Post by Jim Pate on Jan 10, 2014 21:29:28 GMT -5
κραταιόω
To be strengthened (2901) (krataioo from krataios) means to be empowered, to be increased in vigor, to strengthen with the implied meaning of to establish (active voice), to grow strong (active voice), to be made strong (passive voice), to be braced (as when the Gulf Coast states in the US "brace" for the onrushing Category 5 hurricane!), to be invigorated, to be fortified (I like that word for it pictures the saint in a "spiritual fort"). Note that all the NT uses are in the passive voice.
Krataioo refers to strength or might, but especially that which is manifested.
As discussed below krataioo in this verse means to be shown to be strong, to be shown to be mighty.
The passive voice indicates the strengthening to our inner man comes not from man himself but from God's indwelling Spirit.
TDNT writes that krataioo...
means “to make strong,” occurs 54 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Jdg. 3:10; Ruth 1:18; 1Sa 4:9; 23:16; 30:6; 2Sa 1:23; 2:7; 3:1; 10:11, 12; 11:23, 25; 13:14; 22:18; 23:3; 1Ki. 20:22-23, 25; 2 Ki. 3:26; 12:6 -7, 12, 14; 22:6; 1 Chr. 21:4; 2 Chr. 21:4; 23:1; 34:8; 35:22; Ezra 6:22; 7:28; Neh. 2:18; 6:9; Job 36:19, 22; Ps. 9:19; 27:14; 31:24; 38:19; 64:5; 69:4; 74:13; 80:15, 17; 89:13; 103:11; 105:4, 24; 117:2; 139:6, 17; 142:6; Lam. 1:16; Dan. 4:36; 5:20). In the NT we find only the passive “to become strong.” In Lk. 1:80; 2:40 it denotes childhood growth. In 1 Cor. 16:13, with andrízesthe, the exhortation is to “be strong” (cf. 2Sa 10:12 "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight."). Eph. 3:16 traces such strengthening to the inward operation of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2Sa 22:3). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
NIDNTT writes that krataioo means...
to make strong, to take courage, to gain the upper hand over. krataioo is used in the Lucan birth narratives to describe the child Jesus growing and becoming strong in spirit (Lk. 1:80) and wisdom (Lk 2:40). Otherwise the word is not common in the NT. It clearly refers to manly strength in 1Co 16:13, which is a quotation (cf. Ps 31:24; 2Sa 10:12); and has a metaphorical sense in Ep 3:16; in Gnostic terminology, the inner man is expected to be strengthened with might. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
Here are the other 3 NT uses of krataioo..
Lk 1:80 - And the child continued to grow and to become strong (to become strong and healthy, with the implication of physical vigor) in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Lk 2:40 - The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
1Cor 16:13 - Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (Comment: Krataioo is frequently used in the NT to denote inner, spiritual growth. As in Eph 3:16, krataioo is also in the passive voice, which literally means “be strengthened.” In this context the implication is that the believer is to be sufficiently strong as to be able to dominate any evil influence [world, flesh, devil].
In the physical world one might lift weights and so strengthen themselves, but in the spiritual world, believers cannot strengthen ourselves for that task belongs solely to the Lord! However, don't forget that believers do have a role/responsibility in this spiritual strengthening -- we are not just to "Let go and let God". The believer's "job" is to submit [yield, surrender] himself or herself to God's Spirit [believers can resist, quench and grieve the Spirit] in order that He can strengthen us. We can only “be [passive voice] strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (see note Ephesians 6:10), and “be [passive voice] strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (see note 2 Timothy 2:1).
