If you are a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and
Messiah, you have an inheritance. You inherit the promises alongside Jesus the
one who rescued you. It matters little what the unsaved think of you, you are
made to be a member and partaker alongside Jesus. You will reign as a king
alongside Jesus. While we may suffer on earth, we are told we have a very
different value to God. The world may hurt you, put you down and stand on you
or hound you, but by enduring you will be glorified along with Christ. This is
something to keep in mind when our days seem dark and our lives seem pitiful
and painful. You are important.
Sometimes translations don’t communicate the eloquence
the writer intended. While Paul was writing the doctrines of the Christian
faith in Romans and Ephesians, he also used a fluency that we do not see in the
English translations. Paul says that we are united
heirs, united suffers, and united glory with Jesus. I know that
sounds grammatically awkward, but stick with me here. Paul’s idea of our unity
in these areas alongside Jesus is also communicated as being partakers together
and unified in the body of Christ.
Another way to say this is that we are companions in inheritance,
companions in suffering, companions in glorying, companions in membership, companions
in the body, and companions in kingship with Jesus the Messiah. But in Romans,
as compared to Ephesians, this denotes cause and effect. If one, then two, then
three. The first promise is heavenly and based on the actual enduring on earth,
then there is a second heavenly promise.
While Paul was using these words creatively, they are quite informative.
We must also remember that many times we only have one
word for something in English, but the Greek is very specific and can be
clearer or more descriptive with multiple words for the same English word. There
are close to fifteen words in the Greek New Testament for suffering while
English uses one broad word and depends on surrounding text to inform us on
what kind of suffering. Let’s explore.
The word for “joint-heir or co-heir” is sug-kleronomos. It is made up of two
words; Sun, meaning “union”, and kleronomos meaning a “sharer or
inheritor”.
NT:4789 sugkleronomos (soong-klay-ron-om'-os); from
NT:4862 and NT:2818; a co-heir, i.e. (by analogy) participant in common: KJV -
fellow (joint)- heir, heir together, heir with.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:4862 sun (soon); a
primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than
NT:3326 or NT:3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance,
possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: KJV - beside, with. In composition
it has similar applications, including completeness.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:2818 kleronomos (klay-ron-om'-os);
from NT:2819 and the base of NT:3551 (in its original sense of partitioning,
i.e. [reflexively] getting by apportionment); a sharer by lot, i.e. inheritor
(literally or figuratively); by implication, a possessor: KJV -
heir.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Rom 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs [2818]
of God and co-heirs [4789] with the Messiah—if, in fact, we share in his
sufferings [4841] in order that we may also share in his glory [4888]. ISV
Because we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, we are children
of God. If we are children then we are co-heirs, and we are also co-sufferers
and co-glorifyers. The words translated “share in his suffering” is the
compound word sum-pascho. Sun, again meaning union, and pascho meaning to experience sensations
or impressions that are usually painful.
NT:4841 sumpascho (soom-pas'-kho); from NT:4862 and
NT:3958 (including its alternate); to experience pain jointly or of the same
kind (specifically, persecution; to "sympathize"): KJV - suffer
with.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4862 sun (soon); a
primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than
NT:3326 or NT:3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance,
possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: KJV - beside, with. In composition
it has similar applications, including completeness.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
NT:3958 pascho (pas'-kho);
including the forms (patho (path'-o) and pentho (pen'-tho)), used only in
certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; to experience a sensation or
impression (usually painful):KJV - feel, passion, suffer, vex. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
What this suffering implies is “hurt feelings or
circumstances leading to sadness”. The third idea is the compound word sun-doxazo; Sun meaning union, and doxazo
meaning “to render or esteem glorious”.
NT:4888 sundoxazo (soon-dox-ad'-zo); from NT:4862 and
NT:1392; to exalt to dignity in company (i.e. similarly) with: KJV - glorify
together.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4862 sun (soon); a
primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than
NT:3326 or NT:3844), i.e. by association, companionship, process, resemblance,
possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: KJV - beside, with. In composition
it has similar applications, including completeness.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright
© 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1392 doxazo (dox-ad'-zo);
from NT:1391; to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application): KJV -
(make) glorify (-ious), full of (have) glory, honour, magnify.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Paul is telling people that we are heirs together with
Jesus, sufferers together with Jesus, and esteemed glorious together with
Jesus. But there are two more words we should note, the words “if in fact” and
“in order that”. Both phrases are translated well in the ISV. This tells us
that if we are children, and heirs together with Jesus, albeit, we will suffer,
so that we will be glorified together with Jesus. There is always suffering for
the children of God in this world because we renounced our citizenship to this
world. We are living in enemy territory. There is a different word Paul used
for suffering when writing to Timothy.
