Paul – Like An Anchor

Laid Hold Of By Christ

28 June, 202527 June, 2025Marissa

There is great depth to the entire Bible, but for me, Paul’s writings in particular are something I can come back to over and over again and keep discovering deeper meaning. I wrote about Philippians 3 nine years ago, and I want to go there again today to dig deeper into one particular phrase.

I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12, NET

This is such an evocative phrase. Other possible translations include “I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (KJV), “the Messiah Yeshua took hold of me” (CJB), “I have been taken possession of by Christ [Jesus]” (DARBY), “Christ grabbed hold of me for just this purpose” (CEB), and “Christ Jesus has made me his own” (ESV). There’s a forward-focus and intentionality here that makes me want to learn more about how and why Jesus laid hold of Paul and, likely, us as well.

Setting the Stage

Let’s start by putting this phrase in context. It’s in the letter that “Paul and Timothy” wrote “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (Phil. 1:1, NET). Paul was imprisoned at the time of the writing (Phil. 1:12-14), but it’s a very encouraging letter. It’s full of confidence, hope, and an exhortation to keep living faithful lives. Unlike some letters, Paul wasn’t focused on correcting a problem in this church. Rather, he urged them on to Godly living and unity in the church.

In the section we call chapter 3, Paul talked about his own walk in more detail than we often find. He summarized the earthly credentials that he could have been proud of (Phil. 3:3-6), then said he now regards them as “liabilities” and “dung” compared to the far higher value of knowing Jesus (Phil. 3:7-9).

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view.
Philippians 3:10-15, NET

Here, Paul was talking about himself but then he expands it to others. All those who are “perfect” should embrace the same point of view he has about striving toward the goal and laying hold of the thing “for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of” us. Paul then continued with exhortation to imitate him and others who are faithfully living this way (Phil. 3:17). He concluded with more appeals to unity and more encouragement, urging his readers not to give up and to embrace the peace that God offers (Phil. 4:1-9). Even his appeal for support emphasizes contentment and mutual aid rather than his own pressing needs (Phil. 4:10-20).

Image of a hand reaching up to the sky, palm up, overlaid with text from Psalm 139:5-6, WEB version: "You hem me in behind and before. You laid your hand on me. This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it." — Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

Seize the Prize

The Greek word translated “lay hold of” is katalambano (G2638). Spiros Zodhiates lists three primary meanings: 1) “To lay hold of seize, with eagerness, suddenness,” 2) “In allusion to the public games, to obtain the prize with the idea of eager and strenuous exertion, to grasp, seize upon,” and 3) “Figuratively, to seize with the mind, to comprehend.” He links Phil. 3:12 with the second meaning. The word is used 15 times in the New Testament, and looking at some of the other uses can help us get some additional context for the meaning here in Philippians.

One thing we learn from looking at the other uses of katalambano is that it’s not an extremely specific word. Like the English words “take hold of,” the meaning depends a lot on context. Sometimes it’s a bad thing, as when a demon seizes a child (Mark 9:18), being caught in the act of adultery (John 8:3-4), or being overtaken by darkness (John 12:35, see also John 1:5 and 1 Thes. 5:4). Several times, it’s used in the sense of that third, figurative meaning that Zodhiates highlights (Acts 4:13; 10:34; 25:25; Eph. 3:18). The second meaning, the one we’re focusing on today, appears in three of Paul’s letters: Romans 9:30, 1 Corinthians 9:24, and Philippians 3:12-13. The one in 1 Corinthians is particularly relevant to our study today.

Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win (katalambano). Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.

So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NET

This is katalambano in the sense of obtaining or attaining (two words used in other English translations) a prize. When we’re looking at verses where Paul uses the word in this sense, there is an emphasis on continuing on toward a future goal. Jesus called us with purpose and set us on a path toward a prize that everyone can win if we continue striving for our imperishable crown. It’s not a prize that we’re competing against others to win, but one where we all compete together, striving to get ourselves and our brethren to fully grasp that prize.

Grasped For A Purpose

Image of a hand gripping a hand-hold on a climbing wall, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "Jesus grabs us for the purpose of getting us to eternal life just as eagerly as we strive to grasp onto that prize." — Image from Pixabay

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ.
Philippians 3:12-14, PHILLIPS

This version translates katalambano as “grasped” three times here in verses 12 and 13. The image of us grasping for eternal life (Phil. 3:11) like a runner racing toward a prize is a familiar one, but I think this is the only time that we have it paired with Jesus grasping on to us. That’s a really amazing thing to think about. He grabs us for the purpose of getting us to eternal life just as eagerly as we strive to grasp onto that prize.

