Impartiality (678) aprosopoleptos

Impartially (678) (aprosopoleptos from a = not, without + prósopon = face + lambáno = receive) (this verse is only Scriptural occurrence) literally means "not receiving face" which then came to mean “without respect of persons”. Aprosopoleptos is derived from a Hebrew idiom "to receive the face" of someone which meant to show partiality or favoritism. This word reflects the respectful oriental greeting in which one humbly turns one’s face to the ground upon meeting another person. If the person greeted raised the face of the man, this was a sign of recognition and esteem. Here the word is the opposite or negative aspect of this well known practice and thus means “does not receive face.” That is, God does not receive anybody’s face. He is impartial. Outward appearance, wealth, culture, social position, family background, education, beauty, intellect, all things that more or less sway the opinions of man, do not count with God when it comes to appraising a person’s character or worthiness. Click brief Scriptural survey of God's attribute of impartiality. Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. 2Chronicles 19:7 “Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” Jeremiah conveys a similar thought asking O LORD, do not Thine eyes look for truth? (Jer 5:3) In first Samuel the author reminds us that... The Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1Sa 16:7). Peter came to understand that God's favor was not limited to the nation of Israel but that He desired an honest and contrite heart, whether Jew or Gentile. And so He prefaced his message to the Gentile Cornelius with the declaration that I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him." (Acts 10:34, 35) Paul in discussing God's judgment writes that there is no (absolute negation) partiality (prosopolepsía = literally "to receive a face") with God. (Ro 2:11-note) God does not receive a face or give consideration to someone simply because of his position, wealth, influence, popularity, or appearance. Because it is God’s nature to be just, it is impossible for Him to be anything but impartial. God judges everyone by the same standard. He does not play favorites! God deals with obedience and disobedience impartially. God judges each man’s work with impartiality. We should however not misinterpret this statement as implying that God is a critical judge trying always to find a defect or flaw in our conduct or service (a common misconception of our benevolent and just Judge). We would all stand accused countless times each day if this were true. The Greek word is found more often in a good than in a bad sense. That is, God’s impartiality is an honest appraisal of things, while His heart is always with His child and goes out to him in a spirit of love. That truth is beautifully brought out in the use of the Greek verb (dokimazo) in 1Cor 3:13, which in context refers to the judgment of the believer’s works at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There are two Greek words which mean “to put to the test,” one (peirazo [note]) meaning “to put to the test in order to discover what evil or good there may be in a person” and the other, (dokimazo [note]) meaning “to put to the test in order to sanction or approve the good one finds in that person.” The latter (dokimazo) is used in (1Cor 3:13 and also in 1 Peter 1:7 [note]). God expects to find in the life of each saint "works" upon which He can put His approval, for the Holy Spirit produces good ("holy") works in every saint (see study on good deeds), albeit in greater number in those saints who are fully subjected to His control. Judges (2919) (krino) primarily means to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. Krino is present tense indicating the Father is continually judging the conduct of His children and this ongoing, "present tense" judging should serve as a strong motivation to goad us on to holiness (see 1Pe 1:14-note; 1Pe 1:15-note; 1Pe 1:16-note) Lincoln comments on the continual aspect of God's impartial judgment that... He is looking on, taking notice of all, whether there is integrity of purpose, intelligence of mind, and desire of heart to please Him. There is thus a sense in which believers are now being "judged", even as they are disciplined and chastened by their Father they sin (I have found this is not a popular topic to teach on! Don't be surprised it these important truths are not graciously received!). The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers that... you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (See notes Hebrews 12:5; 12:6; 12:7; 