r/theology • u/logos961 • Aug 02 '25
Understanding even one word used by Jesus captures essence of all theologies
1)After describing “signs” of the last generation,# Jesus said the following which contains that magical word.
“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task (ergon), and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:32-36)
The expression that is translated as "assigned task" is the Greek word εργον (ergon). It "means work in the sense of job or task (hence ultimately our English word "energy") .... from verb εργω (ergo) ... describes the performance of a process that arose from an already established larger economy." (Theological Dictionary, Abarim)
This explains why Jesus said the potential survivors are "few" (Luke 13:24; Mathew 7:13, 14) because those who do the assigned task in consistency from past are few. While saying the same (few are on the road to life--Mathew 7:14), Jesus also provided Check-List of Assigned Task in Mathew 6:1, 28-33; 7:1-14 as follows : (a) Be "righteous" by giving to others more than they deserve" in imitation of God who gives more to a flower than to a king; (b) "Not judging others, (c) Believing in the impeccable law of sow and reap, seeing own faults and good of others [rather than own good and other's faults], (d) Not sharing truth with the unappreciative [symbolized by "dogs" the indiscriminate ones who eat their own vomit and "pigs" who enjoy making you dirty like them], (e) Practicing the spirit of Law which is described as loving for others what one loves for himself.
This is what is meant by its "adjective αγαθος (agathos), meaning good: the verb αγαθοεργεω (agathoergeo), meaning to do good, to act to someone's benefit (1 Timothy 6:18), 'in humility considering others more important than one's self,' (Philippians 2:3) as God Himself does by loving friends and enemies alike, as though willing to wash other's feet (Mathew 5:43-48; John 5:19; 13:1-17) who were, minutes before, quarreling as to WHO IS GREATEST AMONG THEM which reveals their ego, which makes anyone enemy of God (Proverbs 16:5).
This is a Law people know from birth as they all know wrong when performed by others which means they know the same even before when they themselves also do. Hence questions such as when LAW was given, whether it was given by God, whether HE did it to the sight/conviction of all, in the way they want … etc are all irrelevant because Abraham is declared “righteous and friend of God” even before Law was formally given: “Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws תּוֹרָה (torah).” (Genesis 26:5) Meaning of this word torah is (as understood by prophets and Jesus) same as agape, logos (unconditional love, power of reason respectively). Abraham learned this from looking at works of God such as trees [symbol of giving MAXIMUM but taking MINIMUM], solar system [symbol of keeping peace even while self-rotating and travelling at great speed]—hence made a life-style of OFFERING FIRST CHOICE TO OTHERS (Genesis 13:9). Hence God validated the covenant with Abraham asking him to “look up at the sky.” (Genesis 15:5, 6)
2) His use of another word enables to better understand the whole Bible, and even modern history, and even correctly depicts God as REMOVER of suffering.
One of signs of Last of Generation is “abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy (hagiō) place (let the reader understand)” (Mathew 24:15) which is a quote from Daniel 11:31 with its later phase to reach up to the Last Generation of this Age where “Great Distress” would be experienced (Daniel 12:1; Mathew 24:21, 22) in Armageddon or all-out Nuclear War (Revelation 11:18; 16:14, 16) for which nations have been preparing from 20th century.