“There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you.And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. …

“Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. …No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. …You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit”
John 14:2-3; 15:9,13-14, 16, NET

We can see Jesus’s focus on bringing more children into His Father’s family throughout His life, but perhaps it’s illustrated most clearly in the dialog during this final Passover with His disciples and the prayer that follows. Jesus doesn’t use the phrase “take hold of” here, but it’s a similar idea. He loves us so much He laid down His life for us, and He wants us to walk with Him in this life and finally join Him and His father in their kingdom. He wasn’t just talking about His disciples at the time, either; He makes clear in His prayer that we’re included as well.

“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony,that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. …The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one—I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
John 17:20-24, NET

Jesus’s desire that those who belong to him will “be with me where I am” will be fully realized when we finally “lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of” us. He wants us to become part of His family and “attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:11, NET). God has grasped onto our lives for an eternal, life-giving reason. They want us to firmly take hold of that same vision for the future and keep moving forward with focus, hope, and commitment. “With this goal in mind,” we should imitate Paul and “strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14, NET).

Featured image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “Trust His Hands” by Jean Watson

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Pauline Introductions, Part 3: How Does Paul Talk About Us?

19 April, 202518 April, 2025Marissa

Today’s post is the third in a three-part series. In these posts, we’re looking at the introductions of Paul’s epistles and examining how Paul talks about himself, how Paul talks about God, and how Paul talks about us in the introductions to his letters. We’re focusing on the epistles he wrote to church communities rather than the pastoral epistles (Timothy, Titus) or the letter to an individual (Philemon). This series also excludes Hebrews since there’s a good chance Paul wasn’t the author. That means we have nine letters to look at: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians.

In this post, we’re looking at how Paul describes his readers and, by extension, us today. I’ve found it fascinating to look at how he addresses his readers and what he emphasizes about who they are and what they’re doing.

The Church of God

Five of these letters are addressed, “to the church” of God in a specific city or the “churches” in a region (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1). Others are addressed “to the saints” of a specific city (Rom. 1:7; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2). Let’s take a look at the Greek words translated “church” and “saints,” since they mean something a little different than we might expect from the use of those English words.

“Church” in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word ekklesia (G1577). It might also be translated “assembly” (as it is in the WEB version). The English word “church” carries the connotation of a building where people gather or an organization that people belong to, but ekklesia emphasized the aspect of people gathering together. The basic meaning is “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly” (Thayer’s dictionary). Hence, the church is God’s called-out people that He assembles together.

“Saints” is translated from the Greek word haggios (G40). It is also commonly translated “holy” and refers to “a most holy thing” (Thayer’s dictionary). At it’s heart, the “fundamental idea is separation, consecration, devotion to the service of Deity, sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement” (Zodhiates’s dictionary). God’s temple was holy because it was set apart for sacred use. Similarly, God’s people are holy because they’re separated from the common or impure things and devoted to Him. By calling us the church of God and the saints, Paul focuses on God’s work bringing us out of the world into fellowship with each other and Him, and on our distinctiveness as a group devoted to God.

Called By God and Belonging to Jesus

This point is very closely connected to the first one, since we are “called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, NET) as part of the church/assembly of God. This also means we are “called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:6, NET) and “called into fellowship with” Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9, NET). Romans and 1 Corinthians are the only letters that use the “called” wording in the introduction, but others echo similar sentiments with phrases like “chosen” (1 Thes. 1:4) and “claimed.”

For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will …

In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his willso that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:4-5, 11-12, NET

Paul also refers to his readers as those “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2, NET). We are called-out of the world and into God’s family by God, and as such we can call on the name of our Lord. We’re identified, both in the Pauline introductions and throughout New Testament writings, by our association with Jesus Christ. This in no way diminishes the Father, who is the one calling us. Rather, properly acknowledging Jesus as Lord and knowing that we belong to Him glorifies the Father (Phil. 2:8-11).

Image of a woman writing in a notebook overlaid with text from 2 Thes. 1:1-3 NET version: "“to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.” — Image by Corey David Robinson from Lightstock

Rescued By God

Once we’re called by God and join His people, our identities become connected with Him. As such, many of the things Paul says about us in the introductions to his letters have to do with how God sees us and what He does for us. When Paul talks about his readers, he doesn’t focus on things like their gender, wealth, or nationalities (though those topics come up in the letters). He focuses on who they are now that they are God’s people. For example, because of the God who called us and the Lord that we follow, we are sanctified (i.e. made holy), rescued, and redeemed.

to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
1 Corinthians 1:2, NET

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.
Galatians 1:3-5, NET

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace
Ephesians 1:7, NET

We are who we are now by the grace of God the Father and the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. This works hand-in-hand with our identity as God’s church, God’s called out ones, and the people who belong to Jesus. It’s a theme Paul expands on throughout his letters (1 Cor 6:19-20; Eph. 2:4-10, for example).

