Quite apart from Biblical usage, the word "walk" means not only "to go afoot" but a manner of life. We speak of a student "walking the hospital", of a certain "walk of life", or of the "higher walks of art and science".
Five words are translated "walk" in the New Testament, peripateo, poreuo, stoicheo,
dierchomai and orthopodeo. The second word means "transport" and the third, which occurs but once, namely in Romans 4:12, "to proceed in order". It is with
peripateo that we are chiefly concerned. In one reference the compound emperipateo is used of God, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (2 Cor. 6:16), where it is evident that fellowship is intended, even as it is in such a passage as that of Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" The fourth word means to come, pass or go through, and the fifth is found in Galatians 2:14,
orthopodeo, "to foot it straight", "to walk uprightly". While each one of these words makes its
contribution, the burden of teaching falls on the word peripateo. The Old Testament usage of the word "walk" in such phrases as "wall in My statutes", "walk in the law of the Lord", "walk after other gods", is found in Mark 7:5;
"Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk no Thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but
eat bread with unwashen hands?"
No incongruity is felt in speaking of a "walk" that is to do wit "eating" bread with unwashen "hands", the word obvious] meaning a way or manner of life, a custom, an observance. 1 the Gospel of John, when some of the disciples turned awe from the Lord's teaching, saying "This is an hard saying; wt. can hear it?" we read "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him" (John 6:60,66).
The other references speak of walking in darkness, in the day and the night (John 8:12; 11:9,10; 12:35). In the Acts, the char laid against Paul, among other things, was that he taught t people not to walk after the customs and observances of the is (Acts 21:21). When we come to the epistles, however, we find t word in its full use. There are forty-two occurrences of
"walk" and every one, except 1 Corinthians 7:17, 2 Corinthians 10:3, has a spiritual meaning.
"Walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).
"Walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit" (Rom. 8:4).
"Walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting" etc. (Rom. 13:13).
"Now walkest thou not charitably" (Rom. 14:15).
Here, walk in newness of life is expanded and explained by the references that follow. It will NOT be after the flesh, it will
NOT be in rioting and drunkenness, it will NOT be in a self pleasing that is not according to love. It will be "in the spirit", it will be "honestly", it will be "as in the day". This expansion of the theme is obvious. We have elaborated these opening examples, but leave the reader to ponder the remaining references as before the Lord.
"Walk" in 1 Corinthians
"For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men (according to man)?" (3:3).
"Walk" in 2 Corinthians
"Not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully" (4:2).
"We walk by faith, not by sight" (5:7).
"Some . . . think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh" (10:2,3).
"Walked we not in the same spirit?" (12:18).
While Paul, like the rest of mankind while in this life, must walk in the flesh, he did not walk after the flesh, nor walk
according to man.
"Walk" in Galatians
' "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).
"Walk" in Ephesians
"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world" (Eph. 2:2).
"Unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
"I . . . beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1).
"That ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind" (Eph. 4:17).
"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Eph. 5:2).
"Are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8).
"See then that ye walk circumspectly" (Eph. 5:15).
"Walk" in Philippians
"Mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (Phil. 3:17).
"For many walk . . . the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).
"Walk" in Colossians
"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord" (Col. 1:10).
"As ye have... received Christ . . . walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6).
"In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them" (Col. 3:7).
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without" (Col. 4:5).
"Walk" in 1 Thessalonians
"'That ye would walk worthy of God" (1 Thess. 2:12).
"How ye ought to walk and to please God" (1 Thess. 4:1).
"That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without" (1 Thess. 4:12).
"Walk" in 2 Thessalonians
"Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly" (2 Thess. 3:6).
"Some . . . walk . . . disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies" (2
Thess. 3:11).
"Walk" in Hebrews
"It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been
occu. pied therein (literally `who walked in them')" (Heb. 13:9).
"Walk" in 1 Peter
"Your adversary, the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about' (1 Pet. 5:8).
"Walk" in 1 John
"If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He i in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blooc of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:6,7)
"He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so b walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6).
"He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh v darkness" (1 John 2:11).
"Walk" in 2 John
"I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking i truth"
"This is love, that we walk after His commandments"
"This is the commandment . . . ye should walk in it" (2 Joh 4,6).
"Walk" in 3 John
"I rejoiced greatly .. the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth" (3
Jn 3,4).