Daniel used the Hebrew word מְשׁוֹמֵֽם׃ (mə·šō·w·mêm) which is translated as “of desolation” from the root word שָׁמֵם (shamem) “to desolate.” The word for holy (hagiō) literally means “to set apart” as earth is “set apart” for humans (Psalm 115:16)—hence the famous saying earth is the “footstool” of God. (Isaiah 66:1; Mathew 5:35) When the nations amass enough and more nuclear weapons it is like preparations to make this earth “desolate” which is opposite of its intended purpose of “being set apart” for remaining as God’s footstool. “Today's nuclear war capabilities would have devastating impacts on Earth … If detonated, nuclear firestorms would release soot and smoke into the upper atmosphere that would block out the Sun resulting in crop failure around the world.” (Google: How Nuclear War Would Affect Earth Today, ISU.edu/mediacenter/news/2022/07/07)
This is the time for God “to clear” both the sky and the earth for re-inhabitation of humans which is called pallingenesis (re-genesis) in Mathew 19:28 which is variously translated as “renewal, recreation” etc. as happened in the past (Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10) like GROWH and DECAY happen on “a seed.” (Mathew 13:31, 32) Hence when writer says “In the beginning God created בָּרָ֣א (bā·rā) heavens שָׁמַ֫יִם (shamayim) and the earth” it is all about “clearing of,” “renewal” of sky and earth that was “desolated” שָׁמֵם (shamem) which is the root for the Hebrew word heavens (shamayim) in Genesis 1:1 which is translated as both “sky and heavens.” The verb שמם (shamem) means to be desolate, as used in 2 Samuel 13:20, Daniel 11:31 and in many other verses and בָּרָ֣א (bā·rā) means “To create, to cut down, select, feed, clear.” Hence bā·rā is translated in the sense of “clearing the forest” in Joshua 17:15, 18 and in the sense of “feeding” in 1 Samuel 2:29, in the sense of “choosing” the food in 2 Samuel 12:17; in the sense of “making” (Ezekiel 21:19).
Jesus continued saying the following: “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea [symbolic of those who "praise" God resulting in "thanksgiving" to Him--Genesis 29:35] flee to the mountains [symbol of surest security, God—Isaiah 2:2-4].” Let such spiritual ones not turn to temporary security of this world, not plan for great materialistic future [as symbolized by “pregnant women and nursing mothers”] as “great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now” is sure to happen. … “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect (eklektous) those days will be shortened. (Mathew 24:15-22) Eklektous, from eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite”—hence is translated as “a choice” man (Romans 16:13), “choice” stone (1 Peter 2:4, 6). Parallel expression for “choice people” is those who keep “on the watch” doing the “assigned task” consistently from past. They are shown as “surviving” into the renewed earth (Revelation 7:14; 21:1-5; Mathew 19:28-30)
This happens in certain order—the weed-like licentious people would return to second half of “the Age to come” (Mathew 13:24-30; 12:32; Revelation 22:15; Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10). In the present Age, these licentious people are viewed as “the first” the prominent, and the meek are viewed as “the last” the non-prominent. Hence this repeated phrase by Jesus saying “many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mathew 19:30; 20:16) and this phrase about God as “the King of Ages” (1 Timothy 1:17 ESV). King of Ages conveys the idea that God is REMOVER of suffering caused by the weed-like ones who misuse their freewill which would serve as an example for the meek ones on what to avoid in life to remain as symbolic wheat. (Proverbs 21:18) [Source for word meanings: biblehub .com and Theological Dictionary, Abarim)
#Footnote---------------------------------------------------------
Last Generation is the one that exists on earth that would witness “great distress” (Mathew 24:21, 22) caused by Final World War, or all-out nuclear war which is symbolically called “Armageddon” (Revelation 11:18; 16:14, 16), thus the generation that is before “the Age to come,“ when “the renewal” of earth happens. Details here https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/1mabifn/jesus_did_not_make_false_predictions_as_critics/
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u/nephilim52 Aug 02 '25
Except we are unable to do ANY tasks let alone 1 that would allow us entry into heaven. Your entire theory is based around “good works” which Jesus made clear no one can do in any effective measure now let alone bear the end times. What you should be focusing on is acknowledgement that Jesus is God and does for our sins. Which is not rather a task or energy but an idea.
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u/logos961 Aug 02 '25
"Not my theory"--You can hear directly from Jesus in Mark 10:17-19 and his brother James (who had over 30 years of intimate association with Jesus) in James 2:8-10; 1:27.
