Are You "Promoting"...

Articles From Our Bulletins

Philip C. Strong
09/01/20 - Bulletin Articles

Are You Promoting…

The Lord, on the night of His betrayal, instituted the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 26:26 says, “… Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing...”. The word from which “blessing” is translated is the Greek term eulogio (used 41 times in 38 verses). It is a compound word from the neuter of a primary root eus- “well,” “well done,” or “good,” and logeo- to count, enumerate, or say. The Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek defines eulogeo in part as “to speak well of.” The word seems to be used this way in Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute; bless and curse not;” in 1Corinthians 4:12, “… when we are reviled, we bless…” and finally, in James 3:9, where speaking of the dangers of the tongue, “With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men…”. Obviously, we cannot “bless” God in the sense of pronouncing/providing spiritual favors (the more normal use of eulogeo), but we can and should “speak well of” Him! Thus ends the word study, now on to the point and some applications.

“To speak well of” is basically the idea of promotion, or promoting. By promoting I mean not only having a positive disposition regarding and supporting personally, but also actively “speaking well of” in the sense of endorsing and encouraging others to participate and benefit. All too often, we fail to “speak well of” or promote (in our own minds as well as in words/actions) God and His Cause. How so? Consider:

God- You may love, honor, and obey Him yourself, but do you actively promote the same to your friends, relatives, and acquaintances? Do you “speak well of” Him to others in the sense of endeavoring to prove His existence and defending His veracity, goodness, and righteousness? Or, are you content to just believe what you believe and let others suffer the fate of unbelievers?
His Word- You may read and study your Bible, attend Bible Classes and listen to sermons because you believe it to be God’s Word that teaches who He is and how we should live accordingly, but do you promote and recommend it to others? Do you encourage them to read, study, learn, and live God’s Word?
Christianity (generally)- You may well believe that Christianity is the way to live, and that it is the only way of life which secures eternal reward, but do you “speak well of” it to others? Or, are you more likely to just “do your thing” and let them do theirs?
Brethren (locally and specifically)- You may attend local services regularly to sing, pray, commune, fellowship, and study with your brethren- you may even love so of them and like a few more, but do you “speak well of” and actively promote them in your community? Or, when interacting with non-members, are you more likely to complain and criticize “them” (your local brethren and the local work) if you mention them at all?

It’s one thing to believe in God, read and study His Word, and be a Christian in a local church (and that’s all certainly good!), but it is another thing to “speak well of” the same to others. Let’s not be “closet Christians,” but active promoters of the faith in God that leads to eternal life!