Bible Study HF198- God's Peculiar People
To: Hebraic-Foundations@YahooGroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2008
Subject: Bible Study HF198- God's Peculiar People
Hebraics,
I will never forget two of the first sermons that I preached as a young
minister. (1964) One was on 'Charity'. My text was from 1 Corinthians 13.
What I did not know at the time was that the word 'charity' as used in the
King James Bible really meant love. Well I did manage to preach on charity
without ever mentioning the word love.
Another sermon I preached was entitled, 'God's Peculiar People.' My text was
1 Peter 2:9, which reads in the King James Bible,
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
> peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath
> called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
>
At the time I thought the word 'peculiar' had regard to how people looked to
others. Coming from a strict fundamentalist background, the sermon did quite
well. It was only later that I gained a better appreciation for what the
Greek word translated as peculiar really meant. It had little to nothing
with how we looked physically to others.
What I did find out through studies is how a single word in the Bible can
open up a storehouse of salvation wonders. And the Biblical word translated
as 'peculiar' in the King James Version is dealing with much more than how
Christians look to the world. It has to do with ownership.
Anyway, that was nigh forty-four years ago.
But its never too late to talk about it.
This is Bible study HF198 - God's Peculiar People.
There is no question that Christians are a peculiar people in the sense of
belonging to God. A better translation from the original Greek would be the
word 'possession'. This is how it is rendered in most modern translations.
(The New American Standard Bible is my preferred study Bible.)
Some of the problem with studying from the King James Bible is that the
English language is a living language. This means that it is ever changing.
What peculiar meant during the time of King James, and what it means today
is quite different.
With that in mind, let's look at the Greek. The word translated as
'peculiar' in the King James, is 'peripolesis'. It comes from two Greek
words. One word means 'to be. The other means 'around'. And so peripolesis
carries the ideas of ownership, possession, encircling, and protection. What
would make a Christian peculiar to the world is how the Christian is a
possession of God and of no one else. We are actually citizens of heaven.
Paul says it this way:
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a
> Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble
> state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the
> power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." - Php3:20,21
>
The tern 'peripolesis' carries an idea of encirclement. One scholar sets
forth this Greek term as a dot within a circle. The dot is the Christian.
The circle is God. Thus Peter is saying that every Christian is a possession
God. And because of our God encirclement, the only way anything can happen
to a Christian, it has to be allowed by God. The people of Christ are in the
sphere of God.
All of heaven recognizes that Christians are fully the possessions of God.
We are the very children of God. The angels of heaven are sent to be
invisible ministers to us during our earthly journey. Yes indeed. We are
most peculiar in our relationship to the world.
Notice how 1 Peter 2:9 is translated in the NASB:
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for God's
> own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has
> called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
>
But Peter is not the only writer who draws attention to the word
'peripolesis.' Listen to Paul in Ephesians 1:13,14:
"In Him, you also, after listening to the message or truth, the gospel of
> our salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy
> Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view
> to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."
>
As we gain insight into this word, it helps us to appreciate other terms or
expressions that are used in the new covenant with regard to the security of
Christians. Here are a sampling of Scriptures that relate to the theme of
Christians being God's own possession:
"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ,
> who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in
> glory." - Col 3:3,4
>
> "By this [knowledge], love is perfected [reaches its goal] in us, so that
> we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He [Jesus] is,
> so also are we in this world." - 1Jn 4:17
>
> "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give
> eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch
> them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than
> all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." - John
> 10:27-29
>
There are many more such Scriptures. But now we need to take this to another
venture. Not only are Christians, God's people, that is, His particular
treasure and possession in the earth, but Jesus Christ Himself becomes the
Christians' preciousness of life. Eternal life is not simply duration of
life. It has to do with a divine quality of life that is only given to those
who take to themselves Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
This adds to the idea of God's people being peculiar in the earth. Eternal
life is not some abstract notion of life or some form of spiritual energy.
Eternal life is a Person. When Jesus truly becomes Lord to us personally, we
have then in our possession something precious. We have the very testimony
of eternal life. John said,
"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this
> life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have
> the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you
> who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you
> have eternal life." - 1Jn5:11-13
>
And this is why Peter speaks of what we have as being precious. He writes,
"For this is contained in Scripture: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone,
> a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him will not be
> disappointed.' This precious value, then, is for you who believe..." -
> 1Pe2:6,7
>
So, are we peculiar people? Yes indeed. We are the most peculiar in all the
world. And its not because we dress a certain way, or look a certain way, or
any other such notion. We are peculiar because we are a God-surrounded
people, and we carry in us the precious life of Jesus Christ.
John said it as well enough:
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called
children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know
us, because it did not know Him." - 1Jn3:1
There is so much more to be said about the Christian's relationship to God
and heaven. Think about it.
The study is open. Feel free to make contributions or ask questions.
Blessings,
Buddy
--
Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
"How beautiful upon the mountains..." Isa 52:7
Web: http://ChristianChallenge.Org
blog: http://www.buddymartin.net/blog/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)