Loved and Blessed

Paul addressed Romans, “To all those loved by God in Rome” (Rom. 1:7, NET) and 1 Thessalonians to “brothers and sisters loved by God” (1 Thes. 1:4, NET). God has deep feelings for us; it was His love that drove Him to save us and call us into His family. Now that we are His, He exercises great care over us. Paul mentions several of the ways that we benefit from God’s great love in the introductions to His letters.

I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus. For you were made rich in every way in him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge—just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you—so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9, NET

God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:3, NET). The abundance of blessings that God piles on us is boundless and amazing. He’s not at all stingy with His riches, gifting us liberally, primarily spiritually but also in many physical things. Some of these blessings even prompt us to action as God’s people. For example, we are recipients of God’s comfort and therefore we can comfort other people (2 Cor. 1:3-5).

Faithful Participants

Image of a man sitting on a couch writing on a pad of paper, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "What can we learn from looking at the first things Paul wanted his readers to see when they read his letters?" — Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Even when talking about us, much of Paul’s emphasis is on the work that God’s doing. But he also spends quite a bit of time talking about our response to that work. As a result of who God has made us and what He’s doing in our lives, we become participants.

We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospelthat has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growingamong you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.
Colossians 1:3-6, NET

For Paul, faith in Jesus results in action, such as bearing fruit and growing. Several of his introductions mention his readers’ faith. He addressed Colossians to “the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ” (Col. 1:2, NET). In Ephesians, he called them, “the faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1, NET) and speaks of the time when they “heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ” (Eph. 1:13, NET). (Note: “believed” is translated from the verb-form of the Greek noun translated “faith.”)

We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantly in our prayers, because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. …

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, when you received the message with joy that comes from the Holy Spirit, despite great affliction. As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 6-7 NET

Faith in the New Testament isn’t just an intellectual or emotional thing; it’s very active. When we have real faith, it’s working and doing good. We’ll be imitating the Lord, loving other people, and staying hopeful even as we endure trials. Flourishing faith perseveres and loves (2 Thes. 1:3-4). It also prompts us to be active participants in the gospel that we’ve believed.

I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you because of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel all of you became partners in God’s grace together with me.
Philippians 1:4-7, NET

God is the driving force behind our faith, the one who makes everything we accomplish as Christians possible, and the one accomplishing our transformation into His covenant people. But we have a role as well. Faith is active, the gospel demands participation, and even God’s grace invites us to be partners with Him rather than just passive recipients.

There is a lot worth studying in Paul’s letters, and we’ve seen that even the introductions hold a lot of depth. Studying the first things that Paul says about himself, God the Father and Jesus our Lord, and his readers helps us understand how central God is to our identities as Christians. It is also very encouraging and uplifting to see Paul’s humility, his awe of God, and the good things he says about his readers. As we join those readers each time we reread his letters, let’s try to see ourselves the way Paul sees us and follow the Lord as faithfully as he encouraged his first-century readers to.

Featured image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “We Are” by Kari Jobe

Pauline Introductions, Part 2: How Does Paul Talk About God?

5 April, 20254 April, 2025Marissa

Today’s post is the second in a three-part series. In these posts, we’re looking at the introductions of Paul’s epistles and examining how Paul talks about himself, how Paul talks about God, and how Paul talks about us in the introductions to his letters. We’ll be focusing on the epistles he wrote to church communities rather than the pastoral epistles (Timothy, Titus) or the letter to an individual (Philemon). This series will also exclude Hebrews since there’s a good chance Paul wasn’t the author. That leaves us with nine letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t post this two weeks ago like I typically would, I broke my foot and I’ve been struggling to keep up with everything that needs doing. Subscribe to my newsletter if you want to stay up-to-date on news like that and changes in post schedules.

Grace and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

All of these introductions except two have Paul using the phrase, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2, Phil. 1:2; 2 Thes. 1:2, NET) There’s a similar phrase in 1 Thessalonians 1:1, and Colossians 1:2 just says, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father!” (Paul mentions Jesus elsewhere in the introduction, just not as part of this phrase). We could call this Paul’s standard greeting, and it tells us several things about how he views God.

For Paul, God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are a source of grace and peace. There are a lot of other things that God supplies us with (love, mercy, and justice, just to name a few), but grace and peace are the ones Paul uses in his salutations. According to “Grace to You and Peace: An Analysis of the Pauline Letter Openings” by JPT Aquino, “Paul used the epistolary conventions of his time” in the way that he structured his letters (p. 2) but he chose his own signature opening phrase to communicate “the theology that underlies his letters, as well [as] his life and ministry” (p. 109). As we think of Paul’s focus in his letters, “grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” does seem like a good introduction to what he typically emphasizes. He focuses a lot on God’s grace toward us, the internal peace He gives us, and the peace that He wants to see between those in His church.

