Posted by Charlie on Jun 26, 2009 in
Devotions Jonah 1,2,3,4; 2 Timothy 2
The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth….
2 Timothy 2:24–25
Observation
In Matthew 20:25-27 Jesus said to his disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave….”
In 2 Timothy 24–25 Paul reflects on these words of Jesus as he gives instruction to Timothy on how his life should look as a shepherd of God’s people. He begins verse 24 by referring to Timothy as the Lord’s bond-servant, which is literally the Greek word for slave. Then, reflecting on Jesus’ example and instruction to his disciples, Paul unpacks the concept of what it looks like to be the Lord’s slave:
• must not be quarrelsome… doesn’t engage in a war of words
• but must be kind to all… affable, mild, gentle
• able to teach… literally, skillful at instructing
• patient when wronged… patient of ills and wrongs without becoming resentful
• with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition… there’s that word prautes again (see Gentleness, June 24)
Application
Taken all together this provides a remarkable snapshot of what a leader should look like, but it doesn’t match the picture of a leader the world most often portrays. God’s kind of leader is humble, gentle, patient, and has an inner strength that is able to forebear everything from personal insults to the most difficult expressions of persecution. God’s leader understands that it’s not about me. The more the leader gets that concept, the greater the stewardship God will entrust to his or her care.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you that you modeled what this kind of leadership looks like in the person of Jesus Christ. I submit myself to you today and ask that you will build these qualities into my character in increasing measure. Please grant me the grace to be the Lord’s bond-servant. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: gentleness, leadership, prautes
Posted by Charlie on Jun 24, 2009 in
Devotions 2 Kings 11,12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11
Observation
Paul warns Timothy against disputes over questionable doctrines and the distraction of seeking to be rich. Then he reminds Timothy how to acquire genuine riches: Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. I want to take a moment to unpack each of these words.
Righteousness in Greek is dikaiosune, which means “the state of him who is such as he ought to be.” In Paul’s theology this means being acceptable to God through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, but on a broader scale it includes the concept of wholeness—being rightly related to God, to others, and to myself.
Godliness in Greek is eusebeia, which means a deep reverence and respect toward God.
Faith, pistis, means, well, faith—complete trust or confidence in God. It’s interesting to note, though, that pistis also means faithfulness, which reflects a depth of character in those who possess it.
Love, agape, is a purely biblical word. It is a love that says, “It’s not about me….” God demonstrated it in the way he bought my redemption at his expense.
Steadfastness, hupomone, is, according to Thayer, “the characteristic of a man who is unswerved [sic] from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.” ‘Nuff said.
Gentleness in Greek is praupatheia, and is the equivalent of prautes, which I wrote about on June 8. Though I’ve given the definition before, it affords repetition because it is such a crucial characteristic of a mature disciple. “A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control. The word is best translated “meekness, ” not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.”
Even though all these words are all nouns, I think it is helpful to consider them in a more verb-centric way. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness are not things—they are really action words that only have teeth when they are put into motion and practiced.
Application
Wow! In one short verse Paul has provided a thorough summary of what a mature disciple should look like. Now it’s time to go look in the mirror and ask God where I am in my process of growing in these areas. In verse 20 Paul exhorted Timothy to guard the deposit entrusted to him. I am under the same charge.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you have already modeled all these qualities perfectly, and trained up your disciples to be like you. Please build these characteristics into my life in increasing measure, and grant me the grace to be a model and mentor for others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, faith, gentleness, godliness, love, righteousness, steadfastness
Posted by Charlie on Jun 14, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13,14; Philippians 4
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Philippians 4:5
Observation
In keeping with my recent word studies on kindness (Hebrew: chesed in Proverbs 19:22) and gentleness (Greek; prautes in numerous passages), Philippians 4:5 caught my attention today. I happened to be reading the English Standard Version or ESV, which is not my normal translation, but one I like a lot, and the ESV rendered Philippians 4:5, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Since I’m used to the New King James rendering of “gentleness” I thought further investigation was warranted.
I discovered that in Philippians 4:5 Paul used the word epieikes, which differs from prautes in meaning. Prautes refers to a gentleness that comes from strength and power of character that is under control—meekness. Epieikes refers to a character that is reasonable, equitable, fair, and moderate. In other words, one who is not argumentative or proud, but who, with patience and balance, holds winsomely to the truth.
