3:9
Again we have quite direct talk about the “Jews” , they said to be of the “synagogue of Satan”, they are not Jews, and are liars. What is this all about? They were claiming that they, not the Christians were the people of God, and that Judaism was the only way to God. Christ’s judgement upon them would be that they would bow down to the Christians and admit that Jesus has loved them. We react against such direct and (to our ears) harsh language. That is because we have not been through persecution, and do not appreciate what the gospel is really about. Of course, we must at the same time remember Jesus’ command to love our enemies and pray for them.
3:10
The Philadelphian Christians had observed Jesus’ command to endure patiently. So He promises to keep them from the hour of trial. The Greek here can also be translated “temptation” as well as “trial”. The difference is not that great, for trials bring temptations. We should also note that while we must be prepared to endure trials at various times, sometimes of great severity, there are also times when He spares us from trials. Here Jesus speaks of a trial that is going to come upon the whole earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment