Psalm 2:1

Psalm 2:1

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

a. Psalm 2 is a Messianic Psalm written by David about 3000 years ago.  Prophetically it speaks about the second person of the Triune Godhead becoming man and eventually King over the earth and we know of course it is speaking of Jesus. Psalm 2 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Different verses of the Psalm are quoted or alluded to 16 times in the New Testament.

1). Matthew 3:17; 17:5 Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 1:49; Acts 4:25, 26; 13:33; Hebrews 1:2, 5; 5:5; Revelation 2:26, 27; 11:18; 12:5; 19:15.

 b. Psalm 2 though is not only a Messianic Psalm, but also a prophetic warning to the Gentile nations to serve the LORD Jesus Christ IN THE CHURCH AGE! This is established by the fact the passage was quoted by the Apostles in the book of Acts thus placing it in the Church Age.

1). Acts 4:23-30 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

c. The warning is clearly to the Gentile nations, it is the heathen who are raging and imagining a vain thing not Israel. The questions asked are, “Why do the heathen rage?” and, “Why do the people imagine a vain thing?” Before we address the questions, a look at the Hebrew definitions is needed.

1). heathen [1471 * goy] [Strongs: A foreign nation, hence a gentile] [D.C. Note: Foreign in respect to Israel. We are the heathen!]

2). rage [7283 * regash] [Strongs: To be tumultuous, rage.]

3). imagine [1897 * ragah] [Strongs: To murmur, in pleasure or anger.]

4). vain [7385 * riyq] [Strongs: Emptiness, fig., a worthless thing, in vain, empty, no purpose.

d. Both questions can be answered by looking at Scripture. Becoming vain occurs after truth and light are rejected.

1). 2 Kings 17:15 “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.”

2). Romans 1:21 “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

3). In both of the above examples, the truth and light of God’s word were rejected and as a result, worthless thinking followed.

e. The effects of rejecting light are clear. There are three of them.

1). A mind void of judgment: Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

a). reprobate [96 * adokimos; a-without; dokimos-acceptable] [Zodhiates: Unapproved, unworthy, rejected, cast away. In Romans 1:28, an active usage meaning, undiscerning, not distinguishing, void of judgment.]

b). A mind that makes wrong decisions. Decisions worthy of rejection, decisions rejected and unapproved from God’s perspective.

c). When men and women reject light and truth, the results will show up in their lives. It is just the same as walking around in the dark, we will be constantly running into things and falling down. Some things will be minor, while some will be extremely serious to the point of losing our lives.

2). Captivity: Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

3). Destruction: Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

f. The Scriptures given above further establish this warning is to the nations in the Church Age because before light can be rejected it had to have been received. This fact will be further established in notes concerning Psalm 2:3. These principles can be applied to the individual, to families, and churches, but also to society as a whole. Every institution and everything created by God are all subject to his will, they are all subject to spiritual law, they are all subject to the effects of rejecting the word of God.

2 Timothy 3:5

2 Timothy 3:5

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

a. NLT: They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

b. NIV: having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: having a form of piety, and its power having denied; and from these be turning away,

d. Amplified Bible: For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

e. Worrell Translation: having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from these also turn away.

1. “Having a form of godliness…”

a. having [2192 * echo] [Strong: including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; (used in certain tenses only) a primary verb; to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, contiuity, relation, or condition):--be (able, X hold, possessed with), accompany, + begin to amend, can(+ -not), X conceive, count, diseased, do + eat, + enjoy, + fear, following, have, hold, keep, + lack, + go to law, lie, + must needs, + of necessity, + need, next, + recover, + reign, + rest, + return, X sick, take for, + tremble, + uncircumcised, use.]

b. form [3446 * morphosis] [Zodhiates: To form…it denotes primarily the process or activity of forming and shaping. In 2 Timothy 3:5, morphosis is used ironically referring to that godliness which is merely a form and simply an external appearance. Such godliness is a sham and devoid of any real power to break the power of sin.]

c. of godliness [2150 * eusebeia] [Zodhiates: The word eusebeia literally means well directed reverence, but does not imply an inward, inherent holiness. It is actually an externalized piety. Paul uses it only in the Pastoral Epistles.]

