ζάω^G2198 & ζωή^G2222

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

During the 1940's Jimmy Stewart played in the popular Christmas movie, Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life."ⁱ In the early 1960's an Elvis Presley movie was shot close to Ocala and Cedar Keys, Florida, which I was told would have the same title introduced along with Elvis' opening song "What a Wonderful Life." It was finally released under the name "Follow That Dream" with the opening credits being presented while Elvis sang his original title song. We might not agree with the carefree attitude expressed in the words to Elvis' songⁱⁱ but I dare say that we can agree with the exuberant feeling of just being alive. The Bible agrees that we have a "wonderful life to live" which is given as a gift from the Loving, Living God (James 1:17). How we handle the gift, of course, is up to us.

Little Johnny asks, "Mommy, where did I come from?" The Truth is better than any fiction. "God made us, Johnny. God who loves us so much He made us a head, body, arms, and legs so that we could enjoy living in this great world of wonderful things." The Truth is God gave us not only a body but a miraculous eternal spirit that can choose how to use this head and body for good things to happen to us and to others.

The prophet David wrote, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully madeⁱⁱⁱ: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul^iv knoweth right well. My substance^v was not hid from thee, when I was made^vi in secret, and curiously wrought^vii in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect^viii; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned^ix, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:14-16, KJV, Hebrew Masoretic version).

CONTEXT. How important is context? This passage is a demonstration of how important it is to the translators and can be for us. Notice that in the KJV this memorable verse of Psalm 139:14 says "I am wonderfully made." Yet, the word "made" is neither in the Masoretic Hebrew nor in the Greek LXX version in that verse. But it is understood from the context of what God has worked (wrought); in the next verse, e.g., "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made^H6213 in secret, and curiously wrought^H7551 in the lowest parts of the earth." God's "making" and "working" is what the Psalmist is talking about. So the verb made is extrapolated into verse 14.

CONTEXT AND WORDS. If the context was important to the learned Jewish translators of the Bible (LXX) then we can understand how we should likewise profit by its use as being important to our interpreting the true content.

Donald Manglas gave me his conclusion on "the distinction between soul and spirit": "It appears that translation and origin have much to do with how the words are used. In my opinion it will depend on context and how the words are presented as to their being interchangeable." To which we can concur. Context is important. It is important for translation. It is important for interpretation and application to our thinking.

Psalm 139. Compare the above KJV with this Jewish Greek Version (LXX): "I will make acknowledgment to you, for fearfully you caused wonder; the wonders of your works; and my soul [psuche^x] knows exceedingly [were not hidden My bones] from you, which you made^xi in secret; and my essence in the lowermost parts of the earth. [my unfinished state saw Your eyes]; and on your scroll all men shall be written. Days were shaped, and no one among them" (Psalm 139:14-16, LXX, Jewish Greek version).

GOD IS STILL AT WORK. The point of the inspired Psalmist is that God is still "at work" making and fashioning the life of every baby. Jesus said that [God] His Father “keeps on working until now” (John 5:17). He Scripturally can be said to not be creating things or people but He is "in continuance" of fashioning and making every human generation.

ATHENS. To the philosophers of Athens the apostle Paul continued that it is in the true and living God (or ev: "by the means of") that "we have life^G2198xii and motion^xiii and existence^xiv" (Acts 17:28a BBE). We have three things listed that God made for us: (1) [zoe] "enjoyment of real life" (Thayer's definition); (2) "motion, ability to move"; and (3) "being, existing."

ENJOYMENT OF REAL LIFE.

We know from experience that our life^xv appears to be no more than the life of the beast, both of which comprise the dust of the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:18-19). Even Genesis 2:7 indicate that we are made just like the animals; i.e., with dust, spirit and animation. But we are assured from the same Bible that there is a difference between the spirit of a beast which "goes downward" (Ecclesiastes 3:21) while we are assured by the prophet's conclusion that man's spirit "goeth upward" and, hence, goes "back to the God" who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). It is said that God specifically "breathed into man's nostrils the spirit of life" (Genesis 2:7). The "breath" [πνοή^G4157] spoken of here is interchangeable with "spirit" (pneuma^G4151) of life (e.g., Genesis 6:17, LXX). For technical information, see endnote.^xvi

We are more than just a breathing creature; the same Bible tells us that we are made in God's image (Genesis 1:27). Think of it. We are in the image of the Great and Eternal "I Am" (Exodus 3:14). Can we fathom the import of this?

WE EXIST. Paul proclaimed to the Athenians that it is due to God that we "exist." We "are." God has blessed us with existence and life. This life can be enjoyed. Feeling a good morning's warm sunshine or the cool sprinkling rain upon a hot day. Or tasting the delicious and the savory of life; we can feel the sensations of touching; we can behold God's many glorious sights; and we can hear from a wide range of sounds, and/or we can smell from a million known scents.

MOTION. Not only that, we can move. We are not a vegetable. Just as all animals we are able to "do." Here is perhaps a new word for you relative to our senses: kinesthesia.^xvii This is called the "sixth sense"; we learned of five when I was growing up; this is of movement and position of our limbs and muscles. It is due to God we have motion; we have an animated [Latin] soul. The LXX has "And man became eis^xviii [Greek for 'towards'] a living soul." Life plus our made body becomes a "moving" being.

God is the God of the living^{G2198 (}Matthew 22:3). The Bible uses this word to refer to both temporal life and everlasting life. "For all live unto Him" (Luke 20:38b). See also, Acts 14:15, 2 Corinthians 13:4, Hebrews 12:22.

THE ORIGNAL LIFE HAS BEEN AFFECTED

THE TREE OF LIFE ζωή was in the middle of the garden. To have eaten of the tree of life was to live forever (Genesis 3:22). But sin separated man from God and the garden wherein was the tree of life. Without the tree man's living is interrupted by death. This needs no pro ving. The cemetery underscores this fact. But God so loves us that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes and obeys Him will have life eternal (John 3:16).

God's Word and its Wisdom is the interval substitute for the Tree. Living is sustained by God's Word; Matthew 4:4: "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

THE WORD OF LIFE. "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain" (Philippians 2:16). "Wisdom and understanding" is in God's Word: "She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her" (Proverbs 3:18).

OUR TREE OF LIFE. It is how we live in Jesus. "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30).

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4a). "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body" (James 3:2b).

Our hope is Christ. Because our life is hid with Christ. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:4).

Jesus promises the actual tree, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).

-- Gaylon West

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