Let us examine the references in Ephesians a little more closely. First, we note that the whole epistle is so constructed as to be pivoted on the word "worthy" (4:1). We find three chapters of glorious doctrine revealed on the one side, and three corresponding chapters of practice on the other. The
structure of Ephesians, and the meaning of the word "worthy"
can be found in it's structure . In the doctrinal section, the two walks, the one of the old creation, the other of the new, are stated. The old walk is explained fairly fully, but the new walk is not given
in detail until we come over to the practical side. There, as before, the new and the old are contrasted.
The New. "Walk worthy . . with all lowliness (literally
`humbleness of mind')" (Eph. 4:1,2).
The Old. "Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind" (Eph. 4:17).
The arrangement of the subject matter suggests its development and inter-relationship.
A Old creation 2:2
.....B New creation 2:10
Walk in love 5:2
........C The Pivot. Worthy 4:1 ------------{ Walk as children of light 5:8
.....B New creation 4:1
Walk circumspectly 5:15
A Old creation 4:17.
This is not all. The threefold walk of Ephesians 5:2,8 and 15 is followed by a threefold division of human society, in which this
walk should be manifest. The high and heavenly doctrine of Ephesians chapters one to three, being expressed in all the lowly offices of daily life, thus
(1) By wives and husbands.
(2) By children and fathers.
(3) By servants and masters.
Before anyone begins to talk about or object to the "submission" of a wife to her husband, let him observe that all is prefaced by a all covering words
"Submitting yourselves ONE TO ANOTHER in the fear of God" (Eph. 5:21).
Hupotasso translated "submit' means literally "to set in order under ". From the verb
tasso is derived taxis and tagma. Thus in the
resurrection, every one will be in his own order, or rank
(1 Cor. 15:23), the word tagma here being one that is used of a band of soldiers, a cohort, a legion. A field-marshal "submits" to the appointment of his Sovereign to this high and responsible office, as much, if not more, than the private soldier "submits" to the lower rank indicated for him. There is no sense of shame or servility in thus accepting either office. The husband "submits" to the rank appointed him, as much as the wife "submits" to hers. Both have the honour and responsibility of setting forth in their intimate relationship the higher and fuller union of Christ and His church. What woman in her senses would talk of being "subjected" to a husband who fulfilled the conditions of Ephesians 5:25, who loved his wife "As Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it"? Be it further noted, the word "obey" is used by the Apostle of children (Eph. 6:1), and of servants (Eph. 6:5), but he does not say "wives obey". Man in his folly puts the words into the Marriage Service, and then has ceaseless debate as to what they mean, or whether they should be removed!
As only an exceedingly small number possess Volume One of The Berean Expositor, we believe the following extract will be appreciated. The indulgence of the reader is asked for, when he remembers the following article was written by the present writer fifty-four years ago, namely in 1909, and if some reader discovers that some parts of this article appear under the heading of Sanctification, let him hear the Apostle Paul, in another context:
"I am repeating this word `rejoice' in my letter, but that does not tire me, and it is a safe course for you" (Phil. 3:1, Moffatt).
"We now propose to consider the teaching of one or two passages in 1 John which show
(1) the absolute, and (2) the progressive or responsible aspect of sanctification.
"As He is-Christ is the centre of all the purposes of God's grace. He is the Author, the Perfecter, the Goal.
"We have seen the connection between resurrection and sanctification. Likeness to our risen Lord is the theme before us now, both during our sojourn here, and in that day when we shall be satisfied upon awaking in His likeness.
"First let us briefly `consider Him'. `If we walk in the light, as He is in the light' (1 John 1:7). `He is in the light'. Verse five
declares that 'God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all'. In the full blaze of the Shekinah glory our Saviour stands. Not only is He there by the right of His own Godhead, but He is there because of the perfectness of His atoning work. Nothing but absolute righteousness and perfect holiness could endure the light in which our great Advocate stands. Yet, fellow-believer, weak and failing as we may be in ourselves, that and nothing less is our position in Christ.
"Chapter 2:29 tells us `He is righteous'; 3:3 tells us `He is pure', emphasizing that which is involved in the statement quoted above-`He is in the light'. 1 John 1:7 commences with a
`But if'; a condition is therefore attached. Before we consider the conditional aspect, let us turn to the verses that reveal the absolute nature of the believer's sanctification
'in Christ'.
