Sermon Tone Analysis

You are a Conqueror

Tribulation

Distress

Persecution

Famine

Nakedness

Peril

Sword

Tribulation

thlíbō means literally “to press,” “squash,” “hem in,” then “to be narrow.”

thlípsis means “pressure” in the physical sense, e.g., medically of the pulse.

thlíbō figuratively means “to afflict,” “harass” with the nuances a. “to discomfit,” b. “to oppress” or “vex.”

Philosophically the group is used for life’s afflictions.

Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p.

334).

Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

Distress (stenós [narrow]

Secular Usage.

The word stenós means “narrow,” “thin,” “poor,” the noun stenochōría denotes a “narrow place,” and the verb stenochōréō means “to confine,” “to compress.”

The ideas of a narrow door and a little trodden way occur in philosophy, e.g., in the difficult ascent to true culture.

In the NT the word stenós occurs in Mt. 7:13–14 and Lk.

13:24 in the figure of the narrow gate or door.

In Luke the saying answers the question about the small number of the saved, and it thus has a special urgency; one must strive to enter by the narrow door.

In Matthew we find the contrast of a narrow gate and way and a broad gate and way.

Many people ignore the warning because they will not accept the authority of Jesus and pass through the narrow gate and tread the narrow way.

How narrow the gate is may be seen from the saying in Mk. 10:25.

There is no mention of special hazards on the narrow way but the term stenós, with its OT associations, suggests that it is also a hard way as distinct from the broad and easy way that so many prefer.

In Jer.

30:7 the LXX construes the Hebrew “time of anxiety” as a chrónos stenós, i.e., a time of oppression.

Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p.

1077).

Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

Persecution (diogmos - the systemic hunting down of adherents of a particular religion to inflict pain or death upon them; especially to destroy the religion by destroying the adherent or by forcing the adherent to renounce their beliefs.)

Famine (“to be hungry,” or “avidly to desire something.”)

Source: Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p.

820).

Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

In the figurative sense:

Hunger is the desire for something that is missing.

Unfulfilled desire often defeats us because it shifts our focus to what we are missing and off of the abundance with which we have already been blessed.

Nakedness (gymnós.

1. “Naked” in the literal sense of a. “unclothed,” b. “badly clothed,” c. “stripped by force,” or d. “without an upper garment,” “partly clothed.”

2. “Naked” in the figurative sense of a. “unconcealed,” “manifest” (Heb.

4:13), b. “without bodily form.”

In 1 Cor.

15:37ff.

Paul contrasts the bare seed with the future plant or flower in illustration of the transition from the present body to the resurrection body.

It should be noted that what is planted is not the naked soul but the present body (which also bears our individuality), so that the bare seed does not simply represent a nonbodily “soul” but that which has not yet received its future form.)

Source: Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985).

Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (p.

133).

Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

Peril (the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury)

Sword (Warfare)

SWORD Close-range weapon.

The Hebrew word cherev and the Greek word machaira designate either a dagger or a sword.

The Hebrew word also designates an iron tool (“axes,” Ezek.

26:9) or a chisel (“tool,” Exod.

20:25).

In Josh.

5:2 the word designates stone knives used in the circumcision of the people of Israel.

After the list, Paul makes this bold statement:

We are more than conquerors...

Not in our own power but through whom?

Through Christ who loved us.

It's not in our own strength, it's not in our own power, but through the power of the risen Christ.

Those of you who are Christians, let me tell you what you are.

You are more than a conqueror, you are more than an overcomer.

In fact, the little Greek word that is translated as conqueror, or winner, or victor, is the word “nikao,” and that word means to win, it means to be victorious.

That is not the word that is used in this passage.

The word used here is “hupernikao.”

Huper, it means hyper, or it means exceedingly more than, and Paul is saying, 'You are way more than a winner, you're hupernikao!'

Here's the definition of it: what does hupernikao mean?

If you're taking notes, it means to vanquish beyond recognition.

That is cocky; I mean, that is powerful!

It means to gain a decisive victory.

It means exceedingly more than a conqueror.

Can I tell you, with Christ, you are hupernikao!

You are not going to just eek by a little victory, you are going to demolish the opposition.

We are not talking Rocky Balboa fighting Apollo Creed, getting the snot beat out of him for nine rounds!

“Boom, boom, what are you doing?

Boom, boom, what are you doing?”

“Strategy, I'm wearing him out!”

And then the last round he comes back out and wins.

And then his face is pummeled, his eyes are puffy, he's got brain damage; that's why he goes, “Yo Adrian!” Okay, that's not you!

That's not what I'm talking about!

What I'm talking about is the God kind of victory, where he vanquishes the opposition beyond recognition.

We are talking about the Egyptians following the Israelites and God parts the Red Sea and the Israelites go through, and the whole Egyptian army follows them in.

And God says, 'Poof baby!'

And all of them are washed away.

We are talking total victory!

We are talking Gideon in Judges six and Judges seven and Judges eight, when God says, 'Take on the Midianites!'

He said, 'I'm too afraid!'

And God says, 'No!

You are a mighty man of valor!

You don't believe it yet, but you are!'

He said, 'But I've only got 32,000 men!'

God says, 'Well, that's too many for me to get the glory!'

And God tells him to tell all the ones who are afraid to go home.

22,000 left

Gideon was probably surprised at the number of men who were afraid to fight and hoped that only a few hundred would leave.

But we are told that they assembled in a place where they could see the 135,000 Midianite troops ( Judges 7:8 ).