underneath the
headship of your husband" in order that the design can be what God says
it ought to be.
The meaning of it has nothing to do with inferior to superior. It takes
nothing from the dignity of a woman for her to submit, but rather it
enhances it. It takes great integrity for a person to do what God says
should be done."
(excerpt from
"Spirit-Filled Families")
In all of these verses in
Ephesians 5, submission represents an act of faith. We are trusting God
to direct in our lives and to work out His purposes in His time. After
all, there is a danger in submitting to others - they might take
advantage of us—but not if we trust God and if we are submitted to one
another! A person who is truly yielded to God, and who wants to serve
his fellow Christian, would not even think of taking advantage of
someone else, saved or unsaved. The husband who demands his
wife’s submission to him but does not recognize his own obligation to
submit to her and thus distorts God’s standard for the marriage
relationship and cannot rightly function as a godly husband. Parents who
demand obedience from their children but do not recognize their own
obligation to submit in loving sacrifice to meet their children’s needs
are themselves disobedient to their heavenly Father and cannot rightly
function as godly parents. To reiterate, biblical submission is ONLY
possible in those who are filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Ray Stedman comments that "submit"
"has become the focus of the feminist movement and is probably one of
the most hated words among women today. The meaning has been grossly
distorted. Many wrongs things have been done in the name of submission.
Perhaps the first thing that needs to be said about submission is that
it does not cancel out equality. Although it is addressed here to wives,
it is not a female word in the Bible but is addressed to men as well.
Thus it is not a sexist word. Everyone must submit to other people. In
Ephesians 5:21 (note), Paul says Christians are to submit "one to another." The
outstanding manifestation of true submission, of course, is seen in our
Lord's submitting of Himself to the Father (and as
noted above as a
young boy to His parents!). No one would ever conceive of the idea
that Jesus found it a reproach to submit to the Father. He delighted in
it. It was voluntary on his part. In no way did he regard it as a threat
to the equality which he knew existed between himself and the Father.
Therefore, to submit to someone does not mean you are not equal. This is
the confusing meaning which the world has poured into this word.
Submission does not mean inequality. Literally, it means "put
yourself under, arrange yourself under someone, for a good and proper
purpose." It is a totally voluntary action." (See
complete sermon "Living Christianly")
In the context of the truth that
God is opposed to the proud, James gives us a great conditional promise
"Submit (hupotasso - aorist imperative = Line up under God! Do it now! even with a
sense of urgency) therefore to God. Resist (aorist imperative =
stand against! Do it now! It's urgent!) the devil and he will flee
from you." (Ja 4:7)
The passive voice of "submit" indicates that although this
is an urgent command, it is still a voluntary action on our part. God
sets Himself in array against ("resists") the proud. Therefore
James says we are to choose to array ourselves under God, that we may
withstand the devil. You don't need a huge book on "How to Conduct
Spiritual Warfare" or a week long course on "How to Confront Demons". If
you simply obey this command in James, God's promise is plain that you
will be more than a conqueror in Christ. It all has to do with your
willingness to obey and submit.
Hupotasso is used 15x in the
Septuagint (LXX - Greek of OT Hebrew), for example David records that
"Thou
dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put (LXX -
hupotasso
) all things under his
feet." (Ps 8:6)
(See
Spurgeon's comment)
Illustration
- The eleventh–century German monarch Henry III became tired of his
responsibilities and the worldliness of court life and decided to become
a monk. When he went to the monastery and explained his intent, the
prior warned him that the course he had chosen would be a difficult one.
"Your Majesty,” Prior Richard explained, “do you understand that the
pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been
a king.” King Henry was undaunted and replied, “I understand. The rest
of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.” “Then I will
tell you what to do,” Prior Richard said. “Go back to your throne and
serve faithfully in the place where God has placed you.” Henry did as he
was told. After he died, he was given this epitaph: “The King learned to
rule by being obedient.” The same might also be said of us. Submission
is an important component of the life of obedience to Christ. Not only
are we told to submit to Christ, but we also have an obligation to
submit to the human authorities that God has placed over us.
Some years ago, pop singer Bob Dylan penned a song that declared, “You
gotta serve somebody.” Have you ever calculated how many people are in
authority over you? Try naming as many as you can. Whether it is to a
parent, an employer, or the officer who directs traffic on the corner,
everyone has somebody to whom they are expected to submit. To whom do
you find it most difficult to submit and why? Remember that, like King
Henry, Christians also “learn to rule by being obedient.” (Today in the
Word)
TO RULERS
[AND]
TO AUTHORITIES: archais exousiais hupotassesthai peitharchein:
In modern vernacular, these two
terms would refer to everything from the president down to the city
government and local police.
Rulers
(746) (arche) refers to the commencement of something as an action, process,
or state of being. Here
arché
refers to first in relation to time (priority in time, the
beginning of anything, the origin and by far the most common use in the
NT)
Arché is
used 55 times in the NT (note which NT writer has most uses -
4x Mt;
4x Mk;
3x Lu;
8x Jn;
4x Acts;
1x Ro;