τοῦτον ties the treasure to the gospel

“But we have this treasure…Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον…”. (2 Cor 4:7)

“The demonstrative pronoun τοῦτον”(this) ties the treasure to the immediate context of the gospel.

 θησαυρὸν τοῦτον (this treasure, or literally treasure this)

• οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο (Hom.+) demonstrative pron., used as adj. and subst.

      “2. as adj., pert. to an entity perceived as present or near in the discourse, this (BDAG)

The demonstrative pronoun “this” is used as an adjective that pertains to an entity perceived as present or near in the discourse.  “this treasure must be something explicitly mentioned in the context because of the τοῦτον,  whether it be the illumination that comes from the knowledge of God’s glory (v.6) or from the gospel and its glory or the gospel itself (v 3-4), or the ministry of the gospel (v1). Common to all these proposals is a reference to the gospel” (Harris 339).

 While commentators have take different directions into how the gospel relates to the treasure, one thing is certain, the treasure is directly tied to the gospel!

Possession of the gospel leads to a sense of obligation

“But we have this treasure…Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον…”. (2 Cor 4:7)

Part III Possession of the gospel leads to a sense of obligation

“Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον… But we have this treasure… the verb Ἔχομεν “we have” is used in the same sense as in 4:1 “We have this ministry”  and “denotes possession not in the sense of ownership (as though Paul owned the ‘treasure’ and hid it in a container for safe keeping) but in the sense of privileged guardianship ‘we are trustees of this treasure’” (Harris 339). Based on the context of the passage,  Harris tied the nuance in 4:1, to the the same verb in  2 Cor 4:7 “We have this treasure…”

The BDAG identifies eleven different ways the verb ἔχω (to have, to hold) can be used in the Bible. As one can see, the context helps determine which nuance applies to the text.

1. to possess or contain, have, own

2. to stand in a close relationship to someone, have, have as

3. to take a hold on someth., have, hold (to), grip

4. to carry/bear as accessory or part of a whole, have on, wear

5. be in a position to do someth., can, be able,

6. to have an opinion about someth., consider, look upon, view

7. to experience someth., have

9. special combinations

10.to be in some state or condition,

11. to be closely associated, in a variety of renderings, hold fast, be next to, be next

The BDAG continues to identify several sub-nuances that further help clarify the subtle meaning of the text.

 7. to experience someth., have

     a. of all conditions of body and soul

              -of illness,

             -gener. of conditions, characteristics, capabilities, emotions, inner possession

             -of advantages, benefits, or comforts that one enjoys

             -of a sense of obligation in regard to someth

             -of a sense of inevitability in respect to some action

     b. of temporal circumstances w. indications of time and age

The context of the 4:7 helps clarify that our possession of the treasure is a shared experience! This nuance helps define the treasure metaphor. One does not “experience” a treasure such as gold and silver, but he/she can have a personal experience with his/her encounter with the gospel! It is this experience that leads to a sense of obligation. To pick up on Harris’ insight of privileged guardianship and the idea of being a trustee of the treasure, further investigation reveals that we share a sense of “obligation” to the treasure we hold. When one looks at 2 Cor 4:7 a concept of stewardship begins to emerge.

The structure and context of the verb Ἔχομεν help believers understand that the treasure they possess is certain, and exists in the present tense!

“But we have this treasure…Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον…”. (2 Cor 4:7)

 The structure and context of the verb Ἔχομεν help believers understand that the treasure they possess is certain, and exists in the present tense!

 

The verb Ἔχομεν, translated “we have,” is conjugated as a present active indicative first person plural.

“The mood of a verb portrays the speaker’s affirmation of the certainty of the action or state. A verb in the indicative mood makes a statement or asks a question…(and) is the only mood in which time of action is made explicit by the tense of a verb. In all other moods, kind of action is the factor indicated by the tense” (Harvey 19,21). The present tense in the indicative mood tells us, with certainty, that Paul possessed this treasure at the time he wrote the epistle. This is congruent with the context that points to the location of the treasure being in “earthen vessels” (4:7).

The “inclusive” or “exclusive”  use  the verb, Ἔχομεν (we have), asks the question; who does this “we” refer to?  “The inclusive we is the use of the first person plural to include both author(s) and audience. This contrasts with the exclusive we in which the first person plural restricts the group to the author and his associates (whether co-authors, those physically present, even those who, distinct from the audience, have participated in some of the author’s experiences, etc.... The context and overall thrust of the book are the best clues. In particular, the presence of the second person plural in the same context often signals an exclusive we (but there are many exceptions)(Wallace 397) .

At first glance, the surrounding context of 4:7 reveals the use of the 2^nd person plural, as noted above,  before and after our text in 4:7; (cf: 4:5  “ourselves” and “your” clarifies the “we” as exclusive; 4:12 “us” and “you”  clarify the “we” in vs 11 as exclusive). Paul is giving an account of his ministry (and that of his associates), to which the “we” would exclusively  refer to (4:1). Yet when he refers to the gospel (4:3-4),  the exclusive “we” broadens to include believers, in contrast to the unbelievers of whom "the gospel is veiled" (4:3). If the “treasure” that Paul refers to in earthen vessels (4:7) relates directly to the veiled gospel (4:3, 6), then the 1^st person plural Ἔχομεν  in 4:7 “we have” can be considered inclusive to believers and exclusive to unbelievers. Under this inclusive interpretation, one can confidently conclude that the treasure believers possess is certain, and exists in the present tense!

The conjunction δέ helps connect the gospel to the treasure!

“But we have this treasure…Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον…”. (2 Cor 4:7)

 Part I; The conjunction δέ helps connect the gospel to the treasure!

“δέ (Hom.+) one of the most common Gk. particles, used to connect one clause to another, either to express contrast or simple continuation. When it is felt that there is some contrast betw. clauses—though the contrast is oft. scarcely discernible—the most common translation is ‘but’. When a simple connective is desired, without contrast being clearly implied, ‘and’ will suffice, and in certain occurrences the marker may be left un-translated” (BDAG ). 

 Our most common English Bible translations (NIV, NASB, KJV) chose to translate the conjuction with the stronger connective “but” in verse 7, which would imply a contrast between the preceding thought of the Glory of God (Vs 6) to the earthen vessels (humans) in vs 7. However, Both Harris and the BDAG consider the δὲ a weaker connector, used to continue, or develop, the idea of the glory of God that becomes housed in the earthen vessel!  In this case, the conjunction would be translated “and” or “now.” Harris even suggests leaving the δὲ un-translated, which would render the verse;  “This treasure entrusted to us,” (339).  This subtle nuance helps keep the focus on the gospel, as it unfolds from verses 3, and 6 and helps develop the context for the treasure metaphor in verse 7.

Seek the Kingdom… Make a Purse?

Seek the Kingdom… make a purse?

“make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:33 NASB)

The grammatical use of the appositional construction can help clarify the meaning of the text.

 “An appositional construction involves two adjacent substantives that refer to the same person or thing and have the same syntactical relation to the rest of the clause. The first accusative substantive can belong to any accusative category, and the second is merely a clarification of who or what is mentioned. Thus, the appositive ‘piggy-backs’ on the first accusative’s use, as it were.” (Wallace 199-200)

The apposition in this text clarifies that the disciples are to make a purse to hold heavenly treasure.  However, “The significance of the metaphor is not clarified: what is treasure in heaven?” (Marshal 532).   

“There is an implied contrast with earthly treasuries, which are perishable and hence a cause for anxiety”  (Marshall 531). This idea is supported by the context of the parable that Jesus taught in 12:12-21, and the anxiety the disciples may have experienced when they left possessions to follow Jesus (12:22). Anxiety does not come from God, but rather reflects the fear of uncertainty of one’s security or outcome and can cause a tension that can limit one’s desire to and/or limit what they give to the poor.

The pronoun ἑαυτοῖς translated as “yourselves” is a dative reflexive masculine plural. The dative case can function as an indirect object and is often translated with ”to” or “for,” which would help us translate this passage “make for yourselves purses”.

The pronoun is reflexive and its function is to “highlight the participation of the subject in the verbal action” (Wallace 350), the subject in this text are the disciples, who are implied in the verb and can be traced back to vs. 22. Thus the reflexive places an added emphasis on the disciples’ participation in the action of making themselves a purse.  

So what are the disciples supposed to participate in? The context reveals the painful answer;  to sell their possessions and give the proceeds to the poor! (Lk 12:33a) There is an implied heavenly exchange where the disciples will receive heavenly treasure in response to their obedience, and the purse they make will be the receptacle for that treasure!  

As we seek the Kingdom of God, a change in the source of our security and provision begin to take place.

