The Rev. Chris Palmer is the founder and pastor of Light of Today Church in Novi, Michigan, and host of the popular podcast, Greek for the Week, seen on several Internet platforms. His most recent book is Greek Word Study: 90 Ancient Words That Unlock Scripture
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." ( OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ESV)
Politics are a ruthless enterprise. And here we go again. Let’s look back at the American presidential election of 1800. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were friends who ran against each other. It became one of the most vicious elections of all time.
Mud-flinging went on left-and-right. Thomas Jefferson accused Adams of being a “hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”
Adams’s campaign fired back and said Jefferson was “a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.”
Jefferson got the last word, though. He hired someone to lie about Adams, saying he wanted to attack France. It proved effective. Many Americans believed it and Jefferson won the election. Adams was so upset that he refused to show up at Jefferson’s inauguration. The two friends didn’t talk for 12 years.
Despite the falling out, the two men eventually desired to renew their friendship. In 1812, Adams wrote to Jefferson and wished him a happy new year. Jefferson responded, recalling memories of their friendship. They remained pen pals for 14 years and exchanged 158 letters.
In a twist of irony, the friends and former rivals died on the same day: July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which they both helped write. The two men went through it all together, including the bitter pains of division caused by self-ambition. Too bad they couldn’t avoid it.
In , God’s Word warns us about divisions that come from our own selfish ambitions and instructs us to avoid them. Here, Paul was writing to the Philippian church where there was rivalry going on among some of the believers ( ). Paul was giving practical advice about how to end these rivalries. He says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition ...”
The Greek word for “selfish ambition” is eritheia. It means “strife,” “contentiousness,” and “rivalry.” Aristotle used eritheia in his work, Politics, to describe candidates getting into office using unethical means. It means to use any method necessary to one-up someone.
Paul is telling us that this doesn’t ensue only in politics. It happens in the church. Believers compete at each other’s expense in order to achieve positions of leadership, celebrity, and prominence. They were to stop at once.
There’s simply no room for rivalry in the church because it causes strife and division. Christ’s Body must not be divided ( ). Instead of campaigning for ourselves, we are to serve one another the way Christ served us.
Have you ever done something out of selfish ambition that cost one of your brothers or sisters in Christ? While it’s likely you haven’t run a public smear campaign, maybe you have smeared someone’s name so that you could benefit from it. Whatever it is that you are after, it’s not worth competing if you have to divide God’s people to get it.
If you’ve been competing with others, why not try a new approach to promotion? Instead of putting people down, why not serve them? The outcome will be a win-win for both parties.
This beats having to deal with the misery that comes from running a crooked campaign.
Prayer: Dear Lord, it is my desire to love others the way you do. May nothing I undertake be out of selfish-ambition. Rather, help me to serve others with humility.
Historical information: Sarah Pruitt, “Jefferson & Adams: Founding Frenemies.” History.com (accessed July 21, 2019) and Kerwin Swint, “Adams vs. Jefferson: The Birth of Negative Campaigning in the U.S.” (accessed July 21, 2019).
Copyright © 2020 Rev. Chris Palmer, used with permission. Rev. Palmer's most recent book is Greek Word Study: 90 Ancient Words That Unlock Scripture
"I know your works ..." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Google Earth is amazing. I can’t think of a better way to waste time. Who doesn’t enjoy taking a few hours to look for creepy abnormalities around our planet? We’re talking shipwrecks, remote pyramids, and some hair-raising things you can discover for yourself.
Google Earth Street View came along in 2008 and took things to the next level. This sophisticated technology provides 360-degree, panoramic, street-level views, allowing users to see everything at ground level. Looking to plan a date? Scope out restaurants as if you were in front of them. Google gets its 3D images from the cameras they mount on the Google car. It drives up and down its route, scanning, measuring, and taking pictures. It has an intimate knowledge of the whole world.
In , Jesus tells the church in Ephesus something intimate — Google Street View intimate. He says, “I know your works” (Oida ta erga sou). Four words that don’t seem like much, but in the Greek, they are. The first thing to note is that Jesus uses the word oida. It’s intimate knowledge from being up close and personal. This knowledge isn’t hazy on the details. It’s sharp and clear, like a well-taken photograph.
