Greek Thoughts
Week of June 28 - July 4, 2009

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	Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 36 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course. He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.

NIKAO* - To overcome, to conquer, to be victorious - Part 3
   exhgeomai (Strong's #1834)

Please note that all Biblical quotes, in this and all other lessons posted to Greek Thoughts, are from The Literal English Translation of the Bible produced by BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America.

This week we are in the third part of our study of the verb nika/w (Strong’s #3528, pronounced nÄ" kä Å�), which means “to overcome, to be victorious.â€� It is the fifth and final word considered in our series of studies relating to the believer’s battle with the attacks of Satan. This Greek word expresses the end result of the believer’s battle with Satan; and, in the New Testament, it represents not only victory, but guaranteed victory over Satan and sin. Our study today will focus on ni/kov (Strong’s #3534, pronounced nÄ" kÅ�s), which is the noun form of nika/w.
Before we continue with an in-depth study of nika/w, here is a quick review of the previous four related word studies:

1. Diw/kw (Strong’s #1377, pronounced dÄ" Å� kÅ�**), a verb meaning “to pursueâ€� or “to chase.â€� From this word we developed an understanding of the first principle relating to dealing with evil forces in the spirit realm, which is that Satan is only able to chase or pursue those who are in Christ. He is unable to spiritually overtake believers, so his desire is to continually divert their thoughts and emotions away from God.

2. ÃŒAnqi/sthmi (Strong’s #436, pronounced än thÄ"s tÄ� mÄ"**), a verb which means “to resistâ€� or “to oppose.â€� It holds the concept of our second principle - that the plan of God for each believer is revealed as he or she resists Satan’s attacks.

3. éIsthmi (Strong’s #2476, pronounced hÄ" stÄ� mÄ"**), a verb which means “to stand, set or place.â€� It reveals the third principle involved in comprehending how believers are to respond to Satan’s attacks. While God’s designed plan for Christians is that they resist Satan’s attempts at chasing them, the purpose for this is that of being able to stand in a one-place position.

4. ÌEn (Strong’s #1722, pronounced ĕn**), a preposition translated “in� that represents a position or location - specifically signifying, in our study, the place in which believers are to stand. We looked at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, noting that its theme is “In Christ.� Paul establishes that believers are securely positioned spiritually in (eÌn) Christ, in (eÌn) the spirit realm. This is the reason that God’s plan for them, as stated in Ephesians 6:13, is to “resist" (aÌnqi/sthmi), in order to be able to stand (iésthmi); and the position in which believers are to stand is in (eÌn) Christ, in (eÌn) the spirit realm.

In the first part of our study of nika/w, we focused on the guarantee of victory as stated in Old Testament prophecy. We did so because nika/w could not be used in its grammatical presentation in the New Testament unless the guarantee for the believer’s victory was prophesied and provided for by God through Jesus Christ. We found that guarantee prophesied in Genesis 3:15, when God pronounces that the seed of the serpent will bruise only the heel of the woman’s Seed (Messiah); but the Seed of the woman will bruise the very head of the serpent (Satan), thereby showing Messiah’s total victory over Satan.

In subsequent parts of our study, New Testament scriptures, which are rooted in this Old Testament guarantee of victory, are examined in order to see that a believer’s victory is based in the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ. We first saw, in John 16:33, Jesus telling His disciples they would have affliction in the world and commanding them to have courage, because He Himself had overcome (nika/w) the world. Next we saw Paul reiterating this promise and provision by declaring, in Romans 8:35-37, that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ; because “in all things we are more than overcoming (u¿pernika/w) through the One who has loved us.�

This week, we take Paul’s teaching on guaranteed victory of believers over the final enemy, death. Our study is taken from 1 Corinthians 15: 54-57 where we find Paul using ni/kov for victory.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57
54) Now whenever this corruption should put on incorruption, and this mortal should put on immortality, then the word will be fulfilled which has been written, “Death was swallowed up into victory (ni/kov).�

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is teaching the doctrine of the Resurrection to believers, some of whom do not believe that the physical body can be resurrected. Paul enhances their understanding by saying that their physical bodies will one day be raised up and changed into spiritual bodies, in the twinkling of an eye (vs.15:52). In verse 54, Paul states that when this resurrection takes place, Isaiah 25:8 will be fulfilled: “Death was swallowed up into victory (ni/kov).â€�

55)

“Where, death is your sting? Where, grave, is the victory (ni/kov)?�

In verse 55, Paul quotes from Hosea 13:14 in a triumphant challenge to both death and the grave. Stating, in verse 56, that the power of sin is the law and its result is death; Paul then gives thanks to God, the One giving believers victory (ni/kov) over sin and death through the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 57). Considering life from a post-resurrection vantage point, after the bodies of believers have been resurrected and changed, Paul glories in the fact that the victory given to believers through Christ has snatched away the victory of death and the grave.
In last week’s lesson, Paul gave his reason for stating that believers are more than overcoming in Christ: Once we belong to Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Therefore, believers are overcoming the world because of being positioned in Jesus Christ - the One who has Himself overcome the world, the very One who loves us (Romans 8:35-37). This week, in 1 Corinthians 15:34-57, Paul extends the understanding of our guaranteed victory as being not only an overcoming of the world, but also as an overcoming of the grave. Believers will not be left in the grave: they will be raised and “…the gates of Hades (the grave) will not prevail against it (the Church) (Matthew 16:18).â€�

We have studied the guaranteed victory of believers based on both prophecy and the provision of the Lord. In our next lesson, we will continue with the same topic, but this time our attention will be focused upon the indwelling presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our word of study will once again be nika/w.
*NIKAO is the English font spelling of the Greek word nika/w.

**English pronunciation of vowel sounds & accented syllables: Ä�le, ăm, fäther; Ä"ve, Ä•nd; Ä«ce, Ç�ll; Å�ld, Å�dd, whö; oi as in oil; ow as in cow; Å«se, Å­p, rüde. Bold type indicates an accented syllable.

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