1). A shocking realization is that these appear to be church folks, professing Christians, pretend Christians that have a mere outward appearance of godliness, of Christianity. Jesus spoke very strongly to those who just try to clean up the outside and neglect the inside.

a). Matthew 23:25-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

b). The people Paul is writing about are nothing more than New Testament Pharisees.

2). In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul speaks of true godliness and encourages Timothy to live in it. I cannot remember where I got the following definition of godliness, but it is a good one. Please forgive me for not remembering the source. Godliness is a “well directed reverence that springs from an internal holiness, a behavior that springs from a sanctified heart and spirit.” It is a life lived in obedience to the Scriptures.

a).  1 Timothy 4:7-9 But refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

3). In 2 Timothy 3:5 Paul is speaking of “form of godliness” that is just an outward show, a godliness without a relationship. I am not speaking here of individuals who are struggling with sin and are crying out for help. We are surely commanded to come along side of them and pray, comfort, direct and help them. I am speaking of people who attend churches and they are never changed for the better because their ministers do not preach the Scriptures. In America, there are 23 million men and women boys and girls, who attend churches governed by administrations that are pro-abortion. Within these same churches and others like them are millions of church folk who do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. They believe that modern man has more knowledge than the writers of the Scriptures and as such they have in some cases contempt for many of the positions of Scripture, such as the value of human life and Biblical morality.

2. “…but denying the power thereof:…”

a. denying [720 * armomai] [Zodhiates: Used as with something as its objective, to reject anything, retract, renounce, deny, disown, depending on the context.

1). We can deny God by our works.

a). Titus 1:15, 16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

b). Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

b. power [1411 * dunamis] [Zodhiates: Power, especially achieving power.]

1). Surely part of their denial centers on the effects of godliness that the Apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Timothy 4:8, “having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” They are those who deny the benefit in living a godly life now and/or deny the life to come. Personally I would stay as far away from these pretend Christians and their churches as I could get.

c. thereof [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). Believing the gospel of Jesus Christ brings the power of God to bear on any situation, any need, including resisting temptation to sin.

a). Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

2). The power of the gospel will free men and women from any sin or any bondage.

a). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

3). These people have a form of godliness but they deny the power of it, by walking in the fleshly characteristics mentioned in the first 4 verses of the chapter. There are other ways of denying the power of God, such as denying the New Birth, denying the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, denying the inspiration and authority of Scripture. The NLT reads, “they will reject the power that could make them holy.” All of the things mentioned that God wants to bless the world or the church is rejected by these individuals.

4). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 7/13/14  Included in Paul’s graphic description of the “perilous” characteristics of the “last days” (not the church age, since the prophesied last days were still future when he wrote of them in his last epistle, 2 Timothy 3:1-3) is this warning concerning the religious leaders of the last days. They would observe the outward form (church buildings, sacraments, religious services, etc.) of “godliness” (that is, “religion”), but would reject its supernatural aspects. They would desire the trappings of religious professionalism since they would be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (v. 4). Such specifications aptly describe the modern world of scientism and liberal theology, which pervades practically all religious denominations and overlaps with all kinds of liberal social movements (women’s liberation, gay rights, “New Age” pantheism, and others). Although these are widely diverse in structure and purpose, they all share one vital feature in common: They reject supernatural Christianity, especially literal creationism. Many liberal preachers give nominal allegiance to the teachings of Christ and the Bible, but they invariably deny the mighty power of God in special creation, as well as the great worldwide miracles of the Bible—the Flood, the dispersion, etc. This prophecy is not given in Scripture simply as a matter of information. It contains a warning urgently needed by Bible-believing Christians who are under pressure today to compromise with humanistic liberals on this great doctrine of God’s creative power. Many have accepted the evolutionary system of “ages geology,” and this is tragic and dangerous. Instead of compromising with evolutionary naturalists and religious liberals, as many evangelicals today are inclined to do, Paul warns: “From such turn away!” HMM

3. “…from such turn away.”

a. from [2532 * kai] [Strong: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. such [5128 * toutous] [Strong: accusative case plural masculine of 3778; these (persons, as objective of verb or preposition):--such, them, these, this.]

c. turn away [665 * apotrepo; apo-from; trepo-to turn] [Zodhiates: To turn away from, avoid, shun.]

