Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 22
May 7, 1970
NUMBER 1, PAGE 7b-8a

Jesus Christ Is Able [Number 2]

George T. Eldridge

Phil. 3:21: "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is DUNAMAI (able) even to subdue all things unto himself." The antecedent of the pronouns who, his, he, and himself is "the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," v. 20. The word our has reference to those individuals whose "conversation is in heaven; from whence also" they "look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," v. 20. What is Jesus Christ DUNAMAI (able) to do? The Saviour is DUNAMAI (able, has power) "to subdue all things unto himself." Subdue is from the Greek word HUPOTASSO. HUPOTASSO's meaning is "to arrange under, to subordinate; to subject, put in subjection," Thayer page 645. A parallel passage containing HUPOTASSO is I Cor. 15:28. When will the subduing of all things by Christ take place? This occurs "when he (Christ Jesus, GTE) shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he bath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," I Cor. 15:24-26.

There are at least three linked-together-proofs that show when Christ Jesus will have subdued "all things unto himself." The evidence is (1) "when he shall have delivered up the kingdom of God, even the Father," I Cor. 15:25, (2) when "the Son also himself' shall "be subject (HUPOTASSO) unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all," I Cor. 15:28, and (3) the changing of "our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his (Christ Jesus, GTE) glorious body," Phil. 3:21. "Then cometh the end" of I Cor. 15:24 means the day when this period of time ("these last days," Heb. 1:2) shall end and disobedient souls "shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into eternal life," Mt. 25:46.

The changing of our vile body is the blessing received by Christians in accordance with Christ Jesus subduing "all things unto himself?' The vile body is "flesh and blood" which "cannot inherit the kingdom of God (Heaven, GTE)," I Cor. 15:50. The vile body is "the corruptible" which "must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality," I Cor. 15:53. Alien sinner and unfaithful child of God: you do not have that promise nor will you receive that blessing. It was hard and sad to say such, but as God is true so is that statement!! Awake today and serve God according to the scripture in order that you might have that promise and live faithfully to receive that blessing. Faithful brother or sister: Let's continue to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" — Phil. 3:14, realizing "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions" — 2 Tim. 3:12.

Heb. 2:18: "For in that he (Christ Jesus, GTE) himself hath suffered being tempted, he is DUNAMAI (able) to succour them that are tempted." Them has reference to the people that are sanctified and whom Christ calls His brethren, Heb. 2:11. Tempted, which occurs twice in Heb. 2:18, is from the Greek word Peirazo and is a verb. PEIRAZO'S definition is "to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith," Thayer page 498. I Cor. 10:13 (tempted) and Heb. 4:15 (tempted) are parallel passages where the Greek word PEIRAZO can be found. Succour is from the Greek word BOETHEO. BOETHEO's definition is "to run to the cry (of those in danger); . . . to help, succour, bring aid," Thayer page 104. Mt. 15:25 (help), Mk. 9:22 (help), Mk. 9:24 (help), Acts 16:9 (help), Acts 21:28 (help), 2 Cor. 6:2 (succoured), Heb. 2:18 (succour), and Rev. 12:16 (helped) are the only eight passages where the Greek work BOETHEO is located. When evil is being inflicted upon us and we cry unto our Father, Jesus Christ answers our cry. He brings us aid! The aid that Jesus Christ can bring is found in I Cor. 10:13. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

Though Jesus Christ was without sin and nothing within Him answered to temptation, "God foreshowed by the mouths of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled," Acts 3:18. Suffer is from the Greek word PASCHO, which is a verb. PASCHO's meaning is "to suffer, to undergo evils, to be afflicted," Thayer page 494. The word "suffer" in Acts 3:18 and "suffered" in Heb. 2:18 are translated from the Greek word PASCHO. Our Saviour underwent evils in order to have power (DUNAMAI) to succour us. He, above all others, "is DUNAMAI (able) to succour" us when the Devil inflicts evil upon us since Christ Jesus (1) "himself hath suffered being tempted," Heb. 2:18 and (2) "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin," Heb. 4:15. Brethren: let us remember those facts. Let us teach them. With those truths, we will never think, much less speak the idea that "Christ does not understand this temptation nor was He ever subject to such force from the Devil."

— P. O. Box 96, Hilliard, Ohio 43025