The Word received and its misuse by false teachers !
The Word received and its misuse by false teachers !
Rom 1:5
5 By whom we have
received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
The antichrist crowd have terribly misused and abused this word received, much like they have done with the word world and their scriptural usages. The false teachers attempt to twist it so that it can only mean receive as in the case of someone being offered something to take or reject ! Now even though the word can be used in such a context, its deceitful to pretend that is its only meaning, especially as it is used in Holy Writ. The word is also used many times in the bible in the sense of having something given to you, a effectual communication of a thing that results in having possession of it, in some manner. Now an example of that is here in the text of Rom 1:5, with Paul and even the other Apostles having received the Apostleship and Grace. They received it Sovereignly by the Risen Christ Eph 4:10-12
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
You see that ? They received the Apostleship because He gave it to them Sovereignly !
Now the word receive in Rom 1:5 is the greek word lambanō :
I.
to take
A.
to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it
i.
to take up a thing to be carried
ii.
to take upon one's self
B.
to take in order to carry away
i.
without the notion of violence, i,e to remove, take away
C.
to take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own
i.
to claim, procure, for one's self
a.
to associate with one's self as companion, attendant
ii.
of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to lay hold of, apprehend
iii.
to take by craft (our catch, used of hunters, fisherman, etc.), to circumvent one by fraud
iv.
to take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one's self
v.
catch at, reach after, strive to obtain
vi.
to take a thing due, to collect, gather (tribute)
D.
to take
i.
to admit, receive
ii.
to receive what is offered
iii.
not to refuse or reject
iv.
to receive a person, give him access to one's self,
a.
to regard any one's power, rank, external circumstances, and on that account to do some injustice or neglect something
E.
to take, to choose, select
F.
to take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience
II.
to receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back
One of its usages is to describe how affections may seize upon one's mind Lk 5:26
26 And
they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
They received amazement, but it was not offered to them to accept or reject !
Lk 7:16
And
there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
The fear came upon them and so they received it. They received fear in their minds , but it was not offered to them to either accept the fear or reject it, I hope this is being made clear !
The point is this, we may and do receive something actively, but yet be passive, as the case with Paul in receiving the Grace and Apostleship, He received it because God Sovereignly put him in the Ministry 1 Tim 1:12
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful,
putting me into the ministry;
It was not, hey Paul, I have a great opportunity for you if you decide to accept it !
Eph 3:7
7 Whereof
I was made a minister or Apostle, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
You see that, he was made a minister or in this case an Apostle ! The word made is a word that denotes bringing something into existence, the word ginomai !
And so He received it that away both Grace and Apostleship. It was not an offer made him that he could either accept or reject according to his freewill ! And so it is in Rom 5:17
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Some receive the abundance of Grace Sovereignly as it is effectually communicated to them as is the Gift of Righteousness, which speaks to Imputation, they received it passively by God actively putting it or imputing it to their account !
So don't be fooled by the antichrist's usage/misuse of the word receive, in a way were they make men believe it was their action, or their freewill that made the receiving a reality, that is not the case !