This phrase also gives us hints about how Paul understands the nature of God. As in the rest of the Bible, Paul sees God the Father and God the Son as the central figures in the God-family, which They invite us to join in a process we understand through analogies of birth, adoption, and marriage. Both the Father and Jesus have always existed as God, but now that Jesus came as the Messiah, we know these two God-beings as God the Father (Matt. 11:27; John 14:6-11) and the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:16; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 John 3:5). You might remember from the first post in this series that Paul introduces himself as an apostle commissioned by the Father and Jesus; they’re the reason for his ministry and the Ones that he’s representing as he writes these letters.

Image of a man reading the Bible overlaid with text from Gal. 1:3-5, NET version: “Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.” — Image by Matt Vasquez from Lightstock

Source of the Gospel

From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. This gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with reference to the flesh,who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:1-5, NET

Paul only mentions the gospel in the salutation to one letter. He also brings it up in the prayers for churches that make up what I think of as the second half of his introductions in several other letters, but those have to do with our response to the gospel so we’ll save that for the Part 3 post in a couple weeks (Eph. 1:13; Phil. 1:5-7; Col. 1:5-6; 1 Thes. 1:4-5).

In Romans, though, Paul lays a foundation for talking about what God’s good news is doing in us by describing it as “the gospel of God” that “he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son.” There is to be no confusion: the gospel is about Jesus, who is the Son of God, and what He and the Father are doing and have done for us. It’s also not a new thing; the gospel that Paul preaches is something that God promised in the scriptures we now call the Old Testament. Christianity wasn’t a new religion, it’s just what people started calling those who understood that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ and followed Him as He showed the way to continue following God faithfully.

The One Who Calls and Chooses

God is the one who called Paul to be an apostle (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1), called us to belong to and fellowship with Jesus (Rom. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:9), and called us to be saints (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2). He also chose us (Eph. 1:4; 1 Thes. 1:4) and is the one who “began a good work” in us (Phil. 1:6). All the things that Paul is (which we talked about in the previous post) and all the things that we are (which we’ll talk about in the next post) happened because God made choices. He chose to call us into His family, offer us eternal life, and make us holy (that’s what the word “saint” means).

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will
Ephesians 1:3-5, NET

This focus in the intro to Paul’s letters on God the Father’s and Jesus Christ’s action in our lives carries through the rest of Paul’s writings. He’s constantly pointing to Them and what They are doing. Take Philippians, for example. Right at the start of the letter, Paul focuses on “the onewho began a good work in you” and who “will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6, NET). We’re here, reading Paul’s letters to learn more about God, because He started working in us and He won’t give up until He’s brought us to perfection. A little later in this same letter, Paul wrote, “continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God” (Phil. 2:12-13, NET). We’re participating in our salvation, but God’s doing the work and as long as we don’t reject Him, He’ll make sure we succeed.

Continuing in Philippians, Paul also talked about rejecting human credentials, power, or prestige and focusing only on the calling of God. Paul encouraged all his readers to join him: “with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are ‘perfect’ embrace this point of view” (Phil. 3:14-15, NET). Just as Paul put the calling of God at the forefront of many letters, so we should put God’s calling at the forefront of our lives.

Rescuer and Helper

In several of his introductions, Paul emphasizes the redemptive work that God accomplishes in saving and sanctifying His people. We are “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:2). He “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:3, NET). It is “In him” that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7, NET).

God’s aid didn’t stop with accomplishing our redemption, though. He is all-in when it comes to the work of bringing children into His family. Jesus’s work of sanctifying, rescuing, and redeeming His people is ongoing, and it includes love (Rom. 1:7; 1 Thes. 1:4), grace (1 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:6-7; Phil. 1:7), and comfort.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NET

Even just looking at the openings of Paul’s letters, we see the depth of his devotion to God, the awe he feels for the Father and Son, and the wonder of God’s incredible work in our lives. God’s grace, peace, calling, and salvation are at the forefront of Paul’s mind and his letters. In one of these letters, Paul wrote, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1, NET). One of the ways that we can imitate him is by similarly prioritizing God and cultivating a relationship with Him that’s at the center of our lives and our focus.

Featured image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “What A Beautiful Name” by Hillsong Worship

Pauline Introductions, Part 1: How Does Paul Introduce Himself?

8 March, 202520 March, 2025Marissa

As I was reading Galatians a couple weeks ago, I was struck by how much Paul packs into those first couple sentences of the letter. He introduces himself, explains his qualifications for writing to them, wishes his readers well, glorifies God, and highlights one of the amazing things God has done for His people.

This introduction is part of a pattern that Paul follows in his other letters to churches. The first few lines of the letter might also include a brief summary of the gospel, some further description of his audience, and/or expressions of thanksgiving. As I looked at the openings of these letters, I wondered what we might learn by comparing the very first things that Paul wanted his readers to see and hear when they read his letters.