John Eadie comments that Paul...
had likened the Ephesian Christians to a temple, and in harmony with such a thought he prays that the living stones in that fabric may be strengthened, so that the building may be compact and solid. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Barnes writes that "to be strengthened with power" means...
to give you abundant strength to bear trials; to perform your duties; to glorify his name...See [Ro 7:22]. The body needs to be strengthened every day. In like manner the soul needs constant supplies of grace. Piety needs to be constantly invigorated, or it withers and decays. Every Christian needs grace given each day to enable him to bear trials, to resist temptation, to discharge his duty, to live a life of faith. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
Wayne Barber explains that krataioo...
means "made mighty." It is the Greek word krataioo. Some Greek verbs end in an "o" but this verb ends in two o’s which conveys the thought of something beyond just being "strengthened." It means "to be shown to be strong, to be shown to be mighty." It is almost the same thing that Paul prays in Philippians. The idea then is that you are to get what is on the inside of you to the outside so that you might be shown to be strong...Is there a difference between might and power?" Oh, yes. The word "power" here is the word dunamis. That word means "to be able to do something, be capable." Basically Paul is saying,
"I want that which is inside of you to get on the outside of you. I want people to look at you as you live your Christian life and let them see that you have a divine ability that is operating inside of you. I want it to be more than just what you say. I am praying that it will be in how that you live."
The assignment to do the strengthening is not in God the Son, it is God the Spirit. The Spirit of God comes into a man the moment he becomes a Christian. Now, you are not living life alone. You may be acting like it, but you are not. If you are trying to fight your problems by yourself, if you are trying to figure them out on your own, if you are not coming to the Word, letting the Holy Spirit of God enable you and reveal to you the things of God, then no wonder you are confused. You have a divine partner living in you, and He is in you to strengthen you with power so that you have an ability that you didn’t have before. If you will learn to tap into Him, then you will begin to learn to live in the reality of His presence....
Now understand something. He is not praying that they will get these riches. They already have them. He is praying that they be strengthened according to these riches. He is saying,
"You’ve got them. Now be strengthened by that which you have. Live in it. Live out of it."
Folks, we have a reservoir of riches of wealth, spiritually, which God has given us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul intensely says, "Oh, God, don’t let them walk out with heads filled with information. God, let them walk out understanding they have these riches. Let them be strengthened in the inner man with power. Let these riches be a part of the source of their strength in their walk."
You may find out this week that you have lost your job. You may find out this week that someone has done you wrong. Where are you going to be strengthened? Friend, Paul is saying you know something about your salvation. When you run back to the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him is the reservoir of what you are looking for. Let the Spirit of God with power strengthen you in the inner man. Let these truths so get down inside of your life that you become different. All of a sudden what you have inside of you begins to work inside of you. All of a sudden people see a difference in your life. You are doing things and you are living in a way that is on a higher plane than what you lived before. In other words, don’t just sit and soak. Grab hold of the fact that you have got all the wealth that ever could be, spiritually, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn how to tap into it. Learn how to draw it out. It is in your account. It is in your name. The Lord Jesus lives in you. When you have your problems, run to Him.
Learn to be strengthened according to the riches that He has given you in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:14: A Prayer for Fullness - 1)
Boice explains Paul's first request for the believers to be strengthened internally through the Spirit writing that...
Paul has been talking about suffering, and this is probably why he begins his prayer with a request that the believers at Ephesus might be strengthened by God’s Spirit. None of us show much of the manifold wisdom of God in easy days. It is in suffering that the grace of God is manifested. But who has strength for suffering? We do not choose suffering. We shrink from it. Like Christ in the garden we inevitably draw back and ask that, if it is possible, this cup might pass from us. If we are to show God’s wisdom in such times, it must be by God’s strength. He must send his angels to minister to us.
Still, it is not only in times of suffering that we need to be strengthened. We need strength every day of our lives and in every circumstance.
Is it temptation? We need strength to resist it and be victorious to the glory of God.
Is it a tough moral choice at work? We need strength to do the right thing so that Jesus, whom we serve, might be honored.
Is it witnessing? We need strength to speak the truth regardless of what the world may think of us for speaking it. When Jesus prayed for God to send the Comforter or Holy Spirit to be with his disciples it was this he chiefly had in mind. The word parakletos (“comforter,” “counselor,” or “advocate”) means “one called alongside to help.” The Holy Spirit helps us do the right thing in difficult circumstances. (Boice, J. M.: Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary)
When Martin Luther was summoned to Worms to recant his 95 Theses he wrote...
