Synonyms: thirstiness, dryness, parched, craving, strong desire, longing, yearning, avidity, hunger, voracity, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite, passion, love, crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for/after, lust for/after, hanker for/after, have one's heart set on
Antonyms: aversion, distaste, apathy, dislike, hatred, antipathy, disgust, disregard, abhorrence, acrimony, wet, animosity, animus, antagonism, bad feeling, bitterness, be averse to, detestation
Showing 4376 to 4400 of 4959 results
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... [together] to prayer” (7:5). For the wife no longer has “authority over her own body but yields it to her husband,” and (most remarkably of all), the husband “does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife” (7:4). Paul’s desire is thus for all to be free from temptation as he is, whether through the gift of marriage or the gift of celibacy. So his counsel to the unmarried and the widows is the same. It is good for them to remain unmarried, but advisable for those to ...
4377. One Body, Many Parts
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... all should not expect to receive any particular gift, including the ability to speak in tongues or interpret. The discussion, however, is not allowed to conclude on this point. For neither the gifts nor the giver is static (12:11). Thus all may “eagerly desire” to someday sense the call and empowerment to use in service to the body those gifts that really are “greater” in the list Paul has outlined. But in the midst of this ambition (as they are encouraged to realize) they should know that these ...
4378. An Appeal for Complete Reconciliation
2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1, 2 Corinthians 6:3-13
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... autobiographical narrative that was broken off in 2:13 to allow for the inclusion of the reflective apologetic of 2:14–5:19 and the appeals for reconciliation found in 5:20–7:4. The break in the narrative may reflect Paul’s desire, having heard the “comforting” news Titus brought back from Corinth, to convey to the church both his immediate and his considered reaction to their new attitude toward him. Furthermore, upon consideration, it may have seemed more important to present the latter before ...
4379. A New Basis for Appeal
2 Corinthians 7:2-16
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... autobiographical narrative that was broken off in 2:13 to allow for the inclusion of the reflective apologetic of 2:14–5:19 and the appeals for reconciliation found in 5:20–7:4. The break in the narrative may reflect Paul’s desire, having heard the “comforting” news Titus brought back from Corinth, to convey to the church both his immediate and his considered reaction to their new attitude toward him. Furthermore, upon consideration, it may have seemed more important to present the latter before ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... give that renders the gift ac-ceptable. Accordingly, one should give joyfully, “according to what one has,” and not attempt out of a sense of zeal or pious duty to give what one “does not have” (8:12). Paul drives home the principle. His “desire” is not to pressure the Corinthians but instead to urge on them a uniquely biblical notion of equality that regards the “plenty” of one as that which exists to supply the “need” of another (8:13–14). The idea is then illustrated, in a fashion ...
4381. Paul Called by God
Galatians 1:11-24
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... consult with Jerusalem). After a stay of some undetermined time, he returned to Damascus (1:17), where presumably the incident of escape from the city took place (see additional details in 2 Cor. 11:30–33). 1:18–24 · First meeting with Jerusalem leadership: Paul’s desire was to show that he did not owe allegiance to Jerusalem (and thus would not have to agree with or submit to the opponents who claimed to be from there). Further, he wanted to show that it was the opponents who would have to submit to ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... . Presumably one would expect Paul to show some deference to these men (at least to Cephas and John), since they followed Jesus even before his resurrection. While such diplomatic niceties might avoid conflict, they could also be devastating, especially since, as Paul desires to show, such submission would cause him to follow men who may not be as correct as he on this important issue. When it is a question of either being consistent with the gospel or following the dictates of “church politics,” Paul ...
4383. Freedom in Christ
Galatians 5:1-15
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... into their lives has only given vent to competitiveness and lack of concern for each other. You can almost hear Paul say, “Precisely!” Their way shows that they use the law inappropriately, since they do not gain the results through it that all recognize to be crucial for those who desire to be found in God’s righteousness (5:14; see Lev. 19:18; Luke 10:27 and parallels).
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... the Galatians are considered to be hypocritical opportunists, attempting to build their own misguided view of spirituality (6:12–13) by forcing the Galatians into a dependent relationship. The opponents’ motivation in all this is considered to be fear—a desire not to be persecuted (6:12), presumably by their own nonbelieving brethren (the same who have persecuted Paul). In ridiculing his opponents’ motives, Paul sets forth his own motive. It is found in the pivotal experience of the “cross of ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... to the presumed dwelling place of the spirit world), who even now drives both groups and individuals to disobey God. Among such disobedient people Paul now includes the Jews (2:3). Jews, too, live under the influence of their fleshly, sinful human desires. Existence on earth consists of a continual struggle to satisfy the selfish demands of body and soul. Consequently, the Jews are by nature under the wrath of God, just like the rest of humanity, namely, the Gentiles. This is no insignificant remark ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... , genuine concern for people’s need for love, acceptance, and respect; and (3) patience (4:2). Patience produces a loving tolerance of people’s weaknesses and foibles (including one’s own) but without encouraging such shortcomings. Patience also displays a strong desire to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (4:3). This is not the same thing as keeping the peace, which often leads to complicity. Fostering true unity requires endless patience as insecure personalities come closer to ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... work of Christ’s servants who are commissioned to preach the gospel and who, in doing so, encounter great struggles (Rom. 8:17). Writing from jail, Paul feels this truth brought home to him with great force. In another prison epistle, Paul declares that he desires to participate in Christ’s sufferings, “becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Phil. 3:10–11). As an apostle, Paul knows well that tribulations are part of his work (see 1 Cor. 4:8 ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... of sins (3:5) spotlights sexual improprieties, listed in order from the most to the least visible. He begins with public sexual immorality, rampant in the ancient pagan world. He moves from behaviors to attitudes, including greed, which focuses on satiating physical desires. Paul concludes that if you trace back from the behavior to the mindset that led to it, you will find idolatry at the core. Paul argues that the inward focus on satisfying physical passions amounts to placing oneself at the center ...