12:8; 12:9; 12:10; 12:11). Someone has wisely written that years of obedience cannot purchase an hour of disobedience. We will all be judged impartially. ACCORDING TO EACH MAN'S WORK: kata to hekastou ergon: (Job 34:11, Ps 62:12-notes, Pr 24:12, Is 40:10, 11, Jer 17:10, 32:19, Da 12:3, Mt 16:27, Lk 14:12,13, 14, Jn 4:36, Ro 2:6-note, 1Co 3:13, 14, 15, 2Co 5:10, Col 3:22,23, 24, 25; 1Jn 2:28 Rev 2:23-note, Rev 22:12-note) See Torrey's topic - Good Works Psalm 62:12 And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work. Jeremiah 17:10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds. Each man's (1538) (hekastos) means each one of an aggregate. The idea is every single person! All judgment will be according to works and each man means there will be no exceptions. No one will get a pass in regard to God's perfect judgment. Scripture clearly distinguishes between the judgment of believers and the judgment of unbelievers. Unbelievers will be judged impartially by God at the Great White Throne (after the 1000 year reign of Christ) as described by John... And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Re 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, See notes Re 20:11; 12; 13; 14; 15) This judgment of unbelievers was also seen in Psalm 1... Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. (Ps 1:5, Ps 1:6) Obviously in the present context Peter is referring primarily to the future judgment of believers and specifically to the Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ (see note) But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of God. 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." 12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. (see notes Ro 14:10; 11; 12) Therefore (since the moment we are absent from the body we will come face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ... because this is true..) also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (phaulos - click to study what "bad" actually means as this is often misunderstood and sometimes is incorrectly taught). (2Cor 5:9, 10) The Bema Seat (See synopsis of end time judgments) has nothing to do with salvation, except that salvation ought to produce good works (see Ephesians 2:10-note, Titus 2:12-note) and if one does not bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance (Mt 3:8), it may well be that one's repentance is not genuine for as Jesus said we are to know the tree by its fruit (see Matthew 7:20-note) (See related study on good deeds) At the Bema Seat of Christ, believers sins will not judged, for Christ has once and for all borne every sin we have committed or will commit, having paid the price in full (Is 53:4, 5, Jn 3:18, Jn 19:30, Romans 8:1-note, 1Peter 2:24- note). So what will Christ judge in regard to believers? Scripture teaches that Christ will judge... each man's work (which) will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test (dokimazo) the quality of each man's work. (1Cor 3:13) In other words He will judge us in order to find something good for the purpose of determining each believer's rewards rewards. At that time God will search even every motives of our heart Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God. (Although 1 Cor 3 teaches rewards can and will be lost by believers, this text makes it clear that EACH believer will receive praise from our Lord!) (1Co 4:5). Edward Veal (Morning Exercises) has these pithy words on according to each man's works... Learn to admire the grace of God in rewarding your works. It is much that he accepts them; and what is it, then, that he rewards them? It is much that he doth not damn you for them, seeing they are all defiled, and have something of sin cleaving to them; and what is it, then, that he crowns them? You would admire the bounty and munificence of a man that should give you a kingdom for taking up a straw at his foot, or give you a hundred thousand pounds for paying him a penny rent you owed him: how, then, should you adore the rich grace and transcendent bounty of God in so largely recompensing such mean services, in setting a crown of glory upon your heads, as the reward of those works which you can scarcely find in your hearts to call good ones! You will even blush one day to see yourselves so much honoured for what you are ashamed of, and are conscious to yourselves that you have deserved nothing by. You will wonder then to see God recompensing you for doing what was your duty to do, and what was his work in you; giving you grace, and crowning that grace; enabling you to do things acceptable to him, and then rewarding you as having done them.