Word Study: Obey/Obedience (An example of how a Believer -could- do a Bible word study.)
Studying the Holy Scriptures should be an important aspect to every Christian’s life. I assigned this homework so that you could learn how to do a word study. Besides knowing what words you were studying and leaving it limited to the New Testament, I had no other guidelines to go by. Hopefully each of you have expanded beyond mere references.
Doing word studies can help understand several things:
-
Can be used in conjunction with other words to study a subject.
-
Understand what the bible teaches about a specific topic.
-
Help the Christian to become more complete through studying of the Holy Scriptures.
-
Always the Christians to be ‘ready to give a defense’. (1st Peter 3:15)
After using a Strong’s to look up all of the occurrences of the word ‘obey’ and it’s affiliates, I then looked up all of the verses. For the purpose of my word study I decided to focus on where the word, obey, was used in relationship to following the guidelines of Christian behavior with direct correlation to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The next step I took is to lookup the definition in a couple of different dictionaries, finding the one that is most relevant to the Holy Scriptures usage. As follows:
Oxford English Dictionary – American Version
Obey – 1.) carry out a command of
2.) do what one is told to do
Obedience – submissive to another’s rule or authority
Webster’s University Dictionary
Obey – 1.) to comply with the commands, directions, or injunctions of
2.) to be subject to
3.) v.i. – to do as directed
Obedience – compliance with a command, prohibition, or known law and rule prescribed
One interesting note is with the final definition from Webster’s for obedience, we find the term ‘known’ law. Truly as one walks with the Lord there will be things pointed out in one’s life that are sin, though were done in ignorance. So now that a firm definition has been pursued, I am going to record and go over all relevant passages from the Holy Scriptures.
Bible Verses:
“But according to your hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to each one according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who steadfastly doing good, seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; anger and wrath, 9 trouble and anguish, on every soul of man who produces evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;…” Romans 2:5-9
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16
“17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18
“12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Romans 6:12
“16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, Lord, who believes our report?” Romans 10:16
“4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
“O foolish Galatians. Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” Galatians 3:1
“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:7
Here is an example that Jesus gave us…
“And being found comprised as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philemon 2:8
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, cultivate your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Philipians 2:12-13
“in flaming fire giving full vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2nd Thessalonians 1:8
“though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”
Hebrews 5:8
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” 1st Peter 1:1-2
“as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance;”
1 Peter 1:14
“Wives, likewise, be subject to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the Word, they, without a word, may be won by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they observe your pure behavior with fear.” 1st Peter 3:1-2
“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently out of a pure heart,” 1st Peter 1:22
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1st Peter 4:17
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you laid hands on, hanging Him on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give to Israel repentance and remission of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Act 5:29-32
“And the Word of God grew, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7
“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living Words to give to us, 39 whom our fathers did not desire to obey, but thrust him away. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,” Acts 7:38-39
Note: Of interest, it is not that these people didn’t believe…they did not ‘desire to obey’.
One thing I think is very clear while doing this word study, is a clear correlation between the gospel, obedience and Salvation. Of course, only in the late 20th and 21st Century would be suppose that one would adhere to the teachings of Christ, believe the gospel and still go on living as if they were adherents to no religion or a different religion. While a Christian can clearly sin, a life of sin is simply not biblical. While it could happen, as I have said before, it is not supposed to be common and not supposed to be this way. Truly accepting Christ clearly also including becoming a slave to Him, not the world, which is following the King’s directives…obedience, obeying.
