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Root of Bitterness

"looking earnestly, lest any fall short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springs up causing trouble, and by this defile many;"1

Hey you, look earnestly, intently at this. This word for looking earnestly is piskopéō "I exercise oversight, care for" (from epí, "on, fitting," intensifying skopéō, "look intently") – properly, focus on, look at with real (caring) interest. The focus here is on the "overseer" not so much the person, while we are all responsible for our own actions, this speaks of something caused inadvertently that can be avoided. Leader look intently, "lest any fall short of the grace of God," speaks of the cause and solution. Lest any "root of bitterness springs up causing trouble, and by this defile many." Defiling many again speaks of the audience, overseer. So the question becomes how does this happen? if I know it can and how then I can prevent it.

"You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness."3

Wham! Here is the cause of the root. No longer do the people believe in a righteousness by faith according to grace, but live under a justification by works, or being "justified by the law." They are bewitched Paul writes, "severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law." Think of severing, like an artery severed, the flow of blood cut off from other parts of the body. Eventually the whole body will die. It is like yeast, "a little leaven which leavens the whole lump."4 One big lump of justification by works; legalism. No longer justification by the blood of Christ, thus they have been bewitched or they have never been justified. It is like exchanging the life of the new covenant in His blood for that of animals, going back to a system that doesn't perfect man. Such is blasphemy, to trample on the blood of Christ. So look intently lest any fall short of the grace of God.

 "Fathers, do not provoke your children, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."8

This word for provoke is from pará, "from close-beside" and orgízō, "become angry." This is an amazing concept we see here, we can provoke our children to wrath or bitterness. This is the opposite of the godly overseer who guides into the instruction of the Lord, or into "faith working through love." And we see this concept elsewhere related to faith, "now earnestly, having been brought into faith, make every effort to supplement into the faith of you virtue..."9 This word "having being bought into" is from pará, "from close-beside" and eispherō, "bring into" – properly, "bring deeply into," i.e.from very close beside. We see the contrasting difference of fathers, one that brings closely beside into the instruction of the Lord, and one that provokes their children to "become angry, "or one that creates a root of bitterness. Legalism with its fear and condemnation works opposite of grace. Jesus said "wisdom is justified in her children," so when the children "spring up" with a root of bitterness, look back to the root. From painful experience I have experienced such a church fallen from grace, but now I know who I am, having been brought deeply into faith, by the grace of God.

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