By: Gen. Jim – 8/1/25
“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. O LORD, correct me, but with justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.” – Jer. 10:23,24
Have you ever prayed, “LORD correct me”? I have. Pain? Yep! There was a time in our early years of ACMTC when the Lord asked my wife and I if we would be willing to allow Him to bring in the Sword. I knew what exactly what He meant & what He wanted. While the Spirit was moving in powerful ways among us – deliverance, healings, revelations – He wanted more than outward demonstrations of His Spirit’s POWER: He wanted us, His people, to bear fruit in our lives. While we can all appreciate His Spirit’s moving, He wanted us to MOVE UP in Him.
Well, we did allow God to come into our midst with His “Sword that Cuts & His Fire that Burns”. We lost members! To be expected. It wasn’t long after this, when Sacramento, CA. was beginning to be AWARE/AWOKE to the reality that there was a FORCE in our midst, & it was making that city nervous. The Spirit was revealing to us those in the CA gov. that were homosexuals (male/females). This really put the city on edge! Red flags went up. My point here is to say that God asked us to pray for persecution! When we stated this over radio (KFIA Radio et al.), the Churches thought we had lost our minds. They reasoned, “who in their right mind would pray to get persecuted?” Well, we did – and all HELL BROKE OUT AGAINST US (read our PX2 files).
So…
In the pursuit of excellence, human life is ordinarily little more than a collection of disappointments, as Rev. Timothy Dwight once preached (1752-1817). Even for the believers, life is not a bed of roses. NO Sir! Disappointments, trials & troubles plague us. Rarely is the life of man such as he or she designs it shall be. Our intentions may be sterling, of genuinely high quality, but life has a way of making life unfulfilled, at least to one’s expectation. The Amplified Bible reads: “O LORD, I know that the path of [life of] a man is not in himself; It is not within [the limited ability of] man [even one at his best] to choose & direct his steps [in life]. O LORD, correct me [along with your people], but with mercy & in just measure – Not in Your anger, or You will crush me & bring me to nothing.”
How many of us have felt like God wants to crush the life out of us? The truth is, He wants to crush the “old life” out of us as the “new life” in Christ can flourish. While some seem to obtain their heart’s desire, others are disappointed in the strife for superiority, i.e., the “good life”, or as the fake pastor Joel Osteen says so often, “Have Your Best Life Now!”.
But what man wants is appetizing to the flesh – the very flesh that the Bible tells us to deny (self)! What God wants of His people is abundant fruitfulness in the Spirit. Man’s indulgence of mere human pleasure is a one-way ticket to the grave (Hades). What does 1 John 2:15-17 tell us? LOVE NOT THE WORLD! The very world Christ saved us from in the beginning when we cried out in anguish of soul. Are we to find excellence in the world? No inferior good will fill the New Man’s capacity or its desires.
Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered (lit., established) by the LORD, and He delights in his way.”
Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are of the LORD; How then can a man understand his own way?”
Man tends to think & believe that he cannot understand God’s way, hence, they do not try. It is easier to believe our human reasonings.
If man was left to go his/her own way, that way leads to HELL! Desires indulged grow faster & further than gratifications extend. Ungratified desire (or lust) is MISERY! Expectations eagerly indulged & terminated by disappointment are often exquisite MISERY. Why do people take drugs, drink unto drunkenness? Their souls pine for fulfilment. Does a HIGH or a DRUNK elevate a man, a woman? Look at the streets of America – human WASTE everywhere, that is, humans wasted & wasting away. Do you think those poor victims are in pursuit of excellence?
The Bible teaches us irresistibly that, since we cannot command gratifications, we should command our desires, our lusts to stop destroying us. But who will say NO!? A determined soul can command excellence – but it takes effort.
Excel – Excellency – Excellent
Let’s now explore these high yet attainable words: verbs, nouns, & adjectives.
