Chapter Twelve--Compel, Confirm

Lesson Twelve

COMPEL, CONFIRM

Compel

One of the Greek words rendered as "compel" in the New Testament is aggareuo, meaning "press into service, force, compel." It is found in three passages: Matthew 5:41; Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21.

The word is of Persian origin, from the noun aggaros, meaning "courier." In Herodotus, History 111.26 is found one of the earliest uses of aggaros: "There was a courier sent to him by Darius whose message was not to his mind." The reference here is to a postal arrangement much admired by the Greek historians. On the principal highways stations were established where horses and riders were kept for the pur-pose of carrying forward the royal mails, on the principle of relays. Herodotus graphically describes it: "Nothing mortal travels as fast as these Persian messengers. The entire plan is a Persian invention; and this is the method of it. Along the whole line of road there are men (they say) stationed with horses, in number equal to the number of days which the journey takes, allowing a man and horse each day; and these men will not be hindered from accomplishing at their best speed the distance which they have to go, either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night. The first rider delivers his dispatch to the second, and the second to the third; and so it is borne from hand to hand along the whole line, like the light in the torch-race, which they celebrate to Vulcan. The Persians give the riding post in this manner the name of aggarum" (History VIII.98).

The Persian couriers were empowered in cases of emergency to press into their service any available persons, beasts of burden, or other means of transport. Thus aggareuo came to mean "forcibly to impress into service," to compel a person to serve whether it was to his liking or not. In a country occupied by some foreign invader this became extremely burdensome and vexatious to the inhabitants. The conquered people had to endure the bitterest humiliation under such a system, especially when it was widely abused by those in authority. Referring to such humiliation , Epictetus wrote, "You ought to possess your whole body as a poor ass loaded, as long as it is possible, as long as you are allowed. But if there be a press (aggareia, and a soldier should lay hold of it, let it go , do not resist, nor murmur; if you do, you will receive blows, and nevertheless you will also lose the ass"

How this aggareia was abused can be seen in the regulations that cer-tain government officials made to curb the exercise of it. When King Demetrius of Syria was seeking the good will of the Jews during the time of the Maccabean Jonathan, Josephus says that he offered to "free all those Jews who had been made captives and slaves in my kingdom" and "I also give order that the beasts of the Jews be not pressed (aggareuo) for our service" (Antiquities XIII.2, 3). Ptolemy Euergetes II and his queen decreed that his governors and officials "shall not impress any of the inhabitants of the country for private services, nor requisition (aggareuo) their cattle for any purpose of their own," and that "no one shall requisition (aggareuo) boats for his own use for any pretext whatsoever." In a certain Egyptian temple an inscription was written under the direction of the prefect Capito decreeing that "no one shall take or requisition (aggareuo) anything, unless it has a written authori-zation from me."

The Persian postal arrangement with its power of impressment was adopted by the Romans, who occupied Palestine during the time of Jesus. An example of the assertion of their impressment authority is given in Matthew 27:32, "And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon compelled to go by with name: them, him that they might bear the cross." See also Mark 15:21.

Jesus was entirely aware of the Roman practice of impressment and of the humiliation it caused His people the Jews. However, instead of recommending that they resist any attempt to impress them into service He commanded them to obey those in authority, no matter how humiliat-ing and irksome it might be--even to go beyond the limits of what was demanded of them: "And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two" (Matthew 5:41). The principle contained in this command is repugnant to all who think only of themselves, who are forever basing their actions on their "rights" rather than on their influence for good. But those who believe in the conquering force of love over evil, who consider uppermost their influence for good rather than their "rights," are willing to go the second mile in being of help to others, even when the help is ungraciously demanded. They are willing to undergo any kind of humiliation if by doing so they can manifest the loving spirit of Christ-like service. However, they are not cravenly subservient but lovingly submissive; not acting as slaves but as those who are truly free in Christ--truly free to show forth the gracious, helpful spirit of their Lord. Irenaeus wrote," 'And if anyone,' he says, 'shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain,' so that thou mayest not follow him as a slave, but as a free man go before him, showing thyself in all things kindly disposed and useful to thy neighbor, nor regarding their evil institutions, but performing thy kind offices" (Against Heresy XIII.3).

Another Greek word translated as "compel" in the New Testament is anagkazo, meaning "cause or compel someone in all the varying degrees from friendly pressure to forceful compulsion." Being a Greek, Titus was not "compelled" to be circumcised (Galatians 2:3), but the Judaizers "compel" the Galatians to be circumcised (Galatians 6:12); Paul was "compelled" by the church at Corinth to become foolish in speaking of himself (2 Corinthians 12:11); Peter "compellest" the Gentiles to live as Jews (Galatians 2:14).

In some instances anagkazo is translated as "constrain." Jesus "con-strained" the disciples to enter the boat (Matthew 14:22; Mark 6:45); the servants were to "constrain" those in the highways and hedges to come to the feast (Luke 14:23); Paul was "constrained" to appeal to Caesar (Acts 28:19).

