Aspects and Descriptions
of the New Creation
By Jonathan Mitchell

This study takes a new look at a Greek verb, which is used three times in the NT, and at its cognate noun, which is used in five NT letters. The root idea of this word family is based upon the common verb, 'poieo', which means "to create," in the sense of forming, constructing, building, producing, or doing something. Prefixed to this common verb is a common preposition, 'peri', which has the root idea of "around," in the basic sense of something that "encircles," or is "round about." Both of these are simple concepts, but the KJV rendered the compound verb 'peripoieo' as "preserve" (Lu. 17:33), or "purchased" (Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:13), and the noun, variously, as "purchased possession" (Eph. 1:14), "to obtain" (1 Thes. 5:9), "the obtaining" (2 Thes. 2:14), "the saving" (Heb. 10:39), and "a peculiar" people (1 Pet. 2:9).

I bring up the archaic KJV renderings due to its continued use in the Christian religion. The ESV offers "preserve," in Lu. 17:33, "obtained," in Acts 20:28, "gain," in 1 Tim. 3:13, then renders the noun as a verb, "preserve," in Heb. 10:39, and "possession," in 1 Pet. 2:9. Now although modern renderings, such as the ESV, make sense, in a somewhat utilitarian way, I suggest that they miss the picture of what the Greek-speaking authors were painting with their choice of verb and noun, in these passages.

Based upon the verb's use in the LXX, and incorporating the nuances of the Greek elements which compose it, I offer this expanded rendering of Lu. 17:33,

"Whoever may endeavor to build an encompassing protection (or: produce a perimeter of defense; or: make a form or a structure to encircle; or: set boundaries or lines of demarcation) around his soul-life (his inner being and consciousness, with its will, desires, emotions, appetites, affections, passions; or: himself) will be progressively loosing it away and fully destroying it. Yet whoever may be loosing it away (or: destroying it) will continue bringing it forth as a living creature (will engender it to be a living being; will produce it alive as a child or offspring)."

This verse speaks of two contrasting, present, ways of living, and instructs us about the two outcomes of following those different ways of life. We suggest that the latter option, to which Jesus points us, is what Paul refers to as "a new creation," in 2 Cor. 5:17,

"Consequently, since someone [is] within Christ (or: So that if anyone [is] in union with, and in the sphere of, [the] Anointed One, and the Anointing; or: And as since a Certain One [was] in Christ; [cf 2 Cor. 12:2]), [there is] a new creation (or: [it is] a framing and founding of an essentially different kind; or: [he or she is] an act of creation having a fresh character and a new quality): the original things (the beginning [situations]; the archaic and primitive [arrangements]) passed by (or: went to the side). Consider! New, essentially different things have come into existence (have occurred and been birthed; or: It has become new things that are essentially different from what was habitual, before; or: He has been birthed and now exists being ones of a different kind, character and quality)." [cf Rev. 21:5]

It is to this "New Creation" that the NT points, when using the verb and noun which are the focus of this investigation.

The next occurrence of the verb is in Act. 20:28, and here is what I offer:

"Continue holding focused toward and taking attentive care - to and for yourselves, as well as for all the little flock among whom the Set-apart Breath-effect Itself (or: the Holy Spirit Himself) set you folks [as] ones who look around over people for their welfare and oversee situations - to be continuously (or: habitually) acting as shepherds of God's [other MSS: {the} Lord's {= Christ's or Yahweh's}] called-out community which He built and produced as a surrounding for Himself (or: made to encompass Himself), through (or: by means of) His own blood."

In the last clause, the KJV renders the verb, "purchased," and the ESV chose the verb, "obtained," which is a little better. But consider the root idea of the verb, and recall what Jesus said, in Mat. 16:18,

"And you see, [it is] upon this, this rock-mass (or: the bedrock), [that] I will progressively be constructing and building up My House - the called-out, covenant community." [cf 1 Cor. 3:9-17]

Now the last place where we find the verb is in 1 Tim. 3:13,

"You see, those men giving supporting service and dispensing [goods, instruction or aid] in a fine, beautiful, excellent and ideal manner, continue in (or: by; for; among) themselves building around themselves a beautiful (fine; excellent; ideal) circular staircase (that which enables folks to step up to a higher place) and much confident freedom of speech (outspokenness and open boldness, which is the right of citizens) resident within faith, trust and loyalty - that which is resident within, and in union with, Christ Jesus."