I expect this will be the first of a three-part post series: how Paul talks about himself, how Paul talks about God, and how Paul talks about us in the introductions to his letters. We’ll be focusing on the epistles he wrote to church communities rather than the pastoral epistles (Timothy, Titus) or the letter to an individual (Philemon). This series will also exclude Hebrews since there’s a good chance Paul wasn’t the author. That leaves us with nine letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians.

Apostle

Paul introduces himself as an apostle in six of the nine letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians. He also talks about how he became an apostle, probably because it wasn’t the usual way. The other apostles named directly in the New Testament were among Jesus’s original 12 disciples, while Paul was personally selected by Jesus later. (Note that there may have been other apostles, but it’s not clear if that’s the case. For example, some consider Barnabas an apostle but he’s not explicitly called one in scripture [Acts 4:36; 14:14; 15:2, 22], and it’s unclear if Andronicus and Junia were apostles or not [Rom. 16:7]).

In the book of Romans, Paul introduces himself as “a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1, NET). Just a few lines later he adds, “Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name” (Rom. 1:5, NET). It matches something he says later in Romans, calling himself “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13, NET). Most of the time, he’s not that specific, though. He simply states that he’s “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (2 Cor. 2:2; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1, NET) or that he’s “called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1 Cor. 1:1, NET).

Galatians is the letter where Paul spends the most time discussing his apostleship. He opens the letter by saying, “From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)” (Gal. 1:1, NET), then follows that with a vindication of his apostleship and more details about it (Gal. 1:11-2:10). In the letter to the Galatian brethren, Paul focuses on correcting their theological errors and countering false teachers. That gives us context for his focus on his credentials in this letter: he wants to assure the Galatian believers that the gospel they originally received came straight from Jesus and was verified by the apostles. Throughout all of this, Paul’s reason for calling himself an apostle is to point his readers to Jesus and the Father as the higher authority. They are the ones who “empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles” (Gal 2:8, NET) and that’s the reason we can trust what Paul says in his role as an apostle.

Slave

In both Romans and Philippians, Paul calls himself a “slave of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1). He also uses this phrase to describe himself in other letters we’re studying today, just not in the introduction (2 Cor. 4:5; Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:7; 4:7). Slavery in the Bible is a super tricky subject, but in this particular context at least we have a pretty good idea of what Paul is talking about. Here’s part of what the New English Translation (NET) translators have to say in their footnote that accompanies most verses using the word:

tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG [Bauer’s Lexicon of Biblical Greek] notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. …

sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
NET translation note (tn) and study note (sn) on Galatians 1:10

In Romans, Paul further developed this idea by explaining that all human beings serve as slaves, either to sin or to righteousness (Rom. 6:15-20). We don’t get the choice to not serve anything, but we do get to choose who we submit to as our master. Will we be controlled by sin, or will we accept and strive for the privilege of serving God and living righteous lives that glorify Him? Paul made that choice when he rejected human privilege and credentials, responded to God’s call, and stopped persecuting the church and became someone persecuted for preaching the truth (Phil. 3). When he describes his service to God, he doesn’t use a word that would indicate a servant who can just walk away if they want, but someone who (in this case voluntarily) bound himself in lifelong service. He’s fully committed to serving God.

Thankful and Praying

Several times when writing to a church, one of the very first things Paul tells them is that he is thankful and praying for them. He has prayers in other letters as well, but in 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians it’s right at the start of the letter.

A lot of what Paul shares in these assurances that he’s praying for his readers is about how he views them, but it also tells us something about him. He says, “I always thank my God for you” (1 Cor. 1:4, NET), “I thank my God every time I remember you.I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you” (Phil. 1:3-4, NET), “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Col. 1:3, NET), “We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantlyin our prayers” (1 Thes. 1:2, NET), and “We are bound to always give thanks to God for you” (2 Thes. 1:3, WEB). Paul wants his readers to know that he–and for some letters his co-authors as well (Timothy for Colossians, Silvanus and Timothy for Thessalonians)–are thankful for them and that they remember them when they’re praying.

I think it tells us a lot about Paul’s character and his focus that he doesn’t start these letters by talking about his credentials (other than apostle chosen by God and slave in Jesus’s service, both emphasizing his humility) or by telling the churches what they’re doing wrong. There is correction in many of these letters, some very serious (especially 1 Corinthians), but that’s not where he starts. He starts with thankfulness. He wants his readers to immediately know that he’s thankful for them and he’s praying for them.

