A Word for the Day:
Key Words from the New Testament
Published 2006
WORDS MATTER! AFTER ALL, WE USE WORDS EVERY day. They convey our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, ideas, purposes, goals, joys, sorrows—in short, everything. While English is even more universal in our day than Greek was in New Testament times, the wealth in studying the Greek is inestimable.
The purpose of this book is to share with you the richness of some of the Greek words used in the New Testament and to help you make them practical in your Christian living. Since words matter, the words of the New Testament matter most. And in a day when words don’t seem to mean much, the need for precision in Christian doctrine and practice has never been more critical.
Each day of the year we will examine a particular Greek word by first presenting a brief word study and then a practical application to make that word real in your life. For reinforcement, each day also includes other related verses that you can study on your own.
It has been my desire for many years to write a daily devotional that would not only contain deep spiritual Truth but also be easy to read. In our day of Relativism, the absolutes of God’s Word (and words) are desperately needed. I pray that this book will bless your heart, enrich your mind, stir your soul, and empower your life. It should prove useful to pastors, teachers, and all Christian Believers who desire a deeper understanding and application of “God’s Words.” The writing of this book was one of the greatest joys of my life and one of the most profitable exercises of my ministry for our Lord. I pray it will likewise be a joy and profit to you.
Book Features
Word Studies and devotional applications for over 350 New Testament words.
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Included in most studies are etymology, use in ancient Greek, Septuagint use, and especially NT usage.
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Additional “Scriptures for Study” that reinforce each word study.
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Bonus chapter on how to mine your own word riches, with a special section on Bible interpretation.
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“Greek Pronunciation Guide” to make it easy to learn how to pronounce transliterated Greek words.
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Numerous Endnotes on the text and a Bibliography on major language resources used in writing the book.
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Strong’s numbers included for every word, allowing quick lookup in other resources.
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Four indexes: Scripture, English words, Greek and Hebrew words, and Strong’s numbers.
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Where to get it: We do not carry this in stock at Sola Scriptura Publications, but you can get it at the following: Christian Book Distributors (CBD) and Amazon.com.
February 1
Truth (1)
We live in a day when the concept of truth is more and more challenged. Never before has there been such a redefining of truth. Many, in fact, deny that there is any truth at all. In stark contrast, however, the Word of God, in no uncertain terms, makes it clear that there is truth and that truth is to be found only in God and His Word.
The English words truth and true speak of what is real, what really is, what is factual. It’s not opinion, it’s not conjecture, it’s not hypothesis or theory. Rather, it is, like the old expression, “telling it like it is.” If something is true, it is absolutely reliable, totally secure. It cannot change because to do so would mean it’s not true, not reliable.
The Greek aletheia (225) means basically the same thing as the English. As one Greek authority puts it: etymologically aletheia means “nonconcealment.” It thus denotes what is seen, indicated, expressed, or disclosed, i.e., a thing as it really is, not as it is concealed or falsified. Aletheia is the real state of affairs.
Aletheia, along with its related words, appears no less than 187 times in the NT. It appears, for example, in John 1:14, where it refers to the incarnate Christ: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” In 16:13, our Lord promised, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth,” that is, all that is reliable, constant, sure, and unchanging. In both cases, and in all others, the concept of truth is that which is not concealed, what really is.
So again, the fundamental concept to understand about truth is that it is that which is absolute, that which is incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, unarguable, and unchanging. If something is true, it’s always true and can never be untrue, no matter what the circumstances.
We will continue our study of this word over the next two days. The desire of the true Christian is absolute truth in all things and every area of life.
Scriptures for Study: What does John 14:6 declare? & In John 16:13, what is one ministry of the Holy Spirit? & In John 17:17 and 19, what is a result of truth?
February 13
Grace (1)
Grace is our Theology. In a sense, the word grace sums up all biblical theology. Of all the theological words we could discuss (redemption, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, glorification, election, and many more), none cuts to the heart of out theology like grace.
Incredulously, however, few words are more misunderstood, misused, or misapplied than grace. More and more today we hear teachers say, “Yes, salvation is by grace but good works supplement it,” or, “Yes, grace is necessary, but so are works.” No statement on earth could be more contradictory. Such teachers know absolutely nothing about grace.
In Classical Greek the word charis (5485) meant “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight,” and from there several meanings developed: grace, favor, thankfulness, gratitude, delight, kindness, etc. Originally, then, the word didn’t carry the idea of something “unmerited” because Greek philosophy (which is at the root of our western culture) believed in human merit and self-sufficiency. Even then, however, the Greeks thought they needed “a little help,” so they prayed to their gods for favors and gifts.
It was, therefore, in the NT that charis was transformed. While some of the meanings from the Classical Greek are found, the NT usage is unique because NT grace is coupled with the person and work of Jesus Christ. If you remove Christ, and therefore grace, all you have left is another religion. You have ten practical commandments, many ethical principles for living, but all you have is mere religion.
