The Meaning of the Greek Word αναλυω

Anglicised Greek: analuO

The translation and interpretation of this word relates directly to the apostle Paul’s work and his Hope. It concerns the love that Paul had for all those Christians who benefited from his first Commission and the sympathy and love that God had for him because of all the suffering for His sake. Understanding should encourage our faithful walk with God.

In the New Testament, the word analuO is used three times. The following extracts with their contexts are taken from the King James Version:

Luke 12:36 Speaking to His disciples Christ said:

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants,
analusei [3rd person singular future active verb]

Timothy 4:6 Paul tells Timothy:

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me
analuseOs [genetive singular noun]

Philippians 1:23 Paul explains to the Philippian Church

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
analusai [aorist 1, infinitive active verb]

The literal meaning of this word, as a verb is
ana.....a preposition denoting motion upwards, up to, from a lower place to a higher.

luO.....a verb to loose any person or thing tied or fastened;
......a verb to loose one bound. i.e. to unbind release from bonds, set free;
......a verb to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied or compacted together

It is clear from the analysis of the verb that firstly, there is a restraint involved which has to be 'undone', and having released that restraint, there is then motion upwards. Upwards could be interpreted physically or Spiritually. The noun derived from the meaning of the verb must also fulfil these requirements. So we can say that the literal meaning of the verb is: 'to loose or release upwards'. The corresponding meaning of the noun would be: 'a, or the, loose or release upwards'

This meaning can now be applied in the verses above using the interlinear Greek/English literal translation.

Luke 12:36 and ye like to men waiting for their Lord whenever he shall be released upwards from the wedding feasts, that having come and having knocked, immediately they may open to him. Blessed those bondmen, the Lord whom coming shall find watching

2 Timothy 4:6 For I already am being poured out and the time of my release-upwards is come. The good combat I have combated, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept.

Philippians 1:23 For I am pressed by the two, for having the desire to release-upwards, and to be with Christ, very much better; but to remain in the flesh, more necessary for the sake of you.

The verb in this Philippian letter is in the aorist tense, a tense which can be related directly to one of the English present tenses, e.g. 'I loose' rather than 'I am loosing'. This is the condition of the person who is loosing. It can be happening in the past, present and/or future, whereas 'I am loosing' is happening in the present only. When Paul says 'to release-upwards', he implies that it is a condition of which he desires to partake.

The use of this word in both Philippians and 2Timothy indicates a sequence of events. Some students claim that Paul's last letter was written to Timothy and that his Philippian letter was written some years before. They argue that Paul firstly expressed his desire to release upwards [Philippians], he then, having completed his work [2Timothy], availed himself of the Godly offer to release upwards.

This order is based upon an erroneous timing of the second letter of Paul to Timothy. It takes no account of the fact that Paul had two commissions, one during his course described in the Acts of the Apostles,

FIRST COMMISSION. Paul is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Nations, and kings, and the children of Israel [Acts 9:15]

.......Unto the Nations now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me [Acts 26:18].

Remaining under this commission, before Paul wrote to the Philippians, he wrote the seven letters recorded during the Acts Period: 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians Galations Hebrews and Romans and the three personal letters...Titus, 1Tim. and 2Tim written after that time.

and a new and second one associated with the revelation of this present Administration of God's Grace.

SECOND COMMISSION The Administration of The Grace of God given for you according to revelation made known to me. To me, less than the least of all saints has this grace been given to evangelise among the Nations the untraceable riches of the Christ, even to enlighten all as to the Administration of The Mystery, of that hidden away from The Eons in God [Eph 3:1-9].

Under this commission, after Paul wrote to the Philippians, he wrote three letters...Colossians, Philemon and 'Ephesians'.

When Paul wrote to the Philippian saints, he had no knowledge of this second commission which God was preparing for him.

He recognised the problems concerning the change brought about by the Message of Salvation being commissioned by God to any Nation. Previously this commission was committed to the Jews [Salvation is of the Jews John 4:22] but was now committed to the Message itself, for the Nations which includes the Jews [Salvation is commissioned to the Nations. Acts 28:28], no longer to the Jew first followed by any Gentile.

At this time, although the Jews remain the children of God as a nation, the unbelieving ones are deprived of their Spiritual perception and understanding having no greater priority before God than any nation. 'lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' [Acts 28:27]

When Paul writes to Timothy in his second letter, he refers to the completion of his first commission in the words: 'the course I have finished'. That was the end of his course which had been named in Acts 20:24.

This early writing of 2Timothy is supported by the statement in Paul's Colossian letter written some 3 to 4 years later, at the completion of Paul's second commission:

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the Administration of God which is given to me for you, to complete the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: [COL 1:24]

Paul's Philippian letter followed the second letter to Timothy, when his course was completed and he no longer had his first commission [Phil 1:1]. His concern for the welfare of the Philippians......'For God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ'.....causes him after much deliberation......For I am in a straight betwixt two.......to decide to.......abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Thus putting aside this opportunity and striving to know Christ and to be found in Him, causes God a little time later to give him the second commission based upon this new and present Administration of God's Grace [Eph.3:9]

Even so, a careful examination of the character of Paul's second letter to Timothy shows that it could not have been written during the time when the knowledge of this present Administration of God's Grace had been revealed.

CONCLUSION

Although at the time when Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, he recognised that God was prepared to release him upwards, when he subsequently wrote to the Philippians, he needed to put this great privilege aside, in order to fulfil the necessities of the Philippians. Not only this, but also to strive:

that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;

This state of mind, requiring this deeply submissive spirit, was of great importance to Paul, not a mind which would be easily acquired because of the mental and physical trauma that was to be experienced. Why would he have even considered identifying himself with The Christ in such a way ?.............

if by any means I might attain unto the out-resurrection out of the dead

This must have been very important to Paul. It is evident therefore that his consideration of the circumstances in which he found himself, had compelled him to recognise, that the resurrection at the time of his Hope [Thessalonians ch.4......the parousia of The Christ], would mean that he could play no part in the Spiritual welfare of those Christians generated during the coming fulfilment of the 70weeks[490 years] of Daniel's prophesy which ends with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ…...parousia. He was therefore prepared to submit himself to the trauma he describes in order to attain to an earlier resurrection to be present during the second transition when there is an overlap between the final days of the present Administration of Grace and the re-instated Kingdom of Heaven in Israel.

David is resurrected as Prince on the throne of Israel, and God in Christ continues to rule and work with the nation of Israel from His throne in heaven [Mark 16:20. Isaiah 66:1] The World throne is occupied by Nebuchadrezzar.

During this period God’s purposes amongst the nations will be overseen by a resurrected Godly King Nebuchadnezzar. This is promised by the prophet Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the multi metal, image [Daniel 2:28, 2:37-38, 4:34-37]