Discovering the ministry of Blessing
4 Greek words for ‘Bless/blessing/blessed’ • 1. Eneulogeo= to confer a benefit on. Used only twice in the New testament. • Acts 3v25. ‘He said to Abraham, “through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” and Galatians 3v8. ‘…all nations will be blessed through you.’
• 2. Eulogia = Eloquent Speech. Used 16 times in the New Testament. • Ephesians 1v3. ‘Blessed (to be spoken well of by us) be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed (spoken well of us) us with all spiritual blessings (eulogia/ all kinds of eloquent language) in heavenly places in Christ.’
• 3. Eulogeo = To speak well of. Used 44 times in the New Testament. • Matthew 5v44. “But I say to you, love your enemies and bless those who curse you…” • James 3v9 (of the tongue) ‘with it we bless our God and father and with it we curse men…’
• 4. Makarios = Spiritually Prosperous. Used 58 times in the New Testament • Matthew 5v3‐11 used in all of the beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” etc
God Blesses us • His right hand is used for blessing and healing. When we discover how to bless each other, we can be vehicles for the hand of God. • Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. Not standing. • The Hebrew word most often translated “Bless” is ‘Barak’ Jesus uses this translation when talking about his ministry of blessing to us. • Luke 22v27 Barak = to bow the knee “For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as one who serves.” Here Jesus redefines the meaning of greatness, reversing the values of the world. He is saying that true greatness is only shown when we learn to bow the knee to others in our blessing to them. • Also same word used in Philippians 4v8 when Jesus is being described as .. ‘being found in appearance as a man , He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’ Jesus’ service to us is to serve our calling which is to flourish in his Kingdom in the way He has for us. . Ephesians 1v1‐6 It is His pleasure and will to bless us.
Eulogeo Strong’s concordance . Eu = well/good Logos = word/reason. Properly, to speak reason which confers benefit; hence bless. Eulogeo (Confer what is beneficial) is used of God blessing people and His people blessing Him.
. Russ Parker defines Eulogeo, ‘To pronounce well words, good wholesome God given words so that you will flourish in the way that God has called you.’ . God’s economy in blessing = God honours a man with a benefit, “blessing,” and man then participates in that blessing so as to extol God.
. Eulogeo is for the here and now. E.g Number v23‐26
Function/purpose of Eulogeo 1. Eulogeo is for the here and now. E.g Number 6 v23‐26 •“This is the way you shall bless the children of Isreal, say to them, “The Lord Bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you. And be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.” •2. To benefit both believers and non‐believers alike. Matthew 5v 43‐45 ‘You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ “But I tell you, love your enemies, bless (speak wholesome words over them, that they might flourish in all God has for them) those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unrighteous.” 3. To extol God. Luke 24v52‐53 – “And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.” Praising= to tell stories. Blessing= to speak well of.
Makarios Strong’s concordance makários ("blessed") describes a believer in enviable ("fortunate") position from receiving God's provisions (favor) – which (literally) extend ("make long, large") His grace (benefits). This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord's inbirthings of faith. Hence, faith (4102 /pístis) and 3107 (makários) are closely associated (Ro 4:5‐ 7,14:22,23; Rev 14:12,13). Russ Parker = The state of one who has become a partaker of God; to experience the fullness of God. Makarios blessings are for those who put their trust in God and purpose for their lives to flourish. ‘Makarios is a grace word that expresses the special joys and satisfaction granted to those who experience salvation.’ (My Bible)
Purpose / Functions of Makarios 1. To strengthen Christians particularly in times of persecution. The beatitudes Matthew 5v3‐11 It’s important that we understand life from the perspective of the beatitudes as each one comes with a blessing in it’s highest form for Christians to live the fullest life God has for us. Makarios refers to believers who are satisfied and secure in the midst of life’s hardships because of the indwelling fullness of the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 4v14 “ If you are being reproached in the name of Christ, you are blessed (makarios)because the spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you; according to them He is being blasphemed, but according to you He is being glorified.” (literal translation). Present tense verbs used to show believers that His spirit is resting upon us in current times of persecution and that this is a condition of being blessed.
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Happy or Blessed
Peter Kreeft – book‐ ‘Back to Virtues’
Happy 1)A subjective state or feeling 2)A temporary state or feeling 3)It is, by connotation, dependant on fortune or chance. Blessed 1.Objective state, not a feeling 2.A permanent state 3.Dependant on God’s grace, and our choice, not fortune or chance. Suffering demonstrates a big separation between happiness and blessedness. You can’t be happy and suffer, but you can be blessed and suffer. Job was definitely not happy, but he was blessed as he was drawn closer to God and became totally dependant on Him.