Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 2min
Even though I don’t understand why the 6/7 hype is so hilarious, I decided that we should look at all the Chapter 6 Verse 7 verses in the Bible, and we’re up to the New Testament! You can check out the Old Testament Part One and Part Two posts as well, but let’s dive in, shall we!
As I went through this exercise, I realised that each 6:7 verse had a flow into the other, and the ultimate story of scripture. In light of that, I have posted the entire 6:7 journey as an uninterrupted section of reading for the New Testament, then the individual verses below with a little bit of context of what was happening in each section.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. Phillip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Anyone who has died has been set free from sin. The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? In truthful speech and in the power of God with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing our of it. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful tot hose for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!’
Estimated Reading Time of this Section: 8min
The Promised Messiah
Matthew 6:7
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day made a big ‘to do’ about praying – about everything spiritual really. Whenever they had a chance to show everyone how important they were, how “holy” they were and how much better than everyone else they were, they would. This was how the pagans of the day acted also. They said long prayers that didn’t have any real heart, and Jesus was not having it. When He modeled an example of how to pray, He wasn’t saying you had to say that word for word every time or it didn’t count. He was showing that your prayers could be simple, they could seek after God, and everyone could pray without the show.
Mark 6:7
Calling the twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.
When Jesus was doing His ministry, He gave the authority that He carried to His disciples, and sent them out to the neighbouring places to use it and heal people and share about Him. This is the moment. The one where Jesus, while still alive, gave them a taste into what they would be doing when He finally went back to be with the Father. When they returned, they got a chance to debrief with Him. What a special gift to prepare their ministry when He wasn’t with them any longer.
Luke 6:7
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
Jesus challenged the somewhat twisted version of the law and power and authority that the Pharisees had instituted in the days since God had stopped speaking at the end of the Old Testament to now. They had meant well, I’m sure, in keeping the law and traditions in tact, but had managed to become corrupted with how they went about enforcing things. When Jesus taught that they had missed the mark, they were pretty upset with Him for it. They kept watching and waiting for Jesus to trip up in such a way that they could then accuse Him legally (which was their whole thing.. the law). They were missing the point of the Sabbath, which was a gift from God to have a day without working, not a day without lifting a single finger, even to help someone in need.
John 6:7
Phillip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
We are smack dab in the middle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (men, by the way, not counting women and children who would have been present – that jumps the number up to approximately 20,000 in all estimations). It was time for some food after a day of preaching, and the disciples didn’t know where they were going to get it. Then Jesus asked a question that might have seemed silly, and Philip sure thought so – “where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Too many people to pay for food, and no place to get to easily to find any – but Jesus was preparing them for a miracle!
The Gospel Goes Out
Acts 6:7
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
We often use the word ‘disciple’ and ‘apostle’ without remembering that the 12 original disciples became the apostles, but they weren’t the only followers of Jesus at the time. There were many others – and disciple just means an active learner and devoted follower. Jesus inspired many to follow Him and seek to learn more about what He had to say, even before His death and resurrection.
Faith in Action
Romans 6:7
Anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Does Paul mean literal death? Sure. Is he also talking about spiritual death? Absolutely. When you accept Jesus as LORD and saviour over your life, and you want to follow Him and His ways, you die to the person you were – the one stuck in sin – and you are now a new creation that is no longer spiritually dead, and will spend eternity in life with God. How amazing is that!
1 Corinthians 6:7
The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?
Paul is pretty unhappy for a few reasons. One, God’s people were trying to take their disputes to the secular law courts instead of dealing with things properly amongst each other and Two, they were cheating each other in a manner that needed a law court/trial against each other. We shouldn’t be doing these things to each other in the first place, but to let it reach such a point where we then need to involve the courts instead of fixing it ourselves, is not the ideal situation to be in. We should be dealing with each other (and those outside the church too!) with love, compassion and equity – not cheating each other to where we then take it to a legal system that isn’t designed to keep God and His commandments in mind.
2 Corinthians 6:7
In truthful speech and in the power of God with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left
This time, we see Paul talking about not putting a stumbling block in front of another believer, and instead, living while keeping a list of things in mind. One of those things, is to be truthful in everything you say, holding onto righteousness (equity in the Greek) and using that as your weapon against injustice.
Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
God knows your heart. If you are trying to be ‘sneaky’ about something in front of God.. forget about it. It won’t work. God knows your motivations, and He won’t just let you get away with it because you were ‘just kidding’ or ‘didn’t realise’. He sees and knows the part of you that you may not even realise yet, and He knows the motives of your heart. He’ll let you do what you wish to do, but that doesn’t mean He is pretending along with you.
Ephesians 6:7
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people
We should be working together, helping each other, and showing the servant heart that Jesus did as Christian believers today. It was relevant for God’s people in the early church, and it’s still relevant for us now. With our whole heart, not begrudgingly. If you were serving, helping, assisting God Himself, wouldn’t you do that with a joyful heart, glad to be part of everything? That’s the mindset and heart posture we should have while dealing with God’s people (even the ones that drive us nuts!).
1 Timothy 6:7
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing our of it.
The things of this world can be great while we’re here. They can provide shelter, sustenance, comfort and support. That’s all they will be though – helpful here. You don’t get special props in heaven because you had lots of stuff down here. You don’t hold sway, or have any special positions. You aren’t given more respect or preference. You are the same as everyone else who comes to the feet of Jesus. If this is the case, why do we put so much time, effort and focus on storing those things up….?
The Coming King
Hebrews 6:7
Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful tot hose for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.
While it seems unusually written, this sentence can hold a lot of weight if you look for it. The author of Hebrews is in the midst of talking about falling away from the truth of Jesus. When you have discovered the truth of Jesus, it is possible for you to still decide to turn away from Him again. We are all human, and all have the potential to be distracted, disheartened and disappointed… but to those who choose to leave it behind when they’ve known the truth, that is not a great place to be it. When you want to grow and learn, you are what’s listed above – good soil that gets fed by the rain and is good for harvest. As verse 8 continues on, however, if you aren’t, you are like land with thorny and unusable soil for producing crops. In the end, it is burned. Which do you want to be?
Revelation 6:7
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!’
This part of Revelation is looking at some allegorical things. We are watching the opening of the scrolls and seals. Without delving too deeply into the study of Revelation (there are A LOT of things we could cover and go deep into), if we back up to Chapter 5, we see that nobody is worthy to open the scrolls and break the seals but Jesus Himself. The angels have just finished praising Jesus and the sacrifice that He made, and now we see what each seal unlocks. This one, is the fourth, and when it’s opened, the pale horse of death is revealed. Without Jesus, our eternity is death and separation from God forever. No rest, no more chances. I don’t want that to be what happens to me, so I am blessedly assured in my salvation.
Are you?
Special reference to those that don’t have a Chapter 6, Verse 7:
Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.
This journey was so interesting, and I am so glad that I decided to go on it. It started as a bit of fun, but the discoveries in how the verses can smoothly move through each other, and the encouragement and reminders that we received, was worth the exercise. I hope you enjoyed seeing it, and that you keep discovering more of God’s love letter to us – His Word.
See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace
Leave a Reply