Exploring the invitation to Follow Jesus - to ‘Live out kingdom values’ by controlling our actions / behaviours
General Introduction
In this series we are building what we will refer to as the ‘One Page New Testament’ - #onepagenewtestament. Our approach is building a pictorial summary of the main messages for disciples of Jesus in a systematically derived, structured form. We aim to keep the descriptive text to a minimum and share with you the different Themes that are being created. We will consider the scriptures on their own merit, Theme by Theme, without introducing much in the way of theology. Within each Theme, we will let the scriptures speak for themselves - hopefully in a way that demonstrates the validity of the analysis.
Introduction to this Faith Article
This article is the seventeenth in a series that is unpacking some of the analysis work currently being undertaken to draw out the main teachings from the New Testament from a personal discipleship perspective. The previous articles can be found in the reference at Note [1] and they focus upon the New Testament’s teaching that corresponds to the challenges of what we have so far called ‘Kingdom Fundamental 1 [KF1]’ - ‘Love God’, and ‘Kingdom Fundamental 2 [KF2]’ - ‘Follow Jesus’.
We have previously introduced that we consider there are four Kingdom Practices under the invitation to Follow Jesus [KF2]:
Submit to Jesus’ Lordship - [KP3] (explored previously in Systematic Discipleship Parts 3 to 9)
Pursue Holiness - [KP4]
Live out kingdom values - [KP5]
Exercise discernment - [KP6].
In the last article (Systematic Discipleship - Part 16) we were exploring the first part of the Kingdom Practice to ‘Live out kingdom values’ - [KP5]. In particular we looked at Kingdom Action 20 what it means to ‘Uphold God’s moral laws / be ethical / be moral’. Here we will look at the second part of KP5 - Kingdom Action 21 - which we have defined to be ‘Control our actions / behaviours’.
These elements are shown in light blue (encouragements) and pink (warnings) in Figure 1.
If readers take away nothing else from these articles than the sense, logic, and directive actions in the Figures - for disciples to put into practice in the strength God gives - we will hopefully have achieved our initial objective.
Figure 1 - Investigating the Kingdom Practice to ‘Live out kingdom values’ - [KP5]
Kingdom Action 21 - Control our actions / behaviours
When considering the range of things that might lie under this heading, we have naturally taken account of the work presented to date and the detailed elements already discussed in previous articles. So, in addition to thinking about Pursuing Holiness [KP4] (and all the related detail) and the need to Uphold God’s moral law, we have focused on behaviours that are not considered elsewhere (as far as is possible with an analysis like this).
We have defined eight sub-Themes that fit under this topic as follows:
Live righteously / act justly [KA21.1]
Do not do sinful / evil things [KA21.2]
Do not have selfish ambition [KA21.3]
Do not fight / create strife / cause anger [KA21.4]
Do not get drunk / carouse / nor be involved in surfeit / dissipation [KA21.5]
Do not be malicious [KA21.6]
Do not cause disorder / create dissent [KA21.7]
Obey those in legal authority over us (parents / civil governments) [KA21.8]
These are discussed in the sections below.
Kingdom Action 21.1 - Live righteously / act justly
There are 23 Greek words [2] and [3] which we have reviewed in this area. Example verses [4] include:
Matthew 5:20 - For I tell you that unless your righteousness (Strong’s 1343) surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 25:37 - Then the righteous (1342) will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin (266) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 14:20 - Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil (2549) be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
James 2:24 - You see that a person is considered righteous (1344) by what they do and not by faith alone.
Titus 2:12 - teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously (1346), and godly in the present age (NKJV)
1 John 3:9 - No one who is born of God will continue to sin (266), because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning (264), because they have been born of God.
3 John 1:11 - Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil (2556) but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil (2554) has not seen God.
We have identified more than 150 verse references that apply to this Theme.
Kingdom Action 21.2 - Do not do sinful / evil things
We have considered 28 Greek words to fit under this subject area. Some example verse references include:
Luke 11:35 - See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness (4655).
Luke 13:27 - But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity (93).’
John 3:20 - Everyone who does evil (5337) hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds (2041) will be exposed.
Romans 6:2 - By no means! We are those who have died to sin (266); how can we live in it any longer?
1 Corinthians 5:2 - And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing (4238) this?
Colossians 3:25 - Anyone who does wrong (91) will be repaid for their wrongs (91), and there is no favoritism.
James 3:16 - For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice (4229).
1 Peter 2:16 - Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil (2549); live as God’s slaves.
1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous (94), to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
There are in the region of 200 verse instances where the identified Greek words appear, relevant to this topic.
Kingdom Action 21.3 - Do not have selfish ambition
There is only one Greek word that can be considered relevant in this context. Some of the verses where this appears are set out below.
Romans 2:8 - But for those who are self-seeking (2052) and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Galatians 5:20 - idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition (2052), dissensions, factions.
Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition (2052) or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.
James 3:14 - But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition (2052) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
This Greek word appears 7 times in the New Testament.
Kingdom Action 21.4 - Do not fight / create strife / cause anger
Using references [2] and [3] we have identified and considered 10 relevant Greek words. Example verses are:
Matthew 26:52 - “Put your sword (3162) back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword (3162) will die by the sword (3162).
Acts 24:18 - I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance (2351).
Romans 1:29 - They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife (2054), deceit and malice. They are gossips.
Galatians 5:20 - idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage (2372), selfish ambition (2052), dissensions, factions
Titus 1:7 - Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent (4131), not pursuing dishonest gain.
