The Supplier of Everything We Need

Theater was so important to the ancient Greeks that the state would appoint a wealthy person to support the chorus of a troupe. Twice a year, the state held a contest for the best tragedy and the best comedy. Of course, the playwright received credit for his writing, but the prize officially went to the sponsor. This person was the choregos. As an appointed patron, the choregos was obligated to bear the expenses of the chorus. Because winning the prize was so prestigious, it was to his advantage to furnish his troupe lavishly.

As words are wont to do, the verb form of choregos gradually changed, coming to mean liberal, generous giving of any nature. Depending on the context, the word as used in the New Testament is variously translated as minister, supply, provide, equip, supplement, help, or add.

Paul and Peter both use forms of this word in their epistles in discussing a variety of blessings with which believers are supplied. God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food (2 Cor. 9:10 ESV). It is God who supplies the Spirit and works miracles (Gal. 3:5 ESV). In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul refers to Christ equipping and nourishing the body (Eph. 4:16; Col. 2:19 ESV). He tells the Philippians that he knows it is through the help of the Spirit that the current situation will turn out for his deliverance (Phil. 1:19 ESV).

Peter speaks of the strength God supplies to enable each person to use his gifts (1 Pet. 4:11). In his second epistle, he says that an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided (2 Pet. 1:11).

Neither Paul nor Peter is referring to God directly as choirmaster; each is simply using the word derived from that sense. But seeing this Greek verb used in a relatively few instances caused me to stop and meditate on the fact that God is the supplier of everything I have, whether or not it occurs to me to be thankful. I ask myself, as Paul did in his first letter to the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive (1 Cor. 4:7 ESV)?”

In the passage in 2 Corinthians mentioned above, Paul is encouraging the people to take up the collection they have promised for the relief of the saints. Their example is Christ: “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9 ESV).”

Was there ever a choregos like our Lord, who was willing to beggar himself so we could be rich? Paul expands on this in his letter to the Philippians. For our sakes, Christ Jesus willingly made himself nothing. He took the form of a servant and humbled himself all the way to death on the cross. Even so, his riches, our inheritance, were not exhausted.

Most of us would probably not be willing to say we doubt that God is able to give us everything we need. But don’t we all sometimes wonder if he is willing? Remember this: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things (Rom. 8:32 ESV)?”

Jesus didn’t promise we would have everything we want, or that life would be easy as a member of his troupe. On the contrary, he told us we will suffer if we follow his script for our lives. Paul is in prison when he writes to the Philippians that he has learned to be content in every situation. From his cell, he is able to assure Christians that his God will supply all their needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

There was never another choregos whose riches were unlimited. Nor was there one who purchased his people with his very own blood. How can we ever thank him enough? How do we demonstrate to the world that he is the source of everything we have?

2 Peter 1:5 is the only instance of this word where we are the ones who are to do the adding or supplementing. Peter tells us to add virtue to faith, knowledge to virtue, self-control to knowledge, steadfastness to self-control, godliness to steadfastness, brotherly affection to godliness, and love to brotherly affection. Guy N. Woods expands this idea with a beautiful picture in his Commentary on the New Testament Epistles of Peter, John, and Jude:

“As here used, the graces which adorn the Christian’s character are to be chorused into a grand symphony to the delight and pleasure of him who fashioned and made us for his own good pleasure. It will be seen that there are eight of the graces, and that they thus form an octave of soul tones, the first being faith, the last love, an octave higher. When these are harmonized and played on by the divine Spirit, disharmony disappears and life’s discords vanish. How we should rejoice that we have been privileged to provide such an instrument in the hand of our God!”

 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13-14 ESV).

Through the gift of a faithful mother and grandmother, Diane Pendergraft grew up knowing Jesus as a friend. Married for nearly two-thirds of her life, there has been time for several seasons, from homeschooling to owning a coffee shop. She has three grown children and eight grandchildren. An element of this season is writing about literature and life at Plumfield and Paideia.

Photograph © Amy Tran, used with permission