" 'In this hath been perfected the love with us, in order that boldness we
may have in the day of judgment, that as He is we also are (though) in this world' (1 John 4:17).
"God's love to us is the subject under consideration in the verse. The words translated `in this', are of constant occurrence in John's epistle. In this very chapter they are translated `hereby' (verse 13), `herein' (verse 10), and `in this' (verse 9). To what does the Apostle refer when he says `in this' in verse seventeen? Does he mean that God's love is perfected in
this - that believers shall have boldness in the day of judgment? Yes, and yet no, for
this is but a part of the glorious goal. We believe the verse should be read as follows:
" `In this is the love with us perfected (in order that we may have boldness in the day of judgment); that as He is so are we in this world'.
"The love is perfected in this, that the believer in Christ is as He
is. God Himself knows no higher goal for eternity than that the believer shall be as his Lord, and when these bodies of our humiliation are changed for bodies like unto the glorified Lord, then perfect love will have found its goal.
' "What grace wherein we stand! Every believer equally perfect in Christ. The weakest as the strongest, the babe and the full grown, all are equally and altogether complete in Him.
There are no `if's' here. This is no more conditional upon our walk and life than is justification. Results will necessarily follow, but let it always be remembered that they follow, not come before. `He that is righteous (in Christ) doeth righteousness (as
a result)'.
"As Hs IS---WE ARE (1 John 4:17).
"As HE IS-WE SHALL BE (1 John 3:2).
" `We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him
"Again we deal with that which is absolute. `We shall be like Him', and perfect love will have reached its goal. Can we
not better understand the reason why the Apostle introduces the marvelous subject with the words, `Behold
what manner of love'. What is to be the outcome of this glorious
position?
- `Every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even He is pure'. According to many, possibly among them some who will read these words, this certainty means licence. They think
that it is presumption to `know' that which God has declared. Scripture does not veil the fact that there will always be those
who `turn the grace of God into lasciviousness', but this by no means alters the relations established between 1 John 3:2 and 3.
"The reasoning of the heart will be, am I as He is, by grace in Christ? Oh, that I may be more like Him in practice. Am I to be
like Him in the future? Oh, for grace to be more like Him now. Keeping 1 John 4:17 in mind we turn to 1 John 2:5,6. Again we
shall read of God's love being perfected, but this time dealing with the conditional side of sanctification:
`But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. In this know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought also so to walk, even as He walked'.
"Even in this conditional setting the keeping of the Word a proof of our being in Him; not that the keeping of the Word either places us in that blessed sphere, or secures us when we
are there.
"By comparing 1 John 4:17 with 1 John 2:5,6 it will be see that God's love to us, and our love to God, meet together in the Lord Jesus Christ as their great goal; both point forward to likeness to Him. The believer's love to God urges him to see more conformity to the image of His Beloved Son; and God' love to His people has fixed as its goal, perfect likeness to
Christ in resurrection glory. Be it noted that this verse does not say `We ought to be as He is', but it says, `We ought to walk as He walked'. Many have gone into all kinds of excesses in the: endeavour to `walk as He walked', forgetting that 1 John 1: must be included, and that henceforth we know Christ according to the flesh no longer. 1 John 1:7 speaks of walking in the light.
This is how the Lord Jesus always walker whilst here on earth.
"In the very presence of God, in the light of the holiest of all; what a position to be found in! what a position to abide in! No creature preparation or perfectness can avail there; in fact, any attempt at such only shows the failure to appreciate the heights of holiness demanded by that brilliant throne. What is our warrant for daring to walk in the light?
"As He is we are. Is this `sinless perfection'? No! If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. If we say we have not sinned we make God a liar. It is not by covering up our sins, neither is it by imagining ourselves to have become sinless that we draw near to the presence of the Lord.
No, it is by reason of the wondrous grace that has made us `accepted in the Beloved', that has `made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light'. With all our imperfections still upon us, with all our sins of omission and commission, we may draw near to walk in the light. Do we make little of sin? No! God does not, but He has made provision. It is not our walk or our talk that will ever keep us fit for His holy presence, but `If we walk in the light . . . the
BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin'.
"Such is some small fragment of the teaching of these verses. Let us glorify God by believing His Word, and, seeing that by His grace
we are (in Christ) as He is, and that as He is we shall be, let us seek by grace to
walk as He walked, to walk in the light, to thankfully confess the glorious efficacy of the blood that
cleanseth, and to exemplify in some measure the complete sanctification which is ours in Christ Jesus".