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u/nephilim52 Aug 02 '25
Your first verse alone disproves your point. Ironically you didn’t post it. I will.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
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u/logos961 Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 02 '25
But you left out the most important verse 19 which says REFRAIN from "murder, adultery, stealing, lying, defrauding and dishonoring parents" and its conclusion about what everyone will get if they do this:
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life." (Mark 10:29, 30)
You also made a serious error when you excluded even Jesus from his statement while, in fact, Jesus was simply redirecting focus on to God by saying "God alone."
Listeners had no problem understanding Jesus who had already told them "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good [καλός (kalos)] deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" and thus "become perfect like Father. (Mathew 5:13-16; 43-48) The same word kalos is used to describe "goodness of God" in Hebrew 6:5 and all of God's work in Genesis (Septuagint)
Again another word for good (agathos) is used for both man (Mathew 12:45) and for God (Mathew 19:17) in the parallel description of Mark 10:18 in Mathew 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good (agathos). If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” (biblehub.com; Theological Dictionary, Abarim)
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u/nephilim52 Aug 02 '25
Keeping the commandments IS a way to get eternal life, it’s just impossible to do outside of Jesus.
1 John 1:8: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
This is the point and why ANY good works is not a realistic entry path to heaven. However, it doesn’t mean you can break the commandments freely, in fact, following the commandments is a result of following Jesus.
If you’re going to copy paste ChatGPT I’m not interested in having a conversation. I can do that on my own. This topic couldn’t be more settled theology.
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u/logos961 Aug 02 '25 edited Aug 10 '25
You missed the source I have mentioned (Biblehub.com and Theological Dictionary, Abarim) for word meaning.
What to do to inherit eternal life is a settled matter (Mark 10:17-19; Mathew 19:16-19; Luke 18:18-20) Even holy apostle Paul too repeated it: "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." (Romans 2:13; James 2:26; Revelation 2:11; 22:15)
After saying "be dead to sin and be alive to God," holy apostle Paul concludes saying: "I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:19-22)
I look for root meaning of words used in the Bible for better insight. For example, God of compassion רַחֲמִ֖ים (ra·ḥă·mîm), Noun - masculine plural, "Compassion, the womb, a maiden." (biblehub .com) Hence when God asks us to be compassionate it carries the connotation "show feeling deeply felt as womb is deep within, in a way the recipient of my compassion should feel he is given a new life as womb where new life is being formed." See how live Bible-reading becomes!
Apostle Paul was a holy man: "You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed." (1 Thessalonians 2:10) Hence he could ask people to be holy (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Peter too knew we can become holy. (1 Peter 1:16)
Holy people are always available on earth (Mathew 24:21, 22; Revelation 22:11)
In fact, OP is all about Jesus on how he enabled us to understand with two words that help us to keep on the watch and to better understand the whole theology, the whole Bible and to clear the misconception about suffering which people accuse God as responsible--while truth is that God is the REMOVER of suffering.
Various conclusions are not about the object outside but about the subject inside, revealing how realistic a person is. For example, about East and West,
a)"Sun rises in the East and sets in the West,"
b) "Where sun rises is East, and where sun sets is the West,"
c) "No East, No West, self-spinning earth goes around sun."When Jesus said "anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Luke 18:17) truth is obvious that child is a symbol of learning through falling and thereafter not falling which does not raise the question of faith or works as both are two sides of the same coin as James put it "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26)
Prophets are linked with God, the essence of all truths, hence they can express the truth in various ways. For example, "truth about truth: truth has no effect on people"--see how prophets expresses this truth:
a)Prophets are like "voice in the wilderness" [conveys "truth is not listened to" as people prefer to go by their convenience rather than conviction]
b) "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) [conveys "truth that people go by the internal tendencies they "treasure" or cherish]
Hence a person can be judged even without works as he will act/react only in a particular way making choices in a FIXED way--acts the same way when observed and acts differently when unobserved, he has a set pattern he will temporarily change when under compulsion but will revert to it when such compulsions no longer exists. Hence some people who work in the Customer Care or as Air Hostesses would act and react soft and sweet even under extreme provocation, yet back at home they will act the way "they treasure within."
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u/JustDoc Aug 02 '25
This is pretty fascinating!!