John 1:17 declares, “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Does that say grace and truth came by religion or works? No, for the ultimate manifestation of God’s grace is Jesus Christ. Throughout the NT, in fact, grace is coupled with Christ, for He is the ultimate manifestation of the grace of God. Grace can, therefore, be defined thusly: Grace is the unmerited favor of God toward man manifested primarily through the person and work of Jesus Christ, apart from any merit or works of man. May we lovingly, but no less boldly, say that if anyone defines grace differently than that, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8–9). Anyone who does not preach that doctrine of grace is a false teacher. We’ll continue our thoughts on grace tomorrow.
Scriptures for Study: According to Romans 11:5-6, if you add works to grace, what is the result? What does Paul call grace in 2 Corinthians 9:13-15?
May 28
Prayer (1)
When one turns to the great theme of prayer, he finds no less than seven Greek words that picture the concept, which, in turn, are translated by various other English words, such as intercessions,supplications, requests, and giving of thanks.
Why so many words? Probably the best explanation is that of Greek scholar Richard Trench, who writes, “These words do not refer to different kinds of prayer but to different aspects of prayer.” While there is a little difficulty in distinguishing these words from each other, we do see some subtle differences.
The Greek proseuche (4335, with proseuchomai, 4336) is the most common word for prayer, appearing some eighty-five times. It’s a general word that speaks of prayer to God, which underscores the obvious principle that only the true God should receive prayer. Prayer to other gods or saints is less than worthless; it’s utter blasphemy against the One True God.
One vital aspect of prayer is described by eucharistia (2169), at the root of which is charis (5485, grace) with the prefix eu (2095, “good or well”). The idea, then, is to “give good grace,” that is, “be thankful; give thanks.” Sadly, while the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Holy Eucharist is supposedly to be the most important act of thanksgiving, it is in truth viewed as a sacrament that infuses grace into the worshipper and is part of salvation. That is not the biblical teaching concerning the Lord’s Supper (Oct. 28). Prayer, then, is thanksgiving, thanking and praising God for all that He does (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1 Tim. 2:1; Rev. 7:12).
Another aspect of prayer is aitema (155), “a petition, a request,” as in 1 John 5:15: “And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” A synonym is the common deesis (1162), “to make known one’s particular need.” While aitema seems to be any request in general, deesis appears to picture a more personal need of one’s own. So, while prayer is much more than “asking and receiving” (as one writer wrongly defines it), we certainly can “let [our] requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6).
Putting all that together paints a partial picture of prayer: Prayer is communion with the One True God, to Whom we come to praise and thank, and to Whom we direct our petitions for others and ourselves. What a privilege! We’ll build on that tomorrow.
Scriptures for Study: Meditate on Philippians 4:6, where we find all four words we examined today: prayer (proseuche), supplication (deesis), thanksgiving (eucharistia), and requests (aitema). What does this kind of prayer bring to our hearts and mind (v. 7)?
June 15
Light (1)
What, then, are the “attributes” of light? Generally speaking, light pictures two basic thoughts.
First, in regard to the intellect, light pictures truth. So, to walk according to light means that we walk according to truth. No longer are we ignorant, for the truth of Jesus Christ is in us. Moreover, walking according to light means that we are growing in the knowledge of Christ day by day.
June 16
Light (2)
Taking one more look at the word phos (light), this is one of the most glorious NT metaphors concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Without question, the most vivid example of Christ being Light appears in John 8:12, where He declares, “I am the light of the world.” But it’s only when we realize where our Lord was standing when He uttered those words that we see the full significance of His statement.
The setting was the Illumination of the Temple ceremony that took place during the Feast of the Tabernacles (or Booths). That feast, which began five days after Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), involved the Israelites presenting offerings for seven days while they lived in huts (booths) made of palm fronds and leafy tree branches to remember their journey in Canaan (Lev. 23:43).
October 1
Drawn Away [and] Enticed
Even more graphic is deleazo (enticed), which means to bait or entrap and pictures the idea of baiting a hook. A fisherman or trapper uses an enticing bait to draw his prey. During World War II, both German and Japanese troops would booby-trap souvenirs, such as pistols and Samurai swords. The Viet Cong did the same in Vietnam. Americans returned the favor, however; since the VC loved to scrounge US supplies, when GIs vacated a campsite, they often left C-rations behind wired to a claymore mine.
All that pictures Satan and his deceptions. He draws us by using bait that looks desirable and even profitable. But just as the fisherman, trapper, and solder hides the consequences of taking the bait, so does Satan. He tries to hide what sin will do. He camouflages the trap so well that only by stopping and carefully examining the situation can we see the trap. Vance Havner writes:
“Satan is the Master Deceiver, the Mock angel disguised as an angel of light. He does not plow up the wheat in our Lord’s parable, he plants tares that resemble wheat so closely that few know the difference and final separation is left to angels. When Moses performs miracles, Jannes and Jambres are on hand to match the performance. Our Saviour repeatedly warned against deceivers in the last days.”
Oh, how many Satanic deceptions there are today! There are “societal snares,” such as women’s liberation, the new morality, and others that continue to destroy the family and erode society. There are also countless “truth traps”: cults, heresy in the church, human philosophy, mysticism, and more. The discerning Christian must be constantly vigilant in detecting and avoiding satanic deception.