Application
All of these words describe the person God desires me to be. A man who has a lovingkindness that is faithful to those around me, overlooking faults and seeing the potential in others. A man who has a deep strength of character, but rules my own spirt well—keeping a temper that is under the control of the Holy Spirit. And a man who avoids extremes and is able to influence others out of patient reasonable adherence to the truth of Scripture. Such a man I am committed to increasingly become.
Prayer
Father, thank you that all of these qualities reflect who you are. Please build your character in me, and grant that you might rub off onto others as I interact with them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, gentleness, reasonableness
Posted by Charlie on Jun 8, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7, 8, 9; Ephesians 4
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1–3
Observation
The word I honed in on in these verses today is “gentleness,” because it fits in with what God has been speaking to me for the past number of days. As I was going through Proverbs recently, two of the verses that stood out to me were Proverbs 16:32, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city,” and Proverbs 25:28, “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”
The key concept here is having rule over your own spirit. In Ephesians 4 Paul asserts that gentleness is one of the qualities which demonstrates that I am walking worthy of the calling with which I have been called. The Greek word for gentleness is prautes, and it has a broader meaning than merely “gentleness.” The Word Wealth entry in the Spiritual Life Bible has one of the best descriptions of the meaning of prautes I’ve seen anywhere: “A disposition that is even-tempered, tranquil, balanced in spirit, unpretentious, and that has the passions under control. The word is best translated “meekness, ” not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well.”
Aristotle described the link between anger and ruling one’s spirit well in his definition of prautes: “It is neither too hasty-tempered nor too slow-tempered, nor does it get angry with the people with whom it ought not, or fail to get angry with those with whom it ought.”
The new testament is full of directives that involve prautes. In Galatians 5 it is one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is used in reference to the Christian discipline of others (2 Corinthians 10:1 and Galatians 6:1), in facing opposition (2 Timothy 2:24–25 and Numbers 12:3 (Septuagint)), in defending the faith (1 Peter 3:4 and 3:15), and instructing others (James 1:21, 3:13). It is used as a description of the character of Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:1. It doesn’t take long to start getting the picture that prautes is a vital element in the mature Christian life.
Application
The good news for me today is that prautes is part of the fruit of the Spirit. God himself is overflowing with prautes, and he desires to develop it in my life until it is woven into the depths of my character. Romans 8:5–6 says, “…for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” My job today is to make sure I set my mind and heart on following him, and to allow his Spirit to do the deep work in me that will bring his attributes to bear in my life.
Prayer
Father, I love you and want to be more like you. I desire a character that looks like yours, and a temper that is under the rule of your Spirit. Please help me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit today, and build your prautes in me I pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: anger, gentleness, humility, meekness, prautes
Posted by Charlie on Apr 24, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 28, 29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart….
Matthew 11:29
Observation
Yesterday in Matthew 10:25 Jesus said, “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!”
I’m supposed to grow to be like Jesus, which raises a relevant question: What is Jesus like? Since he is God revealed in the flesh it will teach me a lot about what God is like. One of the words used to describe God is praus (noun: gentle) or prautes (verb: gentleness). Not surprisingly, this set of words also describes what the believer is supposed to be like. Here are a few examples:
Behold, your king comes to you, righteous and delivering. He is gentle and mounted on a beast of burden, even the foal of a donkey. (Zecharaih 9:9, Septuagint)
(Bonus observation: Praus is the word the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) uses to describe Moses in Numbers 12:3, And the man Moses was gentle exceedingly above all the men of the ones being upon the earth.)
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…. (2 Timothy 2:24)
Application
The invitation by Jesus to take up his yoke is calming. I often think of God as King and Judge, the almighty one who speaks galaxies into being, who will put his adversaries under his feet. But at the same time, God is the one who loves me with an unfailing love so deep that he bore the price of my sins just so I can be his forever. Jesus, who is my peek at what God is like, describes himself as gentle and humble. He holds out an invitation to take his yoke so I can learn to be like him.
Prayer
God, I want to be like you, growing in gentleness toward those around me. Please build your character in me as I walk together with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: character, gentleness, prautes