Verbs (4):
1) Huperballō/ὑπερβάλλω, literally, “to throw over, exceed.” This verb is also translated, “exceeding” in Paul’s 2 Cor. 9:14; Eph. 1:19; 2:7; “excelleth” (R.V., “surpasseth” in 2 Cor. 3:10). In Eph. 3:19 we find the word “surpasseth”. We’ll get to 3 other high but attainable words like “exceed”, “exceeding”, & “exceedingly (2 verbs, 6 adverbs/adverbial phrases).
2) Perisseuō/ περισσεύω, “to be over & above”, is rendered “abound” in 1 Cor. 14:12, (R.V.), (A.V., “excel”). The military uses this phrase, “Above & Beyond the Call of Duty”.
3) Huperechō/ὑπερέχω, lit., “to have over”, is trans. “excellency” in Phil. 3:8 (or “excellence in some trans.). Sone Gk. scholars believe “the surpassingness” is correct. This verb is used 3 times in Philippians, 3:8, 2:3 & 4:7; 2:3, in the NKJV has “esteem”; 4:7 has “surpasses.”
4) Diapherō/ διαφέρω means, “to differ” (used in the neuter plural of the present participle with the article (Phil. 1:10 “That you may approve the things that are excellent…”). How many “Christians” approve what are not excellent? (in the marg., “the things that differ”).
So, there you have it, 4 Gk. verbs.
Nouns
1) Huperbolē/ὑπερβολή, lit., a “throwing beyond, a surpassing, an excellence, is trans. “excellency” in 2 Cor. 4:7 (A.V.); the R.V. has, “exceeding greatness” (see Rom. 7:13 = “exceeding sinfulness; in 2 Cor. 1:8 (R.V.), “exceedingly”. In 2 Cor. 4:17, lit., “according to a surpassing unto a surpassing”.
One has to watch for how Gk. words can be exchanged, depends on which translation one reads from. (last count there are 100 translations out there – most are new which I do not trust).
2) Huperochē/ὑπεροχή, strictly speaking, the act of overhanging or the thing which overhangs, hence, superiority, pre-eminence, is trans. “excellency (of speech)” in 1 Cor. 2:1; elsewhere, in 1 Tim. 2:2, (the R.V.) = “high place”, the A.V. = “authority”.
Adjectives
1) Megaloprepēs/ μεγαλοπρεπές, signifies “magnificent, majestic”, = that which is becoming to a great man or woman, “to be fitting or becoming” (see 2 Pet. 1:17 where the words “the Excellent Glory” is used.
2) Diaphorōteros/ διαφορώτερος, comparative degree of diaphoros, “excellent” (see Heb. 1:4 = “more excellent name”, & 8:6, “more excellent (ministry).” (For the postive defree see Heb. 9:10 & Rom. 12:6).
3) Pleiōn/ πλεῖον, = “more, greater, the comparative degree of polus, much, is trans. “more excellent” in Heb. 11:4, meaning “more worth” (3:3), “more (honor)”; in Matt. 6:25, of the life in comparison with meat (i.e., food).
4) Kratistos/κράτιστος = mightiest, noblest, best, the superlative degree of (Gk.) kratus, “strong”. It is used as title of honor & repect, “most excellent” (Lk. 1:3); see also other Scriptures, Acts 23:26; 24:3 & 26:25 (see both the R.V. & A.V.). In 1 Cor. 12:31 we have “more excellent”.
Exceed – Exceeding – Exceedingly
After I define these N.T. Greek words, I’ll turn to the O.T. Heb. word.
Verbs
1) Huperballō, which I’ve already defined under #1 of excellency; same Gk. word
2) Perisseuō, same as #2 under excellency.
Adverbs & Adverbial Phrases
1) Lian/ λίαν, very, exceedingly, is translated “exceeding” in Mt. 2:16 (for vs.10, see #2); 4:8; 8:28; Mk. 9:3; Lk. 23:8 (see also “Great”).