4389. Final Greetings
Colossians 4:7-18
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Phil. 4:23; Gal. 6:18) or even more expansive closings (2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 16:23–24; Rom. 16:25–27). He asks the Colossians to uphold him because of his chains (4:3). Not only does he desire their prayers but perhaps also their active (financial?) support. The Philippians, for example, sent Epaphroditus to help Paul in prison (Phil. 2:25–30; 4:18). As Paul closes, the Colossians are left in no doubt about his chains, nor his love for Christ and his church.
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... an emotional disposition but describes the relational status of a person or people reconciled with God (Rom. 5:1). The combined greeting is more than a formality; it is a blessing that embraces the totality of the divine benefits the authors desire for these believers. 1:2–10 · Opening Thanksgiving: The Coming of the Gospel and Its Reception Ancient letters sometimes included a thanksgiving after the opening greeting. Giving thanks to one’s benefactors, whether human or divine, was a social obligation ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... ,” an expression that in Paul’s day could indicate a child’s loss of parents or the tragedy of losing one’s children. The separation, however, was only physical—not mental. The longing for the Thessalonians prompted great, even extreme, efforts to return. The desire was there to see the Thessalonians, and Paul expresses his own repeated attempts to do so: “For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again” (2:18). The question on the table was why he had not returned to ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... memories, but rather their memories of the apostles were “pleasant” in the sense of “good,” “friendly,” or “tender.” The longing for reunion was mutual. Friendly letters often included a comment that the separation was only physical and not emotional, and also expressed the desire to be reunited (1 Thess. 2:17; cf. 2 Cor. 1:16; Philem. 22; 2 John 12; 3 John 14). Such reciprocity marked true friendship. The mutuality of friendship (cf. Rom. 1:10–11; 2 Cor. 1:7) finds expression in 3:7 as ...
4393. Final Instructions
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... ends with a blessing of grace. This blessing was a modification of the normal letter closing of the time, which said either “be strong” or “prosper.” The apostles do not want them simply to be strong but rather to have the grace that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. This desire, sounded in the opening prayer of the letter (1:1), summarizes the heart of the faith, which the Thessalonians had received.
4394. Leadership
1 Timothy 3:1-16
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... between the virtues Paul requires of overseers and the virtues secular sources praise in community leaders. Paul urges those who should be leaders to rise to the task: the one who aspires to be “an overseer” (or “bishop,” KJV, RSV, NRSV) “desires a noble task” (3:1). At the same time, Paul urges the church to reevaluate the criteria by which they have been selecting their leaders. The qualification list opens and closes with traits that have an eye to outsiders’ opinions: “above reproach ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... continues because of his resurrection. 4:1–5 · False religion: Paul senses a dark, demonic conspiracy against the church. Satanic forces are frustrating the calling to live and teach the mystery of godliness. Distrust of the gospel’s ability to teach inner control has led to a desire to be governed by the law (1 Tim. 1:3–10). A denial of the one God’s love for all people has led to prayer for only local concerns (2:1–7). A refusal to be informed by the creation-fall account has produced disorder ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... the Ephesian church. He instructs Timothy to pursue a range of virtues to display what “godliness with contentment” (see 6:6)—in a word, what living in Christ—looks like (6:11). Timothy himself is to be the opposite of those who desire the short-term gain that ministry could bring: money and influence. A minister’s wealth and influence are to be found in the virtues traditionally associated with Paul’s teachings: “faith, love,” and hope (expressed as “endurance. . . . Take hold of the ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... . Paul has carefully built the case for the urgency of the task: Timothy must fortify himself to fortify the church in Ephesus so that it can be a self-sustaining community. It becomes increasingly clear that Paul looks ahead to his own martyrdom and desires that Timothy come to him in Rome to comfort him. Thus, it is vital that Timothy rise to the urgent need: teach others who can tend the body in Ephesus.With considerable skill, Paul appeals to three familiar Hellenistic metaphors: soldier, athlete, and ...
4398. False Teaching
2 Timothy 3:1-9
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... women in the Ephesian congregation do not have the grounding in the Scriptures to see the implications of the opponents’ teaching. Paul traces these women’s gullibility to their being “loaded down with sins” and being “swayed by all kinds of evil desires.” It is unclear whether he means simply that they have tender consciences making them vulnerable to wrong solutions (e.g., the asceticism of 1 Timothy) or, more sinisterly, that they are involved in illicit relations with the false teachers (the ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... played out in the world’s history. In this paragraph, Paul demonstrates that for him “salvation” is an immensely dense complex of realities. In the first place, Jesus’s coming has educative value, answering Hellenistic culture’s deepest desire for a school of truth (for some Greeks “piety,” for others “prudence”), justice, and temperance. Second, as a work of “redemption” and “purification,” Jesus’s coming—like the exodus that had prefigured it in biblical history—breaks ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
... from Italy or that he is writing from some other place to a community of believers in Italy and naturally includes the greetings of expatriate Italian believers who are with him. The salutation (13:25) is profound in its simplicity (cf. Titus 3:15) and expresses both the author’s desire for and his confident expectation of the Lord’s restoring his readers to their once sturdy faith in Christ Jesus.
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