Chapter FIVE
5:1-20
In this chapter and in the next Paul continues the exhortations he started in chapter 4. Most of what he says here parallels Col. 3:18-4:8. In this epistle the Apostle goes deeper in his advice, and he elaborates more on the demonic background that governs human sinful behavior. Ch. 6:10-17 is a classic statement on the powers of darkness.
The first two verses connect chapter four to the previous one. We should forgive as we have been forgiven by God. Here he goes further: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children. And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Not only should we forgive the sins of others, we should be ready to sacrifice our lives for others as Christ sacrificed His life for us. We find this same thought, that is to imitate Christ, in Philippians: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."[ 1 ] In John's epistle we read: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."[ 2 ] God expects us to love our fellow men to the point that we are willing to lay down our lives for them. This, of course, is completely opposite from our natural tendencies. Unless we have accepted the sacrifice of Christ in our behalf and have been regenerated and filled with the Holy Spirit, this is an impossibility. I do not believe that we can work ourselves up to this point. We should not even try to imagine ourselves dying for other people. If we think ourselves capable of doing such a thing, we are treading on dangerous ground. Peter's confession in Matthew: "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."[ 3 ] led to his immediate downfall. There is no point in deciding to die for someone else in a hypothetical situation. We can only pray that the Lord will make us willing when we are called upon to offer the ultimate sacrifice.
On the other hand, we cannot love others with the love of Christ, unless we are willing to go the whole way for the other person. John defines love by saying: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."[ 4 ] It is true in general that we cannot live to the full until we have faced the issue of death. This pertains to our serving others in love also.
Most of what Paul says in vs. 3-7 should be seen within the framework of marriage. The subject is treated more elaborately in vs. 21-33. In the same way the first mention of the influence of the powers of darkness is given in vs. 8-14, and the fuller scope is shown in ch. 6:10-17.
The Apostle goes into more detail about the sin of sexual immorality than anywhere else in his epistles, with the exception of Rom. 2. These verses give the strongest condemnation of pornography in the Bible.
Sexual desires are part of God's creation. He invented sex. In the end of this chapter Paul explains the actual meaning of sexual unity in marriage. Because it expresses more clearly than anything else the intimacy between Christ and His bride, the church, the devil has gone overboard in trying to let men make a caricature of it. Pornography has as much in common with real sex as a caricature with a real person. For some reason which I do not understand, the enemy has managed to entrench himself more deeply into this part of the sinful behavior of men than in any other domain. The "fragrant offering and sacrifice" of vs. 2 is a reference to the first three sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus. (The burnt offering, the grain offering and the fellowship offering). There we find the phrase "an aroma pleasing to the LORD." The phrase is also mentioned once in connection with the sin offering. It seems to me that it is particularly in the offerings that have no reference to sin, the ones that express the surrender to the Father of Christ out of love, that Paul draws his example. After all, we cannot imitate Christ in His death on the cross to pay for our sins. But there is a sense in which we can surrender ourselves to God because we love Him. The burnt offering expresses the love of the Second Person of the Trinity to the First Person. This, of course, is something completely beyond the realm of our comprehension.
Throughout the ages, Christians have struggled with the problem of sexual immorality. Often the issue has been grossly misunderstood. Some have come to the conclusion that the sex drive itself was wrong, as if God had nothing to do with that. Paul does not advise abstinence in marriage, except for some specific purpose for a short period of time. In the Corinthian epistle he says: "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."[ 5 ] Augustine, Tolstoy, and Gandhi had opinions about this that deviate clearly from the Lord's intent. The problem is that many do not understand that the devil hates sex that is an expression of true love in the framework of marriage. I believe that there are demons that are particularly specializing in tempting people in their sexual life. They make us concentrate on the wrong person in order to have us commit adultery, fornication or homosexual acts. Sex-demons hate real sex; their only intent is to remove the sanctity from it and rob it of its meaning.
All of the above does not mean that born again Christians are not susceptible to sexual temptations. It is easy to say "there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality," but the hint is there. Paul doesn't mean the temptation, of course, but the practice. Since we know how susceptible we are, there are several things we must do. Job said: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl."[ 6 ] We have to realize that the temptation starts with our eyes. If we can keep ourselves from looking at the wrong thing, we have gained the first victory. Sometimes we cannot help seeing, but it is certainly our fault if we look for the second time. We can ask God to keep a guard in front of our eyes, just as we can ask Him to keep us from saying the wrong thing.
