G18d 26 for 2026, Think about the Good #4, Whatever is Pure

May theme = Focus on the Good #1d. Philippians 4:8d – Think about Whatever is Pure

4. Whatever is Pure = the Greek adjective h’agnos. Literally meaning a- , without, and –hagos, something awful, gross or nasty.

H’agnos is a form of the more familiar Greek adjective h’agios, which is most often translated as ‘holy’.

I find it very interesting that there is not a positive word for purity and holiness, but they use the negation of a negative word, the old “two negatives make a positive” rule. The implication is “not pure” is the common state and I guess we can more easily recognize when something is an exception to the ordinary?

In the Old Testament, the same principle is expressed in the translation “**unblemished**” (Hebrew: *tamim*) refering to sacrificial animals and priests needing to be physically perfect, “**without** defect, spot, or **blemish**.” This requirement symbolized holiness and **purity**, in other words, God demands our best.

This requirement prefigured the righteous perfection of Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humankind. Some related verses:

Exodus 12:5 – The Passover Lamb must be “**without blemish,**” as should any animal offered for an atoning sacrifice.

Leviticus 21:17-23 Priests must be **without** **defect** to serve in the tabernacle (or later the temple).

And the same language is used in Hebrews to describe Jesus. In Hebrews 9:14, Jesus is described as an ‘**unblemished**‘ sacrifice.

Getting back to the New Testament and Philippians… Whereas h’agios (holy) is used 235 times in the Greek New Testament, h’agnos (pure) joins the first two adjectives used by Paul in Philippians 4:8 as being rarely used, in this case, only 8 times. Let’s look at some of those verses and see what food for thought they provide about purity.

James portrays heavenly wisdom as “first of all **pure**,” declaring **purity** as the source from which all the other virtues flow.

In Titus 2:5, Paul encourages young women to be “**pure**” so that the word of God will not be “dishonored,” highlighting the importance of personal integrity in being a witness to the gospel–that is, our **purity** is a testimony to God’s holiness.

Peter recommends “**pure**… demeanor” for believing wives, showing that a testimony of **purity** carries persuasive power, even toward an unbelieving spouse.

In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul pictures the Corinthian church as “a **pure** virgin presented to Christ.” Using bridal imagery from Jewish betrothal customs, he emphasizes the exclusiveness of the covenant relationship with God.

John links **purity** to our future hope. Our focus on the second coming of Jesus Christ should motivate us to live a life of unparalleled **purity**.

In 2 Corinthians 7:11, Paul describes the Corinthian church as having proved itself “innocent” (pure) after Paul had called them to account for public sin in his first letter.