“May the Lord Jesus strengthen me.”
To be strengthened (2901) (krataioo from krataios) means to be empowered, to be increased in vigor, to strengthen with the implied meaning of to establish (active voice), to grow strong (active voice), to be made strong (passive voice), to be braced (as when the Gulf Coast states in the US "brace" for the onrushing Category 5 hurricane!), to be invigorated, to be fortified (I like that word for it pictures the saint in a "spiritual fort"). Note that all the NT uses are in the passive voice.
Krataioo refers to strength or might, but especially that which is manifested.
As discussed below krataioo in this verse means to be shown to be strong, to be shown to be mighty.
The passive voice indicates the strengthening to our inner man comes not from man himself but from God's indwelling Spirit.
TDNT writes that krataioo...
means “to make strong,” occurs 54 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Jdg. 3:10; Ruth 1:18; 1Sa 4:9; 23:16; 30:6; 2Sa 1:23; 2:7; 3:1; 10:11, 12; 11:23, 25; 13:14; 22:18; 23:3; 1Ki. 20:22-23, 25; 2 Ki. 3:26; 12:6 -7, 12, 14; 22:6; 1 Chr. 21:4; 2 Chr. 21:4; 23:1; 34:8; 35:22; Ezra 6:22; 7:28; Neh. 2:18; 6:9; Job 36:19, 22; Ps. 9:19; 27:14; 31:24; 38:19; 64:5; 69:4; 74:13; 80:15, 17; 89:13; 103:11; 105:4, 24; 117:2; 139:6, 17; 142:6; Lam. 1:16; Dan. 4:36; 5:20). In the NT we find only the passive “to become strong.” In Lk. 1:80; 2:40 it denotes childhood growth. In 1 Cor. 16:13, with andrízesthe, the exhortation is to “be strong” (cf. 2Sa 10:12 "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight."). Eph. 3:16 traces such strengthening to the inward operation of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2Sa 22:3). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
NIDNTT writes that krataioo means...
to make strong, to take courage, to gain the upper hand over. krataioo is used in the Lucan birth narratives to describe the child Jesus growing and becoming strong in spirit (Lk. 1:80) and wisdom (Lk 2:40). Otherwise the word is not common in the NT. It clearly refers to manly strength in 1Co 16:13, which is a quotation (cf. Ps 31:24; 2Sa 10:12); and has a metaphorical sense in Ep 3:16; in Gnostic terminology, the inner man is expected to be strengthened with might. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan)
Here are the other 3 NT uses of krataioo..
Lk 1:80 - And the child continued to grow and to become strong (to become strong and healthy, with the implication of physical vigor) in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Lk 2:40 - The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
1Cor 16:13 - Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (Comment: Krataioo is frequently used in the NT to denote inner, spiritual growth. As in Eph 3:16, krataioo is also in the passive voice, which literally means “be strengthened.” In this context the implication is that the believer is to be sufficiently strong as to be able to dominate any evil influence [world, flesh, devil].
In the physical world one might lift weights and so strengthen themselves, but in the spiritual world, believers cannot strengthen ourselves for that task belongs solely to the Lord! However, don't forget that believers do have a role/responsibility in this spiritual strengthening -- we are not just to "Let go and let God". The believer's "job" is to submit [yield, surrender] himself or herself to God's Spirit [believers can resist, quench and grieve the Spirit] in order that He can strengthen us. We can only “be [passive voice] strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (see note Ephesians 6:10), and “be [passive voice] strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (see note 2 Timothy 2:1).