Secondly we can flee. Joseph did this when Potiphar's wife tempted him. We read: "She (Potiphar's wife) caught him by his cloak and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house."[ 7 ] It is foolish to think that we will be stronger than the temptation. It is in connection with temptations from which we should flee that we can quote David, who says: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."[ 8 ]
Then we can put our trust in the Lord, remembering Paul's words: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."[ 9 ] Jude calls God "Him who is able to keep you from falling"[ 10 ] This should be our confidence.
The verses 5-7 are a strong condemnation of the attitude that once we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Savior, nothing can keep us from going to heaven. If we refuse to be sanctified, we have no guarantee. As a matter, of fact Paul says clearly that "(we) can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person; such a man is an idolater; has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." And the writer to the Hebrews says: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." This is a very serious injunction. I am afraid that many people who say they have accepted Christ as their Savior will be disappointed at the day of judgment, because they have not drawn the consequences of this acceptance. Accepting Christ, without surrendering our lives to His lordship, is useless.
This is no effort to add to our salvation by doing good works. There are two dangers that threaten us. The one Paul argues against in the epistle to the Galatians, is to try to be saved by keeping the law. The second is to deny the Holy Spirit access to our lives, so that the law can be fulfilled in us. As Paul says in Romans: ".... that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."[ 11 ]
Paul continues to warn us in vs. 6: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient." We may believe in eternal security, as the Calvinists do; we should, however, live our daily lives as Armenians, fearing that we can lose our salvation. Obedience does not cause our salvation, but without obedience we are not saved. How can we accept the love of Christ and not demonstrate any love in return? And love without obedience is not love. Jesus says: "If you love me, you will obey what I command."[ 12 ] Any preaching that does not emphasize obedience is qualified by the Apostle as "empty words."
In the verses 8-14 Paul makes reference to the darkness. Obviously, this has to do with the influence of the devil upon human lives. Peter speaks about this when he says: "... that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."[ 13 ] Paul says the same in the epistle to the Colossians: "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,"[ 14 ] or as the KJV says: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son." God has freed us from the power of the devil and He called us to His wonderful light. We have to obey that call, otherwise we will find ourselves sliding back into the influence of the darkness.
In ch. 5:8 Paul declares poignantly: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Not only did we live in darkness, we were darkness. In the same way have we, who live in the light, become light. God's light does not only shines upon us, it shines through us. Jesus says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."[ 15 ] Darkness hides, light exposes. Light has a condemning quality, as well as a transforming one. That is why Jesus says in elsewhere: "Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."[ 16 ] David confirms the same truth in the psalms: "The LORD is my light and my salvation."[ 17 ] It is through exposure to the light that we are saved. That is, we have to see ourselves in the light of God and confess the ugliness of what we see, so that the Lord can take the filth and make it into something beautiful.
I do not know how much solid ground there is to accept the Dutch translation of vs. 13 "All that is exposed becomes light."[ 18 ] The inference seems to be that our exposed sins become fuel for the grace of God, so that what was corruption in us becomes luminous. The Greek word phaneroumenon evidently leaves open a wide variety of interpretations. There is enough proof in the Bible that what the Dutch expresses is true. It is through the forgiveness of our sins that we obtain knowledge of salvation. Zacharias says this in his song of praise: "To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins."[ 19 ] What God does with our sin is beyond human comprehension. I do not mean only the way He brings about cleansing through the blood of Christ, but the fact that He touches that which is evil and makes it into a positive factor, and more. Joseph expresses this to his brothers who had meant to kill him, but who sold him for a profit instead. He says: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."[ 20 ] Or as the KJV puts it: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good...." The same thought seems to be the theme of the parables of the yeast.[ 21 ] God permits evil for the purposes of increasing the effect of His grace. That which the devil intended to be our undoing, becomes our crown when God touches it.
Verse 14 is probably part of a first century Christian hymn. "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." The Tyndale Commentary points out the scriptural background of this quotation in Isaiah: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."[ 22 ] And elsewhere in Isaiah: "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead."[ 23 ] "Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again."[ 24 ] "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."[ 25 ]
However the hymn combines these scriptural thoughts into a verse that speaks of the work of Christ. Augustine was converted when he heard a voice singing the verse from Romans: "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."[ 26 ] We have to remember, though, that Paul writes here to Christians. This is not an appeal to unconverted people to repent and accept forgiveness. It is addressed to Christians who either have not completely severed the bonds of darkness in which they used to live, or who have slipped back under the spell of the evil one. A clear understanding of what is meant in the truths, expounded in the beginning of this epistle, the content of "all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies" and our being seated with Him in the heavenlies, should help us to compare our position with our present life style and make the necessary corrections. As children of light, we are called to walk in the light. We become light when Christ shines on us.
