What does it mean to “rebuke?”

I am for definitions that do not have a bias; definitions that empower and glorify God and His Word.  So when I look at the term “rebuke” and I see verses like Revelation 3:19 that state, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:” AND verses like Matthew 8:26 where we read, “Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” I need a definition that suffices for both.

While I have heard it defined “held back” for Matthew 8:26, and can see some application of that definition to Rev 3:19 I still want to put forth the following definition…

Rebuke:  to demonstrate authority over; to command; to assert the reality of

Clearly Christ demonstrated authority over the winds.  And when we look at the parallel verse to this story in Mark we see that He “said unto the sea, Peace, be still.”(4:39) And so, He commanded.

We also see this applied in Luke 4:41 when the Lord faced the demons, “And he rebuking [them] suffered them not to speak:”

What of asserting the reality of? Well, it sounds like “telling off” if the reality is bad.  Like when Jesus rebuked Peter.  Christ was just telling it like it is.

And He does that so then, regardless of what reality is, He can chasten us.  He can secure us to Himself. 

He loves us… and has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions (demons and devils).

We can rebuke whatever we have authority over in Christ.  We can demonstrate authority over, command, and asset the reality of every situation.

Because we are more than conquerors.

SDG