THE WORD FOR HARDNESS

TEXT-HEBREWS 3:8, 13, 15

INTRODUCTION

ONE MOST REWARDING WAYS TO STUDY THE BIBLE IS BY EXAMINING THE HEBREW, ARAMAIC AND GREEK LANGUAGES THAT WERE USED IN WRITING IT.

UNLIKE OUR OWN ENGLISH LANGUAGE WHICH IS VERY NARROW AND SHALLOW IN ITS ABILITY TO DESCRIBE, THE LANGUAGES OF THE BIBLE ARE VERY SPECIFIC IN THE WAY IT DESCRIBES THINGS.

FOR INSTANCE, IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WE ONLY HAVE ONE WORD FOR "LOVE" BUT IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE THERE ARE NO LESS THAN FOUR GREEK WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENT SHADES OF MEANING OF LOVE.

A.    EROS- SEXUAL LOVE
B.    STORGE- FAMILY LOVE
C.    PHILEO- FRIENDSHIP LOVE
D.    AGAPE- GODLY OR SACRIFICIAL LOVE

TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THE TOPIC OF HARDNESS.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THERE ARE THREE GREEK WORDS USED TO CONVEY THE IDEA OF SOMETHING THAT IS HARD.

THE FIRST WORD IS "DUSKOLOS" WHICH IS USED FIVE TIMES AND REFERS TO SOMETHING THAT IS HARD IN THE SENSE OF BEING DIFFICULT.

2 PETER 3:14-16, "THEREFORE, BELOVED, SINCE YOU LOOK FOR THESE THINGS, BE DILIGENT TO BE FOUND BY HIM IN PEACE, SPOTLESS AND BLAMELESS, [15] AND REGARD THE PATIENCE OF OUR LORD TO BE SALVATION; JUST AS ALSO OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL, ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN HIM, WROTE TO YOU, [16] AS ALSO IN ALL HIS LETTERS, SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE THINGS, IN WHICH ARE SOME THINGS HARD TO UNDERSTAND, WHICH THE UNTAUGHT AND UNSTABLE DISTORT, AS THEY DO ALSO THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES, TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION."

THE SECOND WORD IS "SKLERUNO" WHICH IS USED ELEVEN TIMES AND REFERS TO SOMETHING THAT HAS BECOME HARD BECAUSE IT HAS DRIED UP.

MATTHEW 19:7-8, "THEY SAID TO HIM, "WHY THEN DID MOSES COMMAND TO GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?" [8] HE SAID TO THEM, "BECAUSE OF YOUR HARDNESS OF HEART, MOSES PERMITTED YOU TO DIVORCE YOUR WIVES; BUT FROM THE BEGINNING IT HAS NOT BEEN THIS WAY."

THE THIRD WORD WHICH WE ARE GOING TO STUDY ABOUT TONIGHT IS "POROSIS" WHICH IS USED 8 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.

IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE DEPTH OF MEANING CONTAINED IN THIS WORD WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT WAS USED IN SECULAR LITERATURE.

IN GREEK LITERATURE IT WAS USED TO DESCRIBE A STONE THAT LOOKED LIKE MARBLE.

ARISTOTLE USED THE WORD TO DESCRIBE A STALACTITE WHICH HANGS FROM THE ROOFS OF CAVES.

IT WAS ALSO A WORD THAT DESCRIBED THE STONES USED TO PACK THE FOUNDATION OF A BUILDING.

IN THE REALM OF MEDICINE THIS GREEK WORD WAS USED TO DESCRIBE THE ARTHRITIS THAT FORMED IN JOINTS AND CAUSED PARALYSIS.

IT WAS ALSO USED TO REFER TO A STONE IN THE BLADDER OR KIDNEY.

IT WAS A WORD USED TO DESCRIBE THE CALLUS THAT FORMS IN THE BREAK OF A BROKEN BONE AS IT MENDS TOGETHER.

IN CLASSICAL GREEK LITERATURE THE AUTHOR ATHENAEUS USES THIS WORD TO DESCRIBE A STORY ABOUT A VERY FAT MAN NAMED DIONYSIUS WHO OFTEN WENT INTO A COMA AND THE ONLY WAY HIS DOCTORS COULD WAKE HIM UP WAS BY STICKING HIM WITH VERY LONG NEEDLES.

EVEN THEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO WAKE HIM UP BECAUSE SOME PARTS OF HIS BODY HAD NO FEELING BECAUSE THE FAT HAD LOST ITS SENSE OF FEELING.

AS WE CONSIDER THE WAY THIS WORD IS USED WITHIN THE BIBLE I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER FIVE THINGS.