Sin makes us fall asleep. It is only in the presence of the Lord that we wake up to the reality of life. Zechariah expresses his spiritual experience as a waking up in his fourth vision: "Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep."[ 27 ]
The wisdom Paul advises us to practice in vs. 15 is a practical discernment of how to apply salvation in the situation in which we find ourselves every day. In ch. 1:17 Paul has already said: "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Here this knowledge has to be applied. The word "be very careful" is in Greek akribos. Moffat translates it: "be strictly careful then about the way you live." The Tyndale Commentary quotes Andrew Murray, who says: "He bids them keep a close watch on the principles by which they are regulating their lives." In Colossians Paul said: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."[ 28 ] Here he says basically the same. Our careful way of living is meant to be a testimony to the people outside, who observe us. But in the context of this chapter, the motive is not in the first place to show others what it means to be a Christian, but to be pleasing to God. This becomes obvious in vs. 17, where understanding the will of God is the goal of wisdom.
In verse 16: "Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil," Paul uses a term that is borrowed from the market world. Exagorazo means to buy up. The RSV margin gives the reading "buying up the opportunity." This is the wisdom Paul mentioned in the previous verse. It is probably best illustrated in Jesus' parable of the shrewd manager in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus condemning conclusion in is: "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light."[ 29 ] God expects us to be shrewd in the affairs of the kingdom. I believe that this is the underlying truth also in the parables of the talents and the mina.[ 30 ] The man who does not make an effort to understand the will of the Lord is a fool, according to vs. 17. There are general areas in which the will of the Lord is clear because it is expressed in the Scriptures. Paul probably talks here about the personalized aspect of the will of God. Each one of us has to discover the plan that God had for our lives before we entered the world. For the majority of mankind this question is never considered. Many go through life, not even bothering to find out what God had in mind for us, thereby wasting many years that could have been fruitful. The only way to find the will of God is to surrender to it. God does not tell us His will in order that we may decide whether we will do it or not. The is the first step is our decision to be obedient.
The above is true as far as the direction of our life in general is concerned. It is also true in the framework of our daily walk. That seems to be the context in which Paul places it here. We have to make choices in our daily life that are in accordance with the will of God. When Paul says: "Therefore do not be foolish...," it commands literally "do not become morally foolish," aphrones. This implies the possibility, as Tyndale points out, that we may start out as wise and then backslide.
Verse 18 gives the only command in the Bible to be filled with the Holy Spirit. "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." The Tyndale Commentary says beautifully about this verse: "...the Christian knows a better way than by wine of being lifted above the depression and the joyless monotony of life, a better way of removing self-consciousness and quickening thought and word and action than by the use of intoxicants. It is by being filled with the Spirit." The same commentary also emphasizes that the tense of the verb used, (present imperative), expresses "that the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit so that every part of life is permeated and controlled by Him is not a once-for-all experience. In the early chapters of the Acts of the Apostles it is repeated a number of times that the same Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. The practical implication is that the Christian is to leave his life open to be filled constantly and repeatedly by the divine Spirit. No NEB "let the Holy Spirit fill you."'
There are different references in the Bible that compare the effect of wine upon a man with the effect the Holy Spirit has upon one's life. The exhilaration caused by the Spirit is by far the stronger.[ 31 ] In Jesus' last words to His disciples there is an indirect reference to a comparison between joy that is the result of drinking wine and the joy that emanates from the indwelling Holy Spirit.[ 32 ]
The result of the filling by the Holy Spirit is praise and thanksgiving. Paul recommends in the first place singing: "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,"(vs.19) does not necessarily mean literally quoting hymns. I suppose that "to one another" can also be taken as "with one another." The singing of some never rises above the level of "make a joyful noise." I believe it is good to maintain a balance between what is esthetically acceptable and spontaneous. The emphasis in these verses is on the joy that flows out of our fellowship with the Lord. I do not believe that the mentions of "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" is meant to limit any expression of joy to these categories. Singing is a thermometer of the spiritual life of a congregation. Unfortunately, the tendency of our time is to rub the thermometer, as if that would make the temperature go up! Some of the in vogue ways of praising the Lord are just as much the copying of a cliché as the chants of another spiritually dead church. I would be very happy if at least a few people would look for a balance between beauty and joy.
