God\u2019s <\/p>\n
The most common verb used in the Greek New Testament to refer to God\u2019s compassion is splanchnizomai. This verb is used twelve times. Once it is used of the Samaritan\u2019s compassion for the wounded man (Luke 10:33). The other eleven uses refer to God\u2019s compassion. In two separate parables Jesus uses this verb to refer to God\u2019s compassion in saving and forgiving sinners (Matt. 18:27 and Luke 15:20). The remainder of the uses of this verb all refer to compassion as the major motivation for Jesus\u2019 healing and miracles. So in nine out of eleven occurrences where this verb is used of God\u2019s compassion it refers to the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ as his motivation for healing!<\/p>\n
What is the meaning of splanchnizomai when it refers to God\u2019s compassion? The nominal form of this word originally referred to the inner parts of a man, the heart, liver, and so on. It could be used of the inward parts of a sacrificial animal, but it became common to use this word in reference to the lower parts of the abdomen, the intestines, and especially the womb (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, eds. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1971] 7:548).<\/p>\n
Some theologians have felt that this term was too rough or graphic to be used in reference to God\u2019s compassion. Using the word for \u201cintestines\u201d to refer to God\u2019s compassion is akin to our using the word \u201cguts\u201d for courage in modern English, as when we say, \u201cHe really has guts.\u201d However, I think the New Testament writers meant to do exactly this. They were impressing on the readers the power and the force of God\u2019s compassion. They may also have had in mind a physical feeling associated with compassion. Sometimes a sharp pain in the abdomen will accompany intense feelings of compassion or pity for those we love. The choice of such a graphic word served to impress the New Testament Christians that God\u2019s compassion for them was rooted in his deep love for them and his sensitivity to their pain.<\/p>\n
Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by Jack Deere (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), pp. 279-280.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
God\u2019s The most common verb used in the Greek New Testament to refer to God\u2019s compassion is splanchnizomai. This verb is used twelve times. Once it is used of the Samaritan\u2019s compassion for the wounded man (Luke 10:33). The other eleven uses refer to God\u2019s compassion. In two separate parables Jesus uses this verb to … Continue reading “Compassion”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}