nothing else matters
Early morning before 0630 Friday walk reading about our dualistic minds in which we apprehend everything as black or white, right or wrong, yes or no, good or evil, us versus them, righteous v. unrighteous, damned v. saved; and about the untranslatable Greek concept then and now of philotimo; and also about our call and prayer as Christians “Grant that we may not so much seek … to be understood as to understand.”
But for our manifest density, no sermon would be needed. But for our universal human certitudinous obtuseness we would sing “Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me, open my eyes, illumine me.” Surely we are not in the image of God, μὴ γένοιτο, this cannot possibly be. Gewiß, das kannst du nicht sein, mein Herr
philotimo
"The word appears three times in the text of letters written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was an almost fluent Greek speaker and, by his writing, shows he was well educated in Hellene literature. His letters were originally written in Greek and therefore the choice of the word was deliberate and the sophisticated choice of an educated man.
"It is a difficult word to translate into English and is rendered variously depending on the Bible translation. Valid alternatives include; ambition, endeavour earnestly, aspire, being zealous, strive eagerly, desire very strongly or study. In each case Paul is conveying a desire to do a good thing and his choice of word gives this honourable pursuit extra emphasis. (pinched, quoted from online sources)"
In 1st Thessalonians 4:11 he uses it to describe the sort of ambition believers should have to conduct their lives with philotimo: - a life above reproach, well regarded by their community for their kindness.
11 καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι ἡσυχάζειν καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι [a]ταῖς χερσὶν ὑμῶν, καθὼς ὑμῖν παρηγγείλαμεν,
11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you,
In 2nd Corinthians 5:9, he uses it to describe his "labour" in the sense of his life's work and strivings.
9 διὸ καὶ φιλοτιμούμεθα, εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες, εὐάρεστοι αὐτῷ εἶναι.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
In Romans 15:20 he makes it his philotimo (he uses the verb φιλοτιμέομαι, [philotimEome] to preach the good news of the gospel to people who haven't heard it.
20 οὕτως δὲ φιλοτιμούμενον εὐαγγελίζεσθαι οὐχ ὅπου ὠνομάσθη Χριστός, ἵνα μὴ ἐπ’ ἀλλότριον θεμέλιον οἰκοδομῶ,
20 Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation,
Strong’s 5389 φιλοτιμέομαι
philotimeomai: to love or seek after honor
Part of Speech: Verb
Short Definition: I desire very strongly
Definition: I am zealous, strive eagerly, desire very strongly.
φίλος, philos: beloved, dear, friendly
τιμή, timé: a valuing, a price, honour
Philotimo may be difficult or impossible to translate literally, but its concept is discernible, humanity, common human decency in which nothing matters but doing the right thing for the right reasons. Nothing matters but doing the right thing for the right reasons. Nothing matters in human life but doing the right thing. Philotimo is doing the right thing regardless of cost to oneself, doing the right thing mindless of the cost to oneself, doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do.
Relevant sickened disgust this morning PCNH headline "District slams 'slimy, underhanded' bill." It isn't just our state legislators trying to sneak things through: our national legislators and executive, whom we elected and who are meant to represent us, have no concept of doing the right thing, do not give a gardenia about the rightness and transparency of their negotiations on "health care," nor do they give a gardenia about the people they are sworn to look after. And it is growing worse, a national political downslide. One wonders what they do care about beyond self, greed and self. Tyranny, to protect ourselves against tyranny, is the sole reason we have the Second Amendment, and tyranny looms.
Centurius 590x93 arriving to load wood pellets for Liverpool.
image pinched online
Centurius 590x93 arriving to load wood pellets for Liverpool.
image pinched online