The challenge of vs. 20: "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" should be taken in connection with the hymn singing of the previous verse. Our singing should be an expression of our gratitude to God. Paul gives the same admonition to the Thessalonians: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." It is not only Paul's idea that we should praise God under adverse circumstances,[ 33 ] but the most powerful language comes from James. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."[ 34 ] It takes maturity to see through the outward circumstances into the purpose of God, who allows them to happen. God is more interested in our character than in our comfort. We tend to have the opposite view, and giving thanks seems to deeply thwart the plans of our enemy. Not only are we kept from discouragement, but also our spiritual foe cannot reach his goal. There is always a shift in power in the heavenlies when God's children start to give thanks.
Giving thanks to God in everything also expresses the conviction that God is in control of our circumstances and that all circumstances can work together for good, if we love God. As Paul says in Romans: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."[ 35 ]
5:21 - 6:9
Verse 21 starts a new section: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Beginning with the following verse, through vs. 9 of the following chapter, Paul works this out in different categories. Submission to one another is a principle of the functioning of the body of Christ, and it is applied to various circumstances, such as a marriage relationship, parents-children relations, and slave-master relations. I believe what Paul is saying here is that submission begins at home. There will be no normal functioning of the body in the church, if there is no healthy relationship between husband and wife, or parents and children or those in the work place.
This submission has nothing to do with rank or ability. There is no reference to superiority; a wife does not submit to her husband because of his intelligence or strength, but because of Christ. The same goes for the church. Obedience to authority is derived from our obedience to Christ. If we cannot submit to other human beings, we demonstrate that we have not surrendered to the Lord either. It is also obvious that obedience is not above being questioned. The reference to Christ means that He is the highest authority. We should not obey human commands that go against the Word of God. If the question is whom to obey, God or man, the answer is clear. Peter's answer to the Sanhedrin was: "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God."[ 36 ] I believe that Paul's admonition to submit to one another is written above the whole section on relationships. So in principle submission in marriage is a mutual obligation. Obviously submission does not mean that we have to obey the whims of others without questioning. All submission to human authority, all sensitivity to the needs of others, should be within the framework of submission to Christ. The word submission sounds too harsh to us, because we take it usually to mean obedience without questioning. This is not the meaning of the word in the context in which we find it here. The husband is to be as sensitive to the needs of his wife as the wife is to be to her husband. Submission means more than being sensitive to one another. It means recognizing the order of creation. The man is the head of his wife, not because he is better, but because God has put him in that position. Somebody has to take the ultimate responsibility for what happens in a family. It is only in as much as we surrender to Christ that we will see the purpose of Paul's advice.
All submission is to be "out of reverence for Christ." I believe this means that we have to submit to what is right, to what is the will of God, to love and happiness and a harmonious life together, to a normal functioning of the body of Christ. I admit that this can be a very complicated problem. Sin has given people, both men and women, a desire for power. There is no place in the body for tyranny, but tyranny is a human tendency. If Christ is the example, the way He makes His will known to His people should be our example in our relationships. The man's authority over his wife is his willingness to serve her and to lay down his life for her, just as Jesus came to serve and lay down His life for us. Jesus says about Himself: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."[ 37 ] Submission by a wife to her husband should not be a problem if she has a husband who portrays the Lord Jesus to her in his attitude. Often, it turns out that the church submits herself as little to Christ as a wife submits to her husband. It is sad, but it is true. Actually the husband's task is much more difficult than the wife's. The husband has to be willing to lay down his life for his wife, though no such requirement is stated for the woman.
Actually, submission means the ultimate sacrifice. All submission that is partial is no submission at all. The husband has to follow the example of Christ, the wife has only the church's role to play. Which is easier?
The deep lesson of this whole portion is, of course, that a marriage is to express the relationship between Christ and His church. That is what gives content and meaning to a marriage. Many people get married, but few know why. When Paul says in vs. 25: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her," he uses the word agapao which is the word for divine love, not erao or phileo. This is significant. The real marriage is the relationship between Christ and the church. The union between husband and wife is the shadow or the picture. That is why Paul talks in the following verses about the results of Christ's love for the church: the church's sanctification, cleansing, and glory. None of these things applies to a human marriage. In presenting this comparison, Paul hopes to kindle the vision of the man concerning what he should strive for in his relationship with his wife.