James 4:1-2 - What causes fights (4171) and quarrels (3163) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel (3164) and fight (4170). You do not have because you do not ask God.
We have identified 33 verse instances where the words we have considered have a link with this sub-Theme.
Kingdom Action 21.5 - Do not get drunk / carouse / nor be involved in surfeit / dissipation
There are 13 Greek words we have considered in the context of drunkenness and related words. Some verses where these appear include:
Matthew 24:49 - and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink (4095) with drunkards (3184).
Luke 21:34 - Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing (2897), drunkenness (3178) and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.
1 Corinthians 5:11 - But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard (3183) or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
Galatians 5:21 - envy, drunkenness (3178), carousing (2970), and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (NASB).
Ephesians 5:18 - And do not be drunk (3182) with wine, in which is dissipation (810); but be filled with the Spirit (NKJV)
1 Timothy 3:8 - In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging (4337) in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
Titus 2:2 - Teach the older men to be temperate (3524), worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
James 5:5 - You have lived on earth in luxury (5171) and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
1 Peter 4:7 - The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober (3525) mind so that you may pray.
There are 37 verse instances where the words we have considered appear which link to this topic.
Kingdom Action 21.6 - Do not be malicious
We have found two words in the Greek which relate to malice and there are only six verse references where this sense is clear:
Romans 1:29 - They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice (2549). They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness (2550). They are gossips (ESV).
1 Corinthians 5:8 - Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice (2549) and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Colossians 3:8 - But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice (2549), slander, and filthy language from your lips.
1 Peter 2:1 - Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice (2549) and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Kingdom Action 21.7 - Do not cause disorder / create dissent
There are around 14 Greek words and idioms we have considered in the context of not causing disorder or creating dissent. Some examples are included in the following verses:
Acts 17:6 - But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble (387) all over the world have now come here.
1 Corinthians 1:10 - I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions (4978) among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Galatians 5:12 - I wish that those who are upsetting (387) you would even mutilate themselves (LSB).
1 Thessalonians 5:14 - And we urge you, brothers, admonish the unruly (813), encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone (LSB).
2 Thessalonians 3:7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly (812) among you (NKJV)
2 Thessalonians 3:11 - For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner (814), not working at all, but are busybodies (NKJV).
1 Timothy 2:8 - Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension (1261) (LSB).
Hebrews 10:32 - Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict (119) full of suffering.
We have identified 24 relevant verse references where these Greek words appear.
Kingdom Action 21.8 - Obey those in legal authority over us (parents / civil government)
We have found 5 Greek words that concern obeying those in authority. Here are a few verses where some of these appear.
Luke 22:25 - And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship (2961) over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors (NKJV).’
Romans 13:1 - Every person is to be subject (5293) to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (NASB).
Ephesians 6:1 - Children, obey (5219) your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Colossians 3:20 - Children, obey (5219) your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Titus 3:1 - Remind them to be subject (5293) to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient (3980), to be ready for every good deed (NASB).
1 Peter 2:13-14 - Submit (5293) yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority or to governors, who are sent by him to punish (1557) those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
We have identified 10 applicable verse references for this Theme.
Summary
In this seventeenth Faith Article, we have explored some of the Greek words and idioms (presented in Louw and Nida’s [2] and Mounce’s [3] reference materials), that we grouped under the heading of “Live out kingdom values” - [KP5]. In particular, we have set out verses that relate to the need to “Control our actions / behaviours” - [KA21].
In the next article we will move forward to consider the challenges we are given to ‘Exercise discernment’ - Kingdom Practice 6 [KP6].
Just as with many English words, Greek words can have more than one meaning and consequently when translated into Biblical texts can be used to convey several different sentiments. Which is used is dependent upon the context.
Ultimately, this analysis and these groupings are subjective, as will be the inclusion (or exclusion) of many verses within each Theme and sub-Theme. We should note that some verses have a much stronger relevance to the derived Themes than others.
During this analysis, the aim has been to restrict the number of Themes that can be associated with any specific Greek word to eight or less - as any more implies poor analysis technique and the wrong heading choice / naming process.
In the next Faith Article, we shall look at the rest of KP5 (Live out kingdom values), by considering KP21 (Control our actions / behaviours). As ever, the aim will be to try and make it informative, but manageable, in terms of the time and effort needed to look at and understand each area.
Any thoughts on this Article, the process being undertaken, and related constructive feedback are welcome.
Notes:
[1] - All previous Faith Articles focusing on the One Page New Testament can be found at this page: www.teachthemtoobey.co.uk/blog/
[2] - “Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, based upon Semantic Domains” Volumes 1 and 2 - Louw and Nida - Published by and © United Bible Societies - 1988
[3] - “Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words” - © William D Mounce, 2006 - Published by Zondervan
[4] - Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM.
The Bible references presented are illustrative rather than aiming to be ‘proof texts’. They are examples only as there are, generally, many more we could look at. Please note that when looking at any Bible verse references, you should ideally consider more than one translation / respected version to get a more rounded view, and look at the wider context for each verse too. When Greek words are translated, Bible scholars do not always use the same English word every time it appears in the Greek. This is why it is useful to look at more than one Bible version.
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Reading the articles will take only a little time to study - more if we look up the Bible references - and probably a lifetime to work out in practice. Hopefully they will help make each of us ‘Become more like Jesus’!
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