1). It reads like I am to shun these so-called Christians who habitually exhibit these characteristics, I am not to associate with such people. I personally believe that churches that do uphold the Scriptures should not work with churches that do not uphold the Scriptures. There are other examples but one that comes up first is Pro life churches should not work together with churches that are pro-abortion. We are also to avoid individuals who divide through their doctrines.

a). Romans 16:17, 18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

2). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 1/20/13 The Lord is long-suffering, and those who speak in His name should be also. There do come times, however, when further witness becomes useless or even harmful, or when continued interaction merely invites contamination with ungodliness. In such cases we must simply leave such people alone, following them with prayer and trusting God alone to deal with them. Such was the ten-tribe nation of Israel, led by the tribe of Ephraim, just before God sent them into Assyrian captivity. God, through the prophet Hosea, told Judah in Hosea 4:17 [“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.”] they were hopelessly given over to pagan evolutionist idolatry. The words "joined to" in today’s verse mean, literally, "under the spell of." The Lord Jesus used similarly harsh language in reference to the hypocritical Pharisees of His own day: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14). There are other similar warnings. Of those who come, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," Paul says, "from such turn away" (2 Timothy 3:5). He has also warned us to "shun profane and vain babblings |that is, the empty philosophizing of those who reject God|: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Timothy 2:16). "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). Most, if not all, such warnings seem in context to apply especially to people who once knew and understood the truth, perhaps even professing to accept it for a time, and then knowingly rejected it. When such men oppose our testimony, God says to let them alone; He can deal with them better than we. HMM

2 Timothy 3:4

2 Timothy 3:4

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;

a. NLT: They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

b. NIV: treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—

c. Young’s Literal Translation: traitors, heady, lofty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,

d. Amplified Bible: [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

e. Worrell Translation: traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;

1. “Traitors…”

a. traitors [4273 * predates] [Zodhiates: A betrayer, traitor.] [Strong: from 4272 (in the sense of giving forward into another's (the enemy's) hands); a surrender:--betrayer, traitor.]

1). Acts 7:52 “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:”

2). Luke 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

2. “…heady…”

a. heady [4312 * propetes; pro-forward; pipto-to fall] [Zodhiates: Rash, careless, it characterizes someone who rushes headlong or out of control into matters.] [Strong: from a derivative of 5188; to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figuratively) to inflate with self-conceit:--high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud.]

3. “…high minded…”

a. high minded [5187 * tuphoo] [Zodhiates: To swell or inflate with pride.]

1). We are warned against this sin because it was what caused Lucifer’s fall.

a). 1 Timothy 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

4. “…lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;”

a. lovers or pleasure [5369 * philedonos; philos-loving; hedone-pleasure.] [Strong: from 5384 and 2237; fond of pleasure, i.e. voluptuous:--lover of pleasure.]

1). The Greek word translated “lovers of pleasure” as shown above is a compound word. The one Greek word for “pleasure” is the same word translated “pleasures” in Luke 8:14 below. All of these characteristics that describe these “believers” are nothing but lusts of the flesh lived out in their daily lives and described in Galatians, of which Christians are not to allow in their lives. These believers are riddled with them.

a). Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

2). Love of pleasure is a lust that will choke the effectiveness of God out in my life.

a). Mark 4:18, 19 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

b). Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.  

c. lovers of God [5377 * philotheos; philos-lover; theos-God.]