-- Edward Veal in "The Morning Exercises." ><>><>><> Look Who's Reading You - I heard about a judge who used bumper stickers to encourage better driving. He gave two options to people guilty of driving while intoxicated. The first option was to attach this message to their bumper: "This car owned by a convicted drunk driver." Almost all offenders preferred the judge's second option: Enroll in an alcohol treatment program. The majority of people cared about what others thought of them and wanted to maintain a good image. The fear of embarrassment applies to other kinds of unacceptable behavior as well. For example, not many of us would be willing to walk around with a sign on our backs that read something like this: "Danger: I'm a Christian who doesn't spend time in prayer or Bible study." Nor would we want to wear a sign that read: "Warning: I'm a child of God who gossips too much," or "Be careful: I am controlled by lust rather than love." If God required us to display such a sign, would our desire for the respect of others keep us from revealing our true spiritual condition? The way we answer that question says a lot about our sense of shame before the Lord, who always judges us accurately (1Pe 1:17). Is it possible that we fear His opinion less than we fear the opinion of others? — Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) It matters not what others say In ridicule or fun; I want to live that I may hear Him say to me, "Well done." --Beers Live for God's approval rather than man's approval. ><>><>><> Torrey's Topic - Reward of the Saints Is from God - Ro 2:7; Col 3:24; Heb 11:6 Is of grace, through faith alone - Ro 4:4,5,16; 11:6 Is of God’s good pleasure - Mt 20:14,15; Lk 12:32 Prepared by God - Heb 11:16 Prepared by Christ - Jn 14:2 As servants of Christ - Cols 3:24 Not on account of their merits - Ro 4:4,5 DESCRIBED AS Being with Christ - Jn 12:26; 14:3; Php 1:23; 1Th 4:17 Beholding the face of God - Ps 17:15; Mt 5:8; Re 22:4 Beholding the glory of Christ - Jn 17:24 Being glorified with Christ - Ro 8:17,18; Col 3:4; Php 3:21; 1Jn 3:2 Sitting in judgment with Christ - Da 7:22; Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30; 1Co 6:2 Reigning with Christ - 2Ti 2:12; Re 3:21; 5:10; 20:4 Reigning for ever and ever - Re 22:5 A crown of righteousness - 2Ti 4:8 A crown of glory - 1Pe 5:4 A crown of life - James 1:12; Re 2:10 An incorruptible crown - 1Co 9:25 Joint heirship with Christ - Ro 8:17 Inheritance of all things - Revelation 21:7 Inheritance with saints in light - Acts 20:32; 26:18; Col 1:12 Inheritance eternal -Hebrews 9:15 Inheritance incorruptible - 1 Peter 1:4 A kingdom - Matthew 25:34; Luke 22:29 A kingdom immovable - Hebrews 12:28 Shining as the stars - Daniel 12:3 Everlasting light - Isaiah 60:19 Everlasting life - Lk 18:30; Jn 6:40; 17:2,3; Ro 2:7; 6:23; 1Jn 5:11 An enduring substance - Heb 10:34 A house eternal in the heavens - 2Co 5:1 A city which had foundation - Heb 11:10 Entering into the joy of the Lord - Mt 25:21; Hebrews 12:2 Rest - Hebrews 4:9; Revelation 14:13 Fulness of joy - Psalms 16:11 The prize of the high calling of God in Christ - Php 3:14 Treasure in heaven - Mt 19:21; Luke 12:33 An eternal weight of glory - 2 Co 4:17 Is great - Matthew 5:12; Luke 6:35; Hebrews 10:35 Is full - 2 John 1:8 Is sure - Proverbs 11:18 Is satisfying - Psalms 17:15 Is inestimable - Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9 Saints may feel confident of - Ps 73:24; Is 25:8,9; 2Co 5:1; 2Ti 4:8 Hope of, a cause of rejoicing - Romans 5:2 Be careful not to lose - 2 John 1:8 THE PROSPECT OF, SHOULD LEAD TO Diligence - 2 John 1:8 Pressing forward - Philippians 3:14 Enduring suffering for Christ -2Co 4:16, 17, 18; Heb 11:26 Faithfulness to death - Revelation 2:10 Present afflictions not to be compared with - Ro 8:18; 2Co 5:17 Shall be given at the second coming of Christ - Mt 16:27; Re 22:12 CONDUCT YOURSELVES IN FEAR: en phobo...anastraphete (2PAPM): (James 5:9, Lk 12:4, 5; Hebrews 12:2-note ; Romans 3:18-note) (See Torrey's Topic Godly Fear) Conduct yourselves in fear - As discussed below, not in a shaking trembling fear (for Ro 8:1-note, Ro 8:38, 39-note apply to believers), but a reverential awe, a dread of displeasing God my Father, the One I can now (because of Christ's sacrificial blood) called "Abby, Daddy"! This type of "fear" motivates a holy love, out of which flows a heart felt obedience, a sincere Spirit enabled desire and power to obey which is in stark contrast to a legalistic burden to obey.

Be the first to react on this!

Impartiality (678) aprosopoleptos

Greek Word Studies

Greek Word Studies ( - )

Grupo de Marcas