Examining Examine - Ron Saladin 4.21.2016

At Passover time, it is common and appropriate to remember this verse: Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28, ESV).

The American Heritage Dictionary gives three definitions for the word examine. 

1) to inspect or analyze (a person, thing, or situation) in detail
2) to test knowledge or skills by questioning
3) to interrogate formally to elicit facts

We can see these definitions applied in the various places the word examine appears in the KJV of the Old and New Testaments. A check of the concordance shows 5 scriptures in which the English word examine is translated from five different words in the Hebrew and Greek.

1) Hebrew darash Ezra 10:16 has the nuance of a formal inquiry to obtain facts for the purpose of action.

“And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.”

The “matter” involved the unlawful intermarriages of Israelites with the people of the land.

Deuteronomy 7:3: “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.”

The Canaanites were a wicked, perverted lot, and Israel was not to learn their ways, much less embrace them as family. Most Christians are probably aware the Bible forbids Christians to marry non-Christians. Even so, often this warning is ignored when a decision is made to begin dating someone. As the relationship grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to do what God instructs us to do, to remain apart from situations which hinder our relationship with God. Missionary dating, the idea of a Christian dating a non- Christian with the intent of converting a non-believer to Christ, is just not a Biblical idea. Yet many who confess Christ do just that and end up seeming to be the one “converted” - converted, that is, to the ways of the world, living together, sexual involvement or marriage with rearing children in a family split as to what it means to love God. That’s why God said not to become involved.

Deuteronomy 7:4: “For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.”

And it’s not just marriage that turns us away from God; it’s our culture via the media that we can become emotionally wed to. We can vicariously live with the modern-day Canaanites through our sex-saturated, debased entertainment and become just like one of their family. The consequences will eventually be painful. Ezra records the sending away of wives and children as the Israelites attempted to get back to what God had originally instructed. It would have been much better to have heeded God’s advice from the start.

2) Let’s look at another examine, Hebrew bachan.
Psalm 26:2: “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me, try my reins and my heart.”

Like our American Heritage Dictionary definition, David asks God to inspect and analyze in detail who he is. Controlling a horse while riding is accomplished by applying pressure to sensitive areas, i.e. the bit in the mouth controlled by the reins. The pressure applied through the reins to those sensitive areas motivates the horse to move in the direction desired by the one holding the reins. Most of us have plenty of pressure in our lives. How we usually respond to that pressure reveals our sensitive areas which motivate us to respond. Who holds your reins? How we use our time and money are good indicators of what our sensitive areas are. How much of our time and finances are devoted to honoring God? For most people - not much.

3) Here’s another examine, Greek anakrinō.
In 1 Corinthians 9:3, Paul responds to criticism he was receiving from some at Corinth. He starts his response with “Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,” The Greek here is the idea of scrutinizing, interrogating, examining to make a judgment, i.e. American Heritage Dictionary: to test skills and knowledge, question. Even Paul the Apostle was falsely accused of wrong motives. Ever have that happen to you? How did you respond? When we are questioned about our motives or ability, we tend to respond in ways which reveal a level of pride or the lack of it, called humility. To be critically examined by someone else is a good opportunity to examine ourselves. It’s not so much how we respond outwardly but what we feel inwardly that makes our examination worthwhile.

4) Our fourth examination of examine is in 2 Corinthians 13:5 where Paul turns the focus of the examining back on the Corinthians themselves, Greek peirazō.

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

A profession of faith is necessary for becoming a Christian, but real faith produces change, not immediate perfection, but a continuing growth away from the old way of living into the new. We start out as babes in Christ, but babes are expected to grow. Can you look back to your conversion and see any positive growth? The measuring stick is in The Book.

5) One final scripture which brings this focus on examine to the point, Greek dokimazō.

1 Corinthians 11:28: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”

Paul instructs the Corinthians and us to take a close look at ourselves before we participate in the New Testament Passover. Sharing in the bread and wine representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ is to be in covenant with Him. Paul warns this is not something to be done casually:

vs. 29: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

The warning is not given to deter people from participating, but rather to come with an examined life. Confess the wrong, change what can and should be changed, and look to God for help with what you struggle with. For the Christian, this is the heart and soul of the word examine.