Next, we find oida in a tense that expresses a past event that has present consequences. In other words, Christ’s comprehensive and photographic knowledge of the church in Ephesus is the result of His previous action — walking among them and being in their presence (verse 2:1b). Like a Google car with a highly sophisticated camera mounted on top, Jesus moved up and down the church in Ephesus, recording every fine detail. He logged their activity as a congregation and as individuals. This means He saw the good, the bad, and the ugly, just as Google Earth captures the beauty of the terrain in places mankind has never set foot, but also captures men coming out of unsavory clubs and people brawling on the street.
The Ephesians would have had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, they would have felt vindicated: all of their unnoticed good works had been recorded by the One who gives out the eternal rewards. On the other hand, everything they thought they had gotten away with had also been seen by the same judge. Christ wants us to know that intimacy with Him comes with His knowledge of everything we do. He won’t overlook anything we do in service to Him but He won’t turn a blind eye to those things that displease Him. This is what tells us:
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good."
In light of this, remember that Christ is driving up and down your life, measuring, scanning, and collecting data. If someone has unjustly accused you of something, don’t fret — it’s on film in God’s archives. If you’ve been serving your church and are feeling down because nobody has commended you, rejoice. God saw it. And if you’ve done something you shouldn’t have, God’s mercy is drawing you to repent. Instead of running or hiding, why not use this moment to receive God’s grace and forgiveness? It’s a new day to start fresh.
Dear Lord, I know that You see all and know all about my life; nothing escapes Your sight. May everything You see me do this week bring You glory.
This devotion is an adaptation from Chris Palmer's book, Letters From Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation, © 2019, used with permission.
To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. ( OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ESV)
You could have gotten away with it! If you’ve heard that thought, you’ve been smacked in the face by the devil. Satan is suggesting that sin isn’t always a bad idea—because no one will know. But in , Jesus told the Ephesians that His rewards are not based on what we get away with; they are based on overcoming wickedness. This is observed in the words “the one who conquers” (tō nikōnti). They stress ongoing action. also mentions this ongoing conquering:
“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes [conquers] the world.” (ESV)
It doesn’t mean to conquer once; it means day-to-day conquering for a lifetime, being resolute in the face of Satan’s enticements.
I learned what resolute means when I watched my friend do the Keto diet while we were in Israel. The days started at the buffet. On day one, I piled pancakes on my plate. He loaded his plate with crisp greens, bacon, and eggs. By 9:30 a.m., I was exhausted. Walking around was more difficult than convincing flat-earth conspirators the planet is round. “It’s those carbs you stuffed your face with this morning,” my friend said. So I decided to go on the Keto diet, too.
Day two was vegetables and bacon. I was zipping around the holy land like a dog at the beach. Then day three came. I was in the buffet line ... and there was French toast. My Keto diet lasted 23 hours and 32 minutes. I dared my friend to have some, but he had conquered his desire for carbs.
The verb “conquer” (nikaō) comes from Nike, the Greek goddess who personified victory. It means a “crushing victory,” the kind that God wants His people to consistently have over sin.
In , Christ gives those who consistently conquer sin the promise of eating from the tree of life in God’s paradise. The word paradise (paradeisos) referred to the enchanting gardens of Persian monarchs, which contained luscious fruits of all kinds. In this verse, it describes eternal serenity in the presence of God, with every holy delight.
Eating from the tree of life represents experiencing life how God intended before the fall. It isn’t yanking off a hard apple from grandma’s tree. Imagine approaching a sweet sapling, its fruit so succulent that a shake of the stem sends one sailing into your palm. Its juices seep from the skin and your fingers become sticky from the syrup. It tastes like a better world. It’s joy under the reign of the Messiah, who puts flavor back into living. It’s also the reward for the conquerors who remain resolute in the face of sin.
God has given us an invitation to His garden. Every stand against temptation is an RSVP to be there.
Dear Lord, thank You for victory over sin. A delightful eternity with You outweighs the fleeting pleasures of carnal gratification. I’m not looking to get away with anything. Instead, I’m RSVP’ing to be with You in paradise.
This devotion is an adaptation from Chris Palmer's book, Letters From Jesus: Studies from the Seven Churches of Revelation, © 2019, used with permission.
