Tuesday, September 30, 2014

reflecting Who you're beholding...


I was encouraged this week by a Biblical word study from 2 Corinthians 3:18 indicating that we are God’s mirrors…
And we, with our unveiled faces reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, all grow brighter and brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of the Lord who is Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 JB)
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB)

One translation says
, beholding as in a mirror another says, reflecting like mirrors. The verb katoptrizo can be translated either reflecting or beholding...


“with unveiled face, beholding” (RSV)
“beholding as in a glass” (KJV)
“reflecting like mirrors” (JB)
“be mirrors that brightly reflect” (TLB)
“we . . all reflect the Lord’s glory” (NIV)

It seems the Holy Spirit intentionally selected a verb that would remind us to do both—beholding our Lord Jesus Christ so intently that we can’t help but reflect Him.


To behold
 a face in a mirror is to study, to stare, to contemplate. Jesus is the source; we are the glass. Jesus is the light; we are the mirrors. Jesus sends the message; we mirror it…reflecting Who we are beholding…


“As He is,
so are we in this world”...as we behold Jesus, we are unconscious of the change in us, we are reflecting His beauty, His love for us.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.—1 John 4:16-18 

Take a few minutes to behold Him, He’s altogether lovely, as Chris Tomlin sings in this rendition of Here I Am To Worship

You're altogether lovely
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me

Was this encouraging to you?
Please feel free to leave a comment in the box below, I'd love to hear from you!

Linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart
as an encourager.

6 comments:

  1. I LOVE word studies Beth, as you know...and found this one fits right in with what I have been contemplating this year....how to grow in Christ-like-ness....and asking to be a good reflection of Him to those who may never read a bible, but look at me as a representative of Jesus.
    I LOVE this: And we, with our unveiled faces reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, all grow brighter and brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of the Lord who is Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 JB)
    Thanks dear Beth !
    .

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    1. Mary, you ARE the mirror our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ uses to reflect His love and encouragement to me! Thank you!

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  2. Hi Beth. I'm visiting you from Coffee for Your Heart today. I love looking at different translations of verses, and especially this one you've chosen. I memorized this a vew years ago, and it means so much to me. Yes, I want to behold Him more fully and reflect Him more clearly.

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    Replies
    1. Betsy, thank you so much for your encouraging comments! I so agree with you about the joy of checking out different translations for some of our favorite verses. What a blessing!

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  3. Replies
    1. Yes He is...altogether lovely! Thank you, Susan, for stopping by and leaving that encouraging word!

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