Footnote: “Nikos” is pronounced “Neekos.”
In verse, 57, Paul writes, “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Nikos” is the Greek word for “victory.” So, here’s why this particular Greek word that we find in the Bible is so awesome, awesome enough for me to choose it as the title of my blog.
In this chapter of his letter, the Apostle Paul explains the meaning of "resurrection." By resurrection, Paul is NOT referring to a "spiritual" non-physical state of being. The resurrection body is physical, just not subject to sin, illness, and death. This is what resurrection meant in the 1st century Jewish world.
This chapter in I Corinthians depends on the readers having the particular Jewish worldview that there is the present age and a time is coming when heaven and earth will fully overlap and sin and death will be no more. When heaven and earth come together completely, God will raise up the faithful and give them resurrected bodies. Jesus' resurrection was a foretaste of what awaits God's people at the close of the present age. When people are given resurrection bodies, they will be changed and transformed and this will happen in an instant.
Many people today misinterpret this passage because our culture's worldview has changed significantly since the Jewish worldview of the 1st century. Their worldview believed that heaven and earth were two separate parts of God's creation. Today, we often see heaven and earth as far away from each other. The Jewish worldview believes that they are closer than we think and the future hope is that one day they will fully unite.
This chapter in I Corinthians depends on the readers having the particular Jewish worldview that there is the present age and a time is coming when heaven and earth will fully overlap and sin and death will be no more. When heaven and earth come together completely, God will raise up the faithful and give them resurrected bodies. Jesus' resurrection was a foretaste of what awaits God's people at the close of the present age. When people are given resurrection bodies, they will be changed and transformed and this will happen in an instant.
Many people today misinterpret this passage because our culture's worldview has changed significantly since the Jewish worldview of the 1st century. Their worldview believed that heaven and earth were two separate parts of God's creation. Today, we often see heaven and earth as far away from each other. The Jewish worldview believes that they are closer than we think and the future hope is that one day they will fully unite.
This biblical worldview is why the Celtic Christians from the early centuries referred to the overlap of heaven and earth as “thin place” moments. They are thin places because the distance between heaven and earth is razor thin. How do you know when you are experiencing a “thin place” moment? It’s when your soul, the deepest part of your being has an “aha!” moment. It’s that mysterious moment where you realize God was present in a very real way. These aren’t always dramatic experiences. Sometimes, we miss them and only notice them after they happened to us.
The important thing is for us to be conscious of these “thin place” moments in our everyday lives. This will lead us in having a more biblical worldview and we will be more likely to share with others how God is at work in our lives.
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