2) Sphodra/ σφόδρα, the neuter pl. of sphodros, “excessive, violent”, signifies “very, very much, exceedingly”, Mt. 2:10; 17:6 “sore”; 17:23; 18:31, (R.V.), “exceeding”, for A.V. or KJV, “very”; 19:25; 26:22;27:54 for R.V., “exceedingly” for A.V., “greatly”; Mk. 16:4, “very”; Lk. 18:23 (same); Acts 6:7, R.V., “exceedingly”, for A.V., “greatly”; Rev. 16:21.
3) Sphodrōs/ σφοδρός, “exceedingly” (#2), is used in Acts 27:18 (A.V.)
4) Perissōs/ περισσός is used in Mt. 27:23 (R.V.), “exceedingly”; “the more” in the A.V.
In the R.V. (Mk. 10:26) we find “exceedingly”; the A.V. has “out of measure”; in Acts 26:11 it is “exceedingly”. In Mk. 15:14, the best authentic MSS. have this word (R.V.) “exceedingly”) for #5 (A.V., “the more exceedingly”).
5) Perissoterōs/ περισσότερος, the comparative degree of #4, “abundantly, exceedingly”, Gal. 1:14, “more exceedingly”; 1 Thes 2:17 (R.V.), “the more exceedingly”; the A.V. Has, “the more abundantly”.
6) Huperekperissou/ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ, denotes “superabundantly”; in 1 Thes. 3:10 we find “exceedingly”; in Eph. 3:20 we find “exceeding abundantly”;
In Acts 7:20, the phrase “exceeding fair” is lit., “fair to God” (see marg.). In Mt. 26:7 we find “exceeding precious” (R.V.), “very precious” in other translations. In Mk. 4:41, “they feared exceedingly” is literally, “they feared a great fear”.
2 Greek Groups fin.
For most reading this article (and others like it), it may seem boring. But these are designed for who may not have a Heb./Gk. concordance. Articles or Church sermons can be a valve if one is hungry for truth.
Hebrew
I now turn our attention to the O.T. Hebrew – “exceedingly” or “greatly”.
Adverb
We’ll start with the Heb. word me’ōd, “exceedingly”, “very”, “greatly”, “highly”. Strong’s Concordance (#3966) reads: “vehemence”; by impl. “wholly”, “speedily”.
Me’ōd occurs around 300 times & in all periods of Biblical Hebrew. A verb with a similar basic semantic range appears in Akkadian, Ugaritic, & Arabic. It functions adverbially, meaning “very”. The more superlative emphasis appears in Gen. 7:18, where this Heb. word is applied to the “amount”, i.e. “quantity” of a thing.
In Ps. 47:9, me’ōd is used of “magnifying” & “exaltation”. the doubling of the word is a means of emphasizing its basic meaning, which, according to W.E. Vine’s Dictionary, which is “very much”: “And the waters prevailed exceedingly (NASB, “more & more”) upon the earth…” – Gen. 7:19, speaking of the Great Flood.
Noun
Me’ōd, “might” etc. This Heb. word is used substantively in the sequence “heart… soul… might”: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, & with all thy soul, & with all thy might.” (Dt. 6:5).
So… (teleios, adj,)
We see that the way of man is not in himself/herself. (Jer. 10:23,24). If we’re to obrain excellence, we’ll do it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, our human spirit must cooperate with God’s Spirit to reach perfection (maturity), Gk., teleios = “having reached its end” (telos), “finished”, “completed” – our spiritual pursuit. (see 1 Cor. 2:6; 14:20, Eph. 4:13; Phil 3:15; Col. 1:28; 4:12; in Heb. 5:14, R.V. = “full grown” i.e. “perfect”, “of full age” (spiritually, not sinlessness as some believe “perfect” means).
Teleiō (v.) means “to bring to an end by completing or perfecting”, i.e., “accomplishing”.
There are 3 adverbs:
1) akribōs = “perfectly” – 1 Thes. 5:2;
2) akribesteron = comparative degree of #1;
3) teleiōs = “perfectly” = “to the end”
[note: plēroō, “to fulfill” is trans. “perfect”.