Related to the figurative use of the word "walk" is the use of the word "conversation". Modern usage would give first place to the meaning of conversation, "familiar or intimate talk, interchange of thought and words, familiar discourse", but if one consults a standard dictionary, this definition comes a long way down the list. The word "verse" comes from the Latin
verso "to be occupied", and from another branch of the same word we have "versatile" as being "versed" or skilled or even `conversant" with a subject. Lloyd's
Encyclopedic Dictionary gives the following meanings in this order:
The act or state of residing or sojourning in any place;
residence, dwelling. Commerce, intercourse, dealing, traffic.
Close intimacy or familiarity: intimate fellowship or intercourse with persons.
Intimate knowledge gained by long study or acquaintance.
Behaviour or manner of life, conduct, deportment, habits. And last of all familiar or intimate talk.
When therefore the Apostle speaks about our "conversation" he refers to WALK not to TALK, and even the world has proverbs that say:
"Words to the heat of deeds, too cold breath gives" (Shakespeare).
"Your actions make such a noise, I cannot hear what you say".
"Actions speak louder than words".'
The word "conversation" occurs twice in the Old Testament where it translates the Hebrew word derek "a way". "Upright
conversation" (Ps. 37:14); "Him that ordereth his conversation aright" (Ps. 50:23). Psalm thirty-seven contains the word
derek five times, and in four places the Authorized Version translates it by the word "way".
"Commit thy way unto the Lord". "Who prospereth in his way". "The upright in his way (margin)". "He delighteth in his way". "And keep his way" (Ps. 37:5,7,14,23,34).
In Psalm 50:23 the margin reads "Disposeth his way". Conversation therefore in the Old Testament does not refer to TALK but to WALK. The occurrences of the word "conversation" in the New Testament are confined to the epistles and translate the Greek words
anastrophe, anastrepho and tropos, meaning primarily something that "turns", then behaves. In addition, the Middle or Passive of
anastrepho is also rendered abide, be used, behave self, live and pass, and tropos is elsewhere translates manner, means, way. In Galatians Paul refers to the day, preceding his conversion, saying:
"Ye have heard of my conversation in times past in the Jew, religion" (1:13),
and immediately goes on to speak of "deeds" rather the "words"; persecuting and wasting the church of God and
of profiting in the Jews' religion above many of his equals, and being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers (Gal. 1:13,14). In the epistle to the Ephesians Paul reminded them that they too "in times past", that they together with all men had had their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, a passage which echoes the line in the preceding verse which uses the word "walk" instead of "conversation", and linking together the past of both Jews and Gentiles so far as their walk or conversation are concerned.
A In which (en hais)
.....B Ye
..........C walked
...............D world
...................E sons of disobedience
A Among whom (en hois)
.....B We also
.........C Had conversation
.............D flesh
.................E children of wrath.
The Apostle reverts to this "former conversation" in Eph. 4:22, this time linking it with "the old man" and contrasting it with the new man and his deeds, the blessed consequence of the renewing of the mind and the result of nothing less than a new creation (22-25). When we contemplate the emptiness, the hollowness, the vanity, the corrupting influence of the former conversation, whether of Galatians 1:13, Ephesians 2:2; 4:22 or of 1 Peter 1:18, how lovely and enriching it is to read of "the end" or the "issue" of the faith and conversation of those commended in Hebrews 13:7,8. It is rarely that the Apostle urges his reader to follow the faith of others, but here is a glorious exception. We have no grounds for fear in following the faith of
anyone, if we perceive that the end and issue of his conversation or manner of life is
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and unto the ages" (Heb. 13:8).
THE FIRST COVENANT (Heb. 8:13), Priesthood, Sacrifice and Tabernacle were but types and shadows, all of which must be
ultimately set aside; but while it can be said "Thou remainest", Jesus Christ the same", all is more than well, it is a glory that
excelleth.
What should be the effect upon those who have learned from Scriptures the terrific ending of the present system (Heb.1:11,12), the passing. away of heaven and the burning of the earth and its works? Let Peter tell us.
"Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness .... Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Pet. 3:11-14).
Turning now to the other words translated conversation, namely politeuo, and
politeuma, we first of all note that these and other similar words all derive from the Greek word polis meaning "a city".
