KRATOS

Kratos is the Greek word for power. And a lot of what we believe today in the Christian west is based on the Greek pagan philosophy and not enough on the words of Jesus

Power is not what we think it is. We still think Power is a bully who is able to smash a weaker person’s face. A police man or Rambo marine who is invincible.  We still think “Might makes right” and not that Righteousness is Power.

Self control is a form of power that really is powerful. The word in Greek for self control or discipline is “ἐγκράτεια” which comes  from ἐγκρᾰτής (enkratḗs, “possession, power over”) +‎ -ῐᾰ (-ia).

Power starts with power and control over yourself. Then outward to the others.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%90%CE%B3%CE%BA%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1

Before Christ showed us the power of love , “Might makes right”   is the theme of the world without Christ.

John 1:18 “No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.”

1 Cor 13:8  “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

The greatest strength was exhibited by the obedience of Christ to not defend Himself but give Himself to over come death itself.

But how did we come to think of Kratos as Might make right? It has been a lie with the world systems since Adam

When all the city walls are crumbling and empires fall, love remains supreme. God is love. God is power.

Yet without the knowledge of God and who HE is we have been convinced that the strongest survive as the predators rise.   This is false but we have been convinced by liars to our own destruction.

Until we saw the image of God painted on the canvas of the life of Jesus. A servant not a tyrant. A lover not a hater. A giver not a taker. We did not know the personality of the Creator of all we find ourselves in.

If we want to see how this idea was implanted, we need to go back. Back to the world that Christ came to. Back 2000 years the world Jesus entered was influenced by the Pharisees and much of their beliefs were rooted not in Moses’ words but Plato’s.

Plato as a Greek philosopher and all the Greek thinking entered their culture. Israel at the time of Jesus had gone from Egyptians pagan influences, to Babylonian, to Persian, to Greek and finally Roman. But the same idea of violence is power was foisted on the world system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratos_(mythology)

This was what they though Kratos was.  The personification of “Strength” He was the son of the Titan. Kratos is characterized as brutal and merciless,  HE was the power God Zeus’s police and revenger. Prometheus was a rebel god who the Greeks though brought technology and fire to aid mankind. But the fickle God Zeus did not like that so He chained Prometheus to a rock to have his liver torn out daily. It was Kratos that was the one who punished Prometheus. Because the Greeks really believed not love but might was the power that ruled the universe.

“Kratos in particular represents what Ian Ruffell calls “the kind of uncomplicated thug for whom despotic regimes offer countless job opportunities.”[7] He enforces the power of Zeus through physical brutality and pitilessness.” Kratos equates the rule of law with rule by fear[7] and condemns pity as a pointless waste of time.

This is all what the world has believed since the world left God. When Adam turned away from God it soon resulted in Cain killing his own brother Abel. And so it has been the belief of fallen men that are doomed to die, that God hates and might and hate are power. They did not know God and neither did the Jews until:

John 1:18 “No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.”

Lets look at self control or the beauty of that in contrast to controlling others

 ἐγκρατεύομαι  to be self-controlled, continent

1Co 7:9

But if they ἐγκρατεύομαι  cannot contain, ἐγκρατεύομαι   let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. (meaning in lust and the bad conequences, not hell)

1Co 9:25

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate ἐγκρατεύομαι in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

1Co 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Temperance, Self control is tied to patience.

The world understands self discipline for competing in sports, business or fighting wars.  And that is for rewards that are temporary but will corrupt in time. But we are disciplined to build the kingdom, the household of God which is without corruption or an end.

Where did we get this idea that Kratos means “Might makes Right”?

……….

Both self control and patience are fruit of the spirit. The holy spirit.

The word for self control here is egkrateuomai from kratos meaning power   Both patience and self control need  power….kratos

Prov 14:29

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 16:32 ESV

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

There is great power in controlling your self before you control others.

Gen 43:31

After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

Joseph was able to control strong emotions because it was needed,

The word here is in the Septuagint “ ἐγκρατεύομαι”

We see it is again power or kratos, it takes power to control emotions

Emotions are where the battle takes place

It is like a game on the marathon level to wrestle but the contest is  not with people but your own emotions to serve people.

Lust and desire are strong emotions but God is so much stronger because He is love and love never fails.

Eph 3:16

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

The word here for strengthen is κραταιόω to strengthen or make strong from the same root Kratos

1Pe 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Here two fruit intersect again. Humbleness here as the verb “to humble” your selves. And when we humble ourselves we see the Power or Kratos of the Almighty God at work. IF we are in line with His will who can change that?   And if it is only  our will,  we can have that rearranged any day.

AND KRATOS SIMPLY MEANS “POWER, MIGHT, STRENGTH, DOMINION”

Here humble means to lower yourself. Tapeinos meaning poor, weak, or no pride, no power to fight but to serve. And that relates to Praotes  πραότης one of the fruit of the spirit actually listed just before temperance.

In Galatians letter chapter 5 it is called “meekness”  or πραότης from the adjective praos or mild

And the meaning is the same: to be gentle, lowly, servient and mild.  And the power of love wil give you the strength to control your pride or lust to serve. That is the power of God that Paul prayed in the verse above. Praying love of God brings all the fruit together.

Col 3:14

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Love is all you need if it is God’s kind of Love and HE is Love with a capital L!

And with Love comes peace since it flows from the same Vine, Jesus and His Holy spirit

Col 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

No more wars when you love but only peace. No wars with yourself, no wars with God, no wars with your wife and family, no more with your country men nor even your enemies. All are Gods images.  Strangers are no longer to be feared but loved as God loves them.

So how powerful is Gods love?

Luk 1:51

He has performed mighty deeds  “ Kratos”   with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

Enough to scatter the proud

Act 19:20

In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power ”Kratos”.

The word of God brings power and strength

Eph 1:19

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength “Kratos”.

By revelation of the spirit we can know this strength because we believe in Christ,

He is the Vine and he give life and strength to all the fruit

Eph 1:20

He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens ​—

SO this power enables us to do the impossible and even control all emotions and flesh. This power raised us from the dead to living in the spirit.  This is the greatest power in the universe going far beyond travel to Mars or intergalactic. It is from death to eternity. There is no limit to this kind of power  and this is what God gave to us when He gave us His own spirit! Power to control ourselves in the contest of life.

The devil would like to take you down., But if he  can’ t  he will try to  tear down your fruit. Your Joy, Your witness if you let him by walking by the flesh instead of the spirit.

So the real power or Kratos is not being what the world thinks power is

This is what the world thinks “power” is Kratos the God of war. But this is not the true Victor or Power.

1Co 15:25

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:26

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

But the great Power is the Kratos that overcame death itself.  Jesus is the true Kratos and thank God Kratos is full of Mercy and love for all