Odynao / ὀδυνάω

This particular word "Odynao" ( ὀδυνάω ) is used for sorrow or distress only used Four Times in the Greek New Testament. If we examine the four times that this word is used, I belive that we are shown something very special. It in occurs as different tenses/forms in Luke 2:48, Luke 16:24, 16:25 and Acts 20:38.

ὀδυνάω - Odynao

Strongs G3600

To torment, pain; mid. and pass: To be tormented, pained; I suffer acute pain, physical or mental. From odune; to grieve. 1) to cause intense pain 2) to be in anguish, be tormented 3) to torment or distress one's self

First off, in the gospel of Luke, the word "Odynao" ( ὀδυνάω ) is used to describe the anxiety and distress that Mary and Joseph felt when they realized that Yeshua was not with them. Anyone that has a child can relate to the anxiety that someone feels when they turn their head for a second and their child gets lost and is no longer there with them, it only takes a second. I always thought this was odd as the text specifically tells us that Yeshua was lost for three days. Of course when they realized that he wasn’t with them and that was and that he wasn’t with his kinfolk, they turned to go back to Jerusalem to look for Yeshua. We should not overlook the significance that they immediately turned back and went to Jerusalem to the temple, where there they found Yeshua at the age of 12 years old witnessing to the rabbis there - and that they were amazed at his knowledge of The Torah. When they found Yeshua and questioned Him about his whereabouts, He simply replied that He was in His Father's House. It seem as if He was confused as to why she would be worried or wondering where he was at, like she should have already known that. Remember the fact that they turned back to Jerusalem - back to The Temple, back to where the pressence of G*d was - this is a Key Point that should not be overlooked.

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress ( ὀδυνώμενοι / ὀδυνάω ).

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them."

- Luke 2:46-50

The next two times this particular word "Odynao"( ὀδυνάω ) is used by Yeshua Himself, referring to the anguish of the "rich man" in Hades. For all intensive purposes, we can define Hades as Hell - eternal torment, the furthest a soul could ever be from G*d.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,

and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish ( ὀδυνῶμαι / ὀδυνάω ) in this flame.’

But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish ( ὀδυνᾶσαι / ὀδυνάω ).

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house

- for I have five brothers - so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’

And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." - Luke 16:19-31

When we come to the last occurrence of this word "Odynao" ( ὀδυνάω ), it is used to describe the sorrow that The Ephesians felt as Paul departed from them for the last time, heading to Jerusalem. Pay close attention that the text specifically tells us the source of their sorrow comes from the fact that they knew they would never see Paul's face again.

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,

being sorrowful most of all ( ὀδυνώμενοι / ὀδυνάω ) because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship." - Acts 20:35-38

When Paul told The Galatians that "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" - I believe that we are meant to take that literally, if we are to truly understand the magnitude of Paul's Letters.

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

To summarize all of this, what we are seeing here is this particular word for sorrow has to do with not being able to see G*d, as in the intense anguish of being distanced from G*d. The two times that this word was used by Yeshua, He was talking about anguish and torment that a soul feels when he is in hell. In a simplistic way, Hell can be understood as complete absence of G*d, thus the anguish and torment there could be related to as being separated from Our Creator - to be totally absent of His Infinite Light and to be absent of all of His Love. That alone would truly be anguish and torment on an unimaginable level.

What we need to understand here is by this time Paul had completely emptied himself through his own humility. A vessel that is filled with pride has no space left for The Holy Spirit, we must empty ourselves of it all. Paul was so greatly filled with The Holy Spirit that the people didn't see Paul, they saw Yeshua. As disciples, we should become more and more like Yeshua each day, following all of His Ways. We have all been chosen and set apart from the rest of this world to be Christ’s representatives on earth. I firmly believe that Paul was The Greatest of The Apostles in this regard, though he claimed to be the least of them (which is yet another example of his intense level of humility). Paul walked the walk and never questioned anywhere that he was led to go, no matter the cost or circumstances. I pray that we can all achieve that level of faith in this life.

I understand that Paul can be very confusing to many believers, he used to throw me off with much of what he said as well. It wasn't until I truly to started to live my life for G*d when Paul's words began to be revealed to me through the teaching of The Holy Spirit - All Glory To G*d!

Yeshua is understood to be The Bridegroom and we are His Bride (now go and study Song of Songs with that bit of knowledge, just sayin'). Since every disciple makes up a part of The Body of Christ (Messiah), who is The Head. Just every individual internal organ is essential in our body, we are to be united with each and other, in order to become One with Him. Paul even calls this a "profound mystery" as he explains the relationship of a man and his wife; as the two become one with one another. I am doing my best to help reveal this mystery for anyone with "Eyes To See" - Paul had truly come into such a high level of Unity with G*d that The Ephesians, who were "sorrowful ( ὀδυνώμενοι / ὀδυνάω ) most of all", looked upon Paul almost as they would Yeshua Himself. This is why this particular word ( ὀδυνάω ) is used to describe their sorrow, as when Paul was leaving their pressence, they literally anticipated a seperation from G*d Himself.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:31-32

If this weren't the case, then why would Paul have referred to it as "My Gospel"?

"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." - Romans 2:16

We are also told that The Galatians welcomed Paul as if he were "Christ Jesus Himself":

"And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself." - Galatians 4:14

And, just to top all of this off - if Paul had not reached this tremendous level of Unity with Yeshua, then the following surely would not have been written:

"And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them." - Acts 19:11-20

Human beings become complacent and we tend to overlook just how wonderful life actually is. We are literally swimming in a sea of light, we are just too blind to see it. It can be said that the spiritual realm is more real than the world that we live in in this physical reality. It's not until something is taken away from us that we are given eyes to see the abundance of blessing that have always been bestowed upon us. When Yeshua revealed Himself to Paul, he lost his vision; which was a most humbling experience. It wasn't until his vision restored by The Power of Yeshua, through the hands of the gentile Ananias, that Paul truly gained his 20/20 spiritual vision - and this is how we can understand Paul's Most Unique Oneness with Our Creator.

חסד ושלום עליכם והרבה אהבה וברכות

May Grace and Peace Be Upon You and Much Love and Blessings!