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UNFORGIVABLE (SIN)

‘Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.’  (Luke 12:10)

The Greek word for the verb translated ‘forgiven’ is ἀφίημι aphiémi, from apó ‘away from’ and hiémi ‘send away, release or discharge’.  In this the verb directly mirrors the English word which comes from the Anglo-Saxon forgiefan, a combination of the prefix for ‘away’ and giefan ‘to give’.  For God to forgive then denotes the process where he relinquishes or ‘gives away’ His right to punish those that wrong him.  

Jesus declares…

‘Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man…’  (Mark 3:28a)

The Apostle Paul knew that his crimes against God were grave, yet he tells his pupil…

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  (1 Timothy 1:15)

And when he says ‘save’, he means save from rightful punishment.  The Gospel of Christ declares the guilty go unpunished, while the punishment is borne by God the Father’s guiltless Son, thus the just God is propitiated.  But Jesus also says that not that all punishment can be waived.  

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HATE (mortality)

 ‘Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’  (John 12:25).  

The word ‘hate’ translates the verb μισέω miseó and it embraces both the unconditional: ‘detest’ and comparative: ‘love less than’.

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GOSPEL (of Christ)

…If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 

(Galatians 1:9)

Taken from the Anglo Saxon godes spell, ‘good words or speech’ the English language derives the word ‘gospel’.  The Greek word translated ‘gospel’ is εὐαγγελίζεται euangelizetai, stands for the act of good speaking, literally communicating a good message.  And for Paul, the message was sacrosanct and if any choose to deliver a different ‘gospel’, one did so at your eternal peril.

Twice Paul offers this imprecation at the beginning of Galatians.  To Paul it was a serious matter to understand and communicate the gospel without deviation or corruption.

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STRUGGLE

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrew 12:4)

The Greek word translated ‘struggle’ is ἀνταγωνίζομαι  antagónizomai, from anti ‘against’ and agónizomai ‘contend with’, whence English derives the verb ‘to agonise’.  The common usage of agónizomai was in the context of warfare or an athletic contest, and it refers to the physical, mental and emotional exertion in contending with an enemy.

The writer of Hebrews references Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, who –

knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  (Luke 22:42-46)

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Mother(hood)

The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.  (Genesis 3:20)

When God created Adam and then for him a helpmeet, the woman, they were under no immediate obligation to procreate.  They were perfect in every way and there was no disease.  Adam and the woman would represent humanity and be undying.

Eternal beings are then created and nowhere in the Bible do the angels procreate; rather they are brought into being as celestial host and endure.

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