Here Paul uses a picturesque metaphor of a carpenter, mason or builder to describe those folks who provide supporting service to the called-out community - or to the community at large - and do it in a beautiful and ideal manner. He says that

"they progressively build a fine and beautiful circular staircase"

around themselves (both within and without) which enables both themselves and others to figuratively ascend in God. The word picture comes from peri-poieo (to build around, or to construct an encirclement), and the word bathmos (a step or staircase). This would recall the ladder in the story of Jacob' dream, Gen. 28:12, and then an aspect of God's house as Jacob mentioned in vs. 17, as well as the metaphor which Jesus gave to Nathaniel in John 1:51.

Such service to the body also comes with outspoken freedom of speech, which is the right of citizens of God's kingdom, members of the Jerusalem which is above (Gal. 4:26), participants of the covenant. This freedom and boldness is resident with the faith which He gives us because of our union with Him. Within Him is also trust and confidence, and through our supporting service we can pass this on to others.

We now look at the places where the noun is used. Eph. 1:13-14 offers us thought-provoking ideas:

13. within, and in union with, Whom you folks also, upon hearing the Word of the Truth (or: the thought, idea and Blueprint of this Reality; the message from the Truth; the Logos which is the Reality) - the Good News (the message of goodness, ease and well-being) of your [other MSS: of our] deliverance (rescue; return to health and wholeness; salvation; being brought to safety) - within and in union with Whom, also, at the point of trusting and believing, you people were at once stamped (or: sealed; marked for acceptance, or with a signet ring; = personally authorized) by the set-apart Breath-effect of The Promise (or: with the holy attitude of assurance; in the Essence from the Promise, in the Holy One; or: for the Holy Spirit which is the Promise) [cf 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5]

14. - Which is continuously a pledge and guarantee of our inheritance (or: Who remains being an earnest deposit, a security and the first installment of the portion of our possessed property which was disbursed by lot) - [leading] unto a release into freedom (liberation from slavery or imprisonment) from that which was made to surround [us/you] (or: of the encircling, possessing, acquisition of earnings; or: which is that which has been constructed as a perimeter around [us], overwhelming [us]) [cf Rom. 8:23; 1 Thes. 5:9; 2 Thes. 2:14; Heb. 19:39; 1 Pet. 2:9] (or: - Who continuously exists being a down payment from our inheritance, [leading] into the midst of a redemption and a releasing, by ransom, of the surrounding, acquired possession which was being preserved [for us]) [cf Acts20:28][with us being immersed] into the midst of (or: with a view to) the praise and approval from (or: which is) His glory (or: from His manifestation which calls forth admiration and which yields a good opinion; which pertains to His imagination; of a reputation from Him; of an assumed appearance, which is Him)!

In vs. 14, we find peripoiesis, which I have rendered,

"from that which was made to surround [us/you] (or: of the encircling, possessing, acquisition of earnings; or: which is that which has been constructed as a perimeter around [us], overwhelming [us])."

Here, this noun is in a form which can be read as an ablative (from), or a genitive (of), or as a genitive of apposition (which is). It follows, and modifies, the noun apolutrosin, which I have rendered, "a release into freedom (liberation from slavery or imprisonment)." We see this as speaking about the liberation from the first, Adam, humanity, into the freedom of the New Creation. We are also inwardly released from "that which was made to surround us," which (for the rich) may have been possessions or acquisitions, or from previous experiences in life.

The appositional reading offers a positive interpretation: a release into freedom, "which is that which has been constructed as a perimeter around us," as a blessing, and for our protection. The negative reading would speak of liberation from the slavery which was "overwhelming" us. Each of these renderings finds echoes elsewhere, where the work of Christ is discussed.

In 1 Thes. 5:9, we find parallel thoughts to those which we have just discussed:

"because God did not (or: does not) place or set us into anger (inherent fervor; violent emotion; wrath; or: teeming, passionate desire), but rather, and to the contrary, into an encompassing of deliverance (or: unto establishing a perimeter of safety; into making health and wholeness encircle [us]; into the forming of an encompassing salvation around [us]) through, and by means of, our Lord (or: Master), Jesus Christ."

This rendering comports with what we found in Acts 2:28 and Eph. 1:14, showing the positive aspects of the New Creation, in Christ.

Another aspect, and description, of the work of Christ is seen in 2 Thes. 2:14,

"on into which, through our message of goodness, ease and well-being, He also called you folks [other MSS: us] into an encompassing (or: unto a forming of an encirclement; with a view to establishing a perimeter; into the midst of creating a surrounding and a procuring) of the glory (or: which is the glory; from this praise-inducing manifestation and assumed appearance) of our Lord, Jesus Christ (or: Master, Jesus [the] Anointed)."

