Overflowing the Banks (Part 1) (John 10:10; 3 John 2; Matthew 5:47; 12:34; Luke 6:45; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 9:8)

JOHN 10:10 says that the primary purpose of the thief is to steal what is valuable to us; and the value in us, to render our lives a sacrifice to himself of his making; an object of worship to him, demonstrating his twisted "creative" ability, to the point that we lose out in our God given destiny; neutralized in purpose and power, for the kingdom; wandering generalities, living with the open festering wounds of a life crushed and devastated, seemingly useless to effect any positive change in our lives or others. To the same extent, and beyond, the primary purpose; the goal; the express reason that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and very God, came, and shed His blood, was to give us life marked by and qualified as being super-abundant.(Paraphrase)

[All the word studies on this site are valuable and have the benefit as being insight into the revealed plan and purpose of God, designed to encourage and motivate others, as they have encouraged and inspired in the discovering of their treasure. However, of all the word studies contained here, this particular one has to be ranked as extremely important, since it unveils the motivation behind God the Father's actions, in sending Jesus. Most of the individual notes on each word, may amass 10 to 20 pages of research; background; definitions; summarized here for all to view. This specific word, translated as "abundantly", has distilled down to 48 pages of notes and somewhat exhaustive research into every nuance and shade of meaning, to give clarity to the Greek word used in the text].

ABUNDANT

The Greek word used is (perissos), variously translated in the KJV as: more; much more; more abundantly; exceeding abundantly; exceedingly; very highly; greater; beyond measure; advantage; overmuch; super vehemently; superfluous. As evidenced from the array of usage, the translators themselves struggled to find some uniformity in defining the meaning of the word. In the NT, the word is used, without exception, of "encircling" with something.

ROOT WORD

The root word is (peri), which is a preposition meaning "around", and therefore, on all sides; surrounding; round about; and figuratively, because it is "around", or surrounding, yet including the object, it is greater than; more than; above. This simple preposition is used in 3 John 2, where a literal rendering is, "I wish that you may prosper as to all things external, even as your soul prospers." (i.e. surrounding, around, all things, external, meaning, above, more than average, or what is normal).

EVER INCREASING

Intrinsically, there is a comparative analysis in the word, meaning that 'something or someone, is exceeding the measure or standard of what is'. The word group suggests 'being present, in a way that the given space is unable to contain', so that not only does it occupy a space, completely filling it, but it overflows, beyond measure, like the flooding banks of a river, that cannot contain the massive influx of rushing water. However, unlike the ebbs and flows of a river that may escape their bounds in a runoff, and subside in season, containment is not to be found. (Perissos) expresses "something that is on-going; continuous in force, and ever increasing".

There seems to be a constant comparison, that both in quantity and quality, there is a going beyond the measure of not only what is considered a standard, or norm, but exceeding the standard, so that what is the highest level of achievement or greatest quantity, is far surpassed.

OUR BEHAVIOR

In MATTHEW 5:47, Jesus culminates His teaching concerning our behavior or actions, as His children, in comparison to those that don't know Him, implying that we are to be, and therefore do, more than others. He is saying, to paraphrase, "...if you are really my offspring; my children; my sons and daughters, you will distinguish yourselves in your treatment of others, far beyond any normal standard of what is acceptable!"

CONTINUALLY OVERFLOWING

In a derivative of (perissos), MATTHEW 12:34 and LUKE 6:45 refer to the abundance of the heart. The teaching concerns not what fills the heart, but rather, what exceedingly overflows the heart. In other words, what comes out of our lives is that which is bubbling over; overflowing the banks of containment.

The primary meaning of the word, is the visual imagery of constant; continuous overflowing, like the rushing torrent of waters, escaping their banks in a spring flood or runoff. However, the word, as stated, conveys, not a one time event, or action, but a continuous, on-going experience of overflowing abundance.

In PHILIPPIANS 1:9, in a derivative of (perissos), Paul, by the Spirit of God, prayed that our love would constantly and continuously overflow it's banks of limitation more and more because of spiritual revelation and perception of spiritual reality.

COLOSSIANS 2:7 portrays us as trees, whose roots go down deep in Him, drawing nourishment from Him, firmly planted in the revelation of spiritual reality, walking in awareness of the spiritual realm, [faith], which will cause us to overflow our banks, with thanksgiving to God, our Father.

In 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12, Paul, by the Spirit of God, prays that the Lord Jesus Christ, would super-abound us [kind of like, super-size us, spiritually] to overflowing love, toward all Believers; to all people; measured by, and initiated by the love that was demonstrated towards us. [In other words, love demonstrated toward us, releases an overflowing, abundant love, not just to our spiritual family, but even to those who have not yet joined the family, and are even violently opposed to such a prospect].

2 CORINTHIANS 9:8 says God is powerful to supply us with total access to overflowing grace [God's ability demonstrated; manifested; toward us] so that we always, in every circumstance, not only have enough, but more than enough, to meet every need we may encounter, and so much so, that those to whom we release this superabundance to, also have such overflow, that they can supply with excess, to meet the needs of others.

Since we are children of God, our Father's nature and expression is found in this overflowing love; abundance; surpassing limits; breaking out of what would contain and restrict, to a limitless world of possibilities, escaping from within ourselves as divine offspring of our Father.

To begin to fully appreciate the import of this word, we must view it from the revelation, that this word expresses an aspect of who our Father is, always overflowing towards us in love; grace; mercy; material abundance; and anything and everything that fulfills His purpose for our lives to be full and complete, in Him; but He doesn't stop there. He releases such an incredible overflow of abundance, that our needs are met to excess, and we are able to give to extreme, to supply in abounding capacity, to others, whose overflow more than meets the lack in the lives they minister to.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours