Friday, June 03, 2005

Philippians 2:14

Textus Receptus:
παντα ποιειτε χωρις γογγυσμων και διαλογισμων

King James:
Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Comments:
without murmurings: The same word is used to describe the disharmony and grumbling of one group of believers (gentiles) against another group of believers (Jews) in the early church at Jerusalem in Acts 6:1. It is just such a self-seeking (even when self is defined broadly, for instance, as kin or kind) attitude Paul rebukes here.

and disputings: These "disputings" are the "evil thoughts" at the beginning of the list of sins Jesus says come from the heart in Matthew 15:19, consistent with the theme that genuine transformation begins on the inside. In Exodus 16:7, the Septuagint uses both of these Greek words (murmurings and disputings) to describe first what the people do to express their dissatisfaction with God (murmuring) and then their disagreement with Moses and Aaron (disputings, also translated as murmuring in the King James).

Expanded Paraphrase:
Do everything outside the realm of complaining about your dissatisfaction and outside the realm of arguing both with each other and with those who lead you.

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