The next occurrence of this noun is found in Heb. 10:30,

"Yet we ourselves do not relate to, or exist from, a lowering of the sails and a shrinking back into a state of being lost, nor into destruction, but rather [we exist] from faith and confident trust, [leading] into an encompassing which is from [the] soul and defines soul (or: unto creating a secure surrounding pertaining to life and breath; unto establishing a perimeter around [our] person; into a forming-around which originates in feelings, desires, instinct, emotions, will, expressions of life, and consciousness, which are the soul)."

The "we" expresses the solidarity of all followers of Jesus; "ourselves" expresses the emphatic use of the pronoun. He is emphasizing the fact that his listeners are NOT a part of those who cower and lower their sails. We "do not relate to" renders the genitive with a negative. "Or exist from" renders the verb with the negative and the noun as an ablative. Together, these expanded translations give a more complete view of the Greek.

I also gave two renderings to the noun 'apo leia': state of being lost; destruction. To understand the use of this word by the NT writers, we need to see the two meanings together: to be destroyed is to be lost; to be lost is to be destroyed. The noun is derived from the verb 'apollumi' which Jesus used in a number of contexts. One is the three parables of the "lost" things (sheep; coin; son) in Lu. 15. We should consider that each item that was at one time "lost/destroyed" was eventually "found." He also used this verb in Matt. 15:24,

"I was not commissioned and sent off as an emissary (representative) - except into the midst of those sheep having been destroyed, the ones that belong to the house of Israel (or: unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel)."

He also used it in Lu. 19:10,

"You see, the Son of the Man (= the eschatological messianic figure; = Adam's son) came to seek after, and then to save, deliver and restore what is existing being lost and destroyed."

What this tells us is that those who ARE lowering their sales and cowering are moving away into the state and condition in which they existed before the Messiah came. In doing so they put themselves into the category for which the Savior came (as He described in Lu. 19:10). And since

"Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and on into the ages (13:8),"

we can be confident that He continues

"to seek after, and then to save, deliver and restore what is existing being lost and destroyed."

But we are not a part of those,

"but rather [we exist] from faith and confident trust, [leading] into an encompassing which is from [the] soul and defines soul."

I parenthetically added three expanded options for rendering the last phrase: eis peripoiesin psuches. The first noun derives from the verb poieo (make; construct; create; form) and the preposition peri (around; = encircle; = encompass). Let us consider these options:

1) an encompassing which is from [the] soul and defines soul: this is a state of existence in Christ which encompasses us. "Which... defines" is my rendering of the genitive of apposition of the word "soul." "From [the] soul" renders the same word as an ablative. His presence, His Spirit, the Christ within whom we now exist, are the things that now define who we are.

2) "unto creating a secure surrounding pertaining to life and breath": here I rendered "soul" as "life and breath," which speaks of our existential life here. He creates a secure surrounding as our lives are "hid with the Christ within God" (Col. 3:3).

3) "unto establishing a perimeter around [our] person": this is a military expression for setting up a defensive posture when in hostile territory; here I rendered "soul" as "person."

4) "into a forming-around which originates in feelings, desires, instinct, emotions, will, and expressions of life which are the soul": here I expressed the noun "soul" as both an ablative (which originates in) and as in apposition (which are), and gave the meanings that are commonly associated with the word "soul."

If we take these together, we get a more extensive view of what the Spirit of Christ does for us. Following our author's lead, I will give an OT quote to support these renderings:

"An agent from the Lord [= Yahweh] will encamp round about them that habitually revere Him, and He will drag them out of danger" (Ps. 34:7, LXX, JM).

The final place where we find our noun is in 1 Pet. 2:9,

"Now you folks, yourselves, [are] "a picked-out (selected; chosen) offspring (family; kin; lineage; race; species; breed; [Isa. 43:20; Deut. 7:6]), a royal (kingly; palace) priesthood [Ex. 19:6; Isa. 61:6], a set-apart (holy; different) multitude (company; nation; body of people living together; swarm; association; ethnic group; caste; [Ex. 19:6; note: implies a sacred life]), a people constructed into an encirclement (made into a surrounding structure; set as a perimeter; made into a performance about [Him]; formed around as an acquisition; gathered into a surrounding [flock])" [Isa. 43:21; Ex. 19:5] - so that you may tell forth the message of (or: out-message; publish; declare abroad) the excellencies and qualities of nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability) of, and from, the One calling you out of darkness (gloomy dimness; the realm of shadows and obscurity) into the midst of His wonderful Light (or: this marvelous Light from Him; the amazing Light, which is Him)."