Then the Apostle appeals to the basic egoism of the man. After all, a man who loves his wife, loves himself, because she has become his own flesh and blood in their sexual unity. The way the Bible seems to make no difference between erao and agapao shows that there is no difference as long as both are seen in a relationship to Christ. In quoting from Genesis: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh,"[ 38 ] he gives the most beautiful definition of marriage that is found in the whole Bible. In vs. 32 he says: "This is a profound mystery; but I am talking about Christ and the church." Sexual relations in a marriage are "a profound mystery." Nobody who is married understands fully all of God's plan in the unity of this relationship. The fact that we portray a spiritual reality does in no way diminish the mystery. It makes it only more profound.
What else can we say about this? The last question I have is why Paul says that the husband has to love his wife, but to the wife he only recommends respect. I have always thought that this shows that the female tendency to love is so strong that it doesn't have to be mentioned. And this may be true. But it seems to me that there is also the fact of the "ego" of the man that demands respect, because without it he will not function as he should. Some women are amazed by this, some appalled. But could it be that this too, in its sanctified form is an expression of a spiritual reality? I do not say this to justify inflation of egos in men, of which there is enough, but to point out that there is a similarity between God's need to be recognized and glorified and the need of the human male. God says: "I will not yield my glory to another."[ 39 ]
It is hard to leave this section. Because of the way Paul goes back and forth between the picture and the reality, in one breath speaking about Christ and the church and then about husband and wife, we get a glimpse of a vast panoramic view. In marriage we are enacting something that is far beyond our comprehension. This is the impression the Apostle wants us to receive. We have to ask ourselves which subject he is discussing: Christ and the church or husband and wife? The answer is, of course, both. But it seems that the emphasis is stronger on the Christ-church relationship. That is that he pays so much attention to what Christ has done for His bride. "To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Verses 26,27). These verses do not apply to the human marriage relationship. The husband does not contribute to the salvation of his wife; as a matter of fact, many women are spiritually ahead of men. Paul says these things, first of all, because he is carried away at the thought of what Christ's love for the church has brought about, and secondly because, remembering these things, a man will ask himself, "If Jesus did these things for me, what can I do for Him in my relationship with those I love?"
The above mentioned verses link this portion to the rest of the epistle. In 1:4 we read the theme: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." It seems that Paul's mention of the word water in vs. 26 is no reference to baptism as a ritual. The cleansing is done by the word. Jesus says the same in His prayer for the disciples: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."[ 40 ] It is through confrontation with the Word of God, that the Holy Spirit can bring about in our lives the characteristics that are acceptable to God.
[ 1 ]
Phil. 2:5-11
[ 2 ]
I John 3:16
[ 3 ]
Matt. 26:35
[ 4 ]
I John 3:16
[ 5 ]
I Cor. 7:3-5
[ 6 ]
Job 31:1
[ 7 ]
Gen. 39:12
[ 8 ]
Ps. 46:1
[ 9 ]
I Cor. 10:13
[ 10 ]
Jude vs. 24
[ 11 ]
Rom. 8:4
[ 12 ]
John 14:15
[ 13 ]
I Pet. 2:9
[ 14 ]
Col. 1:13 (NIV)
[ 15 ]
Matt. 5:14
[ 16 ]
John 3:20,21
[ 17 ]
Ps. 27:1
[ 18 ]
"Want al wat tot het licht komt, is licht"
[ 19 ]
Luke 1:77
[ 20 ]
Gen. 50:20
[ 21 ]
Matt. 13:33
[ 22 ]
Isa. 9:2
[ 23 ]
Isa. 26:19
[ 24 ]
Isa. 52:1
[ 25 ]
Isa. 61:1
[ 26 ]
Rom. 13:11
[ 27 ]
Zech. 4:1
[ 28 ]
Col. 4:5
[ 29 ]
Luke 16:8
[ 30 ]
Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27
[ 31 ]
See Ps. 4:7; Acts 2:13
[ 32 ]
John 15:1-11
[ 33 ]
See also Rom. 5:3-5
[ 34 ]
James 1:2
[ 35 ]
Rom. 8:28
[ 36 ]
Acts 4:19
[ 37 ]
Matt 20:28
[ 38 ]
Gen. 2:24
[ 39 ]
Isa. 48:11
[ 40 ]
John 17:17
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