Confirm The word "confirm" as considered in this phase of our lesson is from episterizo, meaning "make to lean upon, strengthen (epi, upon, sterix a prop, support),."It is rarely found outside the NewTestament. In classical Greek it is used by Aristotle and Lucian. There are no known references to its use in the papyri. It is used only three times in the Septuagint. In the New Testament it is used only in the book of Acts, where it refers to the strengthening and establishing of the disciples of Christ: "And when they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:21-22); "And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them" (Acts 15:32); "And he [Paul] went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches" (Acts 15:41); "And having spent some time there, he [Paul] departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples" (Acts 18:23).

The reader is requested to carefully study the foregoing passages, noting that they either imply or expressly teach the following:

1. The Need of Strengthening the Disciples. The disciples referred to in Acts who were confirmed or strengthened by such preachers and teachers as Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas were young in the faith , still comparatively babes in Christ. There was the constant danger that they would fail to reach their heavenly goal because of the tribulations they had to face for the sake of Christ; thus they had to be exhorted to "continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God." They had to be strengthened against the devil, who constantly sought to destroy them (1 Peter 5:8-10). Being deficient in their spiritual understanding and discernment, they were in danger of being led astray by false teachers (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1-3). They certainly needed all the strength they could possibly receive to withstand every temptation and to abide in Christ, to be faithful to him all their days.

And who in the church today are so spiritually mature that they no longer need strengthening in the faith? Even the best of Christ's dis-ciples need to give heed to Hebrews 3:13, "But exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Even those who have already been strengthened or established in the faith need to be continually reminded of their Christian responsibilities and privileges. To such as these Peter wrote, "Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. And I think it right, as long as I am in this taber-nacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. . . . Yea, I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance" (2 Peter 1:12-13; 2 Peter 1:15).

2. The Means of Strengthening the Disciples. The confirming or strengthening of the early disciples was done through the preaching and teaching of God's word. Surely, those responsible for this significant work presented the ethic of Christ, the rules of Christian living. They surely commanded the disciples to obey the Lord in giving diligence to supply in their faith the graces of virtue, knowledge, self-control, etc. (2 Peter 1:5-7), to be "stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). They surely commanded the disciples to "abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22), to "live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world . . . zealous of good works" (Titus 2:12; Titus 2:14). Surely, everything involved in godly living was revealed to the disciples by those responsible for confirming them.

But in presenting the word of God these faithful teachers and preachers revealed more than the rules of godly living. They also revealed the example of Christ (Matthew 11:29; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21), the grace and power of God through the indwelling Spirit (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:14-20; 2 Timothy 1:14), the need of sincere, unceasing believing prayer (Matthew 21:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:16), and the love that must be the motivation for all good works (1 Corinthians 13:1-8). In withholding nothing that was profitable (Acts 20:20), they presented to their fellow Christians not only the teaching of God's word concerning the rules and regulations of godly living but also the grace , power, and motivation for such living. And today this is still the only kind of teaching that is calculated to confirm or strengthen the Lord's disciples.

3. The Responsibility of Strengthening the Disciples. God has ordained that the church assume the weighty responsibility of strengthening its members, of helping and encouraging them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:13). See Romans 15:1; Galatians 6:1-2; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24. How well is the church today assuming the responsibility of confirming its members, especially those young in the faith? Are we being as zealous in following the second part of the great commission as we are the first: "Go ye there-fore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20)?

Have we not been far more zealous of making disciples than of strength-ening and establishing them once they are made? Have we not often neglected the new disciples, failing to bring to their hearts and minds the unsearchable riches of Christ? Many disciples of Christ either die spiritually or remain perpetually spiritual babes because of the failure of the church to nurture them in the word of God. What a tragic waste of time and effort it is to make disciples and then to let them wither on the vine, so to speak, because of the church's lack of concern for their spiritual needs!

Is the rite of confirmation as practiced by certain religious groups either expressly taught or implied in those passages which speak of teachers and preachers of God's word confirming the disciples? Not at all. As Albert Barnes observed, "The expression 'to confirm' has in some churches a technical signification, denoting 'to admit to the full privileges of a Christian, by the imposition of hands.' It is scarcely necessary to say that the word here refers to no such rite. It has no reference to any imposition of hands, nor to the thing which is usually supposed to be denoted by the rite of confirmation. The truth was that these were young converts; that they were surrounded by enemies, exposed to temptations and to dangers; that they had as yet but slight acquaintance with the truths of the gospel; and that it was therefore important that they should be further instructed in the truth, and established in the faith of the gospel. This is what Paul and Barnabas returned to accom-plish. There is not the slightest evidence that they had not been admitted to the full privileges of the church before, or that any ceremony was now performed in confirming or strengthening them."

Questions

• Discuss the background of the word aggareuo.

• What principle is taught by Jesus in Matthew 5:41?

• Briefly discuss the meaning and use of anagkazo in the New Testament.

• What is the meaning of episterizo?

• Why do the disciples of Christ, especially the new converts, need strengthening or confirming?

• Discuss the responsibility of the church in strengthening or confirming the disciples.

• What is the scriptural basis, if any, for the rite of confirmation?