"Three times I begged the Lord that it might depart from me and He said to me, suffices you the grace of me, indeed power in weakness is perfected."1
This word for suffices is arkeó, "suffice." But what does suffice mean? It is often translated as sufficient, "My grace is sufficient for you." But we see a difference in the words which John the Baptist used when he said to Jesus, "I am not sufficient to carry your sandals." This word for sufficient is hikanós (derived from hikō, "arrive, come to") properly to come, to be worthy of, fit. Grace that suffices speaks not of being fit or worthy but of supplying aid in our weakness. Grace aids you, as power is perfecting in weakness. We could say that grace is worthy or fitting, but does it help us understand the how grace suffices us, how we have power in weakness?
This word for suffices is arkeó, "suffice." But what does suffice mean? It is often translated as sufficient, "My grace is sufficient for you." But we see a difference in the words which John the Baptist used when he said to Jesus, "I am not sufficient to carry your sandals." This word for sufficient is hikanós (derived from hikō, "arrive, come to") properly to come, to be worthy of, fit. Grace that suffices speaks not of being fit or worthy but of supplying aid in our weakness. Grace aids you, as power is perfecting in weakness. We could say that grace is worthy or fitting, but does it help us understand the how grace suffices us, how we have power in weakness?
Suffice is also translated as "to be content" We should be content, as God promises to meet our every needs, which include food and clothing. But is contentment the power of grace? is not what suffices us or aids us in a time of need the promises of God? "having food and clothing this suffices."3 So we see suffice is not so much being content, as it is an aid in time of need, in weakness.
We also see suffice translated as satisfied, as in this verse "not loving money be your character, suffice to be close, he himself said, never I will leave you, never will I forsake you."4 We can see a satisfaction in abiding in Christ. Suffice speaks not of monetary aid in a time of need, but of a power in weakness, he will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what. The power is to be close to Christ. "To be close" from para, "from close beside" and eimi "to be." Suffice is to be aided by the closeness of Christ in our weakness.
We are aided by the Spirit. Jesus said, "I am the way truth and life, no one comes to the Father but through me..." Philip responds to him, "Lord show us the Father, and suffices I." 5 Philip was saying aid me, or help me Lord. Jesus responds to him, you have been with me, how can you not believe? but then He says "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth."6 The power to aid is provided for us, by the Helper, not something we conjure up, but something we rest in. On a side note, we see proof in the above scripture that Jesus had opened the eyes of the apostles.
"Therefore be not anxious about things tomorrow, for tomorrow is worry itself, suffice on that day, the bad of it."6 Contentment means showing satisfaction with things the way they are. The peace of God is being at peace in things the way they are, even during the storms of life. It is easy to be content when things go our way, but in the midst of the storm, in the weakness, we need aid. We are aided in the troubles, close beside Christ.
Suffice was a qualification of being able to aid others in the early Church. Paul to Timothy writes of this kind of aid when enrolling widows for service, he at first states the importance of providing aid to others, "Moreover if anyone their own, especially of the household of faith, does not provide for, the faith he has denied, and is worse than an unbeliever...."7 So Paul writes of qualifications for providing for others, among others is suffice, "... on the basis of suffice..."9 This word is ep-arkeo,(from epí, "on, fitting" intensifying arkéō, "suffice.") properly, fitting to provide relief or aid.
A qualification for service, is to be able to understand Grace suffices and to be able to give such Grace to others. On the basis of suffice, means someone knows how to provide aid to another in a time of weakness. Such is the power of grace, "indeed power in weakness is perfected." We have a great advocate with the Father, who is able to sympathize with our weakness, by such we can boldly approach the throne of Grace. "Likewise also the Spirit assists the weakness of us, indeed, the things to pray for as necessary we know not, but the Spirit makes intercession with groaning inexpressible."10 I hope Grace suffices you, that you know such power in a time of need.
So maybe we understand more of what suffice means and how Grace aids us and how it is power perfected in our weakness.
This Is Amazing Grace
We also see suffice translated as satisfied, as in this verse "not loving money be your character, suffice to be close, he himself said, never I will leave you, never will I forsake you."4 We can see a satisfaction in abiding in Christ. Suffice speaks not of monetary aid in a time of need, but of a power in weakness, he will never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what. The power is to be close to Christ. "To be close" from para, "from close beside" and eimi "to be." Suffice is to be aided by the closeness of Christ in our weakness.
We are aided by the Spirit. Jesus said, "I am the way truth and life, no one comes to the Father but through me..." Philip responds to him, "Lord show us the Father, and suffices I." 5 Philip was saying aid me, or help me Lord. Jesus responds to him, you have been with me, how can you not believe? but then He says "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth."6 The power to aid is provided for us, by the Helper, not something we conjure up, but something we rest in. On a side note, we see proof in the above scripture that Jesus had opened the eyes of the apostles.
"Therefore be not anxious about things tomorrow, for tomorrow is worry itself, suffice on that day, the bad of it."6 Contentment means showing satisfaction with things the way they are. The peace of God is being at peace in things the way they are, even during the storms of life. It is easy to be content when things go our way, but in the midst of the storm, in the weakness, we need aid. We are aided in the troubles, close beside Christ.
Suffice was a qualification of being able to aid others in the early Church. Paul to Timothy writes of this kind of aid when enrolling widows for service, he at first states the importance of providing aid to others, "Moreover if anyone their own, especially of the household of faith, does not provide for, the faith he has denied, and is worse than an unbeliever...."7 So Paul writes of qualifications for providing for others, among others is suffice, "... on the basis of suffice..."9 This word is ep-arkeo,(from epí, "on, fitting" intensifying arkéō, "suffice.") properly, fitting to provide relief or aid.
A qualification for service, is to be able to understand Grace suffices and to be able to give such Grace to others. On the basis of suffice, means someone knows how to provide aid to another in a time of weakness. Such is the power of grace, "indeed power in weakness is perfected." We have a great advocate with the Father, who is able to sympathize with our weakness, by such we can boldly approach the throne of Grace. "Likewise also the Spirit assists the weakness of us, indeed, the things to pray for as necessary we know not, but the Spirit makes intercession with groaning inexpressible."10 I hope Grace suffices you, that you know such power in a time of need.
So maybe we understand more of what suffice means and how Grace aids us and how it is power perfected in our weakness.
This Is Amazing Grace