What is "normal"?
I love the FAGE Total Plain yogurt commercial. It talks about how there was this thing called "plain" and it was just that; "plain". But then something spectacular happened to "plain" and now it will never be the same. Look it up on you tube; it is cool.
So I ask, what is normal? How does something become "normal"? Normal is like routine, but even a routine had to start at some point. At that point it was new and not the norm.
Why all the crazy talk about normal? Up till this point Paul has mentioned many things that are not normal for a Cretan. In chapt 1:5-8 Paul lists off a bunch of stuff that an elder should be and all of it is the exact opposite of a normal Cretan: not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, and a bunch of others that do not describe a Cretan. Chapt 2: 2-5 says to teach them to be self-controled, temperate, worthy of respect, and so on. Why teach them these things? Because they don't do them. It ain't normal for them. And now in 2:9-10 he says to teach slaves to be subject to their masters; try to please them; don't talk back; don't steal. Again, not normal.
So a slave is to be subject to their master. Seems obvious, but they weren't doing it. "To be subject to" in the Greek is hupotasso, which is a military word meaning "to arrange" in order. Like a military order. There is a necessary order of command. For things to run effectively; the order has to be followed. The proper order is important.
Then Paul says to do all this to "adorn" the Gospel. What does that mean? Isn't that like putting on make-up and jewelry and getting all pretty. Yes it is! Now what would a slave know about all that. They don't wear make-up or jewelry and to look pretty might make their master look bad, so that can't happen. So for a slave, ugly is in! Well, a slave would know something about making someone else look good. They put the make-up and the jewelry on their master to make them look good, or to adorn them. It was their responsibilty to sink into the background and watch their master shine.
"Adorn" =kosmeo. Looks alot like the word cosmetics, but it actually means to put in order. it was like putting things in just the right order to express to most beauty of that thing. We do it everyday! What shirt goes with those pants; which belt do I wear with these shoes; and then how you wear them matters. To put in order for maximum beauty. To put in order. Adorn.
So does the Gospel lack something that it needs to be beautified? Absolutely not! It couldn't be more beautiful! But if we don't have the proper order; then we may distract others from seeing it in us. 2nd Cor. 4 tells it like it should be, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." It doesn't make sense to brag about the jar. It is just clay. What good does it do to decorate it? The best that we can do is pour forth the Gospel and get out of the way. That is the point. That is the proper order. That is what it means to adorn the Gospel.
To Adorn= Kosmeo= to put in order
To be subject to= Hupotasso= to arrange in order
For us to put someone else first is not normal, but it is the proper order.
"God our Savior" what has he saved us from? Our normal... to give us a new normal.... His normal
Kosmeo= the proper order
It's a Beautiful thing!!!!!
