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LESSON 1:
It's just one
verse of Scripture.
But so powerful!
"And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32
It belongs to the
family of what I call the "one another" verses of Scripture.
There are over
twelve of them!
Notice with me
that little pronoun "another."
It is spelled "allelon"
in Greek and specifically means "another of the same kind!"
Did you get that?
OF THE SAME KIND!
Had the Holy
Spirit been wanting to say "another of a different kind" He
would have used the word "heteros."
For example ...
two apples, when compared, are of the same kind! (That's "allelon.")
But an apple and
a ten dollar bill, when compared, are of a different kind!
(That's "heteros.")
When Ephesians
4:32 tells us to be kind to "one another," Paul has in mind
others of the same kind ... other Believers in Christ! Others
who are saved by the Grace of God!
Now, this is NOT
teaching that we can be unkind to the lost, to unbelievers!
No!
But it
is clearly
saying that we have a mandate, a command, to be kind to other
brothers and sisters in Christ!
Elsewhere in the
New Testament our truth is expressed in a slightly different
way: "As
we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of
faith."
Galatians 6:10
Be good to
everyone ("heteros") ... but especially to those who are "in the
family of Christ" ("allelon").
So ... when it
comes to our behavior to other Christians ... we are to be kind
and tenderhearted and forgiving!
When it comes to
the lost ... pray for their salvation and witness to them when
possible!
Therefore
Ephesians 4:32 is written as an "in-house memo!"
And its practice
should be most evident at such places as the House of God
(Church) and within the walls of the Christian home (your house
or mine) and anywhere else Believers in Christ meet!
In fact, if we
truly lived in this kind of loving spirit ... many more sinners
would be saved!
"By this
shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35
By the way, "another" is "allelon!"
Yes, it's just
one verse of Scripture.
But ... again ...
I say, "It's a powerful one!"
"And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32
Let's live it
today!
But, Preacher
Bagwell, this is Tuesday! It's not a night that we go to
Church!
No, but it is
a night that we go HOME!
And for most of
us ... fellow "Believers" live there too! Our husbands or wives
and, in many cases, our children too!
We can surely be
kind and tenderhearted and forgiving to them!
I think our Bible
Study today got dangerously close to "preaching" instead of
"teaching!"
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2:
"Be ye kind!"
Sounds like such an elementary command.
"Be ye kind one to another!"
What Preacher would use such simple words?
Aren't we to preach about grand and glorious
themes such as redemption, propitiation and sanctification, to
list just a few?
I'll give you the
name of the Preacher!
Paul, the great
Apostle!
He taught
"kindness" everywhere he went.
Listen to him:
"And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32
Now ... since we
Christians are to "be kind," let's examine that key expression.
First of all, the
verb.
"Be ye" expresses
the meaning of a Greek word "ginomai." As used in our verse it
is an imperative mood, present tense, middle voice, second
person plural construction.
It means "to
become" or "to happen" to to "be created" or "to be made." It
is even 3 times in the King James Bible rendered as "be
married!"
Get this. We as
Believers were not naturally born with such kindness! No! It
became ours when we were BORN again! God created such kindness
in us by the Holy Spirit's power and indwelling! Furthermore,
we are to be (as it were) so in love with such kindness that it
is as if we were married to it! Inseparable with it!
Constantly being companions ... you and kindness!
It being in the
present tense suggests to us that this kindness is an on-going
attribute. Not be kind for a week then revert to meanness!
Kindness as a lifestyle! Perpetual sweetness!
Also the verb,
being an imperative, demands that we obey it! It is a
requirement for us to be kind! A law of God! We must!
The middle voice
reveals that such "being" (being kind) will impact us as
we do so! True, your kindness will certainly influence and
encourage the recipient ... but your kindness will also change
YOU ... for the better! Practice this "kindness" way of life
... and you will GROW in the Lord! You will be transformed!
Then the person
and number ... 2nd plural ... tells us that Paul is writing the
whole Church congregation in Ephesus, all of them! He is not
just telling the preacher to be kind, for example. Everybody
who is saved in all that Assembly is "be kind one to another!"
The Holy Spirit
has placed all this detail into just one little verb! "Ginomai,"
or in King James English, "be kind" is loaded with significant
meaning ... and responsibility!
I'm almost afraid
to go to the next word today.
It may be "too
much."
The word?
"Kind!"
Better wait until
tomorrow, Lord willing!
But until then
... there are just some things we Christian must "be" ... and
kind is one of them!
Good day, kind
Brethren and Sisters in Christ!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
What does it
mean to be "kind?"
We Christians
need to know ... because we are commanded to be that way, kind!