Scriptures for Study: How did Satan “bait” and entice Eve (Gen. 3:1–6), Achan (Josh. 7:21), and David (2 Sam. 11:2)?
December 29
It Is Finished
The words it is finished (John 19:30), which our Lord spoke from the cross, state a profound truth. The Greek is teleo (5055), which is derived from telos (5056), which “originally meant the turning point, hinge, the culminating point at which one stage ends and another begins; later, the goal, the end.” Several things were looked upon as being an end, or a goal, such as marriage, physical and intellectual knowledge, and, of course, death. Teleo, then, means “to bring to a telos, to complete.”
Teleo appears, for example, in Revelation 20:5–7, which refers to “when the thousand years are expired,” that is, when the Millennium comes to its culmination, ushering in the final events on earth.
Among other instances of this word, however, it is finished is the greatest. That statement declares that the goal of redemption had been reached, that salvation by Jesus’ sacrifice was completed. This was the purpose that Jesus Himself spoke of in John 4:34: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish [teleioo] his work” (cf. 17:4; Acts 13:29). This word was actually rooted in ancient culture. As Charles Ryrie writes, “Receipts for taxes found in the papyri have written across them this single Greek word, which means ‘paid in full.’” Indeed, Christ paid the full price for our sin. Nothing else either need be paid or could be paid. Salvation is by grace (Feb. 13–14) alone.
Further, the actual construction in the Greek text (tetelestai) is in the perfect tense, which describes an action that took place in the past with the results of the action continuing into the present. Since it has no direct equivalent in English, it’s often translated as “has,” “have,” or “hath.”Young’s Literal Translation, for example, reads, “It hath been finished.” The significance, then, is clear.
While the actual work of Calvary occurred some 2,000 years ago, the results have not diminished one iota through the ages. So, when Jesus uttered those words, “It is finished,” the work of redemption was accomplished for all time. Take some time today to meditate on and rejoice in a salvation that is truly finished in Christ.
Scriptures for Study: According to Romans 10:4 (cf. Gal. 3:13), what else came to an “end” (telos) through Christ’s work? & In our Christian walk, what will keep us from fulfilling (“fulfil,” teleo) the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16)?
Where to get it: Christian Book Distributors (CBD) and Amazon.com.
What Others Are Saying
Most “devotional” books and booklets function like a spiritual vitamin—take one a day and you will feel better. But neither vitamin pills nor devotional books were ever meant to replace balanced diets; they are meant to be supplements. Hence, most devotional material is light on doctrine, designed to give the reader a spiritual lift more than to instruct in truth. Enter Dr. Watson’s excellent book. Ignoring the normal lighthearted paradigm of this genre of literature, Dr. Watson offers biblical meat and potatoes. I can think of no other book of this type that so meticulously enlightens the mind as it encourages the heart. I recommend it highly.
These meditations draw from the deep wells of New Testament vocabulary and theology. Here is daily grace for every reader.
Here is a gold mine of theologically-rich words, drawn from the quarry of Scripture, that will enhance the daily walk of every believer. This book is a wonderful resource that will cultivate a deeper knowledge of biblical words and stimulate a passionate heart for the Lord.
Pastor Watson has done us an outstanding service in putting together this devotional book based on various important words of Scripture. Every word of the Bible is vital to our understanding of spiritual truth, and each is loaded with significant lessons for daily living. This unique work will be like an adventure, a road to travel with heavenly thoughts and concepts to help the Christian begin each day. There is nothing quite like it for believers on the market today.
A Word for the Day delivers pithy Greek “word study” gems to devotionally enrich Christians in understanding and obeying Scripture. The biblical treasures extracted from this unique volume will prove eternally priceless for its regular reader.
In my early morning devotional reading, I prefer red meat to cold cereal and milk. In A Word for the Day, Dr. Watson provides rare steak for breakfast with his wonderful daily devotional, an excellent means for a deeper understanding of Truth through the original language of God’s Word. I highly recommend this book.
Every word that God speaks is pure (Prov 30:5), tested and refined in the fire of divine sovereignty. Thus, it behooves God’s people to carefully consider every single word that God employs in expressing His will and way to us in His Scriptures. Why should selecting one synonym over another in the writing of Scripture make any difference to us? It made a difference to the divine Author which word He chose, therefore it ought to make a difference to us. His Holy Spirit superintended the penning of each and every word. J. D. Watson’s A Word for the Day enables the reader to understand the different aspects of meaning even between synonyms. In this way we begin to perceive the intricate beauties of the wonderfully crafted written Word of the omniscient God.
The Master’s Seminary
I am passionately in favor of "real" devotional books (you know, the ones that actually teach the Bible) and am passionately opposed to fluff, such as: "God loves, loves, loves you, oh yes He does. He loves you lots and lots and lots and thinks you're really cool, too!” You are what you eat. It's hard to be healthy eating processed sugar for breakfast. Word studies provide a solid foundation for understanding the Scriptures. Doc Watson has produced a quality product for the church—good food to grow on. A good subtitle for this book would be "Healthy Food for Faithful Shepherds and the Sheep they Feed."
The Master’s Seminary
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