Blessed

Paul also used a few other phrases to describe himself, which I’ve collected in this final section. All of these descriptions (“set apart for the gospel” and recipient of grace in Romans, “comforted by God” in 2 Corinthians, rescued by Jesus in Galatians, and “blessed” in Ephesians) relate to ways that God has blessed Paul. One of these letters was written from Prison (Eph. 3:1) and another Paul recounts a huge list of sufferings he’d gone through (2 Cor. 11:23-33), yet he focuses on his blessings. And not just his blessings, either: in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians, he talks about “us” being blessed.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul encouraged us to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Just from the way he talks about himself in the introduction to these epistles, we see a humble man who focused on the work that God was doing in him and the churches he served. We think of Paul as one of the most important men in the whole Bible, but he kept pointing back to Jesus and the Father. Even when acknowledging that he had been commissioned by God as an apostle, he also called himself God’s slave.

In addition, we see that Paul was an encouraging person. Over and over in these letters, he told Christians to build others up rather than fight with them and tear them down, and he models that approach in his letter writing. He also tells his readers he’s thankful for them and that he’s praying for them. He also talked about his blessings, something that is encouraging to hear from other people, and included his readers in the “us” who are blessed.

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Song Recommendation: “In Christ Alone” by Keith & Kristyn Getty

Paul’s Focus in Ministry: A Study of Titus

1 July, 202330 June, 2023Marissa

Sometimes, reading familiar verses in a new translation can give you just enough of a perspective shift that they hit you a different way than before. I’ve been using the New English Translation for a few years now, but there are still some books I haven’t spent as much time in and the wording really makes me sit up and take notice. That happened this week when I was reading Titus 3:8 for my ladies’ group’s 30-day scripture writing program this month.

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.
Titus 3:8, NET

The phrase “I want you to insist on such truths” was translated “concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently” in the WEB, which is more literal. However, I like the way the NET calls attention to Paul’s emphasis on affirming truthful, trustworthy things. It made me want to meditate and study more deeply on Paul’s goal in writing this letter.

To Further The Faith

In a letter to the Corinthians, Paul called Titus a “brother,” partner, and “fellow worker,” and described his presence as a joy and comfort (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13-14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18). We also know from Galatians that Titus was a Greek, which caused some contention among Jewish believers who wanted to insist non-Jewish male converts be circumcized (Gal. 2:1-10). We don’t know much else about him from the Bible, but we know he traveled with Paul on ministerial work and that Paul left him in Crete “to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town” ( Titus 1:5, NET). That’s where Titus was when Paul wrote him the letter that we have in our New Testaments today.

From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before time began.But now in his own time he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior. To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!
Titus 1:1-4, NET

Look at how Paul describes his role in the opening salutation of this letter. He is a slave or bondservant (i.e. one who sells himself in service to another) belonging to God; in other words, he doesn’t see himself as free to leave but his service is voluntary. And the purpose of being “a slave of God and apostle of Jesus” is “to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness.” We’ve been studying faith a lot on this blog recently, particularly in connection with covenant faithfulness. We can think of faith in the first-century Biblical context as “active loyalty, trust, hope, knowledge, and persuasion … within the new covenant brought about through Christ’s Atonement” (Brent Schmidt, Relational Faith, p. 11). That’s what Paul wanted to “further” among God’s chosen ones as he shared knowledge of Truth “in hope of eternal life.”

Faith, truth, and hope are also something Paul wants others to share. As I mentioned, he left Titus in Crete to appoint elders, and the next thing Paul focuses on in his letter is qualifications for those elders. Some of those qualifications have to do with the elder’s family, others with his character, and finally with his commitment to teaching God’s word correctly (Titus 1:5-9).

He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it.

For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.
Titus 1:9-11, NET

Here’s where the NET translators made what I think is a misstep. They translated “those of the circumcision” as “those with Jewish connections,” which implies that anyone with Jewish links was an issue when in reality Paul was addressing a specific faction that taught circumcision was necessary for salvation and wanted to enforce extra-Biblical Jewish teachings on top of God’s laws.

For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth. All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed. But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching.
Titus 1:13-2:1, NET

One of the responsibilities of ministers like Paul, Titus, and the elders Titus was entrusted to pick out is to help other believers stay healthy in their faith. Here, Paul indicates that we can stay healthy in the faith by holding fast to truth (rather than rejecting it), acknowledging God by doing good deeds, and making sure our behavior aligns with sound teaching.

Image of four people studying the Bible together overlaid with text from Titus 3:1, 8, NET version: “Remind them ... to be ready for every good work. ... This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.” — Image by Ben White from Lightstock

To Behave As God Intends

There’s a big focus here in Paul’s letter to Titus on good behavior and works. Paul instructs Titus to “communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching” (NET) or “say the things which fit sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1, WEB). He then goes on to give instructions specifically for older men and women, for younger women, for young men like Titus, and for servants (Titus 2:1-10). Then, Paul shares instructions that apply to all groups.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.
Titus 2:11-15, NET

Here’s another spot where the phrasing in this translation really grabs my attention. It is “the grace of God” that “trains us to reject godless ways ” and to live in a way that honors God. This really highlights that grace is a gift that carries covenant obligations rather than some sort of carte blanche to live however we like. Jesus died to “set us free from every kind of lawlessness” and turn us into a people “who are eager to do good works” (NET footnote on 2:15 and other, more literal, translations add “works”).

