The Simplicity of Christ

All scripture references are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The Greek meaning of the words mentioned are from Strong's Hebrew Greek Dictionary.

In his second letter to the Corinthian church in 2nd Corinthians 11:2-3 the Apostle Paul expressed "godly jealousy" for the Corinthian church and his fear that "as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." That word "simplicity," (haplotes in the Greek) doesn't mean simple mindedness but rather sincerity without any dissimulation.  In the Bible the word simple or simplicity is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the majority of the texts, in either case, the word implies one that is simple minded in a bad sense. In this post I would like to talk about the simplicity of Christ!

"As the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty..." The devil is a sly old fox as some of our children's Sunday School choruses have said.  That is at the least an understatement. What we fail to realize sometimes is that he is an angel, (not a good one) created in a realm of the spirit.  (Hebrews 2:7, which is speaking specifically of our Lord Jesus, also refers indirectly to us.) The devil has one purpose regarding you and I. The Apostle Peter said in 1st Peter 5:8, " Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour..." We are admonished in verse 9 to resist him, "...stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

Let us not be simple minded in serving the Lord Jesus. Apostle Paul said in Rom 16:17-19, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and  simple concerning evil."  (emphasis mine) The first word "simple" in verse 18, (in the Greek, akakos) has the implication of being unsuspecting. The second word "simple" in verse 19, ( in the Greek, akeraios) has the implication of being innocent or harmless. Let us then "in simplicity (haplotes in the Greek) and godly sincerity," serve the Lord Jesus until He returns. (See 2nd Corinthians 1:12)