"A citizen (polites) of no mean city (polis)" (Acts 21:39).
"With a great sum obtained I this freedom (politeia)" (Acts 22:28). This same word
politeia is translated "commonwealth" in Ephesians 2:12. We as far off uncovenanted Gentiles were aliens from the citizenship of Israel, but Philippians 3 :20 tells us that we have lost nothing, but gained the more, for "our
politeuma, citizenship, enfranchisement, exists in heaven" (Phil. 3:20), They who teach from Ephesians 2:
12 onwards that all that the Apostle intended these Ephesians to learn was, that though once they had no place in the citizenship of Israel, that now they have, badly miss the point and mislead their readers. The church of the dispensation of the Mystery has no place in the covenants or the commonwealth of Israel, their citizenship is where Christ sits "far above all
heavens". Again, in view of another interpretation put forward, the reader should note that the two words translated "being aliens", in Ephesians 2:12 and in Ephesians 4:18 are identical.
We learn from Acts 16:12 that Philippi was a "colony", its full Roman name being
Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis, as a coin in the British Museum shows. A Roman colony was a miniature resemblance of Rome, and it was at Philippi that Paul claimed the privilege that attached to Roman citizenship. Rome divided the world into two classes, "citizens" and "strangers", those who lived in Italy being citizens.
"The City of Rome might be transplanted, as it were, into various parts of the empire, and reproduced as a
colonia; or an alien city might be adopted, under the title of municipium. The privilege of a
colonia was transplanted citizenship, that of a municipium was engrafted citizenship".
"The colonists went out with all the pride of Roman citizens to represent and
reproduce the city in the midst of an alien population. Every traveler who passed by a
colonia saw there the insignia of Rome. He heard the Latin language, and was amenable, in the strictest sense, to the Roman law"
(Conybeare and Howson).
Every believer in Philippi when he read the words "our politeuma is in heaven" would realize the Apostle's intention.
Just as the Philippian citizen, though miles away from Rome, yet lived as far as possible as a Roman, so the believer far from his heavenly city, lives here below as "a citizen of no mean city". The Revised Version has placed "citizenship" in the text here, and "commonwealth" in the margin.
This citizenship, Paul says, "is" in heaven. The verb eimi "to ' be" is not used here, but a richer, fuller word is employed, namely
huparcho. We have given a fairly full examination of huparcho in pp. 84-87 of the book The Prize of the High Calling and have seen that it means the persistence of an original post session, in spite of extreme changes in circumstance. The two occurrences of
huparcho in Philippians should be read together. Concerning Christ, Who passed through all the changes from glory to the utmost humiliation of the death of the Cross, yet never at any time did He lose that which was persistently His original possession "Being in the form of God" (Phil. 2:6).
Concerning the believer, who was originally chosen to this high estate as a citizen of heaven itself, which citizenship persists as an unalterable fact, even though for the time being he may be in the flesh, in the world and encompassed by infirmity. His citizenship is as truly in heaven, even though he may not be
here, as the Philippian citizenship existed in Rome, even though miles of sea and land intervened.
It should be noted that the Greek word ouranois is plural, "heavens". The words translated "from whence"
ex hou are singular, and can only refer to politeuma "citizenship". Out
from that heavenly commonwealth we are expecting a Saviour.
There is an intended parallel between Philippians 2:6,7 and 3:20,21 indicated by the words "being", "form", "fashion" and
"humble". Christ was originally in the form of God, the citizenship of the believer abides from the beginning in heaven. This
persistent state is expressed by huparcho. Christ was in the
"form" of God and took upon Him the "form" of a servant. believer desires to be conformable unto His death and looks
forward to a body that shall be conformed unto His glorious body. This conformity and form is expressed by
morphe and it's variants. Christ was found "in fashion" as a man, the transfiguration of the believer "fashions him anew". This is
expressed by the Greek schema. Christ "humbled" Himself; the believer who is made conformable to His death will realize than he has now a body of "humiliation". This is expressed by the Greek word
tapeinosis. Like Him in humiliation, like Him in glory. This is the fulfilment of Paul's desire that he might
attain unto the out-resurrection and obtain the prize. Our walk an, our conversation therefore should reflect our calling, the sphere of our blessing, our relationship to Christ, our recipience of
unmerited grace. Our conversation should manifest the new may and be as it becometh those saved by grace and predestined
to be conformed to the image of God's Son.