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. …

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people. …

Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.
Titus 3:1, 8, 14, NET

It might seem surprising how much Paul focuses on works in this letter since he’s so often cited as the one who talks about dying to the law and not being saved by works. Reading his letter to Titus really hammers home how often Paul is misinterpreted. Here, as in all his letters, he teaches that New Covenant Christians are supposed to keep the spirit of the law; this actually carries a higher expectation than simply keeping the letter. And though we’re certainly not saved by our own works, we are saved with the expectation that we will then do good works.

To Maintain a Godly Perspective

Image of a man reading the Bible with the blog's title text and the words "Paul's letter to Titus focuses on furthering each believer's faith, behaving as God intends, and maintaining a Godly perspective on the self, fellow believers, and those outside the faith." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

The last of the three main themes that I see Paul focusing on in Titus has to do with how to view other people and your own calling. Remember, he has already reminded Titus that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people” (Tit. 2:11, NET). All, not just some. That doesn’t mean Paul thinks every human being is automatically saved as a result of Jesus’s death, but it does mean that He didn’t die for only one group of people. God loves the whole world and offers salvation to everyone. We must never forget that.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”
Titus 3:1-7, NET

The same mercy that saved us is available to even the most irritating people we meet. And as people who were just like that before our relationship with God (and could be just as “foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved, … evil and … hateful” again if we reject God’s guidance), we should have compassion toward those who have not (yet) accepted the gift of God’s powerful grace. It is “this saying” which is “trustworthy” and that Paul calls Titus to insist upon so that Christians might focus intently on “engaging in good works.”

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty. Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself.
Titus 3:8-11, NET

As I mentioned in my last two posts (“Do Not Forsake” and “The Necessity of Godly Conflict Resolution and Forgiveness“), there are times when we need to reject fellowship with someone who is sinful and toxic. One of the few times we’re told to do this is when someone is purposefully, unrepentantly causing divisions and quarrels. Spreading discord is one of the seven abominable things that God hates (Prov. 6:16-19). This means that we also need to vigilantly watch ourselves and make sure we avoid such useless, empty fights.

Paul’s letter to Titus is encouraging and instructive. He wants Titus and others who, like him, are entrusted with teaching and leading roles, to help further other believer’s faith, to behave as God intends, and to maintain a Godly perspective on themselves, their fellow believers, and those outside the faith. Those who aren’t elders or in other leadership roles can also learn from this, because the things Paul focuses on teaching and encouraging are the things we’re supposed to work on as well. We need to commit to growing in the faith, to making sure our deeds align with God’s ways, and to having a humble, godly perspective.

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Song Recommendation: “With Every Act of Love” By Jason Gray

Click here for Jason Gray’s explanation of the lyrics and inspiration for this song

Paul on the Topic of Self-Judgement

13 November, 20211 December, 2021Marissa

I was chatting with some friends at church last week, and we started trying to figure out what Paul meant when he said he didn’t judge himself. Bible-readers know a lot about Paul’s history, and we can come up with plenty of reasons why he might have judgmental, condemning thoughts about himself and his past actions. He persecuted the church of God! Shouldn’t he judge himself for that? And yet it seems that he didn’t.

What did Paul mean when he said “I do not even judge myself”? And what might that mean for us as we look back on our own past sins and failures?

Judicial Investigation of the Self

Paul spends quite a bit of time in his epistles talking about judgement–judgements we’re supposed to make as we exercise discernment, judgements we shouldn’t make since we’re not permitted to condemn others, and judgements that God will make of us at the end times. There are only three passages that I’ve found where Paul specifically addresses self-judgement. We could perhaps include passages about self-examination, but that seems to be a separate concept.

The three passages we’ll look at all use the Greek word krino or one of its derivatives. This word means “to judge, to form an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case,” and it can include the passing of judgment as well (Zodhiates’ Word Study Dictionary, entry G2919). A related word, which Paul uses in the passage where he says he doesn’t judge himself, is anakrino. This word means “to judicially investigate,” “examine accurately and carefully,” and “to question in order to pass a judicial sentence” (Zodhiates, G350).