We find a visionary picture of this in Rev. 4 and 5. We suggest that this can also be seen in Eph. 2:6,

"and He jointly roused and raised (or: suddenly awakens and raises) [us] up together, and caused [us] to sit (or: seats [us]; = enthroned [us]) together in union with, and among, the heavenly people, and within the things situated upon [thus, above] the heavens (or: centered in the full, perfected heavenlies; or: among those comprising the complete and perfected heavenlies; in union with the celestial people; among the folks [residing] upon the atmospheres) within, in union with, and in the sphere of, Christ Jesus,"

and, in Heb. 12:

22. But to the contrary, you folks have approached so that you are now at Mount Zion - even in a city of a continuously living God; in "Jerusalem upon heaven" [cf 11:16, above; Gal. 4:19-31; Rev. 21:2ff] (or: in a Jerusalem pertaining to and having the character and qualities of a superior, or added, heaven and atmosphere; or: in Jerusalem [situated] upon, and comparable to, the atmosphere; centered in a heavenly-imposed Jerusalem) - also among ten-thousands (or: myriads) of agents and messengers (people with ahe message):

23. [that is] in (or: to) an assembly of an entire people (or: a festal gathering of all, in a universal convocation) and in (or: to) a summoning forth (or: a called-out and gathered community) of firstborn folks having been copied (from-written, as from a pattern; or: enrolled; registered in a list) within [the; or: various] atmospheres (or: in the sphere of heavens), and in (or: to; with) God, a Judge (an Evaluator and Decider) of all people, even (or: that is; also) among (or: to; with) spirits of just folks (or: centered in the sphere of breath-effects from people who are rightwised, fair and in right relationship within the Way pointed out) having been made complete and brought to the destined goal (perfected; finished; matured),
[cf Rev. 3:12; Eph. 2:6; Phil. 3:20; Rev. 14:1-5; Ex. 4:22]


24. and in (or: to) Jesus, a Medium (or: an agency; an intervening substance; a middle state; one in a middle position; a go-between; an Umpire; a Mediator) of a new and fresh (young; recently-born) arrangement (or: covenant; settlement; a deposit throughout, in every direction; a placing through the midst; or: a will and testament), and to and in blood of sprinkling, and to One continuously speaking something superior to (or: stronger and better than) Abel. [cf 10:22, above; Mat. 17:1-5; Rev. 21:9b-22:5; Jn. 4:21; Ps. 46:4; 132:13; Isa. 28:16; 33:5]

John Gavazzoni has pointed me to another beautiful verse that encapsulates one aspect of what we have been sharing:

"Consequently, and for this very reason, then (or: It follows that - well, let me tell you! - THEREFORE), we, ourselves, also - with continuously having such a big cloud-mass (figure for a dense throng) of witnesses environing us (or: of spectators, folks bearing testimony, and people with evidence, lying around for us, and [they] themselves surrounding and encompassing us)..." (Heb. 12:1a)

They, together with us, comprise

"every family (lineage; kindred; descent; paternal group) within heaven and upon earth (or: in [the] sky or atmosphere, and on [the] land)..." (Eph. 3:15a)

Add to this another picture:

"Be constantly minding (thinking about; setting your disposition, sentiments and frame of mind toward; paying regard to) the upward things (or: the things above), not the things upon the earth, for you folks died, and your life has been hidden so that it is now concealed together within the Christ, within the midst of God (or: in union with God)." (Col. 3:2-3)

So what does it mean for our life to be

"hidden within the Christ, within the midst of God"?

What a glorious picture. We are, as it were, in the center of concentric spheres of existence. Is this perhaps the three realms (corresponding to the pattern of: outer court, holy place, and holy of holies) implied by Paul's reference to being,

"snatched away (dragged off; seized and taken) as such, as far as [the; or: a] third heaven (or: atmosphere)" (2 Cor. 12:2)?

It calls to mind something more:

"For you see, within the midst of and in union with Him we continuously live (or, as a subjunctive: could be constantly living), and are constantly moved about and put into motion, and continue existing (experiencing Being)..." (Acts 17:28a)

We submit that all of the above quotes are aspects and descriptions of what Paul referred to as

"a New Creation,"

also known as

"a new and fresh arrangement/covenant."

These pictures portray the results of the work of Christ.

Jonathan

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