2 Tim 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead
with him, we shall also live with him:12 If we suffer [5278], we shall also
reign [4821]with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:13 If we believe
not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. KJV
NT:5278 hupomeno (hoop-om-en'-o); from NT:5259 and
NT:3306; to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e.
bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere: KJV - abide, endure, (take) patient
(-ly), suffer, tarry behind.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
This is not the same type of suffering as pascho, meaning “feeling pain”. Hupomeno is to “be left behind”, or have
“to bear trials and persevere through them”. Hupo means “under” and meno
means to “stay in place”. This type of suffering is like being buried under,
where one is being held down and has to fight through the situation. This
indicates there is an oppressor involved, whereas pascho may indicate a mean person or bad situation, meno is indicating someone putting a
child of God trough a tough time. A third type of suffering is dioko, meaning
to be pursued.
Paul tells Timothy that if we are pushed down we will
reign with Jesus. Here Paul uses another compound word sum-basileuo. Our same word sum
meaning “union” and basileuo meaning “to
rule as a king”.
NT:4821 sumbasileuo (soom-bas-il-yoo'-o); from NT:4862
and NT:936; to be co-regent (figurative): KJV - reign with.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
If we are oppressed by others we will be co-regents, or
kings together with Christ. That is not such a bad thing, is it?
2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer [1377] persecution. KJV
NT:1377 dioko (dee-o'-ko); a prolonged (and causative)
form of a primary verb dio (to flee; compare the base of NT:1169 and NT:1249);
to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication, to persecute: KJV -
ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press
forward.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Have you ever known someone who constantly hounds another
person? Sometimes that is due to mental illness, but sometimes it is a
spiritual, or demonic behavior intentionally causing suffering. Dioko is being picked on constantly or
being hounded. This is likened to the child of God having someone hammering
them all the time. Whether it is chasing them, as in trying to catch them, or
stirring up strife by pointing out faults all the time. If the child of God is
living godly in Christ, this is the type of persecution they will suffer.
Notice that Paul is saying this suffering comes about by living a godly life.
Coming back to being fellow heirs, we find another usage
here of that word sug-kleronomos. We
may have to do a bit of backtracking on this section to get a running start.
Firstly, Paul is going to tell us about the mystery that was revealed to him.
This mystery is that the nations, ethnos, are sug-kleronomos. But oddly, like the construction in Romans, he uses
three words together with the prefix sun,
meaning union, #4862. Remember there wasn’t a word gentiles in the first century, it was translated that way later,
the Greeks didn’t have a word describing themselves as “less than” Jews. Gentile is a slang word with a
derogatory connotation and as we have studied, all Jews are goyim, but not all goyim are
Jews. So what Paul is communicating is that all the tribes of the earth, all
the ethnic groups are now going to be joint-heirs, co-inheritors.
Eph 3:1-6 For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the
Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles. 2 Surely you have heard about the
responsibility of administering God’s grace that was given to me on your
behalf, 3 and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just
as I wrote about briefly in the past. 4 By reading this, you will be able to
grasp my understanding of the secret about the Messiah, 5 which in previous
generations was not made known to human beings as it has now been revealed by
the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This is that secret: 6 The
gentiles are heirs-in-common, members-in-common of the body, and common
participants in what was promised by the Messiah Jesus through the gospel. ISV
The first thing that Paul says is that “the mystery” is
that all tribes can become heirs together with Christ. Not only that, all
tribes can be members together of the body of Christ. Thirdly, all tribes can
be partners together in the promise, or announcement, or pledge of Christ.
NT:4954 sussomos (soos'-so-mos); from NT:4862 and
NT:4983; of a joint body, i.e. (figuratively) a fellow-member of the Christian
community: KJV - of the same body. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers
and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003,
2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4983 soma (so'-mah); from
NT:4982; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application,
literally or figuratively: KJV - bodily, body, slave. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4830 summetochos (soom-met'-okh-os); from NT:4862 and
NT:3353; a co-participant: partaker. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:3353 metochos
(met'-okh-os); from NT:3348; participant, i.e. (as noun) a sharer; by
implication an associate: KJV - fellow, partaker, partner.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible
Translators, Inc.)
Here Paul’s sentence puts three aspects together,
inheritors together, members together, and participants together. The whole
idea of this secret was that all the nations and tribes could share together,
it was not just about the one tribal group called Jews; it was about all tribes
sharing together. This was an all-encompassing promise, not an exclusionary
club where only a certain heritage and DNA are allowed. Instead of this being
announced in Genesis 3:15, this mystery was hidden so that there would be no
stopping the plan of Christ. Paul is revealing the manifold wisdom of God to principalities
and powers through the church
How do we attain inclusion into this particular group? Paul
also tells us that we are heirs by righteousness produced by faith, not by
following the law.
Rom 4:13-15 For the promise that he would inherit [2818]
the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but
through the righteousness produced by faith. 14 For if those who were given the
Law are the heirs [2818], then faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15 for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be
any violation of it. ISV
NT:2818 kleronomos (klay-ron-om'-os); from NT:2819 and
the base of NT:3551 (in its original sense of partitioning, i.e. [reflexively]
getting by apportionment); a sharer by lot, i.e. inheritor (literally or
figuratively); by implication, a possessor: KJV - heir.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Once again, we see our word, kleronomos. To be an heir is to walk by faith, not the law. The
law produces wrath. If we study Abraham’s walk with Yahweh, we see that there
were no rules or written documents telling Abraham what to do. Abraham, by
relationship, by fellowship, by communication, walked with God. And Paul hits
this point many times, it is by faith we become righteous, and that is how we
become joint-heirs and partakers in the promises of God. If, by faith, we
belong to the Messiah, then we have been adopted.
Gal 3:29-4:7 And if you belong to the Messiah, then you
are Abraham’s descendants indeed, and heirs [2818] according to the promise. 4:1
Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir [2818] is a child, he is no
better off than a slave, even though he owns everything. 2 Instead, he is
placed under the care of guardians and servant managers until the time set by
the father. 3 It was the same way with us. While we were children, we were
slaves to the basic principles of the world. 4 But when the appropriate time
had come, God sent his Son, born by a woman, born under the Law, 5 in order to
redeem those who were under the Law, and thus to adopt them as his children. 6
Now because you are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts to cry out, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child,
and if you are a child, then you are also an heir [2818] because of what God
did. ISV
Heirs and children are the present reality and destiny of
believers on Jesus Christ the Messiah. Paul asks Titus to remind the believers of
a few things, then the ISV translates Paul’s summation of our salvation as a
poem. It communicates stronger as a poem and is part of the reminder of heirs
by grace and eternal life.
Titus 3:1-8 Remind believers to submit to rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, and to be ready to do any honorable kind of work.
2 They are not to insult anyone or be argumentative. Instead, they are to be
gentle and perfectly courteous to everyone. 3 After all, we ourselves were once
foolish, disobedient, and misled. We were slaves to many kinds of lusts and
pleasures, spending our days in malice and jealousy. We were despised, and we
hated one another.
4 In grace our Savior
God appeared,
to make his love for
mankind clear.
5 ‘Twas not for deeds
that we had done,
but by his steadfast love alone,
he saved us through a
second birth,
renewed us by the
Spirit’s work,
6 and poured him out
upon us, too,
through Jesus the
Messiah our Savior true.
7 And so, made heirs
by his own grace,
eternal life we now
embrace. ISV
8 This saying is
trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have put
their faith in God may devote themselves to good actions. These things are good
and helpful to other people. ISV
The way Paul uses words and communicates to us is not dry,
but colorful. This translation takes the imagery of our salvation story and
future as heirs, and gives us a great poetic version which is not dry, but
vibrant. This is probably how Paul wanted it communicated, rather than in a
boring, lecture type tone.
From this understanding of being joint-heirs,
joint-sufferers, Joint-gloryings, joint-members, joint-participants, and joint
kings with Christ Jesus our Messiah, we can begin to see why we were made a
little lower than the Elohim, Psalm 8:5. When we remember the angels are to
serve us, we have to wonder why we were adopted as sons and daughters, and the
angelic class is in service to us and to God.
Heb 1:1-14 God, having spoken in former times in
fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets, 2 has in
these last days spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed to be the heir [2818]
of everything and through whom he also made the universe. 3 He is the
reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of his being, and he holds
everything together by his powerful word. After he had provided a cleansing
from sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Highest Majesty 4 and became as
much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited [2816/2818] is better
than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will
be my Son”? 6 And again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Now about the angels he says, “He makes
his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he
says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom
is a righteous scepter.9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That
is why God, your God, anointed you rather than your companions with the oil of
gladness.” 10 And, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the
earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.11 They will come to an end, but
you will remain forever. They will all wear out like clothes.12 You will roll
them up like a robe, and they will be changed like clothes. But you remain the
same, and your life will never end.” 13 But to which of the angels did he ever
say,“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
14 All of them are spirits on a divine mission, sent to serve those who are
about to inherit salvation, aren’t they? ISV
What we see here from Hebrews is that Jesus is the Son
that the Father appointed to be heir of everything, and yet we get to be
co-heirs. Jesus created everything and provided a rescue for us by His blood,
and yet we are co-members of His body. Jesus is worshipped by the angels and we
get to be co-partakers of the promise. The Father calls Jesus God, and we get
to be glorified along with Him. And while the heaven and earth that we know
will end, and a new one will be born, we get to reign alongside Jesus just for
having faith and suffering painful times. How is it that man is so important
that angelic beings are here to serve us? This is all so surreal. All day long
the world tells us how worthless we are for believing in Christ as Messiah, and
yet the opposite of what we are told by the world is our true inheritance.
Truly amazing. While the world and the people who refuse Christ will not change
their opinions of us, we need to remind ourselves of God’s opinion of us. What
does it matter what the unsaved think of us, when we are adopted and sharing
alongside Jesus? Who cares what suffering may come, we can endure because we
are going to reign with Jesus!