So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged (anakrino) by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge (anakrino) myself.For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges (anakrino) me is the Lord.So then, do not judge (krino)anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5, NET

For context, Paul has been talking about divisions in the church (1 Cor. 1:10-17; 2:1-5; 3:1-9) and the need for individuals to take responsibility for their own spiritual journeys (1 Cor. 2:6-16; 3:10-23). We belong to God and ought to follow Him, not some human no matter how impressive his qualifications. So now here in 1 Corinthians 4:1-21, Paul is talking about the apostles’ ministry using a courtroom analogy. He doesn’t care if others presume to “judicially investigate him,” and he doesn’t do that to himself either–that’s something he leaves to God because He’s the one with the perspective needed to pass an accurate and righteous judgment. Finally, Paul gives us warning not to judge (krino) anything before the Lord comes and reveals “the motives of hearts.”

Image of scales, with text from 1 Cor. 4:3-4, CJB version: "And it matters very little to me how I am evaluated by you or by any human court; in fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against me, but this does not make me innocent. The one who is evaluating me is the Lord." — Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Taking a Proper View of Ourselves

Later in this same letter, Paul returns to the idea of judging ourselves when he’s talking about Passover. This is one of the self-examination passages I mentioned earlier (1 Cor. 11:26-30), but it also talks about self-judgement. Paul starts wrapping that discussion up with these lines:

But if we examined ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32, NET

“Examined” here is diakrino, and Zodhiates says that in this verse it could be translated “if we took a proper view” or “formed a just estimate of ourselves” (G1253). More generally, it means “to separate thoroughly, discriminate, make to differ, judge thoroughly.” It seems from these verses that there is a certain type of self-judgment Paul encourages, but it’s one that involves seeing ourselves accurately rather than seeking to condemn. It works alongside God’s accurate judgement (krino) to make us more and more like Him.

When Paul says he doesn’t judge himself, it doesn’t mean he ignores who he is. He knows he persecuted the church and is only an apostle by God’s grace (1 Cor. 15:9-10; Eph. 3:8). He realizes that he needs to keep moving forward in faith with Jesus’s righteousness applied to him, not become complacent (Phil. 3:8-14). But he doesn’t let a realistic look at himself lead to getting stuck in self-condemnation. Paul knows he has received God’s grace. He knows he has righteousness that comes from Jesus. That’s what lets him say he doesn’t judge himself and isn’t aware of any charge against him.

For us, this seems to indicate that we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over past mistakes. When God says He has removed our sins and forgiven us, He really means it (Ps. 103:12; Rom. 3:25). He’s not going to say our sins are gone, covered and paid in full by Jesus’s blood and then hold those over us in a judicial examination of our character. We need to have a realistic view of ourselves and not forget the things that we once did (so that we can learn from them, not do them again, and appreciate the magnitude of God’s forgiveness), but we’re not to keep judging ourselves for things in our pasts.

Avoiding Judgmental Doubt

Image of a judge's gavel with the blog's title text and the words "What did Paul mean when he said 'I do not even judge myself'? And what might it mean for us as we look back on our own past sins and failures?" — Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

The final passage where Paul talks about self-judgement is found in Romans. For context, this is the section in chapter 14 where Paul is discussing mutual respect in the church. He exhorts readers not to judge others, but rather to take a close look at their own lives. “Each of us will give an account of himself to God,” and we ought to care more about that than pointing condemning fingers at God’s other servants. It’s our responsibility to “be fully convinced in” our own minds about the choices we make and act in a way guided by faith. (Rom. 14:1-12). We’re also to respect when people make other choices in matters where God hasn’t given clear guidelines one way or the other (the example Paul uses here is eating meat vs. eating only vegetables). Whichever choice we make, though, we need to be careful we don’t act in a way that causes others to stumble. Indeed, we ought to refrain from doing anything that would harm other believers (Rom. 14:13-21).

The faith you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not judge (krino) himself by what he approves. But the man who doubts is condemned (katakrinio) if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Romans 14:22-23, NET

Since it’s linked to doubt, it seems here that not judging yourself is basically the same thing as not letting doubt take you to the point where you aren’t even walking in faith anymore. If we take self-judgement to an unhealthy extreme, then we could be so caught-up in it that we can’t live the vibrant lives of faith that God has planned for us. That leads to being “condemned;” another derivative of krino. It means “to pronounce sentence against, condemn, adjudge guilty” (Zodhiates G2632) and “to judge worthy of punishment” (Thayer).

It’s not easy to live a life of faith if we’re constantly second-guessing and beating ourselves up. Self-examination is vital, and when we discover something in ourselves that isn’t in line with God’s righteousness a certain amount of self-judgment can be productive if it brings us to repentance. But constant self-judgment–condemning ourselves for sins Jesus has already removed or questioning every choice over and over–is not productive. We don’t need to keep tormenting ourselves with past mistakes. Focus on actively engaging in your relationship with God, striving to follow Jesus’s example, and faithfully repenting when you miss the mark. Then, as Paul did, leave the judgement on your life in God’s hands.

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Featured image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship