How do we know when God is speaking or when it is just our imagination?

How can we discern the voice of God?

Chad, I appreciate the question you have asked. Many people feel that they have heard God’s voice in different situations and times. When people recall a story from their past they might sometimes say, “I really felt like the Lord was saying to me…” So the question is: “How do we know the difference between God’s voice and our thoughts or imagination?

I insist that God has already spoken. I insist on finding the answer to this question from God’s Word. Here is my basic understanding of our human situation. We make errors. Even in matters that are insignificant or trivial, we still make errors. I have made the mistake of misunderstanding my wife when she tells me about a terrible day she has had. In my mind I am wondering, “Since she is telling me this she obviously wants me to do something about it.” Wrong! I assumed that she wanted a list of steps of how we could change the situation instead of simply offer emotional support. I misunderstood my wife.

Ok, why am I using this example? I am using it because my wife wasn’t intentionally trying to deceive me. The bible says that there is an unseen reality and in it there are good and evil beings. The supreme evil being is Satan and one of the most common qualities that the Bible ascribes to him is deception. He is a deceiver and the Father of lies. Now, since I misunderstand someone that I can physically see and hear how much easier would it be for me to misunderstand someone that I can’t see or hear? I think it would be pretty easy.

So, how do we know when God is really speaking to us? God is constantly speaking to us through his word. I believe that the word of God is God’s primary way of speaking to his people. Listen to what Hebrews tells us:

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son…” Hebrews 1:1-2

The important thing to understand from this passage is that there is a clear difference between the way God talked with his people in the past and the present. Further, it doesn’t comment on how God will speak in the future other than through his Son. We need nothing more than the written revelation of God to understand what God wants from our lives. I base this reason on the support of Scripture:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Think about the reason why we want to know if God is speaking to us. I’m guessing that you want to know because you want to obey God and live in obedience to Him. With that in mind look at the scripture again. It says that God has given us everything we need for a godly life THROUGH our KNOWLEDGE of HIM. Therefore what do we need for a godly life? Knowledge of who God is! The only source for true knowledge of God is found in His word. That is why there is such an emphasis on God’s word:

“All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all of God’s people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I could go on and on but I want us to look at the example of Jesus. People were always asking him about spiritual things or criticizing him for what he did. When Jesus was confronted about different matters many times he settled the matter based on what God had said in the Scriptures.

For example, one day the Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him why he and his disciples broke the tradition of the elders and didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before they ate. Jesus asked right back, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.'” (Matthew 15:1ff) In short, what these Pharisees had been doing was declaring their possessions as devoted only to God, so when their parent needed help financially they would say, “I can’t help you because everything I own is devoted for God’s use.” This was a tradition that wasn’t found in Scripture and because the Jews followed it they were guilty of disobeying God for not taking care of their parents. The command that was given by God was “honor your father and mother” (Deut. 5). Bottom line, Deuteronomy was written 1400 years before Jesus walked this earth, yet it was still the word of God that was to be obeyed.

Another great example is when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4). Satan came to Jesus to tempt him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus found insight on how he should respond to this temptation based on the teachings found in Scripture. “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” That is what God commanded in Deuteronomy 8:3. Satan then took Jesus to the highest point of the temple and told him to throw himself down because God promised to protect him. What did Jesus do? He guided his actions by the truth of Scripture, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test!” (Deut. 6:16). Satan gave it another shot and took Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and said that he would give them to Jesus if he would bow down and worship him. Jesus screamed, “Away from me Satan! FOR IT IS WRITTEN: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only!’” (Deut. 6:13). Jesus guided his actions by the one source that had the authority of God, the word of God.

Now let’s come back to our situation today. I simply want to ask you a question. Have you ever heard someone tell you that they felt God speaking to them and what they told you was in direct conflict with what the Bible teaches? For example, what if someone told you, “I’ve really been seeking God’s will on whether or not I should have sex with my girlfriend or wait and the other morning during my prayer time I heard God say to me that he wouldn’t be angry with me and that he understands me and that he actually made me to enjoy sex!”

How would you approach this person? I want to point out that unless we have an absolute standard then anything goes. I am thankful that God has given us his standard of truth and his will for our lives in Scripture. What does the word of God say? “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Is it possible for God’s will to change? No! God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

So the only way that we can be sure that God is talking to us is if that little voice in your head is in harmony with what God has spoken in Scripture. If it isn’t, don’t even think twice about listening to it.

Family

John 3:5- What does it mean to be born of water and Spirit?

I was talking with my good friend Nate who raised a question concerning the birth of water and Spirit spoken of in John 3:5. I believe that the birth of water and Spirit that Jesus spoke of is Christian baptism. The Greek construction of this passage lends support to this belief.

I will give the construction of the Greek text of John 3:5 and then translate it.

"απεκριθη Ιησους, Αμην αμην λεγω σοι, εαν μη τις γεννηθη εξ υδατος και πνευματος, ου δυναται εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου."

"Jesus answered, 'I certainly tell you, if one should not be born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.' "

The significance of the Greek construction is that the preposition "ek," which means out of, is not stated twice in the sentence; both before "water" and then also before "spirit." Instead, "ek" is used only once and then followed by both "water and spirit." To illustrate this distinction think of it like this: The passage does NOT read "...be born out of water and out of the Spirit" but it DOES read, "...be born out of water and the Spirit." When the preposition in Greek is followed by two objects it "may indicate that the author considered both objects as an undivided unit" (Young 87). David Black puts it this way, "Because a preposition tends to be repeated before each noun in a serious of nouns...sometimes the non-use of a second or third preposition ...may be significant, indicating that the writer regarded the terms in one list as belonging together in concept or reality." Black actually lists John 3:5 as an example and says that, " 'water and Spirit' together form a single means of regeneration" (87).

To sum it up, the birth talked about in John 3:5 is one birth that is composed of two elements: water and Spirit. Other passages in the New Testament shed light on a spiritual birth that is composed of both water and the Spirit. Acts 2:38 describes an event in which water and the Holy Spirit are combined in a single act to bring life, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Baptism is immersion, if you disagree refer to the word study I wrote on baptism. Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." The word for washing in this passage is "loutros" (λουτρος) which referred to a washing of the entire body.

I hope this is helpful and free of confusion but if it is confusing let me know and I will try my best to clear things up.
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Bibliography

Black, David Alan. It's Still Greek to Me. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

Young, Richard A. Intermediate New Testament Greek. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.

Can a Christian in Good Conscience Be Wealthy?

I'm sorry that I haven't updated my blog in a very long time but I have finally gotten to it. I wrote this paper for my Timothy and Titus class and my professor was specifically asking the question, "Can a minister in good conscience be weatlhy?" That is the focus of the paper but I want every Christian to understand that there is no distincion between "clergy" and "laity." All Christians are ministers. Yes there are leaders in the church but all Christians are called to holiness and the standard of holiness doesn't change because it is essentially God's unchanging nature. "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15-16). Therefore what is written in this paper applies to all Christians.

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“That disgusts me!” shouted my oldest sister Amelia as she told me about a preacher of a mega church who owned a brand new red Corvette and lived in a lavish multimillion dollar mansion. Why was that so repulsive to her? Is there a limit on what a minister can and cannot have? The root of all this is the question, “Can a minister in good conscience be wealthy?” Another question results from the first, “Would wealth likely help or hurt a person’s ministry?” The best place to look in order to find the answers to these questions is in the Scriptures; especially the Pastoral Epistles which Paul wrote to the young ministers Timothy and Titus.

It is important to establish whether or not church leaders should even receive pay in the first place. Paul clearly explains that Elders were to be paid. 1 Timothy 5:17 says that Elders who lead the church well are worthy of double honor. The word “honor” originally meant “to set a price on” indicating that honoring somebody involved pay (BDAG). It also meant showing respect for someone. In this context it is clear though that Paul specifically has in mind paying Elders, for he quotes Scripture to back up his point. He refers to the Old Covenant command that people weren’t to muzzle their ox while it was in the process of threshing grain; meaning it was to receive “pay” for its work. Jesus also explicitly says that a worker is worthy of his wage. The same is true for worker of the church; they are to receive pay for their labor.

The question now becomes, “Is there a limit as to how much the minister should be paid?” Scripture does not answer this question, but it does give qualifications on what kind of a person should be in church leadership to receive that pay. Elders and Deacons are to be men that do not love money or pursue dishonest gain (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7). In this passage is does not say that they are to be without money, but to be without the love of money (Getz 268). This is in stark contrast to the false teachers who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. Instead of being greedy for money true ministers are to be content with life’s basic necessities as adequate pay for doing their work (1 Tim. 6:8). Paul tells Titus that the very motivation of the false teachers for their teaching is to gain financially (Tit. 1:11). The heart of a godly leader does not desire to be a leader in the church for the purpose of gaining financially but to take care of God’s flock.

Can a minister in good conscience be wealthy? Yes and no. Scripture doesn’t limit how much pay a person receives but it directs his heart as to how he is to use it! The only way a wealthy minister can have a clear conscience is if he is using his wealth the way God desires him to. There are clear examples of this in Timothy and Titus. Believers in Jesus Christ are to take care of their relatives financially when they are in need; God is pleased when his people learn to put their religion into practice and care for their own family that is in need (1 Timothy 5:4). “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever!” (1 Tim. 5:8). Thus if you are a wealthy minister making far more than you need and you turn a deaf ear to the genuine needs of others then you cannot have a clear conscience. Paul instructed Titus, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives” (Tit. 3:14). The rich of this world who are disciples of Jesus are not to put their hope in wealth but they are “to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Tim. 6:18). “God’s people may at times be enormously wealthy, but a major purpose of God granting them wealth is to share it with the needy” (Blomberg 59).

A minister who rightfully uses his wealth can have a perfectly clear conscience. Craig Blomberg clarifies the rightful uses of wealth magnificently. “The key to evaluating any individual, church, or nation in terms of its use of material possessions is how well it takes care of the poor and powerless in its midst” (84). He sets forth the principle that “People always take priority over prosperity.” God is the one who entrusts wealth to people and he expects his people to be good stewards of his resources. The “golden mean” with regard to our attitude toward wealth is seen in Proverbs 30:8, “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” At the heart of this passage is that God wants his people to be content, not greedy for worldly wealth. If God does bless someone with an amazing amount of material prosperity it only means that there is increased responsibility to wisely use that privilege (84). Under the Old Covenant wealth was never the goal but it was the means to an end which was sharing with the needy (84). He states forthrightly that it cannot be said that the rich cannot be disciples of Jesus (145). The principle of giving under the New Covenant is not simply ten percent! Paul urged the Corinthians to excel in the grace of giving for the destitute believers in Jerusalem. Paul told them to give according to their means for the goal of equality. “…the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have” (2 Cor. 8:7, 12). Therefore it is up to the minister to decide in his own heart how he will use the wealth that God has blessed him with, either in a godly way or in an ungodly way.

Would wealth likely help or hurt a person’s ministry? The answer to this question ties directly in to how the minister will use his wealth. There are numerous bad examples that have both local and national impact. The wealthy pastor my sister described is hurting his ministry by his selfish use of his wealth. Benny Hin has hurt his ministry by his use of wealth. The infamous televangelists have turned many people away from the Gospel by begging people to give to the cause of Christ as they sit in golden chairs. There are also excellent and admirable examples of Christian leaders who have used their wealth to greatly help their ministry. It is hard to discredit the motives of a man who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and splits his income: giving some to his church, some to Indians on a reservation and receiving for himself only what was necessary to live on; such was the integrity of Rich Mullins.

Wealth will help the ministry of a minister who is a person of integrity. There are some examples of this in the New Testament. When the 12 apostles were starting the church in Jerusalem they chose 7 other men to serve the widows who were being neglected so that they could devote themselves fully to the ministry of the word and prayer (Acts 6). It is right to assume that the basic necessities of the Apostles were being taken care of. Paul explicitly explains that the apostles had the right to receive food and drink (basic necessities) from those they minister to (1 Cor. 9:4). This helped their ministry because they didn’t have to work outside of the church to support themselves which meant that they had more time to edify the body of Christ. Paul’s ministry was made possible when he was under house arrest in Rome by the financial gift that the Philippian church had given him (Phil 4:15). Wealth allows the minister to give himself fully to the work God has called him to.

Wealth also helps a minister’s ministry because when it is used properly it brings pleasure and praise to God, even from those who do not obey the Gospel! The opposite is true of a person who does not use his wealth properly; it displeases God and brings shame to the name of Jesus. A wealthy minister is expected to take care of his parents when they are in need. Paul says that this brings pleasure to God (1 Tim 5:4). Paul commands the rich to be rich in good deeds. What he means is that the rich need to use their wealth in a positive way, “…be generous and willing to share” (1 Tim. 6:18). Jesus taught his disciples to let their light shine before others, so that they may see their good deeds and praise their Father in Heaven (Matt. 5:16)! God’s will for his people is that they take care of each other in tangible ways, this includes providing financially for those who don’t have their basic needs met (James 2:14-16). Jesus said that all people will know who his disciples are by their love for each other (John 13:34). One way that the world can see the tangible love of Christians for each other is in the area of financial care! When people literally see our good deeds then they will praise God! This is not only the right thing but it is actually evangelistic! Wealth properly used can draw people to Christ. A minister can model integrity for others and then they will know that there is something real about being a Christian.

In summation, the amount of wealth a minister has does not matter. What does matter is his stewardship and honesty in the sight of God with it. If my sister had seen a minister who properly modeled the Gospel in his entire life, specifically his financial life, she could very well have said, “What an awesome man of God he is!” instead of “That disgust me!”

Bibliography:

Bauer, Walter, William F. Arndt, F. Wilbur Gingrich, and Frederick William Danker, Eds. A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.

Blomberg, Craig L. Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1999.

Blomberg, Craig L. Heart, Soul, and Money. Joplin: College Press Publishing Company, 2000.

Getz, Gene. Rich in Every Way: Everything Gods says about money and possessions. West
Monroe: Howard Publishing Co., 2004.

Hurley, Virgil. Avoiding the Judas Complex. San Diego: Black Forest Press, 2001.

Jesus Among Other Gods

I just finished the book Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias. This book is well written but more importantly it answers hard questions. I remember thinking earlier in my life that if there are so many people in the world and there are so many religions in the world how could I possibly ever discover the one that is true? This book has given me peace of mind because the author grew up in India where there are as many "gods" as there are things in the world. He explains how Jesus is unique among the other religions and religious leaders and gives convincing proof for why he alone is the true God. I will share just a few things that make Jesus so amazingly unique:

1) No other person in all of history has ever seriously claimed to have no beginning and to have come from heaven.

2)No other person in all of history has ever claimed to be without sin or error. Jesus did! He urged his false accusers to just bring up one instance in which he was guilty of wrongdoing and they couldn't!

3)Jesus' message is unique because what he taught pointed to himself! Unlike Buddha, Mohammed, and Krishna who pointed their followers to something that was more powerful than themselves. Jesus was identical to his message! Who else ever said, "I am the resurrection and the life" "I am the true bread that came down out of heaven" "I and my Father are one" "I am the way, the truth, and the life" ?

This is a philosophical mind bend!

I have been reading the excellent book "Jesus Among Other Gods" by Ravi Zacharias and I came across an amazing thought. This blog won't be long but take to heart this quote by C.S. Lewis. Wrestle with it and examine your life and see if this is true:

"Heaven understands hell and hell does not understand heaven... To project ourselves into a wicked character, we have only to stop doing something and something we are already tired of doing; to project ourselves into a good one [i.e. good character] we have to do what we cannot and become what we are not."

That is a profound thought and it also reveals why the world so desperately needs Jesus the King.

Greek Word Study- "patience" μακροθυμια (pronounced mah-krah-thoo-me-ah)

Patience. That English word evokes a feeling, not an image. Patience is an important word because it is one of the nine fruits that the Spirit produces in the Christian’s life (Gal. 5) and it is also the first characteristic of love as Paul lists it in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love is patient…” The goal of this paper is to clearly define the meaning of the Greek word makrothumia, “patience,” so that God’s people can have a clearer understanding of the good qualities he is developing in us as we remain in him.

makrothumia is a compound of two Greek words: makros “long (in the sense of both Space and Time); large” (Liddell and Scott 1075) and thumos “spirit; soul; feeling and thought (especially of strong feeling and passion)” (810). Further, thumos is derived from the word thuo which means, “to rage; to seethe” (813). When makros was used in a spatial sense it described the length of ships, a long distance torch race, and the length of a man. makros was used to describe a shout (i.e. a long shout); this shout was not long in duration but it was long in the sense of being able to reach a long distance, thus it was a loud shout (1075). When makros was used in a temporal sense it refers to a long time, “a long cherished wish,” long discourses, and someone taking too long (1075).

Thumos is a Greek word that bursts with different meanings but the meaning that is understood when it is compounded with makros to form makrothumia is “anger” (810). In the first century and onward the meaning of thumos is limited to an “intense expression of the inner self (expressed as strong desire, or passion)” and more often “a state of intense displeasure; anger, wrath, rage” (Bauer 461). When the two words are compounded into the word makrothumia the meaning then is “taking a long time to become angry or be fill with rage.” The Greek word for patience is intrinsically different from the English word because the Greek word practically defines itself, though the meaning is still determined by context. The adjective form makrothumos means, “being self-controlled in the face of provocation; patient, forbearing” (613).

The word makrothumia appears late in the Greek world, but it “is extremely rare” (Brown and Falkenroth 768). Menander used the word to describe the situation of mortals as compared to the situation of the gods. “Being a human never with freedom from grief, ask of the gods, rather to have forbearance.” The word used in this instance carries the idea of “forced acceptance” (Horst 375) and it is not a quality exercised toward humans. In essence Menander is saying, “To be human is to have grief, therefore ask the gods for endurance to deal with life.” Aretaeus used the word makrothumie to describe the patience and endurance of a physician who treated a “severe chronic illness” with little to no hope of actually curing the person (375). A master calls his stubborn donkey “a patient son of sluggishness” (375). In this instance the master is commenting on the speed of his donkey and not on the donkey’s disposition to remain calm and not become angry. Of these three uses of makrothumia only Aretaeus’s use is helpful in determining the meaning of makrothumia in the New Testament.

In the Septuagint makrothumia is used five times, but only two of the uses correspond to equivalent Hebrew words (Gilbrant 105). Proverbs 25:15 says, “In forbearance is success for kings, and a soft tongue shatters bones” (LXX). In this context the meaning of makrothumia could be either endurance or forbearance. If the meaning were taken as endurance then a king’s success would come from his persistence in his duties as king and if the meaning were taken as forbearance then his success would come from being a person who is not easily angered by others. makrothumia is used in Jeremiah 15:15. In this context God declares that he will give the wealth of Israel away and that he will punish them for their sins. Jeremiah appeals to God that he be long-suffering with him and that he not take him away (TNIV). The LXX wording is different because Jeremiah requests that God not be long-suffering with Jeremiah’s persecutors. Either way this usage of makrothumia has the idea of being forbearing towards a person (i.e. not being filled with rage quickly).

Makrothumia is used twelve times in the New Testament. There are basically two meanings that are derived from the uses of makrothumia in the New Testament. The first meaning is “patient endurance; perseverance.” This meaning is focused primarily on persevering through hardship. James 5:7-11 carries this sense of the word. In this passage James encourages Christians to be patient until the Lord’s coming. James illustrates how Christians are to be patient by comparing the Christian’s patient endurance to that of a farmer who waits for his land to produce crops. James also recalls how the prophets and Job patiently persevered through their suffering. Hebrew 6:10-12 reflects the same meaning of makrothumia. The author of Hebrews encourages his readers to be diligent and not become lazy but to, “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” The focus here is on perseverance in the face of painful circumstances not on being slow to anger toward people.

The other meaning that is seen in the New Testament for makrothumia “being self-controlled in the face of provocation; forbearing” occurs more often. In Romans 2:1-4 Paul is rebuking self-righteous people that condemn “sinners” because those who condemn others are sinners themselves. Paul then asks them, “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience (makrothumia), not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” In this context God’s patience is his slowness to anger and his slowness to pour out his wrath on people. In 1 Timothy 1:16 Paul says, “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him…” Jesus exercised his “immense patience” toward Paul who had killed and persecuted Christians before his conversion. The verb form of makrothumia is used in 1 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” It is clear in this passage that patience is being slow to anger even when you are wronged. God exercises his patience with sinners who are wronging him in hope that they will repent. Patience is “restrained wrath” (Brown and Falkenroth 769).

The word family of makrothumia is small and simple. The verb form is makrothumeo “to be patient” and the adverb is makrothumon “patiently” and makros “long, distant” (Robinson 85).

Greek words that are synonymous with makrothumia are hupomone and anoche. The distinction between makrothumia and hupomone is that makrothumia for the most part expresses patience with respect to persons and hupomone with respect to things (Trench 198). This is not always the case though (see New Testament uses). The distinction between makrothumia and anoche is that the patience of anoche is temporary and “transient.” anoche was the Classical Greek word for “truce; or suspension of arms.” anoche is the kind of patience that “after a certain lapse of time, and unless other conditions intervene, it will pass away” (199).

W. E. Vine sums up very well the meaning of makrothumia. “Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy…Patience is the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial; it is the opposite of despondency and is associated with hope…” (Vine 12).

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Bibliography:

Bauer, Walter, William F. Arndt, F. Wilbur Gingrich, and Frederick William Danker, Eds. A
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature.
Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.

Brown, Colin and U. Falkenroth. “makrothumia.” The New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology. Ed. Colin Brown. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1979. 1-1023. 3 vols.

Earle, Ralph. Word Meanings in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986.

Gilbrant, Thoralf. The Complete Biblical Library: The New Testament Greek-English
Dictionary: Lambda-Omicron. Vol. 14. Springfield: The Complete Biblical Library,
1986. 16 vols.

Horst, J. “makrothumia, makroyume;w, makro;yumov, makroyu;mwv.” The Theological Dictionary
of the New Testament. Eds. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich. Translator Geoffrey
W. Bromiley. Volume 4. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1985. 1-1126. 10 vols.

Liddell, H.G., and R. Scott. Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.

Robinson, Thomas A. Mastering Greek Vocabulary. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990.

The New Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament. Wilmington: Associated
Publishers & Authors, 1972.

Trench, Richard C. Synonyms of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdman’s
Publishing Company, 1973.

Verbrugge, Verlyn D. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology: Abridged
Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

Vine, W. E. An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Vol. 3 Old Tappan: Fleming
H. Revell Company, 1966.