"And be ye
kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
Ephesians 4:32
The adjective
"kind" is specifically used here because "chrestos," its Greek
equivalent, is found in the Textus Receptus. That's the
Greek manuscript from which our King James Bible is translated.
"Chrestos" has
a considerable number of meanings and in Scripture is used as:
"kind" twice, then as "easy" and "better"
and "goodness" and "good" and "gracious"
once each! Seven times in all.
It was used of
apples ... when they became sweet and mellow!
It implied to
the Greek mind a quality that could not be harsh or bitter ...
only gentle and mild!
Jesus said:
"My yoke is
easy, and my
burden is light." Now, "easy" in His statement is
our word "chrestos." Matthew 11:30
Watch this
one: "No man also having drunk old
wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is
better."
(Here, "better" = "chrestos") That older wine had
sweetened and lost its sharp taste! It must have been like
well prepared grape juice.
When we are
told to be "kind" to each other, we are simply being commanded
to live in a God-like manner: "But
love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing
again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the
children of the Highest: for he is
kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."
Luke 6:35
In Romans 2:4
God's goodness is again mentioned:
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance
and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Here
"goodness" can influence behavior and belief and lifestyle!
"Be not deceived: evil communications
corrupt
good manners," thunders First Corinthians 15:33!
"Manners" is literally our word "ethics!" We Believers are
to live a "chrestos" flavored life!
And finally,
in 1st Peter 2:2-3 ... "As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious." Anyone who has spiritually
"tasted the Lord" knows! He is "chrestos!"
Our adjective
today ("chrestos"), in its noun form ("chrestotes") means
kindness too. And once it is even translated as
"gentleness."
Paul told the
Colossians to "wear" (to "put on") a good layer of "kindness"
before leaving home each day! "Put
on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
Colossians 3:12
And let me
quickly tell you Who real Kindness is! Jesus! Jesus
Christ, the Son of God! Rather, let me say Jesus Christ
Who is God the Son! That's what Paul means in Titus 3:4
... "But after that the
kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared." Yes, He did!
Yet, as far as
lost unsaved men and women are concerned,
"They are all gone out of the way, they are together become
unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12) The
verb "doeth" here means habitual action, the practice of
doing kind things! Sinners can't keep up with such a
lifestyle!
And ... Paul
invites us to: "Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God!" The Lord
saved the Gentiles and (temporarily) cast away Israel! So
... God, based upon mankind's rebellion (against God) or
submission (to God), has both "goodness" ("chrestotes" ... the
noun form) and "severity" that He can dispense. Two sides
to the Divine Nature!
Paul
considered himself, a Spirit filled Preacher, to be saturated
with "kindness!" See 2nd Corinthians 6:6!
But where is
all this KINDNESS coming from?
Where (Who) is
The Reservoir?
Here's our
Answer: "But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith ...." Galatians
5:22
We are gentle
and kind ... because He is first gentle and kind!
The Psalmist
once even says to God: "Thy
gentleness
hath made me great." (Psalm
18:35) It is so! (The word "great" here has the idea
of growth and expansion and betterment in every proper area of
life!)
Folks, let's
be bathed in His kindness as we live our lives on earth ... all to
the glory of God!
What a
difference that will make!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
An interesting
little Bible word is "tenderhearted." I mean as it is used in
Ephesians 4:32. "And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
In Greek the word
is "eusplagchnos." It literally means "bowels" or
"intestines!" The prefix "eu" means strong and well (good)
bowels or intestines!
What has that got
to do with anything spiritual?
Well, to the
ancient minds of these first century Greeks and Romans, one's
feelings, his or her "deepest" feelings, sprang from his (not
heart, not brain, not mouth, but ...) innermost organs! From
his insides! From his intestines! The old timers in bygone
days used to speak of "gut" feelings. That's the same idea as
this!
So ... as one
would expect ... "eusplagchnos" came to mean "full of
compassion" or "full of pity."
The word as an
adjective is only used twice in the whole New Testament. Here
in Ephesians 4:32 it is "tenderhearted" and in 1 Peter 3:8 it is
"pitiful."
Paul and Peter
are telling us that we should "feel love and concern" for one
another ... expressing it from deep within our beings! The
intestines are pretty deep!
As a noun our
word occurs more frequently in the Bible. As such it is
rendered "tender mercy" and "inward affection" and "bowels."
It is also found
as a verb in Scripture. Then it is "have compassion" or "be
moved with compassion" or some similar expression.
Are we caring ...
for one another?
Really caring
with concern and love?
If not, we lack
"tenderheartedness."
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
We Christians have been forgiven!
Sins gone!
Washed away by
the Blood of Jesus!
Therefore ... we
are also to forgive one another!
