But that is not the way you learned Christ!— Ephesians 4:20

Light and dark are polar opposites. They cannot mix. The human heart, the human condition allows for things to get mixed up because of sin and deception, and again because of the human condition and the mortal nature of man. Because of this, we must continually look to God to keep a right focus. We must continually look to the light to see the light, to see what is right and to remain focused on righteousness and holiness.

Because of the deceitful nature of the world and the human heart, we must be reminded what defines the dark and what the light is in order not to allow deception to mislead us and distort the reality of what is truly good and what is evil. By continually maintaining a fresh and accurate understanding of what defines darkness, sin and evil in contrast to the light of life and God’s holiness and righteousness, we are reminded to devote ourselves daily again to a diligent commitment to the righteous life God requires.

This is what we and every follower of the True Messiah Jesus learned when we first heard of Him. This is the same epic message we continue to hear and preach every day to declare this life saving message of God’s salvation to man from the kingdom of darkness and corruption into the kingdom of the light through His Son JESUS, our Messiah.

They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. Ephesians 4:19

Only God is holy and perfect. Only through His Son can we walk and live in the righteousness that God requires. Without Him, we are callous, sensual, greedy and impure. Through Him, we renounce all these secret and shameful ways, and He receives all the glory in JESUS Name.

Heavenly Father,
Your name is holy.
May Your Kingdom come.
May Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us bread today.
Forgive our sins as we forgive others sins.
Don’t lead us into temptation.
Deliver us from evil.
The Kingdom, power and glory are Yours.
Now and forever,
Amen,

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. Ephesians 4:18

They. Those others. They are darkened. This can only refer to others when from the vantage point of the light. Only those in the light can see to recognize those in darkness as being others.

And this verse describes a terrible plight. Darkened in understanding. Alienated from the life of God. Ignorant. Hardness of heart. Would to God that all who are in such a plight would receive sound teaching and instruction, the good news of the good message. Would to God that all would therewith receive understanding and be reconciled to God for the reviving of their hearts to the light of life.

God, grant that we may see Your light, that we may know Your life, hear Your Truth and understand what is right. Grant that we may have grace and mercy to collaborate with You in this great work of declaring Your good news and the saving message of Life. Grant that we may partner with You in coming to Your Light and calling others to Your Light as well.

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. Ephesians 4:17‭

There are two ways to live. There are only two ways to live. There is the way of the majority, that is to say all people, the nations, the world, la gente. And there is another way. For more on this, we must read on. We must stay tuned. But for now, the way of the nations, the Gentiles, those who are not God’s people, is the way of the futility of the mind.

This is a shocking phrase, a striking statement, a bold claim, that the majority of people, indeed all who are of the world’s system, by definition, live in a way which demonstrates a futility of mind. This is to say that entire lives, entire people groups, entire world systems are in fact futile, centered on and driven by, guided through and steeped in foolish folly and meaningless vanity, empty worthlessness which is praised by the world and which is entirely despised and rejected by God.

May God have mercy on us all, and may He call us instead to follow Him in the other way, which is the only eternal way of life whereby we can be saved from our natural futile way of mind, our empty way of life.

ἀνόητοι, ἄστατοι, ἄστοργοι, σκληροί, ἀνελεήμονες, ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 1:31 NTV

First of all, I always remain amazed that there are so many hundreds, thousands of translations, yet all continue to use the one and same albeit surprisingly and noticeably awkward in many places chapter and verse division by the one Stephen Langton. I understand, for example that we can never really expect to see the gospel order I have thought would make a powerful parallel with John, Mark, Matthew, Luke. But while the chapter and verse breaks are well known not to be inspired, they are likely also permanently fixed, even though they remain so plainly arbitrary and peculiar in many places. There are better examples, but our passage today is one such which nonetheless likely highlights the short phrase by this very verse division itself, and in so doing likely contributed to causing this verse to stand out in the first place.

With that, let us look closer at this tiny yet powerful verse, to be sure, this potent word, life and doctrine focus.