John Eadie comments that Paul...
had likened the Ephesian Christians to a temple, and in harmony with such a thought he prays that the living stones in that fabric may be strengthened, so that the building may be compact and solid. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Barnes writes that "to be strengthened with power" means...
to give you abundant strength to bear trials; to perform your duties; to glorify his name...See [Ro 7:22]. The body needs to be strengthened every day. In like manner the soul needs constant supplies of grace. Piety needs to be constantly invigorated, or it withers and decays. Every Christian needs grace given each day to enable him to bear trials, to resist temptation, to discharge his duty, to live a life of faith. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
Wayne Barber explains that krataioo...
means "made mighty." It is the Greek word krataioo. Some Greek verbs end in an "o" but this verb ends in two o’s which conveys the thought of something beyond just being "strengthened." It means "to be shown to be strong, to be shown to be mighty." It is almost the same thing that Paul prays in Philippians. The idea then is that you are to get what is on the inside of you to the outside so that you might be shown to be strong...Is there a difference between might and power?" Oh, yes. The word "power" here is the word dunamis. That word means "to be able to do something, be capable." Basically Paul is saying,
"I want that which is inside of you to get on the outside of you. I want people to look at you as you live your Christian life and let them see that you have a divine ability that is operating inside of you. I want it to be more than just what you say. I am praying that it will be in how that you live."
The assignment to do the strengthening is not in God the Son, it is God the Spirit. The Spirit of God comes into a man the moment he becomes a Christian. Now, you are not living life alone. You may be acting like it, but you are not. If you are trying to fight your problems by yourself, if you are trying to figure them out on your own, if you are not coming to the Word, letting the Holy Spirit of God enable you and reveal to you the things of God, then no wonder you are confused. You have a divine partner living in you, and He is in you to strengthen you with power so that you have an ability that you didn’t have before. If you will learn to tap into Him, then you will begin to learn to live in the reality of His presence....
Now understand something. He is not praying that they will get these riches. They already have them. He is praying that they be strengthened according to these riches. He is saying,
"You’ve got them. Now be strengthened by that which you have. Live in it. Live out of it."
Folks, we have a reservoir of riches of wealth, spiritually, which God has given us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul intensely says, "Oh, God, don’t let them walk out with heads filled with information. God, let them walk out understanding they have these riches. Let them be strengthened in the inner man with power. Let these riches be a part of the source of their strength in their walk."
You may find out this week that you have lost your job. You may find out this week that someone has done you wrong. Where are you going to be strengthened? Friend, Paul is saying you know something about your salvation. When you run back to the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him is the reservoir of what you are looking for. Let the Spirit of God with power strengthen you in the inner man. Let these truths so get down inside of your life that you become different. All of a sudden what you have inside of you begins to work inside of you. All of a sudden people see a difference in your life. You are doing things and you are living in a way that is on a higher plane than what you lived before. In other words, don’t just sit and soak. Grab hold of the fact that you have got all the wealth that ever could be, spiritually, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn how to tap into it. Learn how to draw it out. It is in your account. It is in your name. The Lord Jesus lives in you. When you have your problems, run to Him.
Learn to be strengthened according to the riches that He has given you in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:14: A Prayer for Fullness - 1)
Boice explains Paul's first request for the believers to be strengthened internally through the Spirit writing that...
Paul has been talking about suffering, and this is probably why he begins his prayer with a request that the believers at Ephesus might be strengthened by God’s Spirit. None of us show much of the manifold wisdom of God in easy days. It is in suffering that the grace of God is manifested. But who has strength for suffering? We do not choose suffering. We shrink from it. Like Christ in the garden we inevitably draw back and ask that, if it is possible, this cup might pass from us. If we are to show God’s wisdom in such times, it must be by God’s strength. He must send his angels to minister to us.
Still, it is not only in times of suffering that we need to be strengthened. We need strength every day of our lives and in every circumstance.
Is it temptation? We need strength to resist it and be victorious to the glory of God.
Is it a tough moral choice at work? We need strength to do the right thing so that Jesus, whom we serve, might be honored.
Is it witnessing? We need strength to speak the truth regardless of what the world may think of us for speaking it. When Jesus prayed for God to send the Comforter or Holy Spirit to be with his disciples it was this he chiefly had in mind. The word parakletos (“comforter,” “counselor,” or “advocate”) means “one called alongside to help.” The Holy Spirit helps us do the right thing in difficult circumstances. (Boice, J. M.: Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary)
When Martin Luther was summoned to Worms to recant his 95 Theses he wrote...
“May the Lord Jesus strengthen me.”