1). Romans 5:5 says, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” But that love can be choked out by the thorns mentioned in Mark and Luke. This list of descriptions would not be so shocking if not for the fact that he is referring to last day Christians. No matter if it is for good or evil, we are changed from the inside first, then we are changed on the outside. In the case of these Christians, they opened the door by yielding little by little to these ungodly characteristics. Either that or they allowed them to stay in their heart. I am reminded of what happened to Israel when they went into the promised land, how God warned them to drive out all the inhabitants and not make any leagues with them.

a). Numbers 33:50-53, 55, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

33:51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

33:52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places;

33:53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

2). Every one of the ungodly characteristics mentioned in 2 Timothy 3 can be shown in other areas of Scripture, that they are not to be in our lives as believers. More than a few are mentioned in Titus 3:3.

a). Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

3). In context it is said as being before the born again experience.

a). Titus 3:4, 5 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

4). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have been given an inheritance, not only of heaven as our home, but also to live free and overcoming lives that glorify God and Jesus by living free from the pollutions of the world, and the lusts of the flesh.

2 Timothy 1:1

2 Timothy 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

a. NLT: This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.

b. NIV: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

    

c. YLT: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, according to a promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

e. Worrell Translation: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus

f. Wuest Translation: Paul, an ambassador of Christ Jesus through the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.

1. “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…”

a. Paul [Strong: 3972 Paulos pow'-los of Latin origin; (little; but remotely from a derivative of 3973, meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle:--Paul, Paulus.]

b. an apostle [Strong: 652  apostolos ap-os'-tol-os from 649; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers):--apostle, messenger, he that is sent.] [Zodhiates: Used as a substitute, one sent, apostle, ambassador. The Lord chose the term apostoloi to indicate the distinctive relation of the Twelve Apostles whom he chose to be His witnesses…it designates the office as instituted by Christ to witness of Him before the world. It also designates the authority which those called to this office possess. It was the distinctive name of the Twelve Apostles originally. However, the denomination seems from the very beginning to have been applied in a much wider sense, to…Paul and Barnabas Acts 14:4, 14, of Andronicus and Junia, Romans 16:7.]

1). The Apostle is one of the five fold ministry.

a). Ephesians 4:8, 11, 12 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors; and teachers;”

4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

b). Since there are still Pastors and Teachers and Evangelists, why not Prophets and Apostles? There are! God is in the process of reinstituting these offices to the Church.

2). Paul was called to be an apostle.

a). Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

3). The apostle to the Gentiles.

a). 2 Timothy 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

4). Every Gentile who ever got saved through the New Covenant and by reading and understanding the 14 letters of Paul, became established in who they are in Christ. This was accomplished because of the ministry of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul.

a). 2 Timothy 4:17 “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear…”

5). His calling was given before he was born.

a). Galatians 1:15, 16 But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I may preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

c. of Jesus [Strong: 2424 Iesous ee-ay-sooce' of Hebrew origin (3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites:--Jesus.]

d. Christ [Strong: 5547 Christos khris-tos' from 5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.]

e. by [Strong: 1223 dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

f. the will [Strong: 2307 thelema thel'-ay-mah from the prolonged form of 2309; a determination (properly, the thing), i.e. (actively) choice (specially, purpose, decree; abstractly, volition) or (passively) inclination:-- desire, pleasure, will.]

     

g. of God [Strong: 2316 os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Paul’s specific Apostleship to the Gentiles was mentioned to Paul by Christ Jesus when he was initially called on the road to Damascus. Notice closely the wording of Acts 26:17, 18.

a). Acts 26:13-18 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

2. “…according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.”

a. according to [Strong: 2596 kata kat-ah' a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):--about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) X alone, among, and, X apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), X aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, X more excellent, for, from ... to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), ... by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, X natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) X own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), X uttermost, where(-by), with. In composition it retains many of these applications, and frequently denotes opposition, distribution, or intensity.]

b. the promise [Strong: 1860  epaggelia ep-ang-el-ee'-ah from 1861; an announcement (for information, assent or pledge; especially a divine assurance of good):--message, promise.]

1). The promise of eternal life was promised before the world was created.

a). Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

b). 1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

2). This promise of eternal life is in Jesus Christ and only in him.

a). 1 John 5:11, 12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life.

c. of life [Strong: 2222 zoe dzo-ay' from 2198; life (literally or figuratively):--life(-time).]

d. which [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

e. is in [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

f. Christ [Strong: 5547 Christos khris-tos' from 5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.]

g. Jesus [Strong: 2424 Iesous ee-ay-sooce' of Hebrew origin (3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites:--Jesus.]