Luke 24:25

Luke 24:25

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

1. “Then he said unto them…”

a. Then [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. he [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

c. said [Strong: 2036 epo ep'-o a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); to speak or say (by word or writing):--answer, bid, bring word, call, command, grant, say (on), speak, tell.]

d. unto [Strong: 4314 pros pros a strengthened form of 4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):--about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, X at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), X together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

e. them [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

2. “…O fools…”

a. O [Strong: 5599 o o a primary interjection; as a sign of the vocative case, O; as a note of exclamation, oh:--O.]

b. fools [Strong: 453 anoetos an-o'-ay-tos from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 3539; unintelligent; by implication, sensual:--fool(-ish), unwise.] [Vine: it signifies "senseless," an unworthy lack of understanding; sometimes it carries a moral reproach.] [Bullinger: unreflecting, never applying the mind to moral or religious truth.] [Thayer: not understood, unintelligible, not understanding, unwise, foolish.] [Zodhiates: anoetos; a-negative; noeo-to perceive lacking intelligence, foolish, one who does not govern his flesh.]

1). This was a very strong rebuke within a powerful passage (Luke 24:14-35). It occurs after the resurrection of Christ and involves two disciples. These two disciples, according to the Greek definitions, did not seek the deeper things of God, never meditating on the Scriptures, which is why they did not recognize Jesus after his resurrection. If we never spend time in His word and in prayer we are according to Jesus “fools” and we will miss revelations that others who do spend time in His word receive. We need to be more like Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She chose the good part, to sit at Jesus feet and hear his word.

a). Luke 10:38-42 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

2). As a result, she received a revelation of the death of Christ which his closest disciples missed completely.

a). Matthew 26:6-13 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

26:7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

3). This is the beginning of a rebuke within a powerful passage (Luke 24:14-35). Jesus rebuked these two disciples who according to the Greek definitions, because of their spiritual laziness, of basically not spending time in the word. Earlier in the passage when Jesus first joined them, they didn’t even know who he was. “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him”, Luke 24:16. Toward the end of the passage after he broke bread with them, they realized who he was. “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight” Luke 24:31. The eyes that were closed and then opened were not their physical eyes, it was their spiritual eyes. These disciples needed a revelation.

a). Ephesians 1:17, 18 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

2. “…and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. slow [Strong: 1021 bradus brad-ooce' of uncertain affinity; slow; figuratively, dull:--slow.] [Thayer: slow, metaphorically. dull, inactive, in mind, stupid, slow to apprehend or believe.]

c. [of] heart [Strong: 2588 kardia kar-dee'-ah prolonged from a primary kar (Latin cor, "heart"); the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle:--(+ broken-)heart(-ed).] [Thayer: the heart, that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life, denotes, the centre of all physical and spiritual life, the vigour and sense of physical life, the centre and seat of spiritual life.]

1). Some scholars believe the “heart” is the spirit of man, such as Kenneth E. Hagin who points to Romans 2:29. Others believe the “heart” consists of the combination of the soul and spirit, which of course are not the same according to Hebrews 4:12, but combined they are referred to as the “heart”.

d. to believe [Strong: 4100 pisteuo pist-yoo'-o from 4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):--believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.] [Thayer: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place, confidence in, of the thing believed, to credit, have confidence, in a moral or religious reference, used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul, to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith, mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith, to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity, to be intrusted with a thing.]

e. all [Strong: 3956 pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

f. that [Strong: 3739 hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

g. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

h. prophets [Strong: 4396 prophetes prof-ay'-tace from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet:--prophet.]

i. [have] spoken [Strong: 2980 laleo lal-eh'-o a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. utter words:--preach, say, speak (after), talk, tell, utter.]

1). All that the prophets have spoken is dealt with a little depth in Luke 24:27.