I wonder if the metaphor of making a purse illustrates the need for the disciples to prepare their hearts  to seek  first His Kingdom. If the purse represents the receptacle for heavenly treasure, than the heart can be thought of as the receptacle for spiritual blessing. The passage is complex as it contains multiple metaphors (purse, treasure, and heart). It is at times like these that an understanding of the biblical context is so important, lest we subconsciously replace it with our personal context to fill in the blanks. Whether the purse represents the heart or serves to bring our attention to it, we come to the same conclusion, that our heart plays a major role in our relationship to our temperal treasure and eternal peace (Lk 12:34), which I would venture to say, centers on our faith in God. It also is the place where our anxieties and fears come from. Our anxieties can have a major influence in our giving. When seek for his kingdom, Jesus can enter in and replace our anxiety with an eternal security that will free us up to give without measure, and with a joy that is uninhibited by fear!

 I believe this passage is all about the heart, and how it can be bound or freed by the way we hold onto our earthly treasure. It is about the process of finding and living in the Kingdom of God. Let’s not get caught up in our possessions, either in its abundance, or lack thereof, lest we lose the point. It’s really not about the stuff, but rather what gets in the way of one’s relationship with God and His kingdom that muddies the heart! If we can align our heart and our treasure to the Kingdom, all else, (obedience, provision, service, and even our stuff etc…) should fall into place.

This is much easier to read (and write) than to live out. When we prepare our hearts for Kingdom living, we enter a spiritual battle that rages like a storm trying to re-shackle us with old and new anxieties, which can create a fear that robs us of our joy in giving, and the presence of God in the relational sense.  The Kingdom we have access to now, exists in the context of our sanctification, which involves an intense struggle as part of the process to make us holy! It is to be expected and prepared for.

 Next time you feel anxious or fearful, seek the kingdom, and sell whatever it is that keeps your heart from allowing God to be Lord of your life. That is how you “make a purse” and prepare your heart to be filled with treasure!

Camels and Needles

Camels and Needles, the struggle with grief in our giving! “he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much” (Mt 19:22 NAS).

The grammatical structure of the Greek word for “grieved” helps us understand the importance of giving! (λυπούμενος), translated as grieved, sad, or sorrowful, often translated in our Bible in the past tense, is actually a present tense adverbial participle. Its relationship to the action of the main verb “went”, gives the idea of progressive action. This could be translated with “ing” or literally “went away grieving.” The nominative case identifies the emotion of grieving to the subject, and the passive voice flips the subject to receive (rather than initiate) the action. Wow, who would not be grieved if he walked away from the Son of God, because of the struggle with his possessions! Perhaps he did sell his possessions and came back, the text does not say what happened after he left, but the main point for the reader is the emotional struggle of the heart to their experiences in God’s command to give! Note the paradox, “sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven”; (Mt 19:21 NAS). The grammar makes the point clear, as an adverbial participle of “manner” the emphasis “refers to the emotion that accompanies the main verb” (Wallace 627).

With that said, Matthew is not saying it is wrong to have “much” but rather, be careful of the hold your possessions can have on your heart! To be clear, Jesus is not saying; simplify your life by giving to the poor, so you can be free to follow him. If we all did that, we would not be able to give much, there would be little treasure in heaven and we would not have much ability to help the poor! As a missionary who works with the poor, I can tell you, the poor would think you rather foolish to empty yourself of the resources God has given you to help them for a short term gift! Rather I believe Matthew is saying, be careful that the riches you have do not get in the way of following Jesus!

The real treasure in heaven is being present with Jesus on earth, and reflecting his love through your possessions to those in need! We do not give just because others are poor, we give because through our giving we connect to God, and through our witness of following Jesus, God connects to the poor! The main point being, our mission is to help others “follow him”, and our giving is one means to that end! God has equipped us with riches to do this. If we get hung up on our stuff, our ability to make this connection becomes harder to do, than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle! (Mt 19:24)

Treasure up

If your spiritual tank is empty, pull over and "treasure up"!
When we give to others in need, we literally “treasure up” or “lay up” (ἀποθησαυρίζοντας) a foundation that will help us “take hold” (ἐπιλάβωνται) of our eternal life (1Ti 6:19)! I fear that in these times of economic uncertainty, we may be tempted to fix our hope on our limited resources instead of our faith in God. Be careful not to lose sight that our eternal hope comes through an understanding that all we have comes from God’s hand (1Ti 6:17 NAS)! Fix your eyes on Jesus and his gospel (Heb 12:2), and remember that when we give (even in times of uncertainty) to those in need, we demonstrate to others our faith in God and the living hope we share! The best way to "treasure up," and draw close to God, is to give generously to those in need, and you will be blessed!