"And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you." Ephesians 4:32
Of all the New
Testament's "one another" statements (over a dozen of them),
this one is fundamental to right living in our Christian
communities.
"Forgiving one another."
Since this clause
opens with a participle, it is dependent on some other verb in
the sentence for further structure. That verb is
"be ye," back at the first of
Paul's great verse.
"Be ye" is in Greek "ginomai" and
is in the imperative mood, present tense, and middle voice.
It is COMMANDED that we be "forgiving one
another!"
All the time!
(That's the meaning of present tense.)
Realizing that
such forgiving will also change our own lives in the process!
(Hence, middle voice.)
Our forgiving
each other is a requirement of Christianity!
Now to look at
the precise word.
"Forgiving" is "charizomai"
and is a present participle also in the middle voice (2nd person
plural). This forgiving is to be an on-going lifestyle
with each of us! And these words are addressed to all
Christians, not just one believer somewhere back in the first
century!
Also "charizomai"
the participle (verbal in nature) ... is simply an "action" form
of the noun "charis." That's the word for Grace! In
a rather elementary way I will explain it this way: We are
told to "grace" one another with forgiveness! To "grace" away
the offenses and shortcomings and unkind acts others may direct
our way!
And why are we to
live in this manner?
"Because the Lord
God Almighty has "graced away" our sins in the first place!
"Even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you."
We forgive others
... because He first forgave us!
There's just no
place for us Believers to carry grudges ... harbor mean spirits
or nurse bitter attitudes!
And just in case
you think this is unimportant --- read Jesus' words in Matthew
6:15. "But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." This rule is written to folks who are
already saved --- "your Father!"
Enough has been
said!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
The Cross of Jesus is the central
Truth in all of Christianity!
Without the
Virgin born Son of God dying on that Cross, we could certainly
not have been saved.
Jesus' shed Blood
washes away our sin and iniquity!
Let me today just
show you how the Cross ... Jesus' vicarious Sacrifice on Calvary
... not only is essential for our salvation, but for our godly
daily living too!
Paul the Apostle,
in Ephesians 4:32, makes several amazing statements. One of
them is pertinent to today's discussion.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you."
You will see that
I have capitalized those last few words.
We as Believers
can forgive one another ... because ... God, for the sake of our
Lord Jesus Christ, has forgiven us!
And HOW did God
the Father forgive us for Christ's sake? Through Jesus' death
on the Cross of Calvary! The Sacrifice of His precious Blood!
Here's how it
looks in capsule form: Jesus is God! Jesus came to earth as
God via the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus lived without sin
His entire earthly life. Jesus willingly died on the Cross ...
as a Divine Substitute for you and me. We are saved as the
Spirit of God draws us to Christ. When we believe on Him,
repenting of our sins, He places us in His Family, redeeming us
forever!
Then ... as
Christians ... we are to love other brothers and sister in the
Lord (our new spiritual family) ... being kind to them and
forgiving them! Specifically, we are urged to forgive them
... simply because God made it possible to forgive us ...
through Jesus' Blood centered death on Golgotha's Hill!
See that?
I can live in
harmony with my brethren, because Jesus died on the Cross?
That's CALVARY
permeating a daily area of my life!
And Paul does
this again and again!
He teaches us to
have victory over those pesky little sins (those that so easily
beset us) by crucifying them! Even as Jesus died on the Cross
... we can crucify ourselves, mortifying the sins of the flesh!
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid
with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Mortify therefore
your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness,
inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God
cometh on the children of disobedience." Colossians
3:3-6
Again, Paul tells
us that the Christian life itself cannot be
lived apart from Jesus' completed work on Calvary!
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and
the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
He next took this
so far that he indicated everything in his life revolved
around the Cross!
"But God forbid that I should glory, save
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is
crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Galatians 6:14
So ... should we
ever have difficulty forgiving some fellow Christian ... just
go to the old rugged Cross! Through the witness of Scripture
and the leading of the Holy Spirit, just ponder what happened
There ... how God forgave us ... and you will have no trouble
forgiving others!
What a lesson!
Even when we get
to Heaven ... and see Jesus, He will be partly identified by His
"marks" from that old rugged Cross. "And
I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood
a Lamb as it had been
slain." Revelation 5:6
Our very
rejoicing in Glory will be based upon His death too!
"Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honour, and glory, and blessing." Revelation 5:12
Without the Cross
... Christianity could not exist!
And without that
Cross ... no harmony would be enjoyed in our Christian lives and
homes and churches either. At least ... no Holy Spirit induced
harmony!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
ephesians 4:32 ... it is just one short verse, but contains
volumes of truth! this is the case with all the bible,
which is verbally inspired of god!
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