GOOD AND GOD
The Chowchilla News
As folks were coming into the lun=
ch
meeting the other day Dr. M, a Christian physician, jovially spoke up and s=
aid,
“Hey John, I’ve got a theological question for you. There’=
;s a
verse in Third John that says, ‘Anyone who does what is good is from
God.’ (3 John 11 NIV). =
So
does that mean that even unbelievers who do good are from God?”
The nutritionist sitting next to =
him
flinched ever so slightly. I =
suspected
she might be pondering the level of political correctness of the term ̶=
0;unbelievers.”
“It’s an intriguing
question.” I answered, =
“My
off-the-cuff guess is that the word ‘good’ is the Greek word
‘agathos’ (as in the name Agatha Christie) and not the other Gr=
eek
word for good which is ‘kalos’ (as in calligraphy). Maybe the v=
erse
is deliberately vague and perplexing in order to get us to think outside the
box. God does seem to like to stretch our thinking!” I chuckled.
He laughed and replied, as he poi=
nted
to the various spots on his torso where organs are located, “But
I’m a doctor and we are used to having everything fit together just
so.” His boldness and big smile made me suspect he was doing some
spiritual out-of-the-box stirring-up of his own with the mixed crowd of tho=
se
around him.
Dr. M’s question, at the le=
ast,
stirred me up. As soon as I had the chance I looked up the verse in my Greek
New Testament and sure enough, I discovered that the Greek word for
“good” used in the phrase, “Anyone who does what is good =
is
from God” is indeed “agathos” which has to do with intrin=
sic,
inherent, or true goodness as in a good tree, good soil, or good seed. It is the kind of good that
“expresses the essential goodness or kindness of God.” (Theolog=
ical
Dictionary of the New Testament)
Jesus used this very word
“agathos” to challenge the “rich young ruler” who
considered goodness something he could achieve on his own and, in turn, pre=
sent
to God, for merit, favor, and eternal life. The young man said, “Good te=
acher,
what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Jesus dashed the man’s
presumptive hopes by responding, “Why do you call me good? No one is
good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:17-18 Note: “good” in these v=
erses
is always “agathos”) In light of his words I think he would say=
that
our verse, ‘Anyone who does what is good is from God’ is speaki=
ng
of a person who already has God’s goodness at work within them.
(Philippians 2:13)
The other word for good, “k=
alos,”
speaks of that which appears or looks good, or is judged good by others.
When we say “I’m a pr=
etty
good person,” or “I try to be good,” or “I’m =
at
least as good as that guy,” we do well to differentiate between the
agathos-good that only comes from God and the kalos-good that may be impres=
sive
and beautiful but not come from God at all. The saying, “Beauty is only =
skin
deep” may apply when one counts one looking good, or good intentions,=
over
truly being good by the gift and grace of God. (see Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus
3:5; Romans 6:23)
Have a Good (both agathos and kal=
os!)
Day, Pastor John!
The Reverend John Parker facilita=
tes
Christ’s abundant living at ChristChurch of Chowchilla located at