They have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Romans 1:31 NIV

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Romans 1:31 KJV

ἀσυνέτους, ἀσυνθέτους, ἀστόργους, ἀνελεήμονας

It is curious that the only modern Greek version with few words in this verse has 5 words rather than the four which make up the original four words of the original Greek text, that is to say the Bible hub interlinear. I am still unsure if the Greek text type behind the Bible hub interlinear is TR or CT, though it is most likely CT.

And so, let us look more closely at what we have at least as the original four words

ἀσυνέτους, ἀσυνθέτους, ἀστόργους, ἀνελεήμονας
asynetous, asynthetous, astorgous,  aneleēmonas

Strongs: 801, 802, 794, 415

INT: foolish, untrustworthy, heartless, unmerciful

Gloss: incoherent, disagreeable, unloving, unmerciful

a-synthesis, a-synthetous, a-storgous, an-eleēmonas

While 802 could mean covenant breakers, a simple fresh look at these words without any precedent would seem to convey the simple terms

incoherent, disagreeable, unloving, unmerciful

As shown above, the NTV has an additional fifth word. Those five words again are ἀνόητοι, ἄστατοι, ἄστοργοι, σκληροί, ἀνελεήμονες. A simple Google translate renders these words as stupid, fickle, unloving, cruel, merciless, so the additional word is apparently σκληροί, likely intended to provide a complementary meaning expounding the two words it is couched between: unloving – CRUEL – unmerciful

And now let us zoom out in order to maintain focus on and maximize understanding and application of the message of this passage.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. Romans 1:18‭, ‬28‭-‬32 NASB1995

The first time Eusebius really came to my attention was probably about fifteen years ago, sometime around the year 2005 or so. I first read his ecclesiastical history, thinking of it as the sort of next in history update to Luke’s history of Acts.

This was around the time and was likely through my reading of Lars P. Qualben’s church history, that random volume which became my first personal introduction to the field of church history.

It was in reading Qualben’s history and then Eusebius’ when the ever since unshakeable realization first came to me that every student of Jesus, that is to say every disciple of Yeshua of Nazareth, ought to know and learn, ought to take some time, ought to be shown at least a glimpse of these 2000 years of church history.

Every serious student of the faith, of Jesus and of this salvation ought to discover at least a summary awe of all the important intervening Acts & Monuments of which they have been entirely unaware.

Everyone who reads the Bible and comes to Jesus of the ages ought also to understand the gravity of the impact Jesus had on the world, not only on the first century and the twenty first century, but also on the twenty centuries in between.

Most who love Jesus have nearly no grasp of what Jesus continued to do in our world in the intervening 2000 years, and Eusebius’ ecclesiastical history provides precisely just such an opportunity to discover this important understanding by getting a glimpse into the fascinating, mostly forgotten and unknown life and times of Eusebius of Caesarea, three hundred years after Jesus walked the earth.

It’s so amazing that JESUS demonstrated full power and authority yet never exalted himself or his own position or declared himself as having received the high position he would receive before God exalted Him.

But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63‭-‬64

…

Look at this

The Father declared JESUS as the Son of God, yet even in that same powerful occasion JESUS referred to himself in complete humility as the Son of Man.

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. Matthew 17:5‭, ‬9‭-‬13

JESUS was completely submitted in reverence, meekness, humility, piety. The Greek word in one of the most key passages is

written εὐλάβεια
transliterated eulabeia
pronounced yoo-LAH-bay-yah

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his – EULABEIA – reverent submission.” Hebrews 5:7

Yod י v Niqqud ·
Iota ॱ kai Keraiah ‘

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one י or one · shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:18

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one ‘ of the law to fail. Luke 16:17

Some sects encourage membership. Others require it. In God’s economy, membership may be permitted but is not required.

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions (Gr. schismata) among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences (Gr. hairesis) among you to show which of you have God’s approval.
1 Corinthians 11:17‭-‬19

All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
1 Timothy 6:1‭-‬5

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Psalms 51:5

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:12‭-‬13‭, ‬19

Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. Romans 7:9

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:14‭-‬15